50 Best American Restaurants in Des Moines

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

“Great burgers some of the best“

“The chicken sandwich is fire and the staff is great“

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

“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.“

“First I feel like I have to say there is no where to park and the wait is long even on a Wednesday night. Inside is dark and loud and cramped. My ham and bean soup was very good! Stuffed mushroom appetizer was ok but not worth the $10.50 price. My steak was ok-I’ve had way better. Waitress said I should ask for it well done since the cook usually undercooked the steak and it turned out more done than I would have liked it but the waitress never came over to ask… The asparagus had that woody flavor. Potatoes were good. My bf let me try his onion rings and meatball sandwich and both were very good! Cake tasted old… the staff is very nice but looked a little overwhelmed.“

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

“Great burgers some of the best“

“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“

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

“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“

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

“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“

“GIVE FRANCIS A RAISE!!!!!“

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

“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!“

“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“

“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 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!!!“

“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.“

“Ordered the big bacon cheesburger special for lunch carryout after reading some reviews on the burgers. I must say i was impressed, the meat was cooked to order, the bun was grilled and the veggies on the buger made every bite delectable. Will be back for sure!“

“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!“

“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!“

“I have walked by this place a hundred times.....finally stopped in tonight. The food was awesome and very reasonably priced. Very nice atmosphere. Friendly staff. A nice surprise....will definitely be back!“

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

“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“

“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!“

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

“Good. Great staff. Food ok too. Kids loved it.“

“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“

“Es un buen restaurante su comida es rica“

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

“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.“

“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!“

“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!“

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

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

“If you into dive bars, bar food, and great service check out Gerris. They are know for their wings so that is what I went with. One sauce option but it was good. Not too spicy, kind of like frank hot sauce with some butter mixed in. Wings were huge. Cheese balls were good. Food was fast and service was on point. One female working the entire room and she killed it. Drinks never got empty.“

“It had been a few years since we’d been to Lucca and I can’t for the life of me understand why. We had an absolutely fantastic experience there last Friday and are already planning our return.

We’d decided to do a fancy night on the town with friends (the kind where you dress up for no good reason) and liked the look of Lucca’s prix fixe menu. We arrived at 8pm sharp but our table wasn’t quite ready so the wonderful hostess got us drinks and made us comfortable in the seats near the door. She checked on us several times and we’d honestly have been fine waiting there all night. But they soon seated us and we had an amazing dinner. Four courses, including dessert, for $57 per person. The NY strip alone might cost that at another restaurant. All dishes were delicious and we were impressed at just how wide the selection was.

Once again, the service took dinner to another level and we loved the ambience. Plus, you step out into the East Village and have a million options for the rest of the night.

Exceptional job, Steve Logsdon and crew; it’s no wonder you’re still making national lists after so many years in business. We will absolutely return soon. Highly recommended.“

“We visited for the 1st time this past weekend, and absolutely love the concept and everything about it. We had a great time, but can't help but to think its sorta like a daycare except with dogs and the parents can hang and drink all day. I noticed alot of stressed out dogs from being away from their humans and the very loud music from the dj. It kind of put a damper on my mood after awhile, cause it was the same couple dogs crying, barking and pacing the fence where their humans were on the other side of, and for a great deal of time.“

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

“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.“

“Very good. We will return. Clean place also.“

“My go to for comfort food which is mostly this sausage sandwich, I’m 100% Italian and have consumed almost every sausage sandwich in Des Moines, this one is the best to me… because it’s different! Will love you always and forever!“