The Waukee Brief
The fair has 200-plus food stands, but sometimes you want a real table, a good breakfast before the gates open, or somewhere to land after a long day. Here is where to eat on the fairgrounds and the real Des Moines spots closest to them, from a Waukee crew that makes the cross-metro drive every August.
On the grounds, hit the classics: a corn dog, a pork chop on a stick, the hot beef sundae, a bucket of Barksdale's cookies. Off the grounds, the closest real sit-down spots are on E Grand Ave, the fairgrounds' own street: Tasty Tacos (1400 E Grand) and Zombie Burger (300 E Grand). For a proper Des Moines meal, Chuck's in Highland Park and Fong's Pizza in the East Village are worth the short drive.
Most of a fair day is eaten standing up, and that is the point. The must-haves: a corn dog, a pork chop on a stick from the Iowa Pork Producers, a giant turkey leg, a funnel cake, the hot beef sundae, and a bucket of warm cookies at Barksdale's. There are also 80-plus new foods this year. Our complete fair guide breaks down the new-food finalists and exactly where to find them.
When you want a table and air conditioning, the closest real restaurants sit on E Grand Avenue, the same street as the gates, a few minutes west.
Tasty Tacos is an Iowa institution: the fried-flour-tortilla taco was born in Des Moines, and there is even a stand at the fair, but the sit-down spot at 1400 E Grand is about a mile west of the gates. Zombie Burger, a few minutes further into the East Village, is the move for a big messy burger and a boozy shake after a long fair day. Both are on the downtown side of the fairgrounds, so they are an easy stop on your way back toward Waukee.
Chuck's is a genuine Des Moines landmark, a Highland Park Italian joint that has fed the city for generations and recently reopened after a historic renovation. Fong's, in the East Village, is where you get the crab rangoon pizza half the metro is loyal to. Both are a short drive from the fairgrounds and a nicer way to cap fair night than one more corn dog.
If you are starting from home, eat in Waukee first: our Waukee breakfast guide has the local favorites, and the fairgrounds are about 25 to 30 minutes east via I-80 and I-235. Closer to the gates, the East Village and east side have plenty of morning spots a few minutes from the fairgrounds. Gates open at 8 a.m., so a real breakfast first is a smart move, though hours can shift during fair week, so confirm before you go.
If you would rather skip the fairgrounds crowds, plenty of west-siders eat at home before or after the drive (Waukee is about 25 to 30 minutes west of the gates; for lodging see where to stay for the fair). Our guides to the best restaurants in Waukee, pizza, and Mexican food cover the options, or use the what-to-eat tool if you cannot decide.
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Both on and off the grounds. On the fairgrounds there are more than 200 food stands. Off the grounds, the closest sit-down restaurants are on E Grand Avenue, the fairgrounds' street: Tasty Tacos at 1400 E Grand and Zombie Burger at 300 E Grand. Des Moines classics like Chuck's in Highland Park and Fong's Pizza in the East Village are a short drive away.
The nearest sit-down restaurants are along E Grand Avenue, the same street as the gates: Tasty Tacos at 1400 E Grand Ave and Zombie Burger + Drink Lab at 300 E Grand Ave in the East Village, both a few minutes west of the fairgrounds.
On the grounds, the classics are a corn dog, a pork chop on a stick, a turkey leg, the hot beef sundae, and a bucket of Barksdale's cookies, plus more than 80 new foods each year. See our complete Iowa State Fair guide for the new-food finalists.
Gates open at 8 a.m. If you are starting from Waukee, eat there first (see our Waukee breakfast guide); the fairgrounds are about 25 to 30 minutes east via I-80 and I-235. Closer to the gates, the East Village and east side have breakfast spots a few minutes away, though hours can change during fair week.
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