DINING GUIDE
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The Ultimate Guide to Des Moines Restaurants
This Guide Is Still Growing
We’re still working on this guide and would appreciate your feedback.
Please go to the Was This Helpful? section at the bottom of the page. There, you can rank the guide, report outdated information, and tell us what we should add or improve.
This is not a complete directory. It is a reader-shaped highlight reel of restaurants worth knowing across the Des Moines metro. We are building a larger dining directory separately, and this guide will link to it when it is ready. Until then, use the feedback section at the bottom to tell us what should be added.
People ask us where to eat in Des Moines more than almost anything else. The guide is organized by what you are craving and what kind of outing you are planning, not as an alphabetical dump of names. You will find long-running institutions, cuisine groups, date-night picks, family options, late-night stops, and patios.
This is a living hub. Single-cuisine and neighborhood guides will be added over time, including deeper coverage of Mexican food, Italian restaurants, Beaverdale, East Village, Valley Junction, and Ingersoll Avenue.
Des Moines doesn’t have one restaurant scene so much as dozens of small ones, one neighborhood at a time.
01 — START HERE
How to Use This Guide
Use the cuisine sections when you know what sounds good. Use the occasion sections when you need a date-night table, somewhere comfortable with kids, a late meal, or a patio. Some restaurants appear more than once because they solve more than one problem.
Restaurant hours, specials, ownership, and reservation policies can change. Check the linked restaurant page before making a special trip.
$ — Casual
Most entrées under about $15. Counter service or an easy sit-down meal.
$$ — Dinner out
Most entrées around $15–$30, usually with table service.
$$$ — Special occasion
Higher-priced entrées where the room, service, and drinks are part of the experience.
02 — JUMP TO A SECTION
Find What You Need
03 — DINING PICKS
Des Moines Institutions
The places that were here before almost everything else on this list — some going back to the 1940s. A lot of the metro's "old reliable" restaurants have closed over the years (we checked every one of these against current listings before including it), but this crop is still open, still family-run in most cases, and still worth the detour for a taste of old Des Moines.
El Patio Mexican Restaurant
Near Ingersoll · $$ · Since 1941
Widely credited as Des Moines' oldest restaurant, full stop — tucked into an old house just off 37th and Ingersoll. Blue corn enchiladas and a genuinely comfortable summer patio.
Noah's Ark Ristorante
Ingersoll · $$ · Since 1946
Opened as a lunch counter on New Year's Eve 1946 — veal alla mozzarella, Calabrese-style lasagna, and complimentary garlic knots. Survived a court battle over its lease in recent years and is still standing.
Bianchi's Hilltop Restaurant
East Side · $$ · Since 1950
Family-owned Italian since 1950 — homemade thin-cut onion rings, baked cavatelli, and butter-fried chicken livers if you're feeling old-school.
Ted's Coney Island
Ingersoll · $ · Since 1955
Coney dogs, gyros, and Grecian grilled chicken since 1955 — order a basket and get fries, onion rings, and coleslaw with it.
Chuck's Restaurant
South Side · $$ · Since 1956
Founded by Chuck and Elizabeth Bisignano — Italian fried chicken battered in Parmesan and Italian herbs is the thing to order here.
Pagliai's Pizza
Johnston · $ · Since 1957
Rooted in "tomato tarts" sold in an Ames bar back in 1957 — try the Italian stroganoff, a genuine curveball on the menu. The original Des Moines location has closed, but Johnston carries it on.
Graziano Bros.
South Side · $ · Since 1912
An Italian grocery, not a sit-down restaurant — but half the Italian menus in this guide namecheck sourcing sausage from here. The deli counter does hot and cold Italian sandwiches on the spot.
Henry J's Taco House
South Side · $ · Since 1973
Crispy fried tacos and unimpeachable Tex-Mex since 1973 — famously weathered a car crashing through the building in 2018 and reopened anyway.
Tasty Tacos
Multiple locations · $ · Since 1961
The fluffy flour taco shell that basically defines Des Moines-style Mexican-American food — six metro locations now, starting from the original on East Euclid.
Smitty's Tenderloin Shop
South Side · $ · Since 1966
Larger-than-life breaded tenderloins since 1966, now in its third generation of family ownership. The classic king version is still the one to get.
Baratta's Restaurant
South Side · $$ · Since 1967
Started as a grocery store in 1967 and grew into a citywide catering and events name — the original South Side location still does stuffed mushrooms and classic pasta for lunch and dinner.
Maxie's Supper Club
West Des Moines · $$ · Since 1967
Nearly closed for good, then saved by new ownership in 2023 — the "Best of Des Moines" onion rings and the Maxie Special grilled sirloin are both still on the menu.
Chicago Speakeasy
River Bend · $$$ · Since 1978
Prime rib, steaks, and a salad bar running more than 50 homemade items deep — order one of the surf-and-turf "Mafia's Combinations" and go big.
Tursi's Latin King
East Side · $$$ · Since 1947
Family-style Italian since 1947, renamed Tursi's when it changed hands in 1983 — chicken spiedini, pepper steak, and produce grown right on the property.
Scornovacca's Ristorante
South Side · $$ · Since 1973
Pizzas built on "Mama V's" secret family recipe, plus homemade Italian sausage and a sausage-and-capicola sandwich worth ordering on its own.
Bordenaro's Pizza & Pasta
South Side · $$ · Since 1977
A South Side red-sauce mainstay since 1977 — anything with red sauce and a side of onion rings is the move.
Felix & Oscar's
Merle Hay · $$ · Since 1975
One of the only spots in the metro doing real Chicago-style deep-dish since 1975 — save room for the fried cookie-dough sundae.
Leaning Tower of Pizza
Ankeny · $$ · Since the 1960s
Started in Des Moines, moved to Ankeny in the 1970s, and has been baking pies with caramelized crust edges for 50-plus years. The Harrington specialty pie is a local favorite.
04 — DINING PICKS
Italian
Old-school, scratch-made, and in a couple cases, quite literally family-run since your grandparents' day.
Tumea & Sons
South Side · $$
Founded by Italian immigrants and still run by their sons — Rat Pack photos on the wall, 95% of the menu made from scratch. This is the "old school Italian joint" template Des Moines measures everything else against.
Cosi Cucina Italian Grill
Clive · $$
Unassuming strip-mall storefront with a parking lot that's full by 5pm on a weeknight, which tells you everything. The Ziti Cucina is the move.
Aposto
Sherman Hill · $$$
Set inside an 1880s Victorian mansion — Italian-Mediterranean plates in a room that does most of the romance work for you. Good call for anniversaries.
Simon's
Franklin Ave · $$
Small, quiet, and intimate in a way most restaurants this good stop being once word gets out. Reserve ahead on weekends.
Christopher's
Beaverdale · $$
Award-winning Italian-American cooking on Beaver Avenue for more than 50 years. This is Beaverdale's anchor restaurant, full stop.
05 — DINING PICKS
Mexican
From sit-down family spots to a taco counter that grinds its own corn daily.
Fiesta Mexican Restaurant
West Des Moines · $$
A go-to for tacos, sizzling fajitas, and margaritas that locals consistently rank among the metro's best.
Los Laureles
East Side · $
Casual, unfussy, and been doing chile rellenos, tamales, and carnitas tacos right on the east side for years.
El Michoacano Taqueria
Near Merle Hay · $
Quesabirria tacos, tortas with 14 meat options, and helado in flavors you won't find at the gas station. Since 2016.
Bar Nico
Downtown · $$
Tortillas made from heirloom organic corn, hand-ground in-house daily, cooked to order in a fully gluten-free kitchen. A downtown standout.
06 — DINING PICKS
Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese & Chinese
Ingersoll Avenue alone could anchor its own guide, but the good stuff is scattered across the metro.
Thai Flavors
Ingersoll & East 14th · $$
Two locations, both built around balancing the four core flavors of Thai cooking rather than just dialing up the heat.
Pho 888
River Bend · $
Family-run Vietnamese spot with broth that's been simmering long before you walked in. Fresh ingredients sourced from the neighboring Asian grocery.
Blue Sushi Sake Grill
Court Avenue · $$
Sleek, high-energy sushi spot right in the Court Avenue entertainment district — reliable pick before a show or game.
Rolling Wok Cafe
River Bend · $
One menu, four cuisines — Lao, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Thai dishes side by side. Great for groups that can't agree on one country.
Sakari Sushi Lounge
Ingersoll · $$
Traditional rolls next to more inventive specialty ones, plus a drink list long enough to make a decision genuinely hard.
A Dong
Sherman Hill · $
A sprawling Vietnamese menu — 145 items deep — with more than 30 vegetarian options if that's what you're after.
Dragon Pho & Boba
Grimes · $
Vietnamese and Thai side by side — pho, boba, and a menu that's earned it a following well outside Grimes. Worth the drive north of the metro.
Fawn's Asian Cuisine
East Side · $
Chinese, Lao, and Thai on one menu — pho and vermicelli soup with red curry broth alongside lo mein and egg drop soup. A low-key East Side favorite.
07 — DINING PICKS
BBQ & Steakhouses
Smoked low and slow on one end, dry-aged and coal-fired on the other.
Smokey D's BBQ
North Side · $$
One of the metro’s best-known barbecue stops, with smoked meats, sandwiches, and sides.
Prime & Providence
West Des Moines · $$$
Premium steaks, seafood, and live-fire cooking in West Des Moines. Reserve ahead for a weekend or special-occasion dinner.
801 Chophouse
Downtown · $$$
Classic fine-dining steakhouse on Grand Avenue — the kind of place you take a client, or yourself, when it's warranted.
Jesse's Embers
Drake / Ingersoll · $$
Steaks and seafood since 1963 — a Des Moines institution that predates most of the newer steakhouses on this list by decades.
Proudfoot & Bird
Downtown · $$$
Inside the restored 1919 Hotel Fort Des Moines — prime cuts, fresh seafood, and cocktails in a room that leans into old-glamour without feeling stuffy.
Ohana Steakhouse
West Des Moines · $$$
Teppanyaki-style hibachi with your own personal chef doing the tableside knife work and fire tricks. Des Moines' go-to "dinner and a show" since 1996.
08 — DINING PICKS
Pizza
Deep dish, thin crust, and a couple of genuinely weird specialty pies worth the detour.
NorthernLights Pizza
Multiple locations · $
A local chain with a genuine cult following — fresh ingredients, dozens of specialty pies, and a menu deep enough to order something different every visit.
Dough Co. Pizza
Drake · $
New York-style thin crust with a Midwest twist. Also has an Ankeny location if Drake's a hike from you.
Big Tomato Pizza
Ingersoll · $
Award-winning, with gluten-free crust available — a solid pick if your group has a mix of dietary needs.
Truman's KC Pizza Tavern
East Village · $$
Kansas City-style pies with genuinely odd specialty options — a pickle roll-up pizza and a Philly cheesesteak pizza both exist and both work.
Fong's Pizza
Court Avenue · $
Chinese-American fusion pizza, including the Crab Rangoon pie that made the restaurant a Des Moines talking point.
09 — DINING PICKS
Breakfast & Brunch
Bottomless mimosas, diner classics, and a couple of newer spots worth the wait.
The Breakfast Club
Downtown · $$
A few blocks from the capitol — steak and eggs, biscuits and gravy, shrimp and grits, plus mimosa flights. Also has West Des Moines and Ankeny locations.
HomeGrown Des Moines — Crescent
Sherman Hill · $$
Housemade Pop Tarts, eggs Benedict, and a Bloody Mary topped with pickle, celery, and bacon. Next door to Big Grove Brewery.
Tupelo Honey
Downtown · $$
Southern comfort brunch — chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits — plus a mimosa list built for lingering.
Early Bird — East Village
East Village · $$
Pecan pie pancakes, crab cake Benny, PB&J French toast — and cereal-inspired cocktails that shouldn't work but do.
Drake Diner
Drake · $
A Des Moines landmark since 1987 — 50s diner ambience, all-day breakfast, and the kind of consistency that keeps a place open for 39 years.
10 — DINING PICKS
Seafood
Landlocked doesn't mean you're out of options — these are the metro's real seafood spots.
Waterfront Seafood Market
West Des Moines · $$
Family-owned since 1984 and voted the metro's best seafood for over 30 years running — market, oyster bar, sushi bar, and restaurant all in one, in ClockTower Square. A second location has since opened in Ankeny.
Buzzard Billy's
Downtown · $$
Cajun and Creole plates in a fun, no-attitude atmosphere — also lands on our family-friendly shortlist for the same reason.
Laughing Crab
West Des Moines · $$
Cajun-style seafood boils — bring napkins and low expectations for staying clean. Worth it.
11 — DINING PICKS
Vegetarian & Vegan-Friendly
Not just "has a salad" — these are places where plant-based eating is the actual point.
Des Fresh
Mobile · $
Started as a food truck and stayed one — inventive plant-based plates like crispy chickpea wedges and hot waffle stacks. Find it at the Des Moines Farmers' Market and around town at events.
Mobile business — check its current location before heading out.
Fresko
Downtown · $$
Not exclusively vegetarian, but the woodfired margherita flatbread and chorizo seitan tacos make it a reliable plant-forward pick downtown.
La Mie Bakery
Drake · $
A light, hearty breakfast-or-lunch bakery with plenty of vegetarian options — plus a downtown skywalk location for a quick weekday stop.
Lucky Lotus
Ingersoll · $$
Thai food with a deep, clearly-marked vegan menu — not an afterthought section, a real one.
12 — DINING PICKS
More Local Standouts
These restaurants were already part of the verified Des Moines Digest guide and fill gaps that the supplied cuisine list did not cover.
Centro
Downtown · $$
Italian-inspired downtown mainstay from chef George Formaro, known for red-sauce classics and a busy after-work bar.
Bubba
Downtown · $$
Southern comfort food with fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits, gumbo, and chicken-fried steak.
Alba
East Village · $$$
A long-running East Village restaurant with polished American cooking and one of the city’s most distinctive dining rooms.
Parlor
Beaverdale · $$
Detroit-style pizza, a full bar, and a casual neighborhood-hangout feel.
Malo
Downtown · $$
Latin-inspired food and cocktails near the Des Moines Social Club campus.
Lucca
East Village · $$$
An intimate East Village restaurant with prix-fixe and à la carte options.
HoQ
East Village · $$
Locally focused cooking with a menu that changes around available Iowa ingredients.
Harbinger
Ingersoll · $$$
Vegetable-forward tasting-menu cooking with Southeast Asian influences.
Eatery A
Ingersoll · $$
Mediterranean-inspired dishes and pizzas centered around a wood-burning oven.
Wasabi
Multiple metro locations · $$
Sushi, ramen, and Japanese dishes with several locations in the western suburbs.
Pho All Seasons
East Side · $
Vietnamese restaurant known for pho, bánh mì, and a broad menu of noodle and rice dishes.
13 — DINING PICKS
New and Notable: 2025–2026
The suburban dining map has changed quickly. These newer openings and moves were verified for the earlier Des Moines Digest guide.
Table 128
Downtown · $$$
Chef Lynn Pritchard reopened the former Clive favorite downtown at Gray’s Landing with focused seasonal American cooking.
Oak Park
Ingersoll · $$$
A polished restaurant with an on-site edible garden that helps shape the menu.
Toyo Ramen & Japanese Street Foods
Ankeny · $$
Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen and Japanese street-food dishes in The District at Prairie Trail.
LT Organic Farm Restaurant
Waukee · $$ · Seasonal
Indian, Caribbean, and Mediterranean cooking served at an organic farm outside Waukee.
Seasonal operation, generally May through mid-October. Confirm before visiting.
30hop and Tribute Eatery & Bar
Ankeny · $$
30hop moved into a larger Prairie Trail space, while Tribute Eatery & Bar took over its former location.
14 — DINING PICKS
Date Night & Special Occasions
Worth the reservation and the babysitter.
Proudfoot & Bird
Downtown · $$$
See the BBQ & Steakhouse section above — a 1919 hotel dining room is hard to beat for a big-occasion dinner.
Rose Farm
Norwalk · $$$
Seasonal, farm-to-table dinners just south of the metro, celebrating whatever Iowa's growing that month. Book well ahead — dates are limited.
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse
West Des Moines · $$$
Reliable, polished national steakhouse chain at Jordan Creek — a safe, always-good pick when you don't want to gamble on a new spot.
15 — DINING PICKS
Family-Friendly
Loud is fine, kids' menus exist, and nobody's going to sigh if your toddler drops a fork.
Zombie Burger + Bird
East Village · $$
A Des Moines classic — pun-heavy burger menu, milkshakes, and an atmosphere loud enough that your kids' noise blends right in.
Central Standard
Waukee · $$
A broad burger menu and large milkshakes make this an easy family option in Waukee.
Taki Steakhouse
Urbandale · $$
Hibachi grills with tableside prep — the flaming onion volcano alone is worth the trip if you've got kids at the table.
Iowa Taproom
East Village · $$
A big, energetic bar-and-grill menu with something for everyone — loud enough that nobody's shushing your table.
16 — FAMILY SAVINGS
Kids Eat Free & Family Deals
These recurring deals can make a family dinner more affordable, but the fine print matters. Most require an adult entrée, apply only to dine-in orders, and limit the number or age of qualifying children.
HEADS UP — VERIFIED JULY 30, 2026
Kids-eat-free promotions can change without notice. Check the linked restaurant page or call before making a special trip. Holiday schedules, limited-time promotions, and location participation may differ.
| Day | Restaurant | Current offer |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | The Chicken West Des Moines |
Kids eat free with an adult entrée purchase. Dine-in only; the restaurant lists the offer from 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Official specials |
| Monday | Beaver Tap Beaverdale |
One kids-menu meal is free with an adult meal of greater value. Confirm the current Monday offer before visiting. Restaurant post |
| Monday | Mullets Uptown Ankeny |
Kids 12 and under eat free with the purchase of an adult entrée. Check the current specials page for the day’s restrictions. Official specials |
| Tuesday | Giordano’s West Des Moines |
One free kids meal with a qualifying adult entrée or pizza purchase. The published 2026 promotion runs through December 31. Restaurant page |
| Tuesday | Zombie Burger + Bird East Village |
One free kids meal for a child age 12 or younger with an adult burger or full-sized salad. Dine-in only; additional kids meals are half price. Official offer |
| Tuesday | Pizza Ranch Ankeny and Waukee |
One child age 12 or younger receives a free buffet with each full-priced adult buffet. Both locations list the offer from 4–9 p.m. Ankeny offer · Waukee offer |
| Tuesday and Friday | Ruby Tuesday Urbandale |
Kids age 12 and under eat free Tuesday after 5 p.m. and all day Friday with a full-priced adult entrée. Dine-in only. Official offer |
| Thursday | Chuck’s Restaurant Highland Park |
Kids age 12 and under eat free with a paying adult. The restaurant lists the deal with its Thursday specials. Official specials |
| Sunday | Flame Cantina Ankeny |
Kids eat free on Sundays with a qualifying adult meal purchase. Confirm the number of free meals and current dine-in restrictions. Restaurant website |
See a deal that changed, or know another metro restaurant with a current family offer? Use the Was This Helpful? section below so we can verify it for the next update.
17 — DINING PICKS
Late Night
For when the kitchen everywhere else has already closed.
Fong's Pizza
Court Avenue · $
A long-running Court Avenue choice when you need pizza later in the evening. Check the restaurant’s current hours before heading downtown.
Zombie Burger + Bird
East Village · $$
Fast kitchen, good atmosphere, and one of the more dependable late options in the East Village.
Revelry Room Bar & Kitchen
Downtown · $$
A lively downtown spot for a pre- or post-show bite, open until 11pm most nights.
18 — DINING PICKS
Patios & Outdoor Dining
Iowa summers are short — these are the patios worth planning around.
Smash Park
West Des Moines · $$
Iowa's largest outdoor patio — pickleball, cornhole, bocce, and food and drink to match. More of a whole-afternoon destination than a quick dinner.
Mullets
South Side · $$
Riverside roadhouse with a two-tiered patio looking straight at the downtown skyline. One of the better sunset views in the metro.
Exile Brewing Company
Downtown · $$
Casual craft brewery beer hall with a solid outdoor patio and pub grub built to pair with it.
Gilroy's Kitchen + Pub + Patio
West Des Moines · $$
An expansive patio, live music on Wednesdays, and a weekend all-you-care-to-eat brunch that spills outside too.
The Dam Pub
Beaverdale · $$
A rooftop balcony strung with lights and enough room for a big group — a Beaverdale go-to on a warm night.
The best Des Moines restaurant is usually just "whichever one has a patio open right now" — a very solvable problem, most of the year.
PLAN AHEAD
Reservations and Event Nights
For weekend dinners at places such as Proudfoot & Bird, Prime & Providence, Table 128, Alba, Centro, Aposto, and Oak Park, reserve ahead when you can. A half-empty dining room does not always mean a restaurant can seat a walk-in party.
Book especially early when you are pairing dinner with a performance at the Des Moines Civic Center or an event at Casey’s Center. The venue was formerly called Casey’s Center, but the current name is Casey’s Center.
PRACTICAL TIP
Downtown parking, event traffic, and restaurant waits can stack up quickly. Give yourself more time than the map suggests.
This guide will never be finished in the permanent sense. Restaurants open, close, move, and change menus. Tell us what deserves to be added, what is outdated, and which cuisine or neighborhood should get the next full guide.
Think We Missed Your Favorite Spot?
This guide keeps growing. Suggest a restaurant or use the Was This Helpful section below to report outdated information.
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