New American Restaurants in Des Moines, IA

“Four of us dined tonight at Oak Park on Ingersoll. We were welcomed at the door and thanked for coming out on a snowy evening. After being seated we were presented with menus from our server (who did a great job throughout the entire night). The menu was explained well to us and we made some choices that everyone loved from starters and through the entrees.

Some of the best starters were: the Brioche bread and the potato gnocchi. The gnocchi was truly the hit of the evening with everyone. My Filet Mignon was wonderful (and I am picky about steak having grown up on an Iowa farm where Dad raised Black Angus). My wife and SIL both had the Chilean Sea Bass which was also wonderful. I tasted some of it and it was better than any other I have had at high end restaurants anywhere.

We brought our own Magnum sized bottle of wine to share for which we paid one corkage fee. The desserts we ordered included Crème Brûlée and scoop of sherbet and some fresh-brewed French Press coffee. Overall we all agreed that dining at Oak Park tonight was a better experience than any other fine restaurant in the Des Moines area.

The service from everyone was truly fantastic.“

“We had our wedding dinner tonight at Harbinger. Low-key, just the two of us. We were treated with such kindness and respect from everyone, including the chef who made concessions to his tasting menu for my wife’s sugar issues. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. We visit Harbinger we are blown away by the quality of our dining experience.“

“The bison dinner was a work of art! This was my first time having bison and I would definitely come back for the dinner again! And their specialty drinks have great names with amazing flavor…. Staff was phenomenal and I really can’t say enough great things… Definitely a must to eat here!“

“I wish I would have taken more photos but the food was so good our family couldn’t think to take photos. My mom wanted to eat at HoQ Resturant for her 40th wedding anniversary and wanted the whole family with them to celebrate. Little back story my mom sells vegetables to the owner that he uses in his dishes. 90% or more of the ingredients are locally sourced in Iowa. Farm to table concept. We started withh naan bread the brought out and a little bit of I think pasta with beets. What ever it was it was goos. Then we ordered several different appetizers. Burnt carrots, Hummus and some kind of bread, chicken skewers, and pierogies. For meal we got different things. Several had the bison burger and fries, 2 had the 5 oz steak with risotto. Mom and I had the Mediterranean bowl with falafel add tandoori chicken. That is the only thing I got a photo of of course after I started to eat. The accommodated our little girls with grilled cheese and fries and a side of chicken. Finished off our meal with. Cake my sister made ( our grandma’s recipe) Minnesota chocolate cake with fudge icing. And the restaurant brought out several scoops of vanilla ice cream with shortbread cookies. All the food was so good everyone at the table was quiet including my dad. If you know my dad you know that is not a common thing for him not to be taking and eating. I have posted a photo of my food and a photo of my parents with their cake. And yes my mom is wearing her original wedding dress she wore 40 years ago when she married my dad. Thank you again HoQ for the amazing dining experience and for letting us have a private room to celebrate our parents!“

“Such a cool vibe! Amazing food and service— will definitely go back again! 😊“

“Everything was phenomenal from beginning to end! The waitstaff was attentive but not overbearing, and our waiter in particular was so friendly and recommended the crab stuffed walleye, which was to die for! The environment was classy and intimate, yet casual enough that it felt comfortable and warm. The best part of the meal was the appetizer- the seared ahi tuna is too good for words, just trust me on this and order it! This was a great place to visit for my birthday dinner, and we definitely plan on being back.“

“First timer! Food was amazing 🤩 definitely try the onion rings with Kelly’s Mayo! Will be back“

“Great atmosphere, meets top notch food, meets great service. Starting off with a wonderfully stocked salad bar that has amazing oreo fluff, then to the perfectly seasoned prime rib. My Old Fashion was a little stronger than I like but still good. My only overall complaint was the crowded parking. Still, if you are looking an affordable night out, this is one of the best places to go.“

“Awesome service and awesome food 😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋“

“GIVE FRANCIS A RAISE!!!!!“

“Good food, always fresh in my experiences with eating here. Doesn't cost a lot, and if you go away hungry from their buffet, it's your own fault. Would recommend to anyone. Also I've never been grossed out by the bathroom. That's a big bonus for me. After using the restroom I like coming out feeling relieved and clean not ready to shower as soon as I get home...cause eewwwww.... So thank you for keeping up on your restroom as well as the face appearance of your restaurant.“

“My go to for comfort food which is mostly this sausage sandwich, I’m 100% Italian and have consumed almost every sausage sandwich in Des Moines, this one is the best to me… because it’s different! Will love you always and forever!“

“We took the whole family here for thanksgiving dinner. Amazing friendly courteous staff and authentic food!“

“After 7pm on a Monday night My Brother and I found ourselves starving After a day of being attentive to our Elder mother at Methodist Hospital. Dreading eating outing if the vending machine I googled food near me and Ted's sounded delicious. And it was. Chicago dogs, Massive tenderloin and Onion Rings later and we were completely satisfied. It's good food. I'd go back no problems. 8.2/10“

“10/10. This place nailed it. Had the double smash burger upgraded the fries. The burger was everything you'd ever want from a burger. Way better than Zombie burger and for me a step above Lucilles. The atmosphere reminds me of a quiet cafe off of the French Quarter in New Orleans. Just a quiet laid back no hurry vibe. Will definitely be returning.“

“Great shareables, margaritas, and attentive, engaging staff, with great game day VIBE and screens!“

“They used to have bands here but now I think they're embracing the neighborhood bar persona. I really think it's the best non Irish bar pints of Guinness in Des Moines. Food is always good there. seems to be an older crowd there usually. Also i once had a gin martini there that was out of this world!“

“As a Marriott Bonvoy member, I wanted to try Mash & Marrow while we were near the hotel, and it ended up being a great choice for lunch. The service was excellent, our server was attentive, friendly, and quick with drink refills, which always makes a difference. I ordered the Caprese sandwich with chicken, and it was fantastic. Fresh, flavorful, and really well balanced. The sweet potato fries were also delicious, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, exactly how they should be. The other entrées at our table were the Asian salad and the corn chowder, and both were excellent as well. Everything tasted fresh, thoughtful, and well-prepared. Overall, a really good lunch experience and definitely worth stopping by if you’re staying at the Marriott or nearby. Friendly service + great food = an easy recommendation.“

“Great food, good service- night me and my friend was there was busy but we were seated promptly, waitress helpful and friend friendly and food came our timely. I had fried okra and shrimp and grits when there and was excellent.“