50 Best American Restaurants in Des Moines

“Best wings in DSM! The honey garlic is a must try. Always fast and fresh.“

“Great burgers some of the best“

“Thanks Cheese Bar for the great food and accommodating our little one. she loved the kids cheese plate!“

“BBQ Meatloaf was delicious and the service was good. Very cool decor.“

“Been here many times and will come back many more! Love the new bar added as a waiting room! Highly recommend the beef stroganoff!

Dining here comes with a couple sweet surprises that make the prices seem incredible too :)“

“We had Sam and Billy for our servers at the bar, they were extremely friendly, attentive and knowledgeable of the menu. Our drinks stayed full with plenty of conversation. This is the reason we continue to come back to this hotel.“

“Great burgers some of the best“

“Excellent food and service! Prime rib was absolutely delicious!“

“Such a cool vibe! Amazing food and service— will definitely go back again! 😊“

“Everything was phenomenal from beginning to end! The waitstaff was attentive but not overbearing, and our waiter in particular was so friendly and recommended the crab stuffed walleye, which was to die for! The environment was classy and intimate, yet casual enough that it felt comfortable and warm. The best part of the meal was the appetizer- the seared ahi tuna is too good for words, just trust me on this and order it! This was a great place to visit for my birthday dinner, and we definitely plan on being back.“

“The gnocchi is a very memorable dish. Soft, fluffy pillows of heaven. I don’t regret eating the entire dish AND ordering the lava cake. Easily ranks in my top 5 favorite DSM dishes.“

“my husband and i eat here every friday, the food is always good, and the prices are reasonable. lehda, charlie and lumi are all awesome and take great care of us when we come here. lehda has most of our order memorized aside from our main entrees that we switch up. 10/10 recommend“

“Amazing food and at a reasonable price and not a bad wait time.“

“the foods always great and very tasty..... old school iowa here and damb good“

“this is a fantastic place!!! food is incredible, atmosphere is awsome, and the owner is top notch. if it is a large group of a date this is the place to go“

“GIVE FRANCIS A RAISE!!!!!“

“This is a good place to go to have drinks and food for sporting events for sure! It's a very cool place inside with TONS of TVs. This should be a go-to for March Madness! The food was average, the service was pretty good, but it seemed like the servers were pretty new. The manager did make a point to speak to every table, which we appreciated! Overall, it is definitely somewhere we would go again for a sporting event, just maybe not an all-the-time thing.“

“Grabbed a grinder after Chili on the Hill and it's sooooo good. Also, good people. I'm gonna become a stalker, hope that's ok“

“I bring my mother to this Perkins each week. We both feel the food is excellent. I would also like to say any server we have is good, but I would like to give special recognition to your server Tracy (#131). She always makes usa feel at home, besides giving excellent service. Way to go Tracy ! Kevin Downs“

“I was visiting from Mississippi and learned that tenderloin was a big deal in this area.I was on a mission to find the best and I really believe I found it.Love the old diner vibe and the friendly staff at this place.I will definitely come back every time I visit family in the area.That King tenderloin sandwich is definitely hitting!!!“

“We took the whole family here for thanksgiving dinner. Amazing friendly courteous staff and authentic food!“

“I had about an hour to kill, so I decided to grab a bite. I ordered Chicken Tenders w/ Fries from somewhat a limited menu. The food was decent, and the price was reasonable for the portion size (which was surprisingly large). And, the service was superb. My server, according to my receipt, was Rachel.When I arrived, she was already servicing 4 customers (3 tables and 1 counter) by herself. While I was there, a few customers left but new ones showed up. At any given point, she was servicing 4 other parties but didn't forget to stop by my table several times to make sure I was doing okay. She was even courteous to a group of college kids who didn't necessarily have the best manners.Bottom line: I'd eat here, again next time I'm at the Des Moines airport.“

“I stop in here frequently at different times and I am always treated great! I'm greeted upon arrival by Audrey. Misty is prompt with my drink and food order. I go out of my way sometimes just to come to this Perkins on East Euclid! Keep up the great work!“

“Great shareables, margaritas, and attentive, engaging staff, with great game day VIBE and screens!“

“We had our wedding dinner tonight at Harbinger. Low-key, just the two of us. We were treated with such kindness and respect from everyone, including the chef who made concessions to his tasting menu for my wife’s sugar issues. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. We visit Harbinger we are blown away by the quality of our dining experience.“

“We had our Holiday party there on Saturday January 20th. The food was good, and the staff was excellent.“

“The people are fantastic! I went for lunch while I waited for the plane, they were busy, and I was worried I might not have time to eat. The kitchen cranked it out, I was so impressed!“

“We had lunch here yesterday, absolutely delicious burgers. Ate every bite, nice atmosphere. Yummy ice cream sundae to finish off. 10/10“

“A party of five of us visited on 1/8/25. We asked for a table in back as there was live music by the bar and we wanted to be able to talk together Our server was excellent - wish I had gotten her name Food was amazing - we got brussel sprouts, sliders, French fries w Parmesan, stuffed mushrooms, and spinach artichoke dip All came out timely and very good! We had martinis and all were very delicious and also came out quick I’ve been here about six times before and it’s always great Good patio area too Definitely a great place!“

“My favorite breakfast spot in Des Moines, great food and coffee....and the service is always fantastic“

“The salad bar is to die for!! Worth every penny! I find myself craving it! Lettuce is always fresh and the toppings are always full! It's always clean and the wait staff are very attentive. I will continue to recommend to friends and family!“

“Paulette Dyson and Drea Turner opened Applebees in a major snowstorm!! She represents your restaurant with stellar customer care and the rest of your staff does the same! It’s matched with great food quality and portions! Thank you for your continued excellence!“

“Incredible great tasting pies and amazing consistency. The flavors are intense and it's a refreshing change from the current pizza 🍕 industry! Life is way too short for cheap, unloved 🍕 so I definitely recommend Trumans“

“Loved the friendly service and the food was great...we will be back!!“

“What a great atmosphere and the food was amazing. Will be back many more times.“

“There is nothing better than The Library! They have a great selection of drinks and beers, incredibly fresh and tasty food, and amazing service! The small, cozy atmosphere just makes me happy!“

“Staff was great in helping the family celebrate my moms 50th! I have never had a poor experience in the times I have been there.“

“VERY nice place. Menu is interesting and preparation is PERFECT. Best pizza west of the Mississippi“

“Brownie says: I don't ever feel out of place here. The bar owner ( Jeff ) and his entire staff are the best...“

“love this place! great food, great staff, great service! my coworkers and I go every Monday and Katie has our drinks on the table before we even walk in!“

“So we saw that Dave Portnoy had posted a review of CentroDSM. Couldn’t believe we had not tried it yet as we are always looking for good pizza and we only live 5 minutes away. Well we ordered online and it said it would be ready at 8pm tonight. I got there at 8pm. Got home and I could already tell on the car ride home the pizza was cold. Now the flavor was all the way there. But the pizza was cold and chewy. This is disappointing as I’m sure if it was hot it would not be so chewy. They need to give accurate times so the pizza is still hot. I have also messaged them with no response.“

“from cincinnati ohio. work trip here in des moines. was looking for a laid-back place to just chill at and was so impressed with the staff and patrons. thank you for a great chill night out“

“All the servers looked happy and smiling. Our server Gavin was soooo nice!!! Would definitely recommend eating here.“

“Es un buen restaurante su comida es rica“

“We have been to visit The Republic several times and have had a phenomenal time each visit! The staff are second to none! Ask for Nicole Ripperger for great service!“

“I recommend everything about this Maid-Rite. We love you, Brian!!!“

“Run… Don’t walk to The Empire! Friendly staff / great food.“

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ My Koda Bear loves Paws & Pints, MoTail & Spa for lodging & grooming. And last, but surely not least the best Day Care ever. They treat Koda and us like we are Family. And during this holiday season, definitely want to tell you we are Thankful for you! Matt & I will be visiting my best friend’s bar this weekend. While Koda plays with his friends. Definitely five stars Matt, Susie & Koda“

“We just stayed for one beer but this place has a great vibe, great beer and friendly staff. Looking forward to coming back.“