Over the next few minutes we will be breaking down the best restaurants in Des Moines in full detail. Our only real goal is to make it easy to figure out where to eat some great food near you as quickly as we can.
Organizing this into the best Des Moines restaurants of all flavors and varieties seems like the best way to proceed. For that reason there will be many different sections that discuss a wide variety of great places to eat all kinds of foods like Italian, steak houses, Mexican, Chinese, sushi, more types of Asian, American, Indian, BBQ, Greek, Mediterranean, seafood, pizza, burgers, buffets, vegan restaurants and other healthy food choices.
Contents
- 1 Best Italian Restaurants in Des Moines
- 2 Best Steak Houses
- 3 Mexican Restaurants Near You
- 4 Best Chinese & Asian Food
- 5 Best Spots For Sushi
- 6 Indian Restaurants In Your Area
- 7 American Restaurants
- 8 Yummy BBQ
- 9 French Restaurants
- 10 Greek & Mediterranean Food
- 11 Our Favorite Seafood Restaurants
- 12 Where To Eat Pizza
- 13 The Top Burgers & Fries
- 14 Best Buffets Near You
- 15 Vegan Restaurants
- 16 More Healthy Food Options
- 17 Breakfast & Brunch Spots
- 18 Bakeries & Desserts
- 19 Donuts
- 20 Ice Cream Shops
- 21 Cafes
- 22 Smoothies & Juices
- 23 Cocktail Bars
- 24 Breweries & Sports Bars
- 25 Enjoy Eating at the Best Des Moines Restaurants
After those have all been covered it will be time to pivot to breakfast and brunch spots, bakeries, desserts, donuts and ice cream shops. And we will try to wrap this all up with drinks like cafes, smoothies, juices, cocktail bars, breweries, and sports bars.
Be sure to check out our Des Moines restaurant map at the end to help you get a better lay of the land. We tried to link to their home pages or social media when possible so that you can order delivery or take out online if you are ready to eat now.
We have written many other local food guides for cities in the Midwest on our site which you can look through there.
Best Italian Restaurants in Des Moines
The best Des Moines Italian restaurants would be:
- Centro at 1003 Locust St
- Aposto at the Scala House 644 18th St
- Tursi’s Latin King at 2200 Hubbell Ave
- Baratta’s Restaurant at 2320 S Union St
- Tumea & Sons at 1501 SE 1st St
- Christopher’s at 2816 Beaver Ave
Best Steak Houses
These great steak houses near you won’t disappoint:
- 801 Chophouse at 801 Grand Ave
- Iowa Beef Steakhouse at 1201 E Euclid Ave
- Al Punto Restaurant at 6611 Univ Ave
- Chicago Speakeasy at 1520 Euclid Ave
- Jesse’s Embers at 3301 Ingersoll Ave
Mexican Restaurants Near You
Any of these Mexican restaurants should have all the burritos, tacos, and nachos that you desire:
- Old West Mexican Restaurant at 4138 Fleur Dr #2324
- Fernando’s Mexican Grill at 2316 Univ Ave
- Fiesta Mexican Restaurant at 2025 Grand Ave
- Pueblo Viejo at 3841 E 14th St
- Tequila Mexican Restaurant at 2824 Easton Blvd
Best Chinese & Asian Food
Some of our favorite eateries with Chinese and other Asian food would be:
- Eat Thai, Thai Eatery at 1821 22nd St STE 103
- Rolling Wok Café at 1534 E Grand Ave E
- Tsing Tsao Chinese Fast Food at 2231 E Univ Ave
- Ohana Steakhouse at 2900 Univ Ave
Best Spots For Sushi
For the best sushi in your area head to:
- Sakari Sushi Lounge at 2605 Ingersoll Ave
- Wasabi Chi at 5418 Douglas Ave
- Haiku at 1315 31st St
- W-Tao Sushi at 400 Walnut St #101
- Akebono 515 at 215 10th St #120
Indian Restaurants In Your Area
You will find some delicious curries at the best Indian restaurants near you:
- India Star at 5514 Douglas Ave
- Paradise Biryani Pointe at 6630 Mills Civic Pkwy #3102
- Spices Of Nepal Restaurant at 4804 SW 9th St
- Persis Biryani Indian Grill at 6925 Mills Civic Pkwy #142
- Lzaza Indo-Pak Cuisine at 1409 23rd St
American Restaurants
Want to sample some great American food? If so then go to:
- Simon’s at 5800 Franklin Ave
- RoCA at 208 Court Ave
- Cooper’s on 5th at 227 5th St
- Now Or Later Restaurant at 3750 E Univ Ave
- Alba Restaurant at 524 E Sixth St
- Harbinger at 2724 Ingersoll Ave
Yummy BBQ
There will be great slow cooked meats at these BBQ restaurants:
- Smokey Ds BBQ at 5055 NW 2nd St
- Jethro’s BBQ at 3100 Forest Ave
- Flying Mango at 4345 Hickman Rd
- Claxon’s Smokehouse & Grill at 3131 8th St SW
- Brazil Terra Grill Steakhouse at 2800 Univ Ave #405
French Restaurants
Some of the top places to try French food in this city are:
- Le Jardin at 2815 Beaver Ave #101
- Django at 1420 Locust St
- La Mie Elevate at 601 Locust St
Greek & Mediterranean Food
From gyros to moussaka and more Greek & Mediterranean meals visit:
- Olympic Flame Restaurant at 514 E Grand Ave
- Gazali’s Mediterranean Grill at 1205 25th St
- Open Sesame at 313 E Locust St
- Eatery A at 2932 Ingersoll Ave
Our Favorite Seafood Restaurants
Lobster, crab, fish and more are all available at the best seafood restaurants in your area:
- Splash Seafood Bar & Grill at 303 Locust St
- Waterfront Seafood Market at 2900 Univ Ave
- The Seafood Trap at 1552 E Grand St
Where To Eat Pizza
You aren’t lacking for options but we think the best pizza places in Des Moines are:
- Fong’s Pizza at 3018 Forest Ave
- Bordenaro’s Pizza at 6108 SW Ninth St
- 7 Stone Pizzeria at 9350 Univ Ave
- Paul Revere’s Pizza at 3201 Indianola Ave
The Top Burgers & Fries
Who doesn’t like a good burger and french fries:
- Angry Goldfish Pub & Eatery at 2301 SW Ninth St
- Zombie Burger at 300 E Grand Ave
- The High Life Lounge at 200 SW 2nd St
- LJ’s Burgers and Ice Cream at 3702 2nd Ave
- Maxie’s Restaurant & Lounge at 1311 Grand Ave
Best Buffets Near You
Heading to one of the best buffets is a good way to get variety:
- Mi Patria Ecuadorian Restaurant at 1410 22nd St
- Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet at 1801 22nd St
- New China Buffet & Grill at 1201 E Army
Vegan Restaurants
We think the best Des Moines vegetarian and vegan restaurants are:
- Ritual Café at 1301 Locust St Ste D
- Dirt Burger at 407 E 5th St
- A Dong Restaurant at 1511 High St
- Blaze Pizza at 300 MLK Jr Pwky
More Healthy Food Options
For more healthy food try out:
- HoQ at 303 E 5th St
- Evolve Juicery & Kitchen at 218 6th Ave #102
- Gateway Market Café at 2002 Woodland Ave
Breakfast & Brunch Spots
Start your day off right at one of these breakfast and brunch spots:
- Mullets Restaurant at 1300 SE 1st St #1253
- PerKup Cafe at 2700 Univ Ave #324
- Village Inn at 2300 Univ Av
- Eggs and Jam at 1907 EP True Pkwy #102, W Des Moines
- Railroad Bill’s Dining Car at 621 Des Moines St
Bakeries & Desserts
You can find all kinds of delicious breads and yummy desserts at these Des Moines bakeries:
- La Mie Bakery at 841 42nd St
- Scenic Route Bakery at 350 E Locust St Ste 104
- South Union Bread Café at 1003 Locust St
- Crème Cupcake + Dessert at 543 28th St
- Donut Hut at 4941 Douglas Av
Donuts
When you need a quick bite in the morning consider one of these donut shops:
- Donut Hut at 4941 Douglas Av
- Daylight Dounts at 502 N Ankeny Blvd, Ankeny
- Hurts Donut Co. at 5513 Mills Civic Pkwy
- Chu Chu Donuts at 580 SW 9th St #116
Ice Cream Shops
For another type of sweet treat try some of the best ice cream shops near you:
- LJ’s Burgers & Ice Cream at 3702 2nd Av
- Smokey Row Coffee at 1910 Cottage Grove Av
- Snookies Malt Shop at 1810 Beaver Av
- Classic Frozen Custard at 4000 SE 14th St
- Culver’s at 5941 SE 14th St
Cafes
If you need a caffeine pick me up try out one of these neat cafes:
- Smokey Row Coffee at 1910 Cottage Grove Av
- Waveland Cafe at 4708 Univ Av
- Java Joes Coffee House at 214 E 4th St
- Zanzibar’s Coffee Adventure at 2723 Ingersoll Av
Smoothies & Juices
Get a tasty and healthy drink when visiting a smoothie and juice bar:
- Lifestyle Juices at 2418 Univ Av
- The Juice Company at 845 42nd St
- Evolve Juicery & Kitchen at v218 6th Ave #102
Cocktail Bars
While not as healthy as the above you will probably have a lot more fun at a cocktail bar:
- Noce at 1326 Walnut St
- Hello, Marjorie at 717 Locust St
- The Republic on Grand at 401 E. Grand Av
- Mickey Finn’s at 7020 Douglas Av A
- Winchester Pub at 224 5th St
Breweries & Sports Bars
When the big game is on or you want to sample some new beers try out one of these breweries or sports bars:
- Exile Brewing Company at 1514 Walnut St
- The Iowa Taproom at 215 E 3rd St #100
- Court Avenue Restaurant & Brewing Company at 309 Court Av
- Lua Brewing at 1525 High St
In case you were interested you can look through some of our other posts on:
- All Kinds Of Restaurants In Omaha
- All Kinds Of Restaurants In Kansas City
- All Kinds Of Restaurants In Minneapolis & St Paul
- All Kinds Of Restaurants In Madison
Enjoy Eating at the Best Des Moines Restaurants
After reading about all of those delicious food options you should be as hungry as ever. We told you about all kinds of great restaurants near you like Italian, steak houses, Mexican, Chinese, sushi, Asian, American, Indian, BBQ, Greek, Mediterranean, seafood, pizza, burgers, buffets, vegan restaurants and additional choices for healthy food.
Plus you learned about breakfast and brunch spots, bakeries, desserts, donuts and ice cream shops. And we even got into cafes, smoothies, cocktail bars, breweries, and sports bars. Remember that most of these spots will have online delivery or will allow you to place take-out orders online via the links we shared.
Maybe you can help us out by correcting anything we may have gotten wrong or sharing your own local food tips in the comments. Either way, we hope you enjoy eating delicious food at the best restaurants in Des Moines!