Entry No. 15 — the Des Moines file — filed under: speakeasy
Ken's - a not so secret speakeasy
Named for 1920s Des Moines society bootlegger Kenneth Sonderleiter, Ken's hides in the basement under the Iowa Taproom with no sign at street level (head down to the right of the Taproom entrance). Low ceilings, brick walls, gangster and flapper-era photos, and privacy booths built from salvaged elevator doors out of the old Equitable Building. The menu is Prohibition-classic plus a shelf devoted to Iowa whiskeys and bourbons.
The story
Kenneth Sonderleiter was not your back-alley moonshiner. During the 1920s, Des Moines society knew him as the man who kept the city's political and social upper crust supplied with illegal liquor. Operating out of spots like the Moonlight Inn and running booze routes across Polk County, Sonderleiter was busted, tried, and raided repeatedly—yet he treated his court dates like photo ops and kept the spirits flowing straight through Prohibition.
Ken's buries that history in the basement beneath the Iowa Taproom. You won't find a sign at street level; you have to spot the concrete stairwell immediately to the right of the Taproom's main doors on East 3rd Street and walk straight down into the foundation. The interior keeps things dark and raw: original basement brickwork, low ceilings, archival photos of local bootleggers, and high-backed privacy booths constructed out of salvaged brass-and-steel elevator doors from Des Moines' historic Equitable Building.
The bar stays true to its namesake's trade. You won't get modern foam-topped cocktail experiments here; the menu sticks to clean 1920s builds—Bee's Knees, Sazeracs, and Manhattans—and a backbar shelf packed almost entirely with Iowa-distilled whiskeys and bourbons.
What it's like
Expect an intimate, subterranean atmosphere that feels completely detached from the clinking pint glasses in the massive beer hall directly overhead. The footprint is small and fills up quickly on Friday and Saturday nights, so grab an elevator-door booth early or post up at the bar. If you find the door locked, it usually means a private party booked the room out—in which case your backup plan is right up the stairs at the Taproom.
The move: Slip downstairs without telling your date where you're headed, grab one of the salvaged-elevator-door booths, and do an Iowa-whiskey flight from the local shelf while trading old-fashioned-vs-Manhattan opinions.
📍 Before you go Ken's sits in the heart of the East Village, Des Moines' walkable historic district of indie shops and restaurants just below the State Capitol, so it pairs easily with a pre- or post-drink stroll. It's an evening and nightcap spot rather than a daytime stop. Because it shares a building with the Iowa Taproom, the big Iowa-tap beer hall upstairs makes a natural warm-up or fallback if the basement is full. Worth noting: this small basement room is sometimes booked out for private events, so it's smart to confirm it's open to the public before making the trip. Expect street parking or one of the neighborhood's public ramps.
- 📍 East Village
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 215 E 3rd St, Des Moines, IA
Pair it with
- Up-Down Des Moines — Trade quiet basement cocktails for two floors of noisy quarter-fed arcade cabinets and skee-ball two blocks away.
- Alleged Lee's — Make it a double speakeasy night by walking two blocks over to sit at an ornate 130-year-old carved wood bar.
- Goldeneye Curations — Browse vintage streetwear and retro gear in the East Village before slipping underground for an evening drink.
Good to know
Where is the entrance to Ken's?
Look to the right of the main entrance to the Iowa Taproom at 215 E 3rd Street. There is an exterior stairwell leading down to the basement without street-level signage.
What is the story behind the booth seating?
The booths are built using salvaged elevator doors taken from the Equitable Building, a historic skyscraper built in downtown Des Moines in 1924.
What kind of drinks do they serve?
The menu focuses on Prohibition-era classic cocktails alongside a dedicated shelf highlighting whiskeys and bourbons distilled across Iowa.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: dmcityview.com · catchdesmoines.com
last checked: 2026-06-06