Alba ★ 4.6
Chef-owner Jason Simon's East Village anchor has delivered imaginative seasonal American cooking since 2008, earning a James Beard Restaurant Award
Signature: Marinated hanger steak, Braised lamb shank, Pan roasted halibut
Restaurants in East Village
Lucca ★ 4.4
A refined East Village Italian room with handmade pastas at lunch and a weekly-rotating four-course prix-fixe dinner at $60. Reservations recommended.
Signature: Four-course prix-fixe dinner, Handmade pasta, Risotto
HoQ ★ 4.4
Local Food Global Flavor is the tagline, and HoQ earns it. The menu changes almost daily based on what its network of Iowa farmers sends in, cooked
Signature: Seasonal farm-to-table tasting plates, Local Iowa protein dishes
Zombie Burger + Drink Lab ★ 3.9
East Village's theatrical burger destination: zombie-themed patty combinations, deep-fried mac and cheese buns, and a Drink Lab serving cocktails and
Signature: Mac and Cheese burger, Dawn of the Dead burger, Spiked milkshakes
Fong's Pizza ★ 4.1
The Chinese-tiki pizza bar Des Moines made its own: crab rangoon pizza, General Tso's chicken topping, and conventional pies in a bar format.
Signature: Crab Rangoon pizza, General Tso's pizza, Tiki cocktails
Clyde's Fine Diner ★ 4.5
A refined take on the American diner: crudo, agnolotti, beef cheek and smashed burgers in a room that feels intentional, precise and design-led.
Signature: CFD Burger, Hot Bird, Charcuterie plate
Fine Dining in East Village
Lucca ★ 4.4
East Village Italian with handmade pastas at lunch and a weekly-rotating four-course prix-fixe at dinner for $60. Refined without being precious.
Clyde's Fine Diner ★ 4.5
The city's most talked-about recent fine-dining arrival, serving crudo, agnolotti, beef cheek and precisely constructed burgers in an intentional,
Alba ★ 4.6
Jason Simon's East Village flagship was nominated for a James Beard Restaurant Award in 2010 and voted Best Restaurant in Des Moines two consecutive years
HoQ ★ 4.4
Local Food Global Flavor. The menu rebuilds almost daily around what the city's farmers send in, expressed through a rotating cast of global culinary
Casual Dining in East Village
Zombie Burger + Drink Lab ★ 3.9
Horror-themed East Village burger bar with creative named combinations: 28 Days Later, Walking Ched. Thick Angus patties and milkshakes worth the trip.
Signature: Mac and Cheese burger, Dawn of the Dead burger, Spiked milkshakes
Fong's Pizza ★ 4.1
Asian-inspired pizza that Des Moines takes seriously. The original crab rangoon pizza, topped with crab rangoon filling, cream cheese and sweet chili,
Signature: Crab Rangoon pizza, General Tso's pizza, Orange Chicken pizza
Cafés in East Village
Daisy Chain Coffee ★ 4.2
East Village specialty cafe with local honey espresso drinks and a dog-friendly environment, one of the most pleasant morning stops in the neighbourhood.
Signature drink: Local honey espresso drinks
The Breakfast Club ★ 4.0
A busy all-day breakfast and brunch cafe in the East Village open seven days from 06:00, with vegan options clearly marked on the menu alongside classic
Signature drink: Morning coffee with full breakfast menu
Scenic Route Bakery ★ 4.4
Consistently cited as one of the best bakeries in Des Moines, Scenic Route operates a comfortable East Village cafe alongside its baking programme.
Signature drink: Coffee with house pastry
Plain Talk Books and Coffee ★ 4.1
A bookshop and coffee combination at the quieter eastern end of the East Village, combining a curated independent bookshop with quality coffee in a calm,
Signature drink: Specialty espresso
Vibrant Coffeehouse and Kitchen ★ 4.0
A coffeehouse and kitchen on E Grand Avenue in the East Village: specialty coffee alongside a full breakfast and lunch menu, daily from 07:00.
Signature drink: Specialty coffee with full kitchen menu
Bakeries in East Village
Scenic Route Bakery ★ 4.4
Modern East Village artisan bakery with ample seating and a seasonal pastry rotation. Strong sourdoughs and enriched breads from locally sourced ingredients.
Worth the queue: Seasonal pastries and sourdough loaves
Southern Cross Bakery ★ 4.2
East Village bakery with long-fermented sourdough and Scandinavian-influenced viennoiserie; limited weekend specials with a loyal E Locust Street following.
Worth the queue: Sourdough loaves and Danish pastries
Coffee Roasters in East Village
Brooster Coffee ★ 4.0
A newer East Des Moines roastery and coffee bar with a community-first approach. Brooster roasts approachable profiles that perform well as espresso or
Wine Bars in East Village
The Contrary ★ 4.5
Beyond its cocktail reputation, The Contrary maintains a genuinely well-chosen by-the-glass wine list with a preference for natural and low-sulphur
Wine focus: Natural and minimal-intervention producers; rotating by-the-glass
Bars in East Village
The Contrary ★ 4.6
East Village's most accomplished craft cocktail bar, with a rotating seasonal menu built on locally produced spirits, house-made shrubs and fresh produce.
Signature drink: Seasonal craft cocktails with local spirits
Big Grove Brewery ★ 4.1
The Des Moines satellite of the acclaimed Iowa City brewpub, Big Grove brings its range of well-crafted ales and lagers to a large, family-friendly space
Signature drink: Iowa City-originated craft ales and lagers brewed on-site
Twisted Vine Brewery ★ 4.0
A neighbourhood craft brewery on the SE 4th Street edge of the East Village, known for accessible hop-forward ales and a rotating seasonal programme.
Signature drink: Rotating roster of ales and seasonal special releases
Wellman's Pub ★ 4.0
Lively East Village pub with multiple screens and Iowa Hawkeyes games; the covered rooftop patio is the neighbourhood's best warm-weather drinking spot.
Signature drink: Iowa Hawkeyes game day specials
Street Food in East Village
Iowa State Fair Food on a Stick ★ 4.6
The Iowa State Fair food programme: 11 August days, 400+ vendors and hundreds of items on sticks. Pork chop on a stick and Iowa corn dog are the standards.
Worth the queue: Pork chop on a stick, deep-fried butter, Iowa corn dog
Breweries in East Village
Big Grove Brewery Des Moines ★ 4.1
The Des Moines satellite of the Iowa City original; Haze the Rainbow hazy IPA series plus Des Moines-exclusive releases and a full wood-fired food menu.
Food Tours in East Village
Kitchen Collage Farmers Market Tours ★ 4.4
Kitchen Collage, the East Village kitchen shop and cooking class studio, runs Saturday morning farmers market tours during the May-October Downtown
East Village Self-Guided Food Crawl ★ 4.3
The East Village concentrates more chef-driven restaurants, craft bars and artisan food shops per block than anywhere in Iowa.
Iowa State Fair Food on a Stick Tour ★ 4.6
The Iowa State Fair food programme is the largest concentrated food experience in the Midwest: 11 days of 400+ food vendors, each competing for the most
Food Festivals in East Village
Iowa State Fair ★ 4.8
One of America's largest and oldest state fairs, the Iowa State Fair runs for 11 days in August and draws more than one million visitors annually.
Cooking Classes in East Village
Kitchen Collage Cooking Classes ★ 4.4
The East Village's Kitchen Collage is a kitchen retail shop, cooking class studio and culinary event space that has run weekly evening and weekend classes
Budget Eats in East Village
Fong's Pizza ★ 4.3
The quirky Chinese-tiki pizza bar that became a Des Moines legend: pizza topped with crab rangoon, General Tso's chicken or Asian-inspired ingredients
Zombie Burger + Drink Lab ★ 4.2
Horror-themed East Village burger bar with creatively named combinations, thick Angus patties and a milkshake programme worth the visit in its own right.
Brunch in East Village
The Breakfast Club ★ 4.1
Open seven days a week from 06:00, The Breakfast Club in the East Village is the most reliable all-morning option in the city's densest dining
Big Grove Brewery Brunch ★ 4.1
Big Grove's Sunday brunch: wood-fired breakfast pizza, huevos rancheros and a strong Bloody Mary programme alongside brewery-fresh lager in a casual room.
Late-Night Eats in East Village
Fong's Pizza ★ 4.3
The most reliable late-night food stop in Des Moines, Fong's serves its Chinese-tiki inspired pizzas until 02:00 on Friday and Saturday nights.
Zombie Burger + Drink Lab ★ 4.2
The horror-themed East Village burger bar operates until 23:00 on weekends, making it the best full burger stop at the later end of the evening.
The Contrary ★ 4.5
East Village's top craft cocktail bar runs until 02:00 on Friday and Saturday with a full seasonal cocktail menu throughout: the best late-night drink stop.
Nightlife in East Village
Wooly's ★ 4.1
Wooly's is Des Moines' primary mid-size live music and late-night dancing venue in the East Village, booking national touring acts and local headliners
Wooly's ★ 4.1
The city's primary mid-size concert venue, booking touring acts across rock, indie, hip hop and electronic genres. The standing-room floor and raised balcony
Wellman's Pub Rooftop ★ 4.0
Wellman's Pub operates a covered rooftop patio that is one of the East Village's most popular outdoor drinking spots in warm months. Iowa Hawkeyes game days
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