To know: seating is open to seat yourself. We did share a long table with another couple, but that was fine. Also, the waitress said she had 14 tables which seemed to be a lot here. So, it was about 20 minutes between seeing our waitress. We went here as it's on this years Pub Pass. This gives you a free drink on draft at about 25 places around Des Moines or the city you bought a pub pass for. We loved the drink selection and the large amount from Germany. We started with a pretzel with cheese. Then, we got the 2 entrees pictured. We highly recommend the roast beef! Lastly, don't pass up the German chocolate cake made there. read more

Hessen Haus - 72 hour roasted beef and potato pancake underneath - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Greatest selection of German drafts in the US! Terrific happy hour of $10 liters and half price appetizers! read more

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I've heard about this place and finally got to try it. Walking in the door, it felt like I was back in Europe. It's so authentic to german places I've been. I'm a big fan of European beers so I was excited to sample a few of them. I was very impressed with the quality and selection. Our waitress was a doll. Super friendly and helpful. My partner and I shared the brat platter. Do not pass up the weisswurst. If you like brats, this takes it to a new level. Overall I was beyond impressed and can't wait to come back read more

Great restaurant! Amazing selection of beer. And the food is fantastic! The Monster Munster Cheese Sticks is a great starter course. Their ranch dressing is wonderful! We ordered a schnitzel Fingers basket. This was good, but I think in hind sight we would have ordered a regular sized Jagerschnitzel. All in all a great restaurant in downtown Des Moines. read more

Walked in asked and was told open seating. Sat at the bar, flagged down the busy barkeep. Ordered Beer and dinner. Pilsner came quickly, followed by the meal latter. No one asked if I or the meal was ok. Meal was good. Asked for a coffee. Coffee was burnt. Watched food channel and baseball on the overhead screens. One of the patrons who had imbibed to much was helped out of the restaurant. Jagerschnitzel read more

Hessen Haus - Palaver Pilsner - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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This place is amazing. The food is authentic and delicious. From the pretzels to the spaetzle to the pork is all the best. The service is great as well! read more

Food was amazing, came with rock star service in a German pub atmosphere. Hands down authentic German cuisine. Must stop in and try. Also a large array of pils on tap. read more

Great ambiance, our server was very friendly, and the Mac and cheese was SO GOOD. Will definitely be back. read more

Hessen Haus - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Currywurst its best right here! Stopped for my husband's birthday dinner (he is from Germany) and he was pleased with the foods and German beers offered. It is hard for an authentic German to order German food in America because they don't think he is saying the items correctly when in actuality we Americans say them wrong. Lol, a lil food for thought. read more

Pretty good restaurant overall. We had the giant pretzel which was the best part of the meal. Between the two of us, we couldn't finish the whole pretzel. I had the bratwurst for my meal, it wasn't anything special but not bad either. I would try something else next time. The server was nice and helpful. There is a nice outside dining area with shade. The inside is typical German bar type feel. Would go back if I wanted German food, but wouldn't if I was just looking for a local restaurant to try. read more

Hessen Haus - Giant Pretzel - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

After reading many reviews about Hessen Haus, I decided to give a try while in DesMoines. Inside restaurant too dark and wooden walls ... no my thing, but it's ok. I tried a blueberry cider and it was really good. Pretzel and cheese Currywurst- was very tasty Overall a good experience Service was outstanding. read more

Hessen Haus - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Not quite Germany, but definitely a close second. Spetzle was great and the Currywurst had a nice twist to it.

Food and atmosphere were perfect. Loved dining on the patio. Good selection of beers.

The Hessen Haus in Des Moines, IA, is fantastic! Their reputation is excellent, and it is factual. They only serve German beers. And with so many varieties available on tap and in the bottle/can, there is more choices than you can drink in one visit. Hessen Haus also features lip-smacking delicious German food!! The bartenders are very quick and efficient. Their advice regarding beer and food selection is spot on! Each one was very personable and sweet. As far as the ambiance in Hessen Haus, it is precisely what you want at a German establishment. Regulars and first timers are mingling and enjoying themselves. My co-worker and I actually went back a second time in as many days because we wanted more! Go to Hessen Haus, you will enjoy the beer, food, and people! I will also return next time I am in Des Moines. read more

Came here last night for dinner. I was very impressed by the wide range of stuff they have on their menu. I started off with the straw-cherry lemonade which was amazing. Very refreshing and couldn't even taste the alcohol which I liked. I got the bratwurst basket. I added on a wurst because it was only $3 extra. It was very good. I wish I would have tried one of the other wursts that they have since they have 3 types but I didn't so I'll have to go back and try some more. My friend got the schnitzel which I had never heard over before and it was really good! Definitely not what I expected but I liked it a lot. Overall you should be able to find something you like here. Everything was very tasty. read more

Hessen Haus - Straw-cherry Lemonade - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Das Good! Felt like we just dropped into Germany during Oktoberfest. Awesome spot. They have big boots of beer which is always a hit with large groups. Their food was really good. The pretzel and their Mac and cheese was heaven. read more

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

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Wasn't a fan of the atmosphere, the service, or the food quality. Overall one visit was enough to deter me from ever wanting to visit again.

Hessen is one of Des Moines best places to gather and enjoy life. They have THE best bar tenders and wait staff around and the food is not to shabby either .. As for the negatives, the price of beer is getting out of control. This is on top of the latest credit cards fees that were recently imposed. Be prepared for some great German beer and hospitality with the sticker shock at the end. read more

Through our night in Des Moines, my friends and I dropped into this throwback german establishment. As seen in my photo, smiles were not only for my buddy in this photo but all 8 of us! We had a great time chatting with other locals and drinking Malibus. They have different kinds of Malibu, but whichever one you claim to get, you will not be disappointed. Our drinks were also served in a timely manner, even though the environment was busy. We weren't given service at a table until we planned on leaving, however. Overall, the drinks and environment made the night better. Super glad we stopped by! read more

Hessen Haus - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Great place to eat. Amazing service and good beer selection. Good music selection. Make sure you try out the train game and the boot. read more

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Excellent service and food. Visited here after leaving the science museum for some drinks and food and left happy and full. The place is decorated like a beer hall in Germany so it fits the vibe it's trying to give off. read more

Didn't order food as I had already eaten but had a nice beer! They have a great selection of beer and food. I definitely will be back to try the food. Just wish spatzle was an option with chicken schnitzel. . read more

Hessen Haus - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Great ambience. Came in close to closing time and the food was still absolutely incredible! They were pretty busy but the staff was friendly and prompt! read more

Hessen Haus - Sauerbraten and German Beer Cheese Soup - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

We placed a large order for 20 people for a family reunion and even tho Hessen Haus isn't set up for "catering" per se, they accommodated us. Since we'd never eaten there (we're from out of town) we decided to have dinner there the night before. The food was outstanding and the wait staff was so friendly!! Shout out to Ben for helping make our order happen. I would eat there often if the restaurant was in my town. read more

I need to stop coming here only to be disappointed every time. I visited Hessen Haus once about 2 months ago and was underwhelmed by the service and food, but decided to give them a second shot more recently. Two months ago, the waitress we had was lackluster and wasn't very attentive. The food was mediocre at best. Flavor was definitely lacking and just overall "meh". The beers are decent, but they are pricey! Most recently visited on April 2nd for their all you can eat shrimp and fish basket. I mean... what can you expect with an all you can eat fish and shrimp basket... I guess I was hoping for something a little better, but the shrimp was swimming in grease -- disgusting! The fish was barely warm and contained very little fish compared to the breading. Their tarter sauce is very good and the fries had a good crunch, but were barely warm as well. I just wish that the food was better here... it's not worth coming down for expensive beers and unremarkable food. read more

Hessen Haus - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Really good fried pickle chips and Moscow mules! And of course beer. Our waitress was great and the atmosphere was lively but chill.

Gem of a find. Bavarian-style pub in downtown Des Moines. I've had a lot of grilled ham and cheese sandwiches over the course of my travels, but none as delicious as the one that I enjoyed here. Smoked Bavarian black ham, piled high, with a generous helping of melted Swiss cheese on a pretzel hoagie roll. I opted for German potato salad (several side options available) and paired it with a Hofbrau lager. Pure bliss! read more

Hessen Haus - Grilled ham and cheese with German potato salad - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Definitely a great German style bar! This is where you want to go if you want to drink beer out of a boot and just have a lot of beer overall. It's a very casual restaurant bar with lots of seating. I don't think the food is anything to write home about but we love the giant pretzel appetizer. The restaurant is very dark so you might need your phone flashlight to order if you have a hard time seeing. Octoberfest is coming up so you should definitely check it out! read more

Stopped in on a Friday night, was able to get a table almost immediately. Staff was prompt and able to offer suggestions. Portion sizes are huge, plan to bring some home for lunch the next day. read more

Super awesome spot! I'd recommend the Applewine with sparkling water which is very popular in Hessen, especially Frankfurt am Main. Will definitely come back next time I'm in town! :) read more

Hessen Haus - Mounted Jackalope - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Bartender with brown hair was soooo rude. She called me and my friend a slur. I'm so appalled at this behavior. Will never be going back here. read more

Hessen Haus is a great staple. The wait staff all had masks on. Our waitress suggested beers to us. I wish i had gotten the waitress' name, she was great. She was friendly, joked around with us and was very accommodating. She made sure to tell us about the happy hour specials. The smaller drafts were 4 and the large one was 8. All appetizers were half off. As the night processed we decided to move indoors. We checked to make sure we could transfer our tab, it wasn't an issue. The tables were spaced out. They run your credit card at your table on a hand held device. Overall it was a great night. We definitely be back again. read more

Hessen Haus - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Great food and service. We stopped in last night for dinner and snagged a table on the patio. I'm not a beer drinker, but there is an extensive beer menu, a very minimal wine menu, and a full bar menu. Our server helped my wife pick out a beer, and I ordered a martini. Our drinks arrived and we put in our food order. The food came out VERY fast and was hot and fresh out of the kitchen. I got the Wienerschnitzel. It was great! Tender, lightly breaded, and very tasty - served with hot German potato salad, which was very good, and tasty hot red cabbage. My wife got the Veggie Spaetzle. It was very good, but didn't list artichoke as an ingredient, and it was one of the main items in the dish - not a problem, just an observation. The garlic wine butter sauce was very good.The other veggies were fresh and crisp. I have had German food all over the US and beyond and the food was better than most and prices were very reasonable. Great service, neat vibe, and fantastic German fare. We'll be back. read more

Hessen Haus - Tender Wienerschnitzel with great German potato salad and Red cabbage. - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Boisterous bier haus atmosphere with MANY different German beers on tap. The menu has lots of variety and is prepared well. The schweinshaxe is spectacular! I sat at the bar and the service was top- notch. Go early if you want a seat. read more

As a German-American raised in a strong german family, and having lived in Germany, it is hard for me to find a true German restaurant. They offer a very americanized/wide variety type of menu (indicator number 1), but still have some German classics. I opted for the jaegerschnitzel and neither the gravy nor schnitzel truly hold up to the authenticity i was wanting. But for a german/americanized restaurant, it does a good enough job! Not authentic, but a good enough taste (id stay away from the sauerkraut though..definitely not worth the side). Not to mention, they gave a pretty dang good beer selection. So that itself is worthy of a visit. Visit and keep authenticity expectations low for food and enjoy many boots of beer with friends! read more

Hessen Haus - 34oz franziskaner beer - German Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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they got rid of the best front-end person, not worth going anymore. the beer is inconsistent and the stock is unreliable

Our party of 10, including 6 kids, ate lunch here after a visit to the Science Museum. We asked for 3 separate tabs and our server was very accommodating. She was a great server-- efficient and friendly. Food was good--prices were fair. I would recommend this restaurant. read more

My friends and I visited Hessen Haus this past Saturday night and it did not disappoint! My family is very German & I grew up going to a lot of German restaurants, and Hessen Haus is definitely my new favorite. Service was excellent and the decor was awesome. We sat on the patio (which was super nice) but looking forward to coming back and sitting inside. We of course started with the boot, and opted for the Hoegaarden Belgian Wit. It tasted a bit like a Blue Moon & was delicious! For food, I got the Black Forest Schnitzel & it was heavy, but really good. Personally I wish I had gone with something with a bit more flavor as it was very creamy, but that was my own mistake. My friend got the Currywurst (Germany's most popular street food!) and it was super good. It wasn't your typical spicy curry, but very flavorful nonetheless. My other friend got the BBQ Brisket Mac & Cheese. It was good but obviously not what they're known for, and the same dish would have probably been done better at a different, non-German restaurant. Overall, our Hessen Haus experience was great & we will definitely be back! Maybe not the most authentic German food, but will definitely satisfy some cravings. If you don't go for the food, then atleast go and check out their huge European beer menu. Can't be beat! read more

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The portions are huge. The food is typical German food, but it is delicious. The service was good. There are many beers to choose from. Everything was well prepared. It was inexpensive too. read more

I pretty much love everything about this place. The food, the atmosphere amd especially the huge selection of German beer. The service I have received over the years have always been positive. I especially love their pretzels. Nothing much to say except that so glad we have this establishment. read more

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