Welcome to the Des Moines Burger Bracket, a competition to see where Des Moines residents love to eat burgers.
We pit 16 restaurants — some specializing in a long list of burgers, some classics and some that have a great option on the menu — against each other in an NCAA-style bracket. Contenders include a mix of restaurants in the Des Moines metro. You can help by voting for your favorite restaurant. The seeds were randomly selected.
Similar to a NCAA hoops bracket, your favorites will battle it out with round-by-round voting March 16-April 2, with a winner announced April 3. We’ll keep you posted every step of the way until a winner is declared.
This first round of voting remains open until March 19. Round two of voting runs March 20-24, and the final four burgers battle it out March 25-29. The finals run March 30-April 2. The winner will be announced April 3. And now, to the match-ups:
Lachele’s Fine Foods vs. Bubba Southern Comforts
Lachele’s Fine Foods
Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. The namesake Lachele burger cooked on a griddle comes with the standards: pickles, onions, romaine lettuce, and American cheese on a sesame seed bun. No, it’s not a Big Mac; it’s much, much better. Cory Wendel named the restaurant for his wife, Lachele. Gluten-free options are available as well.
Locations: 2716 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines, 515-330-6876; and 3621 Sixth Ave., Des Moines, 515-330-6876
Contact: lacheles.com
Bubba Southern Comforts
Bubba, the Southern restaurant in downtown Des Moines, only has one burger on its menu, but it’s an ode to down South cuisine. The Bowtie burger comes topped with pimento cheese and pecan-smoked bacon on a brioche bun. You can add a fried egg for an extra dollar. Find it at brunch, lunch and dinner.
Location: 200 10th St., Des Moines
Contact: 515-257-4744 or bubbadsm.com
Jesse’s Embers vs. The Cheese Bar
Jesse’s Embers
At Jesse’s Embers — one of Des Moines’ most enduring supper‑club institutions — the steakhouse ethos extends beyond its celebrated ribeyes and chops. Tucked into the restaurant’s lineup of open‑pit favorites is a humble, quietly iconic staple: the Emberburger with cheese, a minimalist hamburger made with a half-pound of sirloin that reflects the restaurant’s old‑school charm as much as its menu’s flame‑kissed roots.
Location: 3301 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines
Contact: 515-255‑6011 or theoriginaljessesembers.com
The Cheese Bar
This restaurant on Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines celebrates all things cheese, and the Cheese Bar Burger does just that. Sakura Beef, Alpine cheese, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, pickles, fry sauce and greens come on a South Union bun. Do order the fries on the side; they’re some of the best in the city.
Location: 2925 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines
Contact: 515-277-7828 or cheesebardsm.com
Arcadia vs. Lua Brewing
Arcadia
Arcadia’s Smash Burger showcases the restaurant’s farm-to-table approach with a flavor-packed build: caramelized onions, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, cheddar cheese and Arcadia sauce, all layered over a smash‑griddled beef patty. Known for its emphasis on fresh, local ingredients and a modern American menu with global touches, Arcadia elevates the classic burger into one of its signature draws — so much so that it’s highlighted among its top-rated offerings.
Location: 1010 Tyler St., Polk City
Contact: 515-207‑0011 or arcadiapolkcity.com
Lua Brewing
The brewery in Sherman Hill has found a following not only for its Iowa beers and Climbing Kites THC sparkling water, but its smush burger. Pull a chair up at a table on the patio and order the burger with two house-ground patties, fried onions, American cheese, Lua sauce and pickles. The restaurant also has an Impossible Burger version for $1 more.
Location: 1525 High St., Des Moines
Contact: 515-630-5311 or luabeer.com
Burger Shed vs. Prime & Providence
Burger Shed
Burger Shed in Altoona is a lively, laid‑back restaurant from the Heart of America Group, the team behind the Machine Shed and Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse. The space features 5,600 square feet of indoor dining and a 100-seat patio overlooking the lake, offering ample room for families, groups, and sports-watching crowds. The main level houses the primary dining room, while a lower‑level — referenced in ordering systems as Barntown Shane’s — provides an additional service area. Known for playful branding and hearty comfort fare, Burger Shed serves standout specialty burgers such as the Shed Burger with smoked brisket and barbecue sauce, the Mac Attack Burger topped with mac and cheese and bacon jam, and the Mushroom Swiss Burger.
Location: 500 Bass Pro Drive N.W., Altoona
Contact: 515-630‑7433, eatatburgershed.com
Prime & Providence
This steakhouse from Dominic Iannarelli and Cory Gourley in West Des Moines goes over-the-top with its version of a burger. Really, the Black Label burger is more of a filet mignon chopped into big cubes and then swaddled in raclette, roasted mushroom relish and burger sauce. During cocktail hour from 3 to 6 p.m., it’s $25, or $18 as sliders. Diners can also go for a less fancy burger, the mac burger, topped with white cheddar cheese and triple-cooked bacon on a sesame bun with fries for $18 in the bar area.
Location: 595 60th St., Suite 100, West Des Moines
Contact: 515-644-6805 or primeandprovidence.com
B-Bop’s vs. Exile Brewing
B-Bop’s
B-Bop’s serves true retro fast food nostalgia, and its burgers remain the backbone of the Iowa favorite. The classic quarter-pound cheeseburger features 100% pure ground beef topped with catsup, mustard, onion, pickle, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and American cheese on a toasted bun — an old school build that hasn’t changed in decades.
Founder Bob Johnson, who started his fast‑food career in the early 1970s at a Mr. Quick in Bolingbrook, Illinois, moved to Iowa in 1973 to open his first Mr. Quick in Newton, eventually expanding to Fairfield and Muscatine. In 1983, Johnson and his partners rebranded their Mr. Quick locations to Sizzlin’ Sam’s, continuing to operate and grow the business. By the mid‑1980s, Johnson became increasingly interested in the emerging popularity of double drive‑thru restaurants, studying the trend and preparing to build his own concept. That opportunity came in 1988, when he located a vacant building at 1500 E. Euclid Ave. in Des Moines, which he identified as an ideal double drive‑thru site. After six months of renovations and brand development, the first B‑Bop opened in late 1988. The restaurant quickly drew long drive‑thru lines and local attention for its burgers, establishing the foundation for the chain.
Locations: Visit B Bop’s at b-bops.com for locations.
Exile Brewing Co.
At Exile Brewing Co. in downtown Des Moines, the signature Exile Burger delivers a decadent, modern brewpub twist on the classic American burger: a ground‑chuck patty layered with Ruthie onion bacon jam, white cheddar, a crisp onion haystack and truffle aioli, all hugged by a warm pretzel bun. The ambiance strikes a balance between industrial‑chic brewery and lively neighborhood gathering place — high‑ceilinged, energetic and beer‑forward, with a spacious dining room and a patio that keeps the atmosphere buzzing through warm‑weather months.
Location: 1514 Walnut St., Des Moines
Contact: 515-883‑2337 or exilebrewing.com
B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli vs. Mulberry Street Tavern
B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli
B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli — a south side landmark since 1922 — keeps its famed Killer Burgers refreshingly old school. The lineup includes a third-pound cheeseburger for $2.89, a two-thirds-pound cheeseburger for $4.29, and the over-the-top triple cheeseburger for $5.69, all griddled and served on a classic bun. For those craving excess, the legendary Quadzilla stacks four third-pound patties with American cheese and full toppings. B&B’s burgers reflect its deli ethos: unpretentious, generous and built for appetite.
Location: 2001 S.E. Sixth St., Des Moines
Contact: 515-243‑7607 or bbgrocerymeatdeli.com
Mulberry Street Tavern
Mulberry Street Tavern, located inside the historic Surety Hotel, offers a warm, nostalgic and refined atmosphere in downtown Des Moines. The space blends rich woods, textured leather, and a long zinc bar, all set within a former early‑20th‑century bank building that retains Beaux-Arts architectural details, including marble, copper, artisan plaster and dramatic historic elements. The open‑hearth kitchen, featuring a Spanish wood‑fired charbroiler, brings lively energy to the dining room and underscores the tavern’s elevated take on classic tavern fare. The MST burger — touted by the restaurant as the “hands-down best burger in Des Moines” — is a standout smashburger layered with grilled onions, sriracha pickles, American cheese, mustard and caper mayo, making it a must‑try for burger lovers.
Location: Surety Hotel, 206 Sixth Ave., Des Moines
Contact: 515-985-2066 or suretyhotel.com/mulberry-street-tavern
Lucky Horse Tavern vs. Littleleaf Luncheonette
Lucky Horse Tavern
Diners can choose from 12 burgers on the menu at Lucky Horse near Drake University, and the restaurant typically offers a burger of the month that rotates. Try the cheeseburger that includes a 7-ounce patty and American cheese, or go with the fried mushroom Swiss, bacon cheddar or Dogtown burger with hot pepper bacon jam and smoked Gouda. Gluten-free buns are available for $2.
Location: 2331 University Ave., Des Moines
Contact: 515-381-9088 or luckyhorsedsm.com
Littleleaf Luncheonette
The Tavern burger — made with a 45-day dry-aged flank and hanger steak blend inspired by the famous Red Hook Tavern burger — comes with American cheese, onion, pickle and burger sauce on a sesame bun. Order the crispy‑outside, pillowy‑inside potato wedges. Gluten-free buns are available. For dinner, customers can order a slider version of the Tavern burger.
Location: 405 Sixth St., Waukee
Contact: 515-777-7171 or littleleafluncheonette.com
Zombie Burger + Drink Lab vs. Clyde’s Fine Diner
Zombie Burger + Drink Lab
When people outside Iowa think of restaurants in Des Moines, they inevitably mention Zombie Burger, which earned a cult following for its zombie-themed menu. The GoreMet Bashed Burgers, as they’re called, come with a choice of one, two or three patties. The namesake Zombie burger comes with American cheese, lettuce, tomato and red onions, but other novelty names include the East Village of the Damned with a breaded mushroom and cheese croquette, the 28 Days Later with blue cheese and caramelized onion, and They’re Coming to Get You, Barbara with two grilled-cheese-sandwich buns, American cheese, caramelized onion and bacon. Vegan diners can request the veggie nut patty, Beyond Meat patty or grilled Portobello.
Location: 300 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines
Contact: 515-244-9292 or zombieburgerdm.com
Clyde’s Fine Diner
Every diner should have a burger, and the elevated diner Clyde’s in the East Village offers a fine version. A James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Best Chef Midwest in 2024, Chris Hoffmann makes it tough to order anything besides the burger on his menu. The CFD burger features two patties, American cheese, the restaurant’s own burger sauce, shaved onions, and pickles. You can also find a veggie burger with Field Roast vegan cheese, greens, shaved onion, and Dijonnaise, as well as an optional vegan bun and Dijon for $15. Order a vegan and gluten-free bun for an additional $2.
Location: 111 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines
Contact: 515-243-3686 or clydesfinediner.com
Sign up for our dining newsletter, Table Talk DSM, which comes out on Wednesday mornings with all the latest news on restaurants and bars in the metro. You can sign up for free at DesMoinesRegister.com/tabletalk.
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: Des Moines Burger Brackets kick off with 16 restaurants vying to win
Reporting by Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
