In town for the Iowa caucuses? Here’s your ultimate Des Moines guide
Welcome to Des Moines, the state capital of Iowa!
In January, the nation turns its eyes to Iowa for the Republican caucuses, the first in the nation, setting the stage for the 2024 election in November.
Candidates crisscross the state in hopes of finding new supporters, but on Jan. 15, all of them will be in Des Moines to watch the results roll in. In the meantime, the media is finding its way to Des Moines, embedding journalists and producers ahead of live coverage from the Iowa Caucuses.
You can keep tabs on our latest Caucus coverage here.
But it's also a time for Des Moines to shine with all eyes on Iowa. It's a time when reporters discover new-to-them restaurants, cool places to visit, great spots for selfies and hot bars for unwinding.
Here's a look at some of the best Des Moines has to offer:
Where to eat | Where to grab a drink | What to see | Where to shop | Where to catch a show
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Great places to eat in Des Moines
Des Moines has a vast range of dining options for every occasion. Whether you're planning a quick bite, a memorable dish or a one-of-a-kind meal, look through these recommended options across the metro.
Oak Park
One of the newest restaurants in the Des Moines area brings new American fare with a French approach to cooking. Oak Park on Ingersoll Avenue serves everything from carrot Wellington to a bacon-glazed pork chop, with caviar cones and gnocchi in a truffle cream sauce thrown in for an unforgettable dining experience from chef Ian Robertson. A garden outside the restaurant sets the tone for the menu, inspiring dishes as vegetables come in season. The wine cellar hopes to contain 7,000 bottles soon, giving a wide selection of wines, even by the glass, while a dry aging room matures the steaks.
Location: 3901 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines
Contact: (515) 620-2185 or oakparkdsm.com
Learn more: About the menu, the players, the wine list at Oak Park before you visit
Proudfoot & Bird
This restaurant named for the original architects of its home, the Hotel Fort Des Moines, serves American classics in a well-appointed room with a historic feel. Chef James Richards worked for Emeril Lagasse in Las Vegas before returning to his Iowa roots. At Proudfoot & Bird, Richards highlights Iowa products such as a grazing board filled with Iowa meats and cheeses and local cheddar heirloom grits. Sakura Farms pork ribeye, roasted bone marrow, and miso-glazed black cod are just some of the stars on the menu.
Location: Hotel Fort Des Moines, 1000 Walnut St., Des Moines
Contact: (515) 957-2400 or hotelfortdesmoines.com/dining/proudfoot-bird
Harbinger
Couples typically dot the tables at Harbinger, the vegetable-forward restaurant with Asian influences from Joe Tripp, five-time James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Best Chef Midwest. The menu offers an ever-changing lineup of artfully plated small plates including farm carrots with a lemongrass sausage or a Jerusalem artichoke custard. Consider ordering a variety of small plates to share for a bite of everything on the menu. An open kitchen gives diners a glimpse of the chefs in motion, while a bar slides down one wall of the restaurant that overlooks Ingersoll Avenue.
Location: 2724 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines
Contact: (515) 244-1314 or harbingerdsm.com
801 Chophouse
This tried-and-true favorite brings a traditional steakhouse experience, complete with leather booths and clubby dark woods. Favorites at 801 Chophouse include bone marrow, a shrimp cocktail, the pancetta-wrapped scallops to start. Order an 801 Wedge with blue cheese dressing plus crumbled Maytag blue cheese and bacon for a true steakhouse experience and follow it with USDA Prime dry-aged cuts of rib-eyes, porterhouses, filets or strips. Add Béarnaise or black truffle butter on the side, then pair steaks with scalloped potatoes or baked creamed spinach.
Pro tip: Request to see the Caucus Room, filled with mementos over the years such as political comics, Des Moines Register front pages, and a donkey and an elephant squaring off overhead.
Location: 801 Grand Ave., Des Moines
Contact: (515) 288-6000 or 801chophouse.com/des-moines
Centro
For more than 20 years, Centro has kept diners filled with Italian favorites such as Portobello fries, handmade cavatelli with locally owned Graziano’s Italian sausage, and chicken Francese with alfredo sauce from chef-owner George Formaro. Try a pizza baked in the coal-fired oven and topped with local La Quercia Coppa Americano or Rossa cupping pepperoni. Formaro can tell you where Peter Jennings or Barack Obama sat in the comfy booths near the open kitchen and how Mitt Romney had his favorite table near the pizza oven.
Location: 1003 Locust St., Des Moines
Contact: (515) 248-1780 or centrodesmoines.com
Learn more: How Centro became a Des Moines restaurant staple from celebrities to Caucus power tables
Smitty's Tenderloin Shop
Perhaps the most famous dish out of Iowa is the breaded pork tenderloin, a riff on schnitzel pounded thin and coated with flour, crackers or breadcrumbs, and then deep fried. Some take up an entire plate, hanging over the edges and making the bun seem miniscule. Go for an old-school breaded pork tenderloin at Smitty's Tenderloin Shop that original owner Bill Smith opened in 1952. The tenderloins and onion rings are handmade every morning.
Location: 1401 Army Post Road, Des Moines
Contact: (515) 287-4742 or smittystenderloin.com
Scenic Route Bakery
Everyone needs that coffee shop where they can work while eating good food and drinking a good cup of joe. Scenic Route offers both, with pastries such as cinnamon rolls, Dutch pinwheels and cookies, as wells as Tugboat Coffee out of Chicago. The bakery from Katy Nelson and her father, Mark Nelson, offers light lunch dishes including warm and cold wraps as well as salads and soups, along with breakfast staples such as yogurt and oatmeal. The bright room filled with sunlight offers plenty of tables for long work sessions.
Location: 350 E. Locust St., Suite 104, Des Moines
Contact: (515) 288-0004 or scenicroutebakerydsm.com
Your Guide: Great coffee shops in the Des Moines area
Fong’s Pizza
Everyone needs a late-night stop for food, and in Des Moines, that means Fong’s Pizza. The restaurant took over the former King Ying Low, called “the oldest Chinese restaurant in Des Moines.” A fusion of Asian, Italian and Polynesian cooking styles informs the menu for dishes such as crab Rangoon pizza, a ramen version, and pies topped with kung pao chicken or General Tso’s chicken. Stick around for the tiki drinks that include Beachcombers and Mai Tais and order the raspberry cheesecake egg rolls for dessert.
Location: 223 Fourth St., Des Moines
Contact: (515) 323-3333 or fongspizza.com
Your Guide: Des Moines pizzerias to satisfy any craving spanning deep dish to crispy thin crust
Still not finding something that suits your fancy? Check our our complete guide to the best places to eat in Des Moines
Where to grab a drink in Des Moines
Each neighborhood in Des Moines seems to have its hang-out spot. Whether you're searching for a clever take on a classic or a dive bar meant for beer, Des Moines has a spot for you.
Hello, Marjorie
Throw back a drink in the former home to the Des Moines Register and Tribune. The bar Hello, Marjorie offers house cocktails such as the Editor’s Note with bourbon and apricot liqueur, as well as modern takes on classics, including the Pink Lady with gin and Applejack and an espresso martini. The room is set up like a parlor, with a selfie-perfect pink neon sign sporting a quote from Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" and a portrait of owner Nick Tillinghast’s namesake grandmother, who loved a sloe gin.
Pro tip: Ask about access to Good News, Darling, the bar’s neighboring speakeasy with a cool vibe and even more detail-oriented with its cocktails.
Location: 717 Locust St., Des Moines
Contact: hellomarjorie.com
Your Guide: To the best spots to snap a selfie in Des Moines
Bartender’s Handshake
The secret is out. Dave Murrin-von Ebers, the bartender and owner at The Bartender's Handshake, named the cozy neighborhood cocktail bar on Ingersoll Avenue for the drink. The year-round patio comes with an eclectic arrangement of furniture and heaters as well as fire pits that you can roast your own s'mores over.
Location: 615 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines
Contact: (515) 630-3008 or thebartendershandshake.com
Juniper Moon
Juniper Moon was one of the first places in Des Moines to focus on cocktails. The Ingersoll Avenue lounge channels the Roaring ’20s with a roster of modern craft cocktails such as Cloudy with a Chance of Ed Wilson, an ode to the WHO Channel 13 chief meteorologist made with Famous Grouse scotch.
Location: 2005 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines
Contact: (515) 369-7786 or junipermoondm.com
Carl's Place
Sherman Hill regulars and visitors alike head to the dive bar Carl's to drink a cold one and shoot some pool. Creative graffiti on the wall can keep you entertained for hours.
Location: 1620 Woodland Ave., Des Moines
Contact: (515) 243-9727
If you're looking for local beer …
With 20 craft breweries to choose from in Des Moines, fans of craft beer can find just about everything on tap. Check out our complete guide to the metro's breweries, taprooms and beer, but this next spot is a good place to start.
The Iowa Taproom
If you want an Iowa beer, The Iowa Taproom is the perfect place to sample them all. The "unapologetically Iowan" bar and restaurant keeps nearly 100 beers on tap from almost 40 Iowa breweries, all served from taps that ring a Sukup silo. Mix and match a flight and find your favorite Iowa beer.
Location: 215 E. Third St. No. 100, Des Moines
Contact: (515) 243-0827 or iowataproom.com
Where to find tourist attractions in Des Moines
Des Moines is filled with places meant for exploring, whether it's looking into the history of the 29th state or strolling through a memorable sculpture park that anchors downtown.
Iowa State Capitol
The gleaming, 23-karat-gold-domed Iowa State Capitol was completed in 1886. Park on Finkbine Drive and walk to the entrance. There, you can see great views of the historic East Village and downtown Des Moines. Inside the Capitol, guests can go on a self-guided tour and take in the architecture and grand pieces of artwork. Be sure to visit the Law Library on the second floor to see Victorian-style architecture, thousands of books, according to the State Library of Iowa, and spiral staircases.
Location: 1007 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines
Pappajohn Sculpture Park
Playful, colorful and large, the sculptures that adorn the 4.5-acre park make art easily accessible to downtown visitors. A popular piece of art is “Nomade” by Jaume Plensa, which combines numerous letters to take the shape of a person holding knees to chest. The park opened in 2009 and is an extension of the Des Moines Art Center, the modern and contemporary art museum less than 3 miles away.
Location: 1330 Grand Ave., Des Moines
Women of Achievement Bridge
The white-arched pedestrian bridge sits on the north end of the Principal Riverwalk in Des Moines, linking downtown to the East Village. The bridge lights up various colors at night and has the names of women with Iowa ties who have had a special impact on society. The bridge is within walking distance of America’s largest skatepark, the Lauridsen Skatepark at 901 Second Ave.
Location: 115 Grand Ave., Des Moines
Mainframe Studios
Described as the largest nonprofit creative workplace in America, Mainframe Studios is home to more than 220 artists and nonprofits across numerous disciplines, including photography, jewelry-making and painting. The building, located downtown, is easily identifiable by the vibrant, 40,000-square-foot mural that wraps around the exterior. Mainframe Studios offers affordable artist studios and frequently hosts events, workshops and its monthly First Friday open-studios event.
Location: 900 Keosauqua Way, Des Moines
Hoyt Sherman Place
Head over to Hoyt Sherman Place to see a show in a stunning historic theater and mansion in the Sherman Hill neighborhood of Des Moines. The neighborhood and theater both get their name from Des Moines postmaster and businessman Hoyt Sherman, the younger brother of Union Civil War Union Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman. One of Iowa’s oldest entertainment venues, politicians have made appearances at the venue, including former President Barack Obama in 2007 and former President Donald Trump in 2016. Hoyt Sherman Place will continue celebrating its 100th anniversary through the end of June.
Location: 1501 Woodland Ave., Des Moines
Where to go shopping in Des Moines
Scattered across the Des Moines metro are countless small businesses with unique Iowa-themed gifts and specialty products.
West End Architectural Salvage
Be prepared to spend some time browsing four floors of salvaged stained glass, light fixtures, doors and other one-of-a-kind items to join your home. That’s in addition to selling antique pieces, doing custom work and operating a coffee shop that also sells alcohol. The business, owned by Don Short, was the subject of a 26-episode HGTV show, “West End Salvage."
Location: 22 Ninth St., Des Moines
Contact: (515) 243-4405 or westendsalvage.com
Raygun
Sharp, witty phrases and graphics about pop culture, the Midwest and politics cover the apparel at Raygun, the company built by Iowan Mike Draper that now has several locations across Iowa and the Midwest. Draper’s Raygun Iowa stores hosted at least a dozen presidential hopefuls for the 2020 Iowa Caucus cycle. Find apparel that connects with people’s beliefs — or tests their tempers — and taps into their hometown pride. Get that same kind of wit branded across kitchenware, wall art, stationery and other products at this East Village location.
Location: 505 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines
Contact: (515) 288-1323 or raygunsite.com
East Village
Historic East Village is a retail and shopping destination with the Des Moines River to its west and the Iowa State Capitol to its east. Start on East Locust Street in Des Moines and roam several streets that are home to businesses that sell women’s and men’s apparel, home decor, antiques, kitchenware and more. A portion of the East Village was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019. Known as the East Des Moines Commercial Historic District, it was first platted in 1854.
Location: East of the Des Moines River, south of Interstate 235, with much of its businesses located off east Grand Avenue and east Walnut and Locust streets.
Contact: eastvillagedesmoines.com
Your Guide: The perfect day in Des Moines' East Village with restaurants, bars and shopping
Highland Park
The charming Historic Highland Park and Oak Park neighborhoods are home to numerous new businesses. Visit Des Moines Mercantile, described as a “modern general store,” to find goods for your home or items that would make for great gifts. ChaCha’s Hiland Bakery has provided sweets to the community since 1946. Discover unique finds at Divine Times Vintage or shop sustainably at The Collective.
Location: Sixth and Euclid avenues in Des Moines
Contact: facebook.com/HighlandOakDSM/
Beaverdale Books
The independent bookstore has a wide selection of titles that will appeal to everyone. Be sure to look at the selection of greeting cards and other items that make the perfect addition to a gift, and look for shelves showcasing Iowa authors. Beaverdale Books is in the Beaverdale neighborhood of Des Moines, which also has a few other shops and dining spots worth your time, such as the chocolate and candy spot Beaverdale Confections and Detroit-style pizza at Parlor.
Location: 2629 Beaver Ave., Des Moines
Contact: (515) 279-5400 or beaverdalebooks.com
Your Guide: The perfect day in Beaverdale with restaurants, bars and shopping
Where to catch a concert or show in Des Moines
Live entertainment in Des Moines spans intimate venues frequented by local and regional performers such as the 250-capacity xBk Live to the 17,000-seat Wells Fargo Arena.
Des Moines Civic Centeris the place to be if you’re hoping to see a nationally touring Broadway performance or hear the Des Moines Symphony.
During the warm weather months, the Lauridsen Amphitheater in Water Works Park, the 1,500-acre park southwest of downtown Des Moines, becomes a popular attraction.
In the East Village, home to the Iowa State Capitol, is Wooly’s, which welcomes nationally and regionally recognized acts to themed nights for dancing and music.
Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at PBarraza@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza. Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Have a dish she should try? You can reach out to her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com. Former Des Moines Register reporters Isaac Hamlet, Elle Wignall and Hannah Rodriguez contributed to this.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines’ best places to eat, drink, shop during the Iowa caucuses
