Very fun dive bar. Friendly people, attentive staff. Good music, good vibe!!I'd recommend another pool table though.Kid-friendliness: Negative!!! Adult friendly ONLY
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 4
Heidi H.
I LOVE Carl's. I've been coming here for many years. Great dive bar. There is usually a good mix of customers. They have live music on occasion. Staff is always quick on fulfilling drink orders
Gippetto Lomellini
Carl's place makes all the lists for being this legendary and "must try dive bar" in the historic Sherman Hill neighborhood, but there's nothing really special about it. The atmosphere is very...divey (aka kind of dumpy and dirty looking), and it definitely lives up to the name 'dive bar.' They pour a strong drink. The music is loud and eclectic, and so is the crowd. However, don't expect to pay sketchy dive bar prices, they definitely charge city prices and drinking there is fairly costly for liquor. No drink specials. It's a good place to get drunk once in a while, but it's too costly to be a regular.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 3
Ryan Kelly
Music was top notch! Tuesday tunes had me a bouncing!
Samuel Joy
One time a stranger gave my friend and I a bag of mushroom stems here. We ate them and met a lifetime worth of people on the patio over the next two hours with a mildly pleasant sensation.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rick Thompson
Our 2nd home!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
julie rinker
One of the best dive bars in Des Moines! Tuesday nights are open mic blues jam--one of the best jams around! Great place to stop before a show at Hout Sherman. No food, other than chips.
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 5
Dennis Goering
Truly a DIVE Bar.... don't expect anything and you will be happy! Fun place.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Nathan G.
This place is a dive in all the right ways! Bartenders seem to handle a crowd well and I never wait long for a drink. I appreciate that. Tuesday open mic is always fun but loud if you are trying to visit. Might take it to the back room or out front or back. Wings on Wednesday happy hour from the Keg Stand hit the spot. Can't say more or too many people will show up. Have to leave your mark and sign the wall somewhere. Seems like everyone in town has
Didn't get any food. Took a friend to the airport and stopped for a beer recommended by a local. Nice selection of beers and bartender was very versed I the beers. Will be back this afternoon after we pic him up today.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 5
Ray Lemieux
I was hoping to view the menu but cannot. I am not on Facebook and there is no access to this website or a menu other than through Facebook. How frustrating. Oh well, I am planning to be in the area traveling and wanted to see if Carl's should be a stop. I guess if I do, i do, if I don't, I don't. Would be far more likely to make a definite plan if us non-Facebook people were included.
Steven “PizzaSteve” Catus
I love Carl's place. It's one of the best dives in the
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
D R Davis
Carls ain’t the Carls It used to be that I’d run over and have a couple quickies before a show at the Hoyt Sherman. It’s still a decedent neighborhood joint but has had it’s personality gentrified to the feel of an Applebees in some mall parking lot out in suburbia.
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 4
R D Davis
Carls ain’t the Carls It used to be that I’d run over and have a couple quickies before a show at the Hoyt Sherman. It’s still a decedent neighborhood joint but has had it’s personality gentrified to the feel of an Applebees in some mall parking lot out in suburbia.
Very fun dive bar. Friendly people, attentive staff. Good music, good vibe!!I'd recommend another pool table though.Kid-friendliness: Negative!!! Adult friendly ONLY
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 4
I LOVE Carl's. I've been coming here for many years. Great dive bar. There is usually a good mix of customers. They have live music on occasion. Staff is always quick on fulfilling drink orders
Carl's place makes all the lists for being this legendary and "must try dive bar" in the historic Sherman Hill neighborhood, but there's nothing really special about it. The atmosphere is very...divey (aka kind of dumpy and dirty looking), and it definitely lives up to the name 'dive bar.' They pour a strong drink. The music is loud and eclectic, and so is the crowd. However, don't expect to pay sketchy dive bar prices, they definitely charge city prices and drinking there is fairly costly for liquor. No drink specials. It's a good place to get drunk once in a while, but it's too costly to be a regular.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 3
Music was top notch! Tuesday tunes had me a bouncing!
One time a stranger gave my friend and I a bag of mushroom stems here. We ate them and met a lifetime worth of people on the patio over the next two hours with a mildly pleasant sensation.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Our 2nd home!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of the best dive bars in Des Moines! Tuesday nights are open mic blues jam--one of the best jams around! Great place to stop before a show at Hout Sherman. No food, other than chips.
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 5
Truly a DIVE Bar.... don't expect anything and you will be happy! Fun place.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
This place is a dive in all the right ways! Bartenders seem to handle a crowd well and I never wait long for a drink. I appreciate that. Tuesday open mic is always fun but loud if you are trying to visit. Might take it to the back room or out front or back. Wings on Wednesday happy hour from the Keg Stand hit the spot. Can't say more or too many people will show up. Have to leave your mark and sign the wall somewhere. Seems like everyone in town has
Best Dive Bar in
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Didn't get any food. Took a friend to the airport and stopped for a beer recommended by a local. Nice selection of beers and bartender was very versed I the beers. Will be back this afternoon after we pic him up today.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 5
I was hoping to view the menu but cannot. I am not on Facebook and there is no access to this website or a menu other than through Facebook. How frustrating. Oh well, I am planning to be in the area traveling and wanted to see if Carl's should be a stop. I guess if I do, i do, if I don't, I don't. Would be far more likely to make a definite plan if us non-Facebook people were included.
I love Carl's place. It's one of the best dives in the
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Carls ain’t the Carls It used to be that I’d run over and have a couple quickies before a show at the Hoyt Sherman. It’s still a decedent neighborhood joint but has had it’s personality gentrified to the feel of an Applebees in some mall parking lot out in suburbia.
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 4
Carls ain’t the Carls It used to be that I’d run over and have a couple quickies before a show at the Hoyt Sherman. It’s still a decedent neighborhood joint but has had it’s personality gentrified to the feel of an Applebees in some mall parking lot out in suburbia.
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 4