Best Des Moines Restaurants?

[CivEFootball]

Best Steakhouse? I'll second the Iowa Beef Stake House

Best Seafood? Waterfront


Best Pizza? Another second Felix and Oscars, also try Wig and Pen "flying tomato style" in Ankeny


Best Sandwich? South Union assuming its for lunch since they're only open for lunch.

Best Breakfast? downtown farmers market when in season

Best place for kids? Spagetti Works

Best upscale place for an evening out without kids? Raccon River Brewing Company mainly for the Bananas Foster

Most interesting place/menu? menu Fong's Pizzas or Hessen Huas, place High Life

 

[cybsball20]

Anybody ever tried Paradise Pizza in WDM where they dump all the ingrediants in to your pizza?

Another kind of hidden gem that more people need to try is El Chisme which just moved to Valley Junction. Amazing food!

 

[capitalcityguy]

Fyi, the Des Moines Register compiled a survey of the best 100 restaurants in Des Moines and published it sometime earlier in the year. I believe you can still access this list on their web site. This paper routinely reviews restaurants in its Datebook section, which is published as part of the paper each Thursday. Pardon me if you already knew all this.

Well...techinically it is the 100 most popular, not necessarily the best. Here's a gal who goal is to hit all 100 and she blogs about her experiences here:

Top 100 Des Moines Restaurants

 

[Torks Pub]

I would also add

Best Thai - Thai Flavors
Best Place to take out of towners - Fong's
Family Dinner - Latin King
If you HAVE to eat in West Des Moines - Gino's West
Best Bar Food - AK's Beaverdale or Mullet's
Best Patio - Saints Pub and Patio

Gotta disagree on the Django recommendation. I have been there many times, but the last two times, the previous visit was just prior to Thanksgiving, I was underwhelmed by the food. Service was great as always.

For a nice quiet night out with the wife, I would go with Cafe Di Scala since Le Jardin is gone. I would also highly recommend Alba.

 

[d4nim4l]

How about Best Mexican?

 

[Torks Pub]

Anyone try Baru 66 yet?

 

[cyclonepower]

Anybody ever tried Paradise Pizza in WDM where they dump all the ingrediants in to your pizza?

Another kind of hidden gem that more people need to try is El Chisme which just moved to Valley Junction. Amazing food!

paradise pizza has a good lunch buffet

 

[CYVADER]

best sushi-Chuck Norris roll at Waterfront on University. it is the bomb. i go there everytime i'm in Des Moines just to get this.

 

[cybsball20]

Gotta disagree on the Django recommendation. I have been there many times, but the last two times, the previous visit was just prior to Thanksgiving, I was underwhelmed by the food. Service was great as always.

For a nice quiet night out with the wife, I would go with Cafe Di Scala since Le Jardin is gone. I would also highly recommend Alba.

When is Le Jardin opening back up and where? I loved that place. I have never been anywhere that the staff was so informed about the food.

 

[milrtym]

Anybody ever tried Paradise Pizza in WDM where they dump all the ingrediants in to your pizza?

Another kind of hidden gem that more people need to try is El Chisme which just moved to Valley Junction. Amazing food!

Eat at Paradise once a month. Love the BBQ chicken pizza.

 

[Al_4_State]

Always trying to push your Tasty Tacos agenda. Never been so damn underwhelmed in my life.

If you peeled your face away from Rudy's ***, you might actually be able to see the greatness.

 

[capitalcityguy]

Welcome to Des Moines and if eating out is your thing, you'll be very please with the variety and quality of restaurants here. Here are my picks:

Best Steakhouse? Reasonably priced: Iowa Beef Steakhouse or Chicago Speakeasy. Pricey: 801 Steak and Chop. Chain: Texas Roadhouse

Best Seafood? Splash (downtown) or Waterfront (suburban)

Best Italian? Latin King, J Benjamin's (aka Simon's), Barratta's

Best Pizza? Fongs, Felix and Oscars (Chicago Style), Flour (lunch only, downtown)

Best Asian/Sushi? Mymibi 9 (sp?) ( In the East Village)

Best Indian? India Star

Best Sandwich? South Union

Best Breakfast? Downtown Farmer's Market (seasonal), Baby Boomers, Waveland Cafe

Best place for kids? All-play/Fanatics Grill, Spaghetti Works

Best upscale place for an evening out without kids? Django, 801 Steak and Chop, Splash, Lucca, Alba, Azeala, Dos Rios

Most interesting place/menu? Royal Mile, Fong's Pizza, J Benjamin's, Olympic Flame

NOTE: if you check out the website in my signature block, I have a list of Des Moines related restaurant links you might find helpful (scroll to bottom of second column).

 

[Torks Pub]

When is Le Jardin opening back up and where? I loved that place. I have never been anywhere that the staff was so informed about the food.

Last I heard, Chef Tag was looking for another place to open up. Nothing imminent unfortunately. Great hanger steak and the best pot du creme I had in a long time. Much better that the aforementioned Django...

 

[CYphyllis]

If you peeled your face away from Rudy's ***, you might actually be able to see the greatness.

Rudy's is an institution built on excellence and facilitating heart disease. You wouldn't understand.

 

[Cyhart]

A few things you must try.

Fong's Pizza downtown.
Jethro's BBQ in the Drake area. (fantastic bbq)
Tasty Tacos
The lasagna at Bravo's (Jordan Creek towncenter)
Court Ave restaurant & brew pub downtown

 

[Knownothing]

Flour (lunch only, downtown)

This is probably the worst pizza place I have ever had pizza at in the Des Moines area. It's like $4.50 a slice and I promise you frozen pizza is better.

 

[cybsball20]

I had Bagni Di Luca the other day for lunch, that was some damn good pizza!

 

[dmclone]

My map of best places to eat in the metro.

Des Moines-Places to eat/drink - Google Maps

 

[Knownothing]

Not a bad list. However I did get food poisoning along with a buddy at the High Life. We both made one night stays in the hospital. Not big deal it just soured me on that whole place.

 

[nileo]

I cant believe how poor of pizza options there are in DSM, F & O's is ok but nothing has wowed me here

Pizza in DSM is terrible. I would say Scornovaccas is the best i've had here. You are better off getting Caseys pizza though when you compare it to most DSM pizza places.