Royal Mile

Ate lunch here today and asked if they were showing FA Cup soccer match tomorrow– if so, I planned to come in again.
The bartender loudly told the waitress to tell the customer «to look it up on their fucking smart phones.»

Came by to watch the Everton match, they set up a tv just for me, Jay was the bartender and he was great, gave me some good info on the local breweries, very knowledgeable. Atmosphere was excellent there were people eating breakfast and other soccer fans watching other matches, all staff was excellent!

In town for the Des Moines Marathon and found this place. Awesome atmosphere, outstanding drink selections, & the food was fantastic! We split the Shepard’s Pie and the Beef Pot Roast and both dishes were incredible.

Excellent food and reasonable price but the service wasn’t the greatest. We were a party of five, bill was about $ 80, gave the waitress $ 40 tip regardless of how unfriendly and slow she was. We had the same waitress when we came back a month later. She remembered us, and she gave us the same substandard service.

So call me a snob, but this place was disappointing as heck. There was a group of six of us, and service wasn’t bad. Our server was a very nice guy, things moved along pretty smoothly, he made sure my water was full.
I got the King Henry’s salad. It had pears. I thought they would at least be sautéed or something. Nope. Straight out of the can and on to my plate. Ick. The lettuce wasn’t dried after washing either. The whole dish tasted watered down and flavorless and when I got to the bottom there was a left over puddle. The balsamic dressing was creamy. I didn’t know that was even a thing that existed. Creamy balsamic dressing? No thank you. I was hungry, so I ate it. At least it was edible?
The rest of the group got more traditional English dishes. Fish and Chips and Shepherd’s Pie and whatnot. Reviews across the table were pretty much the same, «fine, but it tastes like it was dumped out of a can.» I think the Fish and Chips was the only dish the group was impressed by.
Also got a scotch egg. It was huge. And had cheese? Actually it seemed like they put cheese a lot of places it didn’t belong… Maybe it’s a cultural critique? Probably the cook just likes cheese.
Honestly, the second star only made it up there because it looked like a fun enough place to drink.

I did hope for a much better experience based on the Unilocal reviews, but unfortunately this wasn’t up to snuff. I have spent some time in London and love visiting authentic pubs state side. This was not one of them, although they try admirably.
Pros:
–Scotch egg was great
–London Pride on draft, among other great options!
Cons:
–Cheese on everything?! Steak and Guinness pie covered in canned gravy and cheese is just… wrong!
–Happy hour advertised but when the bill came we were not given the $ 1 off drafts
Food was edible, service was good, but it just wasn’t an authentic experience as I wanted.

The fish and chips is where it’s at, although, I’ve never had a bad food experience at the mile. Great beer and scotch selection. Love the atmosphere. You will be pleased.

Let me start by saying I love the food and beers of Royal Mile and that is just about the only reason to come here. It sounds like the same story over and over again but in downtown Des Moines the story REALLY IS almost always the same. There are renown chefs, fresh ingredients, and very solid menus. What’s missing is management and service. Nearly every bar/​restaurant in downtown Des Moines is understaffed and staffed with amateur servers. Royal Mile is no exception. Walked in and got a beer and told to sit outside and a server would be with me shortly. Not so much. Waited for 15 minutes before I stood up myself and went in to grab my menu. After about another 15 minutes of waiting and awkwardly staring into the bar area (thank goodness I was in no hurry) a waitress came out and proudly exclaimed «ok what are ya gettin’!?» I let her know I wanted the club with a salad, she neglected to tell me it was extra to sub a salad. Something I have no problem with, just let me knowwww it’s going to be extra. Didn’t see her again all meal, asked for a box and bill and promptly left. The turkey club and IPA were amazing but the service left me annoyed. Group this in with your Malo, Court Ave Brewing, Johnny’s, Sakari and others as the Des Moines staple of restaurants with service that makes you want to get up and leave but food that keeps you coming back for the same beating over and over again!

Good selection of beers with friendly bartenders, Nice little place.

Always warm in here so don’t bundle up. Grab a traditional pint and sit and stay for awhile. Head out to the patio if you want to enjoy the weather. Order up some fish and chips, average, or some stew. Food is usually acceptable and hot. Freshly made. We return fairly often and plan to return again.

If this is the best place to watch a soccer match in Des Moines, I’m utterly disappointed.
I was unable to watch Atletico de Madrid vs Barcelona on a Sunday and I entered was hounded as to what I wanted to order before the match was even on TV.
It’s even worse due to the fact that an hour before the match start I called and asked if they would have the match. I was told «we will have the game on for you»…
Turns out they didn’t even have the channel for the match, and had to call Direct TV to sort that out. I understand mistakes happen but couldn’t you say something like «we get a lot of soccer matches here on TV» instead of making a guarantee?
I understand there may not be a large community of soccer fans in Des Moines, but I would not say this is good spot by any means to watch soccer matches.
Especially for a major derby like Barcelona vs Atletico de Madrid…

One of the (if not THE) original Full Court Press establishments. You feel like you’re in London at this place. Football (soccer) on the tellies, stout on tap, and British fare on the plate! One of the better black bean burgers in Des Moines. And a great tap lineup per usual. Can get crowded at times but you can usually find a place pretty easy. A nice little patio when it’s fair weather. Head upstairs if it’s crowded downstairs.

After a spontaneous run in with a co-​worker, myself and my drinking buddy decided it would be fun to sit down for a drink in the outdoor area. After a few minutes of conversation my colleague handed me her purse and a drink to watch as she left to find one of her friends inside. Being the dependable friend I am, I made sure her drink was safe while guarding her purse diligently.
A server approached the table and confronted us with a nasty and aggressive tone that we must get rid of the drink. She was under the impression that it was from somewhere else. Was she suggesting we wander out in to the street to drink it? Dump it on the ground? Chug it? I let her know that I would give it back to my friend as soon as she returned. She did not ask the two of us if we wanted a drink.
After 7 – 10 minutes expire I take the drink and purse and poke around inside to make sure my colleague is safe. The same woman threatens to take the drink from my hands and throw it out as well as some other unwarranted aggressive confrontation nonsense. The level of confrontation was completely inappropriate as I had previously dealt with her in a calm manner.
If this raging woman had a clue about proper customer service, she would realize what a bonehead she was. There are two people sitting at a table and two more on the way, Instead of belittling me for watching a friends stuff, she should have asked us what we wanted to drink
There are a lot of places to drink within walking distance of Royal Mile and bars need to provide sound customer service to stand out among the competition. After the group was reunited we promptly walked to another bar. The mile wont be getting any of our business, not on that night, not on any other night.
.

I’ve been on a diet, trying to get in shape, so wanted a home cooked meal. Most of the reviews of the Royal Mile centered on great mixed drinks and low prices. I wasn’t expecting much when I saw the limited menu. But soon discovered that they focused on doing a few things well. The roast was truly like a home cooked meal. And the portions were plentiful. They have one desert, a homemade brownie. It was fantastic. The wait staff is helpful, friendly and attentive. I highly recommend this great hidden treasure.

Was really looking forward to this place and was not disapointed. Excellent selections of British bitters and other British beers. Scotch selection is enough to keep me coming back for more. Reminded me of one of my favorite bars back here in Davenport before it closed. Wish i could of tried the food as it looked good too.

Friendly service and outrageous prices. And I mean the good kind of outrageous. Like awesome scotch for unheard of prices. I love this place. It’s very dark and pub-​feeling, and has all the livelihood of a fun pub. I always try to hit Royal Mile when I’m in Des Moines.

I always get the Sheppard’s pie when I go here, and am never disappointed. Tasty and good service. Enjoy the atmosphere and friendly staff. Stop by for some fun and a bite to eat. I’ve been there for both lunch and dinner. Enjoyable.

They serve breakfast on Saturdays and Sunday’s only, but it is a good breakfast and reasonably priced.

If you need a little flair of the English Isle this is your spot in Des Moines. Whether its food or brews this is your go to for the British experience. The décor is full of English decorations a double decker buses and old telephone booths, and street signs.
In the summer the patio is open and always a fun place to chill in the alley between the Vaudeville Mews and the Mile.
They have an awesome veggie burger that can be made vegan if you order without the sauce, the fries are great and the salads are huge too. The food is priced super well and can easily get a brew and a meal for ten to 15 bucks.
The beer is strong and the selection is like no other, I don’t think I have ever had the same thing twice and it’s the type of place where the awesome bartenders and wait staff will gladly suggest something for you depending on your taste or what goes good with what meal.
They also have a smaller more intimate bar upstairs called the Red Monk which is full of Belgian Beers. Lets just say I’m glad I live a block away cause I always leave a little tipsy!

I really, really, really like Royal Mile.
They get major bonus points for being open on Mondays. (I’m looking at you, Confluence/​515…)
And they have my delightful Goose Island Matilda readily available. Among many other tasty selections.