For Tori C. It's a shame that no one has told you about all of the amazing restaurants in town. Try Django (open Monday and no corking fee). It is no fuss French food, wonderful raw oysters (yes please!) and the scallops.. yum!
There are some great places in the East Village, too. Luca and Alba to name 2 (also open Mondays). Â There is also an amazing French restaurant in Windsor Heights- Baru 66.
For more relaxed menu, price and surroundings, try Fongs, Cafe Fusion or Thai Flavors. You will not be disappointed.
I will say that Sbrocco's does have stellar presentation. Beyond that, the food does not speak for the cost of the dish. While the menu is written eloquently, the preparation is nothing that any decent cook would not be able to replicate at home. The price of the appetizers here is equivalent to the cost of most entrees at quality restaurants.
Last time I got: Pan-seared organic chicken breast w/ sherry demi-glace, fingerling potatoes & spring ragout of peas, artichokes, asparagus & tomatoes.Overall, I was left unimpressed. And the portion size was average, enough so that $30 did not leave me with any leftovers. For starters, I tried their artisan cheese plate with a glass of Inkberry Shiraz. Ehh, mehh.
I left quite perplexed, at the end of the day. I figure that the ratings may be so high because of the lack of competition in DSM. I will not be returning.
My wife and I ate here last week, opting for a series of small plates as opposed to a main entree.
The food: Good to very good, but not excellent.  For the prices they were charging  the portions were a little small. Â
Wine: Huge selection of wines with servers who appear knowledgeable about wine.
Ambiance: This and the wait staff is what moves this restaurant for me from 3 to 4 stars. Â Very good place for couples.
Service: Quiet, professional, unobtrusive, friendly.
Will return.
Working Mon-Thurs in Des Moines has been a struggle, mainly due to the lack of restaurants and the preconceived notion that Jimmy Johns is acceptable because it is close and cheap. Â Meh. Â Luckily we discovered through our hotel concierge (who would have thought?), Sbrocco! Â It's open on Monday! Â They didn't bitch about the kitchen closing in 40 min! Â The decor/ambiance is vintage chic! Â It's a wine bar! Â Our waitress was stellar!
In fact, we loved this place so much, we went back 2 days later. Â Have I mentioned yet that the food is awesome? Â Lobster beignets?? What? Â So good. Â Crabcakes were the best I've had, and I don't even like crabcakes much. Â My roast chicken had a bone in it, which I hate, and I loved it! Â Wine flights! Â Spicy wine! Â Yum. Â I can't say enough good things. Â One more...apple crumble dessert thing. Â Oh god. Â So good,
Only drawback is that it is on the pricier side. Â I will be convincing my co-workers to go back. Â As much as possible before we leave at end of March.
The market salad was perfect. Â The right ratio of (yummy) dressing to salad and nice items added on. Â LOVED the sweet potato gnocchi! Â Great selection of wines, I tried a flight. Â Surprisingly not crowded. Â I'd definitely go back, especially on the wine deal nights. Â My only wish is for a main floor bathroom.
Review Source:Let's start with the "negative' - the food here is nothing to write home about. I've never had anything downright BAD here, but nothing is ever amazing, either. Last time, for example, I had very nicely-cooked scallops with a bit too much sticky-sweet sauce, greasy beef skewers with lovely maytag blue cheese mousse, and an average creme brulee for dessert.
So why does this place still get 4 stars from me? No other place on Court Avenue has food that is even remotely edible, and more importantly, Sbrocco's wine selection is probably one of the best in Des Moines. They offer multiple flights of both whites and reds, and have a lot of interesting Californian, South American, and Southern Hemisphere wines you won't find at any other restaurant in the Plains. The service is friendly and helpful, and the bartenders will give very honest, knowledgeable recommendations if you ask.
Bottom line - sit at the bar, order a few things if you're hungry, and let the bartenders know what you like; they won't disappoint you!
I feel like Sbrocco and I will become great friends because:
Sbrocco has lots of wine. Â Hey, I like wine!
Scrocco has a lovely ambience. Â ::swoon::
Sbrocco has gourmet sounding food. Â I really, really like food. Â
My friend and I had some wine and dessert this past weekend. Â No dinner, although the menu looked pretty awesome. Â Also, they occasionally hold wine/beer dinners, which happens to be one of my most favorite things in the entire world, and I am not exaggerating.
I savored my glass of sparkling. Â Bubbles present and plentiful. Â I say this because earlier in the evening, at another restaurant I was served completely flat "sparkling wine". Â Â My friend had a flight, because why the hell not?! Â I tasted her selections, and they were all tasty. Â We split a slice of a super rich chocolate cake. Â It was so dense and fudgey, like flourless cake. Â Mmm!
I also love they serve their wines in Riedel stemware. Â Clearly, they don't fuck around. Â
Ooh and they do happy hour on weekdays(?), where most of their wines are $5 a glass. Â I'll be doing this. Â A lot.
My wife and I took the family out to Sbracco last night. Truthfully just ok. Fish overcooked, pork osso buco tasted like it was cooked 5 days ago, wild rice no salt, no salt on the table. Â The bone in pork belly, wait for it, no bone! Â the waiter broke the cork in the wine bottle of a very highly prized Syrah. Â Waiter was just ok too, I suppose. Â Thought he was a know it all. Â Keep the cork out of my wine! Â Brought out the food and set it on the next table so he could set the flatware. Â On and on. Â
Where the hell is Chef Meeks? Â
I don't like to waste my money. Â Next time we will try the one down the street.
Took my wife out for a beautiful dinner at Sbrocco and was not blown away by the food but the service was fantastic. Â The ambience of the wine bar was great. Â Other than we were seated RIGHT next to two other gentlemen that were eating. Â My wife and I both felt like we were sitting in the same booth as them. Kind of awkward.
We started our meal with a lobster noodle social plate top with caviar. Â Very good! Â It was a little tricky to eat as a social plate but we managed to eat it all. Â For the main course I ordered a braised pork shank with bacon mashed potatoes and was not impressed. Â I had high expectations and was completely let down. Â The pork was cooked properly but had zero flavor. Â Not sure if they were trying to have the all-natural free range pork speak for itself, but if so they missed completely. Â I ended up adding a lot of pepper to just give it something. Â The bacon mashed potatoes were good and the three asparagus spears they laid on top were also good. Â My wife went outside of the box and ordered the skate wing dinner (fish similiar to a sting ray) and it was really good! Â Not very often do I really wish I would have ordered what my wife did but this time I was jealous. Â It was a sweet fish with great texture and prefectly seasoned.
I have not given up on Sbrocco and we will be back again...But fail me once shame on me; fail me twice shame on you.
I had heard mixed reviews from friends about Sbrocco. Â Some loved it but said that was before they changed the menu. Â Others had said do not bother with going. Â We found out for ourselves this Saturday night. Â We made a reservation which I would recommend as every table was full.
The small tables were really close together and you could hear each other's conversations. Â Not ideal! Â They did have a decently sized menu and wine list. Â I started out with a glass of Malbec which was very good. Â My fiance had the Sam Adams Seasonal.
We opted to split a few small plates. Â We started with the Scallops and Lobster Pot Pie. Â The Scallops were delicious! Â They were so tender and probably the best I have had in Des Moines. Â The Lobster Pot Pie was good. Â Next we had the Pork Belly and Chicken & Dumplings. Â The Pork Belly was also very good. Â The Chicken & Dumplings were salty which did not make me like them.
Our bill was right around $90 for the 4 small plates and 4 drinks. Â I feel that was too much money for what we had although most everything was good.
As most knowers know, prior to Sbrocco, Chef Meek ruled Des Moines atop Sage. Â Unfortunately, Sage is gone. Â Rejoice! Â Sbrocco is a fine, still small, establishment with excellent fare. Â Further, the addtion of a wine bar completes the offering(s) one can experience at Sbrocco. Â FYI, there's a cellar full of special vino... Â The Duck Confit & risotto here is hilarious it's so good. Â Please don't go here...too many people already do...
Review Source:This place is a pretty great location for lunch downtown on a weekday. Â The lunch menu has several tasty looking options and are very reasonably priced. Â I was intrigued by the Thai cucumber salad available as a side option, and it turned out to be very good! Â Service was prompt, professional and very attentive. Â I found this place to be a much better lunch place than the standard Court Avenue fare.
Review Source:I was in DSM visiting my Best Friend and we were looking for a place downtown for a small bite/drink. Â I had googled a few places prior to coming to town (being from Las Vegas, I wanted to find someplace cool to go), and thought that Sbrocco looked pretty nice. Â We sat at the bar and were immediately approached by a friendly bartender. Â We were given menus as well as the wine list and she offered to answer any questions that we may have. Â We settled on getting a cheese plate and 2 flights (one white and one red). Â Everything was reasonably priced, and the cheese we had was amazing! When my friend disliked one of the wines in the flight, the bartender actually brought a glass of something she thought that she would like better, at no additional cost. Â We left full and with a nice little buzz, so all in all it was a wonderful evening. Â My friend recently told me that she took her parents back there when they visited, and that she is always recommending it to friends. Â She finds it amazing that an out of towner found a cool place to go, that she had never heard of!
Review Source:I was visiting my best friend in DSM and was referred to this place by the nice guys down at West End Architecture and Salvage. I was VERY impressed that they served our pinot noir in a actual "pinot noir" glass. Then....even MORE impressed they served osso bucco. Great menu, great service, and ambiance. I actually forgot I was fine dining in Iowa for a second. Thanks Sbrocco for putting a great restaurant in Iowa.
Review Source:For food, I give Sbrocco 3 stars, for ambiance, service, and drinks, I give 5, so it evens out to 4.
I had dinner a few nights ago with some coworkers and we had a lovely time. The space is gorgeous, comfy, lit well. The bartender was very friendly and fun, our server was wonderful, helpful, and extremely attentive. The timing of courses and service was also fabulous.
Our food was just good - not superb. The charceuterie plate was nice, the pickled vegetables were fantastic. The babaghanouj was tasty, but really overpowering in garlic. My skate wing was cooked well, and the polenta under it was well seasoned but pretty gummy, and a few of the garnishes were stone cold (meant to be warm). I tried both dishes of my dining companions', and they had similar problems. The duck was wonderful, well seasoned, well cooked, and beautiful. The pork chop was a little overdone, and the side dish was this bizarre pile of chopped (raw!) celery and some cooked apples and fingerling potatoes. We couldn't quite figure it out. Our dessert of Southern Comfort candied ginger ice cream was sadly very freezer burned and almost flavorless.
Our wines were wonderful and very VERY reasonably priced. We all agreed at the end of the meal we'd definitely be back to Sbrocco, but probably just for an appetizer and (several) glasses of wine.
Stopped in during the month of November for their winter wine testing event. Â A friend and I had a great time discovering several new wines. Â I have found a great bubbly and a delicious bottle I intend to use this summer for sangria....stayed tuned!
Definitely plan on attending more of their wine tastings!
Stopped in for a glass (or two) of wine after dinner last night with a few friends. Â The set up at Sbrocco is great, with the ability to sit at the bar with the ambiance of a tasting room at a winery. Â The staff was really helpful in selecting our wines but definitely gave us room to chat and make decisions for ourselves. Â
The wines were really solid and they had a great selection. Â The ambiance was great and we really enjoyed ourselves.
Fantastic food, great service, romantic atmosphere! Â I had the duck with cherry risotto and my companion had the lamb and we were both very pleased with our selections and I would certainly recommend either of them without hesitation. We had the butternut squash ravioli as an appetizer and the utterly decadent Templeton Rye torte for dessert.
Also, as a wine novice, I found the wait staff very helpful with selecting an appropriate glass from their large menu of wines - I was completely out of my league attempting to choose something to go with the duck, and our waiter helped steer me towards more appropriate selections in various price ranges.
We dined on a Thursday evening, so the restaurant was not crowded and fairly quiet. We will certainly come back again!
I loved Sbrocco! Â For the thifty gourmand, it's one of the best places to stop in Des Moines. Â I typically like to head to Trostel's Dish when I want a transcendent eating experience, but Sbrocco was easier on the wallet and less crowded.
We learned about Sbrocco when visiting the Farmer's Market. Â They were offering wine and cheese tastings free of charge! Â What a deal! Â I'm on the email list, and they seem to have weekly wine tasting events, which are usually free or a nominal fee. Â
They offer a full wine shop where you can buy a bottle and take it home, or to the restaurant with no corkage fee. Â If you just want wine by the glass, there is an excellent selection at very reasonable prices. Â The food is just as good if not better than the wine and, again, very reasonably priced for the quality. Â The waitstaff is knowledgeable and helpful in selecting good pairings.
Sbrocco is a rare find: a non-snobby, financially accessible wine bar with outstanding cuisine. Â If only it was in the western suburbs, I'd probably be here every week.
This place is so cute! Â Went there with some friends when I was visiting and we had a great time, super chill, relaxing place. Â Even though its right down the street from the usual sat. nite downtown crowd, none of the douche bags managed to find there way here, which is awesome. Â I will definitely stop back in when I'm in dsm again.
Review Source:I've had the pleasure of wining and dining at Sbrocco Wine Bar & Wine Shop (515-282-3663) at 208 Court Avenue in downtown Des Moines three times since it opened earlier this year. Sbrocco is a restaurant, wine bar, and wine shop located in a building with a rich history. Their menu focuses on fresh, local, organic, and seasonal ingredients.
My family and I ate dinner at Sbrocco in August. My brother-in-law and sister are wine connoisseurs. He ordered fine red and white wines for our group. The third time he ordered a bottle of the red, they were out of it. Instead they served us a more expensive bottle of a similar type of wine and charged us the same price as the less expensive one.
I had the Maple Leaf Duck. This boneless duck breast was served with root vegetable croquettes, sauteed spinach, and roasted shallot demi-glace. It was delicious and was modestly priced at $14.95.
A friend and I ate lunch at Sbrocco in September. I drank iced tea instead of wine that day. I had the ham, brie, and pears on homemade bread sandwich. It was only $5.95. It was a big sandwich but it was dry and didn't have much flavor.
My mother and two lady friends and I ate lunch at Sbrocco last week. Mom and I split a wine flight. There were three medium-bodied white imports of 2 oz each. I liked all three of them, but she liked only one.
I had the oven roasted turkey with brie and cranberry mustard sandwich. It was very good, big, and reasonably priced at $6.95. My mom had a bowl of the roasted acorn and butternut squash bisque for $3.95. It was scrumptious.
The lunch menu offers a cup of soup and half of any of seven sandwiches for the price of the sandwich. Unfortunately there's no soup and salad special. The salads sound excellent.
Sbrocco's menu includes beef, chicken, fish, pasta, and dessert. The restaurant is classily urban and has a fabulous ambiance. The long bar has wines on tap. The wait staff is pleasant and efficient.
The wine shop in the basement features cheeses, meats, olives, and an eclectic wine selection. The wine cellar is available for parties. Wine and cheese classes are held Wednesdays at 6PM. Wine tastings are Thursdays from 5 to 8PM.
Sbrocco is conveniently located right around the corner from my apartment. I look forward to going there by myself from time to time to relax, have a glass of wine for $4, and a side of macaroni and cheese for $1.95. Sbrocco is one of the best restaurants in Des Moines. It will impress Central Iowans as well as out-of-towners from small towns or big cities such as New York.
There are several truly wonderful things about Sbrocco:
1. Â The wine list. Â There is something for everyone - a great range of prices and varietals, along with very reasonably priced (and delicious!) flights - 3 different red flights and 3 white flights. Â I doubt anyone could look at this wine list and not find something appealing.
2. Â The interior. Â The shape of the bar is conducive to small groups, the decor is sleek but warm and unpretentious, and the architectural-salvage feel makes for a great vibe. Â
3. Â The fact that on opening night of a show at the Civic Center, we were seated right away and had our food in plenty of time to get to the theater, a mere block away. Â What a great location!
4. Â The food!! Â Wow. Â First, I had a terrible time deciding because everything looked fantastic and interesting. Â Here's what I tried:
Sweet corn bisque - nice, very well done, and unexpected, but not over-the-top amazing.
Bacon-wrapped parmigiana polenta - very good. Â
Pommes Frites - I like them better at Django, but these were quite respectable and even better when used to sop up the extra Gouda cream sauce from the polenta.
NY Strip Steak - I am not kidding when I say this is some of the best steak I've ever had... just so flavorful, juicy, and prepared perfectly. Â Maybe the strongest selling point was the accompanying lobster mashed potatoes which I will certainly attempt to order a la carte the next time around. Â Also accompanied by fresh asparagus - I've eaten so much bad asparagus in restaurants lately that I'd almost forgotten how much I like it. Â
The only minus - it drives me crazy when restaurants don't take reservations. Â I'm a planner and I like to know that we'll have plenty of time to enjoy our meal. Â Luckily they were not excessively busy at 5:45... though I have to think that the pre-show traffic from the Civic Center will only increase as more and more people find out about Sbrocco.
I still have not ventured downstairs to the wine store, but I will absolutely be back!
The interior of this place is perfect they could not improve on it if they tried. The half ellipses fit our group of 6 perfectly and we can see and talk to each other. Also the atmosphere is not pretentious or stuffy so that is a big bonus!
We went and purchased 3 bottles of wine from the wine shop downstairs and brought them up (there is a corking fee). All three wines were brilliant! Good job on the selection by the wine guru downstairs.
We ordered a cheese plate. I do not like brie, but good lord their brie there made me a fan. Maybe they put crack in it I don't know but freaking good!
I did order the duck appetizer as some one in our group said "It taste like a duck slim jim." To be honest the seasoning on the Duck did kind of taste slim jimish. They should think about replacing the Duck on the starters with the root vegetable croquettes! They croquettes would make a much better appetizer then the Duck on a stick.
For my entree I had the House Burger made of ground New York strip. The fries were awesome the burger was a little on the salty side. A side note my friends food came before mine because another waiter served my food to the wrong table. I was ok because we were enjoying wine and having a good conversation. It was a bad screw up, I could see someone getting mad about that.
My friends duck entree is what I will get next time I go. To the duck that made our meal happen you did not die in vane! This dish celebrated your duck life and you dance on my taste buds with the small bite i had!
They just need to fix some small things about this place and it will be a 5 star establishment. The decor was fantastic the service could come up just a touch and they just need to lighten up on the salt in the burgers.
I will be going back for sure! I have to try the Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp are you kidding me!
Long review short here is what you do:
Get six friends chip in $20 each
Go downstairs tell the wine guy that you have $100 give us three wines
Order a cheese plate and some of the appetizers and share them
or
Each get one of the entrees I say go for the Duck!
All in all this will be a great night with friends.
Wow. Â I honestly didn't think I'd find many places to write home about in Des Moines, but Sbrocco was a fantastic find for us. Â They haven't been open for very long, but so far, so good! Â This cute little wine bar has a upscale, modern feel - unexpected for a joint in Des Moines. Â
We sat at the bar. Â We really liked what they did with the space - instead of having just one long and straight bar, there were 4 or so half-ellipses that seat 4-5 people. Â Sitting at the bar with more than 1 friend can be a pain with a traditional long & straight setup, but this was nice as we could all sit at the bar and the folks on each end of the group could still see/hear each other. Â
The wine list was nice. Â They offer bottles, wines by the glass, and flights. Â I had a flight of whites that was delicious. Â The boyfriend had a flight of reds that he really enjoyed. Â And the prices were reasonable - a flight was $7-$10 (being from Chicago, I'm used to greater than $10 for a flight). Â
They also have a full menu that looks really tasty, but we didn't partake. Â We'll have to try it on a future trip. Â
The downstairs area is more of a wine store - lots of bottles available for retail purchase. Â They also do tastings, which looks to be a lot of fun.
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