23 Best Seafood Restaurants in Des Moines

“Spent my birthday on 1-30-26 dinning at Splash. What an amazing experience. They made it so special. I had Chilean seabass,mashed sweet potatos,and rossotto. The chef is so spot on with everything. The service was caring and excellent. Absolutely best place ever. Thank you for the experience.“

“I want to start by saying this with full respect: running a restaurant is incredibly hard. I know this firsthand — I’m in the industry myself. I can also see that your family is involved in the business, and that’s something truly admirable.

My intention here is not to hurt your business, but to share honest feedback in hopes it reaches the owner and helps protect your long-term investment. Instead of giving a 1-star review (or zero, if I could), I’m choosing 5 stars so this message actually gets seen.

With that said, my dining experience at Tulpa was extremely disappointing — not because of a lack of effort, but because the fundamentals of Peruvian cuisine were not respected.

From what I understand, you’re not Peruvian yourself, which is perfectly valid. But the person you’ve trusted to run your kitchen is Peruvian — and that makes the issues even more concerning.

Here’s the breakdown:

Ceviche: Made with bottled lime juice instead of fresh lime. This alone completely changes the dish. The tilapia used is farm-raised, and you can taste the muddy undertones that should never be present in ceviche. The sweet potato was over-simmered in a syrup that made it sticky and inedible. The calamari (5 small pieces) were overcooked and rubbery, and the breading fell off due to poor technique.

Pollo a la Brasa: What I was served appeared to be a leg quarter from the W store.cooked grocery-store reheated in the fryer. This is not representative of the dish.

Chicha Morada: Unfortunately did not resemble authentic chicha in flavor.

Lomo Saltado: Lacked the core flavors and technique expected of the dish — no resemblance to traditional Peruvian cooking.

Your sign mentions Novo Andina, but nothing served reflected that or any fusion concept. Instead, it felt like someone convinced you they could cook Peruvian cuisine when, respectfully, they cannot. This is dangerous for a new restaurant. Business may be okay now, but long-term sustainability requires consistency, authenticity, and proper technique — especially with a cuisine as beloved as ours.

Additionally, I was automatically charged a 10% gratuity without any note on the menu. I understand why (Peruvians can be picky about tipping), but for your protection, please list this clearly so customers aren’t surprised.

I’m sharing all of this because I truly don’t want to see your business fail. You’ve invested money, time, and your family’s effort — and you deserve better support from the people working behind your kitchen doors.

If you’d like a more detailed breakdown or want to chat privately, please leave your email and I’ll gladly provide additional feedback. I’m rooting for you, not against you.“

“We had Sam and Billy for our servers at the bar, they were extremely friendly, attentive and knowledgeable of the menu. Our drinks stayed full with plenty of conversation. This is the reason we continue to come back to this hotel.“

“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.“

“Delicious food and drinks!!“

“Returning customer from when they were at the other establishment on 6th. We have always enjoyed the food and they do not skimp on portions. We came for dinner and stayed for the live band. My only complain is the beer was served at room temp. At least that is how mine was served to me. We did ask if we could get a cold/ icy beer which staff tried to accommodate but fell short. I love my beer cold and icy even if there is is a winter storm outside. Other than that, I definitely recommend.“

“Best service in DesMoines“

“Amazing food and at a reasonable price and not a bad wait time.“

“Spectacular service, ambiance & absolutely amazing food. We had the chicken fettuccini the burger & Ember’ ribs. Not only excellent taste but enough for another meal! Well worth our trip! Try it🤗“

“GIVE FRANCIS A RAISE!!!!!“

“Great menu options and our waiter Jim was one of nicest and attentive people. I will certainly be back.“

“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.“

“An absolute must for authentic and delicious Peruvian food in Iowa! We were blown away by the ceviche and pollo a la brasa and the excellent customer service. Cannot recommend this place enough and it will be a regular spot on our trips to Des Moines.“

“Excellent fresh food and wonderful service!“

“We stopped here at the last minute and they did not disappoint! Their food is amazing! Highly recommend stopping if you’re hungry.“

“Absolutely amazing experience!

We barely had time to sit down at the bar before they already brought us fresh chips — that alone set the tone for the whole visit. The service was incredibly fast, friendly, and welcoming.

The beer was served in ice-cold frosted glasses, which was an instant win for us. The staff took their time to explain the menu, recommended what to try, and every suggestion was spot on.

And the margarita… WOW. One of the best margaritas we’ve ever had — perfectly balanced, fresh, and absolutely delicious.

Great food, outstanding service, and an awesome atmosphere. You can really feel that they care about their guests.
We will 100% be back and recommend this place to everyone!“

“wonderful restaurant, great food, Angel was our server. prompt and courteous. prices are good“

“Calzones are the best! Super friendly staff, I love their Pizzas too.“

“Went there with my wife, surprisingly they were able to make really good authentic vegetarian food for us. My wife had tacos and I had enchiladas. Right off the bat they give you really hot salsa and mild, the pico de la cayo they give you has fish in it though. I love the little touch of marinated jalapenos and carrots on all the tables. Going back without the wife for seafood night 🤣“

“The food here is just amazing. This was the second time my friend and I come here. We had cheese pupusa, revuelta pupusa. Breakfast huevos con chorizo, breakfast mañanero, been and milk empanadas, atol de elote, and a side of their yellow rice. The food was so great, like I can’t say enough. Pupusas were a good size too. Thank you so much and we look forward to visiting again soon!“

“The fish & chips, and orange chicken was great! But the cheese cake was awesome! Great service and good food!“

“They changed their coleslaw which is very disappointing, it used to be my favorite.

This place does hold lots of memories for me though. I have been going here since I was little, I'm nearly 50. I still go here off and on when I make it to Des Moines around lunch time.

Story has it it was a restaurant back in the 50s. It would be interesting to know for sure.“

“I have literally nothing to say but THANK YOU. I showed up later than I had hoped, (in the last hour I'm not a monster) and you all crushed it. All of you apologized for the wait - but it was 100% perfect. made my night 10 times better - thank you“