Jacob & Emily
Things To Do
Smokey Row Coffee
There are several Smokey Row locations in the area but this is the biggest (and best in our opinion). It's also the location of our first date! Great place for coffee/ tea, a sweet treat, or any light meal.
Scenic Route Bakery
Great for breakfast or lunch, coffee/ tea, and sweet treats! Stroll through the East Village and see the state capital while there!
Home Sweet Cone Ice Cream
With rotating flavors every day, you are sure to find something you like. Or try a flight of 6 flavors if you can't decide! Emily loves their raspberry chip and Jake likes the chocolate chip cookie dough! They now have a second location in West Des Moines as well.
Zombie Burger + Drink Lab
A Des Moines Classic. Burgers and Shakes, what more could you want! Emily's favorite is "The Walking Ched" with a deep-fried mac and cheese bun. (Never said it was healthy ...)
Fong's Pizza
Another Des Moines Classic. Pizza with a twist.
Angry Goldfish Pub & Eatery
A favorite of Jake's. He was so excited to bring Emily here for a date night early on!
Smokey D's BBQ
This restaurant was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives and was recently on a Top 100 BBQ joint list. We also recommend Jethro's for BBQ, you will find several locations throughout the area.
Big Grove Brewery & Taproom
Favorite place for us to sit and watch a basketball game, with great food and drinks! We also recommend Lua and Confluence as some of our other favorite breweries!
Des Moines' Downtown Farmers’ Market
The farmers market occurs on Saturday mornings, 8am to noon, and is one of the best in the country. You will find food, drinks, art, and more on street after street right in the heart of Des Moines.
Grays Lake
Get out and enjoy some fresh air and beautiful views! A lap around the lake is just under 2 miles.
Pappajohn Sculpture Park
A fun park to stroll through and see some interesting art pieces.
Painted Street
Emily encourages you to take a walk around Drake's campus, specifically down one sidewalk in the heart of campus that we call "painted street". Every year during the Drake Relay's 50 student organizations each paint a square on the sidewalk, representing their organization as well as the relays theme for the year.
