A night out in Johnston: build the evening one stop at a time.
A night out in Johnston tends to run the same shape: a drink somewhere with a patio, dinner, maybe something sweet, and one last thing to make it count. The handy part is how much of it now clusters in one spot. The new Johnston Town Center, where Merle Hay Road meets 62nd, packs a wine bar, a rooftop grill, and a bowling-and-arcade taproom within a short walk, and the rest of the good stuff lines up along Merle Hay Road. Here's the full board, laid out by the part of the night, so you can build your own. Or steal one of the four ready-made plans at the bottom.
How to use this
Pick one stop from each stage and you've got a night. Johnston Town Center packs enough into a couple of blocks to cover most of it without driving between stops. Short on time or ideas? Skip straight to the ready-made plans.
First round · 5 to 6:30
Start with a drink
The Cork 50131 (Johnston Town Center) · a Johnston-owned wine bar with a deep list and a rotating by-the-glass menu of bubbly, whites, rosé and reds, plus flights if you can't choose. The easy, low-key way to start.
Zeke's Rooftop & Grill (Johnston Town Center) · a two-level bar and grill with an expansive patio and a rooftop, opened in 2026 and named for early Johnston settlers Ezekiel and Mary Hunt.
Backpocket Pin & Pixel (Johnston Town Center) · the Backpocket Brewing taproom, roughly 15 of their beers on tap, and a room built for hanging around.
Roots95 Craft Kitchen & Bar (Chambery Blvd) · a proper cocktail-and-scratch-kitchen bar, busiest at its daily happy hour, 4 to 6.
1908 Draught House · the neighborhood sports-bar option for a game and a beer.
A dressed-up dinner:Trostel's Greenbriar is Johnston's steak night, at 5810 Merle Hay Rd since 1987, with a Gunpowder Ribeye and slow-roasted prime rib.
Chef-driven and shareable:Roots95 Craft Kitchen & Bar, chef Arturo Mora's New American and Latin small-plates room on Chambery Blvd.
The highest-rated in town:Cajun Belle for Cajun and Creole, or Wasabi for sushi and hibachi.
Tacos and margaritas:Flame The Taqueria for birria tacos, El Mariachi for a full-service Mexican dinner and a margarita.
Where dinner and drinks are the same stop:Zeke's, Backpocket, and Roots95 all cook a full menu, so you never have to leave the bar.
Van Dee's Ice Cream Shoppe · a local soft-serve spot known for its rotating weekly flavors (and the little candy eyes on the cones), the natural after-dinner stop.
Culver's (1820 22nd St) · the reliable frozen-custard option when you want a scoop on the way home.
A late glass at The Cork 50131 · if you'd rather end on a dessert wine than ice cream.
Johnston's sweet-tooth list is short, so if you're chasing a specific dessert, the wider metro is a short drive.
After dark · make it a night
Something to do
Backpocket Pin & Pixel · duckpin bowling (shorter lanes, fatter pins, a beer in hand) plus a retro arcade with Pac-Man, skee ball, air hockey and pinball, so the whole back half of the night lives under one roof.
Zeke's Rooftop & Grill · a rooftop drink after dark, with a party room upstairs for a bigger group.
Live sports at 1908 Draught House, or one more round at Roots95.
Fifteen minutes away: Des Moines' East Village and Court Avenue districts add live music, theaters, and late-night rooms if Johnston winds down early.
What is the best area in Johnston for a night out?
Johnston Town Center, where Merle Hay Road meets 62nd, is the walkable cluster. Backpocket Pin & Pixel (a brewery taproom with duckpin bowling and an arcade), The Cork 50131 wine bar, and Zeke's Rooftop & Grill all sit within a short walk of each other, so you can park once and do the whole evening on foot. The rest of Johnston's dining runs up and down the Merle Hay Road corridor.
Where should I take out-of-town guests in Johnston?
For an easy win, book Trostel's Greenbriar, the Johnston steakhouse open since 1987, or Roots95 Craft Kitchen & Bar for chef-driven New American and Latin small plates. Follow it with duckpin bowling and a retro arcade at Backpocket Pin & Pixel, or a rooftop drink at Zeke's.
Where can I get a drink on a rooftop or patio in Johnston?
Zeke's Rooftop & Grill at Johnston Town Center has a two-level patio and rooftop bar. Trostel's Greenbriar opens its patio in the warmer months, and Roots95 Craft Kitchen on Chambery Boulevard has outdoor seating and a daily happy hour from 4 to 6. The Cork 50131 is the sit-down wine-bar option nearby.
What is there to do at night in Johnston besides restaurants?
Backpocket Pin & Pixel puts duckpin bowling, a retro arcade, a brewery taproom, and a scratch kitchen under one roof, which can carry a whole night on its own. Add a rooftop drink at Zeke's, a scoop at Van Dee's Ice Cream Shoppe, or a short 15-minute drive into Des Moines for more.
Where is good for a date night in Johnston?
A classic one keeps it at Johnston Town Center: a glass at The Cork 50131 wine bar, dinner at Roots95 or a table at Trostel's Greenbriar steakhouse, and a rooftop nightcap at Zeke's. For something lower-key, Cajun Belle is the highest-rated kitchen in town.
Sources: The Johnston Brief's restaurant, pizza, and coffee guides, plus venue websites and public listings (Trostel's Greenbriar, Roots95, Zeke's Rooftop & Grill, Backpocket Pin & Pixel, The Cork 50131, Van Dee's Ice Cream Shoppe) and local coverage in the Des Moines CITYVIEW. Hours and offerings change, so confirm before you go. Suggestions are a starting point, not a ranking.