Diners' Choice: Best Value restaurants in Iowa

OpenTable

Updated 05 December 2024

Looking for the best value restaurants in Iowa? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyses nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you book, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Cooper's On 5th

4.9

4.9 (138)

$30 and under

American

West Des Moines

About the restaurant

Cooper’s on 5th is a great place for Lunch & Dinner. We have had the pleasure of being West Des Moines’ first Craft Cocktail Bar. Join us for our amazing food menu & award-winning cocktail program. Classic & Reimagined Americana comfort food paired with one of Des Moines’ original & highly awarded craft cocktail programs. Great beer, wine, and martinis.

Top review

Andy

Dined 5 days ago

Great atmosphere, the food is delicious, and the service is fantastic!

Twin Springs Supper Club

4.9

4.9 (815)

$31 to $50

Steakhouse

Decorah

About the restaurant

Enjoy a tradional Supper Club experience in the scenic hills and valleys minutes from downtown Decorah. We have prepared the very best in Steaks, Chops and Seafood in the area utilizing locally sourced products. Our full service bar won't disappoint as our mixologist create some unique speciality drinks.

Top review

Abbie

Dined 7 days ago

Thank you so much for making our anniversary dinner such a great experience. The food and service were great. Happy Holidays🥂

Prairie Canary Restaurant & Bar

4.9

4.9 (317)

$30 and under

American

Des Moines

About the restaurant

Prairie Canary Restaurant & Bar serves comfort food with local flair in a historic building on Main Street in Grinnell, Iowa. Prairie Canary was opened in September 2012 and is currently owned by Chef, Paul Durr. Located in the city of Grinnell, also known as “The Jewel of the Prairie” and home to Grinnell College, Prairie Canary provides a gathering place where guests can enjoy Midwestern flavors in an inviting, understated atmosphere that speaks to the colors and textures of the Iowa prairie.
Prairie Canary Restaurant & Bar is all about being local. From the name of the restaurant to the dishes on which the food is served, effort was taken to showcase local talent and area producers. Enjoy your meal on hand-thrown plates and bowls. Sit at hand-made hickory tables. Savor farm-fresh produce grown just miles away. Sip on an Iowa wine or pint of beer. We look forward to seeing you!

Top review

Matt

Dined on 10 Nov 2024

Great food and attentive waitstaff. Overall fun evening.

Discover more

Popular dish

Iowa Chop

The Latin King

4.7

4.7 (209)

$30 and under

Italian

Des Moines

About the restaurant

The Latin King restaurant was founded in 1947 by Rose and Jim Pigneri, who immigrated from Terravecchia, Italy to Des Moines. Rose and Jim wanted to bring authentic Italian fare to Des Moines and began this undertaking in earnest upon selling their home to finance the Latin King restaurant lease, which had previously operated as the Cinderella Sandwich Shop (circa 1930) and the Chanticleer Restaurant (circa 1937). Pigneri named the Latin King after New York City’s Latin Quarter and operated the Latin King for 35 years, notably taking only 10 days of vacation time during his tenure. Pigneri sold the Latin King to his third cousin Bob Tursi in 1983.

Top review

Callen

Dined on 14 Dec 2024

Excellent food prepared perfectly. Professional servers. We were celebrating my son’s graduation from college and couldn’t have picked a better place. Highly recommend.

CRAVE - Sioux City

4.8

4.8 (762)

$31 to $50

American

Sioux City

About the restaurant

CRAVE American Kitchen & Sushi Bar was built out of a passion to create a dining experience unlike any other. We combine quality-sourced ingredients, chic ambiance, outstanding service, and diverse menu choices to create an unforgettable dining experience. The energy of the restaurant is all encompassing – the buzz of guests and staff, the warm and open design, the modern sushi bar, the fresh spin on American cuisine, and the sense of discovery around every corner. A CRAVE guest will leave knowing they experienced just the right mix of great food, entertainment, and service in what can only be defined as The CRAVE Experience.

Top review

KathyVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Our server went above and beyond tonight. We asked for bread with our meal. Apparently in the entire restaurant there is no bread available, odd. The server asked the chef and returned with toasted dinner rolls to eat with our pasta. We appreciated her extra effort. Come on Crave, serve bread with dinner.

Fresko

4.8

4.8 (1189)

$30 and under

Farm-to-table

Des Moines

About the restaurant

“Fresko” meaning “fresh” inspires our creation of seasonal menus made from locally sourced ingredients. Fresko makes natural food from the bounty of Iowa farms whenever possible. The culinary team prepares product from start to finish applying natural time honored techniques with care at every step. This enriches the flavorful and nutritious product we serve and benefits our community. Fresko believes we are what we eat and eating well means living well.

Fresko features a splendid assortment of original cocktails with a deep spirits menu and a beer program with sixteen beers on tap in addition to bottles and cans. Fresko's wine menu focuses on quality selections at a great value to our guests.

Top review

Kevin

Dined 3 days ago

Food was excellent, great service. A great place to go but especially over the holidays. We’ve been to Fresko before and will return.

Discover more

4.9

4.9 (14)

$30 and under

American

Coralville

About the restaurant

At 30hop there is an unmistakable energy the moment you walk through our doors. We revel in being unique yet approachable providing constantly rotating craft beers, crave-able menu items, and an atmosphere that’s all about celebrating the good times! Visit us in Ankeny, Coralville, or Cedar Rapids. Locations in Omaha and Kansas City coming soon!

Top review

Lisa

Dined on 30 Nov 2024

Thankful for reservations as we were going to event at Xtreme arena. Waitress for attentive to the time frame we had! Much appreciated!

Roots95

4.7

4.7 (38)

$30 and under

American

Johnston

About the restaurant

Welcome to ROOTS 95 Craft Kitchen and bar! Mora is taking the "Craft" part of the name very seriously. As it suggests, craft food emphasizes handcrafted, chef-driven food (versus cookie-cutter menus you see everywhere), made from fresh, thoughtfully sourced ingredients, often with globally inspired flavors.

In addition to the entrees, you will find globally inspired pastas, handhelds, small plates & flatbreads.

Top review

James

Dined 3 days ago

The quality of the food was excellent for all five of our group. The waitress was very affable and professional. Even though the restaurant was very busy it was easy to converse without difficulty. Roots95 has become our favorite “go-to” place!

Discover more

Experience

Happy Hour

Experience

Ladies' Night every Thursday

Experience

Wine Down Wednesday

Eatery A

4.8

4.8 (542)

$30 and under

Mediterranean

Des Moines

About the restaurant

Eatery A is Des Moines's destination for Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. Perfecting simple dishes that focus on local, quality ingredients, we strive to offer our guests exotic flavor profiles that let the ingredients take center stage.

Top review

Patrick

Dined 5 days ago

Amazing! Great hummus! Seafood ok but it’s Iowa. Patatas bravas are missing the spanish salsa, but food and price were excellent. This is definitely my new favorite place to eat. Thanks

Discover more

Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant - Clive, IA

4.7

4.7 (1204)

$30 and under

American

Clive

About the restaurant

Experience the perfect fusion of award-winning wines, Napa-style tasting rooms, and modern casual dining at Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants. Enjoy contemporary American cuisine influenced by international flavors from our scratch kitchen. Each dish is expertly paired with our selection of wines for the best food and wine match. Whether you explore the tasting room for a pre- or post-dinner adventure or join the world's largest wine club, we believe in the power of food and wine to create lasting connections. Dining reservations are highly recommended, but walk-in guests are always welcome on a first-come, first-serve basis. Gluten-free and vegetarian dishes are available.

Top review

Randy

Dined 2 days ago

We had a table of 5 and had a great experience. The service was great and wish I could remember our server's name. (she was great).

Discover more

Popular dish

House-Made Truffles

Popular dish

Cooper's Hawk Chocolate Cake

Experience

Brunch & Bubbles | Saturdays & Sundays 10am – 2pm

Explore Diners' Choice best of Iowa