Posted October 31, 2018in Belly Up To...
Beaverdale’s cozy neighborhood bar The Beaverdale area is a proud neighborhood tucked between the western suburbs and downtown Des Moines. Beaverdale boasts several close-knit bars in its downtown, including the Beaver Tap. Located at the corner of Beaver and Urbandale, the location of The Beaver Tap accommodated various bars since the late 1950s. The Bon
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Posted October 03, 2018in Belly Up To...
Dive bar has much folklore in 80-year-old neighborhood. On the shortest street in Des Moines, Drew Carey of the “Price is Right” yells, “C’mon down.” His voice blasts from the TV at the Triangle Tap, where mostly retired patrons play for prizes and drink specials during happy hour, starting at 9 a.m. Once 4
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Posted September 05, 2018in Belly Up To...
Wine bar offers casual vibe in Valley Junction When Kelly Sharp visited her friends in Portland, Oregon, they frequented an intimate, casual place to drink a few glasses of wine and chat. After she returned home, she wanted to share the same atmosphere in Des Moines with her friends. Her options were seemingly
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Posted August 01, 2018in Belly Up To...
Johnston landmark since the 1930s The name The Boat House conjures up a quaint place next to a lake or ocean. Although Saylorville is close, The Boat House in Johnston isn’t off a beach or dock. The Boat House, located on Beaver Drive, is kittycorner to Camp Dodge and the static aircraft display perched
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Posted July 04, 2018in Belly Up To...
Suburban brewery is a throwback to rural Iowa With half of a pickup truck protruding from behind the bar tapper, one might think the beer is coming directly from a leak in the truck. It’s not. But only a few feet away, lagers and ales brew at Barn Town Brewing. A little piece of
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Posted June 06, 2018in Belly Up To...
Top-shelf spirits Overlooking a cornfield just 10 minutes south of Des Moines, the Iowa Distilling Company is in a picture perfect rural setting. The ambiance inside the building is quaint and cozy. It features light-grain wood walls separating the production facility from the bar and craft cocktail lounge. Barrels are on display along with authentic
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Posted May 02, 2018in Belly Up To...
A Windsor Heights neighborhood bar Friday nights at the Ridgemont aren’t necessarily fast, but the drinks poured during happy hour go down quickly. The bar, named after the coming-of-age teen movie, “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” is tucked away in Sherwood Forest, a seasoned Windsor Heights strip mall located off
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Posted April 04, 2018in Belly Up To...
Two men and a brewery Fenders Brewing co-owners Jason Madison and Steve Crann say their origin story is “the classic” tale of home brewers who met and started a business together. The two men met through their church, St. Luke’s in Ankeny. The two co-owners — and the company’s only employees — celebrated the grand
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Posted February 28, 2018in Belly Up To...
Get lucky What do you name an Irish pub? The Irish, obviously. In the space formerly occupied by West Cab, the West Glen bar underwent a complete renovation before reopening on March 16, 2017. The Irish celebrates its one year anniversary this month, and the bar plans to celebrate in style for the occasion
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Posted January 31, 2018in Belly Up To...
Boat shoes optional “We used to get boating magazines,” Des Moines Yacht Club co-owner Dirk DeBolt says. Admittedly, the name has caused some confusion outside the city of Des Moines, Iowa. Des Moines, Washington, also has a Des Moines Yacht Club — but it is devoted to actual marine craft.
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