Restaurants near State Historical Museum of Iowa

We had a wonderful meal for our anniversary. I had the gnocchi and beet salad. Fabulous! My husband had beef stroganoff and said it was great. Excellent wine selection and happy hour drinks. Our server Ash was attentive and very pleasant. So was the bartender. Great service!

Martinis are wonderful and the vibes are immaculate.

801 Chophouse was one of our best steak experiences. My Dad and I went together to celebrate Father's Day and my Dad ordered the Prime Rib and had it grilled at the end to seal in the juices and he said it was one of the best prime ribs he has ever had in 82 years.

I wanted to see what Mexican food would be like in Iowa, and was not disappointed! Bar Nico is a cute place, with a beachy, SoCal vibe. The servers are nice, friendly, and efficient. I had the white Sangria, which tasted more like a margarita, but had a pleasant sourness, and I chose the Queso Fundido and Shrimp Tacos for my meal. The Queso Fundido was made from what seems like goat cheese, which was odd to me, as I’m used to it being a stringy, queso Oaxaca or similar cheese. So, it was unexpected, but tasty! Served with a mountain of well-seasoned chips, it might’ve benefited from a tangy salsa on top, but was still super yummy. The tacos came with a pico de gallo that had cucumbers (I’m allergic) and had to be sent back, then with bell peppers (I’m also allergic!) and sent back AGAIN. I felt AWFUL, but these ingredients weren’t listed on the description, so I had no way of knowing. Cucumber isn’t common in pico. The server was VERY understanding, and it was appreciated! The tortillas had a nice corn flavor, and the sauces were tasty, but the shrimp had an off flavor. I guess I’m spoiled by having tons of fresh seafood where I live, but I didn’t want to keep eating just in case I ended up on my plane later with a “situation.” I’m sure they were perfectly fine, but I wanted to be extra cautious. Overall, even though it wasn’t what I expected, I was very happy with Bar Nico, and would gladly go back if I were in Des Moines!

My husband and I live out of state but are originally from Iowa. When we are back in Iowa we always make a point to eat at Hoq. The food quality, attention to detail, staff, and ambience is top notch. We are quick to recommend Hoq to everyone.