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Everyone that has been to downtown Des Moines knows about the bars and restaurants on Court Avenue. Even those Grand View students who have not been downtown or are not old enough to go into bars has heard of Outlaws or Heros or Exchange, but here are some bars and restaurants that you may not have heard of.

St. Kildas is a new bar and restaurant located on 5th Street, most known for their breakfast and healthy eating style. Their focus is on how the plate looks when it is delivered to the customer because they want it to be “pleasing to the eye” the cashier said. Since they focus on healthy eating habits, they also emphasize good portion sizes. The amount of food sold to the customer is filling but not overwhelming. Their main food item ordered is the “avocado toast with egg or the salmon and egg” the cashier said. “We buy all of our food locally” the cashier said, so they will never run out of stock. The busiest times are on Sundays at brunch. This is the place to go to to start the day. One thing most probably won’t know is that they sell all top shelf liquor. Saturday nights are for booze and having a great time with your friends. Yes they focus on food mainly during the week but are a full-scale bar on the weekends.

Another bar outside of Court Avenue is called Mullets and it’s located on 1st Street. They are a restaurant and bar that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The busiest time of the week is Sunday mornings for breakfast. You can also start your day at Mullets before you go out at night. Mullets is a biker bar but not only for motorcyclists. There are cyclists that meet up at Mullets, eat food and have drinks in and outside of the restaurant the owner said. Phil, the owner of Mullets, puts his focus on making everyone feel welcome, both men and women. They have the “Fe-Mullet” Fest coming up on Saturday October 6th, which is a festival to support women. The cause is to raise awareness for domestic violence. Phil wants his customers to feel like they can do whatever they want, whether that is to eat, drink, socialize, or simply relax outdoors with some friends on a weekend after a bike ride.

An Alternative bar and restaurant we visited is called Mad Meatball Pizzeria and Pub. They are located on MLK and SE 5th street. Mad Meatball is the place to be for lunch, they serve mainly pizza and wings. All of their pizza is homemade and they shop locally for their ingredients the cashier said. They get their sausage from Grazzianos which is also in Des Moines the cashier said. They have the “best happy hour deal which is every day from 2pm to 6pm” the cashier said, which includes five dollars for all appetizers drinks are half price. They also have a breakfast buffet on weekends which includes bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Mary’s. According to Kyle Petersons Murph and Andy website top pizza rankings in Des Moines, Mad Meatball ranks as the top-rated pizza in all of Des Moines Iowa.

Another bar in Des Moines is the Royal Mile located on 4th street. If you enjoy soccer, this is the “best place to watch soccer” the cashier said. It is a British style pub, and it even has the British style menu for the full experience. The Royal Mile even has an upstairs section that hosts “The Red Monk”. The Red Monk is a bar dedicated to the beers of Belgium. They are passionate about their British style theme and they attract anyone who enjoys a good beer, and sporting events. They are one of the best bars to go to during the world cup as they are determined for their country to win. 

The last bar we visited was one call “Star Bar”, located on Ingersoll Avenue. They are the nightlife bar with better than general bar food, so this is probably where you’ll want to end you’re your night. They sell “garlic parmesan fries; spinach and queso fresco dip”, according to the Culture Trip website. Star Bar has a solid Craft beer menu and a full-scale bar. They have bands and performers who entertain their crowd. Star Bar is a good bar to go to, to end the night. You can finish the night with dinner, or even later, drinks and entertainment.

If you want a different sort of night out mixed with bars, food and friends, these are some of the best to visit off of Court Avenue. You can start with St. Kildas in the morning, Mullets, or Mad Meatball for lunch and you can end your night at Star Bar. Every bar usually has some sporting event on T.V., but if you are serious about watching the world cup, Royal Mile is the place to be.

All of these bars are located in Des Moines, off of Court Avenue, so if you are looking to expand your range of bars and going out, these are some great new bars to check out.