Highest-rated Sushi Restaurants in the Des Moines Area by Diners

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

Highest-rated sushi restaurants in the Des Moines area by diners

Sushi first started gaining popularity in the United States in the 1960s, when a restaurant called Kawafuku opened in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo neighborhood. The restaurant's sushi bar was frequented by Japanese businessmen, who'd bring their American coworkers for a meal. Eventually, sushi restaurants started cropping up in other Californian cities, like Osho, which opened in 1970, next to the 20th Century Fox studio in Hollywood, attracting big-name producers, directors, and actors. Soon, the cuisine came to New York and Chicago; by the late 1980s, it was a full-on dining craze. According to industry marketing research company IBISWorld, as of 2024, there were nearly 17,000 sushi restaurants in the country.

Whether you're looking for an affordable bento box for lunch or a fine-dining experience for date night, Stacker has you covered—this list of the highest-rated sushi restaurants in the Des Moines area on Yelp will help guide you to the right roll. Data is as of July 7, 2025. Businesses under the category "sushi" were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews, and within a 10-kilometer radius of Des Moines, were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with at least 10 locations nationally (based on our analysis of Yelp data) were not included.

You may also like: Cities with the most expensive homes in the Des Moines metro area

#15. Taki Steakhouse

- Rating: 3.5/5 (108 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2677 86th St. Ste 2601 Urbandale, Iowa
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Teppanyaki, Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp

#14. Sakari Sushi Lounge

- Rating: 3.9/5 (240 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2605 Ingersoll Ave. Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp

#13. Haiku

- Rating: 3.9/5 (105 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1315 31st St. Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp

#12. Cool Basil

- Rating: 4.0/5 (420 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1250 86th St. Clive, Iowa
- Categories: Thai, Sushi Bars, Chinese
- Read more on Yelp

#11. Sakura Sushi

- Rating: 4.0/5 (157 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1960 Grand Ave. Ste 11 West Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp

You may also like: People from these metros are looking to buy homes in Des Moines

#10. Thai Flavors

- Rating: 4.1/5 (200 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1254 East 14th St. Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Thai, Sushi Bars, Vegetarian
- Read more on Yelp

#9. Wasabi-Ankeny

- Rating: 4.1/5 (113 reviews)
- Address: 1615 Southwest Main St. Ste 100 Ankeny, Iowa
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese
- Read more on Yelp

#8. Waterfront Seafood Market

- Rating: 4.1/5 (307 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2900 University Ave. Ste 130 West Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Seafood, Seafood Markets, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp

#7. De Rice

- Rating: 4.1/5 (78 reviews)
- Address: 8430 Birchwood Court Johnston, Iowa
- Categories: Thai, Chinese, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp

#6. Akebono 515

- Rating: 4.3/5 (312 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 215 10th St. Ste 120 Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese
- Read more on Yelp

You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants in Des Moines by diners

#5. Wasabi

- Rating: 4.3/5 (108 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8481 Birchwood Court Johnston, Iowa
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Asian Fusion, Chinese
- Read more on Yelp

#4. Hokkaido Ramen House

- Rating: 4.4/5 (27 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2732 Southeast Delaware Ave. Ste 310 Ankeny, Iowa
- Categories: Ramen, Sushi Bars, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp

#3. W-Tao Sushi

- Rating: 4.4/5 (434 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 400 Walnut St. Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Japanese, Asian Fusion, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp