Who's on 1st — Restaurant in Ankeny

We decided to try this place on the 4th of July since many places were closed and choices were very limited. We had heard mixed reviews from friends, but decided to give it a try. We came in on the south side entrance, but you need to go to the north side entrance to be seated. That's sort of odd. Anyway, it wasn't very busy, just some people sitting in booths around the perimeter. Lots of high-top tables in the middle to sit at, and naturally they want to send you there. Both my wife, and I absolutely hate those. Fortunately they had a few normal tables near the entrance. My wife ordered tea, they were out but making some. About 5 minutes later, the waitresses said that they had just started making the tea. What? The menu isn't huge, which is nice. Typical offerings for a place like this. I got the pretzel sticks, and she got the tenderloin with fries. Both were very good. The fries are thin and very unique in appearance. If you're wondering, my wife finally got her tea halfway through eating. Prices aren't bad, overall. But for what they charge for a tiny tenderloin, nah! Anywhere else you go tenderloins run from big to insane. Lots of televisions (which nobody was watching) running just about the same thing. Why show podcasts without the sound? Not that anybody watches them. Typical, already overdone, with garage door openings out to the patio. It's a cookie cutter interior set up for a place like this. When it came time to pay, we didn't get left with a check, no, no. We got asked, "Are you ready to settle your tab?" We travel a lot, so we eat out a lot, and I've never experienced that anywhere, ever. Anyway, she just stands there and waits. We paid and just got out of there. If you want to eat here, just get it to go, or Dash it. The food is very good and great quality. As far as everything else goes, it's...

Great vibes, hard-working staff, but could use more support.

We arrived early to meet friends and grab a good spot for the live band—unfortunately, the rooftop was closed due to wind, so the band was squeezed into a small space on the main level. Total bummer, especially since the rooftop was a big part of the appeal.

Service: Our server, Jennifer, greeted us quickly and was clearly doing her best all night. She, her husband, and one other waitress were running nonstop trying to cover the floor. We waited quite a while between check-ins, but considering how packed the place was (Indiana Fever game, graduation parties, and live music), I can’t fault the effort—just the staffing levels. Same story at the bar: only one bartender for a crowd that size is just not enough. Message to management: your staff worked hard, but they needed more help.

Food: The kitchen crushed it. Our Brussels sprouts appetizer came out fast and was flavorful and perfectly cooked. My jalapeño burger (the one with the long name!) was excellent, and the $4 onion rings—though a bit overpriced as a side—were seriously the crispiest I’ve ever had. Kim’s wrap, unfortunately, was a letdown—mostly lettuce, not much flavor, and not worth the $14 price tag. Our friends enjoyed their meals, and we all shared a bread pudding dessert. It was decent, but could’ve used a sauce or topping to take it to the next level.

Value: Our total for 1 app, 2 meals, and 4 drinks was just over $100 plus tip. That’s becoming the norm in Des Moines lately, but still felt a little high for what we got.

Final Thought: Would I go back? Yes—but probably for happy hour to get a little more value. The staff worked hard, the food was mostly great, but the experience would benefit from better staffing during...

Needless to say, I am fed up with this restaurant. We have been here a handful of times since it changed ownership. It's never been terrible but there has always been something lacking. This last time we went for supper and we ordered a burger (with no sauce or cheese) and wings. The wings got done quite a bit ahead of time and sat under the warmers (we were sitting right next to the kitchen window so we could see everything). When my burger was done, they put sauce on it. This was no big deal. They just needed to fire it again. That look so long that my husband finished his entire plate of wings and a beer before we even heard word about my burger. Finally, at least 20 more minutes later they were pulling my burger and I just asked for it to go. Thank goodness I checked it before we left because the only gave me one and a half patties instead of two and they didn't give me any of the other toppings. Just patties and a bun. When I asked to speak to someone to see if I could get it fixed, I was met with even more frustration with the staff. I do want to mention that they had comped my meal, but after eating a warm salad and getting a fraction of my main course i feel like I wasn't in the wrong for asking for it to be fixed. In the end I just asked for pickles and went home because I had to get home to make myself a real meal. Definitely frustrating given that I wasted time to eat a meal with my family and had to sit there while they ate and I still have to go home and make my own food. One last comment, my server was very nice and she did her best to mend the situation. It was definitely a problem with the kitchen for...