City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Nightlife

Telephone: (515) 334-7350

Address: 1871 NW 86th St.

Description: A small, loud, no-frills drinking den on the Clive nightlife circuit. There’s a pole here for dancing, but most patrons’ attention is focused on the bar, where servers pour Bombs—strong, multi-liquor concoctions with secret ingredients that are eagerly sucked down by the largely young, partying crowd. Lots of tap beer gets quaffed here as well, and a disc jockey spins records on Fri and Sat nights. The kitchen turns out cheap, greasy bar food that may help you soak up the liquor.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Nightlife

Telephone: (515) 226-2320

Address: 5513 Mills Civic Pkwy., Suite 100

Description: A recently opened outpost in the heart of West Glen of a long-running family-owned Italian restaurant, this location is more of a sleek cocktail lounge, with red crushed-velvet booths and a curving zinc bar. More than 40 different martinis are available, many made with fresh-squeezed juices. Gino’s is also known for their fancy ice cream drinks, and there are numerous drink specials throughout the week. Of course, it is a restaurant, with a menu featuring everything from Italian specialties such as seafood Alfredo and veal Marsala to comfort food like fried chicken, as well as big, juicy steaks. Entrees average about $20.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Nightlife

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Nightlife

Telephone: (515) 327-7249

Address: 3530 Westown Pkwy.

Description: A large, rambling club right next to I-235 and just across the street from Valley West Mall. Kegs serve as bar stools at some tables, and the bar offers “keg service”—you get your own keg to drink from, at $100 for a half keg or $200 for a full keg. Go ahead, if you feel nostalgia for your college days. Another funky drinking option is the Flabongo, a pink plastic flamingo filled with either beer or a specialty drink with a complex combination of liquor and juices. There’s a good selection of tap and bottled beers, and lots of interesting appetizers from the kitchen, including a daily food special. Pool tables, foosball, darts, and even a shuffleboard machine provide ample diversion. There’s occasional live music on a small stage.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Nightlife

Telephone: (515) 243-9399

Address: 434 E. Locust St.

Description: There are bars, and then there are dives, and this is definitely the latter, its worn brick facade looking all the more incongruous on an East Village block stocked with hip shops and restaurants. The grotty ceiling and graffiti-covered walls inside affirm you’re not in an upscale lounge. Plenty of cheap beer is quaffed by enthusiastic regulars, and this is actually a friendly, laid-back spot to have a beer with friends. The building formerly housed a bank and the vault is now used as a beer cooler.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Nightlife

Telephone: (515) 288-8323

Description: One of a few Mickey’s in central Iowa, this bar has a trove of Irish-American bric-a-brac on the walls, including a vintage “Kennedy for President” poster hanging prominently in the middle of the narrow room. There are carved shamrocks and a stag’s head above the dark wood bar, and this is the place to enjoy a Harp with a shot of Jameson’s. It feels like a workingman’s pub, with a convivial bartender and a big jar of hard-boiled eggs on the bar, but also attracts plenty of downtown professionals. An eclectic mix of rock ’n’ roll from the ’70s through the ’80s plays over the sound system. There’s a shelf of board games in the corner if you don’t want to watch sports on the 2 big-screen TVs.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Nightlife

Telephone: (515) 243-4456

Description: Televisions ring the entire room in this no-frills drinking bar just off Court Avenue. A regular crowd of young professionals hunkers down over bottled beer and strong mixed drinks, pondering the funky lights over the bar and soaking up the bass-heavy hip-hop pouring out of the stereo. Full-length windows give an unobstructed view of the street. This is a good spot to either start or end your evening out. The menu has pizza, pasta, and some nice sandwiches, including chicken pesto, Italian sausage, and meatball.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Nightlife

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Nightlife

Telephone: (515) 280-3771

Description: This place really does feel like an authentic British pub, with an extensive selection of porters and stouts on tap and walls cluttered with Brittania: a Union Jack, multiple British football banners, and malt vinegar on the tables (no smoking, alas). The food menu has bangers and mash, Guinness stew, Scotch eggs, and shepherd’s pie, as well as entrees like orange-glazed salmon and Bombay curried chicken. There’s a narrow patio outside. Hidden away upstairs is the Red Monk, a dark little cubbyhole open Wed through Sat nights and serving an impressive number of Belgian beers.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Nightlife

Telephone: (515) 288-3672

Address: 1408 Locust St.

Description: Part of the Des Moines Social Club art center, this space with windows looking out on the street is a comfortable rumpus room full of old tables and chairs that is a nice place to kick back and relax with friends. In addition to a full slate of beer and wine and fairly cheap, strong drinks, there’s all kinds of stuff going on here, from weekly trivia contests to comedy shows and dance nights. Definitely not your typical bar scene. Check ahead to see what’s happening on any given night, as the schedule may change.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Nightlife

Telephone: (515) 243-4322

Address: 500 E. Locust

Description: Hidden away down a flight of stairs in the lobby of the historic Teachout Building (there’s also an entrance around the corner on E. 5th Street, in front of Bagni di Lucca pizza), this basement room is the bar of choice for East Village hipsters and young professionals alike. Red vinyl booths line the redbrick walls, with a small stage set up at one end of the concrete floor. You may find yourself stumbling onto an avant-garde performance of synth-pop versions of classic ’70s hard-rock songs, even on a weeknight—it’s that kind of place. The small bar stays busy turning out a variety of alcoholic “bombs” chalked up on a nearby blackboard, and there’s a range of other drink specials as well. The adjoining large game room has foosball, video games, and multiple pool tables.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Nightlife

Telephone: (515) 255-0433

Address: 3506 University Ave.

Description: Don’t let the name fool you—this run-down little room just west of the Drake campus is a classic college dive bar that happens to make the best nachos in the city—as they inform passers-by with a large outdoor sign. The nachos really are quite good, with several varieties available, including a yummy smoked chicken. Pretty good burgers and fries as well. It’s a nice spot for lunch, or to have a beer or two with friends. No credit cards. Closed Monday.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Nightlife

Telephone: (515) 277-9929

Address: 3124 Ingersoll Ave.

Description: A friendly crowd of regulars will most likely be on the bar stools at this large yet low-key pub. The atmosphere is vaguely sports bar, with several televisions and sports bric-a-brac on the walls. Classic rock plays in the background and there are numerous drink specials throughout the week. Besides the main bar just inside the entrance, there’s a smaller bar in the pool room in back. They even have a shuffleboard table. The outdoor patio is a nice spot to unwind on a sunny afternoon. The food is a cut above the typical pub grub, including a Philly cheese steak (called a “Des Moines” here) and several other sandwiches and salads, as well as steak and seafood.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Nightlife

Telephone: (515) 967-8544 or (800) 325-90

Address: 1 Prairie Meadows Dr.

Description: A large gambling establishment located just northeast of Des Moines on I-80. Try your luck at nearly 2,000 slot machines, as well as table games like poker and blackjack. Thoroughbred and quarter horse racing runs Apr through Oct on the track, and there’s simulcast racing throughout the year from Churchill Downs, Saratoga, and other famous tracks. Numerous entertainment and restaurants are found throughout the complex. Top acts like B. B. King and Kenny Rogers have taken the stage here. Free parking and valet service, as well as a free shuttle from the parking lot to the main entrance.

City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Nightlife

Telephone: (515) 287-4545

Address: 4545 Fleur Dr.

Description: This multiscreen theater in a south-side strip shopping center is as close as it gets to an “art house” in Des Moines, with occasional showings of offbeat and independent films. Actually, they do a good job most weeks of having a mixture of current Hollywood releases with more obscure selections, including foreign films. The lobby cafe has beer and wine as well as coffee drinks and snacks. Plenty of parking in the lot right outside.