The Bartender's Handshake — Restaurant in Des Moines

Four of us stopped by on bicycles this afternoon. I’d been here once before and had a very mediocre experience, but really try to support Ingersoll area businesses and the building owner who I really like. We rolled up and asked for four of whatever they’d recommend (easy to please). We waited for 20 Minutes and eventually were brought out several bottles of unmixed something, to make something That cost $77. We were told there was enough to make 8 drinks. So, our fault for realizing it wasn’t coming out as a mixed drink, we should have went to the website. That said. Someone other than who took our order came out to tell us we can’t drink them there. Maybe cyclists have earned a bad reputation, but after paying $77 for what we thought was 4 drinks was a little obnoxious. I really hope this was an...

My friends have been raving about this place for several months. I finally went and I am very glad I did. There are indoor and outdoor seating. The vibe is very relaxed and yet intimate with the lighting and ambience. Servers made several rounds which I always appreciate. I had the Karate Kick (not kid, because there is a non alcoholic version) and the aperol spritz. Food wise, I ordered the hummus and the miso butter rice. The hummus tasted as if the cook used a mortar and pestle to make it in the back. There are many good bars in the area. But if you are looking for an intimate and unassuming place with a variety of great drinks, check Bartender's Handshake out. 🤙

Construction has made access difficult. Check the website out regarding directions as 37th street from Ingersoll was closed...

So here’s the deal: I wanted to love this place, and there were aspects I really liked; but also some parts that I didn’t.

On the plus side, it’s a hip little spot with a great cocktail list. All of the drinks our group tried were tasty. It was quite busy when we got there but we managed to grab a few spots at the end of the bar. I had read and heard about people doing the “we’ll take it from here” option where they ask you a couple of questions and craft a cocktail for you based on your answers. The reply I got was “I normally only like to do that after you’ve had a drink already”, which we found odd. Whether it’s true or not, the perception was that he was just too busy to...