50 Best American Restaurants near Norwalk

“Great place to eat in Norwalk. Food is great and service is excellent. Nonnie was our server. Exceptional service. Very polite, helpful and a joy to meet. We will be back, thank you Nonnie“

“Visited 1908 tonight to watch Monday night football and the food and service were amazing!!! Our server Meg was so personable and attentative! Love their menu and atmosphere. Great place to relax and watch the game.They really know how to take care of their customers here! Highly recommend this place!“

“This restaurant notified us, after we ordered online for delivery, that they believed our driver took our order. They called to tell us that before we even had a chance to believe there was a problem, and fully communicated what the issue was. They remade our order and it was delivered less than a half hour after they discovered the issue. Superior customer service. Highly recommend.“

“We were in Des Moines for a soccer tournament and ran across you guys. I was diagnosed with celiac 3 years ago and you guys made hands down the best GF burger and tots I have had in 3 years. That includes better than in n out burger since you guys actually have a bun and they don’t. It’s also the best gf bread I have found in 3 years. I hope to someday make it back again!“

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

“I have been coming here for many many years! Simon, the owner is absolutely incredible and done such a great job with this restaurant. The customer service is out of this world. But everything from the drinks, the food and dessert you cannot go wrong here. They only take reservations for parties of six or more. It is a very small intimate place. And it is 100% busy! 😁 well most of the time. This is a great local restaurant and whenever someone suggest anything around the area, I say go here!“

“Thanks Cheese Bar for the great food and accommodating our little one. she loved the kids cheese plate!“

“The Machine Shed in Urbandale, Iowa is a fantastic restaurant with good value. The food is excellent! The service is outstanding. We love to take our grandkids to the Machine Shed every time they are in town.“

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

“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.“

“A go-to cozy neighborhood staple that never disappoints. Amazing specialty cocktails, great juicy burgers and best salmon in town.“

“my husband and i eat here every friday, the food is always good, and the prices are reasonable. lehda, charlie and lumi are all awesome and take great care of us when we come here. lehda has most of our order memorized aside from our main entrees that we switch up. 10/10 recommend“

“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.“

“Excellent food and service! Prime rib was absolutely delicious!“

“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.“

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

“tried this place out today, great service, amazing food will definitely be stopping by again!!“

“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“

“My second time here - great ambiance, service, good, & drinks. I’ve purchased items at the connected market each time. Very handy.“

“the foods always great and very tasty..... old school iowa here and damb good“

“My family and I recently stopped at Smash Park in Des Moines on a whim for some family fun and food. The atmosphere was laid back and our kids thoroughly enjoyed the outdoor pickle ball courts and the arcade. Food, dessert and drinks were all crowd pleasers! And to go completely over the top, we left our blanket outside and Jerry answered my phone call, went outside to retrieve it from the bench where I left it, and mailed it back to me free of charge. In a world where kindness and customer support are harder and harder to come by, Jerry and Smash Park get a 10/10 from this family!!!“

“Sunday was our server. He was kind, talkative and attentive and we will ask for him next time!!!“

“The food is licking lips, 😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋“

“A party of five of us visited on 1/8/25. We asked for a table in back as there was live music by the bar and we wanted to be able to talk together Our server was excellent - wish I had gotten her name Food was amazing - we got brussel sprouts, sliders, French fries w Parmesan, stuffed mushrooms, and spinach artichoke dip All came out timely and very good! We had martinis and all were very delicious and also came out quick I’ve been here about six times before and it’s always great Good patio area too Definitely a great place!“

“My husband and I have eaten at Aura at least 5 times. We've also hosted group dinners there. The food is FANTASTIC, and the mussels are absolutely delicious. And I'm from the NW, I know delicious mussels! The ONLY thing keeping me from giving it a 5 STAR review is that the music is too loud, and it's monotonous. Please, serve quiet, enjoyable music to go along with your wonderful food.“

“We had lunch here yesterday, absolutely delicious burgers. Ate every bite, nice atmosphere. Yummy ice cream sundae to finish off. 10/10“

“The gnocchi is a very memorable dish. Soft, fluffy pillows of heaven. I don’t regret eating the entire dish AND ordering the lava cake. Easily ranks in my top 5 favorite DSM dishes.“

“We always have a great time at Gilroy’s, but tonight went above and beyond! When our server found out we were celebrating my birthday, not only did she bring me a dessert on the house, but she also brought me a birthday card signed by the staff and a coupon for my next visit. She even caught that I’d ordered a vegetarian meal and a mocktail and tailored the coupon accordingly. It was so thoughtful and I wish I would have caught her name because she was truly incredible and deserves a shout out!“

“This is a good place to go to have drinks and food for sporting events for sure! It's a very cool place inside with TONS of TVs. This should be a go-to for March Madness! The food was average, the service was pretty good, but it seemed like the servers were pretty new. The manager did make a point to speak to every table, which we appreciated! Overall, it is definitely somewhere we would go again for a sporting event, just maybe not an all-the-time thing.“

“Never had a bad experience. Great food, friendly comfortable environment. Wish we could make it more often.“

“I REALLY LIKE WINN'S. HAVE BEEN GETTING FOOD FROM THERE FOR YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE. GREAT PEOPLE TO BE ASSOCAITED WITH. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU AT WINN,S“

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

“We had an amazing time at Francies. The food was amazing. I had the steak and peppers sandwich and fries. The fries were so good.“

“I was visiting from Mississippi and learned that tenderloin was a big deal in this area.I was on a mission to find the best and I really believe I found it.Love the old diner vibe and the friendly staff at this place.I will definitely come back every time I visit family in the area.That King tenderloin sandwich is definitely hitting!!!“

“Stopped in today after grabbing groceries! And got a tea, very delicious. The place is so cute & the worker is such a sweet heart! 10/10!“

“Staff is wonderful. Communication with family is great. Feel very blessed that our loved one is in this community.“

“We had dinner there tonight and I also had one of the Iowa mules. I don’t think I can recommend this place enough! Most places either make the drinks too strong but they taste gross or not strong enough and you don’t get your moneys worth, but this was probably the best mule I’ve ever had. Also the food was delicious and on a Saturday night we had no wait!“

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

“Booked a wedding reception there. Staff was very helpful and flexible on what the bride wanted. They allowed us to decorate the room the day before the wedding and was there to review the final arrangements. Loved the deck off the bar to smoke or get away from the crowd. Highly recommend!“

“Love Truman’s! They hosted us last night for my birthday celebration and they did not disappoint. They never do! The food alone is delicious, their menu has something for everyone, plus some unique pizzas that I have tried to replicate. (Theirs was better 😉) Their service is always great too. Friendly staff, always helpful, and the dude who hosted our party of 26 last night was awesome and made sure we all had a great experience and had what we needed throughout our time there. Thanks for helping make my celebration so special Truman’s! I’ll be back soon!“

“I had about an hour to kill, so I decided to grab a bite. I ordered Chicken Tenders w/ Fries from somewhat a limited menu. The food was decent, and the price was reasonable for the portion size (which was surprisingly large). And, the service was superb. My server, according to my receipt, was Rachel.When I arrived, she was already servicing 4 customers (3 tables and 1 counter) by herself. While I was there, a few customers left but new ones showed up. At any given point, she was servicing 4 other parties but didn't forget to stop by my table several times to make sure I was doing okay. She was even courteous to a group of college kids who didn't necessarily have the best manners.Bottom line: I'd eat here, again next time I'm at the Des Moines airport.“

“There is nothing better than The Library! They have a great selection of drinks and beers, incredibly fresh and tasty food, and amazing service! The small, cozy atmosphere just makes me happy!“

“Convenient location, right off the highway and about 15 min drive to downtown Des Moines. The staff were friendly, the hotel was clean, and they have a decent bar/coffee bar with some breakfast food options for purchase. I'm not sure if the hotel was empty, but this was the quietest hotel I've ever stayed in! Didn't hear one other guest, the elevator, ice machine, maids, etc, at all during a 3 night stay. The room also had the darkest black out curtains ever.“

“fast food. great service.“

“What a great atmosphere and the food was amazing. Will be back many more times.“

“I bring my mother to this Perkins each week. We both feel the food is excellent. I would also like to say any server we have is good, but I would like to give special recognition to your server Tracy (#131). She always makes usa feel at home, besides giving excellent service. Way to go Tracy ! Kevin Downs“

“My favorite breakfast spot in Des Moines, great food and coffee....and the service is always fantastic“

“That pizza is crack. The service is friendly and amazing.“

“A little stinky but fun place to let your pooch run around“