Des Moines, Iowa: Cheese Bar

When I heard there was a restaurant in Des Moines called Cheese Bar, my lactose-intolerant little brain lit up with joy. A restaurant that centers its food around cheese may not be what’s best for my body, but I can’t deny the magnetism of the idea. So Theo and I made our way down to Cheese Bar to try it out for ourselves.

About Cheese Bar

You can find Cheese Bar down on Ingersoll Avenue, and it’s kind of hidden away from the street. While the outside may be unassuming, it’s a beautiful spot once you get inside, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a wide-open floor plan. According to the website, Cheese Bar’s highlights are the grilled cheeses, cast-iron mac n’ cheese, and house-made charcuterie.

But Cheese Bar isn’t just reaching for the American classics, you can also find Swiss fondue and French raclette as well.

The Cheese Shop of Des Moines is Cheese Bar’s “little big sister”—a cheese store where you can find catering platters, local classes, and a monthly cheese club.

The Royal (Left) The Corned Beef (Top) Mac & Cheese (Bottom)

Is Cheese Bar any good?

I really, really wanted to love Cheese Bar. In general, I’m a huge cheese fan, and an even bigger fan of when restaurants center their food around a single ingredient or theme. Cheese Bar wasn’t busy when we arrived, and it things went smoothly right away.

Our server was beyond kind and helpful, and we enjoyed the bright, lively atmosphere. When our food came out, I was giddy at how beautiful it was, eager to snap up some pictures.

It was after the pictures were done and we dug in that the sparkle started to fade a bit.

The Corned Beef Grilled Cheese

This was a limited-time special for the season, and it ended up being our favorite dish from this trip. The tomato soup was flavorful and the corned beef was tender.

The Royal Grilled Cheese

This is a gorgeous, gorgeous sandwich, but unfortunately, the positives end there. I wanted lose myself in this sandwich, but unfortunately, it just did not have much flavor. The mornay sauce swallowed it up without offering much in exchange, and the insides of the sandwich were just a little room-temperature, like maybe this one had sat while the others finished up.

Even with both ham and bacon on this one, it didn’t have enough salt. I’m usually the kind of person who feels every dish is too salty, so it was surprising that I felt it needed more.

Cast Iron Mac & Cheese

It’s putting it lightly to say that I’m obsessed with mac n’ cheese. To me, it feels like one of those foods that can swing so violently in either direction—either like eating melted lipstick with non of the flavor, or like ascending to a god-like existence with each forkful. And unfortunately, this mac just didn’t do it for me.

There a few things I look for in a mac: creamy texture, soft noodles, a blend of cheeses and flavors. I’m usually not partial to extras like bacon, spice, or smoke, but I can be won over. To give Cheese Bar the best chance at a winning mac, I went for the World-Famous mac, their classic take with none of the accoutrements.

But this was one of those macs that’s a little too heavy on the melted cheese on top, with a sauce that almost borders on chunky. It felt like I could almost taste the thickener and feel it on my tongue with each bite.

What to know before you visit Cheese Bar

At Postcards and Pins, we understand the awkward traveler, because that’s us. We always try to compile some information to understand before visiting each location. These are some things to keep in mind about Cheese Bar:

Take your vegan friends somewhere else. If regular mac n’ cheese is hard to pull off, vegan mac is an even tougher assignment. But Cheese Bar doesn’t even take on this task, leaving a few sad salads as the only options for those avoiding dairy. This may be obvious, but if you’re bringing a vegan friend along, Cheese Bar isn’t the best destination.
It may take some time to find parking. When we visited, we had to spend a bit of time looking for parking on the street outside the restaurant.
Bring your tums. If you’re indulging in Cheese Bar, you might have some digestion issues after. Be sure to bring whatever medicine helps you feel better after a lot of dairy.

Final thoughts on Cheese Bar

All in all, my hopes for Cheese Bar were just too high. I wanted to love everything I tried, and unfortunately, the corned beef grilled cheese was the only dish that didn’t leave me sad and wanting more. It’s been a minute since Theo and I tried Cheese Bar, so I’d be willing to go back and reassess, but the first visit did not make a good impression on us.

While I didn’t love the Cheese Bar, this review from the Des Moines Register gave it glowing reviews, so you just might like it, too.