The best way to get inside this popular Vietnamese and Chinese restaurant is to park behind the building and enter via the back entrance. A Dong's periwinkle building and décor, including linoleum floors and vinyl upholstery, are unassuming, but the food is extraordinary. The cooking is authentic, and items such as the pho soup are accompanied with fresh accoutrements like bean sprouts and herbs that diners add on their own to further enhance the food's flavor. The restaurant is a favorite with the Des Moines Asian community.

Exposed woodwork and beams add to the cozy ambience of this downtown café. Buzzard Billy's is busy at lunch, and diners can enjoy their meal in booth or table settings. The menu is Cajun and Creole and features items such as crawfish étouffée, gumbo, and six types of Po' Boy sandwiches. The décor features authentic pop culture memorabilia and includes suspended bicycles hanging from the ceiling, as well as a variety of beer and cola advertising signs. Prices are reasonable, and the service is good.

This elegant Italian restaurant is actually located on a busy street of a strip malls and generic commercial properties. The cuisine is exceptional, and the ambience is intimate. Cosi Cucina provides diners a choice of wood-burning oven favorites. Menu items range from pizza and seafood to flavorful focaccia breads and pastas. This Italian grill's décor features a contemporary look, while its cuisine is quite innovative. Plus, the menu offers over 50 kinds of wines.

This tan and berry painted Victorian building was once the Des Moines Saddlery Company. Now, as the Court Avenue Brewing Company, it is one of the city's best places for lunch. The décor has several historic touches and features the large beer brewing tanks. Menu items range from fresh salads and tempting appetizers to grilled burgers and prime rib. The service is good, and the dessert options include bread pudding and ice cream.

Steak, chicken and slow-roasted prime rib may be three reasons locals and tourists alike clamor to this Des Moines establishment. Crimmins Cattle Company has it all, including a roadhouse ambience and shrimp cocktail and crab legs on the salad bar. The atmosphere is casual and intimate, and the steaks are luscious. Reservations accepted.