Looking for a new place to try, we stopped in at The Chicken Coop for lunch on Sunday. Located at the corner of EP True Parkway and Grand Avenue in West Des Moines (in the HyVee Shopping Center), The Chicken Coop is a sort of mini "chain," with the original locations in Kearney and Grand Island, Nebraska. And they'll soon be opening another location in Urbandale.

The atmosphere at The Chicken Coop is decidedly "sports bar." The dining room boasts a giant wall of hi-def TVs and they subscribe to all of the sports packages, so you'll never miss a game.

The bar is a little more cozy, with wood paneled walls and yep, MORE TVs. The NFL playoffs were on and there were only a few tables open when we arrived. I hear it gets very busy during Iowa and Iowa State games (even Nebraska games!), so get there early if you want a seat.

The menu is pretty large, featuring the usual bar food appetizers, a nice variety of sandwiches, burgers, pizza, and even some dinner entrees. They do have daily specials and on Sunday it was happy hour all day until 5pm!

Of course, they have chicken wings - but not fried, they're flame-broiled - and they offer several sauce options including Buck Nasty Hot and Wasabanero if you like 'em hot. The Drunken Italian pizza looked interesting - Italian sausage, onions, mushrooms, and red peppers marinated in amber ale - anyone tried it?

Grant went for the cheeseburger with a monteray jack/cheddar cheese blend and baked beans. Served on a ciabatta bun, it's a big 7 oz. patty of ground chuck.

I decided on the patty melt. What can I say, sauteed onions and grilled marble rye bread make for a tasty burger. Fries and some mayo to mix up my fry sauce and I was good to go.

Our server, DeAnna, was working alone in the busy bar area and did a great job. We didn't wait long for our food and she was quick to check that everything was OK.

And hey, they love the Cubs at The Chicken Coop, so what's not to like?

It may not be fine dining, but The Chicken Coop is a good place to catch the game, enjoy some wings, burgers or pizza, and some reasonably priced adult beverages. We love neighborhood places like this - so let us know if you try The Chicken Coop, too!

The Chicken Coop Sports Bar & Grill

1960 Grand Ave. Ste 23
West Des Moines, IA 50265

515.223.0088

Hours

11am - 2am Everyday

Kitchen hours, menu, and more information at www.chickencoopsportsbar.com/WestDesMoines