The Old Spaghetti Works permanently closes Des Moines location after 45 years on Court Avenue

Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register
·1 min read
The exterior of The Old Spaghetti Works at 310 Court Ave. in Des Moines. The restaurant in the Historic Court Avenue district closed permanently on March 27, 2023.
The exterior of The Old Spaghetti Works at 310 Court Ave. in Des Moines. The restaurant in the Historic Court Avenue district closed permanently on March 27, 2023.

Sad news for fans of The Old Spaghetti Works in Des Moines. The 45-year-old restaurant on Court Avenue permanently closed after business on Monday night.

“Spaghetti Works will be closing its door permanently March 27, 2023,” a sign on the front door stated in all caps on Tuesday morning. “We appreciate the business and the regulars we all have gotten to know over the past 45 years.”

The restaurant sits inside a converted 19th-century former hat factory at 310 Court Ave. with daily lunch specials, such as crispy chicken alfredo for $11.99 on Tuesdays.

The exterior of The Old Spaghetti Works at 310 Court Ave. in Des Moines. The restaurant in the Historic Court Avenue district closed permanently on March 27, 2023.
The exterior of The Old Spaghetti Works at 310 Court Ave. in Des Moines. The restaurant in the Historic Court Avenue district closed permanently on March 27, 2023.

More:The 10 essential Italian restaurants in the Des Moines metro

The Old Spaghetti Works specializes in hot Italian pie, a spicy hot dish with Italian sausage and pepperoni over penne pasta and a spicy marinara; alfredo chicken and mushroom bake; Cajun alfredo; cheese tortellini; chicken broccoli alfredo; and lobster sensation with a blend of lobster, pollock and Alaskan whitefish in a garlic butter with a Cajun alfredo sauce.

Any pasta dish came with free refills and a trip to the salad bar. Diners sat at tables with red-and-white checkerboard tablecloths and could crane their heads to look at historic memorabilia on the walls.

While The Old Spaghetti Works in Des Moines closed, downtown Omaha and Ralston still have locations open.

The exterior of The Old Spaghetti Works at 310 Court Ave. in Des Moines. The restaurant in the Historic Court Avenue district closed permanently on March 27, 2023.
The exterior of The Old Spaghetti Works at 310 Court Ave. in Des Moines. The restaurant in the Historic Court Avenue district closed permanently on March 27, 2023.

Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Spaghetti Works closes in Des Moines after 45 years on Court Avenue