5 Day Restaurant Itinerary for Des Moines, IA

Eat your way through Des Moines, IA like you are Guy Fieri or another Food Network host with our curated list of restaurants seen on popular TV shows like Diner's Drive-Ins and Dives and 50+ other FoodTV shows.

You can also use our AI Restaurant Concierge to further refine your plans or just explore more restaurants on TV.

Trip Itineraries for Des Moines, IA:

1 Day TripWeekend Trip5 Day Trip

Day 1

Breakfast

Restaurant: Patton's

Show: Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

Known For: The Southern spot serving up legit fried chicken and decadent red velvet waffles.

Patton's

Lunch

Restaurant: Eatery A

Show: Best Thing I Ever Ate

Known For: Ali Khan Cioppino.

Eatery A

Dinner

Restaurant: Smokey Ds BBQ

Show: Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

Known For: The trophy-winning barbecue joint smoking up all kinds of unique wings and dishing out an out-of-bounds apple dumpling dessert.

Smokey Ds BBQ

Day 2

Breakfast

Restaurant: Fong's Pizza

Show: Man vs Food

Known For: General Tso's Pizza: thin-crust pizza topped with a mix of chicken chunks, roasted red peppers and baby corn all marinated in a special sauce.

Fong's Pizza

Lunch

Restaurant: Jethro's BBQ

Show: Man vs Food

Known For: Adam faces the Adam Emmenecker Challenge, a BBQ sandwich made with breaded pork tenderloin, a grilled bacon cheeseburger, Texas brisket, and more.

Jethro's BBQ

Dinner

Restaurant: The High Life Lounge

Show: Man vs Food

Known For: Signature dishes like crispy pressure-fried chicken and bacon-wrapped tater tots.

The High Life Lounge

Day 3

Breakfast

Restaurant: Zombie Burger + Drink Lab

Show: United States of Bacon

Known For: 10 bacon-inspired burgers including the Walking Ched with a Mac and cheese bun.

Zombie Burger + Drink Lab

Lunch

Restaurant: Smitty's Tenderloin Shop

Show: Man vs Food

Known For: King Taco Tenderloin Sandwich- a pork tenderloin tenderized until 9 inches in diameter, dipped in milk, breaded in cracker meal, and deep-fried.

Smitty's Tenderloin Shop

Dinner

Restaurant: B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli

Show: Bizarre Foods America

Known For: Famous throughout the Midwest for its pork tenderloin sandwich and pepper cheese balls.

B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli

Day 4

Breakfast

Restaurant: El Bait Shop

Show: Sandra Lee's Taverns, Lounges & Clubs

Known For: Described as a 'mancave on steroids' with a variety of Mexican, Latin American, and Tex Mex dishes.

El Bait Shop

Lunch

Restaurant: Flying Mango

Show: Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

Known For: Southern spot cooking up all the classics, from ribs and red beans and rice to catfish cakes and collards.

Flying Mango

Dinner

Restaurant: Tacopocalypse

Show: Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

Known For: The fusion joint making unique burritos alongside bulgogi masa fries.

Tacopocalypse

Day 5

Breakfast

Restaurant: George The Chili King Drive-In

Show: Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

Known For: The historic drive-in famous for their nearly century-old chili recipe.

George The Chili King Drive-In

Lunch

Restaurant: Mi Patria Ecuadorian Restaurant

Show: Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

Known For: A real deal Ecuadorian spot cooking up authentic specialties like chicken with rice and pork with hominy.

Mi Patria Ecuadorian Restaurant

Dinner

Restaurant: Maid-Rite

Show: Food Paradise

Known For: One of the first drive-thru restaurants serving loose-meat sandwiches.

Maid-Rite
Reminder: These plans are AI generated for your convenience. Please review them before planning a trip around them.