Cabaret West Glen: The house that’s a-rockin’

Shoulder-to-shoulder room only in this West Glen hot spot.

The atmosphere: Nightclub with a sports bar edge. The heated back patio devotes itself to the big screens and pool table, not to mention the grateful smoker, while the interior is sleek, dark and highly seductive. Plenty of cozy booths and nooks allow for intimate get-togethers amidst a raging party in the bar area. You half-expect a bouncer to greet you at the door with a list. You could call Cabaret West Glen (or West Cab for you abbrev-ers) a neighborhood bar, but that’s hardly fair. If anything, it’s the second Chamber of Commerce. West Cab is the most intimate spot in town that caters to the city. Want proof? There’s nary a drink promotion, city-wide race, arts & entertainment media source party or festival West Cab isn’t at least tangentially connected to, if not hosting on the premises.

This translates to one of the best cross-sections of Des Moines you’ll find anywhere. Tuesdays beckon the slim-wallet crowd for Twofer Tuesdays. Translation: barely outta college crew. Sexy Thursdays transform this low-key hangout into a base-reverberating funhouse where the night’s sexiest person wins $200. Fridays see a 30s-50s patronage settling in for the killer Happy Hour and free food courtesy of Maxie’s. Special events happen any given week of the year, from Prom Night, a Golden Tee tourney, 70s and 80s Pub Crawl or Fridays at the Fountain entertain a mingling young professional crowd, as does Happy Hour most early evenings.

The libation: Summit Brewing Company’s Oktoberfest out of St. Paul, Minnesota. The brewery’s wares hit Des Moines within the last couple of years, and it’s about time. High on malt and light on hops, this bronze seasonal straddles the line between light and dark fairly well, so it’s safe to order a pitcher if there’s a table split on whether they’re attempting to grow chest hair. (And at 7.3% ABV, peach fuzz is a possibility). Three of their beers are on tap so catch ‘em quick, as tap space is limited for craft beers, though your domestic favorites are present and accounted for.

West Cab does it all. One hundred bottled beers, 200+ liquor full bar, wine list and a shout out to its former identity as a martini lounge with an impressive 26-item martini list. If you’re a sucker for distinctive concoctions, try the Gentle on My Mind (Luccio Moscato d’Asti and Pearl Plum Vodka). New to the whole alcohol thing? A Stormy Weather with Pinnacle Whipped, rootbeer and whipped cream is your savior. And those drawn to aesthetically luscious libations would do well to order the layered Call Me Irresponsible (Melon liquer, Jagermeister, Chambord and sour mix).

The service: Catering to every celebratory whim. Jager and Red Bull reign here with the clientele, so the staff created a full bomb service menu of 16 flavored Jager bombs using a mega shaker, and with hope, a liability waiver. Each bomb batch yields 20 deadly shots and comes with six cans of red bull, and range from $80-$120. If you can’t slam em’ back like you used to, they offer full bottle service too for $80-$200. The VIP Room boasts a private bathroom and a full bar—hell, they’ll relocate the arcade games in there for you too. Your birthday is this week? Members of the VIP club and three friends drink free wells, Svedka, Captain Morgan and domestic draws. All. Night. Regulars who join the VIP club get cash back on every purchase too. They’ll reserve a big screen projector to watch week’s most highly anticipated game for you and 39 friends. For West Cab, good service goes way beyond saying, “Thank you for coming.” They’re in the business of creating theme parties for the hell of it and rewarding the customer with an utterly ridiculous amount of giveaways, rewards, and drink specials that rival far less-classy establishments. It’s like they’re looking for reasons to chuck special treatment to their loyal following. And that’s the highest form of service a bar can give. Well done, West Cab.

Location: 560 South Prairie View Drive, Suite 105
Hours: Sunday through Saturday 3:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.

Phone: 515-225-1105

Web site: http://www.cabaretwestglen.com