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DSM Area Restaurants Closing

StormHawk42

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Nov 3, 2009
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The Register reported that 7 Ankeny restaurants closed in the last few weeks. The big new Tavern restaurant at Jordan Creek has already closed in less than a year. I know downtown restaurants are still taking a beating.

I say good. We have way too many mediocre restaurants in this town that charge too much. There needs to be a thinning of the herd.
 
The other night we had a meal at “The Parlor” in Beaverdale. It’s the old “Gin Mill/Michael’s”…
It features “Detroit Style pizza” and several Italian inspired sandwiches. Lots of beer varieties too. We were impressed favorable. Helpful staff…Got out of there for less than $50….pizza, sandwich/fries and beer and coke…we will probably do it again.
Not a bad $$ in today’s world.
 
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The other night we had a meal at “The Parlor” in Beaverdale. It’s the old “Gin Mill/Michael’s”…
It features “Detroit Style pizza” and several Italian inspired sandwiches. Lots of beer varieties too. We were impressed favorable. Helpful staff…Got out of there for less than $50….pizza, sandwich/fries and beer and coke…we will probably do it again.
Not a bad $$ in today’s world.
That place is underrated. The pizza is awesome.
 
Per DMR,

El Azteca
Club Car (new location)
Luddy’s Tavern
Tacos & Tequila
Whiskey House
Georgio’s
Big Al’s BBQ



Kinship in Waukee went under last year. 1717 in East Village closed a couple years ago. I’m guessing Twisted Vine doesn’t make it much longer.
Of those, we had been to Club Car and Whiskey House. I knew instantly that Cub Car wouldn't make it. Mediocre food, weird layout, interior was kind of tacky, and kind of out of the way.

Whiskey House was also mediocre, but had a great location in Prairie Trail. Just couldn't compete with the likes of 30 hop I guess.

I had heard of, but never been to Big Al's, Georgio's, and El Azteca.

I had never even heard of Luddy's or Tacos & Tequila.*

*edited to note I had been to El Azteca, and it was the most ordinary plain vanilla mexican I can imagine. I also had been to physical space which is Tacos & Tequila when it was Los Charros, which we liked okay. Our new favoriate mexican place in Ankeny is Hidalgo, which we quite like.
 
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Per DMR,

El Azteca
Club Car (new location)
Luddy’s Tavern
Tacos & Tequila
Whiskey House
Georgio’s
Big Al’s BBQ



Kinship in Waukee went under last year. 1717 in East Village closed a couple years ago. I’m guessing Twisted Vine doesn’t make it much longer.
Damn. We used to go to Al Azteca alot back in the day. Club Car just opened not that long ago, but it's in a shitty location IMO. I didn't even know it was there for the longest time.
 
Per DMR,

El Azteca
Club Car (new location)
Luddy’s Tavern
Tacos & Tequila
Whiskey House
Georgio’s
Big Al’s BBQ



Kinship in Waukee went under last year. 1717 in East Village closed a couple years ago. I’m guessing Twisted Vine doesn’t make it much longer.
Kinship had some other issues. Mainly the owner telling his staff he was paying for thier insurance only to have a lady find out he hadn't been paying when she went in for cancer treatment.
 
That is deplorable. Absolutely deplorable, and possibly criminal.
Couldn't even imagine what that would feel like. Cancer fing sucks on its own, then you find out you aren't covered. Those are the GoFundMes I gave no issue throwing money at, we all know the owner will find a way out of paying, and he should be 100% responsible for every dime.
 
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So you expect reducing the supply of restaurants to lower prices?
Didn’t say that. Just that if you’re gonna charge $20/person, there’s only so many restaurants that can actually make it worth that.

At some point (maybe it’s right now), there will be a cascade of restaurant closures because people just can’t afford those kinds of prices for a family night out.
 
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The Register reported that 7 Ankeny restaurants closed in the last few weeks. The big new Tavern restaurant at Jordan Creek has already closed in less than a year. I know downtown restaurants are still taking a beating.

I say good. We have way too many mediocre restaurants in this town that charge too much. There needs to be a thinning of the herd.

All B-Bops still open? If so, all is fine.
 
Per DMR,

El Azteca
Club Car (new location)
Luddy’s Tavern
Tacos & Tequila
Whiskey House
Georgio’s
Big Al’s BBQ



Kinship in Waukee went under last year. 1717 in East Village closed a couple years ago. I’m guessing Twisted Vine doesn’t make it much longer.
Kinship was a great venue. That jumbo ton outside for football was nice. First time I was there they had wood fired pizza which was awesome. Next time all they had was hamburgers.

It’s really too far out to attract enough bikers IMO. I think as Waukee gets bigger it will likely become a better spot. Probably needed more indoor seating for the winter, odd construction IMO. The dog park also would have been a draw.

It’s ridiculous the bank loaned them $6.5 million dollars. What kind of college degree do you need to approve for loans that stupid?

Somebody will buy the place for 1/2 what it cost to build and knows what they are doing and probably do well. I could easily see it as a smaller wedding venue type thing.

Reddit has a massive thread on it, the beer snobs all said the beer was shit.
 
Kinship was a great venue. That jumbo ton outside for football was nice. First time I was there they had wood fired pizza which was awesome. Next time all they had was hamburgers.

It’s really too far out to attract enough bikers IMO. I think as Waukee gets bigger it will likely become a better spot. Probably needed more indoor seating for the winter, odd construction IMO. The dog park also would have been a draw.

It’s ridiculous the bank loaned them $6.5 million dollars. What kind of college degree do you need to approve for loans that stupid?

Somebody will buy the place for 1/2 what it cost to build and knows what they are doing and probably do well. I could easily see it as a smaller wedding venue type thing.

Reddit has a massive thread on it, the beer snobs all said the beer was shit.
How do you have shitty beer? I am truly puzzled? Didn't clean the lines? What?
 
Kinship was a great venue. That jumbo ton outside for football was nice. First time I was there they had wood fired pizza which was awesome. Next time all they had was hamburgers.

It’s really too far out to attract enough bikers IMO. I think as Waukee gets bigger it will likely become a better spot. Probably needed more indoor seating for the winter, odd construction IMO. The dog park also would have been a draw.

It’s ridiculous the bank loaned them $6.5 million dollars. What kind of college degree do you need to approve for loans that stupid?

Somebody will buy the place for 1/2 what it cost to build and knows what they are doing and probably do well. I could easily see it as a smaller wedding venue type thing.

Reddit has a massive thread on it, the beer snobs all said the beer was shit.
And no one knows beer better than a Dallas County beer snob!
At least when they are drinkin’ , they ain’t driving their cars!
 
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How do you have shitty beer? I am truly puzzled? Didn't clean the lines? What?
No idea. The beer snobs all said it wasn’t good on Reddit. I think craft beer is all about the same or at least not usually memorable after you try a few dozen.
 
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No idea. The beer snobs all said it wasn’t good on Reddit. I think craft beer is all about the same or at least not usually memorable after you try a few dozen.
Well if it's Reddit, then obviously it's the truth <sarcasm> The worst ice cold beer is still pretty great outside on a 90 degree day.
 
Of those, we had been to Club Car and Whiskey House. I knew instantly that Cub Car wouldn't make it. Mediocre food, weird layout, interior was kind of tacky, and kind of out of the way.

Whiskey House was also mediocre, but had a great location in Prairie Trail. Just couldn't compete with the likes of 30 hop I guess.

I had heard of, but never been to Big Al's, Georgio's, and El Azteca.

I had never even heard of Luddy's or Tacos & Tequila.*

*edited to note I had been to El Azteca, and it was the most ordinary plain vanilla mexican I can imagine. I also had been to physical space which is Tacos & Tequila when it was Los Charros, which we liked okay. Our new favoriate mexican place in Ankeny is Hidalgo, which we quite like.
Club Car bad location terrible layout. Big Al’s was really good but you’d never know it was there. Luddys had okay food and those Mexican restaurants are like every Iowa Mexican restaurant.
 
No idea. The beer snobs all said it wasn’t good on Reddit. I think craft beer is all about the same or at least not usually memorable after you try a few dozen.
Hot take: craft IPAs are all garbage. Craft pilsners are apparently impossible to make. Craft general lagers are decent. If a local place could replicate something like a Peroni, I would be all in.
 
How do you have shitty beer? I am truly puzzled? Didn't clean the lines? What?
I would imagine they had inferior recipes, ingredients, and brewing practices. If you are talking about shitty mass produced beer that everyone knows what should taste like, I agree, it is hard to make that taste not like it is supposed to.
 
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The Register reported that 7 Ankeny restaurants closed in the last few weeks. The big new Tavern restaurant at Jordan Creek has already closed in less than a year. I know downtown restaurants are still taking a beating.

I say good. We have way too many mediocre restaurants in this town that charge too much. There needs to be a thinning of the herd.

With the outrageous costs it's about time that the consumer is pulling back.
 
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I would imagine they had inferior recipes, ingredients, and brewing practices. If you are talking about shitty mass produced beer that everyone knows what should taste like, I agree, it is hard to make that not like it is supposed to.
Viva “shitty mass produced beer”!
Those folks in Golden and Milwaukee do it well enough for me! Their QC is perfect!
Cheap beers and cheap bourbon (and cheap cigars) have given my life greater depth and quality! I struggle hard to pay for my “cheap” life’s pleasures!
 
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Viva “shitty mass produced beer”!
Those folks in Golden and Milwaukee do it well enough for me! Their QC is perfect!
Cheap beers and cheap bourbon (and cheap cigars) have given my life greater depth and quality! I struggle hard to pay for my “cheap” life’s pleasures!
Well, I didn't say I don't drink shitty mass produced beer. The precision of their execution is immaculate, and they taste great ice cold on a hot day. There is a time and place for everything.
 
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I used to like Pseudo Sue. Now, to me, it is bitter and way way way too much hops. Blech.
Comedy Central Reaction GIF

I could not agree more. It is like drinking a pine tree.
 
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