Meet the 5 Iowa restaurants that made Yelp’s Top 100 in the Midwest
American farm-to-table food that changes with the seasons, Ecuadorian cuisine, vegetable-forward dishes with an Asian flair, Italian fare and Japanese food including ramen are among the foods at Iowa restaurants that made Yelp's Top 100 Restaurants in the Midwest 2023. The new ranking includes restaurants from the Des Moines metro, Dubuque and Iowa City.
Yelp, the user-based review site, created its rankings based on total ratings between Jan. 1, 2021, and May 1, 2023. The Midwest list looked at restaurants in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The ratings are made by customers.
These Iowa restaurants made the list:
13. Brazen Open Kitchen Bar, Dubuque
The top-rated restaurant in Iowa slides in at No. 13. Brazen Open Kitchen Bar from chef and co-owner Kevin Scharpf serves elevated New American cuisine and craft cocktails in a stylish space highlighted by an open kitchen and exposed bricks on the walls. Scharpf competed on Season 16 of "Top Chef" and earned a James Beard Foundation semifinalist nod for Best Chef Midwest in 2022.
Currently, the menu features leek fondue with sourdough bread, sweet corn scallion pancake, house-made pastas with chorizo made in house or mushrooms, pork schnitzel with peaches, miso short ribs, and fried chicken with spicy honey and cornbread.
Location: 955 Washington St., #101, Dubuque
Contact: 563-587-8899 or brazenopenkitchen.com
Hours: Open from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
More: Iowa chef Kevin Scharpf often asks recruits about James Beard Awards. Now, he is nominated for one.
42. Mi Patria Ecuadorian Restaurant, West Des Moines
The home of Ecuadorian cuisine in West Des Moines landed in the No. 42 spot on Yelp's list. Cesar Miranda opened Mi Patri Ecuadorian Restaurant in 2011 to showcase the diversity of food his native country serves.
Look for dishes such as the llapingachos, mashed potato patties filled with cheese and topped with a peanut sauce; arroz con pollo, a fried rice dish with chicken, peas and carrots snuggled next to plantains; empanadas stuffed with chicken, beef or cheese; or churrasco, a grilled skirt steak topped with a fried egg. The simple dining room with mustard yellow walls features all tables and chairs for a casual approach to lunch or dinner.
Location: 1410 22nd St., West Des Moines
Contact: 515-222-2755 or mipatriadsm.com
Hours: Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday
More: 33 of the best places to eat in Des Moines: 2022 edition
69. Harbinger, Des Moines
Harbinger, the Des Moines restaurant that leans into vegetable-forward small plates, landed in the No. 69 spot on Yelp's list. Chef and owner Joe Tripp earned five nominations for Best Chef Midwest from 2016 to 2020. His yearly self-guided trips to Asia inform the dishes he rotates out seasonally in this corner restaurant with wooden tables and shiplap on the walls.
Try hakurei turnip agnolotti, soured carrot with house-made lemongrass sausage, a heritage chicken made southern Thai style with a hakurei turnip smash, or snacks such as Berkwood Farms ribs grilled over charcoal with a blueberry nuoc chom glaze as well as flowering radish tempura with a yuzu kosho aioli. You can opt for the five-course chef's tasting menu to let the kitchen decide for you.
Location: 2724 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines
Contact: 515-244-1314 or harbingerdsm.com
Hours: Open from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
More: A comprehensive guide to finding James Beard Foundation-nominated chefs, restaurants in Iowa
83. Ramen Belly, Iowa City
Iowa City's Japanese restaurant Ramen Belly slides into the No. 83 spot. Located in the Peninsula neighborhood, Ramen Belly focuses on traditional Japanese cuisine such as ramen, poke bowls, donburi, and dumplings from owners Andy Diep and John Lieu.
Start with dishes such as yuzu salmon salad, pot stickers or short ribs. The ramen uses a creamy pork broth, tonkotsu, that simmers for 24 hours, as well as a miso and pork or beef broths, and then comes topped with a soft-boiled egg, baby corn, scallions, baby bok choy and bamboo shoots. Ramen Belly offers vegetarian options as well as a kids' menu.
Location: 1010 Martin St., Iowa City
Contact: ramenbelly.co or 319-569-1057
Hours: Open from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday
97. Simon’s, Des Moines
Simon’s, the Italian restaurant from Simon Goheen in the Waveland neighborhood of Des Moines, takes the final spot on Yelp's list of best restaurants in the Midwest. And that might be because Goheen likes to touch every table in the room with his menu suggestions or friendly catch-ups with regulars.
The menu leans into Italian American favorites such as meaty lasagna, which comes in a heaping serving, and a selection of pizzas. Customers often return to house specialties such as the steak de Burgo and the grilled sea scallops. Red and white wine are available by the glass and bottle, and meals always end in a complimentary slice of airy red velvet cake.
Location: 5800 Franklin Ave., Des Moines
Contact: 515-255-3725 or simonsdsm.com
Hours: Open Monday through Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m.
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: 5 Iowa restaurants landed on Yelp's Top 100 Midwest restaurants
