For the love of food

Darcie is our expert on food. Yes, she loves to cook – she runs our cooking club. She loves to eat – she also heads Taste of Des Moines. And she has been with us for almost 4 years now, so she has a plethora of restaurant dining experience. So as you plan your Valentine’s Day dinners, remember to subscribe to Groupon or LivingSocial, scrape the papers for those discounts, and make a reservation at one of these restaurants! Des Moines has a lot to offer the palate, so don’t wait!

$ - Cheap

$$ - Middle

$$$ - Expensive

• Latin King – Italian, East side $$/$$$
• Appare – Asian (great sushi and other Asian dishes, love the spice tuna roll and the California roll), Urbandale $$
• Famous Dave’s $$
• Tasty Taco (If I could, I would eat here at least once a week) $
• Legends – American $/$$
• Hessen Haus – German $$
• Court Avenue Restaurant & Brewing Co – American $$
• Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery – American $$
• Palmer’s Deli – sandwiches $/$$
• Manhattan Deli – sandwiches (not open at night, ask for Saturday’s special), $
• Chips, Ankeny (like Applebee’s) American $/$$
• Granite City Food & Brewery – American $$
• Buffalo Wild Wings $$
• P.F. Chang’s – Asian $$
• Joe’s Crab Shack – Seafood $$
• Olive Garden – pasta $$
• Red Lobster – seafood $$
• The Machine Shed – American $/$$
• Cheesecake Factory – American $$
• Champs – American $/$$
• B-Bop’s (fast food) $
• Maid Rite (fast food) $
• Bakers Square – American $/$$
• China One International Buffet – Asian $
• Riccelli’s (hole in the wall, but fantastic food) $$/$$$
• Waterfront Seafood Market $$/$$$
• Cracker Barrel $ (one $ sign because of the amount of food you receive)
• Red Robbin (love the turkey burger) $/$$
• Breadeaux Pizza (great pizza and cheap) $
• Mi Mexico Restaurant (Dr. Mortensen suggested this place and it was fantastic) $ (a ton of food)
• A Dong – Asian $
• All Play – American$/$$
• Applebee’s $/$$
• Baby Boomers – American $
• Bennigan’s – American $/$$
• Brickhouse American Grill – American $/$$
• Fongs Pizza – Um Asian, Italian $
• Centro – Italian $$
• Dos Rios – Mexican $$
• China Moon – Asian $/$$
• Cool Basil – Asian $/$$
• Drake Diner – American $/$$
• 5 & Diner – American $
• Fuddruckers – American $
• Granite City – American $$
• Big Steer – American $$/$$$
• Jason’s Deli – sandwiches $/$$
• Uncle Wendell’s BBQ $
• Kin Folk Texas Style BBQ $$
• Coney Island – fast-food $
• Wellman’s Pub – American $$
• Zimm’s Food & Spirits – American $$
• Irina’s Restaurant & Bar – Russian $$/$$$
• Okoboji Grill – American $/$$
• Old Country Buffet $$
• Panera Bread – sandwiches $/$$