Eatery A

"Finding a spot to please diners with a variety of food preferences and allergies can be stressful — until you find Eatery A. At brunch, dinner, and dessert, this Mediterranean-inspired restaurant excels at wood-fired pizzas, chickpea-cauliflower falafel platters, and San Marzano tomato-based shakshuka with sumac-spiced flatbread. Every day from 3 to 6 p.m., the pizza, draft beer, and wine are half price." - Karla Walsh

"When Jason Simon’s Ingersoll Avenue Mediterranean-inspired bistro opened in spring 2014, many locals thought its daily 3 to 6 p.m. happy hour — during which pizzas, draft beer, and wine are half-price — would be a short-lived grand opening fête. An entire decade later, this deal has never wavered; in fact, it recently expanded to begin at 2 p.m. The patio, bar, and restaurant are especially bustling during those hours as guests sip Toppling Goliath Pseudo Sue IPA and share wood-fired pies, like the #14 with red sauce, chorizo, pineapple, jalapeño jam, and cilantro. It’s far from the only time to visit, though. Eatery A, which takes inspiration from Spain, Morocco, Egypt, and Italy, is also where you’ll find some of the city’s best brunch fare. Try chef Andy Sayre’s towering benedicts, the shakshuka with sumac flatbread, or an oh-so-Iowa asparagus and sweet corn quinoa bowl with roasted tomatoes, green goddess, and romesco sauce. Whatever occasion you swing by for, there’s no better way to tie a bow on your meal than with the salted caramel budino. (Take it to go for a midnight snack if you’d prefer. It travels beautifully.)" - Karla Walsh Karla Walsh Karla Walsh is a freelance writer based in Des Moines, Iowa. She has written about travel, health, food, wine, psychology, fitness, beauty, and beyond for more than 15 years. She has visited four continents and near

"“Ingersoll Avenue is what we call restaurant row,” says Brian Taylor Carlson, food and dining reporter at the Des Moines Register. “You pretty much stand in one place, close your eyes, and point.” Anchoring this cluster of restaurants is Eatery A, located inside a former Blockbuster Video turned Obama 2012 Iowa campaign headquarters. Bask in that leftover positive energy (especially the movie rental afterglow) while munching on Mediterranean food, or take advantage of probably the best happy hour pricing in town: half-off pizzas, wine, and beer from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. every day." - Gary He