The Exchange - Des Moines

The place really needs a new DJ or improves the music selection. Do not understand how to look into the crowd to see that people do not dance and just sway, drilled out their heads. No problems with the service yet, but honestly, it wasn't a funny bar in the last times I left.

The larger bartender with a beard (I won't go into specifics) came from behind the bar and grabbed by my shirt, shoved me through 4 different people ,including some poor girl who fell to the ground, and then threw me to the ground because I misinterpreted their confusing price board. I mistook the discount price for the actual price of the drink and he literally grabbed my drink out of my hand (the only one I got which was from beer can alley) and proceeded to kick me out. This was my first time at Exchange because I heard they had better drink deals. Like I get being upset that I mistook the price but dude didn’t even give me the chance to pull out my card to pay for the actual price. It was so bad the security guy outside had to apologize on behalf of him. Not really sure who talk to about this but this was messed up.

I am completely shocked at how disrespectful the bartender woman treated me and my friend last night. When we first got there we went up to the bar and they refused to serve us for no reason. Continued to laugh in me and my friends face.. one even ended up making a shot and poured it out in front of our faces to mess with us. I will never be returning again that was actually so disrespectful. I’ve never had such a bad experience with a bartender before. We don’t even understand why we were being treated that way because we weren’t even intoxicated.

Wish I could give negative stars Finally got the bartenders attention after 5 minutes of standing at the bar (this was at 11pm before the bar gets packed btw). I asked for a drink that ran across the screen as $3.25. When the bartender came back with the drink, he said it was $6.75. I asked why is that, he said the price changed. I said I ordered it when it was still on the screen for $3.25. He shrugged and said $6.75. I said how often do the prices change, he said every 3 minutes. However, it took him at least 90 seconds for him to pour the drink and come back. I told him I didn’t want the drink then and walked back over to my friends. The bartender then told the security guards that I “stole” from the bar by not paying and the security guards literally PUSHED me out of the bar (which is illegal for them to touch me by the way). Even worse, the security guards then radioed the rest of the bars on court avenue to tell them I was stealing from Exchange to keep me from going to other places of business. Great way to take advantage of drunk people and get them to pay higher prices for drinks, or get completely kicked out from the downtown area. Ridiculous..

Timmy the door man will always be nothing more than just that. A door man. Him and the bald guy working the door took my cash and then refused entry because my friends were too intoxicated ... Mind you it was 10pm and we had just got done have no more than 2 drinks at dinner. Hope you see this Timmy