University Library Cafe

3506 University Ave
Des Moines, Iowa United States 50311
restaurant  5 reviews
11:00 AM-2:00 AM Mon-Fri, 8:00 AM-2:00 AM Sat, 8:00 AM-12:00 AM Sun

Taps: 21 | Bottles: 40+
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80
  • AMBIANCE 5/5
  • SERVICE 8/10
  • SELECTION 12/15
  • FOOD 7/10
  • VALUE 8/10
  • OVERALL 15/20
DiarmaidBHK  (1035) Lewisburg, Pennsylvania | September 6, 2017
Located near the Drake university campus, this is a tiny place with a tiny parking lot. Definitely has a well worn feel on the inside. Like I said it's tiny with a bar only big enough for 4-5 seats and maybe 8-9 tables. Still if I was a college student I'd probably live here and throw all my books on one of those tables while eating a hamburger and drinking a nice craft beer. The selection is nicer in terms of craft offerings than your typical college dive bar and they also do 1/2 pours of any of their 20 ounce beers. It's really a cool place.
78
  • AMBIANCE 5/5
  • SERVICE 9/10
  • SELECTION 10/15
  • FOOD 6/10
  • VALUE 9/10
  • OVERALL 15/20
CanIHave4Beers  (76) Pouring Bus, Iowa | June 6, 2014
It’s about time I said a few words about the Library.
This place has been up and running as long as I’ve ever known, I moved to Des Moines 8 years ago, started visiting this neighborhood a solid 2 years before that, and it looked old then. It is an institution.
That said it endured a makeover after ownership switched 2 or 3 years ago, there are things I miss about the place as it used to be but alas, it is overall far far better a bar now than it was before. Much of that improvement relates directly to beer selection, I believe they have 41 taps here, many are Iowa Beers, many are geeky beers, a good few are just solid offerings, and mostly midwestern ones at that. So it’s cool, the service is very good, the regulars are fun, and it’s a fantastic bar positioned in the Drake neighborhood.
Part of it’s charm is it’s size, they may have 41 draught offerings but it would be awfully hard to fit 41 people in the place, although it’s never horribly crowded when I go in.
All in all, I recommend the place, it’s a lot of fun.
98
  • AMBIANCE 5/5
  • SERVICE 10/10
  • SELECTION 14/15
  • FOOD 9/10
  • VALUE 8/10
  • OVERALL 20/20
theLBD  (5) , | May 13, 2013| Updated July 12, 2013
Love this bar, it’s always inviting.
8
  • AMBIANCE 1/5
  • SERVICE 1/10
  • SELECTION 1/15
  • FOOD N/A
  • VALUE N/A
  • OVERALL 1/20
sthlm  (147) Blank, Alabama | November 17, 2012| Updated June 2, 2017
80
  • AMBIANCE 5/5
  • SERVICE 8/10
  • SELECTION 11/15
  • FOOD 8/10
  • VALUE 7/10
  • OVERALL 16/20
heemer77  (232) Urbandale, Iowa | January 30, 2012
I visited after Full Court Press purchased it. The parking lot is very small, but there is street parking on University. Inside is compact but works well. Lots of exposed wood and a cool tap wall made from an old library card catalog. The tap line up is solid with NB seasonals, a Rock Bottom WDM seasonal and other micro goodies. The nachos were delicious and filling with the fried flour tortilla chips. The rest of the menu is burgers, sandwiches, sides and chili. Pretty nice food selection for a small bar. The beer is well kept and they have proper glassware. This is definitely worth a visit if you are near the Drake campus and want something smaller and with less hassle to get to than the downtown bars.

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