HoQ
303 E 5th St, Des Moines, IA, 50309
HoQ Menu
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Address :
303 E 5th St
Des Moines, IA, 50309 - Phone (515) 244-1213
- Website https://www.hoqtable.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : No
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Brunch, Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Romantic
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Jennifer M.
Wow, and not in a good way. I read all of the previous reviews and I must have eaten at a different place in Des Moines that is also named HoQ. Despite the fact that the manager and most of the staff were wonderful and friendly, our waitress was inattentive and we had to ask others to bring us the bottle of wine that we ordered, and in the end the only thing she ended up bringing us was a steak knife and our two desserts, one of which was incorrect. I wish I could stop there but unfortunately the food was overpriced, under seasoned, and tough.
(2)Doug L.
Went there for lunch. Had a salad that was spectacular. The vegetables were all fresh. Tried someone else's fries which had a great flavor too. The only downside were the portion size of the salad. Puny. Enough for a little side salad. Not enough for a meal. Even lunch. So order more and you'll be fine!
(4)Joe L.
We stopped here for lunch during a roadtrip from the CT to Idaho. Wow, we lucked out. Awesome local food, innovative menu, perfect portions, friendly staff. A clean well lit place. I can say enough about how I enjoyed it.
(5)Jeff B.
Very nice atmosphere. good food. Really enjoyed the atmosphere and the service was excellent.
(5)Amy S.
Great little restaurant! I had the steak and loved every bite! The food was cooked to perfection with great flavor.
(5)Timothy S.
A great lunch destination in the East Village of Des Moines. The food is fresh and very tasty with unique ingredient combinations. I had the special of the day which was a steak sandwich with a side salad. The steak was cooked medium and had an abundance of flavor. The side salad had Maharishi cucumbers which were crisp and full of flavor. The atmosphere is intimate with a downtown feel. Only downside was the exteriors doors were open and allowed the smell of cigarette smoke to flow in from the street as we were waiting for our food. The service is up and down in terms of attentiveness. Our server was great at first; got us water promptly, took our order within minutes, and food was brought right from the kitchen within minutes of being ready. However, by time we were ready for our checks it took 25 minutes to get our bill, have payment taken, and a receipt to be delivered. It was busy and definitely could have used another server besides the woman who was taking care of the entire restaurant to help attend to tables.
(2)Dan H.
Farm to market at its very best. We were served by an extremely knowledgeable waiter who also produces some of the ingredients used by HoQ on his farm. Every item ordered reflected the farm to market freshness expected. Our party of four felt the rabbit was the best appetizer, while the duck and lamb entrees tied for favorite. We felt the food and service justified the prices. In our opinion this is the best fine dining experience in Des Moines.
(5)Giuliano F.
What a fantastic brunch! I had the summer veggie quiche with a melon citrus dressing on the side salad. Locally sourced and all organic, this quiche was delicious and quite a big serving for $9, I'd say worth the price! The staff are very friendly and go out of their way to make sure you are happy. I even got a free tasting of a white wine that paired well with my quiche. All in all very happy and highly recommend this restaurant for brunch.
(5)Cindy L.
I think the concept of a farm to table restaurant is awesome. And I wish I could do half stars cause I'd rate it a 3.5, but there were a few issues with the food which makes it a 3 star review instead of a 4 star review. I'll start off with service - our server was very attentive and kind. He did take away our bread before we were done, which was a tad weird, but he was nice so we just chuckled that off. Our food took close to an hour to get to us, which our server apologized for, and for which he later comped us a glass of wine. For our appetizer, we ordered the rabbit and dumplings ($9). The dumplings were light and airy (cooked to perfection), but the rabbit and jus were lacking seasoning - i don't even like salty foods and I thought it needed more salt. The rabbit was a tad difficult to eat neatly as well . There was no salt or pepper on the table to remedy this. My dining partner ordered the grass fed steak, medium rare ($28). The steak was cooked perfectly and had a nice sear on the outside. It was served with spinach and root veggies in a sauce which tasted very good and was a really large sized portion. I ordered the duck which was served over thinly sliced potatoes and spinach. The spinach was over salted (so much that I needed to constantly drink water to even try to eat it). The duck was cooked well and the potatoes tasted like potatoes. For $28, my portion seemed like half of my dining partners and wasn't as good. If I were too come again, I'd order the steak or I would try their happy hour. Service was good, food came out slow for our table even though the restaurant wasn't even packed, steak was amazing, but the other dishes had some slight seasoning issues which is why I have to give a 3 star rating. If I was going off the steak and service alone, it would be 4 stars for sure though.
(3)Brian W.
Yes! A Farm to Table Restaurant Des Moines! The food is amazing and they have a Full bar! You need to support this movement of local food here in Iowa and a great place- The Historic East Village of Des Moines! Lovely place for a romantic date... They have a Saturday happy hour that I will be hitting up for sure! Delightful server- I was there to celebrate something and needed markers and paper- and she made it happen!
(4)Carrie M.
Got the seasonal cucumber mojito and it was okay at best. For $11 I was expecting spectacular and it fell far short. Won't be going there for mojitos again anytime soon :/
(3)Sylvia D.
What can I say about lunch at HoQ? There were 3 tables of guests from noon to 1, and one hostess/server for the entire restaurant. The server seated me, then seemed to forget I was there for ten minutes when she finally returned and took my order which was their special of the day, "summer stew". Then 15 minutes for my dish to be served barely lukewarm. The stew was not flavorful in terms of seasoning and though I spied a row of spice containers in the kitchen, apparently reaching for them to add flavor to your meal is too arduous an undertaking and the stew tasted bland at best. I had to go up to the counter and ask to be served some bread which was served without butter. The pricetag on lukewarm, uninspired bland stew is $11 pretax. This place has a clean, white tablecloth interior for lunch but people don't seem to feel compelled to lunch there, as other times when I've walked past over the noon hour, it is mostly empty.
(1)Emily T.
Yay!!! Thanks to DSM Restaurant Week, we have added a few new restaurants to our dining experience. Last year I went here for lunch, I recall loving the soup, but not the hamburger, I must be too used to processed meat, blech. Anywho - came here for dinner this past week and my husband and I quickly fell in love. The music, the art work, the bare essential dining experience, mixed with pleasant service and amazing food. I am not a hard liquor drinker, but their cocktail menu looked intriguing, creative and well thought out, especially their pairings with their menu. We were given an amuse-bouche to start off our experience - all pickled bites and what fun that was! We each had our own favorites, but all in all, well done. My husband ordered the steak, cooked and seasoned to perfection with the right amount of seasoning and accompaniments. He started off with the pasta carbonara which he wasn't in total love with as he was with his main course, the last few bites of the pasta were the best as all the flavor/sauce seemed to hang out at the bottom of that dish. I started off with the soup which I believe was a beautifully served creamed corn, followed by the vegetable welington. I love that everything is made fresh because I am not a fan of mushrooms and they were able to make mine without. It was a very heart warming dish. We finised our meal with homemade blueberry ice cream and chocolate chip cookie, the perfect touch! We both chose the wine pairings and enjoyed the carefully selected options. All in all, a wonderful night! I love their approach to food at this restaurant. Keep up the great work!
(5)Allie B.
I always forget about this place because it's a little out of the way. I had been once for an art show, didn't eat, but was intrigued by this self proclaimed farm-to-table. It was actually our third or fourth choice - as we tried to make a last minute Saturday dinner reservation a few other places that were unable to work is in. We remembered Hoq's existence and they had open reservations. When we arrived, we saw why they were open. There was literally one other party in the entire restaurant. This scared me. Why was it so dead? Usually a bad sign. When our server greeted us at the table, I quickly became excited to see what Hoq had in store for us. I forget his name (Andrew, maybe?), but he was easily the most knowledgeable, pleasant, and overall awesome server I've ever had. I loved hearing about his farm as well as other local sources of Hoq's cuisine. He also recommended a great wine. The restaurant became a little bit busier by 7 or so. And then the food. I can't even remember all the details, but it was one of the best meals I've had in Des Moines. Or ever. I tasted the other three appetizers and entrees at our table, and everything was spot on. Some highlights were perfectly seared pork belly, perfectly al dente Israeli couscous, and a wonderfully filling vegetarian entree. Yum. I don't take a 5-star rating lightly, and I'd give them an extra star if I could. Bravo, Hoq. I just hope they get enough business to keep their farm to table in the East Village.
(5)Renee S.
We were excited to have farm fresh, organic food options in Des Moines. Lunch started with an argument with staff over which table to sit at. Over 2/3 of the tables were empty but the server insisted on a 2 top. 4 tops were open everywhere. We ordered the quinoa salad which was very small for a "large" and a gyro with side salad. I NEVER thought food could be too fresh until a worm crawled out of my salad while eating. The wait staff made the excuse that the food was "organic". I have eaten a lot of organic food without live worms! The staff solution? Charge me 1/2 price for my meal and a piece of dessert to split that we did not choose. I really wanted to like this place. I'm pretty sure I won't go back.
(2)Chris L.
This is one of my favorite restaurants. Delicious lunches, perfect for business meetings. One of the only restaurants with grass-fed beef on the menu and they really support local farms. Great Iowa beers on tap and great happy hour specials. To top it all off, the owners are incredibly kind and community oriented. A really lovely spot - you won't regret stopping in for lunch, dinner, brunch or a happy hour! Cheers!
(5)Sally E.
Ordered the lamb kabobs and served on kohlrabi slaw. Slaw good but kabob was a cut up sausage link. Dry. Pita bread on side was over done and a bit greasy. Cheese plate good. Walleye ok.
(2)Mark G.
I started of with the Pierogies, they did them just right-crispy, buttery,and delicious filling. I then had the braised beef for my entree, loved the dish very nicely done, got a great sized portion too. Finished off with the peanut butter chocolate cheese cake, very rich slice just they way I like it. Everything I had was great, it was worth every penny. Yes, this place prices are a little high, but you know what? They actually shop around for their ingredients, so they are getting quality and so are you. Whens the last time you had grass feed beef at a restaurant? Trust me, the few extra bucks you pay are worth it, they really put quality on your plate. Finally, an awesome place who gets all their ingredients locally. This makes them truly stand out. They do change the menu around, so you will always have something new to try. Very nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Great place to get a healthier dish with flavors from around the world.
(5)Patrick T.
It's fun every now and then to go classy or go home! I suggest checking out the HoQ. The place is beautiful and wonderfully lit. They play amazing music in the back ground, I heard Joni Mitchell, Wilco, and the Jayhawks all while eating. The menu is all prepared with local and organic ingredients.. AKA Grass Fed Steaks and Salmon flown in. I'm vegan so i chose the Veggie Stew. Kinda pricey at 18 bucks a pop but it was also delicious and served with fresh bread that was perfect for dipping! We did not order an appetizer but they brought us out some sort of beet thing, and a tortilla chip with avocado dressing that was to die for.. I wish they brought out about ten of them. The dessert menu looked great but lacked any vegan option for me, but my stew actually filled me up really well. Great local brews on tap as well and wine by both the bottle and glass. This is a super classy joint, that I have now been to twice and can't wait to go back again! Perfect for Valentines day date, that is classy but not stuffy!
(5)Bret B.
Wonderful experience at this seemingly hidden gem. On this Saturday @ 11:30a it was just two of us and one other small group. We started with sharing the Chef's special soup of the day - Butternut Squash, plenty for two. I loved it, my date thought it was good, but could be more vibrant so let's say 4 stars. We cont'd sharing and ordered the Wild Salmon grilled cheese and Lamb (grass fed) burger with root fries. So tasty! Her favorite was the lamb, mine was the Salmon: Interesting, fresh and presented beautifully. 5 stars. The fries were creative and very good. They take a variety of what is in season - today we enjoyed two kinds of potatoes, beets and something else (perhaps carrots?) - enjoyed them all. Great service and the decor is beautiful if you like industrial/ minimalist, if not you should enjoy anyhow. Hope more Yelpers discover this place.
(5)Amy C.
The food was delicious. We ate here with a large party and everyone was very happy with their appetizers, main courses, and deserts. My steak was amazing and my husband's apple crisp was to die for. I can't recommend it highly enough. In addition to wonderful food, the staff was really helpful and made accommodations to our orders to suit our preferences with out even flinching. Such a great experience; we will be back soon!
(5)Dave M.
So much potential in this place; it could easily become one of those "absolutely have to go to there" restaurants -- except! The way to go from a three star restaurant to a five star restaurant is one simple formula: Outstanding food coupled with outstanding service. HoQ got half of it right (the food). I loved the concept of this place, so much so that I took a client there to impress them on their first trip to Iowa. My expectations were met on the decor, location and food. I enjoyed my steak with scalloped potatoes and asparagus. The Pinot Noir was also amazing. The sad part is it took nearly an hour to be served after ordering. This was a Tuesday night and barely anyone else in the place. Very disappointing and I blame it all on a lazy kitchen. There are way too much quality choices in DSM to put up with this. Work on it guys, then get back to me!
(3)Doug E.
I stumbled across HoQ on accident while on a photography mission. It was midday during the week and I was invited inside by an employee. I had already eaten lunch, but the beer menu caught my eye. Great selection of local beers. I had a couple, and was on my way, determined to come back for a meal. A few weeks later I took my girlfriend there for dinner. The atmosphere was significantly different at night, well lit and classy. Good ambience for dinner dates. The staff are helpful and friendly, and the food was top notch, locally grown, and delicious. We were both very impressed.
(5)Emily H.
Yeah, it was really, really good. A nice amuse. We had the pork belly appetizer. I had the lamb shank, and it was sooo good and tender. We went with the apple crisp dessert too!
(4)Jenn H.
Wonderful service and good. The atmosphere is very clean and beautiful. Our waitress was fast and was very attentive to our needs. She offered free champagne to us as they were celebrating an event. I will be going back there. The grass fed burger is the best!
(5)Caroline M.
If you're looking for a classy night out in Des Moines, I'd definitely recommend HoQ. I dined with coworkers recently and we pretty much ordered the entire menu. We all started out with some beers, cocktails and wine. My glass of vino was pricey ($9) given the quality and pour size. And no bubbly by the glass. Boo. Stick to beer, which was reasonably priced. As for food, I really enjoyed the scallop and beef tartar appetizers. The scallop was cooked to perfection and the flavors of the dish stood out. I would also go with the beef entree. it was very generous and had a hefty portion of frites underneath soaking up all the delicious juices. The salmon was just okay. I liked the accompaniments of sauteed kale, but it seemed to be very heavy on the butter. And I loooove butter---maybe keep it in check a bit? Desserts were fantastic. The bread pudding was an overall favorite, along with the apple pie. Appetizer are around $10. Entrees are in the $20-30 range. But keep in mind they choose to use as many local, seasonal products as possible, which comes with a price tag. Decor is very minimal. And the noise level was very low so it's an ideal place to have an indulgent meal, while easily being able to carry a conversation, which is much appreciated. Treat yourself to a great meal here asap!! ps: super easy (free) street parking after 6pm. I LOVE IOWA!
(4)Patrick B.
Very cool setup, lackluster food. The eggs Benedict was comprised of an off tasting, burnt English muffin, to rich and sweet hollandaise, and an uneven cooked egg. The pizza, while good was far too rich and stomach turning greasy. Really expected more from this place.
(2)Catherine S.
I have had consistently good service and food at HOQ. I own a business near by and often plan my lunch meetings here as it is quiet and my dining companions are always happy with their food. My husband and I enjoyed New Years Dinner here. So good, and the wine pairings were spot on. I am a vegetarian and they always have good options for me. I highly recommend for a date night or a quiet upscale lunch meeting.
(5)Brooke P.
This location has had lots of turnover so I hope HoQ will make it because they should! It is located on the south side of the East Village next to shops, bars, and other restaurant. The food was delish, perfect portion size with a local twist. Everyone is trying to use more local these days but I like that they actually provided a list on the back of the menu. I had the veggie burger and it was crispy and full of spices! Scott had the burger duo that could use a little more love (too much bread, a little dry, and lacked flavor) but it was satisfying for lunch. The service was very good, very attentive. I will definitely go back for dinner.
(4)Duncan R.
We stopped in at this well reviewed farm to table spot in central Des Moines on our way to Denver. The large loft like space was empty albeit one other couple this mid Afternoon on a very cold Saturday. The whole town seemed empty. Anyway we ordered soup, salad, three main courses as I was intrigued by the menu. The winter veg soup was good but not hot enough, the apple cider was good but too hot. The lamb and beef sliders were tasty and well made but a little dry. The scallop special with risotto was frankly a mess. Perhaps the chef was eager to get home. Lovely waitress. Great service. Very attentive. I think I must have just visited on an off day.
(3)Sarah C.
Rather than having an entrée, I decided to try a salad and a couple of apps so I could get a taste of several things. The Summer Salad was nice, especially the cherries, as were the scallops. But the Pork Love was excellent! Fantastic cauliflower au gratin with a perfectly tender bit of pork confit on top. I would have licked the bowl if I could. I also liked the minimalist décor in the restaurant. And I had probably the nicest server I have ever had anywhere. The only thing that kept this from being 5 stars was that it was very slow. The server was aware and embarrassed at the kitchen's tardiness, which was appreciated. I had driven all day and didn't really mind the delay much at first because I could just sit and relax. But at a certain point, it was just a bit silly. Hoping to try them again and see that wait time improved because they really can't improve on the Pork Love!
(4)Hillary F.
My husband and I went here on Saturday night. The food was great! We had the pork and the duck. Both were cooked perfectly and were delicious. The only strange part is that for a Saturday night it was not that busy. There were only a couple other tables there for being 8pm.
(4)David B.
Enjoyed a great meal here last night with my wife and another couple. All of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals, from the amuse bouche to dessert. We shared some mussels in a tomato sauce and the beef and pork terrine. The mussels were large and flavorful, but the terrine was excellent ...great texture, very flavorful. I would order it again in a minute. Main courses spanned the menu. My wife enjoyed her steak, one friend rated his braised beef shank very highly and the other liked her salmon (the seafood being the only items that weren't locally sourced). I had the vegetable crepes and think I got the best deal. Couldn't tell you everything in it but the seasoning was fantastic. This was a vegetable dish not to be missed by non-vegetarians. Split it as a side dish if you feel the need for protein. We split the homemade chocolate, caramel and vanilla ice cream and the bread pudding for dessert. All were excellent. The wine list was nicely eclectic. Our only complaint was that more people weren't there! Don't let the "locally sourced" rhetoric get in the way of the fact that this is a very good chef turning out great food in a very nice location.
(5)Jake M.
A little classy with a lot of great food. Farm-to-table fresh dishes for every kind of foodie! I enjoyed lamb my first visit and plan to revisit and try other dishes!
(5)lala l.
Yikes - went for restaurant week and they only had one server for thirty tables. The food took FOREVER to come out of the kitchen, and at one point we were without drinks for twenty minutes after one of the bartenders took them and didn't bring them back. The food was okay, but for the price-point there are many better spots in DM.
(2)Jo M.
Let me say the one star is generous! Went for lunch. We were all seated at our table by 12:15. Had no service until 1:00. Water said he had to close out some tables and we would get his full attention...NOT. Took our order around 1:15, took at least 15 minutes for wine. Never refilled waters. Two of us had chicken quesadilas. There was no chicken on it!! Waiter came back 30 minutes after we got our food, we told him there was no chicken..he said the chef said it was white and finely shredded. Seriously, we all know what chicken looks and tastes like. In the end my friend talked to manager and they took wine off of our bill and $2.50 off of the chicken quesadilas. Worst service I have ever experienced. They added insult to the whole experience by including a 20% tip!! Won't go back and certainly couldn't recommend the restaurant. Very unfortunate, because I like to see a business make it.
(1)Ken S.
Count me as another person who experienced horribly slow, inattentive service during Des Moines Restaurant Week. The food was very good, although I'm not sure broth, flavorful as it was, with broken pieces of spaghetti in it counts as Chicken Noodle Soup. You certainly can't eat it with a spoon. But the grass-fed beef burger with heirloom tomatoes and white cheddar was excellent, as was the Berry Crisp dessert. But lunch took fully two hours. In fact, we had to leave the restaurant between courses to add time to the parking meters. And at least one other patron had to keep going up to the bar to get service because she had to get back to work, and she was visibly angry. The waiter who took our order? We never saw him again, except for when he was swearing at a coworker because he was upset about something. Other people, plural, attended to us. They were apologetic, and were aware that things weren't going well for anyone. But lunch service shouldn't take two hours, especially when the restaurant is far from full.
(2)Jade K.
Love the creative menu items. The food is very fresh as it is from farm to the table. I will definitely be back.
(4)Paul L.
This is the best restaurant in Des Moines right now. Compared with its peers, it's both more comfortable and more consistent food-wise. They rotate their menu every week (at least), and try to serve local ingredients in season whenever possible. I have mostly ordered the fish dishes here (Arctic Char, Salmon), but have also enjoyed the steak tartare and the beet salad. The wine selection is a little heavily weighted to lighter more floral reds. They should add a French Rhone or Spanish Tempranillo by the glass.
(4)Paul J.
This place is trying far too hard to be classy, and in doing so, is missing some of the basics. The menu we had for lunch was OK - not much to chose from, and in fact not much variation in the dishes that were on the menu. If you're only going to have a few choices, you need to make each dish very different. Having two of the options be a burger or a pork sandwich really isn't that good. What we were served was good. I had chili with a fried egg on it, and it was nice. The egg was very well cooked, and the chili was solid. Not amazing, in that it was not spicy at all (i.e. where were the chills?) and not really a big enough portion, but with that said, it was only $10, so you can't complain. Mentioning the price, $$$ as the price listed by Yelp is probably a bit harsh - I'd say $$. It's reasonably priced. Anyway, what really let it down was the service. We're out for lunch, and that's something that needs to happen pretty quickly, but that's not what we got. The problem was they didn't have nearly enough waiting staff. I suspect they didn't really have enough kitchen staff, since the wait time for three bowls of chili (which must be pre-made) and a burger (which wasn't that big, and shouldn't have taken more than 5 minutes to cook), was unacceptably high. If you want to set yourself up as a bit special, good on you, but you need to make sure your customers are attended to promptly, and we certainly were not.
(2)Sally A.
Very nice dinner! Great atmosphere. Great service. Great food. I had wild shrimp with butternut squash rissoto. The shrimp were grilled and seasoned perfectly. The rissoto was rich and creamy. Presentation was beautiful. Defininately will be visiting again. A little higher end $$ than were the group of friends I was with usually spend but you get what you pay for!
(5)Sveta F.
I am visiting Des Moines from NYC and this place was the first restaurant I tried out. The food was amazing! I ordered a steak with vegetables and it was one of the best dishes I've ever eaten. Cooked perfectly and the portion of meat was huge. The staff were really friendly and knew their menu. Highly highly recommend!
(5)Monica J.
Based on visiting during happy hour (1/2 price wine) and sampling a couple of the starters, we were disappointed. Ambiance is appealing, service was just OK even though there were very few people there to wait on (we were one of two tables and a few at the bar). Would not recommend the cheese plate (generous with the cheese, but bread was blah) or personal pizza (extremely greasy and crust was soft/tasteless). Might try again in a few months to see if they have worked some things out.
(2)