Entry No. 42 — the Des Moines file — filed under: hidden-entrance
Highland Underground
“No TVs, no sports, no escape from actually talking to your date”
Tucked into the basement of the former Klein's Department Store — a Highland Park institution that closed decades ago — Highland Underground is a 1970s-themed cocktail and fondue lounge that doesn't want to be found easily: skip the big sign (there isn't one), watch for a discreet window placard and follow the neon glow down the stairs. Inside, gold velvet chairs, dark-paneled walls, crocheted afghans, and a mannequin "permanent hostess" in period attire set the scene, while the rotary wall phones hardwired between booths let strangers ring each other across the room — a genuinely weird design choice meant to spark "serendipitous interaction." The food menu is exactly one item: fondue (cheese or chocolate), which sells out, so arrive hungry and early. No TVs, no sports, no escape from actually talking to your date.
The move: Claim a booth, order the cheese fondue for two and two department-store-named cocktails, then dial a stranger on the rotary phone and see what happens — that's the whole move.
📍 Before you go This sits in Highland Park, north of downtown along the 6th Avenue commercial strip; street parking is generally easy and free, but the room is below sidewalk level, so scan the storefronts at ground level rather than hunting for a marquee. It runs walk-in only, with no reservations taken — a stable trait — and tends toward later-week and weekend evenings rather than early-week openings, so build in flexibility and confirm before driving over. Evening is the move; the neon and lamplight do their best work after dark. Pair it with daytime browsing a few blocks away on Euclid Avenue, where Highland Park's vintage and curiosity shops cluster, then descend for cocktails once the light fades.
- 📍 Highland Park
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 3614 6th Ave, Des Moines, IA 50313
Hours: Added 2026-06-09 — confirm current hours before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: dmcityview.com · Axios · Yelp · Official site
last checked: 2026-06-09