50 Best Vegan Restaurants in Des Moines

“We’re drooling over this & can’t wait to try more!!“

“We’ve been meaning to go to veggie thumper for quite some time and finally decided to go tonight! We had the samosas, Frisco melt, Philly cheesesteak, nachos and the chocolate cheesecake, we were blown away by each and every dish! Highly highly recommend!“

“Best wings in DSM! The honey garlic is a must try. Always fast and fresh.“

“Great burgers some of the best“

“Visited from out of town and 100% worth the stop. I ordered the Grilled Turkey pesto sandwich and the single serving Oreo cheesecake. The sandwich was bigger than I expected and was absolutely delicious, especially as a big pesto fan. The cheesecake was amazing and the best I’ve ever had. I would absolutely recommend coming here and I can’t wait to be able to go back and try all the delicious looking pastries, breads, and other desserts and foods.“

“grabbed breakfst at the breakfst club in ia n it totally hit the spot. food came out hot fresh n plenty of it. coffee was good too. staff was upbeat n kept things movin even when it got busy. chill vibe all round — def a spot id swing by again for a mornin boost.“

“BBQ Meatloaf was delicious and the service was good. Very cool decor.“

“Hidden Gem! Food is excellent each time we go!“

“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.“

“friendly staff, great menu selections to choose from. superb smoked meats and Cajun inspired dishes. a gem in Des Moines“

“We chose Molly’s for our wedding cakes and boy did people really chow those down. The cakes for our guests were amazing, but our wedding cake was more than I could have ever imagined. They took my inspiration pictures and executed beyond belief. The cake was incredible to eat and to look at. We were speechless. I would recommend Molly’s for weddings and in general as all their items are so delicious. Thank you so much!!“

“We had our Holiday party there on Saturday January 20th. The food was good, and the staff was excellent.“

“Really yummy and fresh! Will be back :)“

“Delicious ! Would 10/10 come back again and try all the flavors !“

“Great food and beer, and very friendly staff. We come here every time we visit Des Moines!!“

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

“We ate here for our anniversary during restaurant week and it was a great experience. We felt celebrated and appreciated the complimentary wine. The food was phenomenal- especially the arugula was and the pork and polenta. The only downside: the 70 year olds next to us who were very shouty- but perhaps their hearing aids could not accommodate. Will definitely be back!“

“love the experience! great burgers and shakes, plus the staff went above and beyond by finding my daughter's shirt that we left behind and mailed it back to us! this staff is TOP NOTCH!“

“Have been going to Smokey D’s for about 10 years now, and the food is always delicious. I went today and was shocked at the improvement in customer service. My husband and I always joke that we go for the food so we ignore the customer service, but today was extremely different. Huge shoutout to Mr. Juan who checked on my table multiple times and sincerely talked to us. This is the first time I didn’t have to ask someone for a to go box. Keep up the great food and reward the new and improved staff!“

“The waiters are very accommodating. Good food and services.“

“We got our wedding cupcakes from here and they were amazing! Everyone loved them. We got a few different flavors and one batch was even vegan/GF. Sammy was wonderful to work with, from our tasting to the cupcakes being delivered to our venue day of. Highly recommend!“

“Vegan menu! Tortas were soft and delicious and the nachos were the best I ever had!“

“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.“

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sakari Sushi is hands down my favorite place for sushi in Des Moines! The food is always incredibly fresh, and the sushi is the best in town, no question. What really sets this place apart is the staff. They’re phenomenal, friendly, attentive, and always moving with purpose. You’ll never catch anyone just standing around; they’re constantly making sure everything runs smoothly and guests are taken care of. Special shoutout to our bartender Jake for mixing up the best drinks. His Painkiller cocktail is an absolute must-try! Whether you're a sushi lover or just looking for a great night out, Sakari never disappoints.“

“Great environment, excellent food and friendly staff. Will definitely be back next time I’m in the area!“

“Staff was great in helping the family celebrate my moms 50th! I have never had a poor experience in the times I have been there.“

“Lots of great reading material from newspapers, magazines-even children's books!“

“Wonderful delivery- they send you all the parts and you put it together to avoid over cooking the noodles or meat! HUGE thing of sides for the pho, too! Absolutely loved their *four inch long* spring rolls, as well. A large pho fed myself, my child, and still had leftovers (rare thing for my family)!“

“Wonderful food, drinks, and atmosphere. 2 of the 3 ladies I brought to dinner are southern belles, and they were reminded of home by the food. Great first experience. We will definitely be back again. A+ in my book.“

“this is a fantastic place!!! food is incredible, atmosphere is awsome, and the owner is top notch. if it is a large group of a date this is the place to go“

“So we saw that Dave Portnoy had posted a review of CentroDSM. Couldn’t believe we had not tried it yet as we are always looking for good pizza and we only live 5 minutes away. Well we ordered online and it said it would be ready at 8pm tonight. I got there at 8pm. Got home and I could already tell on the car ride home the pizza was cold. Now the flavor was all the way there. But the pizza was cold and chewy. This is disappointing as I’m sure if it was hot it would not be so chewy. They need to give accurate times so the pizza is still hot. I have also messaged them with no response.“

“The food here is great and the atmosphere is so fun. Currently, the seasonal menu (winter 2025) has Yo's Wontons which are in an excellent sauce. I also enjoy the bing bing wraps and drunken noodles.“

“I believe the manager that helped us with our reservation was named Jess. She. Was. PHENOMENAL! She had organized a proposal after our dinner. Out server, the cooks, the manager….everyone did such an amazing job at making it a beautiful night! The drinks were outstanding, the food was cooked perfectly, and I will definitely be back when I go to Des Moines again!“

“Nice people great pizza very clean“

“All the servers looked happy and smiling. Our server Gavin was soooo nice!!! Would definitely recommend eating here.“

“This is our go to sushi restaurant in the metro! Highly recommend!“

“pastry's are the best, eggnog is delish, but top 30% of the cup was foam.“

“We have been to visit The Republic several times and have had a phenomenal time each visit! The staff are second to none! Ask for Nicole Ripperger for great service!“

“Amazing food. Buffet is the best with delicious favorites. Chai tea is also a huge hit for us. They keep you coming back for more. One time you'll be hooked and planning to return.“

“I’m from Los Angeles, California, land of boutique juices. I LOVED this spot. They have convenient lists of every juice/smoothie ingredient, and even some helpful advice about what kinds of smoothies different levels of health enthusiast will appreciate. Cory, the owner, was kind, accommodating, and efficient. The drinks came quick, too - I’m used to Whole Foods wait time. If you’re in Des Moines and you like healthy juice, go out of your way to visit. (The 4-stars for atmosphere was only because there were some boxes kind of piled next to the counter. Definitely not a problem)“

“amazing chill atmosphere as well as staff. The food is great. I actually cried on my way home from the genuin kindness the cashier showed me on a hard day. 10/10 recommend. the iced coffee and Americono are my go to. My bf likes the espresso. WHO EVER WORKED TONIGHT THANK YOU!!!“

“Last week was my 1st time here, but the staff treated me like an old friend. & the pizza was amaaazing. While waiting for my food, there was a little girl who was dancing & fell (she was alright). The staff were very kind to her & even gave her a big cookie to have for dessert!“

“This place is amazing! The food is super delicious no matter what dish you get, and the staff is super friendly!! 🫶🏻💗 I personally recommend the Broccoli Chicken and Pho dishes!!“

“Ordered a salad for pickup, and was given the wrong one. Called back as soon as I had a chance. Ross was apologetic, kind, and reassuring. He refunded my purchase even though I ate the salad given. Excellent service, and great customer relations. Thank you.“

“Ordered the falafel plate (without feta) and an extra pita (because I like carbs) via Uber Eats to my hotel room. The grilled pita was soft, warm, and delicious. The falafel was decent, not the best I've ever had. I wish it had a little more hummus on it. The salad it came with was tasty; I liked the dressing. Overall, it hit the spot and I wanted another one as soon as I was done. Updated from previous review on 2024-10-31“

“ここのﾎﾞﾊﾞﾐﾙｸﾃｨｰ美味しい！Tried their best seller milk tea w/ boba and liked it a lot! My 1st time visiting there and checked the google reviews and saw some bad reviews about this place before I visited but the store seems clean and service was quick too although there were 5 people a head of me. I’ve tried lots of boba teas in Taiwan,Japan, Canada and Cali, I think the milk tea at 8 Degrees has good flavor😋 liked their cups and the lid too.
I’d definitely come back here if I visit Iowa next time!“

“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 was so surprised when I went there and that they actually had hot sauce that was spicy. It’s so hard to find a place that has really spicy salsa ☺️“

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

“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!“