Star Bar

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by jam024

All right, I normally don't respond to other posters, but Georgia's piece inspired me. The only tuna I am aware of Star Bar serving is the Ahi tuna. Ahi tuna is at its best when it is raw or barely seared and served very rare. Perhaps the kitchen could have been more accomodating and cooked that beautiful piece of tuna to well done, though I assure you that would not have made for an enjoyable meal either.

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by georgia

service was very very bad had to reask many times to get sugar . the uncooked food thewy said they tryed to reecook was not eadable some tort of tuna the manager swares was good owner wont return calls please be forwarded go somewhere else

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by kdog

Star bar is a bar in the evening, and does a bustling lunch business. This review is for them as a lunch spot. I came at an off time for a late lunch around 2ish, the service was decent but not stellar - we were told to seat ourselves and they just sort of left us there for a while, then they came back and got our order. The food was good, and reasonable. I know some people complain about service, but if im paying this little for a meal this good, I dont expect 5 star service.

The sandwich I had was great - very tasty, however the salad was sort of bitter.

I would definitely go back.

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by hojo

Poor service when dining here, but the food is superb. The BBQ Chicken Springrolls are possibly my fav app in town. Burgers and sandwiches are good, and the steak salad is perfect.

They make a very good drink here (vodka tonic for me).

A very interesting crowd on any given night.

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by nathan

I will agree with everyone here about the food. Nothing I've ever consumed here has been bad. Not great, but overall pretty good. The service is horrible! Not once have I had good service here. No waitstaffer wants to be there, or so it seems. If I was in control of my income based on how I worked, I would do what I can to make the most of my time. The only reason I can come up with for the poor service is that they split tips. If that's the case then yeah, working hard and having to give your money to someone else sucks. I'll still go but it's not a place I'll go out of my way to hit.

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by Jeanne Johnson

I had one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had at this place. Our waiter was both rude and inattentive and the music was cranked too high to comfortably converse. The food was very good, but the serviceand atmosphere ruined the entire experience.

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by AN

Fabulous Food (amazing burgers) and drinks (go for the Orchid), not to mention a great atmosphere for a fun night out to dinner. And to add to your dinner enjoyment there is no smoking before 10pm. One of our go to locations for dinner.

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by Jo

the food is okay, the service pretty bad. Overall, unimpressive

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by Chris

The Star Bar is the star of the Ingersoll Entertainment district just west of downtown Des Moines. I love the place because it is within walking distance of my residence and the food is spectacular yet affordable. The crowd is very diverse. On a recent visit we took guests from San Francisco there for dinner and we sat at a table across from Teresa Heinz Kerry. If it is good enough for a billionairess it is good enough for me.

The best selection is the steak salad, medium rare and the Neiman ranch steak sandwich. The appetizers are all terrific, but my favorite is the artichock dip with salsa chips. The bar has an upscale neighborhood bar feel, with terrific artwork, lots of tv for sports, and it is not so loud that conversation is still possible. Only downside is that it can be a bit smoky near the bar.

Overall a can't miss restaurant if you are visiting Des Moines.

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by Samuel

This place is absolutely fantastic, except for the service. I have been here probably over 20 times since it has opened and unless you are sitting at the bar forgot about having good service.

The food is great and in my opinion very cheap. The chicken fingers are the best chicken fingers I have ever tasted in my life. The edamame (sp?) is outstanding as well. It's just soaked in soy sauce and tastes great! Decent martini selection, but all of them are made to perfection. As for the main courses, I haven't had anything I didn't like. Try the alferdo penne course, it's a hit! Even the basic hamburger is great here!

The problem seems to be they are understaffed everytime I go to Star Bar. They seem to have only one or two waiters for over 25+ tables that are fairly spread out. At the bar you get great service. Plus they have hired a certain male server that I have seen working at multiple downtown restaurants and he is absolutely awful. He always has wet long hair, always looks like he has just came down from a three day binger, spends most of the time watching the TV behind the bars, and has the worst posture and body language that screams, "I don't want to be here and I could care less about your order."

The ambiance is great, the walls are decorated with artwork, and the dark color tones of the restaurant give off a warm feeling. A great place for after dinner drinks, a casual date with a loved one, and a good place for brunch on the weekends!

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by Matthew Post

I spent 13 years managing upscale restaurants. Although I did quite enjoy the food at Star Bar, the service was absolutley horrid. I couldn't remember the last time I recieved such unattentive and rude service. Whoever is managing the staff should be ashamed. It was so pitiful it was almost like they were trying to ruin our experience on purpose. I will not return.

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by Heidi

I have been to Star Bar twice, and both times I have been impressed with the quality of the food. On both visits, the bar was busy but not packed, and I happily noted that the crowd was more eclectic than what you find in other metro area hot spots.

On my first visit earlier this summer, I enjoyed the lunch special: a penne pasta dish with fresh wilted spinach and goat cheese. It was light and yummy, and went great with the crisp chardonnay I had ordered to accompany it.

Last Friday night, my date and I met some friends at Star Bar for drinks and appetizers (“small plates”). We enjoyed the edemame, seared tuna, goat cheese and garlic on toast, and pork dumplings. All were delicious and well-prepared (I was particularly pleased with the rareness of the tuna). Everyone in our party drank beer on this particularl night, and although Star Bar doesn’t have a huge selection of imports, their Oktoberfest and Heffe more than satisfied.

I agree with other reviewer that the service isn’t exactly fabulous, but it was ok compared to some of the other establishments we’ve been to lately. The food is reasonably priced and the atmosphere can’t be beat.

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by T

Its too bad the wait staff cannot meet the quality of the food. They walk around aimlessly and very seldom check up on the table. We once had to ask another waitress if it was a theme bar where the wait staff is supposed to give you attitude. If you're a minority without a white friend with you, forget it. Order from someone at the bar.

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by NOG's Wife

I've now been to the Star Bar twice. This first time was for a weekday lunch. I had the BBQ springrolls with mango salsa, and they were very good. The prices are just right, and the menu is above average for typical pub food. It's a refreshing change from your typical fried cheese balls and onion ring fare, although you'll still find an array of cheeseburgers to choose from. Drinks are fairly priced...draw beers from $1.75, a fair selection of wine by the glass from $5 and martinis starting at around $6. The decor reminds me a bit of an upscale Wellman's, but it's definitely not THAT upscale. I as more impressed by my lunch visit than my recent evening visit. At 7:30 on a Wednesday night, it was so loud in the restaurant that I could barely hear the person I was with unless he yelled. It was impossible to talk on a cell phone with the noise. People were walking outside to talk on their phones. The amount of noise was incredible considering the bar wasn't even that crowded. The noise made the experience completely unenjoyable. Also, the parking situation stinks.

In all, it's a nice bar and a welcome alternative to the more divey bars on Ingersoll. The food is good, and the drinks are priced well. If they can find a way to dampen the noise, I'll find it more appealing. In the meantime, I probably won't go there unless someone else I'm with is dead set on going.

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by capitalcityguy

Star Bar is a star! Wow! Really like this place and hands down DSM's newest hot spot both to catch a drink and also dinner. Very cool decor, great location in the heart of the city on Ingersoll. Very well may be the wife's and my new favorite place to drink and dine.

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by Dre

I liked it a lot, for it's variety of drinks, ambience and good appetizers and food. Very nice inside - dark wood, tall ceilings. But all that makes it a very noisy place when it starts filling up. Another complaint - they were out the beer I wanted - the waitress said that they ran out the second day they opened - which is understandable, but that would have meant that they'd been out of it for 3 weeks - plenty of time to re-stock, I would think. Overall, I liked it and will certainly come back - hopefully they will have worked out the kinks by then...

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Tips for Star Bar from foursquare users

Neil R.

Be aggressive with the wait staff. They don't make eye contact.

8 people have done this

Josh F.

Cuban Sandwich - off the hook.

7 people have done this and 2 others want to

BENfromGoG

Turkey, Pepper, Bacon, Ranch Panini ftw

5 people have done this and 1 other wants to

Zachary B.

This is a great place of you are meeting with clients. Good food and fast service.

5 people have done this

Scott A.

BBQ Chicken Springrolls are a must.

4 people have done this and 1 other wants to

Lindsey R.

Martinis are rapturous!!!

3 people have done this and 2 others want to

Joe H.

Should try star bar burger. Love the fact they have Stella on tap

3 people have done this and 1 other wants to

Joe F.

Anchor Steam on tap!

2 people have done this

Aaron P.

I second the love of the Cuban sandwich

2 people have done this

Ken S.

Sunday Brunch!!!

2 people have done this

Keely P.

Neiman Ranch Ham and Cheddar Cheese Panino is delish!

1 person has done this and 1 other wants to

Amy

Brunch will change your life! Fries are also amazing!

1 person has done this and 1 other wants to

A N.

Special tonight is shrimp and chicken pasta w/ red pepper sauce, garlic, and cilantro for $12. Best bar food in town.

1 person has done this and 1 other wants to

Lorna T.

Chocolate creme brulee

1 person has done this and 1 other wants to

Aaron L.

Get the catfish tacos, but substitute the beans for something else!

1 person has done this and 1 other wants to

John P.

If this place wasn't on Ingersoll I would probably not seek it out. Good location. OK beers. Often free live jazz.

1 person has done this

Del B.

place seems kinda dirty (dropped food bits on the floor, half wiped tables, sticky menus etc.)

1 person has done this

Kyle B.

Good atmosphere and reasonably priced food. If you want to go somewhere and be able to talk without yelling, this is the place.

1 person has done this

Kelly W.

Healthy and delicious food options...but ALWAYS the worst service in town!!!

1 person has done this

Mandy R.

They leave giant clove of garlic in breakfast potatoes. What are we sposed to do with them eat them? :\

1 person has done this

Emmersone

Everything was average.

1 person has done this

Joshua G.

Best freaking food around, the bartenders are perfect gentlemen and the waitresses are complete dolls. My new hang out.

1 person has done this

Brian S.

Pass on the blackened chicken cheesesteak but definitely get the fries!

1 person has done this

Lindsay M.

Steak salad is perfectly delightful.

1 person has done this

Jen H.

A bit overpriced - $7 for 4 mediocre Crab Rangoon is pretty steep for what you get. I was pretty disappointed with the blackened chicken cheesesteak...though the bloody Mary was good.

1 person has done this

Joe D.

Makers mark...UP! Also grilled salmon is good.

1 person has done this