Tried it out the evening before a flight home & I had an awesome experience. Jody was my server & was super nice, knowledgeable of menu & had great recommendations. The food was perfect. It's really laid back, dim, busy but not overly noisy. Looking forward to going back. read more

Skips - Blackened chicken salad - Desserts Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Out of towners, looking for a solid meal that isn't a chain restaurant. Skips hit the spot. Food is phenomenal. We had the bruschetta, chicken quesadilla and chicken noodle soup. Very good, very big portions. read more

Skips - Chicken quesadilla - Desserts Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

The food that we had was pretty tasty, but we were seated at a small table, near the bar and, unfortunately, there was a woman at the bar who was pretty drunk and loud. The service was good, the waitress very friendly. For the price, we could have gotten equivalent food for less. It's possible that I'd return. 3.5 stars read more

A unique looking gem in Des Moines! Plenty of parking outside. And the inside looks bigger than it does from the outside. I came on a Saturday night and it got fairly busy pretty quick! I will point out that the service here is spot on. So attentive, friendly and mindful! Can't think of another recent place that can balance that so well! I ordered the filet, and it was delicious! It came with a choice of side (I got potato salad) and a side salad, which they toss in dressing for you, and a slice of bread and butter. Overall a wonderful experience for a first time visit! read more

Skips - Filet - Desserts Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Tiffany was awesome! We celebrated birthdays with our hubbies! We waited about 1/2 hour on a Saturday evening & sat at the bar and had a drink. My creamsicle drink. was tasty but heavy on the ice. Our salads with creamy parm were delicious. The accompanying bread was warm. Friend & I had chicken deburgo & it was tasty. I had garlic mashed potatoes & they were very good but barely warm. Guys had steak deburgo & prime rib special with garlic mashed. They ate it right up! It's a pretty intimate place, though a bit dark. You cannot go wrong with Skips!! read more

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It's been quite a while since I've reviewed Skips. Always great service and consistent food. Onion rings are fantastic! Didn't get them this time around, as we were trying to behave, but they're a great sharing appetizer. On this trip I got the Walleye. It was great! Nicely pan fried, thick, and delicious. I got the Au Gratin potatoes for my side-very good as well. My wife got the Cod-superb! Meaty and nicely cooked with lemon butter. She got the asparagus for a side; not the best on a cold, winter night, but that's veggies in Iowa. They did offer to replace it and that's all you can ask for. Very good Bleu Cheese Dressing and fabulous Creamy Parmesan-a DSM staple. Bread is hot and delicious as well. Solid wine list and great drinks. Reasonable prices and cozy atmosphere. A Des Moines classic!! read more

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We visited Skips on January 2nd for a lunch date after hearing nothing but positive things. Our visit ended up stretching close to two hours, for reasons that weren't entirely clear, but it wasn't enough to put me off. The food and drinks were good overall, and the experience was still enjoyable. I had the BBQ chicken sandwich. The flavor was solid, though the meat-to-bun ratio was a little off, with more bun than I would've liked. Even with that, I'd happily go back and would recommend it, especially if you're not in a hurry. read more

Skips - BBQ Chicken - Desserts Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

First time trying Skip's and now I'm kicking myself for waiting so long...I had a Rarebit with au gratin potatoes...amazing! My buddy had a Steak sandwich with crispy onion strings and garlic mashed potatoes, he said it was amazing. Our waitress was prompt and courteous and we walked right in, no waiting. Top notch!! read more

Don't miss the packed local gem if you near the airport .. .. Just north of the airport, I pulled in at 4:00P on a Sunday and the bar and waiting room were already packed with people waiting outside .. .. But, there was an empty seat at the bar with folks eating so there was my chance! Lovely, Super-Friendly staff and had their PRIME RIB .. .. It came with a large CAESAR'S SALAD that was big enough to be an entree .. .. PRIME RIB was delicious and a huge serving! Too stuffed for any dessert, all I could think about was how long I needed to rest before returning .. .. read more

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The drinks and food deserve 5 stars. The onion rings were cooked to perfection. The lemon and garlic shrimp was amazing. The service was top notch. But for the love of God could you brighten the place up? It is so dark inside. read more

I'd like to give five stars, but the noise level was unbelievable. Our table of four could not carry on one conversation. The wait staff had us repeat everything three times. Of the four dinners ordered all were excellent. Jalapeno pasta was VERY spicy. Ribs were fall off the bone. Walleye tasted fresh. All the salads were a little heavy on the dressing. Will return. They do not take reservations. read more

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Lunch here one day with pretend customers. Food was good. Now just trying to get to the 85 characters

Busy on Friday. Arrived 5:20. Seating for two 6:35. No stress however and people are friendly. Food was great and plentiful. Will eat there again soon but maybe not on a weekend. read more

Elegant and warm setting; food is good and Service is superb, Thank you Tiffany I can consider come here again read more

I tried Skip's for the first time and was very pleased with the experience. The service was 10/10 as we were warmly greeted at the door and seated immediately. I started with the mussels which were served in a delicious butter and cream sauce with garlic toast. I ate every bite it was so good. Our server was fantastic and recognized right away when my steak wasn't cooked to order and brought me a new one. I didn't have to say anything. The new steak was delicious, tender and juicy. I also had a side salad with Caesar dressing which must be made from scratch it was so good. They made me a dirty gin martini with blue cheese olives which tasted just right. The overall feel of the restaurant is classy and cozy. I will be a repeat customer and recommend to friends and family. read more

Skips - Mussels and a dirty gin martini with blue cheese olive. - Desserts Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

The food is phenomena! Warning: the portions are huge, you get a lot of food to take home! It is a bit pricey but totally worth it. First time patrons should know that Skips has dim lighting and the tables are close together. They foster an atmosphere where you talk to the guests at the table next to you. Many people who eat there on any given day are regulars. read more

Food is always spot on and as ordered. Servers are capable and friendly. Everyone is treated like a friend. So cozy on a winter day!

The atmosphere here was amazing. The service was top-notch as if you were family. The mussels were beautiful, quite possibly the best I've had. Beautiful creamy pasta. Onions were sweet. Salad dressing on salad was awesome. Walleye was great! Very cozy booths. We will definitely be back. read more

Excellent service from Alex such a wonderful person. I will definitely be back good food coupled with excellent people thank you again.

We celebrated our friend's 60th Birthday and the evening was perfect! The bartenders and staff were efficient and fun. The appetizers and food were delicious. A night to remember, for sure! Birthday girl on the left read more

Skips - Happy 60th - Desserts Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I visited Skip's once, before Yelp was a thing. According to the Google, Skip's has been in business since 1981. That is 43 years. I personally don't make it to that side of town often. This restaurant is in an excellent location. Just close enough to the airport and on one of the busiest roads in town. The outside of the building appears to be a house. With a long ramp up to the door and an awning over that ramp. If you're not sure you're in the right place, you probably are. We came to Skip's for a company lunch. Unlocking the doors right at 11 they let us in and we were quickly given a table. Being mid December it was chilly in the restaurant, but they had turned on the fireplace. The staff was courteous and professional. The menu is American style foods We had our orders in pretty quickly. I looked around to the mostly wood interior. Happily, it was not full of TVs like a lot of places are now a days. We had walked by a nice bar to our table but not much more. Seating is limited and the area we were in only could hold about 24 people tightly. Our 7 top put in an half order of the onion rings. Thin and crunchy. They came out hot and tasted good. A sweet undertone. Big helping! Also an order of the chicken nachos appetizer was ordered. Black beans, chicken, red chile aioli, melted cheddar & pepper jack cheese, side of sour cream & pico de gallo. This was a huge helping for us on top of the meals we were getting. One person at our table had almost all of us talked into getting the same thing. The pecan encrusted chicken salad. I got mine with the house creamy parmesan with the honey mustard on the side to dip the strips in. The salad was huge. Avocado, egg, onion, tomato, green pepper, pecan chicken strips. There was a lot and I did my best to make it though it all. All the food tasted good. Although the lunch was on the boss, the prices seemed on the higher side. But no outrageous from any other higher class restaurant. With all the staff in matching outfits. The autmosphere with a dimmer light and nice place. It not a question how this place is still in business after all this time. They are doing it right. I would recommend. read more

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Stopped in early on a Friday night because we know they get busy. With food this good and our waitress Jody's terrific service, I can understand why. Quieter, older crowd and cozy lighting make this a good spot for date night. read more

Skips - Tenderloin - Desserts Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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A coworker recommended Skip's as a great place for dinner and she was exactly correct! Skip's was hopping on a Wednesday night with a fair wait for a table. We opted to sit at the cozy, dark paneled bar. Service was a little slow, but that's to be forgiven because the bartender was covering the bar, all the drink orders, and taking phone orders! I ordered the fantastic pork shank with a mushroom demiglaze. My coworker ordered the walleye, which she said was delicious. If you're in Des Moines, definitely stop here! read more

Skips - Pork Shank with mushroom demiglaze - Desserts Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

We had a great server that made sure we had everything we need. And as always the food delicious.

Generous portions and a varied menu. We dined there two nights in a row. Service was better on the first night. Seafood chicken, chicken piccata, and ribs all excellent. Colleague found the blackened cod entree a little too spicy. Very good experience overall. read more

Jalapeño Shrimp app: I've heard it compared to Jesses before, I would say Jesse's is better in comparison. HOWEVER, this one was good and we enjoyed it very much. Definitely would reorder next time. Mussels apps: lemon butter sauce, not my favorite mussels in town but they were good. I love a brothy, more garlicky base myself, but they were very lemony but still good. House salads: ranch was awesome, creamy parm was good. Jalapeño shrimp pasta: blackened shrimp with jalapeño cream linguini. It was tasty; pasta was cooked al dente and it's a plentiful portion. The blackened shrimp was awesome, the pasta was indeed jalapeño-flavored but lacked heat. Some crushed red peppers helped heat this dish up a little. Prime Rib: I'm a sucker for ordering prime rib anywhere it's a "special". This one was a little disappointing...honestly I feel like they boiled a piece of meat, and served it with over-salted au jus and a side of creamy horseradish. The lady at the table adjacent to me had a similar experience. It wasn't "bad" per se, but it definitely wasn't the best. Overall, we plan to return soon and try other things on the menu. The pork shank and ribeye are calling my name. Service was wonderful. What do you all enjoy at Skips? -- at SKIPS. read more

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Food was made fresh and they have really good choices. I had the Blackened chicken pasta!! It was terrific. I believe they make their own custom sauces there. Service was top notch!!! Our waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable about the food. We will definitely be back! read more

First time here the bartender recommended the cavatelli and it was fantastic. It came with a salad and again the bartender recommended the creamy Parmesan dressing which was spectacular. Give it a try I wasn't disappointed. read more

Omg! So delicious! Bf and I wanted to try something different and close and this hit the spot!! The outside entrance has a ramp for handicap accessibility and the restaurant is surrounded by a huge amount of parking. Right as you walk in there is a beautiful old fashion bar and there is an elegant dining area that has soft lighting. We sat at a table with a little lamp coming from the wall and then there were tables with candles. There was also a real fireplace that I'm sure will be a great benefit as the weather turns colder. The waiter was very attentive and punctual- before our glasses were half empty he was prompt and provided refills. When it came time to order we had our minds made up to order the pork shank and he was going to get the carbonara pasta. The waiter advised of us the special for that night though and we both changed our minds. We ordered shoestring onion rings for the appetizer, I don't know about you but I absolutely love shoestring onion rings!! The onion rings were so good, so light and fluffy. I will advise the Italian dressing had an overwhelming taste of vinegar as well. The garlic mashed potatoes also had an overwhelming amount of black pepper. The special was Steak De Burgo with 3 grilled shrimp, mushrooms and an amazing de burgo sauce! I would highly recommend having the special if you get a chance. This so definitely is going to be added to our date night routine for restaurants! read more

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Food, drinks and service excellent! Waitress was attentive but not intrusive-great first experience. We will go back.

A Des Moines favorite among well-to-do locals, Skip's is located in a house on private acreage near the airport. It has a clubby atmosphere, with the regulars at the bar and the wood paneling and fireplace in the dining room. The food is unremarkable and there's not much privacy for conversation, but the food is reliable and Skips provides a reliable experience with friendly and attentive service. read more

Skips - Wood paneling and fireplace in a dining area - Desserts Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

My sister and I came to Des Moines and met up with family for dinner at Skip's. This place is a gem! Such a cute environment and love the history! We were a party of 8. I called the day before to see about making reservations and was told by Scott that they unfortunately do not take reservations but they would love to have us so he was making a note and call on my way into town and confirm that we are still coming and they would do their best to get us seated asap. 2 people got there about 5:30 and were seated right away and allowed to wait for the rest of us to show up. We ordered onion rings for the table and they were absolute fire!!!! So delicious. I ate way too many. My sister and I shared the blackened chicken pasta and it was so great. We added an extra side salad so we could have our own. It is basic but quality ingredients served on a chilled plate which I love. The homemade dressings were soooo good. They split our pasta in the back which I appreciate and it was delicious. Oh we also had cocktails and they were perfect and served in ice cold glasses. I had the dragon fruit cosmo and it was delightful. Our waitress was Maggie R and she was so great. Kept up with all our requests and water glasses filled and had just a great personality! read more

I always order the same thing, Jalapeño Shrimp w/toast. 24 years and I'm glad it's a staple on the menu. One thing that has always bothered me, it's always so dark in there. I rarely dine in. read more

Skips - Jalapeño Shrimp - Desserts Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

This is long, my apologies. Super excited to try Skips! Lots of friends and coworkers like this place. My parents were down from Maine, and even my dad's doctor in Maine suggested this place. So, needless to say we wanted to take my parents there AND it was our son's 20th birthday. Arrived at 6pm, was told it was a 45 minute wait on a Saturday. That's not a problem for us it gave us more time to hang out. We were sat by 630pm. We get seated, server was prompt to get our drink order. She went over the specials and told us they were out of calamari. She delivered the drinks and got our appetizer order, bruschetta and spinach artichoke dip. They boys (My husband, my son and my dad) also ordered clam chowder. The server advised them that was an option as a side for their meals. She put in the appetizer order which gave us enough time to peruse the menu, everything looked very good. At this point my husband and I wondered why we've never been here. I ordered the new york strip medium rare with loaded baked potato, salad with parmesan dressing. Mom ordered the special; prime rib medium rare with loaded baked potato, parmesan dressing on the side. Son ordered seafood chicken 86 shrimp, sub extra crab with au gratin potatoes. Husband ordered blacked salmon pasta and a salad with parmesan dressing. Dad ordered (what his doctor orders) the blackened salmon with asparagus. The appetizers come out and the spinach artichoke dip was warm and creamy. The bruschetta was different then what we expected, but their spin on it was a good one, plus it was served with a dipping oil that we used on all the bread! The boys clam chowder came out and my son said it was the best he's had in a while. Our salads came out, my mom's dressing was mixed in and not on the side. No big deal they are busy, we get it. The dressing was really tasty. The server brought out my dad and husband's food, about 3 minutes later my mom and sons food. My mom's prime rib was rare, so she asked the server to have the cooks, cook it to temp. About 10 minutes later the server brought my mom's re-cooked prime rib and finally my steak. Maybe she forgot to put my order in, or just didn't want to waste a trip to the table to bring me my food. But they're busy, we get it. Mom's prime rib was just more cooked on one side and not the other, so no more cooked than it was. She ended up just eating her potato and taking the prime rib home. My dad's salmon looked like the best thing there. It was a little medium on the fatter end of the filet, but for salmon that's okay. My husbands tasted okay, looked okay too. My steak was cooked a little more rare than medium rare, but I don't mind that as much as if it were over cooked. The steak wasn't seasoned really well. The loaded baked potato was the best thing on my plate. My son liked his seafood chicken, but his au gratin potatoes looked like they were just sliced potatoes sitting in milk, and tasted like it too. His food is pictured. Asked for 4 boxes, got 2. Had to ask for 2 more, got 1, had to ask again. Check came, bill was $173.34. Not bad for 5 people. I tipped $35.00 and totaled it out at $208.00 My son who is a server told me my total wasn't right. It wasn't, I forgot to carry down the .34 We just shrugged and said, well I guess she's getting EXACTLY 20% At this point we were underwhelmed, lots of mistakes but whatever, they were busy. Maybe we will come back, the menu was interesting. But wait, there's more. Sunday afternoon my son is vomiting with diarrhea. The poor guy is laying on the bathroom floor with his pillow in such distress. Plus his bathroom is the guest bathroom too, so I was in there every half hour cleaning. At this point we think he got salmonella poisoning from undercooked chicken, since it seemed like every one else's food was undercooked, except my husbands 4oz. salmon. We were going to call Skips to tell them, but they were closed until Tuesday. Then I get sick at 3am Tuesday morning. From caring for my son. That makes it not salmonella but norovirus. Somebody (a cook) was touching food with their bare hands and serving it and NOT washing their hands or changing gloves. Makes me wonder why? Oh, and I noticed that the total that was taken out of my checking account was $208.34, not the $208.00 that I wrote on the receipt. Hmmm. Anyways, mom calls Skips on Tuesday, was told that "Shannon" is busy right now, he'll call you later. Wednesday rolls around and he calls her. She gives him the whole story and he basically said that no one else complained about being sick, and as far as the food temperature goes we accepted the food so that was on us. Also, he can't guarantee he can find our receipt to verify our concern so he'll get back to her. It's now Friday with no call back from Shannon. No compassion. Us 5 were together for 3 days before eating at Skips and we all had the same things to eat. Skips was the only place where we all got something different. read more

Skips - Desserts Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

First time ever . Ordered onion rings. Two beef tender loins. And was early not very busy. What'd 20 minutes on food and they brought out the salad onion rings and steaks all at the same time. No time to even eat onion rings or salad before steaks would have been cold. First and last time ever!!!!!! read more

I was in Des Moines and staying near the airport. I wanted to find a local restaurant that wasn't a chain. The hotel clerk suggested Skip's and it was a great suggestion. I went there for lunch on a Saturday. Skip's looks like a house from the outside. When our GPS said we'd arrived we looked and just saw a house. We went back and saw the sign that's placed away from the building. Just believe your GPS when it says you've arrived. Skip's is there! Look for a big white house. It a really cool place and it seemed to be a place where locals hang out. The clientele seemed a little bit upscale but not at all in a snooty way, nor is it expensive. The prices are very reasonable. I'd say anyone would feel welcome at Skip's. The service is midwest friendly and personable. Our server, Jody was awesome. She made dining there a wonderful experience. Personable, friendly, and funny. Hooray for Jody! Apparently pork tenderloin is a very well known sandwich in Iowa. I had to try it. I had no idea what to expect. Turns out it's a flattened, breaded, and deep-fried piece of pork. The oil tasted a bit stale, and the bun was just a cold, grocery store variety of white bun. I had to try it. One and done on the pork tenderloin for me, no offense to the wonderful people of Iowa. The coleslaw was meh. A bunch of mayo. I'd say skip it and try something else as your side dish. My friend had the seafood chicken. Yes, I said seafood chicken. Weird, huh? Anyway, it turns out that it's actually tasty. It's chicken and seafood covered with hollandaise sauce. My friend loved it. If you're in Des Moines, near the airport and want a nice place to dine or have a nice drink, Skip's is a great choice. read more

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We stopped at skips a few months ago before heading to the airport, and the food we got then was just amazing. I had another flight today, so we left early so we could grab lunch here again. We ordered the chicken quesadilla, blackened Cajun chicken pasta, and the chicken de burgo. The quesadilla was very good, we would get that again. The pasta was shockingly too spicy and we love the spice, as well as way too thick. It had so much Parmesan that the cream sauce was more of a thick gravy. If you like butter, like a TON of butter then order the chicken de burgo. We had to separate the food into another dish and pat it dry with a napkin. It was in a pool of butter and it soaked into the chicken+ mushrooms so it was an explosion of butter when you take a bite. Wouldn't recommend. read more

Skips - Chicken de burgo - Desserts Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Food was great. The calamari was delicious would highly recommend. I had heard a ton about the pecan crusted chicken so I had to try--amazing! Great atmosphere and service. read more

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The food was good & ambiance was fun/nice. Classier joint than I was expecting. Our waitress was really nice, especially considering I had 2 little kids with me. read more

I finally got to the restaurant early enough to get a seat. Ambiance was friendly and warm but the noise level was unbearable. People were literally yelling at the top of their lungs to speak to each other and the server had to do the same. Menu and beer selection was very limited so I moved on. Francie's, a block away, has always been great... read more