Big Grove Brewery & Taproom

Big Grove's Des Moines location took over the east end of the historic Crescent Chevrolet building on the edge of Sherman Hill in 2022, and the renovation kept enough of the bones — exposed steel trusses, polished concrete, garage-door windows — to feel like a real Des Moines space rather than a cookie-cutter taproom. The beer is brewed in Iowa City and the food program is more ambitious than most brewery kitchens, with a wood-fired oven driving the pizza and shareable menu.

For birthdays, the events team books semi-private and fully private spaces seven days a week across all service windows. The patio handles big standing groups in summer, and the inside spaces work for seated dinners or cocktail-style receptions of up to about 100. There is no per-person package — you build food and beverage minimums with the coordinator — which is more flexible than the rigid package model at chain venues. Guests can roll right into the rest of Sherman Hill afterward.