See the 2025 Des Moines Register Essential Restaurants
What are the best restaurants in Des Moines? These entries from the Des Moines Register’s Essential Restaurants list won’t let you down.
- New eateries offer a diverse range of cuisines, including Afro-Caribbean, French-Japanese fusion, and Turkish fare.
- Several establishments focus on elevated comfort food, classic American dishes and craft cocktails.
- The list includes new locations for established local favorites like Fong’s Pizza and Lachele’s Fine Foods.
Back in town for the holidays? Des Moines’ dining scene has been buzzing in 2025, and now’s the perfect time to explore what’s new. Whether you’re craving cozy comfort food, global flavors or inventive cocktails, the metro has plenty of fresh spots to impress.
From Waukee’s charming Littleleaf Luncheonette serving elevated breakfast and lunch, to downtown’s nostalgic Empire with hearty classics and craft drinks, these openings bring something for every palate. Pizza lovers can head to Pleasant Hill for the new Pizza Bar by Taste of New York, while adventurous diners will find French-Japanese fusion at Masao in the East Village or Afro-Caribbean dishes at Palms DSM on Ingersoll. And don’t miss the return of Fong’s Pizza in a bigger Market District space.
Here’s your guide to the best new restaurants to try while you’re home for the holidays.
Opened: Oct. 20
Nestled in a restored brick building in Waukee’s Old Town, Littleleaf Luncheonette is a cozy breakfast-and-lunch spot with a focus on sustainability and elevated comfort food. Owners Mallory Holt and Ryan Nicholson spent three years transforming the building into a warm, inviting space with exposed brick, a skylight, and plenty of windows to let sunshine in. The menu features thoughtful dishes like yellowfin tuna melts, steak and eggs, grain bowls, and seasonal smoothies. Parlor Coffee from Brooklyn anchors the beverage program. With plans to evolve into a wine bar with tapas, Littleleaf is already a standout for its charm and culinary creativity.
Details: 405 Sixth St., Waukee, littleleafluncheonette.com
Opened: Oct. 2
This restaurant from Full Court Press took over the former Fong’s Pizza space in downtown Des Moines. During a renovation to repair flood damage, the team discovered the original tile with The Empire Bar emblazoned on it. The bar operated at 233 Fourth St. from 1905 to 1906. The discovery sparked an idea — opening a restaurant and bar dedicated to the former bar to create a space for breakfast, coffee, lunch, dinner, and cocktails made for the neighborhood. The Empire offers comfort food such as Coney dogs, chicken pot pies, sloppy joes, hot beef sandwiches, and hot ham and cheese, along with cocktails and coffee from Ritual Café.
Details: 223 Fourth St., Des Moines, 515-369-1905, theempiredsm.com
Opened: Sept. 22
Joy and Lou Savelli decided to expand their pizza empire to Pleasant Hill, opening a third home for Taste of New York with New York-style pizza crusts and Italian dishes. The 6,000-square-foot Pleasant Hill location offers a full restaurant with seated service for around 150 customers, a bar, a game room, and eventually a patio, all with a sports bar theme and plenty of televisions. Pizza still takes center stage, but the restaurant also offers wings (10 bone-in or boneless) and tenders (four to an order), baked ziti, penne alla vodka, fettuccine alfredo, and spaghetti and meatballs. The must-order? The chopped cheese sandwich with caramelized onions, hamburger, and American cheese, mixed until the cheese melts, served on a hoagie roll.
Details: 1225 Copper Creek Drive, Pleasant Hill, 515-335-8388, thepizzabaria.com
Opened: Sept. 17
A craft cocktail lounge and restaurant debuted off Court Avenue with courthouse-themed décor. Judges DSM offers elevated American fare such as a double-bone pork chop, salmon, quinoa bowl and “The Verdict” burger, as well as a full bar. This New American restaurant took over the former Stuffed Olive space in the Court Avenue neighborhood. The name is a tip of the hat to the restaurant’s proximity to Polk County courthouses, the Criminal Courts Building, and the U.S. Southern District Court.
Details: 208 Third St., Des Moines, 515-214-1355, judgesdsm.com
Opened: Sept. 4
Tribute Eatery & Bar, a polished yet approachable restaurant, took over the former 30hop space at the District at Prairie Trail in Ankeny. The sister restaurant to 30hop, which moved about 200 feet away into a larger space, offers a menu full of classic favorites and a bar program that leans into craft cocktails and wine. Try the Cubano and the Morty (shaved mortadella, burrata, arugula, tomato jam, and pistachio pesto on focaccia) or a lobster roll, steak frites, fish and chips with yuzu tartar sauce, roasted chicken with chimichurri, and seared scallops with corn puree and crispy prosciutto for lunch or dinner. The Ankeny location also offers Blueline Specials, nightly specials that include bone-in pork chops on Mondays and smoked ribeye on Fridays.
Details: 1615 S.W. Main St., Suite 105, Ankeny, 515-217-5995, tributebar.com
Opened: Sept. 2
The new West Des Moines location of Faustinos offers a Mexican breakfast menu of omelets stuffed with fajitas, birria or carnitas; chilaquiles; and breakfast tacos. After 2:30 p.m., the kitchen shifts gears, offering tacos and other signature dishes for a late lunch or dinner. The new restaurant’s design echoes the original, with playful wall art and a family-friendly vibe.
Details: 2800 University Ave., Suite 400, West Des Moines, 515-963-6109, faustinosbreakfastandtacos.com
Opened: July 4
French-Asian pastries, coffee, and tea make up the menu of Tous les Jours north of Jordan Creek Town Center. Almond croissants, milk breads, butter cookies, and macarons are among the menu of 300 items customers can pick. Tous les Jours is known for its cloud cake, a light and fluffy cake available in flavors such as vanilla, green tea, and strawberry. Additional flavors include Earl Grey tea, strawberry lychee, blueberry, peach, mango, and chocolate.
Details: 6880 E.P. True Pkwy, Suite 101, West Des Moines, tljus.com
Opened: June 14
This trendy and vibrant restaurant on Ingersoll Avenue specializes in Afro-Caribbean food. Palms DSM started as a food truck, later became a frequent vendor at farmers markets and now offers jerk chicken, braised oxtail and jollof rice. The sit-down restaurant features a full bar.
Details: 1905 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines, 515-214-1213, eatpalms.com
Opened: June 5
French and Japanese cuisines come together at Masao in the East Village. Owner Nick Hanke brought on Phil Shires to run the kitchen while Hanke mans the sushi bar. The restaurant in an upscale setting offers dishes such as lavender eggs, Lapin à la Normande, foie gras Napoleon, and sushi on a menu that changes frequently. Masao also offers lunch.
Details: 512 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines, 515-207-1570, masao.restaurant
Opened: April 1
Black Cat Ice Cream owners Alex and Angela Carter opened a 1,700-square-foot space with ample seating for customers, a mural on the wall, a larger kitchen, and framed photos of more than 500 black cats submitted by fans in Valley Junction. The roster of ice creams available changes all the time, but look for cookie dough, red velvet, and Alex Carter’s award-winning Killer Bee, as well as at least six or seven ice cream flavors that are cued up. Vegan and gluten-free options available.
Details: 134 Fifth St., West Des Moines, 515-689-7466, blackcaticecream.com
Opened: April 1
Fong’s Pizza has officially reopened at 317 E. Court Ave., bringing its signature fusion of Asian-inspired pizzas and tiki drinks to the Market District. The new space — formerly home to Peace Tree Brewing Co. — doubles the restaurant’s capacity with seating for 100, expanded parking. The eclectic decor includes a massive painted dragon salvaged from Old Spaghetti Works, green leather booths from the original location, and a stone mural of the Great Wall of China. A bamboo-tiled hut and red latticework panels add to the playful, immersive vibe. Fan favorites like the crab Rangoon and Fongolian Beef pizzas return, joined by new creations like the moo shu pork and Polynesian Sunrise pies. Appetizers include shumai, coconut shrimp, and pork potstickers, while customizable rice and noodle bowls round out the menu. Tiki cocktails and mocktails complete the experience.
Details: 317 E. Court Ave., Des Moines, fongspizza.com
Opened: Feb. 27
Cory Wendel opened his second location for Lachele’s Fine Foods in Highland Park in a 5,500-square-foot space divided into two restaurants — Lachele’s on the north and The Fitz on the south. That makes the seating area more than double what the Ingersoll location has. Find burgers, but a smaller roster than the Ingersoll location carries, as well as a battered fish sandwich, a fish and chips entrée, breaded pork tenderloins, fried chicken sandwiches, and beef and noodles. The Fitz has a clubby feel and leans more into cocktails, but diners can still order food here.
Details: 3621 Sixth Ave., Des Moines, 515-330-6876, lacheles.com, or instagram.com/lachelesfinefoods for specials.
Opened: Feb. 15
Pho Viet offers a casual atmosphere with a focus on comfort and authenticity. While not overly ornate, the restaurant emphasizes a home-style, cozy feel that complements its traditional menu. Order a stone bowl pho, bún bò huế (a spicy, lemongrass-infused beef noodle soup), bánh mì (baguettes filled with savory meats, pickled vegetables, and fresh herbs), chili garlic shrimp, Hanoi’s bun cha (grilled pork with vermicelli noodles and herbs), and bubble tea.
Details: 5002 E.P. True Parkway, West Des Moines, phovietiowa.com
Opened: Feb. 7
Ahmet Kaya and his wife, Michelle, opened Istanbul Grill Café & Bakery with Turkish cuisine and a chance to explore this savory menu. This hidden gem in Urbandale offers kebabs made with lamb or chicken, lamb chops, doner (a gyro), lahmacun (Turkish pizza), and pide (Turkish flatbread) made with cheese, beef, vegetables, or beef pepperoni. A robust list of desserts spans baklava, chocolate supangle (a pudding), and firin sutlac (a salted Turkish rice pudding), among many others, all on display in a case for dine in or take out.
Details: 3281 100th St., Urbandale, 515-207-1292, istanbulgrilliowa.com
Opened: Feb. 5
Upscale comfort food with the chef Ryan Cooper touch now has a home in Norwalk. Cooper teamed up with Jason Rieper to open Cooper’s Central Table & Cocktails, a combination of two favorite dining and drinking establishments in Valley Junction. The food side of the menu includes about 50 percent of the Cooper’s on 5th dishes, while the look and feel of the 3,025-square-foot restaurant hearkens back to the design of The Winchester with dark wood, a fireplace, and chandeliers over the bar, as well as a full menu of cocktails, martinis, beer, and wine. Try the bouillabaisse, fish and chips with beer-battered walleye, or red wine-braised pot roast.
Details: 1400 Chatham Ave., Norwalk, 515-675-5605, coopers-norwalk.com
Opened: Jan. 31
Refined supper-club classics come to life in this ode to the supper club beneath the Val Air Ballroom. Tom Archer’s Poor Man’s Country Club offers retro favorites such as lasagna, short rib pot roast, fried walleye and premium Iowa beef options. Try an opera cake for dessert, and be sure to spend time looking at the memorabilia on the walls.
Details: 301 Ashworth Road, West Des Moines, 515-855-6797, tomscountryclub.com
Opened: Jan. 28
Chef David Baruthio returned to the Des Moines dining scene with a reservations-only restaurant with tasting menus. Café Madeleine offers 16 seats, two services, chefs serving diners, and nine courses. Every six weeks or so, the menu changes, sometimes highlighting summer produce, Italian fare, or French classics.
Details: 218 Sixth Ave., Des Moines, thecafemadeleine.com
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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.
