InPlay Sports Bar is located just south of the nearly new Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines (see map). For years, concert goers, sports fans and conventioneers had to either trapse all the way from Veterans Memorial Auditorium to the downtown area of Des Moines to get a drink. Not any longer - InPlay is a three minute walk from the main doors of the Wells Fargo Arena.
InPlay is a franchise based out of Urbandale, IA (a suburb of Des Moines). There is also an InPlay in Omaha, and there was an InPlay in Peoria, IL that recently closed up. It's very similar to a Dave & Buster's or a Jillian's where they mix food, sports, and games geared toward adults. They market themselves to corporations or groups, and they have a family theme to the place, as well.
Michael Stessman is the managing partner and you can usually see him around InPlay most of the time. This InPlay opened in June of 2007. The one in Omaha opened later in the year.
I stopped into the InPlay one evening around 5:00 p.m. for a sandwich and a beer. The place was nearly full with people who were waiting for the evening session of the Iowa Boys State Basketball Tournament. I got a seat at the bar and ordered up a beer. They had a special price on 16 oz. draft beers from 3 to 7 p.m., so I took a Bud Light.
Actually, the bar area is called The Stadium Bar and Grill. They have a lot of flat panel televisions playing sports in high definition. That's where they serve the food, as well. I got a menu and it had the usual sports bar food such as appetizers, burgers and sandwiches. There were a few main entrees, but I wouldn't trust a place like this for steak or pork chop.
The gentleman seated next to me had what appeared to be an Italian Grinder - Des Moines style (similar to the Gizmo's that I love so much). I asked him if that what it was and he said, "Yes, and it's very good."
I told the waitress I'd get that with some fries.
I looked around the place and it's a two-story establishment with some area downstairs that I didn't go into. But it featured arcade games, a rock climbing wall, pool tables and other things to keep people busy while taking more of their money. It wasn't as large or roomy as a Dave and Buster's or a Jillian's, but for Des Moines it was probably OK.
I noticed there was a large meeting room near the bar area that was being used for some hospitality room. It looked kind of nice in there with televisions on the wall and some nice wood paneling.
I went back to bar after about five minutes and began to talk to the man next to me. He was in town to see the basketball tournament and he said to me, "Man, this is great. Before, you'd have to walk all the way down to the Marriott to get a drink between sessions. Now, it's a one block walk and I can be back in my seat in 10 minutes after I leave here."
My sandwich showed up and it was good. Not outstanding like the Carl's Gizmo's are at the Iowa State Fair, but still very good. It had a good flavor to it, it was nicely proportioned with the right amount of mozzarella over the seasoned ground sausage and beef. It could have used a little more taste kick to it, but I was happy with it.
I don't know if a place like InPlay will make it. Given its close proximity to the Wells Fargo Arena and Vet's Auditorium, I'd say it's got a good chance of doing so. Even if it's just for a quick drink before or after a show or event, InPlay has a pretty captive crowd.
(Update February 2012 - Somewhere along the way, InPlay became All Play. But now it's become the new home for the Des Moines branch of Buzzard Billy's. Buzzard Billy's original location on Court Street was closed after flooding there last year. They're still working on the changeover and I've heard that they were going to keep some of the arcade games in the place, but I'm not certain if that's correct.)
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