This article was updated on Jan. 2, 2026, with new restaurant closings. It was originally published on Sept. 4, 2025.
The inevitable happens all the time: a long-time favorite restaurant closes. Maybe it was a family favorite or that one place you didn’t get a chance to try before it closed. Either way, the evolution of restaurants continues in the Des Moines metro. Here are some of the notable closings in the region.
Did we miss something? Drop us an email at sstapleton@gannett.com with the name of the restaurant that closed. You can send any restaurant news, such as openings, new chefs, coming attractions, favorite places, and more, our way too.
Des Moines restaurants that closed in 2025
Thistle’s Summit — Owner Marti Payseur closed the vegan and gluten-free bakery on Dec. 24 to move her kitchen into her basement and focus on wholesale, pickup, custom orders and shipping.
Haiku — The Drake University Asian fusion restaurant with sushi closed after 14 years in October.
Americana — This landmark brunch and dinner spot in the Western Gateway neighborhood of downtown Des Moines closed after nearly 15 years on Sept. 7.
Ritual Café — A beloved LGBTQ-friendly coffee shop known for vegetarian/vegan fare and community events, closed after 20 years in business in early August.
Black Cat Ice Cream — Owners Alex and Angela Carter closed their original location in the Drake neighborhood in July due to some structural damage to the space. They plan to open a new location in the former Ritual space in October. They also have a location in Valley Junction that opened in April.
Leachmon Pit Stop BBQ — After moving out of Valley West Mall, the barbecue shop took over space on East 14th Street north of Euclid Avenue. After a year-and-a-half, the restaurant closed in May.
Chicken Shack — The Highland Park restaurant out of Las Vegas opened in 2022 with a counter-service restaurant at 1501 E. Euclid Ave. It closed in May.
Blu Thai Food & Sushi — Another Western Gateway restaurant that closed at the end of 2024, Blu Thai Food & Sushi, opted to shut down, with its final service on New Year’s Eve. Des Moines City Hall plans to move into the building in 2026.
St. Kilda — At the end of 2024, owners Alexander and Whitney Hall closed their breakfast-and-lunch restaurant St. Kilda’s original location just south of MLK Boulevard after eight years. The Rook Room took its place, opening in May.
Restaurants that closed in the Des Moines suburbs
515 Brewing Co. (Clive) — After 12 years of serving award-winning beers such as Mexican Spring and #Quadgoals, the owners of 515 Brewing Co. in Clive decided to shut down the brewery on Dec. 21.
Spectators Sports Bar & Grill (Altoona) — The sports bar attached to Adventureland Inn in Altoona, closed on Nov. 26.
Duck Donuts closed in Polk City on Nov. 16. The owners plan to operate the business out of a food truck.
Wine Styles closed its Urbandale location on Oct. 31 after the owners retired.
T.E. Alderman’s (Nevada, Iowa) — The restaurant that specialized in allergy-friendly and gluten-free dishes alongside traditional favorites closed on Oct. 10.
Bar Louie (West Des Moines) — This national chain closed its gastropub at Jordan Creek Town Center the weekend of Sept. 13.
Douglas Cafe in Urbandale closed in September.
St. Kilda (Clive) — The restaurant closed in August, replaced by Midnight Coffee.
Cactus Bob’s BBQ Corral (Johnston) — A staple for more than 20 years, known for its smoked meats and barbecue competitions, closed in August.
Zombie Burger (West Des Moines) — The Jordan Creek Town Center location of Zombie Burger closed in June after a decade in the food court at the mall. The original location in the East Village remains open.
Blue Agave Brunch & Dinner (Windsor Heights) — The short-lived Mexican restaurant with a location in Waukee closed this summer. It briefly took over the former Little Brother space.
JJ’s Tavern + Grill (Ankeny) — The restaurant that won the Best Burger Contest in 2024 closed in May. JJ’s Tavern + Grill opened in 2022.
5 Borough Bagels (West Des Moines) — The temporary location of the beloved local bagel shop, 5 Borough Bagels, closed at Jordan Creek Town Center in May. The bagel shop has locations in Clive, Urbandale, and Waukee.
Egg Bistro (Ankeny) — The breakfast and lunch diner on Delaware Avenue closed in May. The restaurant opened in February 2024. Spice Rasta Indian Grill & Bar, from the owners of Chowrastha Indian Grill & Eatery in West Des Moines, took its place.
Pyra Pizzeria (Norwalk) — The home of Neapolitan pizzas closed after six years in Norwalk on April 27. Fairway Frank’s Bar & Grill opened in its space in October.
Terra Café (West Des Moines) — The casual Brazilian at 2800 University Ave., Suite 400, West Des Moines, closed in March. Faustinos Breakfast & Tacos took its place in September.
On The Border (West Des Moines) — The national chain out of Dallas served Tex-Mex food since opening in 2004. On The Border closed at Jordan Creek Town Center in February.
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Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. You can reach out to her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 26 beloved Des Moines metro restaurants that closed in 2025
Reporting by Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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