Smokey D's BBQ ★ 4.2
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
Drake Diner is an american restaurant in Drake, Des Moines.
Editorially verified June 26, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: All-day breakfast, Homemade comfort food
Address: 1111 25th St, Des Moines, IA 50311
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