Really enjoyed this place for lunch last week. Â The space is really cool, and the service was very friendly and knowledgeable. Â I had the soup/salad combo. Â Salad was nothing to write home about, but the tomato soup was really good, and it came in an enormous bowl with a side of very good bread. Â BF had the veggie wrap and sweet potoato fries which he liked. Â
The beer was also good - a little weird that the beers are all named for women with caricatures of busty broads for each. Â Where's the hot guy beer?
Having read some previous reviews, I wasn't sure what to expect. It looked to me like they started shakey and improved. That seems to be the case.
We had very courteous wait staff, and no problems with any orders. The herbed fries were very good, and the antipasta plate was better than most you'll find.
Burger was great, pretzel roll was fantastic, they can frequently be too firm or bagel-y but not this one.
Tried the sampler and all beers were good; I found Ruthie the most appealing.
Decor was nice, a converted warehouse. Parking is indeed sparse but plenty of street parking nearby. Will return.
This is mostly a review of the tap room as I was unable to have dinner here at the time. Â I do like the atmosphere of the place. Â I like how they incorporated the warehouse feel into the place yet still was able to make it friendly for hanging out. Â Lots of high top tables and stools and a few TV's around the place to catch any sports on at the time. Â
I was able to try all of their beers on tap (currently 4 but sometimes they have a seasonal). Â Each seemed to fit the profile of the beer type they were aiming for nicely. Â The dunkel, called the Gigi, was one of my favorites. Â Beer is always better when it is fresh and it doesn't get much fresher than the brewery.
I did order the homemade potato chip app just to munch on. Â The flavor was good and the homemade dip was quite tasty. Â It was a little on the expensive side for basically chips and dip but expected at a brewpub like this. Â Not a huge fan of the fact the bathrooms are down in the basement only because it gets annoying trudging down and up the stairs after you've had a few beers. Â Otherwise though it is a great place and a great addition to the microbrewery scene forming around the Des Moines area.
Can't believe this place hasn't gotten more publicity! It is a really cozy place you could probably go with almost anyone - on a date, with a big group, with or without kids, whatever. The interior is really cool with a high warehouse ceiling, wood bar tables, comfy circular booths, and a backlit bar. One side of the restaurant is a "beer hall" with communal tables and the other side is a sit-down restaurant.
We sat in the "restaurant" section and ordered a few appetizers and entrees to share. Highlights were definitely the beer cheese soup and the remoulade sauce that comes with a few of the appetizers. Some of the dishes were nothing special - just typical American bar food - but nothing was too greasy or salty and everything was more than adequate.
Unfortunately I'd only give the beer 3 stars; we tried the Ruthie and the Betty and both definitely had a little of that watery homebrew taste, but they were refreshing and nice and certainly not offensive. Â
Our server was attentive and friendly - even if the food and beer wasn't the most amazing thing I've ever tasted, Exile is just really a cool place to hang out.
Between Exile, CabCo,and Hessen Haus, Downtown Des Moines has a wonderful collection of beer, food, and more beer.
For Exile, it began at the beer cheese soup. I thought I've had beer cheese soups in the past, but the velvet creaminess of this lovely bowl, the way my face was immediately met with both the sharp heavy tang of the cheese and the bitter roastiness of the beer, and the way it was garnished with beer nuts - it was as good as it gets. But it didn't stop there.
When you read something like "pork shank" on a menu, it's fairly innocuous. You don't expect to get presented with a dinosaur bone's worth of fork-tender pork braised pot roast-style, easily shoved into your mouth more times than you would think safe per your daily intake of pork consumption. Add in that pot roast gravy and a wonderful assortment of mushrooms and you could even forget about the heaping helping of polenta, as if you had room.
The beers were pretty solid, too, and unique in that the standard rotation consisted of nothing but German styles. Even if the names are a little misguided, I particularly enjoyed the Gigi dunkel lager and the Ruthie Munich Gold.
But even if you don't drink the beer, Exile has the culinary chops to guarantee a good plate of food. Even if that particular plate is larger than your head.
Stopped in from out of town (Milwaukee) with a few friends for appetizers and beers. Â The scotch egg appetizer was phenomenal. Â The egg and sausage were cooked to perfection and I was tempted to get another one. Â The GiGi (dunkel) was my favorite of the four beers available with the Betty (honey blond lager) in second. Â I will be returning for the entrees in a few months.
Review Source:I truly think Exile has the best burgers in Des Moines.
We've eaten here a handful of times since Exile opened, and I've always thought the food was much better than brewpub food had any right to be. On our last visit, I was mid-bite when it hit me: this is the best burger in Des Moines. I truly can't think of a better burger at any other restaurant. The pretzel bun is what really does it for me - it's incredible. I like the regular cheeseburger, but there are plenty of dressed up options too for those that like their burgers loaded down with bacon, fried eggs, etc. I'm really serious - Exile has amazing burgers.
The other food is great too, and the beer is getting steadily better as more "girls" are introduced (my new favorite is Gigi, a dark malty ale). We've eaten fantastic mac and cheese, a truly heavenly beet/goat cheese/arugula appetizer, and LOTS of burgers here. I should explain that I'm not a huge burger person and it's rarely the first thing I choose on a menu, but I almost always order one at Exile. Really.
I was really shocked to see so many low reviews for this place when it's one of my new "regulars" in Des Moines. I can only imagine that a lot of those reviewers visited Exile upon its initial opening, when there were definitely some kinks in service and things were still being worked out in the kitchen. Exile has definitely improved, and in my opinion, it's one of the most exciting new restaurants in Des Moines.
Last but not least... I really love that Exile has taken so  much care to convert an existing building that's part of Des Moines history. The interior is fantastic, there's plenty of space, the decor is really stunning, and yet the dining area feels warm and friendly. It's a place that you want to spend time in, whether you're dropping by for a drink or eating a meal (get the burger).
I'll be back... for the burgers.
Had dinner and drinks here on 11/17. Had been told that the place has good food, a great environment and terrible beer. I completely agree. When we arrived we were pleased with the environment, the building is amazing and the decor is phenomenal. The service was excellent and the food was decent. However, they market themselves as a brewery, the beer is terrible. I had one of the newest ones (the name slips my mind), the server said that it was the 'hoppiest' that they had on tap. It barely tasted like anything above water. I was so happy that I had only ordered the pint and at that I didn't even finish it. I'll give it another try at some point, but I was utterly disappointed in the beer.
Review Source:Went here for dinner and was nervous after seeing all the bad reviews...but was pleasantly surprised. My husband and I are from Chicago and go to breweries all the time...and we liked this one! The atmosphere is awesome! I got the pork shank and it was AMAZING! You could easily split this with someone too! The meal came with soup or salad. My husband got the beer cheese soup...yummy! Then the side salad was fresh and a good size! The beer was very good too! I would definitely recommend this place...great addition to Des Moines.
Review Source:I had dinner here on 11/2 - just finally getting caught up on my Yelping - shocked to see so many low reviews for this place. We had a group of 7 for dinner on the Friday night and we were able to make reservations so I am not sure what another reviewer was talking about. Maybe they changed their policy after his experience. The fried pickles were boring but everything else we ordered was delicious! The "lacey fries" are among the best sweet potato fries I have had and the antipasta plate was quite plentiful - enough for the entire group to share. Someone had the house chips but I forgot to ask her how they were. For main dishes, we had the fish and chips, two different burgers, mac & cheese and the nightly special which was a HUGE fresh caught fish- it was larger than my friend's plate and he was very pleased with the preparation and flavor. Among the group, we tried each of the beers and they were all fine - nothing spectacular but all good. The bartender makes some great cocktails as well.
For me, the most important aspect of dining is the service and our server, Brendan, was amazing. He was friendly, attentive and knowledgable. Our group can be a bit demanding but he handled our requests with ease and speed. My most finicky friend even went to find the manager to compliment Brendan on his work. I was so pleased with my experience that I tipped 40%.
I have to think some of the bad reviews came when this place was new and it seems they have worked out the flaws because my experience was really great and I look forward to going back very soon.
Not good. Â I have been there twice. Â Food was bad. Â Service terrible and the beer sucked. Â The place wasn't busy and we had to wait forever for a waiter to notice us. Â The wait staff also clears dishes without asking if you were done first, which we weren't. Â I have been to many brew pubs and have never had such tasteless and watery beer. Â Gets one star for a nice building. Â Sorry but they have a lot of work to do.
Review Source:Thrilled we have another brew pub downtown but it is very evident that they RUSHED the opening of this place. Â Here is my review in bullet points:
*Great dining/drinking environment... they put some money in the remodel and this is a good space to have fun with large groups.
*The food is good... so far so good.
*Burgers are completely mediocre... had to order by default, see next bullet
*Had one of the best Philly Sandwiches for lunch here... and specifically came here to enjoy it the following week for dinner and this seemed to be the ONLY lunch sandwich not on the dinner menu. Â I asked for them to make it and the cooks/managers advised that "they were not set up to make Philly Sandwiches... items were in the cooler," they said. Â Not accommodating something so simple is insane... send a line cook to the cooler to get the meat, pull a bun from the bun rack where all the buns are because you use this same bun on other sandwiches, and grill up some steak, onion, peppers, slap it on the toasted bun and melt the cheese... Is this worth losing a customer?
*Last but not least... the beer has far from been mastered... it is clear that the brews are 100% amateur and don't even compare to above average home brews that I have tasted. Â
Exile has a lot of potential but a long way to go and it seems like the rest of Yelp agrees. Â I hope they take the feedback as constructive... we all want to love this place but we're being held back.
Really cool place! Â Exile only had one of their beers on tap for my visit (Hannah) which was a easy drinking hefeweizen. Â They had 5 or so other regional brews on tap. Â I ordered the lamb sliders which were perfectly cooked and served on a toasted bun. Â I can't speak for the restaurant side of things, but I really enjoyed my visit to the bar. Â Great chill atmosphere and excellent addition to the Western Gateway.
Review Source:First let me say I really wanted to give Exile 5 stars. I'm thrilled that a brewery has opened in the Western Gateway of downtown. I love the old building and how they have managed to include so much of the original features even if the acoustics are terrible in the dining room area.
I have been here 4 times, three times to eat and once to drink beer on the outside patio. At this point they only have one beer - Hannah and are serving other Iowa beers. When I sat outside just to drink beer it was fine. Yes there are large picnic tables and you might need to sit at the same one some other people are, its ok.
The service for dinning has really be hit or miss. Â The first time it was great, the second time pretty bad, but we could tell our waiter was new so cut him some slack. The last time staff kept trying to box up our food while we were still eating. I'm not sure what was going on, maybe they wanted to open up the table.
I've had a burger each time - I love the pretzel bun. The last time there was still wrapper paper left on the burger! I'm not sure how this happens as it is white and if the cook were paying the slightest bit of attention would see it! A different time one of my fellow dinners ordered the fish and chips and ended up with a fried pickle instead of a piece of fish. We did point it out to the waiter and received a piece of fish, but still. Â Another companion had the schnitzel and found it bland and unremarkable which is unfortunate as it is one of the more expensive menu options.
I think they maybe having a bit of a identity crisis - some menu items indicate they are trying to be more of a gastropub but they don't really have the menu to back it or the ambiance.
Hopefully these issues will work themselves out. I really do want this place to success.
I give the food a 3 but the building/ambiance/style a 5. I think this place will end up being a hidden gem as it is tucked away in West Downtown. The Hannah beer that they brew was amazingly good. I ordered the Juicy Lucy which traditionally is a cheese stuffed burger originating from the Twin cities..this one was just a cheese burger. It was ok, on a really good bun and served with some pretty good fries. I still want to try the food a couple more times. The patio is awesome and I plan to go there again with a group of friends. Check out my full review and pictures on my blog and other Des Moines eateries.
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I've been there 4 times now, about once a week for dinner over the last 5 weeks. I like the place, but they've got to work on their speed. Again last night, my friend Todd and I waited almost an hour for our burgers and the place wasn't that busy at 7:30 pm. An hour wait for 2 burgers and 2 fries seems like a long time. I told Todd, it's been that long every time I've eaten there. Not sure how anyone eats there during their lunch hour, but maybe they have more cooks at that time.
Review Source:Bad, just bad! I hate giving bad reviews but I have to be honest. I was extremely disappointed. Â I was excited for this place to open downtown as we need more variety and decent food. The building is very cool and fits into the surrounding area nicely. We went there on a Sunday night and decided to sit outside as it was a nice night out. I was told that Sunday night is a limited menu which is a mistake on their part.
I am still trying to figure out what kind of food category they are trying to be in. I think they are trying for American/German, its not working. Back to the drawing board! Looked over the menu, I am not a picky eater whatsoever and found it hard to find something that looked appetizing. The food was bland and I think they were trying to be trendier on the food than they need to be. Basic ingredients for a successful restaurant are GOOD FOOD with FRESH INGREDIENTS and GOOD SERVICE. It seems like places focus more on "Hey look at my cool building and I hope you don't mind our bad food."
Ill sum it up real quick
Pros
-Cool Building and Ambiance
-Nice patio
Cons
-FOOD, horrible, ordered the jerk chicken wings and a burger, Chicken wings we only ate two of and set out. The waitress did take this off our order which was nice as we didn't even complain about it, she just noticed we didn't eat very much.
Burger they said was hand pattied but they didn't ask how we wanted it cooked so I am assuming it wasn't. very bland, bun was weird pretzel type. Fries, greasy and soggy hand cut fries
-BEER, this is a brewery and they only had one beer available, I will give them the benefit of the doubt as they just opened. The beer was "just ok" nothing to rave about. Was served almost warm.
-PRICES, 13 dollars for a burger?? It better be damn good or have gold flakes in the middle, it was neither of these things.
I will give them one more try in the next couple of months as they are just now opening but  if the food tastes the same then I definitely won't be going back.
Called for a reservation on Friday night, host told me they don't do weekend reservations and I could drink in the bar, she kept saying drink in the bar. Â 1). I don't drink at all 2) I don't want to drive from the Jordan Creek area to then find out I'm gonna have to wait another hour. Â Stupid policy, why punish the planners. Â Bet they take any reservation they can get in Jan and Feb.
Review Source:This place just had their soft opening last Friday. We dropped in here for the first time to check out the place. We were greeted enthusiastically by the owner??, hostess and other staff and seated in the annex (dining area). The interior of the annex matched the rest of the main building (refurbished industrial) with tasteful trim and wall decorations as seen in most revitalized early twentieth century buildings. The main entrance is on the north side facing Walnut with the annex on the west end and the beer hall on the left (east) side, The patio sits outside of the beer hall in a fair sized area that is protected from the evening sun by the bulk of the multi storied building. Personally, I would prefer individual tables, but for now at least the patio is full of park sized picnic tables. It works, but not very aesthetically pleasing. The exterior has been tastefully redone, with retro styled lighting and is very stylish. And I forgot to snap a shot of the front of the building.
  The server was very friendly, as was every other employee we encountered. They have a nice selection of beers on tap, and are in the process of brewing the first of four regular beers along with two additional seasonal beers. We ordered the "bag o chips" appetizer witch is literally a brown paper bag of crispy potato chips. This being the first week of operation might explain why the chips were lukewarm and a little soggy, and that they arrived After the entrees had been served. The "German Food" had sausage, pork and cabbage in plentiful portions and was deemed very tasty. The Shepards pie was well prepared with large pieces of brisket and tasty veggies in a medium thick broth topped by a crust made of squash. The consistency resembled a creamy mashed potato topping, and was accompanied by a couple slices of toasted bread. For this type of dish my gold standard id the Guiness steak pie at the Royal Mile, but this would serve fine as an substitute. The apple cobbler was pleasant, but serve a little too hot as the ice cream became just cream almost as soon as it hit the table.
 Almost forgot the beer, which is a focal point for this establishment. We only tried the Maibach , a light amber beer that was very smooth. I'm looking forward to trying some of the beers they are brewing that will be ready in the next week or so.
 Overall, this modest review may seem a little negative, but I think this place has the moxie to shoulder it's way into the downtown market and compete with the Court Avenue crew. It's a little off the beaten path, but with plenty of parking and just a block south of Papajohns Sculpture Park, it will fit the downtown market well. A few weeks of operation will smooth out the wrinkles in the system that all new restaurants experience and I'm looking forward to my next visit to Exile Brewing Company.
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