50 Best Bars near Altoona

“Great little nook for a drink with a friend on a weekday. Just had a quick drink. No food. Excellent service and friendly bartender. Did sir in the back area where they have karaoke on the weekends. Could use some love in that area and some cleaning. Overall, love this little place. Will be back!“

“I love this place, everyone that goes there are so friendly and nice i love the atmosphere there we are all there to enjoy ourselves and have fun specially on Saturday to watch our Hawkeyes play. Also luv that they carry Pickle ? beer my favorite. I go at least once a week if i can.“

“Hands down my favorite bar. All the bartenders rock, the space is cozy, the drinks are actually reasonably priced, and they don’t skimp on the liquor. If it’s a busy night it can be HARD to find seating, but that’s most bars to be fair. Highly recommend“

“Great atmosphere and great people.“

“Outside sitting by the river is awesome. There is also inside seating for the hot days. All ages and great people and atmosphere.“

“I've been going here for the last few years and it's one of my favorite places in DSM. The pizza is delicious. The drinks all taste like jolly ranchers. The games cost about a quarter to play (compare to places like Dave and Busters or Spare Time that are at least $2-$4 a game). The atmosphere is nostalgic bliss. The only thing keeping this place from five stars is that a lot of the games have stopped working since I've been going. I get that this place isn't charging a lot for the games so I don't expect them to be in perfect condition, but it's getting to the point where you're more likely to find a broken game than one that works. This is mostly an issue when it's crowded and everybody is vying for time on the games that work. I hope up down invests a little more into upkeep on their games soon as that's what makes it such a great place to hang out.“

“I think Mary go round is the most comfortable bar in Des Moines u never have to wait for a drink and prices are reasonable“

“We all had a great time no trouble everyone was welcoming, outgoing and only wanted to have a good time. No fights which makes for a great night. Love the fact that they have great deals on drinks as well as serving food and the staff are great as well. We threw my mother's 50th birthday and it was a surprise party and everybody joined in and made it an even better night.“

“Bachelorette party gone wiggy!!! We had a great time!! Awesome atmosphere!! Fun time!!!“

“nice little gem hidden on the southside.“

“Amazing spot to watch sports and enjoy drinks with friends!“

“I ordered via DoorDash and did not go into the restaurant. I was a little underwhelmed with the portion size of the fried mushrooms; they were good, just expensive for the size. Regarding the pizza, I think the price was very reasonable and it tasted good.

I would recommend this place, overall I’m satisfied.“

“I can't say enough of the bartender. In my book she was great has all the skills to make a bartender. Came in just to kill some time. But found myself haveing a great time playing pool with other customer and enjoyed the outdoor space. Great place to take a bike ride and stop to stretch your legs. I will be going back there 5?✴??????“

“I LOVE the burgers! and the crispy chicken wraps are amazing. all the bartenders are absolutely wonderful and so nice!“

“What a great bar! The bartenders hustle with a busy bar and the drinks are a great pour. The customer service is amazing and with TVs on every wall they are the best location to watch a game. Food was also amazing and we can’t wait to be back!“

“My wife and some friends of ours went for Restaurant Week, and enjoyed our food a lot! The Shrimp Ceviche was full of flavor, the Salmon Romesco was excellent, and the dessert spread was so delicious. The desserts were definitely the best part.

The only negative part of the experience was the slow service. We waited nearly an hour between being seated and getting our appetizers. Our waitress took almost 30 minutes to get us our check, and in total, we were there for almost 3 hours. If we were sipping cocktails, this would have been fine, but we were all drinking water.

The atmosphere was great, the food was good, but the service could have been a lot better!!“

“Everytime I've come here Kaos (my S.D.) and I are welcomed with jokes and smiles. The management went above and beyond for me one night bcuz they truly care about their patrons. They didn't know me personally but made sure I was OK. Cathy is completely amazing and always busy behind the bar it seems..by herself. (She rocks it & deserves a raise) and the dj dude is pretty funny. Definitely recommend this place. Wish I had found it sooner!!!!“

“Everyone on the east side of Des Moines remembers this place as "Johnny Macs". Now as "Champs", it definitely has the potential to bring in the clientele. It is cleaner, brighter, and more diverse. As a black guy on the east side, I was shown all love both times I came here. I highly recommend this spot, especially on weekdays (when I will get to meet new patrons).“

“We went here for a drink cuz our regular bar was closed for the night. The bartender was rude and ignored us even after I said hi to her. parking lot sucks. Bathroom sucks. Other customers gave rude dirty looks. We will NEVER be back. Poor example for our east side.“

“I don't know what JB is talking about but Mccuens is a great bar with awesome people who respect each other and know how to have a good time. The bartenders are great and get you what you need fast. It's family here and everyone is welcome. Anyone who says different well you can go screw yourself“

“best place at the fairto watch drunk idiots make fools of themselves, if you're lucky you'll get a glimpse of some of our glorious leaders and their wives in all their glory, have your cameras ready!“

“WHERE EVERYONE KNOWS YOUR NAME...“

“Cool little speakeasy to distract ourselves while waiting for dinner upstairs. Delicious lobster artichoke dip started our experience accompanied by a smooth honey nut old fashioned. Coupled with amazing service started our night off right.“

“Wonderful bar to catch some live music or just play some pool. The night we went there was only one bartender and she was absolutely killing it. Didn't get her name but hopefully she got some credit for how well she did. Definitely will be coming back in the future. Thanks for a wonderful time Fremont!“

“Dave can be grouchy some days but keeps a friendly staff so we keep showing up and letting them feed us.. haha just kidding. They are all great and we love 'em. Keep doing what you're doing! Definitely recommend our friends too stop in for a bite to eat, a cold drink and a few laughs. ? And you really need to go get a taco if you ain't had them!!“

“Cant rate this Bar highly enough! Came in with unrealistic expectations due to recommendations, but Erica, Rogér, & Michael/Matt were so great! Quick drinks, Well made drinks, great Convo. If your coming to Des Moines or local THIS is your hidden gem. Thank you for making a tough week into a fun start to the weekend!
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“My go to for comfort food which is mostly this sausage sandwich, I’m 100% Italian and have consumed almost every sausage sandwich in Des Moines, this one is the best to me… because it’s different! Will love you always and forever!“

“Devin and Maddie are the only reason I come here. Drinks are always on point and service is amazing. Hard to find such good service especially on busy Saturday nights. They’re both so accommodating and knowledgeable, will be back every Saturday night and tell my friends !!! Thank you both for the best experience !!!“

“Women were gorgeous and polite..only thing is alcohol to expensive“

“We just celebrated our marriage there with drinks and tacos! They had a killer beer and taco deal going on. We thought the drinks were delicious, the ambiance was perfect, and the staff and service were top-notch!! I would highly recommend, and can’t wait to head back!“

“All the bartenders were great. The only reason for a 4 star rating was the DJ. He was incredibly rude when asked about a request. I was about to mention what song I would have requested if requests were accepted, and he acted as if I was assaulting him or something. It was meant as a friendly interaction, but I left feeling like an intruder.“

“Sure, it's a strip mall bar that's pretty much a dive, but I love it. Staff is surprisingly attentive and polite for how busy it can get and I've never had much of an issue with the clientele. Love coming hear to watch Hawkeye, Cyclone or Cubs games. Insanely low prices also. One of my favorite bars in the city.“

“Excellent food. Dedicated gluten free is a bonus. When driving through DSM we make it a point to stop here.“

“I was in town visiting some friends when we decided to stop in here. Food was AMAZING, drinks were FANTASTIC although I think a lot of that had to do with our amazing bar tender Adrina. She was super quick with the drinks and made the best expresso martini I've ever had! Thanks Adrina/Civeche “

“We're from out of state and wanted a fun date night while visiting family. This place delievered! All the staff and customers were kind and fun! A great place for first time karaoke goers or veterns. 10/10 would reccommend. Be prepared to park in the parking garage and walk 3 minutes (parking garage was super cheap, we paid $5 for 2-3 hours) and the road was torn up in front of the door so that was the only sucky part. We managed it and I'm sure the consteuctiin will be done soon. Highly reccommend this place nonetheless!“

“Great food, great service!! Best brunch in Ankeny!!“

“Great food! Huge portions, and very friendly service. Such a great addition to the east village. We got the pho special, the honey spicy wings, Ube cream coffee ?, and tofu spring rolls

Vegetarian options: Tofu spring rolls were great!“

“Staff is great. Food is great. Very clean cute place. Carnitas quesadilla was delicious. Salads are huge and chopped well. Loved everything about our experience!“

“The BEST beer selection ANYWHERE!!! Every time I’m there I describe what I’m feeling like drinking and they ALWAYS bring a beer that hits the mark!!“

“always lots of fun, sports, good drinks, food, come on in. If you are sensitive to language, off colored jokes, flirtatious., stay away“

“All the servers looked happy and smiling. Our server Gavin was soooo nice!!! Would definitely recommend eating here.“

“It was a pleasure working with Iowa Professional Painting. The work was excellent and the price was very reasonable.“

“Excellent staff.... Great foood and beer. If you go, try their maingate grinder. I love this place i call it my home bar. Every time im back home from hauling truckloads all month, this is the place i look forward to spending my hometime at.“

“We stopped here for drinks and live jazz. Both were fantastic. We didn't try the food, but will the next time we are in town.

The best part was the bartender. She was so fun, attentive and despite working a very long day, made our evening memorable in the best way possible. We're glad we crossed the river to come here.

We'll be back the next time we're in Des Moines for sure!“

“This place is priceless. it is a must stop when you are in Des Moines. Love this place and all the graffiti decor. Amazing!“

“Like the place, service was good the food was average. Meatball Pizza was bland, very little sauce, no meatballs, just small pieces of meat, added onions not sure where they were, most of no flavor. The Hamburger Pizza was ok according to the person that ordered it. The Baked Camarillo was very good.“

“The Italian nachos are hands down the tastiest most creative spin on nachos I've ever had!! 5 Stars all day long!!“