AJ’s on East Court

Staff is decent but the people that come to this bar is not Des Moines. They are rude and inconsiderate… Many think they are better than most and are high class. They are trash. They get the bar tenders on their side and do not accept anyone who don’t come in on a regular basis… I live a block away so I could come here often but I wouldn’t in a million years.

Well this place has been one of the most popular destinations for Karaōke in town for years, yet I have never made it there until this week!
Positives:
1. They have wireless mics, so you can pretty much do Karaōke from anywhere in the bar
2. They have some weird song selections most notably MIDNIGHT BLUE a deep ELO CUT!
3. They have some cheep beers!
Negatives:
1. They have pool tables, but they watch them like a hawk, aka dont put your stocking cap down on one. You might get thrown in bar jail!
2. Having pool tables in the middle of the room makes it hard for navigating a good standing spot to socialize.
But all in all a pretty fun spot if you are looking to do some Karaōke.
Just dont get excited to be on a stage, cause there is none!
Bathrooms are pretty clean, and the staff seemed nice!
Go bust out a tune! and show off your stuff in this no thrills environment!

Wonderful staff makes the karaōke experience fun and special. A great group of people frequent the charming place and like I said before, the staff is really caring and lots of fun. Thanks for two fun evenings.

We had a lovely time here! My daughter and my adopted daughter were visiting me and one of them was leaving that night but she really wanted to sing karaōke in Iowa. So we chose AJ’s. Great choice! The atmosphere was nice and the karaōke was very enjoyable!
Thanks AJ’s for giving my girl a good Iowan karaōke experience! She does karaōke in California all the time and she really loved this!

Awesome spot to chill and relax, enjoy a few rounds of karaōke. Wonderful atmosphere and outstanding people.

Recently my buddy and I came through Des Moines, Iowa on our quest to sing Karaōke in all 50 states (Iowa served as #32) and we chose to spend our evening at AJ’s on East Court. We could not have chosen better. My friend and I are both originally from Michigan, but currently live in LA and NY respectively, we were overwhelmed by the outpouring of MidWest hospitality. Immediately upon telling the Karaōke host EVA about our quest we were welcomed wholeheartedly into the karaōke fold. Eva was the best, respected the rotation, kept the crowd into it the whole night and had a mean set of pipes herself. We also got to chat with the owners (who were also tending bar!) Dave and Christa, they were fantastic hosts that were happy to tell us all about their business over a glass of whiskey at closing time.
The whole evening was wonderful. I’d say my biggest tip for AJ’s would be is if you get there a little early and things are a little slow… wait…something amazing will happen. For us it was 2 bachelorette parties having a crazy dance off, your results may vary, but you won’t be disappointed.

Awesome place! My favorite Karaōke bar.
2 pool tables, a dart machine, and karaōke 5 nights a week! There are always specials.
Nice updated patio. You never have to worry about some big fight breaking out. Women can go there alone and not have a thing to worry about because Dave, the owner, has your back.
Ninjas forever!

This is about as cookie-​cutter as it gets for a divey karaōke bar. Nothing fancy about this place — they even have Boone’s Farm advertised in the women’s bathroom stalls. If you can embrace it and let loose for some good down-​home karaōke, this is your place.
Although, I was quite pleased to see a relatively decent selection of craft beer in their cooler… the Boone’s Farm was just so tempting. (Insert sarcasm here.)

Great place! Had wonderful memories here. Love the Karaōke. Staff is friendly.

Dave is way cool and they have karaōke 4 days a week! Karaōke dj is AWESOME! I had a blast. Oh they also have pool tournaments! Great bar I will be back…

Dave the owner is awsome! Great beer selection. Nice, clean, modern bar in the east village.

A little hidden bar east of the river on Court. Fairly small place, not much character but the drinks are cold and reasonably priced. Has a pool table or two and has a Golden Tee and Silver Strikes game tucked away in the corner. Since this bar is separated away from most of the action of Court it doesn’t tend to get too busy on peak nights.

A great place for a night out with friends. AJ’s has karaōke, pool tables and a great staff. The bartender, Dave, is very friendly and is devoted to ensuring patrons are having a good time. The location may seem out of the way, but its just a short walk from the bars on Court Ave. If you looking for a chill atmosphere, great drinks specials and a night of karaōke, this is your place.