The Tavern South

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The Tavern is one of those restaurants that I expect to see on shows like Restaurant: Impossible. It seems like it at one point, it was a successful restaurant. In fact, they are still operating three different locations. When I lived in Des Moines, I remember hearing about people talk about it with some fondness. As it was close to the zoo, where I was taking the kids, I figured that I would give it a try. When I walked in the door,

it seemed as if nothing had been changed since they had opened in 1997. And that is not a good thing. The seats were tattered and the menus were worn and faded. The Tavern specializes in Italian foods, so I decided to go for one of their specialty sandwiches, the Italian Meatball. It was nothing special. The meatballs were pretty good, but the marinara was bland and tasted like it was from a can. Same goes for the onion rings that I ordered as a side. My Dad ordered a grinder, which like my sandwich wasn't bad but it wasn't too good. They went a bit overboard on the fennel seeds for my liking.

The kids both ordered grilled cheese sandwiches from the kids menu. While their taste pallets haven't become too discerning yet, and neither of them finished their food. I had no wish to have a bite, as it looked like the bread was from the cheapest available white bread with a Kraft singles American slice of cheese.
Overall, I spent over $30 on two adults and two kids and walked away leaving food on my plate and unwilling to bring it with me. If you have been thinking about coming to the Tavern, this is one that you can pass on.
Tavern Des Moines, Iowa