By Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register
On a weekday evening, finding women’s sports on TV can feel like detective work. That’s the gap Heroics Sports Lounge intends to fill — not just during playoff frenzy, but on the ordinary Tuesdays when fans still want to see their teams.
The sports bar that focuses on showing and supporting women’s sports from amateur to pro opened on Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines on Christmas Eve. Everything from college hoops to wrestling to lacrosse matches and volleyball with women are shown on the screens around the bar.
Co-owner Jami Behun tracks broadcasts across networks and streams to keep women’s games front and center. It’s a response to personal experience. She recalls finding NFL games on every screen in a bar one Sunday, and asked for one screen dedicated to the WNBA. It was tougher than she anticipated.
That determination anchors Heroics’ core promise: women’s sports by default, not by exception. Behind the scenes, Behun keeps a running chart of games and channels, and the staff hunts down weekday broadcasts that are often scattered or under-promoted. Requests go beyond marquee matchups — women’s wrestling, hockey, and college and high school programs that aren’t always easy to locate midweek — yet the bar treats them like primetime.
Behun and LaQuita Lucas saw the need for a bar that specializes in women’s sports in the Des Moines metro. In Portland, Oregon, the Sports Bra started the trend, expanding to other cities across the country. Omaha has SET the bar, Minneapolis has A Bar of Their Own, Kansas City has The Dub, and Chicago has Babe’s Sports Bar and Whiskey Girl Tavern.
The co-owners note that they are “proud to be queer‑owned and LGBTQ‑friendly, but most importantly, Heroics is for everyone — fans, families, teams, and anyone who wants to experience the excitement of women’s sports together.” Behun said that kids can come into the bar to watch sports.
Cody Scanlan/The Register
What does Heroics Sports Lounge look like inside?
The experience runs deeper than the screen. Heroics is intentionally designed as a bright, lounge-forward alternative to the dark-paneled sports bar. “We’re keeping the lounge vibe, but we want it to be colorful, a little bit more energetic, bright in color, like purples and greens and upscale too,” Behun said, sketching a room of couches in teals and purples, coffee tables, and inclusive energy — feminine-forward without leaving anyone out.
Local art — a mural in neon colors by Kirstin Jones — does heavy lifting in the storytelling. “We gave Kristin free will,” Behun said, pointing out Serena Williams, Rosie the Riveter and hidden details like golf clubs, a piece that doubles as a scavenger hunt of meaning and memory. Even the taps nod to the theme, with Rosie-inspired handles evolving from Exile’s Ruthie iconography.
What to drink at Heroics Sports Lounge
The Sparkle Sprinter, $12: This cocktail comes with a little sparkle. The tart Absolut raspberry and lemon gets topped with Prosecco and infused with glitter.
The Cyclone espresso, $10: Midnight Bean espresso vodka and Buffalo Trace bourbon cream hit cold brew in this creamy take on an espresso martini.
The menu includes some classic cocktails such as a twist on a Captain Morgan and Coke with cherry and a mule with vodka, cranberry juice and ginger beer. Wines, beers and seltzers are also on the menu, with a list of mocktails that can be upgraded with alcohol for $3.
The bar also has a happy hour Wednesday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. with $2 off wells and domestic beers, $2 on tap beers, $6 wines and $8 cocktails such as the Heroics Hail Mary, an ode to the Cosmopolitan, and the Honey Hussle with whiskey, honey and ginger beer.
Look for events such as karaoke and trivia nights in the future.
For now, the restaurant offers popcorn, but a pizza oven is on the way, as is a partnership with neighboring The Palms to serve a short list of menu items such as wings and sliders.
Where to find Heroics Sports Lounge
- Location: 2005 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines
- Contact: 515-369-7786 or heroicssportslounge.com
- Hours: Open Wednesday and Thursday from 3 to 10 p.m., Friday from 3 to 11 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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