Splash Seafood Bar and Grill

2025 is the useful signal here: a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence gives Splash Seafood Bar and Grill a clear reason to consider it for an evening meal in Des Moines. The restaurant is a relevant option when the night calls for a planned dinner, it can be compared with other choices such as 801 Chophouse.

Choose this for dinner when the group wants Splash Seafood Bar and Grill specifically and values a confirmed wine-related accolade. The strongest case is not a named chef, tasting menu, price point, or rare format; those details are not verified here. The verified facts are simpler: evening hours, smart casual dress, a 2025 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.

Choose it when wine recognition is part of the occasion

The Award of Excellence is the clearest trust signal. It does not automatically mean the restaurant will outperform every peer in Des Moines, but it does give the venue a confirmed point of distinction. For a special occasion, that makes Splash Seafood Bar and Grill easier to justify than a generic dinner choice with no comparable verified recognition.

The tradeoff is specificity. Without a verified price range, menu details, or signature dishes, the safer planning strategy is to treat this as an evening choice built around the venue's confirmed profile rather than around a particular dish or format. If the group is still comparing options, 801 Chophouse and Clyde's Fine Diner are natural names to review alongside it.

Better for dinner than daytime plans

This is a dinner decision, not a lunch fallback. The verified schedule points clearly toward evening service: Splash Seafood Bar and Grill is closed Monday and Sunday, opens at 4:30 PM Tuesday through Saturday, closes at 9 PM Tuesday through Thursday, closes at 10 PM Friday and Saturday. That makes it better suited to planned evening occasions than spontaneous midday meals.

For ambiance, keep the decision tied to occasion fit rather than unverified details. Splash Seafood Bar and Grill has smart casual dress and evening hours; Café Madeleine is another option to compare, while Clyde's Fine Diner may also be worth reviewing for a different dining plan. For broader planning, our full Des Moines restaurants guide is the useful next filter.

Who should choose it, who should cross-shop

Choose Splash Seafood Bar and Grill if the group wants an evening restaurant in Des Moines with smart casual dress and a confirmed Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. Cross-shop if the occasion has a narrower brief: compare it with 801 Chophouse, Clyde's Fine Diner, Café Madeleine, Table 1912, or LT Organic Farm Restaurant depending on what else the group is considering.

The bottom line: this is worth considering when the confirmed wine recognition and evening schedule fit the occasion. If those details do not matter to the table, another option may fit the night better.