The Ankeny Brief
For a town its size, Ankeny drinks well - a couple of genuinely good breweries, the metro's best trailside patio, and a full lineup of sports bars. Here's where to go, sorted by the mood you're in. Two hubs to know: Uptown (the historic core, around SW 3rd St) and The District at Prairie Trail (the newer entertainment area).
Both are walkable from each other in Uptown - easy to hit both in one evening.
Trailside Tap has arguably the best patio (and tenderloin) in town, right at the head of the High Trestle Trail. Ride or walk the trail, then land on the patio - it's the quintessential Ankeny summer move, and it's next door to Firetrucker if you want to bounce between the two.
The Ankeny Brief is a free weekly email - new openings, happy hours, and where to go this week. Made for exactly this.
Whiskey River runs weekday happy hour (roughly 3-6pm), and on Fridays adds free chips & salsa plus discounted domestics. 30hop runs a craft-cocktail happy hour. Hours shift - confirm the current deal before you go, and watch the weekly Brief; we flag the good ones.
For a drink with something to do: BackSpin Indoor Golf & Bar and NetPar (1610 SW Main St) run golf simulators with a full bar year-round, and B-Roll Bowling at B&B Theatres (1580 SW Market St) pairs bowling, an arcade, and a bar under one roof. More in our things-to-do guide.
Ankeny has three of its own breweries and taprooms, Firetrucker Brewery, Uptown Garage Brewing, and Trailside Tap, plus 30hop, which brews its own beer and serves food. Most sit around Uptown Ankeny and The District at Prairie Trail.
Ankeny's own taprooms include Firetrucker Brewery, Uptown Garage Brewing, and Trailside Tap, with 30hop another popular spot. Most cluster around Uptown Ankeny and The District at Prairie Trail.
For a warm evening, Uptown Ankeny and The District at Prairie Trail have the biggest concentration of patios, including spots like 30hop, Firetrucker, and Magee's Irish Pub.
For sports and a night out with friends, Whiskey River and the bars around Uptown and Prairie Trail are local go-tos, with big screens, patios, and food.