Highest-rated seafood restaurants in Des Moines

Whether you've waited in line for soft-shell crabs in the Chesapeake Bay or savored sushi in New York City, you know there's something special about finding the right spot to enjoy seafood. From ceviche to grilled salmon and towers of shellfish, the top-rated seafood restaurants in the United States serve up mouthwatering dishes across diverse cuisines like Japanese, Latin American, and Mediterranean to suit every palate.

Of course, certain areas of the country are known for particular delicacies. California's proximity to the Pacific Ocean, for example, makes it one of the best states for seafood. The Los Angeles area serves up everything from caviar to Santa Barbara spot prawns, while San Francisco is a mecca for fish tacos, ceviche, and sushi. Further north, Seattle is legendary for its shellfish, showcased at the famed fish counter at Pike Place Market.

While Chicago may be best known as a pizza capital, many flock to the city for its king crab dishes; a bit further south and east, you have Miami and its sought-after stone crab season. Southern locales like New Orleans boast fresh crawfish from the Gulf of Mexico, and the two noncontiguous states have their own signature offerings too: Alaska is known for its pollock and salmon, while Hawai'i is known for its poke.

Dining at a seafood restaurant can be one of the most memorable parts of your trip to a new city or offer comfort food in your own hometown. To celebrate the best options near you, Stacker used insights from Yelp to compile a list of the highest-rated seafood restaurants in Des Moines.

Businesses 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 restaurants with at least 20 reviews were considered. In an effort to highlight independent restaurants and local chains, those with more than 10 locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included. Data is as of July 29, 2025.

Keep reading to discover your highest-rated local seafood restaurants for your next special meal out!

Uncle Bucks Fishbowl & Grill

1 / 28

#28. Uncle Bucks Fishbowl & Grill

- Rating: 2.7/5 (79 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1000 Bass Pro Drive Northwest Altoona, Iowa
- Categories: Seafood, American, Bowling
- Read more on Yelp

Viva Mexican Restaurant

2 / 28

#27. Viva Mexican Restaurant

- Rating: 3.3/5 (67 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4531 86th St. Urbandale, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

District 36 Wine Bar and Grille

3 / 28

#26. District 36 Wine Bar and Grille

- Rating: 3.4/5 (178 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1375 Southwest Vintage Pkwy Ankeny, Iowa
- Categories: Wine Bars, Seafood, American
- Read more on Yelp

Laughing Crab

4 / 28

#25. Laughing Crab

- Rating: 3.4/5 (123 reviews)
- Address: 4508 University Ave. West Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Cajun/Creole, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Johnny's Italian Steakhouse

5 / 28

#24. Johnny's Italian Steakhouse

- Rating: 3.5/5 (219 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 6800 Fleur Drive Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Italian, Steakhouses, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Waterfront Seafood Restaurant

6 / 28

#23. Waterfront Seafood Restaurant

- Rating: 3.5/5 (211 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2414 Southeast Tones Drive Ankeny, Iowa
- Categories: Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Splash Seafood Bar & Grill

7 / 28

#22. Splash Seafood Bar & Grill

- Rating: 3.6/5 (197 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 303 Locust St. Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Seafood, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Old West Mexican Restaurant

8 / 28

#21. Old West Mexican Restaurant

- Rating: 3.6/5 (84 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4138 Fleur Drive Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican, Seafood, Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp

Noah's Ark Ristorante

9 / 28

#20. Noah's Ark Ristorante

- Rating: 3.6/5 (185 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2400 Ingersoll Ave. Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

El Mariachi

10 / 28

#19. El Mariachi

- Rating: 3.7/5 (104 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5825 Merle Hay Road Johnston, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican, Seafood, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

New China Buffet & Grill

11 / 28

#18. New China Buffet & Grill

- Rating: 3.7/5 (57 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1201 East Army Post Road Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Buffets, New American, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Trostel's Greenbriar

12 / 28

#17. Trostel's Greenbriar

- Rating: 3.7/5 (123 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 5810 Merle Hay Road Johnston, Iowa
- Categories: Steakhouses, Wine Bars, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Nuevo México

13 / 28

#16. Nuevo México

- Rating: 3.9/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6110 Northwest 86th St. Ste A 106 Johnston, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican, Bars, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Magee's Irish Pub & Eatery

14 / 28

#15. Magee's Irish Pub & Eatery

- Rating: 3.9/5 (142 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1610 Southwest Main St. Ste 107 Ankeny, Iowa
- Categories: Irish Pub, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Louie's Wine Dive

15 / 28

#14. Louie's Wine Dive

- Rating: 3.9/5 (274 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4040 University Ave. Ste A Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: New American, Wine Bars, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Buzzard Billy's

16 / 28

#13. Buzzard Billy's

- Rating: 3.9/5 (397 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 615 3rd St. Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Cajun/Creole, Seafood, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

Gilberto's Mexican Taco Shop

17 / 28

#12. Gilberto's Mexican Taco Shop

- Rating: 3.9/5 (58 reviews)
- Address: 400 34th Ave. Southwest Ste 104 Altoona, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican, Seafood, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Hidalgo Mexican Bar & Grill

18 / 28

#11. Hidalgo Mexican Bar & Grill

- Rating: 4.0/5 (35 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1631 Southwest Main St. St 100 Ankeny, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican, Salad, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Waterfront Seafood Market

19 / 28

#10. Waterfront Seafood Market

- Rating: 4.1/5 (308 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2900 University Ave. Ste 130 West Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Seafood, Seafood Markets, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Primos Tex Mex Bar And Grill

20 / 28

#9. Primos Tex Mex Bar And Grill

- Rating: 4.1/5 (28 reviews)
- Address: 1140 East Army Post Road Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Tex-Mex, Seafood, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

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Fresko

21 / 28

#8. Fresko

- Rating: 4.2/5 (183 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 909 Locust St. Ste 103 Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: New American, Seafood, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Jesse's Embers

22 / 28

#7. Jesse's Embers

- Rating: 4.2/5 (143 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3301 Ingersoll Ave. Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Seafood, Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp

801 Chophouse

23 / 28

#6. 801 Chophouse

- Rating: 4.2/5 (261 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 801 Grand Ave. Ste 200 Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Steakhouses, Wine Bars, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Cosi Cucina Italian Grill

24 / 28

#5. Cosi Cucina Italian Grill

- Rating: 4.3/5 (232 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1975 Northwest 86th St. Clive, Iowa
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

El Barco

25 / 28

#4. El Barco

- Rating: 4.4/5 (146 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8801 Hickman Road Ste B Urbandale, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican, Seafood, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Proudfoot & Bird

26 / 28

#3. Proudfoot & Bird

- Rating: 4.5/5 (77 reviews)
- Address: 1000 Walnut St. Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Steakhouses, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

El Toreado Mexican Bar & Grill

27 / 28

#2. El Toreado Mexican Bar & Grill

- Rating: 4.5/5 (49 reviews)
- Address: 3751 Ep True Pkwy West Des Moines, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican, Seafood, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Kathmandu Restaurant

28 / 28

#1. Kathmandu Restaurant

- Rating: 4.6/5 (132 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7225-7229 Apple Valley Drive Windsor Heights, Iowa
- Categories: Indian, Himalayan/Nepalese, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 303 metros.