West Des Moines lands a supper club with oysters, fish and cocktails in early 2024
Pete Faber of Barn Town Brewing and Derek Eidson of Django fame teamed up to bring a supper club to West Des Moines in early 2024.
Guesthouse Tavern & Oyster takes over the former Global Brew space in the Hawthorne Center, near Barn Town Brewing and Wasabi at 9500 University Ave.
The longtime friends often vacation together on the Minnesota/Wisconsin border, fishing and hitting the ATV trails.
“We have been frequenting the local dive bars and supper clubs in the area, so we thought it’d be a fun concept to merge the two,” Faber said on Facebook.The restaurant plans to start with dinner five nights a week from Eidson, and then add brunch and lunch menus. The duo said the menu features “twists on supper club classics known to the Wisconsin and Minnesota areas.”
Diners can expect to find an oyster bar, steaks, and fish, as well as craft beers, cocktails and bourbon.
“We have enjoyed all of these things while traveling up north and thought this would be the perfect concept and something we feel to be extremely unique and needed in the area,” Eidson said on Facebook.Expect a late January or early February 2024 opening.
How can I taste the food at Guesthouse?
Diners can stop at Barn Town Brewing on Wednesday night starting at 5 p.m. for a pop-up dinner with Guesthouse. Oysters, lobster rolls, and pierogi will be available on a limited basis. Find Barn Town Brewing at 9500 University Ave. in West Des Moines.
What is a supper club?
In her book “Iowa Supper Clubs,” Des Moines author Megan Bannister writes that what a supper club is can be an elusive definition. In Wisconsin and Minnesota, some reside by the side of a lake. In Iowa, many are tucked away in the middle of nowhere, she wrote.
Bannister said that many, not all, supper clubs offer amenities such as after-dinner ice cream drinks, hefty portions, a robust cocktail program, a relish tray, meat-centric menus that include prime rib, a signature dish, often a wait for a table, and a welcoming environment. Not all are required ingredients though.
Where are supper clubs in the Des Moines metro?
Bannister’s definitive guide to supper clubs notes that Jesse’s Embers opened in 1963 as a key club, meaning members had a pass to enter, in Des Moines. And Maxie’s Restaurant & Lounge opened in 1967 in Des Moines, moving to West Des Moines a decade later and operating two locations.
Where to find Guesthouse Tavern & Oyster
Location: 9500 University Ave., West De Moines
Contact: facebook.com/guesthousetavernoyster
Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Guesthouse Tavern & Oyster supper club opens in West Des Moines in 2024
