The best burgers in Des Moines
Where to get the best burger in Des Moines: Zombie Burger's loaded stacks, Lachele's smash, the cult High Life Man, a butcher-counter Quadzilla, and chef burgers worth the drive.
Des Moines does burgers in every register, over-the-top loaded stacks, crispy-edged smash patties, chef-driven bistro burgers, and a couple of dive-bar legends. Here's the map, whatever kind of burger night you're having.
Loaded and over-the-top
Zombie Burger in the East Village is the destination, a George Formaro concept famous for gonzo builds (the Walking Ched uses a deep-fried mac-and-cheese "bun") and spiked shakes. For a more grown-up version of "loaded," Cheese Bar on Ingersoll goes cheese-forward with a Sakura wagyu patty, alpine cheeses, and 30 taps.
Classic smash
If you want a crispy-edged griddle burger done right, Lachele's on Ingersoll is the retro-'50s pick, order the Jake with griddled minced onion. Clyde's Fine Diner in the East Village does an upscale double smash with special sauce, and Either/Or out on Grand Avenue (near Valley Junction) runs a chef-y diner with smash patties and a huge patio.
Dive-bar legends
Two cult classics. High Life Lounge downtown, a 1960s-basement-tavern throwback, made the "High Life Man" (a beef-and-Italian-sausage patty topped with, yes, a mini powdered donut) famous on Man v. Food. And B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli on the south side, a family butcher shop since 1922, grills a burger off its own counter (the four-patty Quadzilla is the dare). B&B is daytime-only, so plan around it.
Pub and bistro burgers
For a sit-down burger with a beer, Lucky Horse in the Drake neighborhood is beer-and-burgers to its core (the fried-pickle burger is the move). And two chef burgers are worth the drive: Table 128 in Clive (Lynn's Burger, with brie and pickled pear) and the loaded stacks at Burger Shed in Altoona.
The local drive-thru
When you just want a good, cheap char-grilled burger, B-Bop's is the Iowa-only mini-chain (since 1988) locals grew up on. A double, fries, and a shake, no notes.
The quick cheat sheet
- Loaded / creative: Zombie Burger (East Village), Cheese Bar (Ingersoll)
- Smash: Lachele's, Clyde's, Either/Or
- Dive-bar cult: High Life Lounge, B&B Grocery
- Pub / chef burger: Lucky Horse, Table 128, Burger Shed
- Cheap and reliable: B-Bop's
Craving something else? This is one slice of our guide to the best restaurants in Des Moines, and if pizza's calling instead, here's the best pizza in town.
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