By Megan Mitchum + Co
Anyone who has survived a Des Moines winter understands what happens the first warm Saturday in May. Patios fill up by noon, wait times appear out of nowhere, and people who spent five months eating at kitchen tables suddenly discover they have a deeply strong opinion about which riverside terrace has the best view.
The outdoor dining Des Moines scene now includes rooftop bars above baseball stadiums, 12,000-square-foot brewery courtyards, a winery with a Thursday concert series on the front lawn, and a cafe inside a botanical garden. Here's where to go and how to get the most out of each one.
Key Takeaways
- Riverside patios: Mullets and Captain Roy's both put you on the water with views that hold up against anywhere in the city
- Brewery courtyards: Exile, Big Grove, and Either/Or offer the best large-format patio experiences in the metro
- Ingersoll corridor: Eatery A, Bartender's Handshake, and Big Grove form a walkable stretch worth an entire afternoon
- Garden and winery: Flora at the Botanical Garden and Jasper Winery bring a completely different pace to eating outside
- Rooftops: 300 Craft and Rooftop and The Dam Pub deliver city views from above
Riverfront and Trail Patios
Water changes the math on any meal, and Des Moines has more of it than people expect. These three spots sit directly on the river trail system.
- Mullets: a two-level riverfront patio at 1300 SE 1st Street with views of the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers, Principal Park, and the downtown skyline all at once — best experienced over Saturday brunch before noon.
- Captain Roy's: picnic tables on the Des Moines River at Birdland Marina, right off the Neal Smith Trail, with live music on Fridays and Saturdays starting at 7 p.m.
- Confluence Brewing: a large, dog-friendly patio just south of Gray's Lake with 18 taps, bike rack access, and rotating food trucks and live music through the season.
All three reward arriving on two wheels. The Neal Smith Trail connects Captain Roy's and the Gray's Lake area directly, making a bike-and-lunch afternoon an easy call on a good weather day.
Garden and Green Space
Some of the best outdoor dining Des Moines offers happens not on a traditional patio but somewhere the setting itself is the reason to show up.
- Flora at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden: opened in December 2024 in the former Trellis Café space at 909 Robert D. Ray Drive, with seasonal farm-to-table lunch Wednesday through Sunday and a patio overlooking the garden grounds along the river.
- Jasper Winery: a broad front lawn just south of downtown at 2400 George Flagg Parkway, with a Thursday Summer Concert Series, rotating food trucks, and local wine on pour — bring a chair or a blanket.
Combining lunch with time in the garden or along the East Village riverfront turns it into a real afternoon rather than just a meal.
The Ingersoll Avenue Corridor
Ingersoll is the strongest single stretch for outdoor dining in the metro. Three distinct patio experiences within walking distance of each other make it easy to turn one stop into three.
- Eatery A: wood-fired pizza and Mediterranean small plates at 2932 Ingersoll, with the best daily happy hour in the city.
- Big Grove Brewery: a 12,000-square-foot dog-friendly patio at 1010 Culbertson Drive with outdoor fireplaces, cornhole, and panoramic views of Ingersoll and downtown.
- Bartender's Handshake: a smaller, more curated astroturf patio on Ingersoll with fire pits, craft cocktails, and the general feeling of the best backyard you've stumbled into.
The sequence that works: Eatery A for happy hour, a walk to Bartender's Handshake for cocktails, and Big Grove to close things out. It's a full evening without getting in a car.
Brewery Courtyards Downtown
- Exile Brewing Company: a large brewpub patio at 1514 Walnut Street with the "Cheers From Des Moines" mural, flagship beers Hannah and Ruthie, and a Sunday Summer Music Series running through the season.
- Either/Or: an acre of outdoor space connected to Lua Brewing, with a covered dining patio, five fire pits, a dedicated kids' play area, and a menu that takes real swings — Korean Philly cheesesteaks, Mexican cheese curds.
Rooftops
- 300 Craft and Rooftop: a wide-open rooftop at 300 SW 5th Street adjacent to Principal Park, with city and river views — Friday evenings after an I-Cubs game, timed to catch the postgame fireworks, is the specific move.
- The Dam Pub: three outdoor spaces in Beaverdale, including a colorful rooftop patio, fun murals, and a comfort food menu that pairs well with the nostalgic vibe.
FAQs
When does outdoor dining season start in Des Moines?
Patios typically open in late April and run through October. Several spots, including Big Grove, use heaters to extend the season into November.
Where is the best outdoor dining in Des Moines for happy hour?
Eatery A on Ingersoll runs the most generous happy hour in the city: half off wine, draft beer, and wood-fired pizza from 2 to 6 p.m. every day. Gilroy's Kitchen in West Des Moines offers weekday deals on mules, mocktails, apps, and pizza from 3 to 5 p.m. with live music on Wednesdays.
What are the best patio options for families?
Either/Or is the strongest family option: a covered dining patio, kids' play area, fire pits, and an acre of green space give adults and kids genuinely different things to do. Smash Park in West Des Moines pairs Iowa's largest outdoor dining Des Moines patio with pickleball, bocce, cornhole, and axe throwing for the highest-energy group option.
Talk to Megan Mitchum + Co About Life in Des Moines
The outdoor dining Des Moines scene is one of those things that tells you something real about the city. At Megan Mitchum + Co, we know this city in depth, and we help people find neighborhoods that put them close to the places and rhythms that make Des Moines worth staying in.
Reach out to us here when you're ready to talk about what that looks like for you.
