Wanna Grab Lunch?

In your high school Econ class you were taught that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. And I think that’s completely true, unless someone else pays for it, duh! Obviously that goes against the Economic principle that your high school teacher was trying to impart. But what he forgot to tell you is that there is such thing as a bad lunch. And that’s why I’m here. To save you from spending your hard-earned greenbacks on a lame lunch. So, here are my favorite, and not so obvious, lunch spots in the capital city.

Tasty Tacos

1418 E. Grand
Des Moines, IA 50309
(515) 266- 4242

Okay, this one might be an obvious choice as Tasty Tacos has been a Des Moines staple for over 40 years. But it’s definitely essential to the Des Moines eating experience. Their one-of-a-kind flour tacos, shredded cheese and homemade hot sauce are pretty much unbeatable. They deliver such tasty goodness that you will consider never eating at Taco John’s again. The onion rings and enchiladas are pretty great too, and as an added bonus they work better than Tylenol at curing hangovers. In short, if you haven’t made it to Tasty Tacos then you haven’t had good tacos.

B &B Grocery, Meat & Deli

2001 Southeast 6th Street
Des Moines, IA 50315
(515) 243-7607

B&B is one of the oldest and best kept secrets in Des Moines. The tiny market and deli has been locally owned and operated since 1922 and has been a fixture to Des Moines’s Southside for five generations. It is also home to the best deli sandwich in Des Moines, the “Dad’s Killer”. This tasty sandwich is pure deliciousness. It makes the Turkey Tom at Jimmy John’s seem average. I also highly recommend “Zach’s Italian Killer” as its pretty killer as well. Whenever I go to B&B, I feel like I just walked into Cheers or something. The staff is very friendly and they really appreciate your business. You’ll be hard pressed to find a better sandwich place in Des Moines. Places like B&B just don’t exist anymore.

Quik Trip

1501 E. Grand
Des Moines, IA 50317

Whether you spent too much money at the bar on Saturday night or just got done paying your car insurance, we all occasionally find ourselves in the poor house. And when you’re short on cash, your lunch plans become limited. But you do have a few choices. You could plow your way through the McDonald’s Dollar Menu… again. You could splurge on a $5 foot long. You could go hungry. Or you could do the “QT Lunch”. The QT lunch for me consists of two pepper jack Taquitos and a Dr. Pepper. It’s surprisingly awesome, even when it’s being consumed before 3 am. Granted, it’s not the healthiest of lunch options, but for $3.75, one could do a lot worse. 

South Union Bread Café

1011 Locust Street
Des Moines, IA 50309-2811
(515) 248-1782

Conveniently located next door to Centro in downtown Des Moines, the South Union Bread Café is a hidden gem of the Capital City. SUBC (which sounds like a technical school) is a great place to grab a sandwich. But be prepared to spend about $7-$10 apiece. It should be noted that they are really huge and completely worth it. I recommend the Bacon Turkey Melt. They’re pretty fantastic. The place can get a little crazy over the lunch hour but their staff is freaky fast so you’ll get back to office in time to take that important phone call. The hours are brief, so get there between 11-2 or you’ll miss out on their delightful sandwiches.

Gateway Market

2002 Woodland Avenue                              
Des Moines, IA 50312
(515) 243-1754

Gateway market is known for different things like natural foods, granola, fresh produce, Clif bars, hippies, ect. The last thing you think of when you think of Gateway Market is great hamburgers. But I have to say, Gateway Market does boast some of the best burgers I have tried in Des Moines. They aren’t quite as good as Hickory Park’s in Ames, but they aren’t far from it either. If you ever find yourself at Gateway Market, I suggest skipping the greens and going straight for one of their mouth-watering burgers.