Ken's - a not so secret speakeasy
Named for 1920s Des Moines society bootlegger Kenneth Sonderleiter, Ken's hides in the basement under the Iowa Taproom with no sign at street level (head down to the right of the Taproom entrance). Low ceilings, brick walls, gangster and flapper-era photos, and privacy booths built from salvaged elevator doors out of the old Equitable Building. The menu is Prohibition-classic plus a shelf devoted to Iowa whiskeys and bourbons.
The move: Slip downstairs without telling your date where you're headed, grab one of the salvaged-elevator-door booths, and do an Iowa-whiskey flight from the local shelf while trading old-fashioned-vs-Manhattan opinions.
- 📍 East Village
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 215 E 3rd St, Des Moines, IA
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Verified 2026-06-06.