These 8 Restaurants Are What Iowa Cuisine Is All About
By Rachel Morey Flynn|Published October 29, 2017
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Rachel Morey Flynn
Author
Rachel lives in eastern Iowa. She was born in Wisconsin, but only lived there for a few weeks before her parents realized how much better Iowa was and moved. She believes in serial commas, kindness, and good food.
Not too long ago, the Huffington Post published an article that listed the most disproportionately popular cuisine in each state in America. They used data collected from Yelp.com. Turns out Iowans like buffets 127% more than the national average. We like pizza more than 64% of the national average, and we like steak 21% more than the national average.
So here are eight Iowa restaurants, in no particular order, that sure seem to be doing Iowa cuisine the “right” way.
1. Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet, 1801 22nd St., West Des Moines
This place is one big buffet heaven. Enjoy American and Asian fusion food. There’s a hibachi grill (of course) and a sushi station. For those that aren’t into Asian food, there’s plenty of good old fashioned American food here, too.
According to Yelp, this is the highest-rated pizza restaurant in Des Moines. It’s cozy inside, but there’s live jazz on the weekends and it’s a classy little joint. There’s plenty on the menu to choose from. In fact, they are also famous for their steak dinners. Try the red velvet cake. It’s amazing.
This restaurant is another locally-owned gem well-loved by Yelp reviewers. This upscale place has amazing pizza, of course. You’ll love the warm fresh bread and portabella fries, too. It’s a full menu of Italian food and it’s all wonderful.
If you are in the mood for fall-off-the-bone slow-cooked ribs, this is a great place to eat. It’s a small-town Iowa dive with superb food. Between the memorable location and the nostalgic charm, you’ll be glad you made the trip. You can get their ribs Thursday-Saturday.
This small-town Iowa supper club is a classic restaurant with excellent prime rib and house potatoes. The chicken also comes highly recommended. They get busy early for supper on the weekends, so it’s a good idea to make reservations.
6. Jack Binion’s Steak House, 2701 23rd Ave., Council Bluffs
Prime ribeye, crab bisque, lobster scampi, strip steak, and French onion soup are all divine choices. This restaurant is perfect for a fancy night out when you are in the mood for a splurge.
7. Tyler & Downing’s Eatery, 122 East Main St., Anamosa
This lovely restaurant is in a beautifully restored historic building. Owned by the Downing family, this small town place serves excellent American food; Iowa style.
The owners of Café Dodici traveled the world and then came back home to Iowa to share their love of Italian cuisine. This beautiful restaurant is yet another place where you can get amazing food and enjoy the kindness and culture of Iowa.
If you are wondering why Fong’s Pizza, Breitbach’s, Maid-Rite, or the wonderful restaurants of Solon aren’t included here, just click on their name to go to the recently published focused article singing their praises.
We Iowan’s probably have 300% more opinions than the national average, but what fun is a food article without that part. Where is your favorite restaurant in Iowa?
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