Downtown Des Moines, the heart of the capital city’s dining scene, keeps diners fed with its diverse array of restaurants. Hungry visitors can find everything from Southern fried chicken and double drunk burgers to oysters and full English breakfasts. One of the best brunches in the metro takes place near the Pappajohn Sculpture Park, where diners can slip over afterward for a selfie at the “Nomade” sculpture by Jaume Plensa. Tapas and martinis provide diners with a great excuse to share a variety of dishes. Bring your appetite to these must-try restaurants in downtown Des Moines.
Did we miss your favorite restaurant in downtown Des Moines? Drop us a line with details at sstapleton@gannett.com.
Go to 801 Chophouse for a business dinner
A grand steakhouse stakes a claim in downtown Des Moines as a fine example of a restaurant for celebrating a big deal — a business deal, a promotion, an anniversary or a birthday, or just getting through a week. All the steakhouse favorites — the bone marrow, the shrimp cocktail, the pancetta-wrapped scallops to start — are on this menu at 801Chophouse. Order an 801 Wedge with blue cheese dressing plus crumbled Maytag blue cheese and bacon for a true steakhouse experience, and follow it with USDA Prime dry-aged cuts of rib-eyes, porterhouses, filets, or strips. Add Béarnaise or black truffle butter on the side, then pair steaks with scalloped potatoes or baked creamed spinach. Handsome booths decked out in clubby dark woods give a sense of intimacy.
801 Chophouse, 801 Grand Ave., Suite 200, Des Moines, 515-288-6000, 801chophouse.com/des-moines
Open for dinner.
Go to Akebono 515 for sushi
Ramen, sushi, tempura, and katsu are all on the Japanese menu at Akebono 515. This contemporary restaurant offers donburi, build-your-own bento boxes, yakisoba, and specialty rolls with a sleek image of Mount Fuji overlooking the dining room. Start the meal with a hot appetizer, such as dynamite mussels, Buddha shrimp, or kara-age bacon. Akebono means “dawn” or “daybreak” in Japanese.
Akebono 515, 215 10th St., Des Moines, 515-244-5972, akebono515.com
Open for lunch weekdays and dinner.
Go to Americana for a dazzling brunch
Head out to the G.O.A.T. of brunches at Americana with a mac and cheese bar, a mashed potato bar, a brunch taco bar, a grilled cheese station, a salad bar, and a dessert bar, then wash it all down with a bloody Mary/mimosa/screwdriver bar with a plethora of mixers and add-ins.
Americana, 1312 Locust St., Des Moines, 515-283-1312, americanadsm.com
Open for brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Also open for lunch and dinner.
Go to Bubba Southern Comforts for buttermilk fried chicken
Southern charm oozes from Bubba with its menu that’s an ode to the South. For a true down South experience, order buttermilk fried chicken, on its own or with waffles. A side of deviled eggs or crispy frog legs with a sweet tea can make the day pass easily. Bubba also offers a brunch on the weekends.
Bubba Southern Comforts, 200 Tenth St., Des Moines, 515-257-4744, bubbadsm.com
Open for lunch and dinner, weekend brunch.
Go to Centro for pizza (and Portobello fries)
Centro offers Italian food from chef George Formaro, the godfather of dining in Des Moines. His indelible fingerprints on the food here — the coal-fired pizzas, the ricotta gnocchi, the cavatelli highlighting locally made pasta and Gaziano’s Italian sausage — serve as a beacon for good food in the city. Those Portobello fries are a must-order.
Centro, 1003 Locust St., Des Moines, 515-248-1780, centrodesmoines.com
Open for lunch and dinner.
Go to Court Avenue Brewing Co. for a casual meal
This casual, polished brewpub was the first brewery still in operation in Des Moines. Kick back with an Honest Lawyer IPA at CABCo, as it’s affectionately known, and try everything from sandwiches and burgers to pizza and steaks. The kids will be happy with the options as well.
Court Avenue Brewing Co.,309 Court Ave., Des Moines, 515-282-2739, courtavebrew.com
Open for lunch, dinner, and brunch on the weekends.
Go to Django for seafood towers
French restaurant Django touts its seafood menu brimming with seasonal raw oysters, scallops, mussels, and poached shrimp. For a dining experience fit for royals, order a Grande or Django plateau, seafood platters served on a tiered serving tray. Warm baskets of pain d’épi bread are on the house.
Django, 1420 Locust St., Des Moines; 515-288-0268, djangodesmoines.com
Open for dinner.
Go to Exile Brewing Co. for beer and a burger
Exile Brewing, opened in 2012 by R.J. and Bob Tursi, offers a brewpub setting with its own beers on tap. Grab a Ruthie stout and eponymous burger with haystack onions, bacon jam, white cheddar, and a truffle aioli, then head out to the patio when the weather is nice.
Exile Brewing Co., 1514 Walnut St., Des Moines, 515-883-2337, exilebrewing.com
Open for lunch, dinner, and brunch.
Go to Fresko Natural Foods for gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options
Restaurants have been far more willing to adapt their menus to address dietary and allergy restrictions. Fresko offers a wide array of dishes to accommodate gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan diets. Vegan and vegetarian diners can opt for the golden dragon street noodles with tofu and a Thai coconut sauce, a vegan sushi roll, or tacos made with vegan chorizo. Gluten-free diners have options such as achiote chicken tacos, harissa chicken, shrimp on the barbie, and a double bone pork chop.
Fresko, 909 Locust St., Des Moines, 515-630-7009, freskodsm.com
Open for lunch, dinner, and brunch daily.
Go to the High Life Lounge for comfort food
Want something casual with food and décor that makes you feel like you stepped back in time to your father’s cool den with meatloaf and wood paneling on the walls? Go to The High Life Lounge. The den-like setting replete with Miller High Life signs and old photos is home to comfort foods such as a hot beef sandwich, mom’s pot roast, goulash, and deviled eggs. Don’t leave without at least one order of broasted chicken. It’s the stuff of late-night infomercials (as seen on the menu). Note, neighboring El Bait Shop, accessible through swinging doors that connect the two, serves the widest selection of beers on tap in the state, along with tacos galore.
High Life Lounge, 200 S.W. Second St., Des Moines, 515-280-1965, thehighlifelounge.com
Open for lunch and dinner.
Go to Proudfoot & Bird for eclectic dishes
Espresso-rubbed rack of venison, chickpea curry, and scallops saltimbocca are just some of the dishes on the Proudfoot & Bird menu inside the Hotel Fort Des Moines. Try kung pao octopus or Iberico rabbit meatballs for starters. Have a drink at the circular bar or take in the architecture of the room that includes a gold inlay ceiling and marble tables. The restaurant is named for the original architects of the historic Hotel Fort Des Moines.
Proudfoot & Bird, Hotel Fort Des Moines, 1000 Walnut St., Des Moines, 515-957-2400, hotelfortdesmoines.com/dining/proudfoot-bird
Open for dinner nightly.
Go to RoCA for tapas
RoCA, an abbreviation of Restaurant on Court Avenue, offers shareable plates, craft cocktails, and flatbreads housed in one of the oldest buildings in downtown Des Moines. Try a spin on steak de Burgo in toast form, seared yellowfin tuna, peppadew peppers stuffed with whipped goat cheese, and pork belly tacos slathered in a spicy chili glaze. Try a charcuterie and wine or go for a fig and goat cheese flatbread topped with truffle honey.
RoCA, 208 Court Ave., Des Moines, 515-282-3663, rocadsm.com
Open for dinner.
Go to The Royal Mile for British fare
Whether you want a full English breakfast, a Scotch egg, chips and curry, bangers and mash, fish and chips made with pollock, or a steak and Guinness pie, The Royal Mile has your British foods covered. Stop in for a Cornish pasty or Shepherd’s pie, and end your meal with sticky toffee pudding. Note that the restaurant opens for breakfast on the weekends and offers a late-night menu until midnight on weekends.
The Royal Mile, 210 Fourth St., Des Moines, 515-282-2012, royalmilebar.com
Open for lunch, dinner, and weekend breakfast.
Go to South Union Bread Co. for a sandwich
Pop in for a hot or cold sandwich at this deli that opened in 1996 by chef George Formaro. This downtown staple offers counter-service ordering for soups and salads, as well as a chicken pesto melt, spicy veggie sub, cold Italian, or a George’s Special with ham, roast pork, salami, and Swiss cheese on focaccia bread.
South Union Bread Co., 1007 Locust St., Des Moines, 515-248-1782, southunionbreadcafe.com
Open for lunch on weekdays.
Go to Splash Seafood for oysters
Oysters on the half shell and oyster shooters with a jalapeno bloody Mary and Absolut citron vodka can start any meal at Splash Seafood. Try Moscow oysters decked with horseradish cream and black and red caviar, or go with cooked versions with oysters Rockefeller or scampi oysters.
Splash Seafood, 303 Locust St., Des Moines, 515-244-5686, splash-seafood.com
Open for dinner.
Go to The Stuffed Olive for a martini
Customers come in for the martinis, a roster of 120, but stick around for favorite dishes such as Cajun salmon, a tuna poke bowl on a bed of jasmine rice, or crispy Brussels sprouts. The new space, which seats 190 inside, has an “Alice in Wonderland” feel with jewel-toned chairs, a U-shaped bar in the center, and artwork from Ben Schuh, Drew Dau and Frank Moth decorating the space.
The Stuffed Olive, 216 Court Ave., Suite 100, Des Moines, 515-243-4456, stuffedolivedsm.com
Open for dinner and brunch on Saturdays.
Go to The Walnut for the perfect burger
The Walnut started as a food truck (the first licensed in Des Moines) and opened as a restaurant eight years ago. The restaurant serves the Double-Drunk cheeseburger, cut in half and served on a bed of cheddar alfredo sauce. Vegan and gluten-free options available. The Walnut also offers a Saturday brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Walnut, 1417 Walnut St., Des Moines, 515-282-1000, walnutdsm.com
Open for lunch, dinner, and Saturday brunch.
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If you see a new restaurant opening or a beloved place closing, send me some details at sstapleton@gannett.com.
Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: From tapas to Southern fare, here’s a list of places to eat in downtown Des Moines
Reporting by Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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