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    The Urban Grill

    4.0 (213 reviews)
    ModerateAmerican
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    The Urban Grill Photos

    Business Info

    THE URBAN GRILL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Happy hour specials
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Urban Grill

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    Lunch entree portion of Ahi Tuna Steak
    Lauri H.

    We were greeted immediately by a nice young gentleman. The atmosphere was pleasant, it reminded me of a good old supper club. The music was a bit loud and not the songs usually played in a restaurant. Our waiter, Henri, was right on top of this by bringing us our beverages right away and knowing the soup of the day (surprised at how many people don't know that!). Our lunch was so scrumptious! All of the salad dressing are home made and there are veggies in the side salad other than just lettuce. I wish I could have taken the left overs with me because it was so good, but we are traveling 6 more hours. Nice place! Recommended it to my friend that just moved to Des Moines. She is always looking for an affordable yet great food restaurant. Urban Grill will delivery on both accounts !!

    Todd B.

    4.6* (out of 5) Food: 4* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 5* Service: 5* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $29 12/04/2025 Have been back a couple of times for Happy Hour, but finally getting it posted after our latest trip. This is a great stop for Happy Hours, especially if you like Flatbread Pizzas. We started our Happy Hour experience with drinks - with both of us ordering Lemon Basil Martinis (see picture) and we both really enjoyed them. Next, my wife opted for the Raspberry Limoncello (see picture) and I ordered the Raspberry Royal (see picture). For our flatbreads, we started with the Sausage & Mushroom (see picture) then followed that up with a Cheeseburger (see picture). Both of them were very good and we would highly recommend them...especially for the Happy Hour pricing!

    Jekeia C.

    It has been a while since I've been to The Urban Grill so I had to go. I usually get the Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad but decided to try something new so I went with the Chicken De Burgo with a side Cesar salad and mashed potatoes. The salad dressing wasn't my favorite, it had a strong lemon flavor. The garlic butter sauce on the Chicken De Burgo lacked good flavor but I enjoyed the mushrooms. The bread was tasty as well. The service was great. The server was very attentive which I appreciate. And the prices are reasonable all things considered. I was there in the evening during the week and it was busy. The tables/booths are pretty close and at times it can be pretty loud inside. Next time, I'll stick with the salad.

    Finally asking for a rare steak and getting it!
    Michelle R.

    This is such a great place to come for lunch. It was lively and busy and the service was really fantastic. I don't live in Iowa any longer, but the service had a nice "Iowa" vibe that I enjoyed, which maybe can't be understood by everyone, but did factor in my experience and rating. The portions were very large, and this was the first time I actually have ever in my life ordered steak rare and received rare steak. Everyone is so scared of rare! It wasn't the highest quality steak, and I don't think they cut it all the way, AND it wasn't seasoned, but hey, the cook knows how to get the temperature right so I was impressed. If you are in Des Moines, I think you will like this place. Get it while it lasts!

    Grilled chicken club sandwich and fries.
    Kelly K.

    Just another great review for The Urban Grill! My grilled chicken club sandwich was mouthwatering. Chicken, melted cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and large chunks of ripe avocado. Service was great. Everyone's food was good. I'd definitely go back.

    Smoked Chicken and Jalapeno Pasta
    Ryan K.

    I had the chicken in jalapeño cream sauce, which was very flavorful. Not overly hot, more of a hint of jalapeño. The pasta was well proportioned, I could see many people getting a second meal from it. Service was very quick, they paid good attention and were quick with refills and the bill when finished. The restaurant is a little dark, but everything was clean and comfortable. I think it's just part of the vibe they're going for.

    Crème Grand Marnier Crme Brule
    Aleena L.

    We visited over the weekend and really enjoyed the overall experience. The setting was intimate and inviting--perfect for a relaxed night out. The pasta was a bit on the watery side for my taste, but the service more than made up for it--attentive, friendly, and perfectly timed. The mules were dangerously good (in the best way), and we ended the night with a crème brûlée that was both perfectly crisp on top and beautifully cream underneath. A great mix of intimacy, drinks, and dessert. I'd definitely come back!

    Hannah V.

    I came here for a family dinner on a weeknight. It was completely packed when we arrived, but only had to wait 10 minutes for a table. They have lots of nooks and booths tucked away. The lighting is very dim so it has an upscale feeling. Our server was nice and to the point. I ordered the sirloin steak and mashed potatoes, the steak was very good. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their meals and the pasta plates had plenty for leftovers.

    Chocolate Cake
    MaryAnn S.

    Tucked away off 86th is another of my quick jaunts for a delicious hamburger. I ordered an Angus Burger which was served medium with traditional toppings of tomato (not fresh), onions, pickles and a lettuce leaf The Angus Beef was a thick slice, but did not taste as highly seasoned as I like -- yet it was still good. I asked the server the type of bun -- he gave me a lack luster response of " Kaiser, I think." Low mellow music played in the background of this very quiet atmosphere while some chatted about their business of the day. The $$ prices are average for high quality meat, loads of room inside with your choice of tables high or low, booth or choice sides of where to sit in the room. There was plenty of parking. All in all I would rate the Angus Burger a 4 out of 5.

    Chicken Deburgo with side salad

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    26 days ago

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    7 months ago

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    2 days ago

    Lunch time experience - good ambiance, service and food. I am sore environment great for dinner. Steak salad and Reuben were great.

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    9 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    4 months ago

    The food is amazing. The price is very reasonable. It can be hard to get into during peel hours. But if you plan ahead. It's great

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    11 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Excellent food, wide variety of choices, above average service. I highly recommend this restaurant.

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    2 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Been here a couple times over the years. Nothing on menu that I remember I loved, but nothing I remember I hated. So must have been alright.

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    3 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Great food and nice ambiance! It's always busy which I think is great! I suggest a reservation.

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    9 months ago

    Service, food, and ambiance were all excellent! The pecan crusted chicken is so good! Will definitely come here again!

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    1 year ago

    We went on Thursday the day before Valentine's Day it was busy but the food was amazing

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Had a great lunch. The soup was great. Service was prompt and courteous. Pasta was amazing. Highly recommend trying this place.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    I found a pasta in my vegetable im allergic I could die, my cousins steak was good, great service, danny was the best waitress ever.

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    1 year ago

    The house made salad dressing is delicious. Backyard chicken was yummy. Flavorful. The waitress was friendly and efficient.

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    4 years ago

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    Tito's Lounge

    Tito's Lounge

    4.7
    (99 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$
    Happy hour specials
    Private events

    4.8* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 5* Value: 4*…read more Service: 5* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $20 04/27/2026 Tonight's opportunity to enjoy another stop at Tito's came at the end of my journey updating several locations for happyhourdesmoiones.com. It was getting to be dinner time, so asked my wife to meet me here for my last stop. Every time we've stopped here, we have been impressed with the quality of the food and tonight was no different. I had already enjoyed some Happy Hour specials at another venue, but my wife hadn't yet eaten dinner. She ordered the Gyro & Fries (see picture) and as you might guess, I did try a couple of bites. We both thought it was a very good gyro and were delighted to see that it is the daily special each day from 11-2, so we will definitely be coming back for lunch some day. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.

    The wife and I tried this place for the first time. I've known about this lounge because of my son,…read morebut he and I never made it here. Don't tell him I went without him :) Anyway, I'm glad the wife and I gave it a try. We walked in at 5:30 on a Friday and it was busy. We didn't wait but for a few minutes and had a table. The greeter was very friendly and our server was super nice and pleasant to have as a waiter. His recommendations were spot on. The whole restaurant was hopping busy but operating very smoothly. Not a quiet place, a true sports bar ambiance. The wings were very very good. Maybe some of the better ones I've had here in town. The gyro was fantastic, and huge. Great value. The wife's flatbread was great too. Excellent food all the way around. Prices for very reasonable. Happy hour helps some of the prices for sure, but still a well priced establishment. We are fans of this place and will most certainly be back.

    Photos
    Restroom Area
    Restroom Area
    Tito's Lounge
    Tito's Lounge

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    Roots95

    Roots95

    3.9
    (35 reviews)
    2.4 mi

    I ate there today with a friend, and our server was excellent and I want to make sure she knows…read morethat. However, the music is very, very loud, it is hard to converse because of it. I had asked her twice if they could turn the music down, which she did ask the guy behind the bar, I don't know if he was a bartender or a cook, but I heard him say what do they want, I've turned it down four times. Well, yes, I did overhear that I was sitting very clause to the bar. It was very rude of him, and I had been very kind and requested that the music be turned down some. The food was pretty good, I had the fig and creamy goat cheese flatbread. Overall, it might be a very good place for other people, rudeness is not acceptable.

    4.6* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 5* Value: 4*…read more Service: 4* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $42 08/01/2025 We have stopped here at least one other time but for some reason, I don't have a review documented...so getting it done this time. While a bit of a hidden gem off of 86th Street, the building is modern, chic and inviting - with a large covered patio area connected to the north side of the building. The one negative is that the temperature is kept very cold inside, so consider bringing a sweater or light jacket to stay comfortable. Unfortunately, tonight was a bit cold outside, so it was a coinflip on which was better - we opted for the patio seating and the wind settled down during our visit to get quite comfortable. We started with a Cuban Martini and Sojito (see picture) along with an order of Bang Bang Shrimp (see picture) for an appetizer. We enjoyed the drinks and the Bang Bang Shrimp with the drizzled Yum Yum-type sauce was delicious! For our main courses, my wife ordered the Thai Pasta (see picture) and I opted for the Fig, Avocado and Goat Cheese Salad (see picture). As is our custom, we both shared bites from each of our plates and liked both of them very much - although the Thai Pasta definitely had a bit more 'kick'. We ordered the Tres Leches for dessert (remembering it from our last visit), but unfortunately found that they were sold out, so had to leave without dessert. If you are looking for a modern, unique, Asian fusion type restaurant in the Johnston area, Roots 95 won't disappoint. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

    Photos
    Roots95
    Their roasted brussels sprouts were absolutely delicious!
    Their roasted brussels sprouts were absolutely delicious!
    Thai Pasta

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    Thai Pasta
    Urban Cellar

    Urban Cellar

    3.9
    (79 reviews)
    5.0 mi
    $$

    This place and the staff are amazing! My husband and I stopped in for dinner since we were in the…read morearea and have wanted to check this place out for a while. We were treated so wonderfully and our waiter and the general manager went above and beyond to make us happy. Our wonderful waiter Derek welcomed us and was excited to learn that this was our first visit. He was friendly and helpful and seemed genuinely interested in helping us choose something on the menu that we would enjoy. I decided to get a supreme pizza because I like a lot of toppings on my pizza and my husband got the cavatelli because he was in the mood for pasta. The food came out extremely fast. Unfortunately, I didn't like my pizza very much because the center of the crust was very limp and droopy and the toppings fell off because they were kind of heavy. The outer edge of the crust was crispy but the middle of the crust seemed like maybe it needed to be cooked longer. I felt like the pizza should have been better. My husband loved his cavatelli and gave me a bite. I agreed that it was very good. I was wishing that I had ordered that, too. When Derek came and checked on us, I debated on whether I should say something about the pizza. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't great either. He could probably see the disappointment on my face. He said he really wanted to know what we thought about the food so I told him I was disappointed with the pizza. He was very understanding about it and said he didn't like his pizza droopy either. But we told him the cavatelli was excellent. It was a little bit sweet with the right amount of spiciness. A few minutes later, Courtney the general manager came to our table and apologized about the pizza. She was truly sorry about the pizza and even said she talked to the chef about cooking it longer but he said it might burn the pizza if they did that. And it had so many toppings on it that it might not make a difference on the crust. So she wanted me to pick something else on their menu for free. I was going to decline but she insisted, so I chose the cavatelli. They made it for me and brought it out quickly. We appreciated everything Derek and the GM did to make it up to us which really wasn't necessary. They went above and beyond. I felt bad about it but they wanted our first visit there to be great. Then when Derek brought our bill to us, we saw that they comped both the pizza and the extra cavatelli. So they were only charging us for my husband's meal. AND Derek brought us a free dessert. My husband and I were flabbergasted. They did way more for us than they should have. We have never been treated so well at a restaurant before. I didn't think that restaurants and waitstaff like this existed. It seems like since Covid, when you go to restaurants, they're understaffed or the workers don't seem like they want to be there and barely acknowledge you. But here they bend over backwards to make sure you're happy. I love that and appreciate everything they did. The atmosphere is casual yet upscale. It feels cozy and welcoming, too. There is outdoor seating as well. Believe me, we will be back and we'll tell our friends about this place. If you love excellent service and good food, please check this place out..

    Our group of 15 had a private room. It wasn't great! We had good service and we could hear each…read moreother speak as we all sat around the big table. We started out with shared appetizers and the fried zucchini was tasty as was the crab Rangoon dip. The pork and brussels sprouts were good too. I had the beef deburgo & truffle fries. They were tasty! The salad beforehand was good.

    Photos
    Urban Cellar
    Mama's Meatballs
    Mama's Meatballs
    Urban Cellar

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    Bix

    Bix

    4.6
    (84 reviews)
    4.2 mi

    4.6* (out of 5) Food: 4* Atmosphere: 5* Value: 4*…read more Service: 5* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $10 04/28/2026 Bix & Co. Our primary reason for stopping back tonight was for 'research and development' for my happyhourdesmoines.com website. This meant a smaller total check, as we only sampled a couple of Happy Hour specials - and they were quite tasty. We shared an order of Chicken Wings (see picture) and I ordered a House Margarita (see picture). The chicken wings were very good and I'll say that I enjoyed the House Margarita as much as the better ones in Mexican restaurants. We have enjoyed all of our stops at Bix & Co. and tonight was no different.

    We choose Bix & Co. before a show at the Val Air…read more We started with the Cheese Curds. Cubed Wisconsin white cheddar cheese in a light and crispy beer batter with Bix's pizza sauce. Wow, amazing flavor that just smacks your taste buds awake. What a fantastic start. The Burger & Tots were good which we split. The burger is chuck, brisket, and short rib ground to perfection on a South Union Bakery Bun. The tots were nice and crispy. The pizza was fantastic! We choose Tony's combo no olives or shrooms, add onion with the Cup & Char Pepperoni and Graziano Sausage. Cracker this crust and the Bix's pizza sauce. What a fantastic pizza, so delicious and perfect. The service was great and we will be back.

    Photos
    Interior seating and TVs.
    Interior seating and TVs.
    Cheese curds
    Cheese curds
    Mules and waters

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    Mules and waters

    The Urban Grill - tradamerican - Updated June 2026

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