Flix Brewhouse Des Moines
3800 Merle Hay Rd,Ste 1300, Des Moines, IA, 50310
Flix Brewhouse Des Moines Menu
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Address :
3800 Merle Hay Rd,Ste 1300
Des Moines, IA, 50310 - Phone (515) 612-9200
- Website https://www.flixbrewhouse.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :10:00 am - 10
- Mon : 10:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Parking : Garage
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
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Amy S.
Flix is a fun change of pace to any other movie theater. Dinner and a movie: one and done. Here are my takeaways: -The movie tickets themselves are a little pricey. But Jordan Creek is too. -Order your tickets ahead of time online to reserve your seats! You choose exactly where you'll sit during this process. -The food is pretty good (it's not 5 star, but that shouldn't be expected). -The servers do a great job of "stealthing" around the theater. With that said, I wouldn't see a serious movie here. IMO, it's great for a comedy, kids movie, or something light...you will be distracted by the servers, eating, and other guests (everyone knows that food fuels conversation...and there will be conversations happening around you during the movie). -Food and beverage prices are average. -Arrive early to grab a drink at the bar and take into the theater. And get seated in the theater early to order your food, otherwise you'll get your food at the end of the movie (at least in my experience...that may not happen all the time). Check it out!
(4)Bill L.
Is it all hype or is it the real deal? It's the real deal! The completion of the world's first and only movie theater with a functioning microbrewery! Now, if you don't know what Flix Brewhouse is all about, let me give you a quick rundown of how things work. You can opt to not watch any movie and just sit at the bar or table and just drink and eat like a regular restaurant. If you want the whole movie experience, purchase your ticket at the front and head on in to the theater (It would be best to show up at least 20 minutes before your movie starts). When you purchase your ticket at the front, you also choose which seat you want in the theater. This was kinda difficult because you are just shown a seating chart with available seats and you aren't really sure what the view from the seat looks like, fortunately we got awesome seats (lucky). The seats are very comfortable and spacious, there is a slide-out table/counter in front of you for your food and drinks. (The quality of the seats and table is very good, you need to see pictures/go there yourself to see). There is a menu and beer list on each table. About 20 minutes prior to the start of the movie, servers enter the theater and introduce themselves and go seat to seat to take your order. They will explain how everything works if it's your first time or you're unsure. They take your order and bring your food out when it's done, simple. About 45 minutes before the end of the movie, they will bring out your check and place it on your table. They come by in a few minutes to pick up your checks to process them. A few minutes later they return with your credit card/change and that's it! Each seat has a call button that if you press, the servers will come into the theater and see what you need whether if it's more food or drinks. If you call them during the movie, they have a notepad at each table where you write down your order or what you need and they will take care of it for you. Overall, the whole process went very smooth and I didn't encounter any issues, it was fun watching a movie and eating brunch at the same time. We had the breakfast pizza and biscuits and gravy because it was weekend brunch, even though we could have ordered off the full menu, we wanted to try the brunch items. The pizza was very good, it says enough for 2, eh, I guess if you were just having a snack, but this was my lunch so one was just right for me. The biscuits and gravy could have been much better, it comes with eggs which were good, the sausage gravy (Extra 50 cents) was very good, the biscuits...very dry... Overall, I am excited to return and try their full menu items and come for dinner so I can try out their beers as well!
(5)Jewel P.
Went to Flix Brewhouse Des Moines for some prechristmas celebrating and the service, the food, movie quality...all amazing. They ask you arrive your movie 30 minutes early and the preshow they had for our movie was the coolest thing ever. We went to see the latest installment of The Hobbit, so the preshow was all this show clips from Robot Chicken, The Simpson, etc etc relating to the movie. I just thought it was super clever and entertaining. I had a Rosemary chicken and potato pizza, which was good and the husband had a pulled pork sandwich, also pretty darn tasty. As for brew I tried the Luna Rosa, one of their own brews and its basically a party of flavor in your mouth. If you get a chance to go, try one of their beers, you won't regret it!
(5)Hil H.
I went to see Trainwreck at this location. It was me and my friends and one other person in the theater. My husband and I asked for a sample of a pear drink, it came several minutes later and wasn't the greatest so we ordered a margarita. That was the worst margarita I've ever had in my entire life, and I could not finish it. We also ordered a couple apps; the mozzarella sticks came out cold and they were expensive. I asked for a water and never received it. This food/theater deal is exactly the same as any other; ordering the food and drinks aren't worth the extra cost.
(2)John S.
Went for the first time last night and saw Trainwreck. Theatre is very clean and nice, but that should be expected since its new. We ordered two Pepsi's and an appetizer when we were seated. We were told by the waiter that our dinners would be approximately 35 to 40 minutes. 10 minutes later out comes the appetizer less then one minute later followed by the dinner. We then waited another 20 minutes for our original two drinks. The couple in front of us talked through the whole movie as atleast 5 different servers walked pass and said nothing. There are plenty of places to go to see a movie and we'll just choose to have a nice dinner beforehand. Almost forgot to mention.... The food is basically frozen section grocery store food heated up and served to you in the dark. This is a nice place for a high school/college age date night... Other then that I would avoid. To answer your reply..... Maybe you didn't catch the whole it took 20 minutes to get 2 drinks that we ordered when we were seated... That's 20 minutes after our appetizer and dinner were served... For Pepsi... Not mixed drinks or beer.... Or maybe you missed the part about the people talking that at a minimum 5 of your employees walked past and said nothing to...I can understand from your lack of comprehension to my post where your employees get their training. And as for you "pulling back the curtain" please save your cut and paste reply. I spoke to a former "cook" of Flix and if you consider reheating fish and warming premade tortillas cooking from scratch then you should just not reply to honest posts and keep going with your piss-poor business model.
(1)Brian W.
Great place to see a movie and eat. I would suggest for a date! I loved the local beer- I told the amazing Aaron K. to surprise me and he brought me the one of the lighter ones. Yum. The other staff was very polite and the theatre was impeccablely clean. The chicken quesadilla was great. It was a little tricky to find. I have been to the mall but my GPS was confused. I suggest just parking at the mall and remembering where you parked. I went with a group- I would suggest for an activity or corporate events as well.
(4)Christine L.
I think we hit this place at the perfect time because despite my concerns based on other reviews, we had a FABULOUS time. We saw Minions on an oppressively hot Saturday and the theater was mostly empty. That was probably our greatest win. We ordered tickets online ahead of the show, walked right up to the bar to order an initial round of beers, and walked in to the theater at our proper cue time. The theater was comfortable with plenty of aisle room for walking around other guests. We were on the accessible aisle in office chairs rather than stationary recliners but enjoyed the flexibility of that experience. Minus only one star because the food was pricey for what you get. The same pickle chips elsewhere would be twice the size for the same cost. Similarly the fish wrap was just blah and small for the order. That said, it IS a movie theater. The prices otherwise are so very reasonable and we had a great time. Give it a shot on a movie that has been out a few days and on a day/night that's likely to be less crowded. It's worth the experience.
(4)Celeste B.
Flix has a great business model. Movies, food, drinks and comfortable, amazing theaters. I'm starting my review at 3 stars because there are some things they get right, and other things they definitely need to work on. First off, they have a killer beer selection. My friend and I chose the Luna Rosa Wit, which was really smooth and perfect for summer. It had coriander and blood orange undertones. It made me excited to come back and try more of their in house brews. Our server was very friendly, and as attentive as we needed her to be. I wish I would have gotten bar napkins for my glass, as the condensation from my glass made my table really wet. When we asked for recommendations for food, she told us that no one had anything negative to say about the food. So, game on? Not so much. I ordered the fish burrito, which by the description sounded like a fish taco with fried fish, cabbage slaw and a baja sauce. When it came out, the tortilla tasted like it had been sitting out, as it was hard. If there was sauce in the burrito, I missed it. The fish had a good flavor, but I was so distracted by the dryness of it all. I ended up putting some of the really tasty black beans that came as a side on top of my burrito to liven it up. Thankfully, I had my delicious beer to wash it down. My friend had chicken strips and fries, which she said were fine, but she didn't get the gravy she was supposed to get. The theater was cozy. The leather seats were comfortable and the tables were far enough away where they weren't distracting or in the way when I didn't need it. I also really liked the scenes of other movies they played before our movie started. I will definitely be back. I may spend more time looking over the menu and asking questions. I hope small issues are worked out, because this place could be incredible!!!
(3)Heidi H.
Why. Why. Why. Why does Minneapolis not have this wonderful combination of brewery, restaurant and movie theater? We had girls night here. Left the little darlings behind to enjoy a glass of wine and an art house film. LIES LIES LIES ALL LIES!! We showed up in the afternoon for delicious beer and Magic Mike XXL. Oh it's true and every moment was a treat. You order prior to the movie, food, beer etc. And then you push a little button and a server will quietly come around to you to pick up your written order during the movie. We were given lots of little samples of beers. I had a chocolate stout, a wheat, a sour, a belgium maybe? I was not impressed with the beer. The sour literally tasted like drinking cheese...or vomit. The chocolate was too sweet. My brother in law mentioned that he thought Flix should wittle down their list and really expertly craft those beers instead of having an extensive list of mediocre brews and I agree completely. I ended up happily drinking a non house beer. I'd recommend asking for samples. I believe the server said he could give us up to 3 free. The food was surprisingly good. Pizza, fried pickles, hummus all fresh and tasty. I expected bad bar food and got deliciousness. The theater itself was great. Little trays that pull up, comfortable seats. Really fun. Service was friendly and competent. I loved this place. One of the highlights of my trip to Des Moines. (Channing Tatum without a shirt didn't hurt either.) ;)
(4)Nam K.
We tried this place again. I was hoping for drink special on Tuesdays. I was wrong. No more $2 core brews. I wish I would've checked before we left. It wasn't packed at the bar area, but they did not clean up the bar at all. Dirty dishes and silverware lined up around us. Wow. The manager was there too. He walked by several times and nothing happened. The beers aren't bad. Didn't try the food this time. One of these days we'll hit the theater.
(3)Nupur C.
What a gem in Meryl Hay Mall! When you walk into the mall through the parking lot, Flix doesn't look like much. It it not until you go up the escalators where you see a full bar and theaters showing current movies. You can either buy tickets and pick your own seating or someone can assist you. It is important to find a specific seating so you can be served during the movie. You can grab a drink from the bar and sit at the tables while waiting for the movie or you can buy food and drinks while sitting in the theater. Once we were able to be seated, it was a very comfy and spacious. They also had pullout dining tables so you can sit back and relax while enjoying the show. The waiter was nice and helpful when it came to describing the dining experience and the menu items. If you are worried about the waiters getting in the way of your viewing during the movie, have no fear there is enough space so they can walk around you and not block your site. All in all great experience! I will definitely come here again!!!
(5)Winston G.
Great place to take the kids on a rainy weekend. They loved it.
(5)Joshua G.
This place is sweet. It's like a classier, upgraded version of Billy Joe's Pitcher Show (long time locals should know where I'm talking about) the ticketing system is self serve and intuitive, you can pick where you want to sit. The actual seating process seems a bit unorganized as they use an intercom system to tell you which movie and which rows are seating, but we were seated promptly nonetheless. I had the meat lovers pizza and it was pretty darn good, a solid 8/10, better than anything I've had at papa johns for sure. They have a huge selection of beer, I didn't try any though. Service was prompt and friendly. The button system worked great. Zero complaints. The seats are leather and roomy and the armrests go up so you can cuddle with your significant other. The sound system is top notch 10/10. The screen has great resolution and clarity. Overall, I give Flix an enthusiastic 5 stars (which I hardly ever give) we will be back.
(5)Erin H.
We enjoyed our first experience at Flix. Aside from their own beers, the had a good local craft beer selection. Bbq chicken pizza was pretty good. Chicken fingers were ok. Server was very attentive and not distracting. We'll definitely be back.
(3)Clair M.
This theater is new, fun, comfortable, clean, has a full menu and bar! you can purchase your tickets online before the show to guarantee the seat you want and availability. I would definitely do this on a stereotypically busy night Friday, Saturday ect. I have been to the theater twice with two different friends. Once on a Sunday evening and once for a Monday matinee. It was great because we got right into the theater and got to choose great seats. I have been unimpressed with the customer service from the hostess booking our seats. She just seemed to not like her job and be slightly annoyed with us and was making small talk with coworkers. She was also complaining about how slow it was. Im giving flix a 3* just because it seems like they need to do little extra training for host staff. The serving and bar staff is great. I have a few friends who work at flix and they seem to really love there job. This movie brewery has great beer and all I've had was the chicken strips and French fries which were good but it didn't come with the gravy on the side like the menu stated it would. I was fine with just dipping my fries in the ketchup it came with. Just an FYI, I did have to ask for salt and pepper and I imagine because of the lack of space around the tray tables. The basket was good but nothing to right home about. My friend got the fish burrito and stated it was dry so she wouldn't get that again. Another reason this place is getting a 3* is for food. I will continue to try new things here since I wasn't so impressed with my first go at the food and I'll update my review the next time I eat here. I got a pitcher of beer and shared it with my friend it was very tasty. I believe we got the Luna rosa wit. The time before that I had the red ale and Scottish ale both very good! The seats were very comfortable and the tray tables came out for comfortable eating but there is a bit of absence of light at the table so be careful while you eat. My friend made a comment about how there wasn't any coaster or bar napkins for our drinks so there was moisture all over the table. I will definitely go back to flix again descent priced food, tickets and I like the atmosphere!
(3)Jason M.
My wife and I decided to try Flix-Brewhouse on our weekly date night. We had a really great time, and will definitely go again. It's was fairly priced, the food was much better than I expected, and it was very fun. We saw a 4:00pm show on Saturday. We were seated at about 3:35 and ordered our food at about 3:55. The food came out quickly (about 10 minutes). Ordering more food during the movie is convenient and surprisingly didn't cause much of a distraction. Plan on arriving at least 30 minutes before your showtime. I recommend that you buy your tickets in advance. The bar area outside of the theater was very comfortable and had plenty of wait staff / bartenders. There is a large selection of local and other micro-brews. Don't be afraid to ask for a sample or two - the bartenders are happy to provide them (for FREE). When your row is ready for seating, they put it up on the monitors. Place your order as soon as you can when you are seated, the wait staff seem to get busier closer to the movie's start time. We ordered the humus - it was actually awesome, and the fajita tacos (okay) and a veggie burger (actually quite good). The french fries that came with the burger were really good - I was pleasantly surprised. You don't get stuck watching endless movie trailers before the movie starts... The theater was playing a variety of Liam Niesen themed shorts (Sat Night Live skits, Family Guy, etc). It was worth coming early. I found the staff to be friendly and competent. You push a button in front of your seat that notifies them when you need something. The table in front of you retracts in and out which is convenient, and very comfortable. The menu is printed with white letters on black (which helps to read in the darker light). Pros / "The Good" - Food was a pleasant surprise - many great choices - The beer selection is great. Talk to the bartenders, they really knew their stuff. - Comfortable seats, the noise level was fine during the movie - Fun atmosphere, especially in a group situation - Fair price. We saw a matinee movie, ate an appetizer two beers, entrees and shared a dessert for $52 (food) and $15 (matinee tickets x 2). Cons / "The Bad" - It can get crowded at night, and then the service might suffer during busy times - Most of the menu is "bar food", even if it is cooked well and tastes yummy Tips / Lessons learned: - I recommend going to a late-afternoon show if you are flexible. It was much less crowded than the evening shows. - Don't sit in a row that has its back to the main aisle. You will be sitting in a (comfortable) office chair, but it has wheels and looked annoying. - The bathroom facilities are way too small for the theater. Both the men's room and the women's room had long lines when our movie let out.
(4)Monica S.
I'm being a bit gracious with a 3 star review, but let me explain... Let me try to put this in constructive criticism terms, because I WANT to like this place and there is a business model they are obviously following here (Alamo Drafthouse) that is extremely success at doing this, and does it well....I used to go there all the time when I lived in Austin, so lets follow their lead a little more closely to make the experience better for DSM...There are already a few things Flix does better, like the table set up and the button to get your server's attention. 1. Food orders need to come out timely and in order. As in....drinks first, while preshow is still happening, then appetizers, then meal. My first experiences here we didn't get anything until 20 minutes of the movie ending. Not kidding. My last experiences here we got appetizer and entree all at once. Maybe there are too many showings too close together to get the food out in an orderly fashion- I noticed with only about 15 minutes between different showings, and what? 30-40 people seated at each showing? Maybe more?? That is an insane task for any restaurant to keep up with. Also, food quality could really be bumped up a notch. I don't expect fine dining, but spinach dip was runny and the bbq pulled pork which the server said was the best there, was dry with very little actual bbq on it. 2. The "No Talking, No Texting, No cell phone" Warning needs to be given either twice OR right before the movie begins. I think this concept is too new for some in the midwest and they aren't getting that you're really NOT supposed to talk or have your phone out. Thankfully Flix's super customer service has followed through with the warnings when things have happened, but no one REALLY wants to do that, and have their experience interrupted in the first place by people being rude and talking. 3. This is more a matter of opinion but I think the pre-shows need to be a bit better, more creative....The ones I've seen so far just string long clips of older movies that are somewhat related to the movie that is about to play. Alamo always had really all of the wall stuff I had never seen, old film clips, somewhat relatable avenues taken to things you were' quite sure was going to be shown ( like old Jell-O commercials before a showing of Snowpiercer) . Stuff that really made you laugh and go OMG. If I'm going to get to the movie theater a half hour before the movie starts for a pre-show, I kinda want it to be worth my time and money as well. The customer service I need to emphasize has always been really fantastic at Flix! I can not fault them there one bit. I think they want to make this concept work, and are really trying hard to make it work here, and the servers we've had help us have been wonderful. BUT....and there is a big one...if we spend close to $100 for one evening there ( breaking it down: 2 tickets: $23, one pitcher of beer with tip: $27, 2 entrees and an appetizer with tip around $40= $90), I need to not worry when my food and drink is coming out, and that I won't have to worry about other people talking and being disruptive during the show (lets have that warning really get your attention!!!) I'm begging you Flix....I all but swore off going out to movies the last time I was there because I could not believe how much we spent on subpar service, food and a movie I could not concentrate on because the couple next to us could not shut up. Lets face it, it's cheaper to rent movies at home and I'm ok with having to wait a while to see the ones I want if it means I don't have to have a sucky experience.
(3)Gabrielle S.
I love the idea of this movie theater but I think I came in with too high of expectations for the food. I was told by other people that the food was amazing, but I didn't really have that experience. We had an order of the baked potato skins, my fiance had the chicken fried chicken with biscuits, and I had the June special "Clever Girl" Burger, as well as two desserts (ice cream sandwich and chocolate shake). Baked Potato Skins: I would give these a 1.5 out of 5. They were VERY dry and overall very underwhelming and flavorless. I would not order these again. Chicken Fried: My fiance said this was amazing, and the bites that I tried were really good. Clever Girl Burger: This was about a 3.5 out of 5. According to the menu, it was supposed to come with a side of cheese sauce, but it did not. The combination of items on the burger made for a good flavor, but the burger itself had very little taste. However, the fries were VERY good! Ice cream sandwich (with peanut butter cookies): Great. Chocolate Shake: This was really good, but it tasted like it was a chocolate shake due to copious amounts of chocolate syrup. Seriously, that;s almost all I could taste. I am of the thought that if you order a chocolate shake, it should be made with chocolate ice cream. In spite of this, it was still the best thing I had here. I think if we come again, I may just order a shake! Experience: It was fun! The servers were very good about crouching down when tending to people, and you are far enough away from other rows that it's not really an issue. I did laugh a few times though just because they look silly. :) We ordered just plain water, and it was a good 10 minutes after our apps arrived that we got it. I would have liked to have been given a straw since the glasses were HUGE. This delay in water, when everyone around us got their beers super fast, was the only real issue we had with the service. Conclusion: Do not come here expecting super good food. It sounds higher quality on their menu than it is. I think I just need to lower my expectations to Movie Theater Quality food and I would have a better time with the food. It doesn't help that the food is pretty expensive, giving the illusion that it will be better than it actually is. As of now, we are planning on returning to give it another try, and because it is a fun and unique experience.
(3)Sylvia D.
Interesting experience but confusing for first-timers. You must wait for your entire party to arrive before you buy tickets because all seats are reserved. Therefore stragglers in your party may cause you to miss out on where you'd prefer to sit and the first couple of rows are really close to the screen. The theater we were in had 4 or 5 rows. They run trailers of the movie you'll be seeing in the form of extended scenes from your movie so we'd be talking pre-movie, then think, "did the movie start and we didn't realize it?" The menus are in a narrow slot in front of you, but we didn't know that & when the server came, we hadn't looked at the menu at all. We ordered soft drinks which took about 20 minutes to be served to us, by which time we wondered if the server just forgot all about us. A server came in with napkins and passed right by us, handing them out to all other people in the theatre, so we had to flag her down and ask for one. Pop is served in a glass, so there's condensation on it that gets on the table and your hands so a napkin is appropriate for all guests. Didn't get any food but noticed if you order popcorn, you get a really large bag of it.
(3)Ben J.
Take it from someone who knows, this place is a gimmick with crappy service. I went to flix Brewhouse for the first time tonight to see mad max. I was excited because a lot of my friends raved about this place. Here was my experience: I showed up at 6:10pm for a 7:00pm movie because they say you must arrive 30 minutes early to be seated. No problem, I thought. I'll just have a drink at the bar. I sat at a table and had no waiter or waitress stop by my table, even though I sat there for 30 minutes. When we sat down in our movie seats I was excited by the sliding meal tray, waiter call button, and friendly wait staff. We placed our drink order and our waiter assured us, "just write down your order and hit this button. It'll light up and if I don't stop by, someone else will promptly". We wrote down our order, hit the button, and waited... And waited.... And waited. After 30 minutes our order was picked up. I finished my beer and placed another order for one with my waiter. Then I waited... And waited... And waited... It never showed. About an hour later, an hour later mind you, our food showed up. They forgot something into order. I know, I'll write it down and hit the button. So I did. Then I waited... And waited... And waited... Finally after 30 minutes someone showed up and saw my meal was cold because I was waiting so long. She got me a new burger, my beer (finally), and still something was missing. I ate it and couldn't wait to leave.
(1)Dan S.
My Valentine and I had our first experience at Flix yesterday and it WAS NOT anything like most of the other reviews. I will begin with the positive: 1. The screen was huge and the audio system was out standing! 2. The beer was very tasty and the food was too. 3. And that's about it for the positive. Negatives: 1. Due to the rules involved in the online seating selection process, we ended up in the front row and this pretty much ruined the movie completely! Flix should charge half price for these HORRIBLE seats. The designer of the seating should be fired for even putting this row of seats in place. They create a truly crappy viewing angle that leaves the picture on the massive curved screen distorted and hard to watch. 2. It took nearly 30 minutes for drinks to start coming out...one beverage at a time....and my gal and I were skipped. Then waited another 20 minutes after they realized we had been skipped...come on guys....when you find a mistake has been made you should MOVE QUICKLY to resolve it. I didn't even taste the beer until the movie was half over and had NO SHOT AT ALL to purchase a second beer before the movie ended...total bummer because the beer was great and I would have happily drank three or four while I was there. Can you say, " Missed Revenue " 3. After missing my drink order, we were then allowed to watch everyone else eat before our forgotten food order finally showed up an hour after being seated. This left me and my gal as the only ones left eating which was a bit awkward. Overall, a big disappointment. I will go back simply because I am a local guy who truly loved seeing so many cars in Merle Hay's parking lot. Plus, now that I know to grab my first beer MYSELF before going in and to NEVER sit in the first few rows, my second trip should be much more enjoyable.
(2)WildJack O.
My wife and I first time tonight. I wanted to share a few thoughts but you should definitely give it a try for yourself. First - dont expect stellar service when sitting at the bar, the staff mainly is focused on making sure they get drinks for the waitstaff to send I assume into the theaters. It took ten minutes at least for the staff to acknowledge us and another five to wait on us. Second - once in the theater, we recommend popcorn and beer and skip the food. Eating in literally the dark isn't something most of us consider fun or really even want to do. The food quality was ok, not bad Third and final - the staff in the theater is overwhelmed, working in the dark deserves an extra tip as they try to make it work the best they can. I predict they have an extremely high turnover. Thanks
(3)Chelsea G.
Love this theater! Hubby and I went on our date night. Very comfortable seating and the food was impressive! Highly recommend! We will be returning!
(5)Michelle L.
They had an excellent section of food and drinks the only problem was the ladies who were working there. I got asked to see my ticket when clearly I was walking with the manager and he was seating my party. Then my group asked one of the woman working there to take our picture and she flat out said no. The customer service sucked. I'm not sure if I will return.
(2)DaVo W.
The theater seating and overall first impression was all positive. The seating is comfortable with plenty of leg room and elevated enough to give a clear unobstructed view of the screen. The ordering system is easy to understand and the server was very helpful in explaining how it worked. We all chuckled a bit when she bent over to wear we had placed our notepad, retrieved the notepad and then gave us a thumbs up. In fact it made the experience even more entertaining. Something that doesn't seem to be covered on the website or anywhere else is the location inside of the mall. For those that have been around Des Moines for years will remember the strange statue of the Angel on the tricycle. It is located on the upper leave and just above where that statue once was. If you walk in the main entrance it is straight a head. If you want to park close, park in the lot west of Target and go through the mall entrance on the Southside of the mall. Then up a flight of stairs and you are right there. The only real issue I had was with the food that I ordered. It's kind of a standard that I will get when trying a new place. Mac and Cheese. Though a simple comfort food dish, it is extremely easy to not execute correctly. In part because most people consider it kids food and figure that will be all that will be ordering it. So, often it is the weak link in the menu but when done right can be a real joy to have. First off the portion was not in line with the $9,95 price tag. Served in a dish that is about 5 inches wide, 6 inches long and about an inch deep, I can't help but feel that i was taken advantage of. Now, this would have been forgiven if the dish had any flavor beyond the Parmesan crumble. I couldn't tell if there was no sauce added at all, In fact that pasta was dry and tasteless. It seemed that they had put pasta in a dish then sprinkled on some shredded cheese, topped with the crumble and baked in the pizza oven. When you consider the food cost vs the price, it's hard to justify. Especially if there isn't any flavor. I only sampled one beer and that was the Saison de Walt. It was passable and maybe I'm just a little to set in what I expect from a Saison. The beer seemed watered down and bland with a sour finish. Missing was the spiciness that I usually go to this style of beer for. I don't know if it is extract, if there wasn't enough aging or it was the yeast but just wan't special. Meaning not bad but not moorish to say the least. The only issue was that anyone had in my party was that it is hard to eat in the dark. For that reason I would suggest picking something that it will not be an issue. Otherwise a great experience and one I plan on experience again.
(4)Summer F.
Overall a good experience. Upset over forgotten drink orders. We ordered the food which was great but didnt even get my drink until AFTER I had finished and then when I went to order a second drink 50 minutes before thr movie ended... never ever got it but was charged for them.... they need a better system working with the wait staff and the bar area
(3)Mazie J.
The atmosphere was anything but what I've come to generalize as Merle Hay Mall. It's a great draw to the area and people will justifiably travel great distances to experience Flix. The IPA was fantastic, and I had the bar set high knowing that Mike was going from El Bait to Flix as the brewmaster. We didn't order food, but I heard great things about it from others. We'll be back soon, I'm sure!
(5)Dave W.
My quick review of Flix Brewhouse Des Moines: Bought our tickets last week online. Tried to swipe our card at the kiosk when we showed up but it wouldn't print (no big deal since we expected a hiccup somewhere); we had our email confirmation so we were fine. Bar/lobby area was nice, but not quite enough tables (to be expected due to being opening night) but not crowded by any means. Showed the confirmation email to the ticket taker then were taken right to our reserved seats. The seats were like REALLY comfortable office chairs (rolled, reclined, everything). We were greeted right away and everything was explained well and our drink orders were taken right away. Beer (brew their own plus tons of local and national beers), wine, and hard liquor; they only have one house-brewed beer on tap currently (witbier not terribly unlike a Blue Moon was pretty decent). We ordered hummus with pita and veggies for an appetizer and were stunned at just how good the hummus and pita were! AND it came fast! Also before the movie at our seats I ordered an Ahi tuna salad that was great -- the tuna was cooked nice and rare as it should be! It was dressed perfectly. Tamara ordered a chicken sandwich and fries that were both really good (seasoned fries, not your ordinary fries). Ordering during the movie was mostly easy though it's hard to read the menu with black pages in the dark (the green lowlight in front of you isn't quite enough): write down what you want and push the elevator-looking-button and someone is there right away! At no point did we ever wait more than 5 minutes for our drinks to arrive! Super-friendly, efficient staff! Now, not including tickets (3D cost $25 for 2 tix), along with tip, 2 entrees, one appetizer, and 5 beers we spent $66. Not cheap, but if you consider we got a lot of food and drinks, I felt it was reasonable.
(5)Greg G.
Saw the movie "American Sniper" here. Great handcrafted beers with a nice wide selection to chose from. We did not order a meal here, but just had beer and an appetizer. The meals looked delicious from what I could see on other people's tables. This is really a pretty slick - run operation. Will definitely go again. The reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because the food was a little on the pricey side, but wouldn't necessarily keep me from going.
(4)Drew C.
My wife and I took my parents here when they came to visit. It was our first time and one of the first few days they were open. We had an awesome time and because of a technological error in their system, all of our food and drinks were complimentary! They handled it with class and I'm sure they lost quite a bit of money. We received our order about 3 times, so we ended up giving our server a nice tip. Great service and fun times! We'll be back for more!
(5)Adam P.
As a movie theater they get about a 4 star. The volume seem to be at a defining level! That saying something cause I'm old and hard of hearing from all the white snake concerts I use to stand front row to scope on the ladies. No really I think it's turns up so you don't hear all the side noise of plates and eating. The chairs were ok nothing out standing. The drinks were pours with a meter...it's not a bar so that's fine. I don't like beer so I won't comment. The food was what you'd expect...nothing offensive but also something I could get just as good out of the freezer section at the store. The service was bad! This is where it brings this from a 4 to a 3. This server gave me a spill for like ten minutes about how he sent my order from his fancy ipad and it's already being made. It took 25 min to get my drink. I would have walked out of a restaurant. The movie was an hour in before my food came, and he ordered all this on his fancy technology before the movie started. Technology is only as good as the idiots who run it. My opinion just go to a regular movie theater. Unless you really want a beer and burger while you watch a film. I don't know about you but I don't eat a meal at home while watching a DVD. At least at a normal theater I'm not obligated to tip for over priced food and crappy service. This is unfortunate because it's the closest theater to me. Will I be back sure I do like that I can get a ticket before hand and reserve my seat (but it will cost you an extra dollar). This is pretty easily solve for the competition just do the same thing in their theaters! I would actually like that to know what seat in getting.
(3)Andrew A.
*Vegans of Iowa* If anyone knows me, they know I'm a cinema freak. This is the business model I like from a theater: Good selection of movies(including classics), good seating, good sound, and rules of conduct(shut up and stay off your phone). With that said, let's get to what makes this theater different; the food and service. The food here for vegans is to be desired at the moment. All we get is a stripped down salad, or the hummus plate. Granted, the hummus plate is killer! But, that's usually the only option we have around town at the places that don't care to acknowledge their vegan patrons. The service has gotten to be pretty darn good. Especially on slow nights(which is when I prefer to see movies). This place is promising as long as they keep the quality control. But, let's get some more vegan options in there, eh?
(4)Melissa M.
Goodbye, AMC and all other cinemas. Flix has TROUNCED you in every single way. At least in my book. And if you share my desires for theaters, (included below) you should never return to any old cinema ever again. So, this means you, if you like: - Drinking beer while watching a movie - Eating GOOD food at the theater (fried pickles, burgers, pizza, hummus, you name it!) - Reserving your seats upon booking tickets - Paying reasonable money for food at the theater (read: $4 for a bucket of popcorn that would cost you $8 anywhere else!) - NOT seeing children at the theater (they can't come in after 7 PM!) [no offense to you parents, I just like date night to be adults-only.] I'm not sure I can give you more of a reason to go to Flix for your next movie, but even if you don't want to go for a movie, you should still make your way there soon. Since it's located right in the middle of Merle Hay, all you mall-haters can unite at the bar for some EXCELLENT craft brews. This bar has one of the best selections in Des Moines. Craft beer fans unite! This place is absolutely awesome.
(5)Peter B.
This is such a great idea! Dinner and a movie all for a reasonable price. The movie ticket prices are comparable to any other theater in Des Moines and the food is priced from around $5-15 and is on par with what I'd expect to get for that price. Came here with family to see Cinderella. It was a great family outing and we'll definitely be back.
(4)Thao P.
This is a great addition to Merle Hay Mall and provides something unique for a movie theater in Des Moines. The customer service is fantastic. Everyone is friendly and attentive. It is a big location that takes up the entire 2nd floor of Merle Hay Mall. I was impressed by the technology that allows you to reserve seats for the movie and that some of the waitstaff are utilizing tablets for taking orders. Now for the movie experience-- it was wonderful! They seat you half an hour before the movie so you have time to order off the full menu. The menu has some great selections and it's all made in-house, so it's all local and none of the frozen stuff you usually see at chain restaurants. The first time went was during their brunch/breakfast hour and had the scrambled eggs platter which was delicious. Their steak breakfast burrito is tasty too. Lunch and dinner choices are good as well. I like their chicken tenders, fries, and pasta options. The prices are reasonable and definitely give you more for your money than the usual overpriced popcorn, candy, and drinks. Initially, I was concerned that moviegoers eating food would be distracting but it really wasn't besides if anyone happen to drop silverware on a hard surface. Because the sound is so loud, that typically covers up those noises. The only thing that took me awhile to get used to was eating in the dark. There is a dim light on the tables but it's not too bright. The best way to see your meal is to wait for bright moments in the movie (e.g. a scene that's outdoors during daytime), otherwise you'll get used to it. During the movie, you have the ability to do silent ordering through the notepad on your table and the button you can push to get the server to come. Overall, I think this is a great addition to Merle Hay Mall and the surrounding Des Moines area! I would recommend this to all moviegoers.
(5)Bee N.
I've been here several times now and at this point I am just dumbfounded by the complications with their service. Basically, if you decide to go early to enjoy a drink, the service is really great from the bar. They're quick and very smart with suggestions as to what you might like. Once you're actually in the theater, it all goes downhill. For example, I literally just got out of a movie there (so you know how fresh this is in my mind) , we wrote down our order minutes from sitting down and it took 20 minutes maybe more for anyone to come get our orders. My friend next to me ordered popcorn and a water, we ordered 2 orders of fries. My sister wanted a side of ranch which I wrote on the order ticket as well. My friend didn't get his water, we didn't get ranch for my sister... My boyfriend was still hungry so we attempted to order him some mac and cheese and one more beer each. 30 whole minutes later and my beer arrives. Not sure what happened to his... Maybe 25 minutes after that we get the check for one beer and one mac and cheese which we never received. The 2 orders of fries are on my friend next to us' ticket. Then we pressed the button to have things fixed... they didn't even ask if we still wanted the rest of our food, but they did have the ticket fixed. This place must waste so much food. Like they're putting the orders in but they aren't bringing them out to people? Or they are taking them to the wrong tables. This isn't the first time this has happened. They don't have their system in place correctly. I've been to the Alamo draft house in Austin, TX multiple times which is the exact same concept except they have it all down. You have the same server through the whole experience which is wonderful and something you will NOT see at Flix. On top of that, you get your food shortly after you order and you don't get distracted wondering where your food or drinks are. I want to love this place like I love the Alamo... but the service is too bad.
(2)Jean M.
Excellent to be able to be waited on during a movie with beers and food! Love it! Half price apps on tues.
(4)Sean W.
Flix Brewhouse Des Moines is admittedly in a spot you wouldn't expect. But it works. It's a wide open floor plan and I had a few of their brews and sampled various of their other ones (I didn't get any food). Their staff was knowledgable, talkative, with good service. Its a great place for husbands as their wives shop...
(4)Jenae H.
Newp! Nope! Not again! Seats are not comfortable. Spinach dip was super runny. Burger over cooked. Mac and cheese sounded good.... Bland. Runny. Adding chicken for $2.50 and got probably an ounce. Not good. Oh one more thing. Your water glasses are tiny. And the waiter didnt fill up everytime. If someone orders water, probably should assume a large glass is a good idea.
(2)Brett K.
AMAZING!! Best idea since sliced bread. Reserved seating. Full service food & Liquor.
(5)Kristyn M.
I am an avid movie goer. I love movies, I love getting lost in a movie and the story. The movie can end up being bad but I still like being fully engulfed in the movie. I have been to a dinner/ movie theater before. If you are looking something different then yes this is a real dinner and movie. Here is my review: To get your seats my friend had to order them ahead. Even a couple days ahead of time. I had happened to check out the pre-opening of the place where we got shown around and checked out the seats and got a run down of how things worked. So I kinda knew the seats that leaned back were in the back row. Luckily she took my advice and got the back row. Score! I had forgotten about the "suggestion" to show up 30min prior to the movie show time. So we dash out the door in a rush after my friend texted me. My friend asks the staff if we are going to even be able to get in if we are late and they told her possibly no. This didn't help much as we rushed to park and get in. We find them still standing in the lobby as seating had started but discovered they sat by rows. They call your row and take you in, get your first drink and explain the whole thing if you have not been there. So we then stood there for an extra 30 min as they get all the rows seated starting at the front to back. Not to mention the place was packed so every seat was full for a Friday night movie. We get in and get seated in the back. Ya reclining seats! So I knew how this worked but the waitress showed as the previews started. She gave a quick run down. Talked about the ordering on the paper after the lights go down so that there was NO TALKING during the movie and the button to push when we wanted something and the pull out tables and lilttle blue lights. We just ordered something small as we weren't terribly hungry. Our friends did order full meals. So starts the movie..... okay, remember, I LOVE MOVIES and the experience that a movie provides. My fiance isn't as an avid movie person as me but he had wanted to see American Sniper and this was a good time as any. The drinks seem to take a while to come out. We both just ordered from the big list of drinks on tap. The waitress was pretty slick as she ducked down and moved to drop off the drink and keep moving. The food seemed to take awhile but when it arrived she dropped off possible needed condiments. Even though we ordered together our friends had their food probably a good 10 min before we got ours. No biggie cause again, we weren't that hungry. I could tell other people had their food as I could occasionally hear silverware tapping on plates and ice in glasses. One big thing that annoyed me was the guy three rows ahead of us who got a bucket of beers. He seemed to like to pull them in and out of the ice over and over. THAT could totally be pulled from the menu if you don't want noise in a movie. Okay back to the movie- the little light to see our food was distracting, tried to cover that up. Okay- back to the movie experience. Good sound, the movie was going good. Slight distraction as the waitress brought a beer around but couldn't figure out who it was going to and had to ask all of us in the back row if we had ordered it, and since she was talking softly we had to ask her three or four times what the heck she was even trying to say. Okay back to the movie.... watching the movie... the guy down our row calls the waitress cause she shows up and he and his date verbally tell her what they want. Sigh, Okay back to the movie ..... the lady next to my fiance has to bother him and me to get around her table to get out to go to the bathroom. Back to the movie.... Another waitress with lost food. Back to the movie ... lady comes back from the bathroom. Back to the movie... waitress comes back with food for guy down the isle and something is wrong. I think he was complaining it was cold cause yes i could hear him talking. Back to the movie... We get asked if we need anything else. nope. Back to the movie... Intense moments., good sound enjoying the movie.... Waitress comes by to drop off a note that our bill will arrive in about 10 min and this is last call. Back to the movie. Waitress comes by with check. Back to the movie. Waitress comes back to pick up check. Back to the movie. Waitress returns check. Movie finishes. Okay so the movie was great. I loved American Sniper. The food was not bad and we got ours hot and with what we needed to eat it. The turn around on the drinks a little slow but nothing to worry about from my perspective. If you want a movie and dinner. This is the place. I love the idea they are showing movies that I love and have seen a bunch of times and that I could go, have a meal and nerd out on older movies. GREAT concept and yes that would be fun. If you want less distractions, eat before you go inside. But if you are big into not being distracted during a new movie then you might want to rethink it. ENJOY!
(3)Michael G.
Edit - changed to four stars last visits great. Is she coming back? So me and the wife finally got around to going to Flix Brewhouse. I was dieing to see Mad Max and a co-worker suggested I might like Flix. Ordered tickets online and reserved good seats...awesome! Got seated and our server explained how everything worked. Ordered just pop and popcorn and everything was fine. We had a decent experience only complaint being the wait staff were running around talking and it was a tiny bit difficult to conentrate on movie. After the second time we went to Flix Brewhouse we had a much better experience. I noticed in other people's reviews they mention a lot of the same issues. I will list some tips to follow to make your experience great. 1. Flix is not a regular theater so don't expect your movie experience to be like one. Pick a movie that is best for a date night. One you wouldn't mind seeing but not super excited about, like a comedy or chick flick. 2. Show up early and buy your tickets right away. I recommend reserving seats online. 3. While you are waiting for seating look through the menu. Get a really good idea of what you're going to order. Keep in mind how long the movie is and that you will probably have a 15-20 minute wait between wait staff visits and you will receive bill two thirds the way through movie. 4. When you are seated and ordering make sure to order everything you are going to be wanting and the portion sizes are on par with bars so order what will work for you. I stress this as the wait staff will not be as attentive to you as if you were at a restraunt. 5. I can't stress enough the movie choice makes the experience. No matter where you sit people will be walking in front of you throughout the movie. So pick something that doesn't require your attention 100% of the time. With that out of the way on to the food. The popcorn is decent. I felt it was a bit under salted compared to other theaters but health wise probably a better choice. Beer. I got the Golden and was satisfied. I ordered an appetizer of fried pickles and there were about middle of the road. The pizza we ordered was the Margherita pizza and found it very delicious. Much impressed with it I highly reccomend. In conclusion if you want the theater experience you are use to you will not find it here. Flix reminds me of what Billy Joe's Picture Show was like growing up, food drink and movies.
(4)Rose T.
My family & I have been here a few times now & honestly this is my favorite place to go see a movie. The seats are roomy, you don't feel crowded at all even if there's a full house & how could it possibly get any better than skipping the line at the concession stand? I wouldn't show up expecting a gourmet experience or anything, it's your average pub fair for the most part & you will wait for awhile for your order but the wait staff has always been nice. My ten-year-old son loves to go & they have shown extreme patience dealing with his indicisivness. Over all Flix gets two thumbs up.
(4)Darla D.
What a nice surprise! Good food and beer, had the Bacon Blueburger and Fish Burrito! Friendly and responsive service, comfortable seats, nice new combo of food and flick! Really enjoyed ourselves!
(4)Stephen D.
Awesome place to see movie. I used to go to the billy joes picture show and was disappointed when it closed but now I have flix foods pretty good and it's a comfortable place to see a movie and the staff are really nice and helpful I'll definitely be back I just became a regular here for movie night and any night of the week.
(4)Emily H.
What a great place! Beer is great, and they have several other craft beers on tap. We had the loaded baked potato popcorn...with bacon! Service was wonderful. The bartender recommended purchasing tickets ahead of time, and you can them up to a week in advance. There is assigned seating. You also want to get there at least 30 minutes prior to the movie starting. This might be our go to movie theater in Des Moines from now on!
(4)Jason S.
While seating is very comfortable and a huge selection of beers is great, I would recommend not oredering the food. We went to a 7:30 movie and thought we would eat there versus eating at another restaurant. I wish we would have chosen another restaurant. The food was cold, Not warm, not hint of warmth. It took a very long time to get our meal in the first place but I could understand since the theater was packed but for it to come out cold I thought was unacceptable. If I go again, Beer and popcorn is all I am getting.
(2)Selena B.
My family has been to Flix at least 6 times and we just love it! We haven't been to another theatre since it opened because the experience at Flix is so much fun and my 3 teenage boys look forward to it every time we come. We love to be able to reserve our seats ahead of time too. I am a big planner and don't mind having to decide ahead of time that we are going to a movie over the weekend. So to be able to know that our seats are there waiting for us and we don't have to fight the crowd to get the best seat has been a big plus. We have went a few times without reserving and still have found good seats. In fact, there really isn't a bad seat. Another thing we love that other theaters don't offer is the funny clips before the movie. It always pertains to the movie you are watching and sometimes we have enjoyed the clips as much as the movie. It beats all the advertisement the other theaters offers. We have tried several things off the menu including quesadillas, pizza, popcorn, lime chicken, etc. and haven't been disappointed yet. However, our favorite has become the fajita tacos. It is just so nice to have a one stop shop for a dinner and a movie. My husband and I have really enjoyed being able to go without the boys to enjoy a movie date night which we rarely did before Flix opened. We have also had really great experience with the staff. They have always been really friendly and accommodated us with anything we needed. We have recommended it to several friends and even brought another couple with us one night that wouldn't have ever tried it without us bringing them. Now they are hooked! It is a very different experience than other theaters and I hope that many will give it a try so we can keep Flix busy here in Des Moines!
(5)Michelle S.
This place reminded of of a up scale Billy Joes. Service was "Horrible". Took an hour to get a salad, then without dressing. Then took another 30 min to get the dressing. Won't be going back again
(1)Melissa Y.
Fun night, good food, great movie and great friends. I will definitely come again the next time I am in Iowa..
(5)Ben L.
There's something that just feels right about this place. Like peas and carrots - a good beer and the cinema just mesh so well together. (They may also have peas and carrots too, but I'm not 100% on their vegetable medley). I went here for the first time for one of their special events, and I can say they not only met, but exceeded my expectations. Perhaps because it's newer, but it's interior and exterior were very clean. Everything was well groomed and smoothly managed. The theaters did not appear, as some, grimy and sticky. They layout of the actual viewing screens were nicely laid out. The comfortable chairs with easy to maneuver tabletops. My wife was especially impressed. She has something similar near her hometown in Texas, Alamo Drafthouse, and she said this places leaps and bounds above it cleanliness-wise. (Also, geographically, but she's not much for my humor). Another impressive factor is their food and drinks. I, personally, enjoy homebrewing and am always partial to those establishments that brew their own beer as well. Flix does, and mine was surprising good! I shouldn't say 'surprisingly', but when you think of all the other genres of business they're dipping their toes in, you may expect them to have a "lesser-than-great" output to one of them. From my experience, they definitely do NOT. We ordered just appetizers, but they were also delicious, of course. Now for the big kicker - it's affordable. Our film ticket was only $7.00! Their food prices were incredibly reasonable. We paid for an entire dinner and movie night out for about 5-10% less than we normally do, and that doesn't include the gas we saved by having it at all one location. I cannot guarantee that the tickets for the film you see here will be seven dollars, or that your particular dinner or drink order will be as good as mine, but I can guarantee you this a Des Moines MUST-GO. If not for anything but the experience. We had a great time for a fair price, and definitely have a new spot for a movie-date nights.
(5)Teresa M.
I don't understand the hype for this place. It's over priced and the food was okay. The staff was kind of rude. Some people I was with ordered a beer and I tasted it and the waitress was breathing down my back the whole time as if I was trying to be an underage drinker. The price is the same as if you go to a regular movie but I'd much rather go to dinner somewhere that has good food then to just settle and eat flavorless food. The chairs are different, more like office chairs. I more than likely won't be back. I'll stick to my regular theater where the staff doesn't seem like they are above it all.
(2)Joel S.
Ordered tickets online and when we arrived my seat didn't have a table. I had a little airplane tray because it was the middle seat. No where on the website did it say this.
(1)Ruby Q.
Good idea- mediocre execution. First of all, we sat in row"b" which is way too close to the screen. My neck still hurts and I nearly went into an seizure at the flashing action in a too close seat. They seat in waves, from the back to the front so we were seated late and ordered on a bit of a rush. They delivered us someone else's chicken fingers and ran out of Mac n cheese. They finally dropped off the food with about 15 minutes left in the film. The popcorn was really oily and just came in one jumbo size bag. They should have more servers and kitchen staff IMHO. The house beers were just ok The management is aware of the service gaps and is working hard to fix them. Hopefully this concept will take off in Des Moines after they work out the kinks.
(2)Larry H.
My wife and I had the opportunity to attend a soft opening of Flix Brewhouse last week and we were very impressed. The full menu wasn't yet available nor were any Flix brewed beers due to the pre-opening, but we enjoyed what we were able to try. We each had a draft beer, shared a hummus and pita appetizer, and had two entrees - the southwest chicken salad and steak tacos. Everything we had was good. I describe the food as a better version of Chilis or Applebee's. This clearly isn't a fine dining establishment, but the food was better than anticipated. I was concerned that the servers, eating, and ordering would be a distraction to the movie but it really didn't bother us at all. The call lights for orders during the movie are unobtrusive and the amble space between rows allows food and drinks to be delivered/cleared with little to no notice of the "ninja" servers as Flix calls them. All of the staff was more than friendly and seemed like they had been working there for much longer than a couple weeks. We look forward to returning for a full menu, Flix beers, and a newer film. I think Flix is a great addition to Des Moines and the Merle Hay Mall should be lucky to have them!
(5)Mark G.
My brother-in-law and I went there over the Christmas break. It is a very cool restaurant/bar/theater concept. They have a large variety of microbrews/craft beers for any type of beer drinker. The Luna Rosa Wit was a good beer in the belgian style of a Blue Moon, but better. The bartender was very friendly and gave us the low down on the beers and the menu. We ordered our beers and drank about half of the glass and then decided to finish inside the theater. The theater was very clean. The seats are very comfortable. It is nice to have the table that extends toward you to make it easier to eat and drink. Our server was very friendly and explained how the ordering system worked. The pizza was great. I cannot vouch for the whole menu, but it does offer a large variety of items. For a brand-new place, they seem to be organized and ready to impress. By the way, they do have a kids menu with several options. You can order just about anything from the theater menu, food, apps, candy, popcorn, etc. We will be back!
(4)Valentina S.
I had lots of doubts about this place, and more in general about the combination of dining while watching a movie with lots of people. I was worried I would smell food, hear people chewing...all the stuff that would ruin a good movie. I was very surprised that none of that happened. Flix must have a very good ventilation system, because I couldn't really smell food and while people can order more food during the movie, that didn't bother me at all, probably because you have considerably more space than in a regular theater. Each seat has an adjustable tray that makes eating and drinking very comfortable. My husband and I had a really good IPA from the brewery and shared an appetizer (fried pickles). Beers were very good, food (it's basically bar food) was pretty good too, although it is not fair to judge their cooking based on an appetizer only.
(4)Scott C.
My wife and I saw a movie here and had a negative experience, predominately related to the waitstaff. I posted a review on here and Flix Brewhouse corporate reached out to me. When a business cares enough about individual reviews to speak directly to people, it tells me that they really do care about their customers' experience, and that's more than you can ask from a lot of businesses today. I'm willing to forget about that last negative experience, and give this place another try.
(4)Curt K.
Good food and craft beers...kind of slow service. People that were there next time waited 20 min for service. I've been here 2x and think it's a great concept and I will go back periodically but will probably choose another theatre to view movies more times than not
(3)Justin I.
I started at the bar. The bartender was great. I think his name was Chris. He talked to me about the menu and was able to inform me about the house brewed beers. The experience in the auditorium wasn't bad, but it wasn't very smooth. It was nearly empty, but the waitress struggled with remembering what we ordered long enough to write it down. There ended up being about 10 people in the theater, but she kept giving my beers to other people. At one point during the movie, the lady behind me tapped me on the shoulder. "Did you order a beer?" To which I replied, "Yes." She said, "The waitress just served it to my 13-year-old daughter. I'm going to pass it down to you." She was obviously irate about it. I'm pretty sure this lady, the friend I was with, and myself were by no small margin the only people of drinking age in there. The food is overpriced, but good. The pizza was a lot smaller than I expected, but it was good. You get about $5 worth of fried pickles for $9, but they're pretty darn good fried pickles. The house beers are a bit pricey and slightly underwhelming, but for a theater, it's about what I would expect. I'll for sure go back, but it wasn't a mind blowing first experience. I think it has great potential, and I'm hoping I just had some bad luck.
(3)Kacy B.
Outstanding new entertainment addition to Des Moines! Although they were absolutely packed last night and they are still new, the service was great, food was great, and theater effects were fantastic. My wife and I had an awesome time and look forward to returning soon. Ames should get one of these where the dollar theater used to be. One tip: get your tickets ahead of time!
(5)Adam T.
1st time here, and i will go back again, prob be my go to movie theater. Long rambling incoming TL:DR: go check it out! very much worth it you can buy you own ticket, at the terminals (credit only). Makes the ticket buying experience fast and easy. You get to pick out your own seat. Lots of leg room, comfortable seats. Though, someone after you can buy a seat next to you, so even during a non busy Matinee you could end up sitting next to someone. Which did end up happening, Mainly the only reason why they don't get 5 stars. Each seat has their own pull out table, for your drink or food. Food was great, i had SPINACH & ARTICHOKE DIP and CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN & BISCUITS. Both were very good, large portions, plenty to share. Prices aren't that bad compared to a restaurant's prices. The dip was a little oily, with all the cheese and stuff. But nothing to make it uneatable. Chicken was moist. Though it could use ALOT more gravy, it was for sure not "smothered" Beer: They only had one of their brews on tap tonight, since its the first week, they only one 1 a night to show them off. I had the luna rosa, think bluemoon but with blood red oranges. It was a very good beer, light flavor, not to strong at all. You can ask for a sample if you wanna try it before buying. Over all experience, was great, Staff knew what was going on, they were friendly. The food came out pretty quick, this was during a early show. Would like to see how it would be during a night showing. Bill was taken care of pretty fast. They drop it off 45mins before end of show. Plenty of time to get anything sorted out. I do suggest you come early!! They sat 30 mins before the movie started, to get your food and drinks ordered. If you come 5mins before the show starts, I don't you think you would have a good time. Since there is no concession stand, the servers bring you food, drinks. popcorn, candy, etc. Ok, i'm done rambling,
(4)Tim B.
We visited Flix for the second time last night. The theater facilities are excellent, the food is quite good, and the house beers are tasty (especially for $2 on Tuesdays). This place has most of the makings of a perfect place to spend a fun evening. Unfortunately, disorganized service is stopping Flix from reaching that potential. Our appetizer order was mIxed up, and a drink order was forgotten. When the time came to pay, our server left with our debit card... And didn't return. After the movie ended and the lights came up, we had to search for him, to find out that he had no idea where our card was. After a long search of various theaters, during which my wife called the bank to cancel the card, the card was eventually found. A very professional and apologetic manager offered to comp our meal for the aggravation. However, this never happened, and we were charged full price. I understand that offering full food and beverage service in a dark and noisy theater is a huge challenge, and this is still a new place, with a new staff. That being said, it is something Flix needs to get right. I will probably return, but I will bring cash.
(2)Eric B.
Overall experience was horrible and I probably will not be going back. We decided to book our reservations online to save time. The site specifies that you need to arrive 30 to 45 minutes before your show time in order to properly be seated. That's alright... So for our 7:30 show we arrived at 6:50. We didn't actually get into the theater until 7:50. They were quite busy... But I still don't understand why they had 7 employees goofing off at the ticket counter and not having them help... Or maybe take orders... Or something. After you are seated... There's a few places that don't actually have a table. So pay attention to your seats you choose.. Otherwise someone in your group will be eating from their lap. After getting the waitress to finally take our initial drink and food order 10 minutes into the film she was very polite and you could tell she was extremely overwhelmed. Perhaps the 6 or 7 employees up at the ticket counter could help take orders instead of flirting with each other. I'm sure once the initial orders have been taken they can go back and still have plenty of time to play grab ass. The food arrived about 30 minutes later. The fries were cold. They weren't even a little bit warm. The burger itself was dry. I didn't even bother trying to get a refill the movie would have been over by the time I received it. Be sure you use the facilities before you get seated. There are only one set of bathrooms and if you're unfortunate enough to get seated on the wrong side you will need your ticket to get out.. Walk across the bar.. Show your ticket to the other side.. And then repeat the process in reverse to get back to your theater. I would recommend if you choose this theater to eat beforehand and just enjoy the movies and beer.
(2)Rachel Y.
Beers are good, service is questionable at best. Had to flag down our server for a water twice. Watched two guys try to flag down a bartender for nearly 3 mins at the bar. Come for the beers, tolerate the service as best you can.
(3)