Iowa is a heartland state of rolling prairies, covered bridges, and charming small cities anchored by a surprisingly vibrant Des Moines arts and food scene. Home to the world-famous Iowa State Fair, Grant Wood country, the Field of Dreams movie site, and the historic Amana Colonies, Iowa rewards visitors who look beyond the cornfields to find genuine Midwestern character.
Iowa's food scene reflects Midwestern agricultural heritage with unexpected sophistication in Des Moines and Iowa City. The Iowa pork tenderloin sandwich — a breaded pork cutlet far wider than its bun — is the state's signature dish. Des Moines has emerged as a nationally recognized dining destination with James Beard-nominated chefs and a farm-to-table movement rooted in proximity to some of America's most productive farmland.
Top restaurants
Handpicked picks for the best dining experiences.
Proof Restaurant
A chef-driven dining room in Des Moines' East Village that built its name on locally sourced, ingredient-led plates rather than a fixed theme. The kitchen leans on Iowa's agricultural strength, turning out precise, seasonally shifting menus in a modern, understated room built for a special-occasion night rather than a quick bite.
Known for: Farm-to-table fine dining with rotating seasonal menus sourcing from Iowa farms
1301 Locust St, Des Moines, IA 50309
Zombie Burger + Drink Lab
A loud, pop-culture-themed burger joint in the East Village where every item on the menu carries a horror-movie pun. It's a booth-and-counter, order-at-the-register kind of place aimed at a fun night out rather than a quiet dinner, with a menu built around towering specialty burgers and thick milkshakes.
Known for: Horror-movie-themed creative burgers and shakes in a fun East Village atmosphere
300 E Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309
Devotay
A small, longstanding Iowa City tapas restaurant built around Spanish and Mediterranean small plates rather than a single entree-driven menu. The space is intimate and unpretentious, with a wine list that leans into natural and lesser-known bottles to match the shared-plates format.
Known for: Award-winning tapas with natural wine; one of Iowa City's most celebrated restaurants
117 N Linn St, Iowa City, IA 52245
Centro
A downtown Des Moines Italian-American mainstay on Locust Street that has anchored the city's dining scene for years, known for a lively, see-and-be-seen dining room with an open kitchen. The food centers on wood-fired pizza and handmade pasta rather than heavy red-sauce classics.
Known for: Downtown Des Moines institution with wood-fired oven and a lively bar scene
1003 Locust St, Des Moines, IA 50309
Django
A downtown Des Moines French bistro serving classic brasserie dishes - steak frites, mussels, croque monsieur - in a room styled after a Parisian bistro rather than a fine-dining setting. It's built for a relaxed but polished dinner rather than a quick meal.
Known for: Acclaimed Des Moines French bistro with classic dishes and one of the city's best wine lists
1420 Locust St, Des Moines, IA 50309
Los Laureles
Popular Mexican / Tacos restaurant in Iowa.
Known for: Authentic Mexican taqueria on Beaver Ave, beloved by locals for the best tacos in Des Moines
2429 Beaver Ave, Des Moines, IA 50310
Orchestrate Hospitality Group — Waterfront
Popular American / Seafood restaurant in Iowa.
Known for: Des Moines' go-to for fresh seafood flown in daily; popular for business lunches and celebrations
2900 University Ave, Des Moines, IA 50311
Scenic Route Bakery
A neighborhood bakery-cafe in Des Moines' Sherman Hill area built around scratch baking rather than a full breakfast menu. The space is small and counter-service, geared toward grabbing a pastry and coffee rather than sitting for a long meal.
Known for: Community-driven neighborhood bakery with outstanding pastries and breakfast sandwiches
1117 Pleasant St, Des Moines, IA 50314
Restaurants by cuisine
Browse picks grouped by cuisine type.
American
Pullman Bar & Diner
Set inside the former Pullman Company railroad depot building on Dubuque Street, this all-day diner and bar leans into that industrial-station bones with exposed brick and old rail-era signage rather than a themed reconstruction. The kitchen runs a straightforward Midwestern diner menu built around a griddle and a fryer, with breakfast served well past the morning rush.
Known for: Iconic Iowa City bar and diner; excellent pork tenderloin sandwich and Hawkeye game atmosphere
17 S Dubuque St, Iowa City, IA 52240
Café Beaudelaire
A long-running Dubuque Street spot in Iowa City known for pairing a European bistro sensibility with Latin American plates, served in a dim, wood-paneled room with a well-worn bar. It has functioned for years as a late-evening drinks-and-small-plates stop for the downtown crowd as much as a sit-down dinner destination.
Known for: Eclectic Latin café with one of Iowa City's best outdoor patios; popular with UI creative writing community
14 S Dubuque St, Iowa City, IA 52240
Lincoln Café
A small farm-to-table dining room in downtown Mount Vernon that built its reputation on sourcing directly from Iowa producers well before that was a common restaurant pitch. The menu changes with what's coming off local farms, plated simply in a compact, unfussy storefront space rather than a large formal dining room.
Known for: Small-town gem 20 min from Cedar Rapids; hyperlocal sourcing from small Iowa farms with James Beard buzz
117 1st St W, Mount Vernon, IA 52314
Starlite Room at Hotel Fort Des Moines
Known for: Historic hotel dining room with art deco ambience; a Des Moines classic for date nights and celebrations
1000 Walnut St, Des Moines, IA 50309
Eatery A
An Iowa City bar and grill on Dubuque Street with an open, high-ceilinged room and a long beer list that leans into Iowa and regional craft breweries. The food is elevated pub fare rather than fine dining, with a kitchen that treats the tenderloin sandwich and shareable plates as the main draw rather than an afterthought to the bar.
Known for: Packed Ped Mall bar with broad American menu and the best seat for watching Dubuque St come alive
4 S Dubuque St, Iowa City, IA 52240
Star Bar
A neighborhood bar on Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines with a small, no-nonsense kitchen turning out bar food built for late-night eating rather than a dining experience. It functions primarily as a bar with a beer list weighted toward Iowa and regional craft breweries, food coming second to the drinks.
Known for: Beloved Ingersoll neighborhood dive bar with outstanding grilled cheese and a loyal local following
2811 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312
Smokey D's BBQ
A Des Moines barbecue restaurant that grew out of a competition barbecue team, which shows in ribs cooked to contest standards rather than a generic bar-food take on smoke. Brisket and pulled pork are smoked low and slow, served cafeteria-style with trays rather than table service.
Known for: Multiple championship BBQ competition winner; Iowa's most acclaimed pit barbecue
1810 NW 86th St, Des Moines, IA 50325
High Life Lounge
A downtown Des Moines bar built around a kitschy, mid-century tavern theme, leaning into vintage Miller High Life signage rather than a polished cocktail-bar look. The food is straightforward bar fare, built for eating alongside a beer rather than as a dinner destination.
Known for: Retro dive bar near Principal Park; great stop before or after Iowa Cubs games
200 SW 2nd St, Des Moines, IA 50309
Iowa Machine Shed
A farm-themed family restaurant in Urbandale done up with barn-board interiors and vintage farm decor, part of a small Midwest chain built around straightforward Midwestern cooking. The Iowa pork loin and beef pot roast are the kind of scratch-style comfort plates the chain is known for, and portions run large.
Known for: Agricultural-themed landmark restaurant celebrating Iowa farm heritage with enormous portions since 1978
11151 Hickman Rd, Urbandale, IA 50322
Cobble Hill
Known for: Iowa City's top brunch spot with locally sourced ingredients and outstanding coffee in a cozy space
225 Iowa Ave, Iowa City, IA 52240
Mexican
Tasty Tacos
A Des Moines fast-casual chain built around a single, specific format: seasoned meat and toppings wrapped in a soft flour shell that's fried to order rather than the crisp corn shell used elsewhere. It's a counter-service operation, ordered fast and eaten fast, with the original Grand Avenue location keeping the same no-frills setup it's had for years.
Known for: Des Moines institution since 1961 with a uniquely Iowa take on tacos; several locations citywide
1420 E Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50316
La Querencia
A small, family-run spot in Des Moines serving Salvadoran and Central American cooking, built around pupusas made to order rather than a broad Tex-Mex menu. The consommé and stewed dishes show a slower, home-kitchen style of cooking, served in an unfussy counter-and-tables setup.
Known for: Beloved neighborhood Mexican-Salvadoran restaurant with housemade pupusas and exceptional value
1811 Forest Ave, Des Moines, IA 50311
Rudy's Tacos
A Waterloo institution built around the distinctly Iowa-style taco - seasoned meat and toppings in a crisp shell, closer to a diner than a Mexican-restaurant menu. It's a no-frills, order-at-the-counter place that's been a fixture in eastern Iowa rather than a recent opening.
Known for: Northeast Iowa taco legend since 1974 with unique Iowa-style soft tacos and a devoted following
1206 W 4th St, Waterloo, IA 50702
Diverse
NewBo City Market Food Hall
Housed in a renovated warehouse-style building in Cedar Rapids' NewBo district, this is a year-round indoor market of independent food stalls and a bar rather than a single kitchen. The lineup leans toward quick-serve plates alongside coffee roasters and an Iowa beer selection, with communal seating giving it more of a food-court energy than a sit-down dining room.
Known for: Cedar Rapids' vibrant food hall in the NewBo arts district with local vendors, live music, and farmers market
1100 3rd St SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
German
Ox Yoke Inn
A family-style restaurant in the Amana Colonies serving German and Amana-communal cooking in large, shared portions, a format tied directly to the colonies' communal dining history. The dining room is set up for groups and families rather than quiet two-tops, with servers bringing dishes out course by course.
Known for: Amana institution since 1940 serving authentic German family-style meals in a historic colony building
4420 220th Trail, Amana, IA 52203
Italian
Baratta's
An old-school Italian-American dining room on Ingersoll Avenue that has been a Des Moines fixture for decades, serving the kind of red-sauce, cream-sauce menu that defined the genre. The lobster ravioli and chicken marsala are dishes regulars order on repeat, and the room has a worn-in, longtime-neighborhood feel rather than a modern remodel.
Known for: Old-school Des Moines Italian with red-sauce classics, generous portions, and warm family hospitality since 1982
2724 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312
Mediterranean
Sbrocco Wine Bar
A downtown Des Moines wine bar built around small plates and shared boards rather than full entrees, with a list that favors flights and pairing over a big by-the-glass selection. The space has a dressed-up, date-night or after-work feel rather than a casual bar setting.
Known for: Curated European wine list with over 100 labels by the glass; East Village's top wine destination
305 E 5th St, Des Moines, IA 50309
Food tours & tastings in Iowa
Eat your way through Iowa with a guide.
Browse food experiences in IowaWe may earn a commission from bookings made through these links.
Street food
Local flavours at affordable prices.
Food markets
Where locals shop and graze.
Des Moines Farmers Market
Iowa City Farmers Market
NewBo City Market
Dining etiquette & tips
Navigate the local food scene confidently.
The Iowa pork tenderloin sandwich is best evaluated at independent diners, not chains — ask locals for their county's best version
Des Moines restaurant week (typically January and July) offers prix-fixe menus at top restaurants at $25-40 per person
Iowa City restaurants fill quickly on University of Iowa football game days — dine early or late to avoid waits
Amana Colony restaurants are best visited Tuesday-Thursday; weekend waits can be long in summer
Food budget guide
What to expect at different price points.
| Level | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | $5-15/meal | Street food, local eateries, and simple restaurants. |
| Mid-range | $15-40/meal | Sit-down restaurants with good service and varied menus. |
| Upscale | $40+/meal | Fine dining, international cuisine, and premium experiences. |