Reviews for Motley School Tavern in Des Moines, IA
Wow ???? the omelets are crazy delicious. The pancakes were so fluffy and flavorful. We found this place on Google maps while... in town for a wedding. The reviews talked about a server named Tre. Well spot on we were lucky to get him. Great down to earthand fabulous recommendations on the menu. He was great to talk with like you knew each other for years. Oh did I mention theomelet with mushroom,goat cheese and Brussel sprouts! Oh yeah that was one of the best ever! Get over and check this place outyou will not be disappointed! 5 plus ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? +! Read more
MST has a fun and casual energy with a very trendy aesthetic. We were really excited to go and as always with new restaurants,... we try to order as much as we can to really scope out the menu. To start we got the fried bologna sandwich, brussels, chips anddip, and squash. All four were excellent and really made us excited for our entrees! Most of my table got burgers and I got thefried chicken. I tried my partner’s burger and found it pretty bland and the fries were lack luster. I was bummed to note thatmy chicken also wasn’t great. Nothing to write home about the the sauces were nothing special. I actually really disliked theKorean sauce. We also ordered drinks, which were good. I got a lavender drink that was pretty decent but honestly much toosweet. We ended with dessert and found out oatmeal pie was on the menu that day and ordered it a la mode. I figured this wouldbe served warm and be a little more savory but neither were true. This pie was super super sugary and with it being cold itdidn’t really make the ice cream notable. Overall, really enjoyed the first half of our meal but didn’t care for the secondhalf. Probably wouldn’t go back for entrees but maybe for their happy hour and appetizers. Read more
Do order their pancakes! Tried the lemon curd flavor and it was amazing. Super friendly staff even though full still very... attentive. Read more
Had the Chicken Fried Steak for brunch, also visited later and had the Fried Chicken (Nashville Hot). Both were excellent. The... sides of Mashed Potatoes were very flavorful, and the Mac and Cheese was creamy. All in all, a great experience. The 3 otherdiners with me were pleased with their meals as well. Update: We continue to have great experiences here. Pictured below is theNorthern Pike with Cheddar Grits and Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, and the Double Burger with Handcut Fries, all excellent!Normally weary of grits but these were a wonderful first experience. Service is great too. Read more
Run, don’t walk to Motley School Tavern for brunch. I had been once before for apps and drinks but this was my first brunch... there. My in-laws were visiting from out of town and thanks to this group we landed on this place. Everything was incredible.Our server Tre was spectacular - he was knowledgeable and friendly. I asked for my Bloody Mary to be on the spicier side and itcame out perfectly - I also love when horseradish is a part of the mix. Everyone at the table kept going back to the loadedbaked potato fries even after we were full from our meals. The portions were very generous. I loved the wild mushroom omelet andhad a couple bites of my husbands’s lemon curd cakes which were perfectly fluffy! We will def be back. Read more
I celebrated my birthday at MST and it is always a fantastic experience! Gnocchi, Chicken, and Bruschetta... All amazing! And I... always get some pie, even if it's to-go! Read more
There were some high points and some low points with my recent visit. Let's start with the good, the atmosphere is cool, hip,... and gives off a very relaxing feel. The waiter was amazing and interacted with us and even took a picture of our group. Whatwasn't so good was the appetizers that we ordered. The perogies came highly recommend by our waiter but fell flat and left uswanting something else. We got the loaded french fries and they were very good. Entrees were better but still had some misses. I got a Nashville hot chicken sandwich and it only had the bottom piece of bread. Other people's meals had some minor issues. Overall we left a little hungry, a little disappointed, and unsatisfied. They do serve breakfast, which I would like to try butI don't think we will be back for dinner again. Read more
For a laid back environment, elevated pub chef quality food, this place was good. We went for dinner, have not yet tried brunch.... For appetizers, the deviled eggs and chorizo potato empanadas were good. The pork cheek risotto was delicious; meat was supertender. The fried chicken was good and fall off the bone tender (for the thigh/leg pieces) but please note that it does notinclude a normal chicken breast, but instead a thin boneless breast piece - more like a giant chicken tender. Tasted perfectlygood but probably not what you are expecting. You can get sauces (bbq, Korean, Nashville) - one, none, or all three. For sidesthe mint carrots and the grits were both great. The clafouti was AMAZING for dessert - almost like a soufflé with a southernflair. Cocktails were average for a decent restaurant but nothing spectacular. The bar and kitchen were a bit slow, notexcessive though, and the waitstaff service was great! Read more