After long hiatus, pizzeria Mad Meatball reopens in new downtown Des Moines location

Kim Norvell, Des Moines Register
·2 min read

Nearly three years after closing its East Village location, the Mad Meatball pizzeria and sub shop is back.

It will start serving pizza, pasta, wings, sandwiches and its signature meatballs at 4 p.m. Tuesday in its new spot, 210 S.W. 11th St.

Fans of the family friendly, sports-themed restaurant have had a long wait. Mad Meatball first opened in 2013 at 401 S.E. Fifth St., now home to Rita's Cantina. It shut down in April 2019 with plans to open in the LINC at Gray's Station apartment building in spring 2020.

The interior of Mad Meatball, 210 S.W. 11th St.
The interior of Mad Meatball, 210 S.W. 11th St.

"While leaving the building we've called home for so many years wasn't an easy decision, we know that this prime location at LINC will give us a great connection to downtown residents and visitors as well as more space to grow," co-owner Andy Hartman said in a news release. "Our improvements took longer than anticipated, but we’re extremely excited to reopen and welcome back our many died-hard Mad fans."

The new, 3,000-square-foot space at LINC, located on the southeast corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and Southwest 11th Street, has customized booths and high-top tables, a three-sided bar and a patio with a view of the downtown Des Moines skyline.

It will be open from 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.

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Mad Meatball joins other LINC businesses Craft Brü, a 60-handle taproom, and Iowa Spine + Performance chiropractic clinic.

The LINC apartment building was Hubbell Realty Co.'s first development in Gray's Station, a 75-acre neighborhood on the southern edge of downtown.

Gray’s Station ultimately will occupy most of the empty land south of Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway between S.W. 11th and S.W. 16th streets.

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Kim Norvell covers growth and development for the Register. Reach her at knorvell@dmreg.com or 515-284-8259. Follow her on Twitter @KimNorvellDMR.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Mad Meatball reopens in Des Moines Tuesday in new downtown spot