The Iowa Taproom — Restaurant in Des Moines

I came for the meatloaf, but had some much more! Started with the IOWA HAM BALLS, AMAZING! crunch balls of peel with a sweet glaze and the grilled pineapple was the touch over the top to make this starter really pop. The FRIED CHEESE CURDS were just ok. Why can’t any restaurant make the same type of curds that you get at the state fair?

On to the meatloaf! “Grilled artisan meatloaf with Bourbon BBQ sauce, crispy onions and cheddar on thick cut white bread.” Not sure of I just inhaled the white bread under the loaf or of it was missing from my dish but I had no idea it was even there. I must of lost it in the mash potatoes (with the skins in, yum!). Steamed broccoli was just what it is a classic very to push that meat to the end of the finish-line, if you know what I mean. Also the bbq sauce on this loaf was perfect! Not too sweet and not over powering so that the taste of the meatloaf masked.

FYI: I split this entree with a friend and they pre split both meals on separate plates that just made the presentation and the experience so great, thanks staff!

Second entree the “10 oz. pan seared pork chop topped with whiskey gravy and mushrooms. Served with Yukon Gold smashed potatoes and sautéed corn and peppers.” Wow just wow! This was so good. If you grew up with snowy winters you will know why a cast iron pan fried pork chop is so dam comforting! It’s just hüga. The sauce has the mushroom funk that makes it taste off the farm “so fresh and so clean clean”!

Off this was not enough we tried the home made bread pudding, why I don’t know but I could not resist. It was amazing, dense with moist layered slices with a scope of vanilla ice cream, you got to have the ice cream! I almost asked them to add a scope (heard the dessert menu from the waiter and that was not mentioned) no problem just thought there was no way I should ask for more calories but no ice cream with bread pudding is like a kitchen with no cook, just not possible. So, I was so glad to have a melty scope in between my...

Had our wedding here. The venue was beautiful, the food was TERRIFIC, and everyone had a great night.

The downsides: There is no room for the wedding party to get ready in/chill in (we knew this before, I would just want any couple thinking about booking here to know) They charged us for our entire round of shots after we had just tied the knot (not even a free one for the bride??) All the ladies need to have shoes on (so make sure you bring some flats or sandals to put on if you’re wearing heels for the ceremony) They will start making your guests drink water in front of them regardless of how well behaved they are being ( I was expecting at least one to be belligerent drunk, but we got lucky. Regardless, it rubbed me the wrong way when there is a food and beverage minimum we had to meet and they are turning people away. And I also understand I am obviously biased as to what could be classified as “raucous” behavior by my people) Also forced me to send one of my groomsman back upstairs to find my ID so I could have a shot right after my ceremony (understandable, but just annoying when paired with the fact my bride didn’t get a single free drink the entire night)

I know some of these just sound whiny and a little entitled, but we did spend a fairly large chunk of money for the opportunity to have our wedding here, and I know others are going to do the same. So I figured I would just list some of the things from the venue specifically that unfortunately threw some annoyances into our otherwise perfect day. Again, the food, the venue itself, are both amazing and I don’t regret getting married here in the slightest. Just some inside perspective before you book. All in all, I would...

My now-husband and I were over-the-moon impressed with our wedding reception/dinner at the Iowa Taproom in the Marquette room. Their phenomenal team (kudos x 1,000,000 to you, Melanie!) made the planning process painless, seamless, and stress-free! Very organized and responsive to my (many!) dumb questions — we are incredibly grateful for their patience and help! The venue was extremely elegant, rustic, homey, and magical with its many fairy lights and exposed wood and brick. They went above and beyond to make our special, memorable, and welcome. Our guests were also so impressed — especially our friends who appreciated that we hosted our event at a brewery! Our experience was exceptional — especially with the stress of the pandemic looming over planning for our big day — and we would recommend this event space to others in a heartbeat. (But the venue is popular so a word of advice: Book ASAP to lock in your date if interested!) Last but not, look at this last-call sneaky polaroid that ended up in our guestbook wishing us congrats! From the bottom of our hearts with the utmost gratitude, THANK YOU for making our wedding day so special and one of the happiest days of our lives. We just can't stop saying how wonderful and memorable and over our wildest...