In this post we will be breaking down drinking at the best bars in Des Moines. Whether you are looking for a tall glass of beer, a shot of vodka, to buy cheaper liquor during drink specials, or just to sing some karaoke hopefully we can assist.
Our first section will cover the best wine and cocktail bars in Des Moines. Up next we will get into breweries and sports bars where you can watch the big game or maybe play some pool and throw some darts.
Contents
Then we will mention some of the best drink specials near you so you can hit up the right bars at the right times to do your drinking cheaper. After that we will discuss bars with trivia, quiz, and/or game nights in your area.
Lastly we will talk about local bars for dancing, karaoke, and to listen to live music. Towards the end there will even be a map that pins all of the spots from our various lists on it.
And you can find all of our posts about drinking at Midwestern bars right there.
Cocktail & Wine Bars
Some of the top cocktail and wine bars in Des Moines are:
- Noce at 1326 Walnut St
- Hello Marjorie at 717 Locust St
- The Republic on Grand at 401 E Grand Ave
- Mickey Finn’s at 7020 Douglas Ave A
- Winchester Pub at 224 5th St
- Jasper Winery at 2400 George Flagg Pkwy
- Cheesebardsm at 2925 Ingersoll
- 801 Chophouse at 801 Grand Ave #200
There are great drink specials near you at Hello Marjorie from 4pm to 6pm.
801 Chophouse can provide you with the features you require as well as excellent food, wines, and service while being open seven days a week.
Des Moines Breweries & Sports Bars
Sample new suds and watch the big game with your friends at the best local breweries and sports bars:
- Exile Brewing Company at 1514 Walnut St
- The Iowa Taproom at 215 E 3rd St #100
- Court Avenue Restaurant & Brewing Company at 309 Court Ave
- 1908 Draught House at 409 Court Ave
- Sons Chicken Coop Bar & Grill at 5906 Ashworth Rd
The Iowa Taproom provides a unique Iowan-inspired selection and American favorites including chops, morning farm burger, hand-breaded pork tenderloins, ham balls, chicken wings, and much more.
Court Avenue Restaurant & Brewing Company offers a full wine and cocktail menu, handcrafted brews, as well as parties, reservations, and curbside pickup.
Sons Chicken Coop Bar & Grill is dedicated to providing you with an amazing eating experience that includes high-quality food, exceptional customer service, and a welcoming setting with many TV’s, terrific food, and refreshing drinks.
Local Drink Specials
Visit these bars with drink specials near you to buy cheaper alcohol and your wallet will thank you:
- The Station at 3124 Ingersoll Ave
The Station has local drink specials Monday through Friday from 3pm to 6pm.
Trivia, Quiz & Game Nights
Here is a good list of bars with trivia, quiz, and game nights in your area:
- The Hall at 111 S 11th St
- Smash Park at 6625 Coachlight Dr
- Up-Down at 500 East Locust St
Every Thursday at 7pm The Hall hosts live bar trivia plus they also have music, games, and serve food and drinks.
Smash Park hosts a fun bar trivia near you every Monday, music on Friday, and a game night on Wednesday. They also offer a variety of games for all ages including ping pong, giant Connect-4, foosball, and 8 HD televisions making it sort of like a sports bar too.
Up-Down has over 40 arcade games from the 1980’s and 1990’s, pinball machines, three classic skeet-ball alleys, Nintendo and Sega gaming consoles, life-size Jenga, and Connect Four.
AJ’s from our next karaoke bars list also has a fun game room with darts and billiards.
Dance, Karaoke & Live Music
Anyone that wants to dance, listen to live music, and sing karaoke can head to:
- Miss Kitty’s CliveIowa at 8834 Swanson Blvd West
- AJ’s at 419 E Court Ave
- Lefty’s Live Music at 2307 University Ave
- Gas-Lamp at 1501 Grand Ave
- Nightingale at 435 E Grand Ave
- Gilroy’s Kitchen at 1238 8th St
Miss Kitty’s CliveIowa hosts dance parties on Friday at 8pm and also offers live music.
A game room with a pool table and darts is available at AJ’s who also offers concert karaoke every night from 7pm to 1am.
Gas-Lamp is a fantastic venue for local live music and has some really good beer on tap.
On Wednesday nights Nightingale hosts a variety of events including dancing with a fun and friendly crowd and a wide range of music.
Gilroy’s Kitchen hosts live music in your area every third Wednesday of the month from 6pm to 9pm.
You might also want to read our posts on:
Have Fun Drinking At The Best Bars In Des Moines
After reading all of that you should have a much better understanding of what is available near you. There are plenty of local wine and cocktail bars, breweries to watch sports at, places with good drink specials to save money, trivia, quiz, and game nights, as well as bars to listen to live music, dance, and sing karaoke in your area.
If you think we got anything incorrect or notice us listing any venues that are no longer open please tell us in the comments so we can keep this info as up to date as possible. Now go have fun drinking at the best bars in Des Moines.
