Tavern Pizza & Pasta Grill
205 5th St, West Des Moines, IA, 50265
Tavern Pizza & Pasta Grill Menu
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Visit below restaurant in West Des Moines for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in West Des Moines for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in West Des Moines for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
205 5th St
West Des Moines, IA, 50265 - Phone (515) 255-9827
- Website https://www.tavernpizza.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Categories
Pizza
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
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Michael D.
What happened to the Tavern? During lunch no customers, Pizza had zero taste and the Italian Roast Beef was like a bad roast beef Arby's. So disappointed in the Tavern, must be going broke to serve that bad of food.
(1)Karen J.
Disappointed with the slow service again! It should not take close to 15 minutes to get a drink order and 40 minutes to get a grinder. Especially when the restaurant is 30% full. Servers seem to not care at all and have no sense of urgency. You can only experience this so often and not want to come back!
(2)Bill S.
Awesome.
(1)Mike D.
once again we found ourselves in Des Moines hungry and having no idea where to go( a lot of "I don't know what do YOU want?). We pull into a McDonald's parking lot and fire up Yelp- scrolling scrolling HEY! the tavern. I was sick of indecision so I said yes. We have been to the west side location years ago and my memory was pretty good pizza in a strip mall building. we drive into Valley Junction and already feel a warm cozy small town feel. The out side looks like a bar in downtown small town - much better than strip mall suburbia! Inside has a "dive" interior. We get in right away (later Sunday night before Labor day). Our waitress was there right away and was friendly and suggested the onion rings. We got them and they were great hand cut, thin, and very good. We ordered a pizza 1/2 pepperoni 1/2 italian grinder-thin crust. It came quickly fresh from the oven because it was Hot! it was also great. The kind of crust I like, it lets the toppings do all the talking but is still soft and chewy on the outside. So I would highly recommend The Tavern if you want a good pizza and great onion rings and don't have to have the "what is in" uppity up, nose in the air, I'm a 20 something food snob that knows better than any restaurant that's been successfully in business longer than I've been alive type of person go to The Tavern and enjoy!
(3)Patrick T.
I Love History! and I'm a sucker for a place like this. I dig old things! The Tavern has been around since the Great Depression in Historic Valley Junction. It has a great story! The family who owns it now has owned it since the 80's, they are loud and proud of the history and tell the story right on the front of the menu. Now first off I must say the service here was a 5 star! We went for "lunch," around 2:30pm, only a few tables filled and a man at the bar. Our waitress was excellent! After I made my order of a Calzone, Vegan style with no cheese she made sure they made it without Parmesan and Butter (which they normally would put on it.) She asked questions and took note to my dietary restrictions! Thanks for being so awesome and attentive! My wife choose there Classic Special Grinder, that is one of the items they are known for! I also had a pint of beer, cause damn it was cheap.. 3 Bucks a pop Now neither of our meals were over the moon great, But not horrible! Just kinda, un-eventful. The sauce on the Calzone didn't really have much flavor and the mushrooms used were canned, you hardly see that anymore! The onions and green peppers also used in it, didn't really seem to be cooked that well. Now mind you, I know a calzone is supposed to be dripping with cheese, so when I order it without, I know its going to throw the cook for a little curve ball. But it was still lacking any sort of zing to it. My wife thought the same about her Grinder. Same situation with green peppers, not really cooked but everything else was? Maybe that how they do it.. Either way.. I think this is a cool, causal place where the family could go and enjoy a big old pizza, and not loose their shirt on prices! The deep dish and thin crust pizza's that we saw while we were there looked amazing! Sometimes being a vegan is harder then others, when you see a pizza dripping with deep dish goodness! I would loose the canned mushrooms though!
(3)Phillip Y.
We came here to meet our co-worker/friend for the graduation present. The food was wonderful and had plenty of variety- small shells, thin and thick/deep dish pizza. Plus, they had a separate room for us to reminisce with our friends.
(5)Cindy C.
Ok, so do u want good food? Or do u want atmosphere? This is a thin crust, excellent sauce and sausage flavor pizza. The right amount of cheese and cooked to perfection. The homemade onion rings are to die for, as is the homemade Parmesan dressing we dipped into. Then we split the Italian grinder. Again, perfect combination of sauce, sausage, and cheese. We got 2 sodas, a medium pizza with sausage, and a grinder and it was $38. Could they update the decor and do a deep clean? Yes! But the wait staff and great food helped me overcome it.
(5)Joe F.
While the pizza is not going to change, there are a few modifications that would make this pizza place a little more palatable. First and foremost, it needs to be cleaned. Scrubbed from top to bottom twice. I'm really not a fan of a layer of gross all over, and the bathrooms certainly could use a little TLC. If it was me I'd try to spruce things up just a bit - it looks run down and sad. The pizza is just fine. It's not going to knock your socks off, it's a crust with some sauce and cheese. Add ingredients. My preference is for a crust a little less tough, a tad bit thicker, and a less sweet and more savory sauce. It was cooked perfectly, with just enough brown tasty goodness and it's hard to complain about the quality of the work that went into the end product. The kids disagreed and said hooray. Cheese sticks tasted like they came straight out of the freezer from sysco. The service is the shining star, and that is what will bring us back. Smiling faces, accommodating and thoughtful. Thank you very much for seeing ants in the pants on the little ones and getting us our check.
(2)Amy W.
Legitimate lasagna and calzones. Rustic atmosphere with friendly service and tasty food. The homemade parm dressing is soon relish. A valley junction mainstay
(5)Andrea T.
We were in the mood to try out a new pizza place and chose The Tavern based on a recommendation from a neighbor. The funniest thing was that the three locations were 14, 15 and 16 min drives from our place. We just chose one and went. It happened to be the one in Valley Junction. There weren't a ton of people there on a Sunday night but it wasn't dead either. Our waitress came to our table rather quickly and took our drink orders. We perused the menu and decided to get the Special Grinder Deep Dish Pizza. I started with a Dinner Salad which was nothing special but fulfilled what I needed. We really enjoyed the pizza. I thought it had great flavor and really liked the sauce. The green peppers, onions and mushrooms added to the flavor. I also wanted to try the gelato. I chose the Strawberry Cake Batter. I was not impressed with the gelato at all. I do not recommend the gelato. Stick to the pizza!
(4)Josh S.
My wife is from the DSM area and we were back on a recent trip to visit family. We spent the day in Valley Junction shopping and decided to grab a bite to eat at The Tavern (205 5th St., West Des Moines) before heading off to our next stop. This location is known as "Tavern I" and is the original. She told me she'd never eaten at this place but knew that it is (or at least was) highly advertised on TV. Apparently the commercials stick to memory because she remembered all of the details about the commercial. There are three locations in West Des Moines to pick from and I'm guessing they all have the same menu. I'm all about good pizza and we noticed that they had a deep dish variety on their menu. Even better. It's tough to get good deep dish pizza outside of Chicago and being in Minneapolis, we haven't found any good variety yet. The last time we had deep dish pizza in Des Moines we were very unimpressed (see our review on Felix & Oscars for more details). We were hoping for a better experience this time around and hoped that maybe we'd get a little taste of Chicago. Sorry to say that we were very unimpressed with The Tavern in general. Let's start with the good. The service was good. Our waitress was attentive, eager to serve and provided us with good recommendations. She was also really friendly but not "too" friendly as to make us feel uncomfortable. The other plus was that the air conditioning on a really hot day felt great. If you're in Valley Junction and need a place to get out of the heat for a few minutes, this is the place to stop. Other than that, pretty unmemorable. The décor is dated, dark and disgusting. The wall was covered with fake brick and most of it was beat up. The booths look like something right out of the 70s. The bar is pretty cool with their vintage Budweiser Clydesdale mobile hanging over it and there is at least one TV to keep you entertained, but the overall feel of the place is that it is very old. The restrooms were not clean (at least not the men's room) and out of TP and once we told someone about it we aren't sure they did anything to remedy the problem. On to the pizza. We were hoping that at the very least, this pizza would salvage our visit. They bring you a basic boring salad to the table prior to serving and it was nothing to write home about. Your basic lettuce, carrots, croutons and ranch dressing. We had the grinder deep dish pizza. The pizza wasn't memorable. It tasted okay but you could tell that it wasn't made with high-quality ingredients. I was picturing an Italian grinder with sweet sausage and savory mozzarella and tomato sauce and what we got was lacking much flavor. It didn't taste like Italian sausage, rather like just plain ground beef thrown on the pizza without seasoning. Plus, at a cost of $22+ we just felt like we weren't getting much value. After writing to the business and telling them about our experience, they fired back with a nasty email telling us that "people in Minneapolis don't understand good Chicago-Style pizza when they see it." Very unprofessional and a great way to make sure that your guests won't return. Why don't they just tell all of their customers "thanks for spending your hard-earned money here - now go f**k yourself." That's how we felt. I feel terrible for the employees that have to work here because I'm sure they are treated like utter crap. Avoid this place at all costs, folks. Overpriced, horrible atmosphere, average food and terrible management. How they have managed to keep three stores open is beyond my understanding. If this place stays open for another five years I'll be stunned.
(1)Rachel C.
I want to start this review by saying the food is fine. Good, even. The negativity of my experience came from the overall care of the restaurant. The bathrooms are not in good condition. They're clean enough, but the feminine hygiene waste bin was balanced on the toilet paper dispenser, which quite terrified me. They have paper towels, but they're balanced on the sink, so I just used the air dryer. When I got to the restaurant, I stood at the "Please Wait to be Seated" sign for a while and a few waitresses walked past me, though didn't offer to seat me even though we made eye contact. It was just me so I sat at the bar, and this is where things get ugly. My server, the bartender, spoke loudly with his friend about how he was hungover after he was up until six drinking the night before (which made his kids being up at 9 quite annoying, from what I can gather), drove drunk the night before (it wasn't his fault!), and how he was hoping the restaurant would be dead that day. I thought about leaving at this point, but I like to take in a good train wreck now and then. He was kind of aggressive about getting my order and got annoyed when I asked if I could pay more for a larger salad. I normally try to make pleasant conversation with the bartenders when I'm dining solo, but that was not happening today. He also sold a bottle of wine to two "well-loved" customers from the restaurant's cooler, which strikes me as not lawful, though I'm not super savvy on legal issues. My server disappeared after I payed for my meal, so I had to ask another server for a refill on my drink. The next time I heard him, he was asking the wait staff to give him money, which seemed sketchy. Like, real sketchy. I don't wanna go back there. I wish their decent pizzas were sold in a different restaurant owned by a different person.
(2)R S.
Had lunch today . Shared meatball. And Grinder sandwich. Both were mediocre at best. Lacked enough spices and sauce. We came to the area to shop and stopped for lunch. @ almost $9 per sandwich you can do significantly better. Service was minimal to non existent. Had to constantly ask for our waitress. Waited for check finally went up to bar and could see onto kitchen where the manager and staff appeared to be eating. There was no staff out in restaurant. Finally waitress showed up. I paid with cash and fortunately I counted change. She tried to stiff me. This would be s great place for one of the food network undercover restaurant show. She and what looked like the manager on duty didn't run bill through register. Pulled money out of pocket. I recommend NOT. GOING. TO THIS PLACE
(1)Nikki P.
We came here with a large group. The waitress helping us needed a partner to help her. We waited way too long for drink refills and orders in general. The pizzas were greasy, and the quality of ingredients were lacking. The cheese clumped Into one piece. The sauce tasted like ketchup.
(1)Veronica K.
First of all, I should say that this isn't the first time I've been here. But it will probably be my last. I've been here several times before and had pretty good food and service. But last night the waiter was super slow and kind of rude. And the food wasn't up to par. I ordered a Philly steak sandwich and asked if they had A1 steak sauce. The waiter checked, came back and curtly said no. I asked him if they had any kind of steak sauce. He said, "No, we don't serve steak," as if I were stupid or something. He was totally unapologetic. I would think that any restaurant that serves meat or burgers would have steak sauce. Every single diner I've been to that serves burgers has always had steak sauce when I've asked for it. Strike one. When my sandwich came, it was pretty dry, bland and flavorless. The only good thing about my meal was the steak fries. And the waiter didn't check on us or come and refill my water. Strike two. I needed to leave as soon as I finished eating because I was going to a meeting right after. So I grabbed my waiter's attention and asked him to bring my check as soon as he had a chance. I waited and waited and waited. He never showed up. So I just left my money with one of my dining companions and left. Strike three. I don't care how good their pizza is. I'll never go back. The quality of their food and their service have really gone downhill. There are too many other great restaurants in town that I would rather give my business to. If you want to try the best Philly steak sandwich, go to Crouse Cafe in Indianola. Not only is it way better than the Tavern's, but it's half the price! Sorry, Tavern, but you've lost me as a customer.
(2)Karen D.
I like Tavern pizza but will never every go tho the Valley Junction location again. We were there a month ago and the bathroom was just horrible! Dirty, stinky, very disgusting. Went back again yesterday and it was even worse! For heaven's sake people, you have this incredibly successful business going on here and you can't clean the bathroom!? The smell is like a sewer smell in there. I went to the restroom before the meal and totally lost my appetite.
(2)Mary G.
Can't beat the pizza, cheesy garlic bread and onion rings. For a pizza joint, not even a bad wine list. Their salad dressing is too die for. Always get a bottle to go!
(5)LeaAnn C.
Our Family Favorite! Large tenderloin on toasted bun is great! Homemade onion rings & thin crust pizza also are outstanding!
(5)Missy B.
Both my brothers and I made the decision to leave Iowa as soon as we graduated from high school and we never looked back. While visiting our parents this summer, we drove by the Tavern, one of the few restaurants our parents took us to when we were kids. We looked at each other and said, "Hey, let's go for old time's sake." The Tavern doesn't look any different, dark carpet, dark booths, dark.... lighting? It does smell different. Now you can smell the pizzas and sandwiches instead of 20 years of cigarette smoke. The service is still good, servers of all age ranges and personalities. It definitely still feels like a neighborhood... bar? My brothers and I are now questioning why our parents took us here when we were little. Then we order the pizza. Yeah, this is why. It is still tasty and comforting. A slice of cheese pizza, iceberg lettuce smothered in house creamy/mayo Parmesan dressing, and a Miller Lite for lunch on a week day. For a moment we think how different our lives would've been if we had stayed in WDSM.
(3)Brooke P.
Been in dsm forever. Food is okay, get the pizza if anything. Salads are meh. Could use an interior update.
(3)Ed F.
I love these old school local restaurants with lots of tradition. Unfortunately we didn't order right because nothing we had was very notable. We started with the onion rings which are sliced thin, ad dipped in a homemade batter. The problem is they are sliced TOO thin and they are a real mess to eat as they fall apart when you pick them up. Who wants to eat onion rings with a fork? I had the baked cavatelli and was hoping for the homemade flavor of the Helen & Pat's bar of my youth in Highland Park. It seemed more boiled dry pasta and canned sauce. The bread was good though. The side salad was nothing special but I did like the house creamy parmesan dressing. The wife had the cheese steak sandwich which had a real odd taste to it. She said they put mayo on it. Our alert waitress could see that she didn't like it and offered to make a fresh sandwich, sans-mayo. She only ate 1/2 of the second sandwich which wasn't much better. I would try it again as I hear the pizza is their specialty. I just won't wonder too from that next time.
(3)Jen P.
It's good for what it is. The menus were dirty and sticky and the carpet looks 30 years old. The cavatelli was great. Don't come here for ambiance!
(3)Donald Y.
Very good pizza! They have a good selection of specialty pies. My favorite here is either the Taco or the Bacon Cheeseburger. Besides the pizza however, my favorite food here is the fried chicken. They only make so much of it in a day and once they are out, they are done. It is very flavorful and so moist. Probably some of the best fried chicken in town. A great place to eat however this is not a sports bar type place so don't come here looking to see your game on TV,
(4)Laura T.
This place seemed to be a staple for family dining in Valley Junction. Kind of dark, very outdated decor, but a cozy red and white table cloth type feel, as we were led back to our booth to await a few friends. Since we were here to meet for a few drinks, I ordered a Grey goose and soda. Um, they don't have grey goose. Okay. Don't even think of asking for a wine list. Just go straight for the scotch. They must have Dewers. Whew. That was close. You realize you're not in DC when... ok, let me correct. You realize you're not in Rockville when the place is cleaned out and looking like its ready to close by 9pm. Although assured multiple times that we were welcome to continue to hang out, the pressure of knowing everyone was waiting around for us to leave was too much to bear. Drinks paid for, and we went on our way. Home. That's what you do in Iowa after 9pm on a Thursday night. Cows start milking at 4am!! ;-)
(3)Courtney R.
Thought the food tasted pretty good...until later that night. Woke up so sick! I see review below that this happened to another customer! It looks like the whole place needs a deep clean.
(1)Abigail K.
The pizza tasted good... And the salad was great but I got home and realized I had gotten a mild case of food poisoning. NEVER going there again. Too bad... The food was decent.
(2)Jess M.
Worst chicken parm I've ever had...ever
(1)Meliha H.
I ate at this branch for the first time in several years (we usually eat at the WDM beach on 50th--Tavern II). The onion rings were awesome and just like always. The pizza was good, but maybe not as good as the last time I was at Tavern II. Even so, the food is always awesome.
(3)