Iowa · best-of list
The 6 Best Restaurants in Iowa
All 6 restaurants our route editors picked in Iowa, across 3 destinations, gathered in one list. 4 come with an insider tip.
Our curated picks
6 restaurants in Iowa, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Decorah 2 picks
Mabe's Pizza
Decorah · On our Iowa Driftless & River Towns route
Family pizza place on Water Street since 1953.
Photo: Len Duevel · Google
Oneota Community Food Co-op
Decorah · On our Iowa Driftless & River Towns route
Local grocery with a deli for sandwiches and picnic supplies.
Photo: Oneota Community Food Co-op · Google
Des Moines 2 picks
Fong's Pizza
Des Moines · On our Iowa Driftless & River Towns route
Des Moines cult pizzeria famous for the Crab Rangoon pizza and tiki-bar drinks, now in the old Peace Tree space.
Tip: Order the Crab Rangoon pizza; patio opens in warm weather.
Photo: Fong's Pizza · Google
Zombie Burger + Bird
Des Moines · On our Iowa Driftless & River Towns route
Horror-themed burger joint in the East Village with over-the-top burgers and thick shakes.
Tip: Try the Walking Dead, then split a shake.
Photo: Zombie Burger + Drink Lab · Google
Dubuque 2 picks
Breitbach's Country Dining
Dubuque · On our Iowa Driftless & River Towns route
Iowa's oldest bar and restaurant (1852), known for its buffet and pies.
Tip: Check hours; it closes early in the week.
Photo: Barry Hughes · Google
L.May Eatery
Dubuque · On our Iowa Driftless & River Towns route
Candlelit Main Street restaurant serving gourmet comfort food since 2007.
Tip: Reserve on weekends.
Photo: L.May Eatery · Google
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the restaurants in Iowa?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 6 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Iowa has the most restaurants on this list?
Decorah, Des Moines and Dubuque lead with 2 each; the other picks are spread across 0 more destinations.
More lists for Iowa
Best restaurants nearby
Destinations on this list
- Decorah 2 on this list
- Des Moines 2 on this list
- Dubuque 2 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.