Amazing place with a great atmosphere. Service and servers were AWESOME and the food was GREAT too. I HIGHLY recommend trying this place out.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Deborah De Hoet
Terrible service!!!! Enjoying time with adult friends at 4pm, laughing, and and drinking. The bartender looks like a tweeter himself. Was super disrespectful and short. Complaining of people being loud when it wasn’t. They were rude and disrespectful and dismissed. We left and didn’t continue business because of the unwelcoming atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Goulash
Tom Gavinski
A throwback, and I mean that in the best way possible, to a comfortable, casual tavern. Draft Miller High Life and good pub food. Fried pickle spears were great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: High Life Cheeseburger Basket
Robert McIntyre
Great place for a beer!!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Beave Bros
Couldn’t get much better! The broasted chicken is the best in the area. Tenderloin was awesome too. The old dive bar feel was something we love. The server was the best part!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Scott Allen
Great place great food!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
James Wilson
Dude... take a trip back to 70s style atmosphere and excellent divey food!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rocío González
The bar decoration is great. The food was really good, better than most bars, and the service was good even though there were large groups and it was a busy Saturday night.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
C. Roy
The High Life Lounge is a nostalgic blast from the past, right down to the atmosphere and the old-school menu. It feels like stepping back in time in the best way possible. The food hits just right—everything from Mom’s Meatloaf to classic goulash, and my personal favorite, the broasted chicken. Comfort food at its finest. To top it off, where else can you wash it all down with a tall glass of Tang? A true Des Moines gem that never disappoints.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Juan Tejada
This is a great place to have a drink and grab something to eat.
Completely forgot to take photos. Honestly loved everything about this place. It feels like it opened in the 70s and stayed there, and I loved every bit of it. Wife had the meatloaf, I had the beef stroganoff. Both were absolutely delicious. Can't wait to visit the Des Moines area again, this will be one of the first places I go.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Holly Arnold
Great food, great service & a fun place!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Steve
Walking into High Life Lounge feels like stepping back a few decades in the best possible way. Wood-paneled walls, vintage beer signs, and that cozy “neighborhood bar” charm make the atmosphere a solid 5/5.
Service was excellent. My waitress, Mercedes R., was on point the whole time — friendly, quick, and kept things smooth. She had that perfect mix of charm and elegance, the kind of presence that shows just enough to keep it classy and plenty to keep it memorable. Easy 5/5 there.
For food, I started with the Chili Cheese Fries appetizer. They came out hot and hearty, loaded with cheese and chili over crinkle fries. They were tasty, no doubt, but the chili had that familiar mom-and-pop diner style. Good comfort food, but nothing that set it apart — I’d rate them around 3.5/5.
The Chicken Pot Pie was my main course. It arrived covered in a pool of brown gravy, which was flavorful but not as rich as I hoped. I’d been looking forward to cracking into a crisp, golden crust, only to find it softened under the gravy. The crust itself was thick and layered, the chicken came in cubes (hard to say if it was fresh-made or not), and the veggies were just shy of fully cooked — not mushy, but with a good bite. In the end, it was filling and hearty, but the presentation and flavor didn’t quite deliver the wow factor. 3.5/5.
The bar deserves some credit — plenty of beers on tap, kept cold and flowing. A nice spread without overcomplicating it. That’s a 4/5.
What really made the place feel like home, though, was a nearby table of old friends swapping stories from the 70s. Those old goats set the bar high for an up-and-coming Billy goat like me, and it added a sense of warmth and nostalgia that money can’t buy.
Final bill was $26.19 with tip, which felt fair for drinks, an appetizer, and a main course.
Bottom line: Come here for the retro atmosphere, cold beer, and excellent service. The food hits the classic comfort note, but it’s the vibe — and people like Mercedes — that make the High Life Lounge worth the stop.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
patrick joseph
Stopped in on a Monday at 3pm to order food. Was there 5 minutes and noone came to take my drink or food order so I left assuming they only had food during lunch hours. Website didn't mention the kitchen was only certain hours. Obviously can't comment on food or service since I didn't recieve either.
Amazing place with a great atmosphere. Service and servers were AWESOME and the food was GREAT too. I HIGHLY recommend trying this place out.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Terrible service!!!! Enjoying time with adult friends at 4pm, laughing, and and drinking. The bartender looks like a tweeter himself. Was super disrespectful and short. Complaining of people being loud when it wasn’t. They were rude and disrespectful and dismissed. We left and didn’t continue business because of the unwelcoming atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Goulash
A throwback, and I mean that in the best way possible, to a comfortable, casual tavern. Draft Miller High Life and good pub food. Fried pickle spears were great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: High Life Cheeseburger Basket
Great place for a beer!!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Couldn’t get much better! The broasted chicken is the best in the area. Tenderloin was awesome too. The old dive bar feel was something we love. The server was the best part!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great place great food!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dude... take a trip back to 70s style atmosphere and excellent divey food!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The bar decoration is great. The food was really good, better than most bars, and the service was good even though there were large groups and it was a busy Saturday night.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
The High Life Lounge is a nostalgic blast from the past, right down to the atmosphere and the old-school menu. It feels like stepping back in time in the best way possible. The food hits just right—everything from Mom’s Meatloaf to classic goulash, and my personal favorite, the broasted chicken. Comfort food at its finest. To top it off, where else can you wash it all down with a tall glass of Tang? A true Des Moines gem that never disappoints.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is a great place to have a drink and grab something to eat.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Completely forgot to take photos. Honestly loved everything about this place. It feels like it opened in the 70s and stayed there, and I loved every bit of it. Wife had the meatloaf, I had the beef stroganoff. Both were absolutely delicious. Can't wait to visit the Des Moines area again, this will be one of the first places I go.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food, great service & a fun place!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Walking into High Life Lounge feels like stepping back a few decades in the best possible way. Wood-paneled walls, vintage beer signs, and that cozy “neighborhood bar” charm make the atmosphere a solid 5/5.
Service was excellent. My waitress, Mercedes R., was on point the whole time — friendly, quick, and kept things smooth. She had that perfect mix of charm and elegance, the kind of presence that shows just enough to keep it classy and plenty to keep it memorable. Easy 5/5 there.
For food, I started with the Chili Cheese Fries appetizer. They came out hot and hearty, loaded with cheese and chili over crinkle fries. They were tasty, no doubt, but the chili had that familiar mom-and-pop diner style. Good comfort food, but nothing that set it apart — I’d rate them around 3.5/5.
The Chicken Pot Pie was my main course. It arrived covered in a pool of brown gravy, which was flavorful but not as rich as I hoped. I’d been looking forward to cracking into a crisp, golden crust, only to find it softened under the gravy. The crust itself was thick and layered, the chicken came in cubes (hard to say if it was fresh-made or not), and the veggies were just shy of fully cooked — not mushy, but with a good bite. In the end, it was filling and hearty, but the presentation and flavor didn’t quite deliver the wow factor. 3.5/5.
The bar deserves some credit — plenty of beers on tap, kept cold and flowing. A nice spread without overcomplicating it. That’s a 4/5.
What really made the place feel like home, though, was a nearby table of old friends swapping stories from the 70s. Those old goats set the bar high for an up-and-coming Billy goat like me, and it added a sense of warmth and nostalgia that money can’t buy.
Final bill was $26.19 with tip, which felt fair for drinks, an appetizer, and a main course.
Bottom line: Come here for the retro atmosphere, cold beer, and excellent service. The food hits the classic comfort note, but it’s the vibe — and people like Mercedes — that make the High Life Lounge worth the stop.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Stopped in on a Monday at 3pm to order food. Was there 5 minutes and noone came to take my drink or food order so I left assuming they only had food during lunch hours. Website didn't mention the kitchen was only certain hours. Obviously can't comment on food or service since I didn't recieve either.
I had a pony!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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