[[HIGHLIGHT]]A great quaint place for shared plates.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We shared a board, a bottle of wine and some dessert. The staff was attentive, friendly and responsive. There were a variety of food options, a smaller wine selection and good desserts. [[HIGHLIGHT]]A good place for date night![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

wow! This place was amazing! I'm from Chicago and have dined at many fine restaurants in our city. This place has them beat! First off the ambiance - really cool background music. Anyone from Chicago will enjoy the 1930-40 retro blues from some of the most iconic guitarists...but infused with modern female rock.... Several video screens played silent movies from classic vaudeville to Charlie Chaplin. Very creative! (Something you could watch without having to hear dialogue. A novel idea for a restaurant). But their shining star was the food. Amazing. Every dish we had was over and above impeccable. Kudos to the chef! My husband and I stumbled upon RoCa's while traveling. But we found a real gem that deserves a recognized Michelin Star!! M Drumm R.N. MHA. read more

Great menu, fun staff. It was nice to see this place busy on a random Tuesday night. Would definitely go again. Get the fondue! read more

RoCA - Cheese fondue shared plate - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Went for dinner before a show at the Civic Center and had an amazing experience!! The food and drinks were phenomenal as well as the service. The seared yellowfin tuna was our favorite, but we also had the beef skewers, the mussels, the steak de burgo toast, and the mousse cake. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The vibe was upscale but not too froofy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Would absolutely go back, and have already started recommending it to friends and family! read more

RoCA was definitely a miss for me. I was very excited to try this place for my friends bachelorette party because of the shared plate options, but was very disappointed. My friend and I split the charred brussel sprouts and the spinach artichoke flatbread. The only thing that I would say about those two options is that the brussel sprouts were char and the flatbread wasn't anything special enough to comment on. My friends who had gotten other dishes were not impressed either, so I don't believe it was just our choices from the menu that disappointed. Although the food wasn't great, the cocktails and wine seemed to be a hit among my friends. The service was exceptional from our waitress and the reservation ran smoothly. The atmosphere was intimate and the lighting dim. Overall, the food just lacked and therefore I would have to be convinced to go back and try it again. read more

RoCA - Spinach artichoke flatbread - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Even though my husband HATES tapas, we had an excellent meal. Wide selection and variety, and everything tasted amazing. Mac and cheese and pork sliders are a must, Brussels were cooked to perfect crispness, tacos were spicy but not overwhelming. Great bar scene too. Good service. read more

RoCA - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Very cute. Intimate. Great place for a date. Good music. Good lighting. Good vibes. Great food. Exceptional staff. Water was never low. Best food was ribeye nachos. Tuna was incredible. Chicken sliders were plain but fresh. Needed more cheese. Love the place. But one star cuz we found two hairs in two separate dishes. Gross. Shit happens but... gross. read more

Was in Des Moines for a night and looking for a decent but fun restaurant near our hotel. RoCA fit the bill. We had the root beer brisket sliders and the fig and goat cheese flatbread. Let me tell you, BOTH were delicious! The sliders had the pleasant tang, the bun was soft, the crispy onions.... Yum. Although I, shock for those who know me, would have liked more crispy onions. The fig and goat cheese flatbread....OMG! So delicious, the bread was crispy with a nice little drizzle of honey. The fig spread was amazing and the goat cheese was creamy dreamy. We washed everything down with a couple of nice adult beverages. Hubby had the pig fat washed bourbon old fashioned. He loved it. Said it was so smooth. I tried it and it was good but I could t get the pig fat imagery out of my head. I had a pear martini and it was divine. All in all, if we're back in Des Moines, we'll be stay at Des Lux hotel- so neat- and definitely heading back to RoCA for dinner. read more

The drinks, food and service was fabulous. Our server was very nice and checked on us regularly. We have the fig and cheese pizza. So yummy. read more

I visited on a weekend with my sister. RoCA was her suggestion. She had such a good experience, she said it was a MUST when I visited. RoCA is located right on Court Ave downtown. There is a parking ramp close by in this area, most places are within walking distance. The atmosphere and vibe is pleasant - dim lighting, but lively. I hear the downstairs has been transformed into a bar in the evenings. Not sure this is the case during the pandemic. We didn't make a reservation, but we were still seated right away. I still recommend making a reservation. We were seated downstairs, but would have preferred the vibe of the upstairs. Our waitress was very friendly and she was able to answer all of the our questions about the menu as well as offer suggestions. She really helped me narrow down my choices. The style of the menu is called tapas - or large appetizers - meant to be shared. We ordered the fondue to start, so delicious. I particularly liked the brussel sprouts. I do think for the amount of dipping items for the fondue there should have been more fondue in the bowl. The fondue was served "extra" with a nice flame keeping the fondue warm. I ended up ordering the Asian Lettuce Wraps....so good! Not spicy at all. There were 8 lettuce wraps with the dish, and I liked that I could construct each wrap myself. I shared with the table. Other dishes we ordered: Chicken Parmesan Sliders & Truffle Fries and the "Pasta of the Moment." Make sure to ask for the truffle fries, they aren't on the menu, but according to my sister they are a staple. The drink menu is also very fun. I saw a recommendation for a drink called "Spontaneously Horny," and it was delicious. Don't be afraid to ask about their specialty drinks and try something new. I really like the tapas style of this restaurant. It was nice to order several dishes to share with the table. It really made it possible to try multiple options with variety. read more

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Delicious food, great service, and a great value-all in a place with a joyous atmosphere.

My husband and I walked in early on a Saturday evening, and the restaurant was full. But the hostess did find us a small side table where we could have a drink and appetizer. Based on the reviews I ordered the smoking gun drink. I love smokey beverages so for me this was amazing! They actually bring you a bottle that has applewood smoke in it as well as their alcohol. We also ordered the appetizer with homemade tater tot's, a fried egg, and gravy. It was a big hit with both my husband and I. We asked the waiter for dessert suggestions, and he recommended the cheesecake. It was delicious! We had a great time and it will be hard to re-create it again, but we sure will try! read more

RoCA - Date night before the symphony. - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Excellent food, interesting menu, great service!there were four of us and we enjoyed appetizers, entrees and dessert. We didn't sample the whole menu, but there were no duplicates. read more

If you enjoy small, shareable plates in a lively ( read loud)atmosphere this restaurant is for you. In town for an event we booked our reservation one day prior to arrival. We were a party of 3. Our table was in the back near the kitchen. Another 4 top was available in a better location. I can only guess our timing for booking the reservation was the reason. We were greeted by Tracy and Molly( who was being trained). Cool cocktails were available on the drink menu with an emphasis on "made in house" juices, simple syrup ect. We ordered three small plates to start, Autumnal ratatouille, asian lettuce wraps and a special with shrimp, andouille sausage and risotto. The lettuce wraps were the big surprise, in a good way. The stuffing for the lettuce leaf was served hot. The Ratatouille was wonderful. Service, was a little sketchy. Surprising since Tracy was the one doing the training! Slow on drink refills, empty plates left way too long. We ordered french press coffee but upon getting it was told that the press parts were missing? Dessert was delicious. Cranberry-apple cobbler and a chocolate turnover. A $200 meal that was made up of good food and only okay service. read more

RoCA - Lettuce wraps - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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I came here tonight for dinner (Wednesday night). The place was packed! I could only sit at the bar as most of the tables were full, and a large group who came in behind me had a reservation. The bartenders were young, but very friendly and helpful. I had the Adelaide cocktail (you had me at gin and St. Germaine), the beef tenderloin, and the RoCA turnover for dessert. I enjoyed all of it! My drink was really good, my steak was good although it was rare and I asked for medium well, and the dessert was really good! This was not your typical turnover, as it was melted chocolate rapped in a turnover with cherries and cherry juice drizzled on top. I definitely want to come back again! read more

Oh boy! Was this a great dining experience! The ambiance was relaxing with brick and post industrial decor and Friday night chic. My wife and I enjoyed the"horseshoe and crab"(?) cocktail, and I opted for the traditional tangueray martini. We shared the sweet corn, rice and scallops, which was cause for discussion. She had the avocado toast salad with tuna, and I had the crispy shrimp with a delicious soy reduction (although the chef subbed calamari). We thoroughly enjoyed our conversations with waiter Devon, who was witty and informed. He even sparred with us when we commented that the water tasted like Raccoon River water (our only suggestion: please serve spring water or filtered water). Five stars!! Go there! read more

Nice place to meet up with friends for happy hour. They have nice selection of small plates to share. Happy hour on Thursday was half off flatbreads. Fave one is goat cheese and mushrooms. Would def order again. Service was good - we had at least 15 people with us and our one server did great. Our empty glasses and plates were cleared quickly. Sliders with crab cakes - 12 - were delicious. Came with mango salsa. Spinach and artichoke dip - 13 - small sized bowl filled with dip and pita and flatbread. Entrees are more on the expensive side. At least 20 + but would love to try next time. Up front by window there is some nice couches and tables. In the back is a bar and high top tables. In the basement there are dining tables too. Restrooms are also located downstairs. read more

RoCA - Flatbread - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

RoCA has a very fun and unique atmosphere that not many places can match in downtown Des Moines. They have a good selection of beer, wine, and specialty cocktails (the Smoking Gun and Key Lime Pie Martini were favorites in our group) to go along with an assortment of food options. The meat and cheese board were delicious and offered a variety of local cheeses, spreads, and meats. You can either go the tapas (small plates) route or just order individual meals. My favorite tapas were the deconstructed nachos (the rib eye that it came with was to die for!), the cheese fondue fountain, and walleye tacos. RoCA is the perfect date spot or a place to take your family for a nice dinner! PS: RoCA = right off Court Avenue read more

Great service. Great food. Great ambiance! Ribeye nachos are the bees knees. Flat breads are all delish.

RoCA is one of my absolute favorite places to grab food in Des Moines. The servers are always wonderful. They'll recommend amazing options, and explain all of the foods to you if you're unsure. The vibe is very relaxing, with dim-lighting and candles on the tables. I have gone here on a best friend date, and with my boyfriend's family as a celebration for getting promoted. I also love that most things are shared plates. I've tried nearly everything on their menu by now, and it truly is an amazing menu through and through. Everything is fresh and delicious. All of the cocktails are also amazing. I will say, it can get pricey depending on how much you order, but in my opinion it is WELL worth it. read more

I must confess - my favorite happy hour place is here at RoCA. Half off flatbread pizzas and drink specials. LOVE the vibe and they have amazing service. Next time I'm coming for dinner!!! I love sharing small place so I can try all the things read more

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Food is generally very good. Have gone three times recently for dinner. However, food is overpriced for quality for a tapas restaurant. A lot of carb heavy cheap items like toast appear on several different menu items. Also, did not enjoy the last few times I ordered a fig and pig cocktail - I don't know what it is that you do with your bacon fat, but it tastes REALLY off. read more

Live the food and drinks!!! It is a bit pricey but for tapas you get a great variety. Definitely recommend for dates or groups.

Fun place to meet up for a light dinner with friends. My only complaint would be the noise level. I hate feeling like I am shouting.

Delicious food! Fun atmosphere and good service. Our group ordered individual appetizers /tapas meals for dinner and had them as a main dish before a Civic Center event. Roça is close to a parking garage and walkable to the Civic Center. Will definitely be back. read more

Blackened Mahi-Mahi. Great presentation and ambiance here. Bartender was alert and attentive.

The sirloin skewers were super tender and had a delicious hoisin marinade. Lots of wine and cocktail selections. So many small plates to choose from! The tuna was cooked perfectly and served on wonton chip. The bartender was fantastic. You will need reservations on weekends for sure! read more

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The Betty Draper. Love! My favorite cocktail ever. If only I was heading home to John Hamm! The beef and bleu flatbread was amazing! I will definitely be back! read more

RoCA - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Food, ambiance, and service is always fantastic. I've gone over a dozen times and am never disappointed. It's our date night go-to.

So, I've been here twice in 3 years now. I'm happy to see that they've stepped up their game since I last went. The menu has a variety of options but focuses on "small plates" to share. I *believe* their menu changes seasonally as well. We split the Fall Ratatouille to start. It had squash, apple and goat cheese on ciabatta crostinis. It was really damn good. They even brought us more crostinis when we were running low to pair with the rest of the Ratatouille. I didn't order a fancy cocktail, but after seeing several pictures on yelp about the smoking gun, and seeing one in person being served to another table, I wish I had gotten it. It's a whiskey bottle, with whiskey and full of smoke that you pour yourself (I think) into your glass. Presentation alone makes me want to get one next time I'm in the area. My dining partner got the Walleye Tacos, while I got the Juicy Roca sliders. She said the fish tacos were good, but when I couldn't eat my third slider because I was too full, she tried it and said it was possibly better than her tacos. I really enjoyed my little sliders. They have a few different options for sliders including a crab cake one and a fall turkey one at the moment! Our waitress was friendly and attentive the whole meal. The drinks do take a little bit to get out, but only because they have approximately 40000 ingredients. Overall, I would go again, especially to check out their dessert menu and that shotgun drink, and possibly to hit up those sliders again. read more

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Was in town for a few days and this place was one of my favs. Shareable plates were all very good and so were the cocktails. Entrees were a bit underwhelming and beer on tap could have been colder but I'd still def go back! The place reminds me of something I'd see in Williamsburg! read more

My absolute FAVORITE place in Des Moines. They just got a new chef and he DOES NOT disappoint. Had the fig and goat cheese flatbread and Brussel sprouts. Absolutely insane. So good. You will not be upset you came here! read more

I wanted to like this place so badly, but it really missed the mark. The server was friendly, and came to our table often to check on us, but the food did not impress. I split the charred brussel sprouts and the spinach and artichoke flatbread with a friend. We've split brussels at many places, but never had any quite like this - we had to ask for extra sauce because there was no visible sauce on them, they were charred but not soft, and overall, just really lacked flavor. If I'm paying $15 for brussels, I should at least want to finish them. I could have made better at home. The spinach and artichoke flatbread was good - not great, but good. Overall, the whole food experience was underwhelming. Maybe I'm getting the wrong things, but with so many solid options in Des Moines, it'll be awhile before I stop in again. read more

This is generally A good place. Informal, unpretentious staff and straightforward. My only gripe would be the fact that it's supposed to be Spanish themed, And really it's American.(which is good too) Also, they are confusing Mexican and Spanish. No self respecting Iberian place would have several different tacos. Also, there are no batatas bravas or albondigas! Sacrilege! (What's an Albariño?) The food was good! I enjoyed the tacos al pastor, even though the pork belly was not crispy. I guess it's hard to screw up bacon. As a veg, I had the green bean tempura, and it was served piping hot. On the side was some kind of green mayo thing for dipping. (Home made tartar?) both were good, but the promotional material for this restaurant says it's one of the most innovative eateries west of the Mississippi. Its definitely not that. But I enjoyed the food and my Verdejo was a good pairing. read more

Soooo good! Every shared plate, sliders, etc we got were great! Turkey meatball sliders and spinach dip were our favs, but all was great! Very cool interior and attentive service! Go with a few friends and enjoy!! read more

RoCA - Spinach dip, crab cake sliders, walleye tacos - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Say cheese and die and go to heaven. (I really hope someone gets the reference.) My girlfriends and I ordered the fondu, deconstructed nachos and the Mac and cheese. Everything was incredible and there were a lot of involuntary "mmmm"s. Fondu had a nice balance of carby goodness to refreshing apple slices and meat. (Our girl friend didn't like brussel sprouts so I can't comment on those. We got an extra order of the pretzel bites.) The deconstructed nachos taste delicious but I would have been fine with them being constructed. Meat was in pretty big chunks but, oh man was it good. I'd still order again. The Mac and Cheese was so gooey and delicious. The chicken was juicy and cooked perfectly. You can't go wrong. I have nothing bad to say. We also got the Key Lime Pie cocktail also amazing. That cookie crumble rim is life. Then we tucked in to a chocolate turnover and it was pure bliss. Warm, chocolatey and the pastry was light and fluffy. Ice cream was.... creamy. If you're still reading I'm impressed. Honestly, I'm just trying not to write a food porno here. read more

A great random choice while in town for work! I loved the atmosphere of this place with the low lighting and exposed brick walls. They had a Charlie Chaplin movie playing at the back of the restaurant, which I absolutely loved. The live music here was bluesy and good. The menu had a lot of good choices on it. My coworker ordered the pasta of the moment which was a shrimp pasta in red sauce. I ordered the beef tenderloin and ended up with beef tenderloin pasta which nobody came back to fix. The food was ok, but if I was going to have pasta (which I didn't order) I would have rather had the shrimp one. We didn't want to spend a lot of time there and nobody checked on us for about 15 min, so I just ate what I was given. The dish tasted decent. For dessert, my coworker got the coffee creme brûlée and raved about how good it was. I got the chocolate turnover and it was warm and gooey and fantastic. This is a really cool spot with good food. If I'm ever in the area again, I would definitely consider stopping here! read more

RoCA - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Holy cow this place was good. The server had good recommendations and the bartenders and chefs delivered. I had a blackberry bramble that was very yummy and a chicken pesto flatbread that had some of the most tender chicken I've had and cherry tomatoes that popped in your mouth. The white sauce was also delicious. My family had the tenderloin with brussel sprouts (loved the sweetness and charred character of the brussel sprouts). 5/5 delicious read more

We discovered this place during our last visit to downtown Des Moines. We got into town much later than we anticipated and needed a place whose kitchen was open later usual. And RoCA nailed it. We sampled many of their cocktails. Delicious. I highly recommend the "Maxwell's Silver Hammer". I love tapas places. I love getting to order and taste lots of different things. Crab Cake Sliders were excellent. The Fondue (with the house spicy queso) was great. We even ordered a few extra pretzels to finish off the queso. And the Hoisen Ribeye Skewers were also extremely good. We sat at the bar and got great service. I love watching bartenders do their thing... especially that interesting Bulliet Smoking Gun cocktail we had the privilege of viewing several times. Highly recommend. Will return! read more

RoCA - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I was excited to try this place after a Saturday afternoon show at the Civic Center of Des Moines. When we walked in and asked for a table for two, the hostess asked us in and extremely loud and shrill voice if we had a reservation. We politely said "no"....so she replied ". Can you be done by 6:20? Because we have a reservation then. Actually, your table will need to be cleared by 6:15." Ok....it's 4:40. You are holding tables for 1hr 35 min unless your guests promise to be quick? Our server was polite, but distracted. He was much more interested in the table of 4 young women adjacent to us, to the point he would tell us he would be back to refill our water, and he would come back and refill theirs and get to chatting and forget about us. The charcuterie tray we ordered had some nice selections, the local white cheddar was particularly good. The Gotham Sour drink was dull, the Old Fashioned unprepared. This is a cool vibe place that gave us the impression that we were an inconvenience on a busy evening. We aren't excited to come back. read more