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
Des Moines has built a restaurant scene that punches well above the weight of a 215,000-person city. The city's Italian-American south-side heritage, the farm-fresh produce flowing through the Downtown Farmers' Market, and a wave of chef-driven independents in the East Village and along Ingersoll Avenue have created something genuinely worth crossing the state for.
The East Village is the natural starting point: Jason Simon's Alba at 524 E 6th Street delivers seasonally driven American cooking at prices that feel like a bargain against coastal equivalents. HoQ on E 5th brings genuine farm-to-table discipline, with a menu that changes almost daily based on what its network of Iowa farmers sends in. For Mediterranean, Eatery A on Ingersoll is a neighbourhood anchor. And for the city's most distinctive historical dish, steak de burgo, Johnny's Italian Steakhouse on Fleur Drive still serves the garlic-butter-herb filet that Italian-American families invented on the south side generations ago.
The newer generation adds Harbinger's vegetable-forward small plates, Clyde's Fine Diner's refined diner classics, and Aposto's modern cooking in an 1880 Victorian mansion. Centro on Locust Street keeps coal-fired pizza and handmade pasta at the accessible end of serious Italian dining. This is a city where you can eat very well across a wide price range.
Italian-American heritage restaurants
The south-side Italian tradition shaped Des Moines' restaurant identity more than any other influence. Tursi's Latin King on Hubbell Avenue has served classic red-sauce Italian since 1947. Centro downtown keeps the tradition more contemporary with coal-fired pizza and house pasta. And steak de burgo, the locally invented dish of filet with garlic-herb butter or cream sauce, appears at Johnny's Italian Steakhouse and several other long-running rooms.
Farm-to-table and seasonal cooking
The Downtown Farmers' Market feeds Des Moines' best kitchens. Harbinger on Ingersoll Avenue uses market visits to set its daily rotating menu. HoQ in the East Village takes the local sourcing commitment further, with a supply chain built around relationships with specific Iowa farms. Alba's Jason Simon has made seasonal ingredient showcasing central to his American cooking for nearly two decades.
What to order on a first visit
Order a breaded pork tenderloin at Smitty's on Army Post Road. Go to Alba for dinner. Visit the Downtown Farmers' Market on a Saturday morning and eat something at the market stalls. Try steak de burgo at Johnny's Italian Steakhouse. If Harbinger has a tasting menu available, book it.
Our picks in Des Moines
Harbinger ★ 4.7
A vegetable-forward small-plates restaurant drawing on the chef's travels through southeast Asia, with a menu that follows the seasons and the farmers
Signature: Seasonal chef's tasting menu, Southeast Asian-inflected small plates
Centro ★ 4.3
George Formaro's downtown Italian anchor occupies a former Masonic temple with open kitchen, white tablecloths and framed vintage Italian posters.
Signature: Kill-Bill Pork Tenderloin, Coal-fired pizza, Handmade pasta
Eatery A ★ 4.1
A rustic neighbourhood room with a large patio and a wood-fired oven, channelling herbs and spices from Spain, Italy, Morocco and Egypt into an
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Mediterranean small plates
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
Table 128 ★ 4.4
A modern American bistro tucked into a westside strip mall that belies the quality inside. Seasonal, locally sourced ingredients underpin a menu ranging
Signature: Iowa pork shoulder steak, Faroe Island salmon, Beluga lentil barbacoa
Bubba ★ 4.1
Downtown Des Moines' Southern comfort destination pairs fried chicken, jambalaya and Southern fried catfish with an extensive brown-liquor selection.
Signature: Buttermilk fried chicken, Chicken and waffles, Shrimp and grits
Flying Mango ★ 4.3
A Beaverdale neighbourhood favourite since 1997, Flying Mango started as a catering operation and farmers market stall before settling into its Hickman
Signature: Memphis-style ribs, Smoked brisket, Red beans and rice
Tursi's Latin King ★ 4.2
A Des Moines institution since 1947, Tursi's Latin King operates from a country-villa building on Hubbell Avenue and serves the classic Italian-American
Signature: Spaghetti with house red sauce, Chicken parmigiana, Steak de burgo
Johnny's Italian Steakhouse ★ 4.3
The canonical address in Des Moines for steak de burgo: a 6 oz filet in roasted garlic, basil, oregano and rich cream sauce ($44 at dinner).
Signature: Steak de burgo, Filet mignon, Veal Sinatra
Smokey D's BBQ ★ 4.2
Competition BBQ team turned brick-and-mortar champion with 200+ competition awards. The pulled pork and brisket plate are the benchmarks; four sauce styles.
Signature: Beef brisket, St. Louis-style ribs, Burnt ends
Aposto ★ 4.5
Award-winning restaurateur Tony Lemmo's Aposto occupies a historic 1880 Victorian mansion on 18th Street, with herbs grown on site feeding the kitchen.
Signature: Handmade pasta, Seasonal garden herbs
Jethro's BBQ Southside ★ 4.0
One of several Jethro's BBQ locations anchoring the Des Moines smoke scene. Scratch-made sides, house-recipe sauces and a menu that spans ribs, brisket
Signature: Smoked ribs, Pulled pork, Brisket
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
Hessen Haus ★ 4.0
A full-scale German beer hall in downtown Des Moines with 50 German beers on draft and over 100 in bottles, claimed as the largest German beer selection
Signature: Wienerschnitzel, Currywurst, Schweinshaxe
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
Exile Brewing Company ★ 4.2
The closest full-service brewpub to downtown, reliable on Walnut Street since 2012; Ruthie Red Ale is the flagship and weekend brunch fills quickly.
Signature: Exile Burger with Bacon Jam, Pulled pork sandwich, Nashville chicken sandwich
Court Avenue Restaurant and Brewing Company ★ 3.9
The original Des Moines craft brewery since 1996, serving reliable American food and a small-batch experimental programme alongside the house ales.
Signature: French onion soup meatloaf, BBQ chicken pizza, Handcrafted house beers
Lua Brewing ★ 4.6
Voted the number one brewpub in the United States by USA Today in 2025, Lua in Sherman Hill earns the recognition with a precise beer programme spanning
Signature: Smash burger, Kimchi deviled eggs, Flatty Monster tenderloin
Frequently asked: restaurants in Des Moines
Do Des Moines restaurants take reservations?
Most mid-range and fine-dining rooms use OpenTable or Tock. Harbinger books via Tock. Alba, Lucca, and Clyde's Fine Diner require reservations especially on weekends. Counter-service spots like Smitty's and Maid-Rite are walk-in only.
What is the best area for restaurant-hopping in Des Moines?
The East Village is the most walkable cluster. From HoQ to Fong's Pizza to Zombie Burger to Twisted Vine Brewery, you can cover several meals in a small radius on E 5th and E Grand. Court Avenue downtown is the second-most concentrated.