Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Des Moines area by diners

Written by:
March 14, 2025
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Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Des Moines area by diners

There's just something about a hamburger—from the way the juices from the freshly grilled meat gently dribble down your chin as you take that first bite of the succulent patty to the way the cheese curves along the sides, melting slowly over the ground-beef goodness placed gently between two buns.

While a burger's je ne sais quoi may defy definition, one thing is certain: Americans love hamburgers. According to a 2024 YouGov survey, burgers are among the top three most popular foods in the U.S., tied with fried chicken and bested only by French fries. As further proof of hamburgers' dominance in America, chains where burgers are the star of the menu generated $110 billion in sales in 2024, according to the annual Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report. Based on a Restaurant Business analysis of the Technomic report, that accounts for more than a quarter of the total sales among all Top 500 chains and more than double sales from chains where chicken is the main attraction.

The burger's origins stretch far beyond America, however. Named after Hamburg, a region in Germany known for its cattle, the Hamburg steak was the first step toward what would become the sandwich we know and love today. Served on a plate (sans buns, if you can believe it), the steak was said to have become popular during the Industrial Revolution after an influx of German immigrants into New York. To make the food easier for the workers to eat on their breaks, a now unknown cook sandwiched the steak between two pieces of bread, and the rest, as they say, is history.

While it may never be proven when and where the hamburger was first invented, the deliciously simple sandwich is here to stay. But who serves the best burger today? You'll find many restaurants around the U.S. that claim they do, from Au Cheval in Chicago and New York to The Habit Burger Grill, a California-based chain that USA Today named the #1 fast-food burger in America.

Of course, those restaurants may not be in your neck of the woods. To find the best of the best in your area, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Des Moines area based on diners' reviews on Yelp as of March 2025. Restaurants with at least 20 reviews tagged as "burgers" on Yelp within a 10-kilometer radius of Des Moines were included. As a result, many restaurants featured may primarily serve other food items besides burgers. Also, to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with at least five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.

Keep reading to see if your favorite burger spot made the cut—or maybe you'll find your new favorite on this list!

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#24. The Other Place - Ankeny

- Rating: 3.0/5 (58 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2010 Southeast Delaware Ste 260 Ankeny, Iowa
- Categories: Sports Bars, Burgers, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

#23. LJ's Burgers & Ice Cream

- Rating: 3.3/5 (44 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3702 2nd Ave. Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Burgers, fast food, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

#22. F & O's - Felix and Oscar's

- Rating: 3.4/5 (175 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4050 Merle Hay Road Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Pizza, Salad, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#21. B-Bop's

- Rating: 3.4/5 (32 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4820 Southeast 14th St. Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Burgers, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp

#20. Maid-Rite - Ankeny

- Rating: 3.5/5 (48 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 802 Southeast Oralabor Road Ankeny, Iowa
- Categories: American, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#19. Sugar Shack Diner

- Rating: 3.6/5 (64 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 550 36th Ave. Southwest Ste J Altoona, Iowa
- Categories: Burgers, Diners, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

#18. Burger Shed - Altoona

- Rating: 3.6/5 (207 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 500 Bass Pro Drive Northwest Altoona, Iowa
- Categories: American, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

#17. B-Bop's Burgers Fries Cola

- Rating: 3.7/5 (64 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1105 73rd St. Windsor Heights, Iowa
- Categories: Burgers, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

#16. B-Bop's Burgers Fries Cola

- Rating: 3.7/5 (35 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3815 East 14th St. Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#15. B-Bops

- Rating: 3.8/5 (41 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4500 Fleur Drive Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#14. Buzzard Billy's

- Rating: 3.9/5 (381 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 615 3rd St. Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Cajun/Creole, Seafood, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#13. Django

- Rating: 3.9/5 (479 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1420 Locust St. Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: French, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

#12. B-Bop's

- Rating: 4.0/5 (33 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2205 Southeast Delaware Ave. Ankeny, Iowa
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#11. Zombie Burger + Drink Lab

- Rating: 4.0/5 (1881 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 300 East Grand Ave. Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#10. Smitty's Tenderloins Shop

- Rating: 4.0/5 (180 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1401 Army Post Road Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: American, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#9. Ted's Coney Island

- Rating: 4.1/5 (116 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3020 Ingersoll Ave. Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Burgers, American, New American
- Read more on Yelp

#8. Grand Junction Bar & Grill

- Rating: 4.1/5 (25 reviews)
- Address: 1970 Grand Ave. Ste 29 West Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Sports Bars, Burgers, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

#7. Teds Coney Island West

- Rating: 4.1/5 (62 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2667 86th St. Urbandale, Iowa
- Categories: Greek, Burgers, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

#6. Paris Banh Mi

- Rating: 4.2/5 (33 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6601 University Ave. Ste 100 Windsor Heights, Iowa
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

#5. Ernie's Boondock

- Rating: 4.3/5 (20 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 440 East Grand Ave. Ste A Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Beer Bar, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#4. El Bait Shop

- Rating: 4.3/5 (578 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 200 Southwest 2nd St. Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Bars, Mexican, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#3. 804 Main Bar & Grill

- Rating: 4.4/5 (42 reviews)
- Address: 804 Main St. Norwalk, Iowa
- Categories: Sports Bars, American, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#2. The Station on Ingersoll

- Rating: 4.5/5 (107 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3124 Ingersoll Ave. Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Sports Bars, Burgers, American
- Read more on Yelp

#1. Lachele's Fine Foods

- Rating: 4.6/5 (153 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2716 Ingersoll Ave. Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Burgers, American, Diners
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 304 metros.

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