New De Soto bar, Ambro’s Roadhouse, to open in October

0
10356
Ambro's Roadhouse in De Soto will serve rustic fare in a rustic atmosphere in the recently remodeled, century-old house at 917 Guthrie St.

Craig and Amber Broeker
Chuck and Amber Broeker

De Soto denizens will have a new watering hole come Halloween when Ambro’s Roadhouse opens at 917 Guthrie St. in De Soto.

The bar is the brainchild of Amber Broeker of rural Van Meter, who was the head cook at the Waukee Community School District for 10 years and worked as a part-time bartender at the Booneville bar, so she knows her way around a kitchen and behind a bar. She bought a 100-year-old De Soto house about a year ago with her husband, Chuck Broeker.

Ambro’s Roadhouse has been a dream since her youth, Amber Broeker said Wednesday.

“Ever since I had a fake ID and was sneaking into the bars,” she said, “I’ve always wanted to open up my own restaurant and bar, so basically since I was 18.”

Since Broeker’s age cannot exceed 39, the dream has come true for her sooner than for some others. The Broekers took possession of the house last September.

“The house was built in 1900, and we’ve totally gutted it and renovated it,” Amber Broeker said Wednesday. “We’ve had a lot of hurdles to jump over with the city and getting the site plan finalized, but everything’s kind of happening right now all at once.”

She said the plumbing and electrical work is finished, and all that remains is to put up a few last walls and move in the new equipment.

Ambro’s Roadhouse will serve some typical tavern fare, Broeker said, such as burgers and sandwiches, but they will also offer fresh-cut French fries served as poutine, a Canadian dish made with fries and cheese curds and topped with brown gravy. According to Wikipedia, poutine is “sold in small ‘greasy spoon’-type diners (commonly known as cantines or casse-croûtes in Quebec) and pubs, as well as by roadside chip wagons (commonly known as cabanes à patates, literally ‘potato shacks’) and in hockey arenas.”

Homemade daily specials and homemade soups will round out the menu. Weekday hours will be 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Sundays 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

“Eventually,” Broeker said, “we’re going to have an addition for live bands, a huge room with more seating, but right now we’re just trying to get the main part finished so we can get the doors open.”

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.