EXPLORE: Food & the game

By Sofia Legaspi Dickens

Enjoy some tasty eats and good drinks while you watch the game alongside fellow sports lovers.
Go, team!

1908 DRAUGHT HOUSE
Multiple locations
1908draughthouse.com 
With restaurants in West Des Moines, Norwalk, Johnston and downtown Des Moines, it’s difficult to escape these ubiquitous Cubs-themed bars. Each location offers at least 20 tap beers, plus a full menu of classic sports bar vittles.

JOHNNY’S HALL OF FAME
302 Court Ave., Des Moines
johnnyshalloffame.com 
Serving up sportsy fare since 1972, you can’t go wrong with the longest-running sports bar in Des Moines. It first opened as the Interlude Lounge Key Club in 1962 but has since switched concepts to be the ultimate — and we mean ultimate — hall of fame, with sports pictures of all members in every Hall of Fame in the sports realm.

THE LONGEST YARD
122 Fifth St., West Des Moines
thelongestyard.mpower-engage.com 
Hawkeye fans, unite! In Historic Valley Junction, that is. This sports grill serves a full menu with fresh burgers, hand-breaded tenderloins, yard beers — and that’s just the beginning. The Longest Yard also hosts karaoke every Saturday night at 9 p.m. Due to lease issues, the owners announced they’d be closing their doors on July 10 after 16 years of business, so stop by while you can.

LUCKY HORSE BEER & BURGERS
2331 University Ave., Des Moines
luckyhorsedsm.com 
A relatively new addition to the Dogtown District, Lucky Horse defied the odds and opened its doors in the early days of the pandemic. Now, it’s a popular hangout for fans of Drake University and beer and music aficionados alike. They offer a full menu with appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, salads and flatbreads.

SPECTATORS SPORTS BAR & GRILL
3200 Adventureland Drive, Altoona
spectatorssbg.com 
With more than 130 TVs and an impressive collection of sports memorabilia, Spectators is the place to be during the game. Their full bar and full menu offer options galore: Smothered Tots, Bases Loaded Tenderloin, Cheese Curd Pizza — we could go on and on.

THE STATION ON INGERSOLL
3214 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines
thestationdsm.com 
Serving pub grub sourced from local suppliers, the Station offers a true sports bar atmosphere, with all the games playing on all the screens, all the time. On top of all that sporty glory, you can laugh — or be laughed at — during Open Mic Comedy nights on Mondays from 8 to 10 p.m. at the Station’s back bar, Dugan’s Hideaway.

WISCO GRUB & PUB
3015 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines
wiscogrubandpub.com 
Don’t be fooled by its humble exterior. This Packers-themed eatery serves a full menu of unique drool-worthy eats: Fried Pepperoni and Cottage Cheese, Cheeseland Fries, Mac n Cheesehead — oh my. Bring your Lactaid pills.

» EXPLORE MORE


THE CHICKEN COOP
  • 1325 S.W. Oralabor Road, Suite 212, Ankeny
  • 12725 Meredith Drive, Urbandale
  • 5906 Ashworth Road, West Des Moines

THE OTHER PLACE
  • 2010 S.E. Delaware Ave., Suite 260, Ankeny
  • 12401 University Ave., Clive

GAME DAY
  • 3800 Merle Hay Road, Suite 1220, Des Moines

GRUMPY GOAT TAVERN
  • 810 E. First St., Ankeny
  • 1303 Walnut St., Des Moines
  • 1300 50th St., West Des Moines
  • 6240 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines

TRUMAN’S PIZZA TAVERN
  • 400 S.E. Sixth St., Des Moines

WELLMAN’S PUB
  • 2920 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines
  • 592 Market St., West Des Moines