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What’s better than lounging on a patio with good food and a cold drink?
We’ve rounded up some of the best across the city, so grab your sunglasses and get ready to find your favorite warm-weather hangout.
Best beer garden patios
Peace Tree Brewing Co.
317 E. Court Ave., Des Moines
It’s common to see the dog-friendly lawn and patio at Peace Tree in the East Village dotted with colorful Adirondack chairs and yard games as soon as the weather is warm enough to allow for it. The taproom serves a rotating lineup of Peace Tree brews as well as guest brewery beers, Iowa-made kombuchas and wines, handcrafted root beer, beer cocktails and snacks.
Reservations: None required
Hours: 2 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; noon to 11 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday
Contact: 515-883-2739; peacetreebrewing.com
Confluence Brewing Co.
1235 Thomas Beck Road, Des Moines
Confluence doubled its beer garden and bicycle parking racks for the summer crowd last year. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis, and even if the outdoor bar isn’t serving, visitors are welcome to step out the back door and use the space. With easy access from Gray’s Lake and the Raccoon River bike trail, Confluence is a great stop for a cold beer on a walk with your dog (the patio and beer garden are dog-friendly for leashed companions, while the taproom is not).
Reservations: None required
Hours: 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; noon to 10 p.m. Thursday; noon to 11 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Contact: 515-285-9005; confluencebrewing.com
Best patios for a cocktail
Coa Cantina
425 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines
Tequila bar Coa Cantina opened in November 2019 in the East Village with funky wall art, fun tequila cocktails and drink-rail seating for an additional 15 people. The patio is full service and dog-friendly, with a grassy area for your four-legged friend to stretch out.
Reservations: None required
Hours: 3 p.m. to midnight Monday through Wednesday; 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday and Friday; noon to 2 a.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. to midnight Sunday.
Contact: 515-280-3097; Facebook
Juniper Moon
2005 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines
Juniper Moon’s full-service patio is for the 21-plus crowd only and features lounge seating and firepit tables. The intimate, enclosed patio gives the space a cozy, secluded vibe. If you get the munchies mid-craft cocktail, step inside and call Gusto Pizza Co. (just across the driveway) via the direct line in the vintage phone booth. Pizza will be delivered to your patio table, and you only deal with one bill.
Reservations: First come, first served
Hours: 4 p.m. to midnight daily.
Contact: 515-369-7786; junipermoondm.com
More: What’s new in Des Moines dining? Try one of these 10 metro restaurants, bars and cafes
Patios with the best views of Des Moines
300 Craft & Rooftop
300 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Pkwy., Des Moines
From its perch, 300 Craft & Rooftop offers stunning southside views of downtown and a front-row seat to Friday night fireworks over Principal Park. With a full-service outdoor bar and lively music, 300 Craft & Rooftop’s 2,300-square-foot outdoor space combines the best of patio drinking and views.
Reservations: None required
Hours: 3 p.m. to midnight Monday through Tuesday; 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday through Friday; noon to 2 a.m. Saturday; noon to midnight Sunday.
Contact: 515-288-3414
The Republic on Grand
401 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines
The Republic on Grand’s swanky rooftop bar and patio in the East Village showcases a different angle of downtown. Two separate covered patio spaces on the south and west sides of the sixth-story bar are open rain or shine. The west side, with the best downtown view, features lounge seating and a fireplace for maximum mood-setting.
Reservations: Available Monday through Thursday
Hours: 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 2 to 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 to 9 p.m. Sunday
Contact: 515-518-6070; therepublicongrand.com
Best patios for fine dining
Aposto
644 18th St., Des Moines
Aposto, located in the historic Scala House in Sherman Hill, offers open-air patio dining on its wrap-around porch and in the front yard. Enjoy regularly rotating seasonal menu items like hand-cut linguine tossed with red pepper pesto and seared scallops, wild mushroom risotto with an asparagus puree and house-made ice cream.
Reservations: Call ahead to request patio seating and Aposto will do its best to accommodate you.
Hours: 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday
Contact: 515-244-1353; apostodm.com
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Best outdoor patio ambiance
Secret Admirer
110 S.W. Fifth St., Des Moines
With a covered patio and colorful seating, Secret Admirer’s dog-friendly patio is gearing up for warmer weather. The menu includes spirit-free, low alcohol and standard cocktails as well as beer and wine. In the summer months, Secret Admirer serves boozy sno cones, and starting May 7, it will be open for brunch during the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market.
Reservations: Not required
Hours: 4 p.m. to midnight Tuesday through Thursday; 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday; 2 p.m.to1 a.m. Saturday; 2 to 9 p.m. Sunday
Contact: secretadmirerdsm.com
The Bartender’s Handshake
3615 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines
The patio at The Bartender’s Handshake could be mistaken for a friend’s backyard, which gives it a level of coziness unmatched across the city. The scrappy furniture (collected from yard sales and continuously replaced), bright-green painted concrete “lawn” and personal firepits are undeniably charming. Drinks are served rain or shine in a hodge-podge collection of vintage glassware on this partially covered patio. Ask about roasting your own s’mores.
Reservations: None required
Hours: 2 p.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday; 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. to midnight Sunday.
Contact: 515-630-3008; thebartendershandshake.com
Best dog-friendly patios in Des Moines
Kinship Brewing Co.
255 N.W. Sunrise Drive, Waukee
With by far the dog-friendliest patio in town, Kinship Brewing Co. offers a lot for both its human and canine visitors. Complete with a half-acre off-leash dog park, Kinship encourages visitors to come for the pet playtime and stay for the craft beer and snacks from the Next of Kin kitchen. Keep an eye out for regular events like bingo and live music on the patio, which seats around 150.
More: Sprawling Kinship Brewing Company opens in Waukee
Reservations: None required
Hours: 4 to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 2 to 10 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday
Contact: kinshipbeer.com; Facebook
Best for the kids (or kids at heart)
Smash Park
6625 Coachlight Drive, West Des Moines
Smash Park boasts the largest patio in Des Moines, and it is chock-full of activities for a day of family fun or a game with friends. Visitors can order from the bar and beer shack on the patio, but snacks must be ordered inside. There is a little something for everyone, including pickleball courts, shuffleboard, bags, Connect 4 and live music every Friday night. Leashed dogs are welcome, and when you want to leave the kids at home, there is a 21-plus area complete with couches.
Reservations: None required, but encouraged for pickleball, bocce ball and shuffleboard
Hours: 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday
Contact: 515-313-0700; smashpark.com
Best patios to eat brunch
Mullets
1300 S.E. First St. No. 1253, Des Moines
Mullets is a Des Moines staple, and the two-story patio and additional outdoor dining space are open bright and early for a hearty brunch. It also is a great option for maintaining safe social distancing, with seating for 75 on the main and upstairs patios and 12 tables in the grassy lawn. In addition to popular classics and fun drinks like the bloody Mary flight, Mullets now offers vegan and gluten-free menus.
Reservations: None required
Hours: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Tuesday; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Thursday; 7 a.m.to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday
Contact: 515-244-1443; mulletsdm.com
Best stop on the bike trail
Flat Tire Lounge
304 S. Madison St., Madrid
Park that bicycle at Flat Tire Lounge off the High Trestle Trail for a popular Moscow mule on the patio. This casual patio, the first east of the trail’s iconic bridge over the Des Moines River, has become a destination for cyclists and walkers alike, and leashed dogs are welcome. Tables with umbrellas are well-spaced to cater to the hundreds of cyclists who pause at the Flat Tire patio each weekend.
Reservations: None required
Hours: 11 a.m.to 9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday; 11 a.m.to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday
Contact: 515-795-4174; Facebook
Best live music
Jasper Winery
2400 George Flagg Pkwy., Des Moines
Jasper Winery’s tasting room is encompassed in outdoor patio space, but on Thursdays throughout the summer, the party picks up with the free live music Summer Concert Series starting May 12, featuring favorite local performers like The Nadas, Pianopalooza Band and The Maytags. Bring your own chairs or blankets and a enjoy a socially distanced outdoor show with wine, beer and food available for purchase.
More: The Dew Tour returns to Des Moines’ Lauridsen Skatepark in July — with fewer restrictions
Reservation: None required
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday
Contact: 515-282-9463; jasperwinery.com
Best neighborhood patio
The Dam Pub
2710 Beaver Ave., Des Moines
The Dam Pub in Beaverdale has both lower and rooftop patios, with full service on each. A small and colorful tiki bar on the rooftop offers four draught beers and seating for eight in addition to six tables for larger parties. Specials include the Beaverdale Bucket, a tropical alcoholic drink for two, and make-your-own mimosa buckets. The lower patio is dog-friendly, and all outdoor spaces are open when weather permits.
Reservations: None required
Hours: Vary with the weather; typically 11 a.m. midnight Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, with patios closed at midnight.
Contact: 515-279-4449; dampubdsm.com
Best patio on the waterfront
Located next to the Birdland Park marina and right off a bike trail, Captain Roy’s dog-friendly patio is a great stop for a tallboy by the water. There’s also a full menu of bar-friendly food. With a riverside deck, live music and relaxed atmosphere, this patio is a great hangout for long summer nights.
More: Not just for tourists, Mulberry Street Tavern serves local Iowa fare with a global twist
Reservations: None required
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m.to 10 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Contact: 515-631-2223; captainroys.com
Most Instagrammable patios in Des Moines
Trellis Café
909 Robert D. Ray Drive, Des Moines
If you’re looking for the perfect lunchtime picture, look no further than the Trellis Café patio. Situated in the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden along the Riverwalk Trail, this patio has ample seating and a lot of gorgeous greenery. Chef Lisa Lavalle rotates the plant-inspired menu monthly, so there always are new, artfully plated and Instagram-worthy creations. Long-term plans for the garden include adding a separate entrance for the café, which currently must be accessed from the garden dome or the admission-only outdoor garden, and a second café on the Des Moines River.
Reservations: Available for parties of six or more
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday
Contact: 515-323-6288; trelliscafedsm.com
Elle Wignall covers dining for the Register. Reach her at ew[email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @ElleWignallDMR.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Best restaurant patios for food, drinks outdoor in Des Moines, Iowa
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