This is one of our favorite restaurants to visit, the service is always excellent and we've never had a bad meal here. It's one of the few restaurants where I actually have a hard time choosing what to order because everything is good. The salads (especially the dressings, which are made in house) are fantastic, I love the grilled chicken sandwiches and my bf is a big fan of their burgers and tenderloin. We also really enjoy their pizzas. The staff, food, and atmosphere are all excellent. read more

4.0* (out of 5) Food: 4* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 4* Service: 4* 03/25/2024 After vowing to never return to this restaurant following a terrible experience in early 2021 during COVID (see original review below), we decided to give it another try and sample their Monday Burgers & Brews special. They also had a Happy Hour from 3-6 that I found on HappyHourDesMoines.com, so thought this would be a great Monday stop for dinner with family visiting from out of town. Clearly, this visit was MUCH better than the last one and I found it to be an overall solid pub experience. Nothing stood out as extremely good (other than possibly the onion rings), but everything was well above-average. My wife ordered the Kansas Rancher burger with Onion Rings (see picture), my Dad ordered the House Special pizza (see picture) and I ordered the South Philly burger (see picture). As mentioned earlier, we all agreed that the Onion Rings were the highlight of our meals - crispy and full of flavor. The pizza was also very good and while the toasted brioche bun and toppings were great on the South Philly, I was disappointed with the hamburger patty. The appearance was poor (looked like it was literally cut off the end of a hamburger tube and thrown on the grill), there was little flavor and it was over-cooked (our server asked how I wanted it prepared and I ordered medium-rare, but it came medium to medium-well). A solid local pub with above average food and service. 01/2021 Believe this is the first 2* rating that I've given and unfortunately the lady serving at the bar deserved it. Stopped here for dinner with my wife and adult son tonight. We were told that the wait would be about 20 minutes, so I asked if I could buy a beer at the bar and drink it by the door while waiting - to which she said yes. We walked to the other side of the bar area and found a small table without a COVID / social distancing sign, so thought we would just stand there and drink. The male bartender immediately stopped to tell us that there were only 2 stools, so he couldn't server us as a group of 3. Therefore I told my wife and son to sit there and I would go back to the front door area and drink a beer there while waiting. I walked around to the front door side of the bar again to order my beer...but not before the male bartender 'tattled' to the female that she shouldn't serve me because we were a group of 3. I explained that I was going to drink my beer on my own, so she served me. Then, my wife and son were told that they couldn't sit at that small bar table after all, as they wanted to seat restaurant patrons there - so they came over to join me by the front door. When my wife went up to order the same beer I was drinking, the female bartender was very rude, wouldn't serve her and said I wasn't allowed to drink by the front door. I have no idea what the actual rule was, after being told two different things...but after the way she treated my wife, we removed our names from the waiting list and immediately left the restaurant. The waiting list at Jethro's up the street was similar, we were able to have a beer in peace while waiting and the food was great. I was looking forward to trying their food, but unfortunately after this experience we probably won't return and wouldn't recommend this restaurant until they figure out what their COVID rules are and begin to treat their customers with respect. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com read more

See all

We don't get here very often so it absolutely feels like a treat when we do. For my partner he grew up on OP so there's that familiar feeling of their fabulous pizza and its stayed consistent across decades and multiple locations. Tonight was their 2 for $22 which includes 2 pizzas and an appetizer (options are limited). We go for the 4 star since it's closest to the OP Special. We have tried the various appetizers they offer and honestly, this is something we wouldn't add on if it weren't part of the special- the pizza is definitely the thing they know how to do. Tonight we tried beef nachos. They were just ok (nothing wrong with ok, but definitely was like they just crumbled up leftover hamburger). Beers are spendier than we usually pay at other places ($5.25 for a busch light tall boy) but who doesn't want a beer with pizza?! And if you are strategic you can get $4 beers during KC Chief games! In the end we left full, happy and with a box of leftovers. Thats a successful night out! read more

While out shopping we decided to stop in for a drink & plan our next steps. We sat at the bar, since just having drinks. It was a bit busy & there was a large group. We could tell the bartender was a bit overwhelmed. She greeted us, asking what we wanted. It was my first time there & did need a menu. I think she forgot, so I just got a regular Bloody Mary. There were many options on tap & full bar. Finally got menus, so a snapped a photo :) While sitting we saw many plates out, they all looked good & the pizza smelt AMAZING! I'll definitely be back to try some food! read more

See all

"I think they need to change the fry oil" was the first thing I said when the waitress brought her food. I can't believe there's 11 locations of this. The service was great. No complaints about the service. The food was absolutely horrible though. The chili was watery, not very hardy. The Fries were a darkish golden color. The chicken tenders were almost black. The fry oil is clearly bad or the fryer is broken. This was absolutely horrible and unacceptable. We were there in a Sunday and the place was about 80% empty, and I guess the word got around before we were there for the first time. Server was cool. People that worked there were nice. The food just sucks beyond any comprehension for a place of the size. Wow, that was bad. Attached is the picture of today's chicken tender and fries. Honey mustard just left in the picture so you can see that no filter was used to darken it up. It was that bad. read more

The Other Place - if there is an option to eat at the other place, that's not called the other place, go there, not here. - Pizza Near Me - Clive, Iowa

Fried mushrooms appetizer was great, and the order is much larger than expected. The Sicilian Pizza was fantastic, the ingredients on this pizza actually compliment each other Certainly recommend this establishment. read more

See all

The thing about going at lunch time is that the service is actually pretty fast. We did get slices and salad so it was pre-cooked. I was disappointed that the slices were not hot and also a little dry. Definitely needed more sauce on the slices. The noise level inside is just perfect so you can sit and talk with friends and not feel like the table next to you is part of the conversation. Much appreciated. read more

The Other Place - Lunch menu - Pizza Near Me - Clive, Iowa

See all

James would not seat our group because 2 people of our group wasn't here. Put us in a very poor table on a cold patio. Horrible

Service was great It's just a sports bar mirrored off of bdubs but for the pizza. Toppings fell off, dough and little sauce. Played some song bingo that you could barely hear. The lady on mic was lively but need to change the way she spoke in mic to hear her. Ended up going back to hotel and ordering food. The pizza was a 1.5 out 5 read more

Very quiet restaurant for 8:20pm on a Friday. It is also really confusing for my senses to have salsa music playing in the kitchen and pop in the restaurant. It was like the music was competing with each other. Had the same waitress as last time and she forgot silverware again. I just got gluttoned from cross contamination. I get this is a gluten friendly menu but if you are going to offer this on your menu it should be common sense to CHANGE your gloves before making a gf sandwich. I am now going to be miserable for several days with repercussions that continue for weeks after eating a grilled chicken sandwich with a side salad of oil and vinegar dressing that had nothing wrong with it besides someone touching it with gloves that already had gluten on it. I have been here several times before and have never had a reaction so this is very sad for me. I do not even get an apology from the waitress when I let her know I am having an alllergic reaction. Just a "well our menu is gluten friendly" Which is not helpful at all. I don't appreciate the feedback I got and do not plan to eat here again. Anyone with a FOOD ALLERGY DO NOT EAT HERE. read more

The Other Place - Very quiet - Pizza Near Me - Clive, Iowa

I ordered the last OP pizza for my family last night. Im tired of placing specific orders and having them confirmed by the person on the phone only to pick it up and find out I've gotten whatever the kitchen thinks I should have. Ask for thin crust? Too bad, the kitchen is sending a regular crust. Want the toppings on top of the cheese instead of under the cheese (only in Iowa does this happen, what is wrong with you people that you dont like crispy pepperoni??) ? NO! Literally had a host argue about this with me, because who wants it that way? ME! THAT'S WHY I PLACED THE ORDER THAT WAY. The pizza is good, which is why I didn't give it less stars. The attitude of the staff and the ability to execute a really, really easy order stinks read more

I personally wasn't a fan of the pizza - but the rest of my family all raved about it! I felt the sauce was a little too tangy/acidic for my preference. However my Italian husband loved it! So if you love that sharp bite it's great, if you'd rather have a more sweet and subtle sauce then I'd pass on the pizza. read more

I've eaten here twice and was very impressed on my first visit The second trip was quite the opposite. When I went back for lunch, with two friends, we were sorely disappointed We ordered salads and 1/2 of the lettuce was brown and bitter. We brought it to the attention of our server and she simply granted, "Sorry." read more

See all

This has a real sports bar vibe. They have a huge menu and a lot of TVs. They are known for the pizza, wings and KC Chiefs! The staff are nice and the food is good. They have a full bar with daily specials. It is worth trying this place if you are a Chiefs fan or you are looking for casual dining... read more

My wife and I met a friend for lunch and an afternoon of watching some football. Server was very pleasant and checked in pretty regularly. Food ranged from OK to very good... Drinks were reasonably priced. We had a combination of beers and mixed drinks. Once we got the bill we saw the server didn't specify a requested vodka on one drink, but everything else was correct. I got the Chicken Philly. It was meaty, but a bit dry - not bad, but unremarkable. My wife got a grilled tenderloin with mushrooms and said it was very good. We both got fries even though I'd ordered cottage cheese, but I went ahead and nibbled on the fries, which were very good--crisp, hot, and large servings. Our dining companion got nachos - half beef and half chicken, and we all did what we could to attack them, but there were still some left when we'd all done our best. They were definitely the best item of the 3 we ordered - lots of toppings and delicious. Tables were appropriately spaced, everyone wore masks, and the restaurant was clean. All very important in the days of COVID. Lots of TV's of various sizes so you could keep up with all the games and events that were happening. read more

We were a party of 8 on a Saturday night, so we did expect to have to wait. They got us out on the patio pretty quick, which was fine because it was a great night. Food was fast. It was okay. Basically, if you are looking for good food only, go elsewhere. If you are looking for a fun atmosphere with drinks and decent bar food, this is your place!! read more

Food ok....service ok...ambiance ok.. but with all the options in West Des Moines it doesn't deserve my repeat business. Only went there because of grandson wish for take out pizza. Ordered online for pickup (per their website) at 5:20,p. Arrived at 5:25 and received pizza at 5:45. Why? They said they were swamped...restaurant was maybe a 1/3 full and there was only one other takeout waiting. Not going back... read more

Just me, grabbing a quick lunch and reading. It was 1:30 on a Monday. It's a sports restaurant with a full bar. I don't drink, but there were a handful of customers at the bar. More than I would've guessed on a Monday afternoon. No screen tv's line the walls with a warm atmosphere of rich leathers and dark wood. The host didn't speak to start off. I thought maybe she was disabled. (I'm seriously not being mean). She just looked at me. It was weird. "Just me today." I was guessing that's why she was staring. She asked if I had a table preference. Booth please. She laid my menu down on the table, mumbled something in the other direction and disappeared. Server was much better. Grabbed my diet, placed my order. Are my salad. I know. It's just salad. It's a really good salad. Fresh, crispy, full of the good stuff. $16 and 30 minutes later, I'm out the door. I like this place and will be returning. read more

The Other Place - Daily Specials - Pizza Near Me - Clive, Iowa

My wife and I have been there multiple times the past few years and the service is always very good. The last trip my wife had the fried tenderloin with onion rings which she enjoyed very much. Loin was big enough for a few meals. I had the Four Star pizza and found it very lacking. Don't get me wrong, it had plenty of toppings, it just had zero taste. The sauce had no taste and I couldn't taste the sausage. It was like everything just melded together and was just meh. I guess we'll go there again because she loves the tenderloins, but there are much better options for pizza read more

First thing I noticed is that most of their food is actually homemade. Ordered Mozzarella Sticks and they were delicious! Obviously homemade and huge and not greasy. 10/10 for those. Shrimp and chicken tenders were ordered and both delish. Again, tenders were fresh not frozen. Great atmosphere inside. Appropriate for families too. Service was a little slow, but friendly and helpful when asked questions. read more

Good American bar food. Friendly staff with the embrace of a local neighborhood hang out spot.

I've been Yelp Elite for the last four years and have eaten at the The OP several times, but haven't ever bothered to leave a review for some reason. Today I was invited out to lunch by the father of one of the servers (Hannah). We were greeted and seated almost immediately. I'm a fan of the pizza and the wings at The OP, but opted to try one of the lunch specials today. If you haven't checked out their lunch menu make sure you do...there's quite a few combo specials at a reduced price. I had 1/2 The Big Pig sub, a salad (with blue cheese dressing), and a fountain drink (Pepsi products). My total was $11 and change before tip. The food and service were both very good through the course of our meal. We were a party of four. I was teasing both her and her dad about dinging her here on Yelp. And to be honest I wasn't planning on leaving a review today... But you know how karma works...right? Just shortly before we got back to the office a cell phone rang in the car... Guess who'd forgotten his credit card at the restaurant? This guy! Thankfully I'd been dining with our server's father, and she'd called him to have him let me know so I didn't freak out later and could come back and pick it up at my convenience. So the question begs to be asked... Was this an isolated incident, or would this service be extended to someone not affiliated with a relative? I've known her dad (through work) and her mom (through her dad) for years. I've watched the kids grow up through them and on Facebook and I think she would have... If she had a way to track down a phone number for the card holder... That's just how their family is. The OP would do well to have a whole team of Hannahs. No disrespect intended towards their other staff. The food is always good (check out their tenderloin too), and I've never had bad service there from anyone. I was VERY thankful for the phone call. That's worth five stars all day long. read more

I had their rueben and fries. BOTH were EXCELLENT! Server was very friendly and helpful. Ambiance was a bit noisy but hey- that's what a Sports Bar is like. I'll definitely return! read more

Good food and people who know how to handle gluten free! I was impressed when my mom, who does not have a gluten allergy, ordered a salad after she had ordered a gf pizza for her and my celiac sister to share. Our server told her that the salad did have croutons in it. I was very pleased that she had told her that, even though she isn't gf! The atmosphere of the place is nice, too. Note to those who are gluten sensitive, not all the salad dressings are gluten free, so be sure to ask before you order! read more

I've been to the Other Place restaurant 20 times over the last couple years. I really like to eat here, I like the ambience, it's a great place to eat. There's something on the menu for literally anybody. read more

If I could leave zero stars I would. Sat at the bar on Tuesday night, August 13 around 6 PM. The bartender was as bad as I've seen in my life. I would tell you her name but she never said it, she should not be in the service industry. She basically tossed menus and receipts at us. This was more than a bad day this is someone who will keep customers from coming back including me. If she is your best foot forward then it's a problem. Will never come back It's unfortunate because the food was fantastic. read more

We stopped on a week night because we got a coupon on the back of a Bucs ticket. The parking lot was jammed pack and I thought that we were going to have trouble getting a spot to sit. However it was deceiving as we walked in and were seated right away. The waitress was very helpful. We present the coupon right away and with it being Wed we were careful on finding out what we could do with the specials that the house had. I decided to get the breaded tenderloin. It was indeed house breaded as it was not a frozen crunchy breading, it was indeed made and added there. I did have the choice of gilled but really, couldn't say no to the fried. I did get a side salad with the sandwich, but I almost couldn't finish it all. Hubby decided to get a specialty pizza. It was the buffalo chicken pizza which had a nice kick to it. The waitress did a great job. The food was good. It wasn't super busy on a week night. It was a little out of our way but it was alright. The hostess did looked bored out of her witts. There are lots of TVs for the bar side to watch a game and high seating tables and booths. Check out their pizza deals during the week. read more

See all

It was "Tenderloin Tuesday" at The Other Place, so I had to check it out. They have a great setup. The tenderloin is $2.00 off on Tuesdays and well worth it. It was huge and I had enough to make nearly two sandwiches. The meat to breading ratio was really good as these are the thicker tenderloins, not those sad ones pounded flat. The cups are plastic so you don't have to worry about leaving your drink behind. The bar area looked well thought out and they have TVs around most of the dining area. They also feature a huge drop down screen with projector for special sport events. The buffalo chicken wrap looked great and also had great reviews. Many of the chairs in the dining area are without backs, which were not as comfortable. The service was hit and miss. At the beginning he was very attentive. But getting refills or anything after our food arrived was a long shot as most of the staff stood by the fountain drink area laughing and chatting but not focusing on the customers. It took a long time to get our bill though everyone at the table was through eating (and had empty cups for some time.) I'd gladly come for "Tenderloin Tuesday" again, but I may order ahead and take it to go. read more

See all

We stopped in here on a Thursday night and the place was PACKED. The parking lot was full with people parking all over the place so I parked in a lot across the street. People kept pouring in and the place was really really loud. We were told we had a 30-40 min wait and ended up waiting around 15 mins. Our waiter was pretty fast and seemed to be covering quite a few tables as he was always in a hurry. My husband ordered a beer and the mug was rather warm (the handle felt like it just came out of being washed). Not ideal. We ordered the Philly Cheese Steak Pizza. It took some time to come out but our waiter kept us informed. When it did come out, it looked great! Lots of cheese, just how I like it. It had good flavor but the only complaint I had is that the crust was hard. So hard I could not cut it with a fork. I ended up burning my mouth pretty good trying to eat it. That is the only thing I would change about the pizza. Overall, good place but be ready for a wait. read more

The Other Place - Philly Cheesesteak Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Clive, Iowa

We were in Des Moines and decided to watch the Iowa Hawkeye women's basketball championship game here. We ordered a Maui pizza, which was cheesy and delicious. Our only complaint is that it was really hard to hear the game as they did not have it turned up loud enough. Our server was attentive - never had an empty glass, which is amazing given that it was packed for the game. Will definitely be back for the food and service! read more

The first time we went here, it was pretty good but tonight, it was an epic fail for me. The place was kind of busy but so loud you couldn't hear what anyone was saying. We were able to place our orders relatively quick but that was like the last time anyone saw the waitress until an hour later when the manager came to apologize. What made the wait even worse is that half the TV's were out and the rest were tuned to some reality fishing show. They comped our food but TBH, I wouldn't pay for what they brought to the table. The chicken breast sandwich was dry and over cooked and the Longhorn Burger was burnt to charcoal. It was clear that if you need anything from the wait staff, you had to pretty much get it yourself. Then they made us pay for our beverages (2 sodas) since 'at least those arrived on time'. Clearly, we should have gone to any other place because the comped food wasn't even worth the terrible service. read more

I've been meaning to try The Other Place for some time now, and we finally did today. My sisters and I were having a girls day, and stopped for lunch! Let me tell you, you will definitely get your moneys worth. The plates were huge, reasonably priced, and DELICIOUS. The onion rings and mozzarella sticks were soooo good! I had the pork tenderloin and it was very fresh and crispy! My sister had the Cajun chicken salad and it was so big, she took most of it home! She said it was so good. My other sister had the chicken Alfredo and she loved it! They also make their own ranch, honey mustard and the vinaigrette; sooo good! I definitely recommend trying it! I even thought it was cool that you get to take their cups home! I'm all for reusable cups! (We got the combo platter with mozzarella sticks, breaded mushrooms, onion rings, and chicken tenders.. but we ate it all before I could get a picture! SO GOOD!) read more

See all

I know this may sound a little petty, but the only complaint I have about this particular location is they do not have their signature taco sauce for the pizza. Wow, what a disappointment, that's one of the most delicious ingredients of that pizza!Hope that comes back soon. Come on Cedar Falls, get it together and bring that to Des Moines. read more

We ate here on a Wednesday night and were surprised at how busy and packed the place was, even without any sporting events that night. We definitely noticed how loud it was inside too - the noise from the crowd seemed to echo. Our waitress seated us at a table that seemed to be in a very dark shadow, and fairly cramped, so we asked if we could switch to a nearby high top table and she was fine with that. I was kind of surprised at how long it took for our food to arrive. There were three of us, and we had 2 sandwiches and a small pizza between the three of us. It took a good 30-40 minutes from the time we ordered to the time we got our food, and we were definitely starving by then. I got the Philly Cheese Steak sandwich. It was a very good sized sandwich and tasty. A couple of bites in, I realized that on the menu it said to pick your cheese, and I had forgotten to do that. I kind of wish our waitress had come back to ask me what I wanted rather than deciding for me, but it still tasted okay. The meat was a little dry, but honestly, we were so hungry by that point, that we were just inhaling our food. I took half of the sandwich home and it was even better the next day. We've had pizza here before and I look forward to ordering those again - just need to plan ahead more! read more

The Other Place - Philly cheese steak sandwich - Pizza Near Me - Clive, Iowa

I used Door Dash to deliver and the food arrived quicker than expected. I planned on ordering a pizza however that option was not working on the doordash app tonight. I decided to go with a grinder sandwich. I would have to say that I was very unimpressed and I also did not care for the American cheese on it. The french fries were very good and I really liked the seasoning on them. My 9 year old got a Canadian bacon pizza from the kid's menu. He said it was amazing but we were disappointed that for $6, it was the tiniest pizza we have ever seen. He had to eat part of my sandwhich. read more

See all

We ordered a House Special with no onions, and....drumroll....we received a House Special WITH onions. The place has good vibes. It's a sports bar. I was disappointed by the service. On a Saturday night, the bartender had to man the bar, the bar seating area, AND make drinks for the entire restaurant all by herself. That's a rather disappointing setup on management's part. She needed help! The pizza was good except for the unwanted onions. It was a pretty decent OP. read more

Here is my constructive review. Pizza at any pizza place should not come from pre made and refrigerated crusts. The fact is this. With pre made refrigerated crust you are getting a dense and compacted crust which is hard to bite and hard to even cut. The Other Place has a variety of excellent pizza choices and great toppings. Why ruin that with the short cut pizza crust. Make the crust and roll it or toss it. Please! Otherwise it's a nice stop. Just beware the tooth busting crust. Such a shame to do this to any pizza. If I wanted Tombstone pizza I would just go to the supermarket. For the love of humanity stop the crappy crusts! read more

The OP has one of the best pizza you will find anywhere. Each location is well designed, clean and plenty of staff. A great place to watch games. read more

I went to UNI. I felt like this was the restaurant and pizza I loved in CF but the atmosphere is a little cleaner and newer and a little more "grown up." This is a fun date. It's loud and there's TVs and high tops and the bar is great. The pizzas are what you're here for, though. My classic favorite is a sausage pizza (which I don't order anywhere else), but I tell you what, I've tried the grinder pizza and the buffalo chicken pizza too and there are just too many good choices. Forego the sides, there's nothing special about any of those, but don't forget to order a pepsi with grenadine, and you are set. read more

Arrived early so we could dine on the patio. Six adults and 3 kids. The pizza was so-so. Either the crust was too thick for what I remember or it just needed to have been cooked longer! The crust was doughy. If you are going to be a part of a Franchise/chain, then your food needs to be consistent between the various locations. Also ordered a combo appetizer platter, the onion ring breading fell off when taking a bite, but the cheese sticks and chicken strips were cooked fine. I'm going back to the chicken fettuccine Alfredo at this location and will enjoy pizza back in Cedar Falls where they understand what sets The O. P. apart from other pizza chain joints like Dominos, Pizza Hut and Papa John's. read more