New American Restaurants in Des Moines, IA

“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 Best of Ingersoll. If you consider yourself a foodie and haven’t been here yet - you are missing out! Everything on the menu is a must try. My wife and I love coming here for exceptional food, wine, and atmosphere. The Carrot Wellington and Filet Mignon are the perfect choice paired with an amazing old fashion and Sauvignon Blanc. The bar is a fun place to grab a drink and a bite to eat. Otherwise get yourself a reservation and enjoy a 5 course meal that won’t disappoint!“

“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!“

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

“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!“

“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.“

“I fell in love with this old fashion restraunt before I tasted anything but the fact the food is amazing was the icing on the cake! It is a beautiful old restraunt that has amazing weeknight specials. Monday is Prime Rib and it was amazing! The service is great and they are very friendly. It is worth your time to check it out!“

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

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

“❤️ New China has a variety of dishes all very delicious. Have never had a bad meal.“

“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!“

“I went through the drive in and was greeted by a friendly young girl who took my order. She came back with my order within a few minutes. The order was correct and I was on my way. I had the Chicago dog w/no tomatoes. The food was wonderful, and I considered it to be a real bargain. Oh yeah, I'm coming back.“

“The Continental was an unexpected stop for us today. (We were searching for Waldo at local businesses around the East Village. A little something fun for the month of July; pick up your sheet for stamps/stickers/signatures at the stores participating and enjoy shopping, dining and just wandering the East Village.) We happened to see the board advertising today's specials and decided to give it a go. Oh my gosh! I'm so glad we did!

My son and I shared the tilapia tacos. My husband had the chicken tacos. My daughter ordered the nachos, chorizo on the side and I got a side salad to share with my hubby. We all took at least one bite of each other's orders.

The nachos were delicious with the meat. Our picky eater, daughter, didn't care for them just chips and cheese. (Remember, she's picky.) My son and I preferred the tilapia tacos to the chicken, but hubby, not a fan of fish, preferred the chicken tacos. The side salad was fresh and the house vinaigrette was SO good!

If you get the chance to stop by, you definitely should!“

“I’ve been a Star Bar patron for over a decade.

From a location for seemingly every group happy hour, political get to know ya, or just because social time, it’s been here. It’s not the destination for nearly as many group events, but it still rocks for a laid back, casual evening with friends. The bathrooms are clean, the taps rotate with the season, and the food is consistently good.

The only 2 downsides I’ve found are:
- they used to host far more small musical acts. that’s gone by the way side. I’m unsure if whoever booked/managed lost interest or small bands don’t want to play here, but I came more often when that occurred.
- FREE THE GOAT CHEESE. The blackened chicken Philly and goat cheese with roasted peppers and garlic appetizer have left the menu. Those 2 dishes were simple, yet superbly done. Idk who decided they were too basic for the new age, but they are incorrect. (Hint: ask if the kitchen will make you the Philly. If certain folks are on, they might indulge your desire for the smoky, cheesy goodness between that hoagie roll).“

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

“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.“