Each year, the Iowa Beef Industry Council publishes their list of the top ten burgers to be found in Iowa. A few years ago, I decided to try as many of these as I could, within an hour’s drive of my home, and frankly came away disappointed with the designation of these places as the best Iowa has to offer. If the 2-3 that were nearby didn’t impress, I saw no reason to go outside my central Iowa bubble.
I haven’t tried every burger around, so this list is to be taken as a “so far” list. Also, I’m up in the air over my top two, so I’ll list the burgers here without designating which order they are listed in. Here are my top 5 along with 5 notes of places that didn’t make my top 5.
- Gateway Burger at Gateway Market. Pro-tip: anyone can order the kid’s size burger (still a quarter pound) and they will put the same toppings on it if you ask. The only downside is that a smaller burger is harder to cook to order.
- Breakfast Burger at Waveland Cafe. Waveland makes some of the best food in town. Their pancakes are top notch, their hash browns are tremendous, and their breakfast burger is like a taste of bliss. If the location in Des Moines isn’t ideal for you, there’s a lesser known spot in Booneville, a few miles south of Waukee.
- B&B Deli started as a corner butcher shop, and has since expanded into a small grocery store and perhaps the best sandwich spot in all of Des Moines. It is that good. Their burger is great, but when I go there, I tend to order other selections. The “Dad’s Killer” is a local favorite. It doesn’t get more OG Des Moines than B&B.
- High Life Lounge cheeseburger basket is a treat I have enjoyed several times. Far from the fancy or the gourmet, it is a little greasy, but it is a favorite. Paired with your grandpa’s favorite beer, I would say that High Life offers a better overall experience than the other locations in this list. And if you want a fancier burger (not necessarily better) or a MUCH better beer selection, El Bait Shop is connected to the High Life Lounge like a set of conjoined twins. AND you can order from both menus at El Bait Shop. Decisions, decisions, decisions.
- My back yard. It’s not nepotism if I’m talking about myself, right? I love to grill out and I love to try new things. I can make a pretty mean burger, whether I’m using my Anova immersion cooking device, a smoker, a hot grill or a combination of the three. This summer, I plan to perfect my Oklahoma Burger recipe and come up with a meat and seasoning combo to finalize the family recipe burger.
Notes:
- B-Bop’s wins “best burger in Des Moines” awards all the time. If you limit the category to fast food, I concur. If you want to step up for a dollar or two, the above choices are superior.
- Zombie Burger is a popular place, but I wonder for how long. Their burgers are good, but the novelty of them does have a shelf life. And will they re-brand when the zombie genre fades as it has in the past? Tip: Don’t order fries there. Just don’t. Olive Branch: If anyone in this post would consider trying Truffle Oil it’s these guys. Please make it so!
- I was unaware of BW’s Burgers until I looked up the contest. That’s not too far from my home/work bubble. I will try them post-haste!
- I have had a burger at the Ankeny Diner. My verdict? Don’t bother. How did they make a top ten in the state list anyway? Theirs was the burger that invalidated the Iowa Beef Industry list in my book.
- I have heard great things about Big City Burgers and Greens, but have never once seen their restaurant when it was open. Guys, Monday-Friday from 11-2:30 may pay the rent, but those of us who don’t work downtown would appreciate a window on Saturdays to try your burgers out.
So there you have it. What’s missing from here? Let’s just keep it in the general Des Moines, IA area. I’ll allow as far south as Indianola, as far east as Altoona, as far west as Adel and as far north as Ankeny.
