I absolutely love this place. I live in Chicago and my fiancé is in DSM so we split time between…read moreboth places until he moves. Being in a transitional phase his kitchen is useless so if we want to eat it's got to be in a restaurant. We've been everywhere so no clue how this gem snuck past us. I would put them next to any of the high end places downtown without a second thought. The ambiance is clean, casual and cozy - think Colorado log cabin. It's not a big place so I imagine you'll find long waits on weekends. If so, wait. Trust me. It wasn't crowded because we typically don't venture out until late but 3/4 of the tables were occupied and several people were at the bar. Even so, it was easy to carry on a conversation without needing to raise our voices. It's difficult to choose what to order because everything sounds great. We ordered chicken fried oyster mushrooms for an app and they set the tone for everything else. Perfectly breaded and seasoned with actual flavor being the stale oil taste of a lot of fried apps. I had the Lobster Mac and it was absolutely decadent. There was a generous amount of lobster and the pieces themselves were substantial. The blend of cheeses was perfect. For the side (which wasn't even necessary because the size of the Mac was more than big enough) I got the Boursin Mushroom Au Gratin. I can't think of a word that describes how delicious it was. Perfect creaminess, rich with a slight tang...it could have stood on its own. My fiancé ordered the Iowa Chop and we were both shocked at the size of it. Again (yawn) cooked just right, not even a hint of the dryness you see a lot with chops. The Creamed Brussels Sprouts were great but I had eaten myself sick at this point so I had to admit defeat. Portions were big enough that I had plenty in the take home container for a whole meal the next day. I wanted to try the amazing looking pie but needed to be able to fit through the door to go home. Next time for sure. Service was really good. The server was laid back and quick with recommendations that she could back up instead of the standard "I like it" you get. I was shocked at the reasonable prices. These days $20 for a mediocre burger is standard so I couldn't believe the quality of food for the price. Our running joke is that once a restaurant starts laminating their menus, the quality is about to tank so I'm keeping my fingers crossed theirs steer clear. It's independently owned by the same people that own Barntown Brewing a few doors down. We will definitely try that out based on our experience here. My only critique is that they serve Pepsi instead of Coke. Seems like DSM leans that way which breaks my heart. My southern roots and common sense keep me loyal to Coca Cola. Where I grew up when you order a Coke the server asks what kind of Coke because it's just what you call every soft drink. Go. Go tonight. You won't regret it.

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: $40 05/20/2026 The neighbors suggested the Guesthouse for our dinner tonight and given our experiences, we heartily agreed. We started our meals with a glass of beer, then ordered our dinners. Tonight, my wife opted for the Sweet Potato Gnocchi with grilled shrimp (see picture) - at our server Chelsea's suggestion (Chelsea was great). While I usually prefer trying different dishes vs. ordering what I've had before, it was Wednesday and I'm a sucker for specials...so again opted for Walleye Wednesday (see picture). While we both enjoyed both dishes after sharing tastes of each, the highlight of the meal was the Campfire Pie (that Chelsea recommended) along with a scoop of ice cream (at our neighbor's suggestion). Check it out in the picture and be sure to give it a try!

Out of towners in Des Moines for the State Fair. Wanted to try a Pork Tenderloin before the State…read moreFair and found Kelly's Little Nipper on Yelp. Also tried the corn and fried mushrooms. Small quirky bar with high top tables and large standard table with a pool table. Great bar with great daily specials of both food and drinks. Highly recommend. So good went back next day!!

We enjoy this homey dive bar! Staff is friendly & waitress was very attentive!…read moreWe started with deep fried mushrooms...Mmmmm Hubby loved his grinder & side salad! I enjoyed my brisket tacos & side salad. I had to take home two of them! To top it off it was free cheesecake day-/we took home two pieces! Hubby had a draught & a Bloody Mary--Saturday special. Both were good.

We really enjoyed our visit here! We started off with the fritters, which were really good--kind of…read morelike a cheesy, elevated cheese curd. I got the burger special with two smashed patties, queso on top, pickled onions, and tomato. The quality of the burger was excellent, and the flavor was even better. My wife got the regular burger and really enjoyed hers as well. The happy hour deals are hard to beat--BOGO beers, $7 cocktails, and $10 burgers and fries. Our server, Ricky, was very attentive and friendly, which made the experience even better. Definitely a spot we'll be coming back to, especially for another happy hour!

I'd probably give the food itself closer to three stars, but the excellent service bumps my overall…read moreexperience up to four. Our server was fantastic. He was animated, fun, and had a great personality without ever being overbearing. He was attentive throughout the meal, knew the menu well, and added a lot to the experience. The food was more hit or miss. I ordered the filet mignon, and for the price, I was disappointed. I asked for medium rare, and while the very center was somewhere between medium rare and medium, much of the outer portion was closer to medium well or even well done. It was a thick cut, but the temperature just wasn't consistent throughout the steak, and at this price point I expected the cookery to be much more precise. There were some definite highlights. The butternut squash soup was delicious, filling, and a really nice addition to the fall menu. I also enjoyed the Brussels sprouts. They were nicely roasted and had good flavor. With Calabrian chili listed in the description, I expected at least a little heat, but I didn't find them spicy at all. The interior was fine but didn't particularly stand out to me, with the exception of the doors hanging from the ceiling, which was certainly an interesting and memorable design choice.

$65 for a ribeye...not even prime... and I have to cook it…read more Great business model if it works. Not impressed.

My fiancée and I stopped in here on a Friday evening and it was decently slow. We were sat right…read moreaway and our server was attentive and helpful when it came to helping us. My SO other and I decided to split a large steak and a side of brussels sprouts. I thought the quality of the steak was great, but the brussels sprouts weren't anything special for the price. Each steak comes with a salad, the potato bar, and beans. Since we split a steak we got a $15 charge to add on another person for the additional sides. I understand having to charge, but this seemed a bit expensive when I thought the potato bar and the beans were both pretty average and we barely ate any potatoes or beans. We did love the salad it came with, but $15 for a side salad and average other sides wasn't worth it for me. Since it was pretty slow we had basically the entire grill to ourselves which was nice for us, but I can see how it can get a little too crowed very quickly. This place is definitely for the experience. The food is good, but I can't rate it that high, because it totally depends on your ability to cook a steak (and your sides) and cook it well. We had a good time, but I cannot say this will become a regular place for us when I can get a good steak I do not have to cook for a cheaper price elsewhere.

This place is worth a side trip off of I80- fantastic coffee, breakfast sandwiches and the Beignets…read moreare out of this world! You cant have just one!

Excellent service! We had a great time at our family reunion in their private dining room. Awesome…read morebreaded tenderloin.

I really can't leave anything but five stars for this review…read more.. I walked in and the bartender/host/our server was a dear friend and former co-worker of mine who I hadn't seen in years. It took me a few seconds to recognize her. She'd went from "a kid" to a young woman since I'd last seen her. I heard the Striking Sparrow Lounge has gone through an ownership and menu change recently. That didn't mean much to me since this was my first visit to any iteration of the Striking Sparrow Lounge. Lol I popped in for a quick lunch with a current co-worker and friend of mine. The parking lot is along the West side of SE 6th St and there are quite a few spaces available. Dala greeted us right away as we walked in. She called me out immediately. And like I said it took a minute for recognition to set in. I'm 55 now. Sometimes that happens. We took a seat at a low top table and chairs. There are high tops and booths available too as well as a long "L" shaped bar and barstools. Dala popped over and took our drink orders and gave us our menus. We ordered: 1x Fountain drink (Pepsi products) 1x Unsweetened ice tea 1x Smashburger (two patties) and fries 1x Tenderloin and fries 1x Onion rings The onion rings are hand cut and breaded. We tried them with the chipotle ranch. Served hot and fresh out of the fryer... Very good! Jeremy got the smashburger. He sets his bar for burgers at Lachele's level and comes to the Striking Sparrow Lounge as a regular for trivia on Wednesday nights. He said today's was one of the best burgers he's had here. It didn't disappoint! He's probably going to order the same when he goes back tonight. I got the tenderloin and I hate to beat the same drum, but it was very compareable to the one served at Lachele's too. I really like both! Thicker and fits the bun it's served on, not a hub cap, cooked perfectly and not dried out... The kind of sandwich you want for lunch and don't need a nap to recover from when you get back to the office. Fair warning. It's served with lettuce on it so if you are a pickles, onions, and mustard purest make sure you let them know to hold the lettuce. When you're literally a stones throw from B&B you better have a decent tenderloin and burger... Lol The fries were fantastic. A little thicker. Seasoned. Fresh and hot. I wouldn't be surprised if they were double fried. They had that unmistakable crisp to them... Dala was great. Attentive. Made sure everything was good and we had what we needed. But like I said...I'm biased. We're friends and it was really great seeing her again and catching up a little. Your mileage may vary... But I doubt it. She's just always been that kind of a person. Lol Standard table service. You can pay via Toast using a QR code on your receipt and ask about their punch card program. Buy nine pizzas and/or sandwiches and get the 10th one free. Don't quote me on that... Ask your server. I also heard from Jeremy the console video games might be free to play? I should have checked out the Galaga machine to verify that! If you've never made it over to Striking Sparrow Lounge... Stop by and check them out! If you haven't been in for a while... Maybe stop in and look over the new menu!

Have seen photos before and finally went for lunch. Wasn't too busy, so we were greeted and ordered…read moretaken right away. It's a dive bar/slash bar food, but fantastic bar food. There are lots of TVs and a long bar. It's pretty dark, but they have fun lights. Service was outstanding and, again, food was great. We will be back to try more.

I recently stopped by here on my recent visit to the Des Moines Iowa area to see what this place…read morehad to offer. The seem like the place with the most beer options that I enjoyed the most at a fair price. This place was absolutely quiet for what it was on a monday. It might be a different story on a weekend. Well all the other bars in the area stay open late, this bar closes at 10:00 during the weekday which isn't bad at all. They have a good food menu though I didn't order anything and a drink menu is actually really good. The staff was kind enough to let me try a few samples. I will say that the bartender wasn't too friendly or sociable throughout my entire visit which made my time there feel awkward especially since there was hardly anyone else there. Drink prices are pretty fair for what they are too. Definitely stick to the their 16 oz and I do enjoy that they have a 4 oz size as well. Overall, I thought this was a casual place to check out

Drinks are always great here! Always something new to try whenever I come by…read more Service is always nice and inviting. They are always happy to serve samples no matter how many I ask for they've been great. The busy-ness of Beerstyles confuses me. I come here during peak hours/peak days and non peak hours/days and they have varying amounts of customers. But it's never packed. That's why the service is good, they are never busy! Surprised that not more people come here. Located in a great spot too. Food doesn't impress me much. My husband gets the Caprese Curds and I find something vegan. This night I got the Brussels. I did not enjoy how burnt they were. 4 stars for drink, service, environment. Lost a star for my food the last couple times. I would return and recommend. I like it here. I can also ask for 4- 8oz cans to go or 2-16 oz cans to take home too. Great deal for what they serve and sometimes they have things we can't get at the store.

Everything you could want in a premium dining experience…read more Excellent service. Excellent food. Excellent ambiance and environment. We had crab cakes, ribeyes, mac and cheese, fries, corn and a baked potato. The fries were seasoned and cooked perfectly, as was my steak. Mac and cheese was also great. It was our 20th anniversary so we received a free carrot cake cupcake even though we had a million leftovers.

This was a 100% new experience for my wife and I! But, we wanted to do something nice and different…read morefor our anniversary. Ruth's Chris did NOT disappoint! The atmosphere it's self made the experience worth it! We ended up making a reservation and let them know that we were coming for our anniversary and they rolled out the red carpet! Rose pedals on the table, personal congratulations from most of the staff, and even the manager came and had a conversation is for a couple minutes! And absolutely cannot forget the delicious cheesecake they brought us for dessert! Obviously the food can be a little expensive, at least for our family, but the staff at Ruth's Chris made sure that it felt like every penny was put to good use! Have recommended Ruth's Chris to just about everyone that would listen! Thank you everyone at Ruth's Chris for making my wife and I's anniversary a time to remember!