Downtown Des Moines is for drinking

Yesterday, Bobblehead and I took a daytrip to Des Moines to enjoy a few frosty beverages at the Hessen Haus and El Bait Shop.

Back in April, while visiting the Court Avenue and Raccoon River breweries, I was blown away by the bar culture in downtown Des Moines. Frankly, I was astounded there were signs of intelligent life in general. The last time I had been in downtown Des Moines was sometime in junior high, when the number of restaurants could be counted on one hand. (I don’t know that for sure, but I am making a somewhat educated guess.) It was a hub city: people drove there to work and then left at the end of the day. I swear tumbleweeds were blowing across the empty one-way streets. That was why I was so amazed by the scene now: affordable restaurants, breweries, and bars. Good bars — none of which I enjoyed because I had done enough of that at the breweries. So when Bobblehead suggested the trip I immediately signed on.

After a beautiful drive through the undulating farmland, we hit the Hessen Haus. The HH is “central Iowa’s only authentic German bier hall,” complete with long communal tables, the Iowa Polka Hall of Fame, and oodles of German beer. Thankfully, there was no polka or German folk music. I started off with a half liter of Franziskaner Hefeweizen and Bobblehead went all out with a liter of Hacker Pschorr Weisse. I could see our waitress behind the bar, pouring out foam and returning to the tap to make sure each beer was level with the fill line. It was very professional, but I was a little disappointed that my first hefe of the year was served in a mug instead of a weizen glass. No worries, though; it went down just as smoothly.

Here’s a tip: if you plan on pounding down a couple half liters, order more than a grilled cheese sandwich and dollop of German-style potato salad.

A friend joined us and I had an Aying Brau-Weisse (served in a Weihenstephan weizen) and then a Hacker Pschorr Weisse (served in a Franziskaner weizen with a gold rim; very classy). Thankfully, Bobblehead had switched to water by this time. When the last of my hefe was gone, we walked down 3rd Street to El Bait Shop, “the only 1970’s and fishing themed, Mexican BBQ restaurant you’ll run across, ever.” With 105 taps and 100 bottles, I think it is safe to say El Bait Shop has the best beer selection in downtown DM. There are loads of bike racks, a tabletop arcade game, and a nifty, touch-screen beer menu that helps you decide what beer to order. I was, as I told Bobblehead and MR, enamored. I ordered an Acme IPA for some reason, but the bartender couldn’t find it. I drank a Liberty Ale instead, then had a couple John’s White Ales.

At the end of our stay I had drank over 2.5 liters of beer. Needless to say, I was blitzed. We scat and I am glad I did not spew all over the inside of Bobblehead’s Elantra.

Though a quick trip (and I fear a little disappointing for Bobblehead since he did not get to enjoy each location as much as I did), it was well worth it. If you have never been to either the Hessen Haus or El Bait Shop, I highly recommend it. I am definitely looking forward to my next visit.