The High Life Lounge — Restaurant in Des Moines

Customer service here is not the best! I'm from out of town and I've visited this place 3 times in a week. Two days back to back.. the first visit was great! Food was good. Bartender very nice and helpful with me choosing the right beer for me. The waitress was very nice, and attentive. This was on a very busy evening. The waitress that evening was tipped approx 30% of a tab for 3 adult men with drinks, appetizers and food orders.

My second visit, on a relatively normal evening.. I sat down on the lower outdoor sitting area. After waiting about 10 min I was approached by a waitress who before speaking asked if I had a mask as she stood at a distance from the table. She repeated a few times while seeing absolute confusion on my face and stated it was mandatory. At this point there was not a single person wearing a mask sitting on the patio. I then went inside, found another waitress who was very helpful and kind! I ordered the chicken nachos (very good)! The waitress was tipped $5 on a $9 check.

My third visit (today), I sat in the same area outside. Of 8-10 tables only 3 were taken. I crossed paths with one waitress as I was attempting to decide which table I wanted to sit at, who told me I could sit anywhere. I then asked if there were in lunch specials to which she replied, yeah on the board. There's board outside and there's no board that I remembered seeing inside. She then added, "I'm not trying to be rude, I have checked the board myself." That's fair. I followed her inside to see the board for myself, and to her shock, there was no board for me to check out. She then found out the specials at which time I decided to order the all you can eat fish. She told me she'd tell the other waitress. Again, fair.

I walked outside, and found a table as instructed by her to do so. I then waiting again for approx 10 min with no one approaching, at which point she walked up and stated she'd go ahead and tell the other waitress what I wanted and get me started. At that time the waitress walked up, did not speak, sat a drink on the very dirty table and walked away. More time passes she never comes back and the first waitress comes back and wipes the table down saying she noticed before how dirty it was and really wanted to wipe it down. I thanked her. Several minutes later she appears with my order. By this time I've seen the other waitress addressing her one other table and just going back and forth. Making no effort to approach me. Randomly while I was eating with my cup still about 1/2 - 3/4 full, she randomly grabs it and says she's going to get me water. The other waitress had a pitcher of water she used to refill cups with. Now I'm sitting there with this fried food for several minutes without anything to drink. After eating my meal, she quickly brings the check and within 3 min returned to the table to take the payment. The waitress was tip $0.86 on a $9.

I mention the tips only to show, when you give bad service you get bad tips.

When you have a horrible customer service experience, it makes you appreciate the food much less.

I can't take away from the kitchen staff and the quality of food at this place. I simply hate that I had such horrible experiences. I had hope that it would get better and didn't want to label it based on...

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...

If you were not alive in the the 1970's and wondered what is was like. You can get a taste at the High Life. Almost everybody in the 70s had a bar in her basement or what they call a man cave today with the old beer signs the Hamns cans the Olympia, Schlitz, Grainbelt, Blatz and good old Falstaff it's all here. And there's a beer signs it posters that pretty much represents each one of those Brews. There's even a phone booth. If you've never seen a phone booth, it's right at the entryway into the next bar to the West. They also have the great comfort food of the 70's. Everything on the menu is good it's just making a decision is the hard part. Do yourself a favor and definitely get the tater tots you'll see why, just get them. I only gave it four out of five stars because you leave smelling like my Grandma's Kitchen. You remember, back when they fried everything in grease (and normally bacon grease)I believe the ventilation system could be a little better but who knows maybe that's the effect they were trying for. I recommended the High Life for it's great food, great staff, and fast friendly service. Definitely one of Des...