50 Best American Restaurants in Des Moines

“They had their food truck at my work today!! I got the Boom Boom burger and omg it is now my new favorite burger!!! Soooo awesome!!“

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

“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.“

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

“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.“

“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.“

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

“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.“

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

“Cheese Bar is my favorite restaurant. I like it for the friendly staff, excellent service, knowledgeable chef, and of course delicious food. They clearly train their people well and are all very kind and relaxed. Their food and beverages have been consistently well prepared and tasty for over 6 years. I love it!“

“Friendly folks and well staffed! I had the smothered chicken with a side salad and broccoli & cheese soup. I love how I didn't have to ask for any extra dressing for my side salad, they put just the right amount for you. The grilled chicken breast was cooked perfectly, as well as the grilled onions and mushrooms it was smothered in. The broccoli & cheese soup blew me away. It had more seasoning than I'm used to, but was absolutely incredible! Being new to the area, this is by far my favorite place in the two months I've been here. I couldn't help but watch every plate that came out of the kitchen to see how awesome it looked. Take my word for it., the food looked incredible! I wish I wasn't trying to lose weight, because I would try everything on the menu within a week! LOL, wish I had posted some pictures of my food, but I honestly didn't expect the greatness I found in this hidden gem on the edge of town.“

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

“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“

“They had their food truck at my work today!! I got the Boom Boom burger and omg it is now my new favorite burger!!! Soooo awesome!!“

“I have had lots of Grinders and I can honestly say that Momma Moodys grinder was by far One of if not The Best I have ever had and the crinkle fries were cooked the way I love them and the service was amazing great people and fast!!!! Will definitely be back“

“We went to Confluence Brewery to listen to Seth Jamison sing solo and play the acoustic guitar. While we were there, we tried Good Eatin's food truck. The food was good. I'm giving them 4 stars, only because I didn't order my brisket grilled cheese sandwich. Someone else picked it out. It would not have been my first option. Hey! It was free, and I didn't have to think about what to select. It was tasty and filling. My people thought the street tacos were delicious, and my dad thought the batter on the catfish was just o.k. (he cooks a lot, so he's picky). I will try them again during Ragbrai, and I will give a 2nd review.“

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

“informed them of an allergy, and was reassured that they would handle it safely. had an allergic reaction and ended up sick, vomiting and hest pain. this place is a health code violation and a lawsuit waiting to happen. I'm sure we're not the only victims. and they made the regular reviews on their page locked so no one can inform about the hazards of their food“

“We went to Americana for a birthday this morning and had the breakfast buffet. The food was pretty standard for a buffet. The salted caramel pancakes and filled donut holes were good. The biscuits were over cooked. We also had Bloody Marys and Mimosas which were good“

“GIVE FRANCIS A RAISE!!!!!“

“I am currently eating my meal here at this perkins in altoona iowa. The staff is very friendly and attentive. Also they have accommodated our weird food swap requests. I will definitely eat here again!! Our waiter Dustin did a fantastic job. This perkins needs to set the standard for the rest. And the salmon is absolutely amazing!!!!“

“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.“

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

“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!“

“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!“

“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!“

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

“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.“

“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...“

“The waitress, Jasmine was lovely! Authentic, kind, interesting, knowledgeable about menu. We ended up staying late for tea. Great example of warm hospitality and good food.“

“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!“

“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.“

“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“

“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!“

“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!“

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

“We are from northern Iowa came to DesMoines for an appointment. They recommended this to us for great food and boy they weren’t lying. Service was great food was fantastic, would recommend this place to all my friends. Keep up the great work!!!“

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

“I wish I would have taken more photos but the food was so good our family couldn’t think to take photos. My mom wanted to eat at HoQ Resturant for her 40th wedding anniversary and wanted the whole family with them to celebrate. Little back story my mom sells vegetables to the owner that he uses in his dishes. 90% or more of the ingredients are locally sourced in Iowa. Farm to table concept. We started withh naan bread the brought out and a little bit of I think pasta with beets. What ever it was it was goos. Then we ordered several different appetizers. Burnt carrots, Hummus and some kind of bread, chicken skewers, and pierogies. For meal we got different things. Several had the bison burger and fries, 2 had the 5 oz steak with risotto. Mom and I had the Mediterranean bowl with falafel add tandoori chicken. That is the only thing I got a photo of of course after I started to eat. The accommodated our little girls with grilled cheese and fries and a side of chicken. Finished off our meal with. Cake my sister made ( our grandma’s recipe) Minnesota chocolate cake with fudge icing. And the restaurant brought out several scoops of vanilla ice cream with shortbread cookies. All the food was so good everyone at the table was quiet including my dad. If you know my dad you know that is not a common thing for him not to be taking and eating. I have posted a photo of my food and a photo of my parents with their cake. And yes my mom is wearing her original wedding dress she wore 40 years ago when she married my dad. Thank you again HoQ for the amazing dining experience and for letting us have a private room to celebrate our parents!“

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

“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!“

“Chicago Speakeasy is a Des Moines mainstay. Noted for their great salad bar and prime rib. I don't eat prime rib so I can't attest to that. The only thing I can say is the last two times I have gone, what i ordered has been disappointing. I think it is hit or miss on some items.“

“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!“

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

“The pizza is excellent! The small pizzas are larger than a dinner plate, and are a great deal when 1/2 price on Mondays. Quattro formaggio was delicious and had a ton of flavor. Even the carnivore at the table didn't miss the meat.

Service was ok. They were super busy so not sure if they were short staffed or if our experience was normal. Had to cancel a second beer ordered because we had finished dinner and it still hadn't arrived. Bill was dropped off without the specials discounted and had to be reprinted. Waiter was friendly and apologetic about the misses. Prior to being seated the hostess seemed very confused about table status.

Atmosphere is busy, it looked like the kitchen staff were having a great time and enjoying the dinner rush. It's fun to watch the pizzas being made.“

“We got our food delivered to our hotel. The pasta was out of this world! Best focaccia bread in the universe! Thank you for your friendly fast delivery humans. They are lovely!“

“Es un buen restaurante su comida es rica“