The best patios and rooftops in Des Moines

Patio season in Des Moines runs roughly late April through October, which is not long, so you should not waste a single nice evening. Good news: the city has quietly built a deep bench of places to drink outside, from proper rooftops to beer gardens the size of a city block. Here is where to go, sorted by the kind of night you want.

Rooftops, for the view

• 300 Craft and Rooftop is the one for a skyline night. It sits right by Principal Park, so it doubles as the best free seat in the house for postgame fireworks on Iowa Cubs nights. Bring a group.
• Zeke's Rooftop + Grill in Johnston is the new one, a rooftop patio overlooking The Yard at Johnston Town Center. Worth the drive if you are on the north side.
• The Dam Pub in Beaverdale stacks three outdoor spaces, including a colorful rooftop with murals and honest comfort food.
• Wellman's Pub & Rooftop covers both Ingersoll and West Des Moines, with live music, sports on the TVs, and weekend DJs, open late.
• Destination Grille in Grimes goes full resort: rooftop couches, cabanas, and a giant TV inside for the game.

Big beer gardens

• Big Grove downtown is the heavyweight, a 12,000-square-foot, dog-friendly patio with fireplaces, cornhole, and downtown views. If you cannot find your friends, they are here.
• Either/Or, the sister spot to Lua Brewing in Sherman Hill, is an acre of green with five fire pits and a kids' play area, so it works for the whole crew.
• Exile Brewing brings the Instagram-worthy murals and a big brewpub patio a few blocks from downtown.
• Confluence Brewing, out by Gray's Lake, is the dog-and-a-food-truck kind of afternoon, with bike racks and live music.
• Trailside Tap in Uptown Ankeny hangs an 80-seat patio right off the High Trestle Trail, which makes it the perfect bike-ride payoff.

On the water and the trail

• Mullets has the classiest skyline view in town, looking out over two rivers, Principal Park, and downtown. It is the move for a slow, pretty evening.
• Captain Roy's sits directly on the Des Moines River by the Neal Smith trail, with picnic tables and live music on weekends. Very unpretentious, very fun.

Cocktails on a patio

• Secret Admirer, tucked into a historic boiler house on 5th Street, has an urban-garden patio and skyline views. This is the date-night pick.
• Bartender's Handshake on Ingersoll does craft cocktails and small bites on an astroturf patio with fire pits, which is exactly as good as it sounds.
• The Surety Hotel courtyard downtown is all exposed brick, a neon sign, and a quietly chic crowd.

Patio plus something to do

• Smash Park in West Des Moines bills itself as Iowa's largest outdoor patio, and backs it up with pickleball, cornhole, shuffleboard, axe throwing, live music, and a full menu.
• Paws and Pints is the dog-park bar: a real off-leash park with a jungle gym on one side, and a human patio with Cuban sandwiches and live music on the other.

A little different

• Flora, out at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, does a lunch patio in the gardens and Friday pizza nights with a water garden and skyline in view.
• Jasper Winery, just south of downtown, opens its front lawn for tastings and a Thursday summer concert series.
• Fong's in the East Village runs a tiki patio, which is the correct place to drink something with an umbrella in it next to a slice of crab rangoon pizza.
• The Pelican Post in West Des Moines is the beach-vibes patio: cold beer, local music, and the famous gallon of nachos.

A few patio rules

Go early on the first warm evening of any week, because all of Des Moines has the same idea. Most of these are dog-friendly, but check before you bring the pup. And the season is short, so when the weather is perfect, cancel your plans and go sit outside. You will not regret it.

If you want the short list of where to eat, drink, and go out in Des Moines every week, that is exactly what we send. One email, no noise.