Posted January 06, 2021in Belly Up To...
In West Des Moines’ Valley Junction, a 120-year-old former railcar building houses a three-for-one treat. It includes The Hall, a beerhouse; the Foundry, a distilling company; and a community food kitchen. The Hall was established three years ago and is a wide-open mess hall, reminiscent of youth camp seating, where
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Posted December 02, 2020in Belly Up To...
As I walked down the dark staircase to Des Moines’ newest speakeasy, I expected a muscular guy decked in a pinstripe suit with a cocked fedora hat, questioning me, ‘What’s the password, blondie?’ Instead, I got a masked guy, handing me a menu, asking me what my drink preference was.
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Posted November 04, 2020in Belly Up To...
If you’re looking to experience a relaxed vibe in the heart of West Des Moines, visit the Urban Cellar. With tall dark wood and tan colors, the Urban Cellar is a warm and inviting place to unwind and enjoy a great meal with wine and cocktails. The Urban Cellar: Wine
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Posted September 30, 2020in Belly Up To...
For more than 25 years, Jimmy’s American Café served the West Des Moines neighborhood as a lively nightspot with cool drinks and innovative bar food. Since Jimmy’s shuttered nearly a decade ago, a handful of bars, eateries and even an Equardorian dance club tried their offerings without much success. Until
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Posted September 02, 2020in Belly Up To...
Are you up for something with a tropical feel while sipping margaritas on a breezy patio designed to cure coronavirus blues? Then head over to Rita’s Cantina. Located off S.E. Fifth Street, it’s close to East Village and occupies the building of the former SKOL and Mad Meatball. The new
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Posted August 05, 2020in Belly Up To...
Walking into The Station on Ingersoll created a feeling of nostalgia, not for the previous bar, Zimm’s, but for the one from decades before that — the Duck Blind. The history of just two bars in the past 50 years was one reason the new owners, T.J. Rushing and Alex
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Posted July 01, 2020in Belly Up To...
Temporarily shutting down a new neighborhood bar less than a month after it opened is not how the owners of Pour Choices envisioned their restaurant debut. But they are glad to now be open and serving hungry and thirsty patrons some new choices in pub and food fare. Pour Choices,
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Posted April 01, 2020in Belly Up To...
Gnarly, dude! A totally rad pub located in Beaverdale offers a bar, dining area and a game room. Sweet! The Dam Pub opened in 2019, boasting a 1980s and 1990s theme throughout the place. Music CDs, along with movie quotes and posters from “Top Gun,” “Ghostbusters” and “Terminator” are part
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Posted March 04, 2020in Belly Up To...
Wear a cheesehead hat for an Instagram-worthy pic at this Wisconsin-themed bar. Wisconsinites, celebrate! If you want to experience a bit of Wisconsin in the heart of Iowa — complete with cheese, beer and the Packers — look no further. The Wisco Grub and Pub is the place to be.
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Posted February 05, 2020in Belly Up To...
A Waukee bar where you can bank on having a good time. A 100-plus-year-old fixture located in the heart of downtown Waukee was formerly a bank, and, most recently, a bar called “Chops.” It was shuttered after the owner’s death. Today, the bar has reopened as Norm’s Pub — an
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