Smitty's Tenderloin Shop ★ 4.5
The most famous tenderloin shop in Iowa. Since 1966, Smitty's has hand-breaded and flat-griddled Iowa pork tenderloins using a family recipe that has
Worth the queue: Hand-breaded pork tenderloin sandwich
Vendors, food trucks and stalls: the cheapest, fastest, frequently best food in Des Moines.
Don't-miss vendors
Maid-Rite Sandwich Shoppe ★ 4.2
The original Des Moines-adjacent Maid-Rite, best visited via day trip to Ames, serves the loose-meat sandwich that is a uniquely Iowa street food
Worth the queue: Loose-meat sandwich (loose ground beef in a soft bun)
Tasty Tacos ★ 4.1
Des Moines institution since 1961: the local Tex-Mex fast food chain the city adopted as its own. Crispy hard-shell tacos and breakfast burritos citywide.
Worth the queue: Crispy Mex shell tacos and breakfast burritos
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
Downtown Farmers' Market Food Stalls ★ 4.6
Operating on Saturday mornings from May through October across 12 city blocks in the Historic Court District, the Downtown Farmers' Market supports over
Worth the queue: Iowa sweet corn, local honey, breakfast burritos, kettle corn
Graziano Brothers Italian Grocery ★ 4.5
The soul of Des Moines' south-side Italian-American community, Graziano Brothers has been producing house-made Italian sausage, cured meats and Italian
Worth the queue: Italian sausage by the pound, Italian beef sandwich
El Rodeo Taqueria ★ 4.2
One of Des Moines' most-loved taquerias, El Rodeo serves birria, al pastor and a full range of traditional street tacos to the south-side community that
Worth the queue: Birria tacos and al pastor street tacos
Gateway Market Deli ★ 4.2
The specialty grocery Gateway Market maintains a deli counter producing sandwiches, prepared salads and grab-and-go meals from seasonal local ingredients.
Worth the queue: Seasonal sandwiches with house-made provisions