Nightlife
Des Moines nightlife is concentrated in a few areas, especially the Court Avenue District downtown, the blocks around 86th Street and Hickman Road in Clive, and the newer West Glen area, just off I-35 in the western part of West Des Moines, east of the Jordan Creek Mall. In all three you will find plenty of bars, ranging from simple set-ups that pour tap beer and strong mixed drinks, to much more sophisticated cocktail lounges that feature mood lighting, luxurious surroundings, and multi-page drink menus with all sorts of martinis, cosmopolitans, and other mixologists’ creations. Plenty of these bars feature live music. All three areas also feature a selection of restaurants, with Court Avenue and West Glen having more variety and higher-end dining spots.
There are also plenty of neighborhood bars found throughout the city. These are the “shot and a beer” kind of places that attract loyal regulars. You may draw a few initial stares when you take a seat at the bar, but most of these places are genuinely friendly, and a nice place to relax with a beer, watch sports on television, and play a game of pool or darts.
For an idea of what’s going on entertainment-wise, pick up a copy of Juice or CityView, both of which can be found at locations all over downtown and other parts of the city and suburbs and feature extensive listings of live music, movies, and other nightlife. Bars with live music often charge a cover, although it’s often very modest; higher on the weekends and for better-known local acts. Bigger acts, of course, are more expensive and may require advance ticket purchase. Some dance clubs may charge a cover as well. Tickets can be purchased through ticket agencies including Ticketmaster and MidwestTix, as well as through the websites of individual venues and at their box offices (this last option is usually the cheapest, as many venues don’t charge service or processing fees).
Under the Iowa Smokefree Air Act of 2008, smoking is prohibited in bars as well as restaurants—you’ll have to step outside to light up, which can be quite a challenge in the winter months.
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Nightlife
Address: 1501 Woodland Ave.
2. 7 FLAGS EVENT CENTER
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Nightlife
Address: 2100 NW 100th St.
Description: All sorts of music groups have played this suburban arena, including plenty of nationally known acts in rock, country, and other genres. The nearly 25,000-square-foot facility has somewhat infrequent concerts, due to its use as a multipurpose meeting facility, but it has still packed in fans for the likes of Ted Nugent, Bret Michaels, Puddle of Mudd, and other hard-rockin’ bands, as well as numerous sporting events and expos.
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Nightlife
Address: 301 Ashworth Rd.
4. VETERANS MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (515) 323-5400
Address: 833 Fifth Ave.
Description: Connected to Wells Fargo Arena as part of the Iowa Events Center, “Vets” or “The Barn” became Des Moines’s main music and entertainment venue after it was built in 1954, hosting all kinds of music shows, sporting events, and political confabs. Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond, and Van Halen are just some of the top names who graced the stage before Vets was eclipsed a few years ago by the newly opened Wells Fargo Arena. With a capacity slightly over 7,000, today it showcases acts that may not play next door in Wells Fargo—John Mellencamp, Hall & Oates, Larry the Cable Guy, and Rob Zombie have all played here in recent years, and it sees its fair share of sporting events and trade shows, too.
5. WELLS FARGO ARENA
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (515) 564-8000
Description: The biggest names in entertainment play here when they come to Des Moines—everyone from Carrie Underwood to AC/DC to Coldplay to Tom Petty has taken the stage at Wells Fargo, which opened in 2005. Part of the Iowa Events Center and holding up to 17,000 fans, the concert arena is known for its excellent sight lines. It has also hosted circuses, rodeos, monster truck shows, and numerous other sporting events. It is also home to both the Iowa Energy basketball team and the Iowa Barnstormers arena football team.
6. BLUE MOON DUELING PIANO BAR
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (515) 564-7300
Address: 5485 Mills Civic Pkwy.
Description: You may get a kick out of this place, even if noisy sing-alongs by crowds guzzling potent mixed drinks don’t sound like fun. On a small, open stage two piano players sit facing each other and take song requests from patrons. The tunes lean toward schlocky ’70s and ’80s nostalgia, and the performances aren’t unlike what you’d see on an episode of Glee (“Don’t Stop Believin’ ”!). Try as you might, you may soon find yourself singing and dancing along with the crowd, a mixture of locals and out-of-towners who pack the place, filling up every available surface, including the upstairs balcony, and even spilling onto the stage. Big, foofy drinks are the rule, with the standard bearer a 1-gallon fishbowl filled with vodka and mixers. Shows on Thurs, Fri, and Sat.
7. HOUSE OF BRICKS
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (515) 727-4730
Address: 525 E. Grand Ave.
Description: This corner cubbyhole of a bar in the East Village appears to be just another drinking spot when you first walk in. Behind a garage door that runs down the middle of the room, however, is one of Des Moines’s more popular live music venues. All types of bands have played here, including both national and local acts, and in genres from rock to country to anything else. They also have a regular open-mic comedy night and a poetry slam. There’s music every weekend and plenty of weeknights as well. Tickets are available ahead of shows through the bar’s website or via local ticket outlets.
8. PEOPLE’S COURT
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (515) 244-0038
Address: 216 Court Ave.
Description: One of the premier smaller live music venues in Des Moines, this shoebox bar in the Court Center complex has two areas, both of which have hosted bands. There’s a focus on rock, but country and other types of bands have played here as well, including even soul singers crooning while banging on the piano. The intimate setting allows fans to get close to the stage, and it can get hot and sweaty when the room fills up, but the bar is well-situated for dispensing beer to the thirsty crowd.
9. VAUDEVILLE MEWS
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (515) 243-3270
Description: This narrow, low-ceilinged room with a small stage in the back may not look like much at first, but it’s one of Des Moines’s hottest live music venues. An eclectic selection of rock, everything from fast punk and hardcore to more mellow offerings, spills out of the redbrick storefront and onto nearby Court Avenue. Ticket prices can range from under $10 to more than $20 for more well-known acts.
10. BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (515) 270-6274
Address: 8410 Hickman Rd.
Description: A stop on the suburban bar scene, with little subtlety: Big, 40-ounce bottles of beer and malt liquor are popular here, and there are some two dozen varieties of suds on tap (cocktails are available as well, but you’ll see far more patrons with beer). All types hang out amid the scruffy furniture and large outdoor patio, everyone from white-collar types to tattooed bikers. The bar frequently features live music on its small stage, while tasty burgers and wings are among the food offerings. Gets loud, even during the week.
11. COSMOPOLITAN LOUNGE
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (515) 288-5800
Address: 800 Locust St.
Description: Located off the lobby of the Suites at 800 hotel, this upscale cocktail room is a great spot for a martini or other fancy drink. Dim lighting and dark woods add to the subtle elegance of the room, which along with the small bar has several tables for seating, some of which can accommodate around half a dozen people. Peruse the lengthy cocktail menu and try a gin fizz in the summer or a hot buttered rum or Irish coffee in winter as you watch snowflakes drift down outside the windows. Jazz combos set up and play around the piano in the corner. Is that Don Draper sipping a martini at a table in the back? The bar stays open at least until midnight and sometimes later. Closed Sunday.
12. COURT CENTER
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Nightlife
Address: 216 Court Ave.
Description: This large complex holds several bars and entertainment venues on several floors, each with a unique character and clientele. Sinners & Saints (515-243-2322) is a fairly standard drinking den with a vaguely rock ’n’ roll theme, while Liar’s Club (515-237-5427), up on the second floor, has a big, open layout with hard-rockin’ music blaring through the sound system and a young, fun crowd—it’s a good spot to start a night of bar hopping, but not for a low-key quiet evening. Heroes (515-288-9432) is a more low-key joint, with a large selection of beers, while People’s Court is known for its live music scene. Although the address is on Court Avenue, most of the bars can be accessed through the side door on 3rd Street.
13. DUCKTAIL LOUNGE
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (515) 727-5670
Address: 1809 NW 86th St.
Description: Dark wood paneling, plaid wallpaper, and framed hunting scenes may make you think you’ve stumbled into a stodgy private club, but this is actually a cozy, laid-back bar with an impressive selection of martinis and scotches. Drinks are a little on the pricey side, but the bartenders are master mixologists who pour them just right. A fireplace surrounded by couches and comfy chairs is a nice spot to kick back with friends, as well as just a good place to sit and watch the hearth while you sip your drink. Play a game of pool on the red-felt table. A heated outdoor patio accommodates smokers.
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Nightlife
Address: 200 SW 2nd St.
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Nightlife