The Handlebar

My partner and I were very happy with our lunch experience today. There was a $12 pizza and salad buffet that looked great, but we opted to share a tenderloin, “derailed” fries and Asian slaw—wow! We ate until we were satisfied and still took home half the sandwich and fries. Everything was perfectly prepared and tasty—the fries have incredible flavor. The service was friendly and fast. I don’t know what it’s like during very busy times, but we will definitely return.

Pooped in for lunch. Highly recommend. The wonton nachos, Thai chicken pizza, and garlic cheese bread were a hit. The mules and lemon drop martini hit the spot. Can’t wait for warmer weather to spend time out on the patio.

We had two specials. The filet and the beef and noodles. Everything was fantastic. We were really impressed. The steak was a great cut and perfectly cooked. The beef and noodles were among the best I've had.

I left the food empty but gave five stars even though they were closed when I pulled in. I gave five stars for service because even though they were closed they had a watering station that we desperately needed. I am Andy and I am traveling cross country from Iowa to Mississippi, and found this magical place that's called the handlebar , and the area behind is superb for a long distance biker like myself. Gave me a place to relax and get some calories in for waukee, and maybe adel.

Hours on website were posted 11:00-2:00. We had a group that bicycled and planned to end up at the handlebar for lunch. We got there at 1:15 and were told the kitchen was closed. Spoke with management and told again kitchen was closed. No apologies. No consideration. We had a group of 7 looking forward to eating there. Went to 5 points and had a great meal and experience.

Great, locally owned restaurant and bar right along the Raccoon River Trail in Dallas Center. Huge, beautiful patio area along with plenty of indoor seating. The quality and portion size of the meals were outstanding! Staff were friendly and helpful, plus witnessed the fantastic teamwork they have.

Stopped in on a weekday afternoon after a short ride on the nearby trail. There's ample bike and car parking, indoor and outdoor seating. I sat inside, but it looked like there was outdoor walkup access to the bar. My beer was cold and refreshing, and my burger was juicy and delicious. I especially enjoyed the aioli with my fries. Can't wait to return and try some more things on the menu.

We went to The Handlebar on a Saturday afternoon and it was pretty busy. We ordered drinks and food and waited an hour and 40 minutes and finally the waitress came and told us they lost our ticket! They offered to make it for us for free but at that point we had to go. They’re very understaffed in wait staff and cooks apparently… I feel like the waitress could’ve came in at least checked up on us, but she really didn’t. I have no idea how the food is since we didn’t get to eat. Regardless ,they have lost our business. We won’t go back here again.

Another great meal at this place . Had the Bermuda chicken bacon and fries. Absolutely fantastic.

Just a short drive West of the metro right along the bike trail in Dallas Center you will find The Handlebar. Executive Chef/Managing Partner Jenny Symonds took over The Handlebar back in April I think and she brought her experience and a new menu with her. Being a little bit of a foodie I've followed Jenny through four previous steps in her career...so it was only a matter of time until I made it down to The Handlebar. Pulling in The Handlebar has an almost country market look to the property rather than a restaurant. It's cute. A HUGE parking lot, a large patio, and accommodations for bicycles. The decor inside is tasteful and modern. The dining area looked clean. Darn near spotless. A hostess greets you as you walk in and seats you. Along with a lunch and dinner menu they also offer a full bar. Seating inside is low top table and chairs and a bar and bar stools. A server both takes your order and presents you with your bill at the table. The menus aren't overwhelming but still cover all the bases (apps, sandwiches, other entrees, pizza, etc.). Comfort food to a few Asian spin/fusion dishes that I've come to expect on one of Jenny's menus. Today I ordered the bike tire tenderloin with a side of cucumber salad and a soda (Coke products) for dine-in and an order of the raspberry cheesecake egg rolls to go. Steve Roberts has a very good tenderloin just down the road in Redfield (Dexfield Diner & Pub). He has some BPT competition here...! The Handlebar's tenderloin is a little thinner but bigger around... There's a reason they call it the bike tire... They offer a second bun at no extra charge. Served burn your mouth hot and still steaming. Drained properly. Absolutely no residual grease to ruin the experience. I saw quite a few of them walked by me by staff today; you can tell it's a popular item. Both great tenderloins! And if you like tenderloins you should try one of each... Courtney was my server today and she did an excellent job from start to finish! I was surprised to see the amount of staff on site on a Sunday. There were at least four servers...maybe five and Chef Ryan was in the back. Evidently they haven't heard about the staffing shortage other places are having. Just kidding...! I'm sure they have...it's just not something they seem to be struggling with right now. The cucumber salad was cold and fresh. A nice break in between bites of the tenderloin. I wish the portion of the salad had been just a little bigger. I grew up in a town like Dallas Center, Actually quite a bit smaller than Dallas Center...but the same demographic of people (minus the bicycling community). A Casey's, a small downtown, and a smattering of businesses, and no stop lights. I was a little bit worried for The Handlebar venture with the changes Jenny might bring. Would she be able to please both the newer generation and maintain the older regulars? Yeah...I overthink things sometimes. I could tell by looking around today that it appears she has been successful with both. Older gentlemen (probably farmers taking a break from harvest) enjoying a Sunday meal by themselves and some with their family. Bicyclists both on the patio and dining inside... Dallas Center is a nice little community and especially pretty right now with it being Fall. I'd love to tell you those raspberry cheesecake egg rolls made it back to Clive...but with all transparency they only made it down a couple of side streets and around the city park. They are amazing! I've had them before. They were on one of Jenny's previous menus... Feel like getting out of the Des Moines metro for dinner? Enjoy the Fall colors and make the drive down to Dallas Center and check out The Handlebar! I know I'll be going back! That hot beef stack on the dinner menu... The picture of it on their Facebook page sure screams... OMG! Like and check out their Facebook page for hours, additional details, etc. https://www.facebook.com/thehandlebardc/

We continue to have high hopes for this place and provide second chances, but this will be it. We were seated quickly, but service was slow; we waited over an hour for our drinks as we watched the bartender serve patrons walking up to the bar from outside one after another. We waited for the sub par food for over 2.5 hours. We were delivered our checks, without any recourse for the time or quality. Hindsight, we should have left 15 minutes in.

I went here with a couple of friends for lunch on a Wednesday. We walked in hoping for a good time, however we didn't have a good time. Are server was not helpful, we had to repeat are orders many times. When we got are drinks the sprite was only water, we were also not able to order most of the drinks because they were out of service. Then when I got my Mr. Pibb I had regular expectations. After around 10 minutes of waiting on only my drink when it smelt like metal, when I tried it it also tasted like metal. We then had to cancel are orders and find an excuse on why to leave. I will not be returning anytime soon, and I am giving advise for you not too also.

Given all the good reviews this is an outlier, so perhaps we just had some bad luck on our stop. A group of 4 of us stopped to sit outside and have lunch and drinks. Signs on the door make it clear that you need to go to the order window around the back to get your own food and drinks, so we placed our orders, and got our drinks. The drinks are reasonably priced and we got those right away. You get a text message when your food is ready, so after a bit we got our text and picked up our food. Mine was as ordered, but when my wife checked hers, it had cheese, which she had asked be omitted as she can't have dairy. She took hers back up and was told we'd get another text when it was ready. After 15 mintues we decided something might be wrong with the system, and sure enough it was sitting out there waiting for her in the pickup area. She brought it back and checked it and it appeared to have been corrected, but after a couple of bites she peeled all the toppings back and realized someone had just attempted to scrape off some of the cheese...and not done a great job at that. Now, she can tolerate a little dairy, but if she had a more severe issue with it, this could have been a very bad thing. I mean, she could have scraped it off herself, but it melts into the other toppings and really should have been remade. All 3 of our orders were the chicken sandwich...on the day we were there they were out of pork, so the options were a number of burgers, or the chicken. Mine was pretty good, but our friend's was a very sad, small, chicken breast with one end a burnt, dried out chunk. The fries were very good--hot and crispy, and the Brussels Sprouts were kind of plain, but well cooked. Once I got home I noticed that our food and drink bill had a 5% 'TOGO charge'. I'm unclear what that is for as when we just got drinks later, there was no additional charge. Maybe it is for the cardboard box the sandwiches were in? $2.20 seems a bit steep for that. A bit confusing to charge a togo fee for a couple of drinks on one check, but not the next, so this one is just kind of puzzling and a bit annoying. I'd say stopping in to grab a reasonably priced drink or to get some water from their outdoor wall water tap would be a great idea, but I'm not very sold on the food given our experience.

Tried to eat dinner here on a Saturday night. Walked in to find out it was drinks only. We left. No stars if I could do it. Been here twice and been disappointed both times.

Way to come back, Handlebar!! The last couple of times we were there, the food was good, the service was good, and the atmosphere was nice!! New management does a restaurant good!! Thank you!!!

Theme for the night: new management and new crew. Menu was limited but services was slow and they weren't busy. The burger I got was over cooked and the bacon jam was unlike any I've seen before and didn't have much flavor. We used to like this place alot before covid. 1st time back since. Definitely not the same. Hopefully just some growing pains.

Fun vibe! Hubby's New York strip was a five star meal! Perfectly cooked with caramelized onions and mushrooms on top. Green beans and carrots were fresh and tasty, as were mashed potatoes. Unfortunately, I ordered the wrong thing. I got a Southwest salad with cilantro lime dressing on the side. The salad was beautiful. The chicken was grilled and tasty. But the salad was blah. I couldn't taste cilantro nor lime in the creamy dressing. It seemed like it was missing. When I finally caught the waitress's eye and asked if it was the right dressing, she immediately brought more. Same thing. Disappointing. Waitress was pleasant. Drinks were good--great beer selection with many on tap. Definitely worth a stop!

It's definitely geared towards bicyclists, obviously, as you can see by the name, and the fact the it's right on the bike trail, so when you go there during busy bike times it can be really raucous. Not really our scene, but it might be yours! A good selection of craft beers. Not super comfortable inside, but they have patio seating available which we prefer anyway

The restaurant is under New management. We received excellent service. Outside seating has improved around the pond. Hopefully they bring back the brussel sprout appetizer. The hamburger I had was so juicy and one of the better burgers I've had in recent times..

We've been here a few times over multiple years with mixed reviews. We feel like they have figured it out. Service was excellent and had a server at our table outside, didn't have to wait in line outside and order everything at once. Our food was a 10/10 and had didn't have to wait for anything. Keep up the great work!

A quaint little eatery. Service was fantastic. Conveniently located on the bike trail. We ordered the tacos and gyro. The gyro was a very large portion and delicious. The tacos were decent but wish they had homemade salsa, hot sauce, or tomatillo sauce. This is a great place additional for Dallas Center.

The outside seating is outstanding. The service is missing. We sat outside and all orders were placed over QR code and your phone. The food was pretty good. Mac n cheese with pulled pork was good. The burger with bacon jam was really good. Grilled chicken sandwich was solid.

Outstanding service and excellent breakfast burrito! A good value for your money but bring a big appetite!

This is a great place along the RRVT to stop for a refreshment or refuel altogether. We like the friendly staff, the convenient walk up counter and the water refill station. There is plenty of space ) to spread out in the yard or beyond by the pond. It really has a relaxing vibe to it. My 2 faves are their FABULOUS homemade lemonade that has the perfect tart to it and their derailed fries. The portion is HUGE.

We apparently went there after a change in management. Food was ok, but messed up wife and sons meals, then did not remake it, just scraped off the wrong ingredients and gave it back. Stunned. Service required much more time and patience than we are willing to give again. Not going back.

Aesthetically speaking, my food looked like it would be amazing; however, it was actually kind of gross. Edible with a weird twang of mint mixed in with peanut butter? I couldn't quite pinpoint it, but I definitely would not order again. I got the chicken sammie for my boyfriend, to go. It also looked good, but was very dry. No sauces/condiments offered for a side. The bartenders behind the bar seemed super busy and annoyed at times when I would ask for something. I certainly wouldn't make it a first choice stop.

Met my friends that were out on a century ride for lunch. I love the walk up counter. Even better they took my phone number and text me when my food was ready. There were many picnic tables and green space for everyone to enjoy. The burger was delicious. Also tried the Brussel sprouts. They were awesome

We had to wait 10 minutes to get our order taken and that was after we waved our hands. We had to wave the flies away the whole time we were there. 30 minutes and still no food. Won't be back here.

The food quality is EXCELLENT, but this place needs to get their service situation together. I've been here twice now and had similar experiences both times. Most recently, I was told to sit wherever I wanted and someone would be with me. We waited 25 minutes and no one even took a drink order so I walked up to the bar and placed my order and paid there. Drinks (two waters) never came until the food came out and I asked for drinks again. Had to walk back to the bar to ask for napkins and silverware and never. Had anyone check in once the food came out. My first time I sat by myself at the bar and waited about 20-30 minutes before I could place my order. The server at the bar kept saying she would get back with me but then would disappear in back. The restaurant was not busy during either of these visits. After I placed my order, it took another 20-30 minutes to receive my burger. Again, the food here is great but I cannot justify having to build 90 minutes into my schedule just for a burger and fries.

We went here back in October. I forgot to review. We were a party of three at around 6:30 on a Thursday. We were headed home from a cross country meet and needed food. I ordered a burger that had bacon jam on it and it was excellent. I'm not a big burger fan, but would order this one again. We had great service and every one was happy with their meals. I'll be back.

Outstanding beer selection. Fantastic burger and daily specials. Service is consistently great.

We were frequent visitors to this restaurant and it has been a weekend family bike dinner stop since the restaurant opened its doors until recently when I noticed that they started charging me 5% of my bill to sit on the patio. The guy I spoke to said that it's because of the boxes they have to buy for us for the patio. Well why don't you serve us the same way you serve people sitting inside. Let me just say I should not be paying anything to sit on the patio and the reasons are: 1. We don't get table service and have to go to the counter pick our food up. 2. We get our food in cardboard boxes 3. We don't have TVs to watch when you eat on the patio I have always paid a 20% tip on my bill and felt ripped off when I realized they were charging me this ridiculous fees. I have never been charged this type of outrageous fees! Needless to say we will never be going back and will definitely let our friends know of this underhanded approach on charging your customers. Food quality has gone down as well!

I don't find my way out to the Dallas Center area often, but after going to the Vintage and Made Fair in Adel, my girlfriend suggested we try this place out. The inside is clean, sleek, and comfortable. We opted to sit outside to savor one of the last nice days of the summer. Tried the Caipirinha, which was a little sweet for my liking, but from looking it up it seemed spot on the the Brazilian classic so not knocking them for my preference. The ladies Bloody Mary was awesome. Let's talk about this burger. JUICY, perfectly seasoned, the bacon onion jam will haunt my dreams I want to put it on everything. Service was kind, prompt and efficient. Awesome job, I WILL be back.

Stopped by on our evening bike ride. They have great outdoor seating. The burger was tasty. The beer selection is fantastic. If you like a good craft beer selection, this is your kind of place. The staff was very friendly and made me feel welcome. Not only that but the other patrons were just as friendly. It was my first time there, but it felt like my old neighborhood hangout. Casual and relaxed. Definitely going back.

I came with my boyfriend. We got edimame, which was really good. He got a sandwich and fries. His fries were cold, but he really liked his sandwich. I got salmon and got Brussel sprouts instead of potatoes. They accommodated. The salmon was amazing. Brussel sprouts were very good! Our waitress was so nice! I really appreciate her! I didn't get her name. We will definitely return!

Very good local restaurant in Dallas Center. Right off the bike trail and Hwy 44. Nice craft beer selection.

My daughter and I stopped in for dinner and it was wonderful! the derailed fries were amazing, the staff was friendly, the lighting, temperature and volume of the music were all great for family dining! Thanks!

Wow! We were looking for a place with outdoor seating due to COVID. Handle Bar has AMPLE outdoor seating, with social distancing by default. Didn't take a picture, but their back yard is massive with lots of seating options. We shared the Brussel sprout appetizer which was incredible; so much flavor! My wife had the burger with fries and didn't come close to finishing her meal. Generous portions with great flavor! I had the weekend special shrimp tacos, with a side of fried polenta. The tacos were packed with great flavors and perfectly cooked, plump, shrimp. The fried polenta by itself lacked a little flavor, but it came with a delicious berry dipping sauce. Tons of good beer and cocktail options as well. Definitely a place we'll frequent and not too far from Des Moines!

Excellent service cold beer and great atmosphere ! They were able to accommodate us ( group of 20 people) while serving the bikers at out side window !!!

Nice location but really disappointed in the nachos. The pic says it all. $12 for dry overcooked chicken and pretty much solid cheese with a tablespoon of pico.

We love having a local restaurant close by that will normally have your to go order done in 15 minutes. Staff is friendly and the salads are fresh and plentiful. The hamburger is a good choice as well as the pub nachos. Perfect stopping spot on the bike trail in Dallas Center.

Service was mediocre at best (I could tell our waitress was new so I tried to be tolerant). Waited almost 45 min from the time we ordered until our food came out. Food was AWFUL... burgers were flat, dry, and flavorless. Honestly a McDonald's burger would have been better. Fries were ok but nothing special and small portion. The worst part of all, the price. It was me and my two kids. We all ordered one of their burgers with a side of fries, and each had one pop to drink. $67!!!! I wanted to throw up. I would have been happier with a gas station meal than what we were served. Extremely disappointed and will never ever go back.

Great staff, selection of beers on tap, and the food has always been great! Bring the kids & fur-babies and enjoy the picnic tables and pond in back.

The Handlebar is one of those places that have popped up along the bike trail mostly catering to bicycle riders. We don't ride bicycles but have been to several in the small towns the trail goes through, and in comparison this one is a gem. They've built a nice building with patios wrapping around it. The night we were there about 95 percent of the patrons were riders in their gear, and it was boisterous inside and out. In short, everything about it is impressive. The main dining room has a bar running long one of the walls, and although it's a metal building it doesn't look like it inside with lots of windows, great decor and not too many TV's around. Service was very good, with a very attentive waiter. Later one of the owners came by and asked how everything was, then the chef came out and asked if we had any suggestions for the menu. Now that's customer service. The food isn't what you'd expect at a place like this, it was a lot better. They actually have main course dinners in addition to some creative appetizers, salads and sandwiches. And of course there's a full bar. You can get a sandwich or a steak dinner. We'd go here again in a minute.

Patio seating only and we found a perfect shady spot under a ceiling fan on this hot and humid evening. Walk up window ordering from an extensive beer and drink list. Tried some local beers that were delish as well as a mule and margarita. Had the pork nachos for an ap and appreciated the queso on the side. The pork tacos were yummy as was the Handlebar burger and the fries too! Portions were generous and we can't wait to go back!

Do yourself a favor before the nice weather is gone and head out to Dallas center to this gem. Gorgeous setting out back, friendly attentive service, delicious cocktails, craft beer, and delicious food. Recommend the handleburger with fries and a Bloody Mary... trust me!!

Absolutely love this place! Friendly staff, great food, awesome beer selection, clean, and a great outdoor area. This is a great place to stop off the bike trail and take a break, but we are more inclined to drive out and sit on a picnic table overlooking the pond and have lunch and a drink. They also have a corn hole court set up! If you haven't been this place is a must!

Decent food. Over priced, but there is little else in the area. Twisted Corn Tavern down the road is better bang for your buck. The Handlebar is randomly closed at times.

Save your food money and pedal down to Casey's!!!!! Drive into Grimes, Adel, or even Des Moines for better more reasonably priced food! Went last night with family/friends only 1 out of 7 had a decent meal. Over priced and disgusting. Maybe it's the new manager. I ordered the Mac & Cheese added pulled BBQ pork; NOT as advertised. Instead of seasoned bread crumbs the cook literally took a few potato chips crushed them in their hand and dumped on top. The cheese sauce was not white cheddar but some gross watery yellow Kraft like powder concoction, couldn't find a single piece of bacon. Others at the table ordered burgers and chicken sandwiches all with bacon. The menu/management claim to use DSM Bacon Co bacon, all of us would argue otherwise. When we brought up our disappointment to the manager he was unapologetic and rude. The beer is good the location is great and that's it.

Best Philly steak made with a NY strip! Perhaps best I have ever had! I told my other half I was having flashbacks of my sandwich! Highly recommend Warm regards, Jeff

Overpriced and slow. Out of items and staff didn't know until much later. The prices for appetizers would have been excessive even on a rooftop downtown. Errors on bill. If it weren't for thirsty bikers I don't see how this place could stay open long.

Great spot on the Raccoon River Valley Trail. Their food menu is more modern than what one would normally expect to find in such a small town location, and they have almost 50 beers either on tap or in bottles or cans. The seem to make a point to to stock local beers, as well as some of the best names in American Craft. There is a lot of comfortable patio seating with ample shade as well. We will be back again for sure.

The outdoor space is my favorite in the summer time! The food it great. However, their kitchen hours were a little weird in the summer so we missed out on supper a few times.

Really great food, friendly staff, and cool venue (in a nutshell). Between all the times we have been here, nearly everything on the menu has been tried and everyone has always been very impressed with the food and the team members.

This restaurant is exactly what the small town of Dallas Center needed. I've been here a few times and I have nothing to complain about. The service is wonderful; Phoebe makes everyone feel like family and runs a hell of a show there. If the business owner happens to read this -- GIVE HER A RAISE! And the food has a classic pub feel with refreshing twists. All the dishes on the menus are so unique from each other and have amazing pops of flavor. There's something for everyone. And to personalize my experience, I'd highly suggest the derailed fries as an appetizer for a family (or just yourself if you are having a bad day LOL)! Come check this place out!

This place is great for lunch with friends or family. My dad and I grab lunch here often and love eating at the bar and talking with the nice & interactive staff. They have lots of local and fun brews. The back of the bar is gorgeous with a pond and party/grassy deck area with yard games like bags. The food is great, fries are amazing! It's a little pricey for a quick lunch but worth it. This place is spotless and they give you paper to-go boxes, reducing plastic waste.

What a great place! The food is fantastic! We were looking for a safe place to go that has outdoor dining and social distancing in place. The Handlebar has is it all covered. We sat outside in the very back under a sheltered area where there was plenty of room for 6 adults and grandkids. Between all of us, we tried lots of appetizers, custom burgers, fries, drinks and craft beers. Everything was delicious. The staff were so friendly and helpful. We will definitely go back there when we're in Iowa again. What a hidden gem.