Where to eat in Des Moines

26 independent restaurants, bakeries and food spots in Des Moines. Chains are left out.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Eat
801 Chophouse
Being atop the Principal Building, along with their class of wines, steaks and seafood, 801 has a reputation for the city's nicest restaurant. The fare is amongst the best downtown, with freshness and ingredients resembling the prime rib (rare, get it?) being their ticket to success.
Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4PM-6PM
Eat
B and B Grocery, Meat and Deli
Family-owned and -operated since 1922. In 2008, the readers of The Des Moines Register voted their Dad's Killer as the "Best Deli Sandwich" in the city and many subsequent "best of" awards by locals. The Food Network's "Outrageous Food" featured the Killossal Sandwich, a combo of four sandwiches, in May 2011.
Eat
Big Tomato Pizza Co.
Near the downtown nightlife area. Carry out or delivery only.
Very late delivery$4 slice, $25 pie
Eat
Centro
pronounced Chentro
Italian fare featuring terrific coal fired pizzas. Specialize in $8.50 martinis.
Mon-Fri 11AM-2PM, Sat 11AM-3PM, Mon-Thu 5PM-10PM, Fri Sat 5PM-11PM, Sun 4:30PM-9PM$25
Eat
Chicago Speakeasy
A Des Moines classic, the restaurant features a mobster theme. Excellent prime rib (the house specialty), served in several sizes, an extensive salad bar, and a number of seafood offerings. Large portions.
$50
Eat
Christopher's
A restaurant with a great reputation for serving up quality prime rib and Italian dishes for over 50 years. The restaurant is larger than it appears from outside.
$30
Eat
Chuck's Restaurant
If the number of years one's been in business is the standard way to rate, few in Des Moines could mess with Chuck's more than 50-year reign on the northside of Des Moines. Chuck's has proven if you take old classics, such as spaghetti and meatballs, meatloaf, and steak, and treat them with respect, you'll be in the neighborhood for a long time. Excellent pizza.
Mon-Thu 4:30PM-10:30PM, Fri Sat 4:30PM-11:30PM. Live music Wed Thu 7PM-10PM, Fri Sat 8PM-11PM
Eat
Cosi Cucina
Cosi's
Traditionally known as one of the most authentic Italian restaurants in the area, with over 30 wines by the glass. Fresh bread and minestrone. According to their Website, it was once voted Best Italian Restaurant and Most Romantic Restaurant. Small and also near some other bars and trendy clubs.
Tue-Thu 11AM-9:30PM, Fri 11AM-10:30PM, Sat noon-10:30PM, Sun 4PM-9:30PM$20
Eat
Drake Diner
North Side Diner in Johnston and West End Diner in West Des Moines
Drake location is the original location. Favorites such as omelets, French toast, reubens, crinkle-cut fries, and bacon cheeseburgers and Drake's own "Bulldog burger" dominate the menu (all three Diner's feature the Maytag Burger, oozing with Iowa's own Maytag blue cheese). During nice weather, there's a screened-in patio available to sit. Shakes and malts are made with Des Moines's very own Anderson and Erickson Dairy Ice Cream.
Mon-Sat 7AM-11PM, Sun 7AM-10PM$5 shakes, $9 omelets, $10 burgers
Eat
Flying Mango
Began as a catering business but when their uniquely smoked Cajun and Creole creations caught on, they soon started to get a bigger loyal following. Full wine list.
Open for dinner but lunch by special appointment only$15-25
Eat
Fong's Pizza (Downtown)
The original location, founded on January 26th, 2009, in the former King Ying Low, Des Moines' oldest operating Chinese restaurant. Elements of King Ying Low's history and décor were kept and the current Fong's Pizza menu is inspired by a fusion of Asian, Italian, and Polynesian cooking styles paired with the tropical and fun flavors of a Tiki bar.
Eat
HOQ
Farm-to-table with ninety percent of HoQ's ingredients being organic, locally sourced within about 50 miles of the restaurant, and fresh from the farm.
Eat
Jesse's Embers
Quality surf and turf offerings. A local standby nearing 50 years in the area. Lunch offerings will save you a few bucks from dinner prices.
Closed Sun$8 burgers, $20 steaks, $35 lobster tail
Eat
La Mie Bakery and Restaurant
French-style bakery featuring all the goods you'd imagine, with quality omelets and coffee. High ceilings and modern setting make it a popular place to dine for all 3 meals rather than simply carry out fare. Outdoor patio on the back with a few tables. Can also find offerings at Downtown Farmer's Market.
Closed Sun$2 goodies, omelette and coffee $10
Eat
Maccabbees Glatt Kosher Deli
Central Iowa's only kosher deli offers traditional New York-style Jewish deli sandwiches, as well as kosher groceries, bread, wine, and hard-to-find favorites.
Sun 11AM–4PM, Tue 11AM–5PM; Wed Thu 11AM–6PM, Fri 10AM–3PM, closed Sat Mon$15
Eat
Noah's Ark Ristorante
A Des Moines classic specializing in Italian food. Thin crust pizza. Convenient for those visiting the airport.
$15-20
Eat
Oak Park
High-end American fare with a large wine selection in a building whose architecture was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Tue-Sat open at 4:30PM$50
Eat
Trostel's Greenbriar
Greenbriar
In 2003, The Des Moines Register awarded the restaurant with 4-stars and several awards from reader polls. Prime rib, seafood, aged steaks, rack of lamb and duck are featured on the menu. For those seeking a casual dining experience, the bar is available in addition to the outdoor patio (during warm months). Live music on various nights.
Twilight dinners served Mon-Thu 5PM-6:30PM$30
Eat
Tursi's Latin King
The Latin King
One of the longest-standing restaurants in the area (since 1947), the Italian cuisine and beautiful restaurant setting will please anyone with a desire for a bit of originality. Very busy during the lunch hour, particularly when the state's legislative branch is in session. Small patio available. Full wine list.
$20
Eat
Waveland Cafe
If you're expecting a fancy diner, then you better get lost. This place is for the real Saturday morning crowd and a good place to recover from a hangover. If it was legal to light up a smoke, this is where you'd get no gruff from fellow patrons.
$8
Eat
Zombie Burger
A popular local burger joint with a humorous undead theme — the decor inside is rife with references to zombie flicks — and lots of creative burger and milkshake creations. The menu is full of intriguing options worth exploring but of particular note is "the Walking Ched," a beef patty atop fried mac and cheese with bacon. The fries and shakes are also excellent. A bar in the back serves draft beers and cocktails.
Sun-Thu 11AM-midnight, Fri Sat 11AM-2AM
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B-Bops
Few sit-down restaurants can match the goodness of the most popular menu item, the 1/4-lb. hamburger. If the weather's nice, you can sit under an umbrella and listen to classics from the 1950s and 1960s. The burgers are so good they've won the "Best Burger in Des Moines" award more than 10 years running (per Cityview).
$3-7
Eat Not mapped
Fareway
Quality meat department. A popular rural grocery chain with several urban locations as well.
Eat Not mapped
Jethro's BBQ
Quickly earning locals' favor. Featured on the third season of the TV series Man v. Food, where host Adam Richman tried (and failed) to conquer the Adam Emmenecker Challenge (named after the former Drake basketball star).
Eat Not mapped
Tasty Tacos
Local fast food joint rivaling taste of some of the sit-down places.
Mon-Sat 11AM-10PM$6
Eat
Masao
French-Japanese fusion in the East Village.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Des Moines (CC BY-SA 4.0).