Pizza, not so great, but 4 stars for sure for the Schweinshaxe! Would definitely go back again just for that! read more

Hessen Haus - Clausthaler golden amber - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Lots of beers to pick from. Very large menu. We tried the JÄGERSCHNITZEL. It was great. Tasted very authentic. Nice servers. No one greets you at the door/seats you so that's something to get used to. Apparently, it's a German thing...? However, our server very quickly appeared right after we sat ourselves. read more

Hessen Haus - JÄGERSCHNITZEL - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Go here for a litre or half litre of any of the dozen and a half or so choices of German drafts. Beers change seasonally. German food is featured as well as some American. The German food is good but not great. Bar tenders are usually knowledgable of the beer they serve, so ask questions and request samples. This German beer hall sports traditional German style wooden benches and tables. Grab a table and order a boot. Go during lunch for the "we won't tell your boss" $10 boot special. Dollar of half litres during happy hour. $2 of litres. read more

When I started looking for restaurants to hit in Des Moines, this shot to the top of my list because of two words: gator fingers. I always wanted to eat alligator, and never had the chance, so when I saw that they made it a possibility, there was no chance I was passing it up. The building is a little difficult to find if you don't know your way around the city. Worth noting if you're on a schedule, or you need to use the bathroom like I did. Anyway! The service was solid. Our server gave us the rundown on the discounted and on-tap beers. Football season had just started up, and nothing was too loud other than the people paying attention to the game. But what about the gator fingers? Well, they were fantastic. Terrific batter, and the sauce they come with is essential and not just thrown-on. It's worth bearing in mind, too, that this is German food -- so, even for an appetizer, it'll weigh your guts down a bit. Tip of the hat to whoever keeps the Hessen Haus bathrooms in such good shape. All in all, I have no complaints other than that I was too full and too broke to try the wild boar quesadillas. Next time, right? read more

This is a quaint local pub/ restaurant with a waitress who knew her beers and menu well. She made great recommendations for this non German menu gal. Left satisfied and intrigued. It was great walking to our hotel so parking was not an issue. read more

Hessen Haus - Part of the bar post happy hour - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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This is a really neat place to eat. I really love the entire atmosphere of the place. Very authentic food. I had the macaroni bäden bäden. I thought it was awesome. The only problem with this place is that it becomes really busy during the weekends. I would recommend going to this place during the week. read more

Love Hessen Haus, love the beer, love the food, love the whole atmosphere. Hessen Haus has so many excellent beers on tap - Franziskaner, Hoegaarden, Spaten - that I always have a difficult time choosing (and of course, drinking them out of a boot is even better). This is a great place to head with a group, but it's not much fun unless you can find a table - this place has really picked up in the last couple of years and it seems like it is always busy now (with a noise level to match)! The patio is nice when the weather is decent, but I love sitting inside and taking in all the German posters and decor. We just noticed last Friday that Hessen Haus has a $10 boot special over lunch... good thing I don't work downtown, because that sounds extremely hazardous to my workday! read more

Das Boot! I love visiting Hessen Haus when in Des Moines. The atmosphere can't be beat and is great any time of the day. Come for the bier and the food, you will not be disappointed. Looking forward to visiting this summer when the patio is open! read more

Delicious Bavarian nachos. Try them with the quesadilla meat for a nifty alternative flavor. Pretty much all the other food is rather fantastic as well! Grab two friends and come by on a day off work for $10 boots of all sorts of delicious beers (no, they will not fill it with Framboise or the high-proof beers). Stick around for Happy Hour from 3-6 for half price appetizers (hint: the amazing nachos are an appetizer) and $15 boots. It's pretty noisy and crowded on Friday and Saturday nights, but pleasantly laid-back most other times. I wasn't on Yelp when I used to live close enough to go regularly, but I just visited the Hofbrauhaus in Chicago and the fact that the Hessen Haus out-shined it in every way imaginable made me feel obligated to post a review - especially given that the Hessen Haus remains one of only two establishments that I still make it a point to stop at nearly every time I'm back in town. read more

I just really can't find a bad thing to say about this place. I've now been here several times, and over the course of almost a decade, this place hasn't disappointed. It's fun, reasonably authentic, they host events as part of Oktoberfest (and who wouldn't love that?), and the team is really knowledgeable and earnest. Like any place, we've had a few challenges flagging a server in the past, but only because of the bar's sheer popularity, not because of any shortages of staff. Great time every time. Even if on a quieter Monday or Tuesday afternoon. read more

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Hessen Haus is so ballin'. Das boot!!! Okay, so German beer--not my forte and I don't really care, but I do appreciate a nice Hefeweizen but I don't know much beyond that. However, German FOOD YESSSS. Bier cheese soup. So good here. The pretzel here is, of course, so nomtastic. Mac & cheese Baden-baden--omg *drooooool* and the Hunter's pizza is out of control delicious and unique. Certain nights they have an actual polka band and people actually get their polka on. Oh how I love German people, bier and food. Long live Hessen Haus. read more

I used to go there a lot back in the day. I brought my brother there last month (he's new to the area), and he loved it. We had a group of 6 and everyone enjoyed their drinks of choice. I don't know if they have live music on the weekend anymore, but the band was great back then. I'm looking forward to bring my wife back in the weekend. How about this weekend? ha. why not? it's -10 degrees outside. Maybe some German beer will warm me up inside. read more

Closest thing to my German grandmother's schnitzel we have ever found. I will say we brought said grandma and she informed the staff that is NOT how you make spaetzel. You win some, you lose some. Anyway, we love this place and it's great for German family shindigs. Don't leave without doing a boot and sticking around to see what happens when a train passes by. read more

Great food, beer selection, and of course, Das Boot! Hessen is a Des Moines staple and if you're in town for only a while and you're looking for a fun night out, there's nothing better than sharing a boot with friends... Or four :) read more

Hessen Haus - Stella. Mmmmm - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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This is a pretty classic German beer house. The food was pretty good, not amazing. Could have been brought out warmer, and the beer could have been colder, but now I feel like I'm nitpicking. It was decent. I love German food, and the Schnitzel was satisfying. Come in here if you are looking for some Oktoberfest fun anytime of the year. read more

Hessen Haus - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

This place is wonderful and delicious. The Saturday morning crowd might be a bit rowdy, but who am I to judge? I'm the one showing up in workout pants and a tank top because I was craving schweinhaxe and sauerkraut... I've done this place as a one-on-one dinner, I've done it solo with a book, I've done it solo and met people, I've done it in a big group. This place feels like a pub in the true sense of the word -- a public house. It happens to traffic in German fare, but as a German-English mut, I loved the place all the more. read more

Grear beers, great food, great atmosphere. The JÄGERSCHNITZEL is out of this world. read more

What a fantastic stop we decided to make on our way through Des Moines. Love the ambience as soon as we stepped through the door. We sat at eh. Our sever (Bob Copps) was particularly impressive. Knowledgable, funny, and very attentive, detail oriented. Food options were interesting. Beer selection awesome. Good ambience. We were glad we stopped!! read more

Spätzle is so good we get it every time. Usually we get the black Forrest, but this time went with the stroganoff. Was just as tasty. Lots of choices. Their pretzels are also an excellent choice. They're doing something right in the kitchen because we come back every time. The only suggestion would be to turn the music down a hair, which makes me sound like a 90 year old get off my lawn person. Also, for people who are unfamiliar with German beer, it might be good for them to explain those a bit better so people can figure out what they like. read more

Hessen Haus is the type of place I regularly recommend to people new to Des Moines and visitors. You definitely should go with a group of friends, so you can all share a giant boot of beer. They have such a wide variety of German beer and the bartenders are really knowledgable, so can help you find a brew that you'll enjoy. I'm not a big fan of German food, so have never eaten anything there, so can't comment on the quality. But, I've heard good things from friends. You can't beat a cold German beer in the summer on their patio! Keep in mind, if you are going on a weekend night, try to get there early as it can get pretty busy. read more

Hessen Haus is a spot I'll bring company for something different and just to show what Des Moines has going on downtown. It is not a fancy restaurant, but the best thing about it is you can either start or end your evening here. The food is really good, one of my favorite entrees to get is the Black Forest Schnitzel, the creamy sauce with spinach, ham and mushrooms is just delish! Very filling. For an appetizer I recommend the armadillo eggs, (yeah, I know, sounds really German), but hey. They're good. So if you want to start with dinner great, OR if you came with 4 or more people and want to celebrate like it's Oktoberfest, they have Das Boot to take care of that, and plenty of German beer a flowin'. Service can be spotty. We've had slow service and we've had decent service on different occasions. They don't sit you down when you walk in, you walk in and find a spot. read more

Authentic atmosphere with a great bier selection, great German food, and great service. I went to this old favorite on a business trip where I sat alone at the bar. From the time I walked in to the time I left, I felt right at home! The bartender taking care of me asked me my name and remembered it, and I noticed he greeted many regulars by name as they walked in. To eat I had the traditional wienerschnitzel and German potato salad, which was awesome. After my order was taken, it was less tban 15 minutes until I had my food. The restaurant was getting busy when I arrived, but the friendly bar staff still did a great job to keep engaging me in conversation. If I was with others I most certainly would have done a Das Boot, but I settled for a Jagger Train instead ($3 Jaggerbombs when trains pass by). read more

If you like German, and you like big, or maybe even big Germans this is the place to go. The tables are set up for big groups, the steins are big, das boot is bigger. Lots of authentic german beirs, they do have german food, but the place is made for drinking. The best part is Oktoberfest at the Hessen Haus. If you have birthday party, or other celebration and you have 15 people, and want to drink, The Hessen Haus is your bar. The only negative is when it's busy you can wait 1/2 hour for a drink. read more

4 stars only for selection of draft beer. Impressive list of German imports. Service was good and food was decent, but not quite what I hoped for. The Jager Schniztel was above average and the veggie pasta was ok, there was too much artichoke. read more

Great beer and great food and close to my hotel!! Service was awesome too. Can't wait to come back! read more

Hessen Haus - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Best German food I've had in the United States. Awesome beer list, staff is helpful with choices. The food is amazing. Simple German food at its best and in nice quantities! The waitresses are some of the best in the DSM area. A hidden gem, highly recommend! read more

Great beer selection, but the staff was rude. The music was way to loud and when we asked if it could be lowered they increased the volume. I have ear problems and i did not appreciate it at all. Will not return, it sucks because I love their beer. Music was deafening, my party couldn't hear each other. I've been to bars with loud music but their speakers suck and music was distorted and annoying. read more

Can't find a place like this in LA!!! Awesome selection of beers and it felt like I was in Germany .. not that I've actually been but it's the closest thing :) read more

I love this German pub! It has delicious food, and the beers are so great! If you're with friends, you should drink the boot!

The food menu LOOKS great. We went in on a Saturday night (knowing it would be busy and likely have a wait), but they don't seat customers or take names. So you walk into a packed place and more people pile in to wait, some going in front of other groups, and you are to fend for yourselves to find a table. There weren't any signs saying to seat yourself, so we asked a waitress, who was not very helpful or friendly. I wish I could have tried the food but I wasn't going to wait in disorganized chaos for another 10 minutes. Bummer. I'll try back another time. read more

Well the burger was over cooked and dry, the German potato salad tasteless, frozen then deep fat fried appetizers & the waitress disappeared after the food was served. It was loud and not very clean, sticky table. Not a place to go back to, DSM has so many other restaurants with homemade fresher foods. This was a bummer read more

Amazing beer selection, amazing food, and a neat mix of old and new German decor. The desert, ice cream and apple crisp, kicked butt!

Great beer selection with fantastic half and full liter options on a variety of authentic German styles. I was there on Super Bowl Sunday and while I didn't have any food, the atmosphere was inviting and clean. Can't wait to go back in the warmer weather. read more

I dined at Hessen Haus with a friend, and was impressed with the extensive beer selection and generous portions of solid German cuisine. The jagerschnitzel was delicious, and was complimented by the pickled red cabbage that is served with it. The interior of the restaurant is very casual, and has the feel of a cozy German beer hall. read more

Hessen Haus - Jagerschnitzel with pickled red cabbage and mashed potatoes! - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

It's ok. If it were just a bar, great. If it were just a restaurant, fantastic. I really like their food, the vegetarian spaetzel is t-a-s-t-y. But you really can't eat dinner here. There are rarely any seats available at night, and especially on weekends, it's so packed with bargoers that dining is next to impossible. We stopped a few weeks ago around 6:30pm on a Friday, and while we were lucky enough to find a table, the area by the wall smelled like old beer spills and vomit. Not very appetizing. By the time we were done eating, the place was jam-packed and super noisy. If you can get here with your group and get hold of a table or a run of seats at the bar, this is a fun place to be. I like the beer selection, the location and atmosphere are usually pretty good. I've noticed it seems to attract the very drunk, though, not sure if it's Das Boot, or the location near so many other bars, or what...maybe I'm just getting too old and I prefer a more chill drinking experience. read more

This is becoming my favorite bar in town. We have been going here for years but lately we have really enjoyed bellying up to the bar for some unique drafts. The staff is so nice and are excited to share new beer on tap. They take time to explain any questions I might have about a particular beer. Food is German, so pretty much okay, not the most amazing in town. We don't go for the food but many times end up grabbing a bite. Overall Hessen Haus is killin' it! Great beer selection, knowledgeable staff with a traditional German beer hall feel. Get the Armadillo Eggs :-) read more

Awesome German beer hall! They have an amazing selection of German beers and all the servers know their beer! If you have a question or need a recommendation on a type a beer speak up and they will help! They also have a great choice of sizes for your beer (even Das Boot)! Great menu of authentic German food at a reasonable price. If you are downtown and in this mood for some beers and food this is the place to be! read more

Great place to go with a group of people. The bar is in a huge wooden building and the interior is decorated with beer steins and other Germanic tchochkes. They also have a pretty large patio. They serve up a large selection of German beers, including a new favorite of mine: Spaten Optimator (shout out to Matt G). The prices are pretty cheap. And be sure to play the boot game, which other people on here have described. It's a fun game to play with your friends. read more

Hessen Haus is a great place to play for you and ALL of your friends! They have at least a gazillion delicious (and strong) German craft beers on tap and in bottles. The menu is full of interesting German cuisine and the staff is hilarious....especially if you catch the bar staff on the weekends....it's like dinner and a show. Ooooh!! I almost forgot.....They have LIVE POLKA most Saturday nights....call ahead to make sure, and if you ever see Barefoot Becky or Bob Malek playing, hustle your Lederhosen down there for an amazing time that's fun for the whole family.... read more

I always try to stop in for a beer or two when I'm in town. I love the German hunting lodge feel of this place. It gets the fun kind of rowdy at night - loud, raucous, and full of happy people with a good amount of beer in them. Bartenders are very helpful with beer suggestions, but the waitresses can be slow and inattentive. I've only had the German fare off the menu, but it's solid enough. I mostly go for the beer selection and fun night of good beer drinking with friends. read more