Bistros, trattorias and the everyday places where Des Moines actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Des Moines actually eats.
The Godfather of Des Moines tenderloin joints. Since 1966, Smitty's has been hand-breading and frying pork tenderloins on a flat-top griddle using family
Signature: King Tenderloin, Hand-breaded pork tenderloin sandwich
Beaverdale's neighbourhood cornerstone since 1997. Memphis-style ribs and brisket share the menu with Cajun-Caribbean sides, red beans and rice, and a
Signature: Memphis ribs, Smoked brisket, Sweet potato pancake with mango sour cream
Italian-American red-sauce cooking since 1947 in a country-villa building on Hubbell Avenue, with generous portions and reliably consistent kitchen technique.
Signature: Spaghetti with house red sauce, Chicken parmigiana
Downtown Southern comfort with a broad menu spanning fried chicken, shrimp and grits, Southern fried catfish, jambalaya and an extensive whisky selection.
Signature: Buttermilk fried chicken, Chicken and waffles, Shrimp and grits, Jambalaya
An all-day diner with genuine character: eggs, burgers and daily specials at prices that undercut every nearby restaurant by a meaningful margin.
Signature: All-day breakfast, Homemade comfort food
More than 40 Iowa State BBQ championship titles and 200+ national awards behind the recipe; pulled pork and brisket remain the benchmarks here.
Signature: Beef brisket, St. Louis ribs, Burnt ends
The German bierhalle on SW 4th Street serves large steins of draft beer alongside schnitzel, pretzels and wurst. Oktoberfest in autumn sells out weeks ahead.
Signature: Wienerschnitzel, Currywurst, Pork shank
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
George Formaro's downtown Italian in a former Masonic temple: coal-fired pizza, house pastas and Italian-American classics in a serious evening room.
Signature: Coal-fired pizza, Kill-Bill Pork Tenderloin, Handmade pasta
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
USA Today's number one brewpub in the United States for 2025, Lua Brewing earns the title with a serious beer programme and a scratch kitchen that takes
Signature: Smash burger, Kimchi deviled eggs, Flatty Monster tenderloin
Des Moines' first microbrewery, anchoring the Court Avenue bar district since 1996. Scratch-made food from homemade meatloaf to Reuben sandwiches pairs
Signature: French onion soup meatloaf, BBQ chicken pizza, Reuben sandwich
A downtown Des Moines institution with a claim to over 260 American craft beers on tap and more than 75 in bottles, billed as the largest craft beer
Signature: Iowa craft beer selection, American bar food
Wood-fired pizza and Mediterranean small plates with strong local sourcing on Ingersoll; one of Des Moines' most reliably good neighbourhood restaurants.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Mediterranean small plates
One of several Jethro's BBQ locations across the metro, with the south-side address serving the neighbourhoods most connected to the city's BBQ tradition.
Signature: Smoked ribs, Pulled pork, House sauces
The unofficial beer of Des Moines festivals since 2012, Exile pairs award-winning lagers, sours and IPAs with a scratch kitchen producing burgers,
Signature: Exile Burger with Bacon Jam, Nashville chicken sandwich, Weekend brunch
A south-side breakfast and brunch room known for enormous portion sizes, a serious Bloody Mary programme and Iowa's largest selection of drink flights.
Signature: Bloody Mary, Breakfast sandwiches, Drink flight sampler
The heartbeat of Des Moines' Italian-American south-side community, Graziano Brothers has been supplying house-made Italian sausage, imported Italian
Signature: House-made Italian sausage, Imported Italian products