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Americana
Categories: Restaurants American (New) Restaurants Steakhouses Restaurants Tapas Bars American (New), Steakhouses, Tapas Bars
1312 Locust StSte 102
Des Moines, IA 50309
(515) 283-1312
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 11 pm
Fri 11 am - 2 am
Sat 10 am - 2 am
Sun 10 am - 11 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy, Trendy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
19 reviews for Americana
19 reviews in English
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Review from Kent M.
Washington, DC
5/21/2012
We had our business dinner here during the Iowa caucuses. I was surprised we were able to get reservations on what should have been a super busy night, and when we got there, it seemed like we didn't even need to have had reservations. The atmosphere was perfect for a meeting/dinner -- large open space that was not too loud -- and the food was great.
The best part of the Americana burger was the tomato jam. I didn't have it myself, but everyone who had the Iowa Chop still talk about how great it was.
The Sazerac was not that great but the DSM Manhattan was solid. -
Review from Dave E.
Des Moines, IA
1/22/2012
Live nearby and have eaten here several times. Management and seating has typically been pretty good, even when they have been busy, we have been seated reasonably promptly. That said, once we are seated it sometimes can take a loooong time to get the food. I've noticed this most at Dinner.
The Brunch, as already commented on here, is very good. and word is getting out. Went at 10:30 today w/o a reservation and the host had a locate an available table. Fajitas, Crepes, along with the more typical brunch offerings. In addition they have a Grilled cheese sandwich station. ( No Omelets though )
While it can sometimes get a bit loud at night, brunch is a more mellow affair and at only $14 a person it is a good value. -
Review from Carl W.
Des Moines, IA
12/11/2011
Americana's brunch ROCKS, with a great location, cool space, value pricing, knowledgeable staff, & solid food & beverage options. My wife & I with our twin boys, 15 months, & in-laws went to Americana for a casual brunch experience about a month ago.
Location: Western Gateway Park of downtown DSM, overlooking Pappa John Sculpture Garden, very cool spot.
Space: Very attractive use of the entire establishment, wrap around bar, with a grilled cheese station, a large second floor that overlooks the restaurant, ample space for large parties. The brunch items go through the restaurant & into the kitchen, making for a unique dining experience.
Value pricing: Very impressed with the options available & pricing, we definitely got our moneys worth.
Knowledgeable staff: We were greeted very promptly by Kayla; she took charge of our table, & gave us the run down. Handled our family needs incredibly well.
Solid food & beverage options: All the food you can imagine showcased among the main floor through the kitchen, plus a bloody Mary & mimosa station with all the trimmings.
We will definitely be back, nice work Americana! -
Review from He and She I.
Independence, IA
3/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great concept, interesting decor, great view. The seafood was a little tasteless, I think it must have been frozen, but it was tastefully presented. We enjoyed the tapas while waiting to go to a play.
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Review from Megan H.
Ankeny, IA
7/8/2011
Great new restaurant in a terrific location!
Americana is right on Western Gateway park in a big old brick building with huge windows and excellent views of the sculpture garden. I love the interior - exposed brick walls, neat photos everywhere, and a huge balcony overlooking the main-level dining as well as a couple of flexible private dining areas.
As others have mentioned, Americana has a terrific cocktail menu. There are lots of classics with a twist - a Moscow Mule with ginger-infused vodka, for example - and the wine & beer selection is huge, not to mention well-priced.
The menu is just as reasonably priced, and the food fits the same "classics with a twist" concept as the drink menu - mac and cheese, shortribs, burgers, but executed with a little more creativity and a few unusual ingredients thrown in for fun. There are lots of interesting things I wanted to try on the menu, but on this particular visit, we went with the scallop lollipops, coconut beef short ribs, and eggs benedict. The scallop lollipops were surprisingly spicy and VERY good. I expected to like the eggs benedict best of all (I love anything with duck and runny eggs), but the short ribs stole the show. They were super tender, and I could have eaten an entire bowl of the sweet potato puree. According to our server, that's their best-selling dish - and I'm not surprised.
I hear Americana has a great weekend brunch with a bottomless bloody mary and mimosa bar, which I'm very excited to try as soon as possible. The restaurant has been getting great crowds since opening earlier this month, and I definitely understand why. I had high hopes for Americana, and I'm so pleased they've lived up to the hype. I'll definitely be back!Listed in: Downtown Des Moines
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Review from Alan L.
Indianola, IA
2/13/2012
We arrived right on time for our reservation on Saturday and were immediately seated. Our table was on the balcony overlooking the bar. Noise was moderate but my wife and I were able to carry on an intimate conversation easily. Our waitress was very attentive but not overly so. She explained the specials and also helped my wife with here selection since she couldn't make up her mind. I had the steak Diane which was a special and my wife had Oscar a la Americana (prime rib). Both were excellent as was the shrimp appetizer and strawberry cheese cake. CABCo beers on tap. We had a great time and will go back again.
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Review from Justin B.
Des Moines, IA
7/11/2011
I came here for lunch with a colleague and I must say, this is a delightful location. I had the crimini mushroom panini w/ manchego cheese with the fresh veggie side.
The service was solid the whole way through, they had a way of not just treating you well, but making you feel truly welcome.
The panini was served hot, and the manchego cheese was not added sparingly, that flavor really came through. The vegetable side was certainly fresh, but the "dressing" on it seemed like a simple drizzle of Olive Oil. It really needed some salt, pepper, and some seasoning. (I have been told this will change.)
All-in-all I recommend this location, and look forward to trying it for dinner and awarding more stars. -
Review from Travis B.
8/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
came to visit my buddy out in iowa and already i'm impressed. based on what "non-iowans" had told me, i wasn't expecting much, only to be suprised to how much des moines has to offer.
after arriving at the airport, i asked my buddy if we could grab a bite to eat and he took me here. the interior is very beautiful, looks like a remodel. sleek and modern, but cozy and with the potential for intimacy.
the server fixed me up a veggie burger, topped with crunchy onions. it was tasty and quite spicy. the side salad of raw veggies was light and crunchy, nice after eating granola bars on the flight up.
the service was friendly and prompt but it wasn't that busy on a thursday night. their menu offering seemed substantial, but not alot of vegetarian options, although i liked the flexibility of making me a burger that wasn't on the menu.
overall good food, atmosphere, and service. -
Review from Kris D.
West Des Moines, IA
Updated - 8/19/2011
After my last review I was contacted by the manager asking me to come back and try the place again, so I did today for another business lunch.
Just like last time, the food was fantastic and we practically licked our plates clean. But we had the exact same problem as last time! Our server was super nice and professional. We were presented with our food in a timely fashion. But things fell apart from there. We waited what seemed like forever for drink refills and our check. I realize the server was super busy because the place was packed. However, I just think being there for over an hour for a workday lunch is too long.
I definitely recommend it for the food, just be prepared to be there for awhile.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/15/2011
Went here for a weekday lunch. The food was fantastic. Each of us had a burger. and were very… Read more »
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Review from Matthew R.
Des Moines, IA
8/4/2011
I came here one night for dinner and ordered their Cobb salad. Let's just say the description was a lot better than the actual meal. There just wasn't enough dressing and it was absolutely bland. My dining partner ordered some salmon dish. She enjoyed it, but it wasn't the best.
I came back for their brunch, and it was a lot better than my last visit. They had an array of food; crepes, chicken and waffles, parfaits, and even a mimosa bar. I even saw a few bags of hot cheetos? I wasn't sure what that was for.
Overall, the service and ambience is nice, but I just think the food could be a bit better. -
Review from William S.
Des Moines, IA
We had an absolutely amazing meal at Americana. We began with the Fried Cheese Ravioli. The butternut squash cream was the perfect addition. Next, came the best burger that I have had in my life. I don't say this lightly. From the bun, to the quality of the meat, to the TOMATO JAM - are you serious - TOMATO JAM, absolutely delicious. Finally, we had the bacon brownie...just let that sink in...bacon brownie. Indeed, this dessert was stolen from the gods. All I will say is: coconut ice cream, brownie, bacon crumbles.... Do I need to say anything more? Americana was an absolute delight. Absolutely packed the entire time that we were there, but for good reason. OH! The cocktails are wonderful too. I had a Moscow Mule that did not disappoint. If you have the opportunity, you MUST make your way to Americana.
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Review from Josh D.
Des Moines, IA
6/7/2011
Went here after work for a meeting and a drink, and was pretty impressed with the interior and the service. Good service can be tough to find in Des Moines, but just like it's sister company (CABCo), the service was great. I highly recommend the Moscow Mule. Drinks are a bit pricey, but during happy hour on a Monday the specialty drinks were half price!
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Review from Lim K.
Urbandale, IA
8/21/2011
My husband and I wanted to try a restaurant that we have never been to so we decided to go to Americana for an early dinner on Saturday.
When I was looking through the menu I could not find any dish that I wanted to eat. However, my husband likes chicken livers so we ordered it for an appetizer. For the main course we were still looking over the menu to see what we should eat. Finally I ordered a Tiki burger and my husband ordered Iowa pork loin.
The chicken livers tasted okay except they were fried in cornmeal which we did not care for. My burger came with grilled pineapple on top and it tasted sweet. The burger was cooked as I ordered and tasted good after I added some tabasco sauce. However, my husband' s pork loin was so dry it was even hard to cut through with the knife. It was definitely not worth paying $22 for a piece of dry pork meat. We will never go back to this restaurant. -
Review from Cat B.
Overland Park, KS
7/5/2011
We went to the Americana for dinner Saturday night. The building is fabulous and I love that the history of the place is displayed via a big black and white photo enlarged and hung on the wall.
The service was really, really poor. A server came to the table saying our server will be with us shortly and she would take our drink order in the mean time and placed drink coasters at the table. As she walked away our server came and awkwardly asked us for our drink order though he clearly saw the other server do that part of his job for him giving him the clear indication she had done so by the placement of the coasters.
I ordered the Coconut Beef Short Ribs and my dinner date ordered the Iowa Pork Loin. He was presented with a dry, overcooked pork chop and dry sides. Interestingly enough, my meal was overly "moist". The beef was cooked properly though lacking in the coconut flavor component entirely. The sweet potato puree was very loose and runny.
While the food was fine(ish) the service was horrible! We did not once get our empty water and tea glasses refilled and waited a very long time for the bill to arrive. -
Review from Liz B.
New Braunfels, TX
8/27/2011
On my first visit to Des Moines, my husband and I stopped by the Americana for drinks and later for dinner. I liked the location downtown,and we enjoyed a walk through the sculpture park across the street after dinner. The decor of the restaurant was very nice. I felt the restaurant had two different vibes. Lots of happy chatter and animated conversation downstairs in the bar and dining areas but much more quiet and intimate upstairs, which is where we ate. LOVED the scallop lollipops, and I am not much of a seafood person! Nicely cooked, not over done at all, well seasoned. We also had the chicken livers as an appetizer. Nicely prepared with not too much breading and cooked to perfection. The livers came with two dipping sauces, bacon and onion ranch and a maple mustard. I did not care for the maple mustard...just a taste that generally does not appeal to me. The bacon and onion ranch sauce was good, but I enjoyed the flavor of the livers so much I didn't want to cover it up with sauce. My husband had the short ribs for a main dish and enjoyed the flavor combination of the sweet potato puree along with the spicy bbq and tropical fruit salsa. Just the right amount of coconut on top of the ribs, it did not overpower the dish. I had the Ravioli Americano as a main dish. The creamy sauce had a smokey taste I don't believe I have ever had in a pasta sauce before...it was good .
The bread served with the pasta was very dense and delicious. Good cheesecake for desert, too! Looking forward to another meal there next time we are in town! I would give Americana 4.5 stars if I could! -
Review from Mopsie B.
Chicago, IL
9/7/2011
We stumbled onto this place on Labor Day, while driving through Des Moines on our way to Chicago. Frankly, it was one of the only non-chains open and we were hungry! The decor is funky and comfortable at the same time, which was immediately interesting. At 3 p.m., we could no longer order lunch but the dinner menu is fairly similar. At first, we were sort of put off by all of the strange add-ons, like tomato jam and chicken livers but our server told us that we could get any dish as we liked it. I got the Cobb, sans bacon, bleu cheese dressing and the red wine vinegar eggs (sounds horrible- sorry!). The server suggested the mango vinaigrette, and I'm glad she did, because it was perfect. The salad is served with a huge hunk of bread and butter, which was a pleasant surprise and I also ordered the pecorino fries, which were absolutely perfect and I'm not even a big French fry person. My husband ordered a beer from their big selection and a burger-- again, he asked for it without all of the weird accompaniments and said it was very good. The only slight problem was that it wasn't quite medium rare, as he had ordered, but that seems to be a common problem lately. Had we been staying overnight in Iowa, I definitely would have ordered a cocktail but as it is, we were both pretty impressed to find the Americana and we would definitely go back, if the situation presented itself. Extra star for friendly, attentive service!
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Review from Ricky T.
Des Moines, IA
6/4/2011
Seriously good! from the service to the atmosphere everything was spot on. They have two beers on tap. Stella Artois and Cabo Belgian white. For those of you that are not familiar with Des Moines CABCO is the Court Ave. Brewing Company. This happens to be a sister restaurant. They do have an extensive list of bottled beer and wine. Along with what I would call some signature cocktails such as the Moscow Mule, Tom Collins, Singapore sling and many others. We decided to stick with beer. For the food we started off with the roasted artichoke hearts. They were perfect. I ordered the Tiki Burger and my other half had the red snapper. I will only speak for the burger at this point as it was AMAZING!! nice juicy burger cooked to my liking with a grilled slice of pineapple with a sweet glaze covering it all. Along with that some Parmesan covered french fries! The place is pretty cool. Large bar area. Vintage floors along with ceiling reminisce of the old car show room the building used to be. Now this is my first visit as the restaurant has not been open that long but first impressions were pretty good and am already looking forward to bringing my friends back with me!
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Review from Brock J.
West Des Moines, IA
6/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
First impression was good; hip feel, polite staff, and an intriguing menu. We ordered two appetizers and an entree to split. The Scallop lollipops were very good, great texture and just enough spice. The Pulled Pork Crostini had good flavor, but was dry. A little sauce could have helped. The Americana Panini was the biggest disappointment. It had the potential to be good, but what we received was an Arugula sandwich, very little cheese. After sharing this with our server (when asked how it was) it was removed from our bill and we were thanked for our feedback. Our server was attentive, polite, and full of smiles. It was nice to have a server who seemed like she wanted to be there. Americana feels like the young restaurant it is, trying to fine tune it's menu. I want to like this place. It has great ambience and an interesting menu, but the food needs to get better. Bottom line? Worth a shot. I'll be back for a second try.
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Review from Lindsey R.
Urbandale, IA
6/28/2011
My husband and I came to Americana for opening weekend and we have been back several times since so they are definitely doing something right. The atmosphere is really great, very retro with a great vibe and energy. We have tried several dishes and my favorite so far is the red snapper- very unique. You can't beat their cocktail menu with classic American drinks like a Moscow mule and Sidecar. It is great to have a new, unique, classy restaurant and bar in Des Moines. We will be back!
