Smitty's Tenderloin Shop
The King Pork Tenderloin
If you eat one thing in Des Moines, make it the tenderloin here. Smitty's south-side dive has been hand-breading and frying pork cutlets since 1952, and the King is the stuff of road-trip legend — a crispy cutlet so big it makes the bun look like a garnish. Order one with fries or onion rings and two of you are well fed and well under budget. Two eat for around $16.
Tasty Tacos
The Original Puffy-Shell Taco, 1961
A genuine Des Moines original. Since 1961, Tasty Tacos has served its signature taco in a house-made puffy flour-masa shell — soft, chewy and unlike the crunchy or street version anywhere else. Generations of locals grew up on them, and at a few bucks a taco, two people can feast. Two eat for around $16.
Fong's Pizza
Original Crab Rangoon Pizza
Easily the most Des Moines thing on this list. Fong's took over the space of King Ying Low — once the oldest Chinese restaurant in America — and turned it into a tiki bar serving Asian-fusion pizza. The Crab Rangoon pizza earned a shout-out from Alton Brown on 'Best Thing I Ever Ate,' and it absolutely should not work but does. Split a pie or grab late-night slices. Two eat for around $20.
Tursi's Latin King
East-Side Italian Since 1947
Tucked between a dairy and a used-car lot on the east side, Tursi's Latin King is the kind of place locals guard jealously. The Tursi family brought their recipes from Terravecchia, Italy, and the house chicken spiedini and toasted ravioli are the draw. The Italian-focused wine list, as one local put it, won't gouge your wallet. Share a pasta and an app. Two eat for around $20.
B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli
Deli Counter Since 1922
A working corner grocery and butcher since 1922, B&B doubles as one of the city's best sandwich counters — so good that Andrew Zimmern featured its tenderloin on Bizarre Foods. Stacked deli subs and that famous pork cutlet come cheap and unpretentious. Two eat for around $16.
George the Chili King
Drive-In Chili & Coneys
A genuine mid-century Des Moines drive-in that's barely changed in decades, George the Chili King does exactly what the name says — chili, coney dogs and loose-meat sandwiches, with carhop-era charm intact. As cheap and nostalgic as lunch gets. Two eat for around $14.
Tastee Inn & Out
Loose Meat & Onion Chips
Another retro drive-in worth the detour, Tastee Inn & Out is the home of the loose-meat 'Tastee' sandwich and a basket of deep-fried onion chips that locals crave by the bagful. Old-school, walk-up and dirt cheap. Two eat for around $12.
A Dong
Vietnamese Pho & Banh Mi
A longtime local go-to for Vietnamese comfort — big steaming bowls of pho and proper crusty banh mi at prices that have stayed gentle for years. Exactly the kind of warm, generous meal Des Moines does well. Two eat for around $18.
Tacos La Familia
Birria Tacos
A south-side taqueria where the order is birria — rich, slow-braised beef folded into tacos with a cup of consommé for dipping. Add a couple of regular tacos and you've got a generous, soul-warming spread for two. Two eat for around $16.
Hessen Haus
German Bier Hall
A cavernous downtown German bier hall where you can order a beer served in a glass boot and a plate of schnitzel, currywurst or sausages to split. Communal tables, big steins and shareable platters make it an easy, fun two-person stop. Two eat for around $20.
Mi Patria
Ecuadorian (DDD-Featured)
Tucked into an unassuming strip mall, Mi Patria earned a Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives feature for its Ecuadorian cooking — empanadas, sweet plantains and skirt steak you won't find anywhere else in town. Generous and genuinely different. Two eat for around $18.
El Bait Shop
Good-Value Bar Food & 100+ Taps
A downtown beer hall with one of the biggest tap lists in the Midwest — 100-plus beers — and, crucially, a kitchen that keeps prices honest. Wings, fish tacos, burgers and Mexican favorites pair with the pours without emptying your wallet. Two eat for around $20.
💡 Pro tip: All deals are community-verified, and we've linked each spot's official menu where one exists. For the tenderloin spots, a single sandwich is enormous — order one with a side to split if you're not starving — and at the Italian and bier-hall sit-downs, the two-under-$20 move is to share a big plate. Hours and prices change, so check before a special trip. If something's expired, flag it on our main directory so we can update it.
These chain deals work anywhere in the country, including Des Moines.
Buffalo Wild Wings
Pick 6 — Meal for Two from $19.99
The Pick 6 lets two people build a shared meal — choose six items across wings, tenders, and sides — starting around $19.99. A reliable two-for-$20 play at any BWW. Dine-in or takeout; pricing varies slightly by market.
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