Entry No. 42 — the Des Moines file — filed under: hidden-entrance
Highland Underground
“No TVs, no sports, no escape from actually talking to your date”
Tucked into the basement of the former Klein's Department Store — a Highland Park institution that closed decades ago — Highland Underground is a 1970s-themed cocktail and fondue lounge that doesn't want to be found easily: skip the big sign (there isn't one), watch for a discreet window placard and follow the neon glow down the stairs. Inside, gold velvet chairs, dark-paneled walls, crocheted afghans, and a mannequin "permanent hostess" in period attire set the scene, while the rotary wall phones hardwired between booths let strangers ring each other across the room — a genuinely weird design choice meant to spark "serendipitous interaction." The food menu is exactly one item: fondue (cheese or chocolate), which sells out, so arrive hungry and early. No TVs, no sports, no escape from actually talking to your date.
The story
Tucked beneath 3614 6th Avenue in Highland Park, Highland Underground occupies the basement space of what was once Klein's Department Store—a neighborhood fixture that shuttered decades ago. Created by the Orvis Horatio Group (the team behind Dough Pizza Co. and the Des Moines Biergarten), the venue trades standard bar tropes for an unvarnished dive into 1970s leisure culture. You won't find a street-level marquee advertising the place; there is only a quiet window placard pointing you toward a staircase bathed in a faint subterranean neon glow.
Step downstairs and the commitment to the era is total. Gold velvet armchairs, dark wood-paneled walls, and crocheted afghans give the space the feel of a retro finished basement. Standing guard near the entrance is a mannequin serving as the room's permanent hostess, dressed in period-accurate attire. The weirdest feature, however, is hardwired into the booths themselves: vintage rotary wall phones linked across the room. Instead of scrolling on your smartphone, you can dial a neighbor's booth number and strike up an unsolicited conversation with total strangers across the floor.
The food menu rejects variety in favor of singular focus: fondue, offered in either cheese or chocolate. That's the entire food program, and because supply is limited, it sells out on busier nights. Drinks skew toward cocktails named after extinct department stores. With zero televisions, no sports broadcasts, and hardwired phones ringing across the room, the bar forces an old-school social experiment where talking to your date—or the booth three feet over—is the main event.
What it's like
Descend the stairs off 6th Avenue into a dimly lit, amber-toned room filled with the scent of warm melted cheese and low hums of conversation. Because the bar operates strictly on a walk-in basis with no reservations and limited booth seating, arriving early on a late-week or weekend evening is essential if you want to avoid waiting. Once seated, pick up the rotary receiver attached to your booth wall, dial a random extension, and see who answers—or just sip a department-store-themed cocktail while listening for other phones ringing throughout the basement.
The move: Claim a booth, order the cheese fondue for two and two department-store-named cocktails, then dial a stranger on the rotary phone and see what happens — that's the whole move.
📍 Before you go This sits in Highland Park, north of downtown along the 6th Avenue commercial strip; street parking is generally easy and free, but the room is below sidewalk level, so scan the storefronts at ground level rather than hunting for a marquee. It runs walk-in only, with no reservations taken — a stable trait — and tends toward later-week and weekend evenings rather than early-week openings, so build in flexibility and confirm before driving over. Evening is the move; the neon and lamplight do their best work after dark. Pair it with daytime browsing a few blocks away on Euclid Avenue, where Highland Park's vintage and curiosity shops cluster, then descend for cocktails once the light fades.
- 📍 Highland Park
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 3614 6th Ave, Des Moines, IA 50313
Hours: Added 2026-06-09 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Divine Times Vintage — Browse two floors of vintage clothing and goods on Euclid Avenue before descending into Highland Underground's 1970s basement when night falls.
- Kays Spiritual Ways — Pick up crystals or tarot decks at this quiet Highland Park metaphysical shop just a block away before your evening drinks.
- Ken's - a not so secret speakeasy — Pair Highland Underground's department-store basement setting with another subterranean space by heading south to this 1920s bootlegger spot under the Iowa Taproom.
Good to know
How do I find the entrance?
Head to 3614 6th Avenue in Highland Park. Skip looking for a traditional overhead sign; watch ground-level windows for a subtle placard and follow the neon light down the stairs to the basement below the former Klein's Department Store.
Can I make a reservation in advance?
No. Highland Underground operates on a walk-in-only policy with a capped capacity, so arriving early in the evening is the best strategy.
What kind of food is available?
The food menu consists of exactly one item: fondue, served in cheese or chocolate variations. Portions are limited each night and frequently sell out.
Do the rotary wall phones actually work?
Yes. The rotary phones mounted in the booths are hardwired to one another, allowing patrons to dial other booths in the lounge for cross-room conversations.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: dmcityview.com · Axios · Yelp · Official site · winimoranville.substack.com · desmoinesregister.com
last checked: 2026-06-09