Posted December 03, 2025in Belly Up To...
As one business shutters, another often snaps up the location and revamps it, reopening within a few years. Yet, for the Highland Underground, it took more than 40 years to be transformed from a department store into a cocktail bar. The Highland Underground opened in early October and is in
Read More →
Posted November 05, 2025in Belly Up To...
While settling in at the patio at the Sunset Lounge in Norwalk, the sun was nearing the horizon, but I couldn’t see any blazing red and orange colors. Where’s the sunset? Isn’t that why it’s named Sunset Lounge? Nope. Turns out it is named Sunset Lounge because it is located
Read More →
Posted October 01, 2025in Belly Up To...
Walking into the 85 Bar West, patrons are greeted with Chicago Bears memorabilia. Signs, team rosters, posters, pictures and pendants line nearly every inch of the bar. Located at 432 E. Hickman Road in Waukee, 85 Bar West opened up in the fall of 2024. Its sister location in the
Read More →
Posted September 03, 2025in Belly Up To...
“Saturday Night Live.” “Jaws.” “All In the Family.” “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” It was 1975 when these shows and movies were popular. Meanwhile, one other 50-year landmark is still going strong. Charlie’s Filling Station, located at 305 Grand Ave. in West Des Moines, was created from an old
Read More →
Posted August 06, 2025in Belly Up To...
Corn dogs. Fried Twinkies. Grinders. If you think that sounds like food from the Iowa State Fair, you are correct. But fair food goes beyond a porkchop on a stick. Each year, the Iowa State Fair offers dozens of new foods, including 67 tantalizing treats for 2025. This year, I
Read More →
Posted July 02, 2025in Belly Up To...
Step into the Guesthouse Tavern+Oyster and you might think you’re in a lodge, alongside a lake or river located in northern Wisconsin or bordering Minnesota. But you’re not. Instead, you’re in West Des Moines in a strip mall bordering Waukee. The Guesthouse Tavern+Oyster opened in February 2024 and was established
Read More →
Posted June 04, 2025in Belly Up To...
“Where’s the door?” My Belly Up companion asked this as we wandered into Hotel Fort Des Moines, inspecting possible entryways to an alleged secret speakeasy. The hotel concierge pointed to the nearby Hobnob Coffee and Wine Bar. Close to the bar area, the waiter directed us to a clear glass
Read More →
Posted April 30, 2025in Belly Up To...
“GOAT” doesn’t just refer to a hay-eating, climbing, hooved domestic animal. It is also an acronym — Greatest Of All Time — often referring to sports icons. Yet there is another GOAT in town. This one refers to a bar, The Smoking Goat Pub. Located at 3015 Merle Hay Road,
Read More →
Posted April 02, 2025in Belly Up To...
When walking into a new bar, patrons often experience an instant vibe. The vibe at Doug’s Pub & Grub is friendly and welcoming, a neighborhood bar feel that many patrons crave. With a name like Doug’s Pub & Grub, one would logically expect to find a guy named Doug as
Read More →
Posted March 05, 2025in Belly Up To...
Iowa’s state bird is the American Goldfinch. While they are uncommon, some pelicans also make the Hawkeye State their home during the summer months. Des Moines metro diners and drinkers find their own pelican sanctuary at The Pelican Post Bar & Grille. The Pelican Post opened in March of 2023
Read More →
