Bennigan's On Merle Hay image

Bennigan's On Merle Hay

Restaurant Bar American restaurant Pub Bar and grill Irish pub

One of the Most Reviewed Bars in Urbandale


Address

4800 Merle Hay Rd, Urbandale, IA 50322, United States

Website

www.bennigansdesmoines.com

Contact

+1 515-276-7777

Price rating

$$ $$

Rating on Google Maps

4.30 (1.4K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Monday: 6:30 to 10:30 am, 11 am to 10 pm
  • Tuesday: 6:30 to 10:30 am, 11 am to 10 pm
  • Wednesday: 6:30 to 10:30 am, 11 am to 10 pm
  • Thursday: 6:30 to 10:30 am, 11 am to 10 pm
  • Friday: 6:30 to 10:30 am, 11 am to 10 pm
  • Saturday: 6:30 to 10:30 am, 11 am to 10 pm
  • Sunday: 6:30 to 10:30 am, 11 am to 9 pm

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: good (14) great (10) delicious (9) service (9) nice (7) chicken (7) restaurant (6) soup (6)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Kelli B. 2 years ago on Google
    We stopped by Sunday afternoon and it was a packed house. We were greeted and sat right away. We haven't been in since the remodel and it was nice to see familiar faces. Our server Chad was very attentive and made sure we were taken care of. We started with potato skins and cheese sticks, both were delicious. I favored the skins! We decided on crispy chicken wrap and chicken tenders. They have really good chicken tenders and honey mustard. I recommened giving them a try with their excellent food and service. 10/10
    18 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Rich G. 2 years ago on Google
    Amazing food for a chain!! Stopped by on a Friday afternoon, during happy hour. We started off with the half-price Mangia Mozzarella sticks. I got Finn’s Beer-Battered Fish and Chips and the girl got the highly recommended World Famous Monte Crisco. The mozzarella sticks didn’t last long and we had to politely fight over the last one. My Fish and Chips were amazing, a nice crunch on the outside and perfectly prepared. The chips (fries for us American), were also perfectly cooked and delicious. I devoured my food. The girl’s Monte Crisco was also absolutely incredible. My favorite part was the red raspberry dipping sauce. We even asked for some to go! After enjoying such incredible food, we splurged on dessert even though we were stuff. We decided on the Housemade Bread Pudding with Praline Sauce. It was incredible. To make it even better, don’t tell on us please… but we added the raspberry dipping sauce to it. Amazing. Make sure to save room for dessert!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Liam Theo C. 2 years ago on Google
    Great place! The food was excellent.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Armita 2 years ago on Google
    I tried this Irish restaurant because it was right next to the hotel I was staying. So glad that I did. The food was amazing and the service was even better. I dine in twice. Once for lunch and once for diner. Both times, we had amazing servers. The burger was probably one of the best burgers I’ve had in a long time. I would definitely dine in again when visiting Des Moein in the future.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Janiece Jaye G. 7 months ago on Google
    Amanda and Julie are amazing bartenders. Guinness’ on tap are ready when we walk in. Half a Monte Christo and potato soup is always a great choice, hay stack onion rings are delicious. Lonnie always takes care of his guests
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Desmund L. 10 months ago on Google
    Phenomenal service, friendly clean, and the French onion soup was soo good I had to get a second cup. Food was done to perfection. Would go back in heart beat
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Wyndi Journey R. 2 years ago on Google
    BENNIGAN'S has been my favorite restaurant since my very 1st visit in 1987. The Irish pub atmosphere was fun and exciting. The food was excellent! The staff efficient and friendly. I was absolutely devastated when BENNIGAN'S closed all the Colorado locations. I drove from Topeka Kansas to Des Moines Iowa just to get a Monte Cristo! The sandwich was as delicious as ever though about half the size it use to be. The establishment itself was a HUGE disappointment. BENNIGAN'S is no longer an Irish pub but rather a restaurant attached to a Holiday Inn Hotel. What a let down!...
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Melinda B. 2 years ago on Google
    Sat at the bar. There's USB ports under the bar in case you need to charge your phone. Quick and efficient service. Bartender was also super nice and answered all of my questions about the food and restaurant thoroughly. Definitely not actual Irish fare but it was good bar food.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 WhatShyySaid x. 1 year ago on Google
    Our server was JVC and he was amazing!! Very polite and informative. We came in very late and he still took great care of us and didn’t rush us. Food was also so good. Cooks did great! Will definitely be coming back.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Ron A. 11 months ago on Google
    The cheese sticks had an odd texture and over-breadded. Coleslaw had a ton of pepper and the quesadilla was very over seasoned with chili powder. This is Bennigan's not Chili's! The bar tender waitress was nice and had good timing... Not too much or too few visits.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Sydney C. 8 months ago on Google
    Definitely a drink and appetizer establishment. The service was so fun and super nice. Nikki was great to us and gave us a birthday dessert! I recommend the strawberry basil drink and Hogan’s egg rolls. Great place to chill and watch sports.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Lisa M. 9 months ago on Google
    Friendly waitress. Offered more napkins for bbq ribs and we already had a couple extra on the table. Checked a number of times if we liked food or needed anything. Had chicken tortilla soup, just right, not too spicy, just a bit, and half club and BBQ ribs, fries and slaw. Butter cake with ice cream and strawberry for dessert. Very good 😊

  • 3/5 Rose T. 2 years ago on Google
    Clean, updated decor, friendly and attentive staff. The salad was fresh and broccoli seasoned well. The ribs were boiled and not seasoned. The coleslaw was disappointing as well, lacked flavor. Fries were good. There are plenty of TVs to catch up on the latest games.

  • 5/5 Barbara R. 9 months ago on Google
    A very pleasant surprise. Stopped here on a whim. Their ribs were fall off the bone and delicious. There French dip sandwich was out of this world, the meat was very tender and cooked to perfection. The coleslaw was very good with a little kick to it. The french fries were thick, and crispy. This meal was superb. I highly recommend this restaurant.

  • 5/5 Melissa G. 8 months ago on Google
    First visit with the family! 3 of us ordered burgers. The other was a really thick Ruben. All came out looking mouthwatering. The first bites did not disappoint, they were so juicy and well cooked! My gluten free bun was even good! They do have a gluten friendly menu available if you ask. Great value and quality of food for the price. Staff was very friendly and the service was fast. I heard a lady at the table next to us tell her server that her steak was the best she had ever had. We will definitely be returning!

  • 5/5 Sandy K. 1 year ago on Google
    We have been to this place several times with our Aunt who is disabled. They are always very accommodating and really wonderful with her. This time we had more family with us and it was a wonderful experience again.

  • 4/5 Eyeless H. 2 years ago on Google
    I had the Irish whiskey glazed burger, it was delicious. The fries are a bit larger than I thought they should be, but they last a long time and can be reheated if you so choose. Found that to be a wonderful option for customers that order too much food and decide to take them home. My boss had the fish and chips for lunch as well. We both had appetizers, his were onion rings while mine was the buffalo wings. The onion rings were awesome and the buffalo wings were chopped up chicken breast tenders. It's an easy way to cut costs from the business side of things, which if you order boneless chicken wings from a vendor you get chicken breast pieces that were too small to be sold as full tenders. It is quite an effect way to play the market itself. All in all our server was quick with the refills and even quicker with the food itself. Much faster than I expected and though the parking lot looked almost full capacity there was no wait time or line to be seated. All in all a solid place to grab a quick bite for lunch.

  • 4/5 Keith O. 1 year ago on Google
    The food was good but the service could have been better. Our server was very nice but we hardly saw them and when we did, very fast interactions. Menu is also much smaller now due to the pandemic. Recommend but cautiously.

  • 5/5 Jason K. 2 years ago on Google
    Always been a fan of Bennigan's. Their Potato soup is the BOMB! My wife had the Strawberry Chicken Salad and really enjoyed the Strawberry Dressing. They recently remodeled the restaurant and it looks really nice and updated. Definitely worth the stop.

  • 4/5 Jennifer Fahan H. 2 years ago on Google
    We ate in the bar area and the bartender was super busy so it took a bit to get service but that's expected now a days... He was great! Drinks were good and food was really great as well! No pics because we were hungry!

  • 5/5 Arthur Marino J. 2 years ago on Google
    Very clean and renovated place. Am glad to check this place out since the last time we were here in Feb 2020. Of course, I had the full Monte Cristo, absolutely delicious! My wife had the Potato soup and club sandwich. The soup was simple, but delectable. We will definitely be coming back.

  • 5/5 makinley b. 2 years ago on Google
    We were in town for the night and thought we would try it. The website looked great and when went in to eat the place was pretty dead. That was surprising for a Saturday night at 7pm. We ordered the Ruben balls, thinking we would try something different. They were AMAZING. Totally different but delicious. We ordered our dinner, I had a basic burger and my S/O had the classic dip. They were good too. I was really surprised this place didn’t have more people in. Their specialty drinks were great as well but when I ordered an off the wall martini, the waitress and bartender came over to make sure I was getting what I wanted, which I thought was great that they cared. The service was not lacking which is refreshing and the food was well deserving of 5 stars. Thanks for a great night!

  • 5/5 Jesse M. 2 years ago on Google
    We had a wonderful meal, food was hot and very good, beer was cold, large portions and the meals were very filling. Over all really good experience, would definitely recommend

  • 5/5 Leah H. 2 years ago on Google
    Broccoli cheese bites? Surprisingly delicious. Cheeseburger pub bites? Amazing. Whiskey glazed burger? Incredible! Dessert? Fantastic!


Call +1 515-276-7777 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Parking
    • ✓️ Free parking lot
    • ✓️ Plenty of parking
  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Food
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Spirits
    • ✓️ Cocktails
    • ✓️ Quick bite
    • ✓️ Food at bar
    • ✓️ Comfort food
    • ✓️ Small plates
    • ✓️ Happy-hour food
    • ✓️ Late-night food
    • ✓️ Happy-hour drinks
  • Popular for
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Breakfast
    • ✓️ Solo dining
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible toilet
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible car park
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Seating
    • ✓️ Breakfast
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✓️ Delivery
    • ✓️ Takeaway
    • ✓️ Kerbside pickup

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