Waveland Park is one of Des Moines’ most comfortable food neighborhoods: relaxed, local, and refreshingly unpretentious. The action centers along University Avenue, especially around 42nd Street, Polk Boulevard, and the Waveland Golf Course, with a few excellent destinations just beyond the neighborhood’s edges. You will find classic diner breakfasts, Vietnamese noodles, locally roasted coffee, old-school bar culture, bakery runs, and seasonal food trucks—all within an easy drive or bike ride.
If you are hungry in Waveland Park, start with these go-to spots.
Waveland Café: The Neighborhood Institution
At 4708 University Avenue, Waveland Café is the restaurant most closely associated with the neighborhood—and for good reason. Open since 1984, this small-town-style diner is known for generous portions, friendly service, and an all-day breakfast menu that has made it a Des Moines institution.
The signature order is the Everything Hash Browns, a mountain of crispy potatoes topped with ham, peppers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and cheese. They are available in quarter, half, and full portions, making them either a side dish or a meal in themselves. The skillet menu is equally popular, particularly the Waveland’s Best Skillet and the Mexi Best Skillet with taco meat, peppers, mushrooms, onions, hot peppers, cheese, salsa, and sour cream.
Breakfast plates generally run from about $9 to $18, while burgers, tenderloins, melts, and sandwiches land mostly in the $8 to $14 range. The menu also includes biscuits and gravy, cinnamon French toast, pancakes, corned beef hash, Reubens, hot beef sandwiches, and homemade soups.
- Best for: Big breakfasts, classic Iowa comfort food, and feeding a hungry group
- Price range: $10–$20 per person
- Foodie tip: Arrive early on weekends. Lines are part of the Waveland Café experience, especially on Sunday mornings.
Waveland Tap: A Classic Neighborhood Bar
Next door at 4704 University Avenue, Waveland Tap offers a completely different mood. It is a longtime neighborhood bar with local beers, Bloody Marys, sports on multiple screens, and the kind of unpolished atmosphere that regulars love. The bar describes itself as one of Des Moines’ oldest neighborhood bars and keeps a notably long daily schedule, opening in the morning and staying open late.
Waveland Tap is especially appealing when you want a casual drink after golf, a place to watch a game, or a low-key stop where conversation matters more than presentation. Food availability can be limited or change, so think of it primarily as a drinks-and-neighborhood-character destination rather than a full-service restaurant.
- Best for: Beer, Bloody Marys, sports, and old-school bar atmosphere
- Price range: $5–$20
- Foodie tip: Pair a stop here with breakfast at Waveland Café next door for a two-part University Avenue food crawl.
All Phở You: A Hidden Gem on University Avenue
For a change of pace, head east toward 42nd Street and try All Phở You, at 4120 University Avenue. This casual Vietnamese restaurant serves pho, bánh mì, vermicelli bowls, rice plates, stir-fried noodles, curry, spring rolls, and other Southeast Asian comfort food. It is one of the best places in the area for an affordable, satisfying lunch or dinner.
The pho menu includes chicken, vegan, special, and deluxe versions, with prices generally around $12 to $17. Bánh mì sandwiches are even more budget-friendly, while rice plates, pad thai, clay pots, and Korean-style dishes typically stay in the $13 to $17 range. The house bánh mì with brisket, basil, cucumber, pickled vegetables, cilantro, and jalapeño is a particularly good grab-and-go choice.
- Best for: Pho, bánh mì, vermicelli bowls, and inexpensive takeout
- Price range: $10–$20 per person
- Foodie tip: Order a spring bowl or rice plate when you want something lighter than pho but still packed with herbs, vegetables, and savory flavor.
Friedrichs Coffee: Your Morning Caffeine Stop
At 4126 University Avenue, Friedrichs Coffee is a convenient neighborhood café for espresso drinks, brewed coffee, tea, and a quick start to the day. Friedrichs is a Des Moines-based roaster with several metro locations, and the University Avenue shop is especially handy for residents heading toward Drake, downtown, or the western suburbs.
Prices typically fall in the $3 to $7 range for drinks, depending on size and specialty additions. It is a good place to pick up a latte before errands, grab iced coffee during a summer walk, or settle in briefly with a laptop. While it is not primarily a full breakfast restaurant, it fits naturally into a Waveland Park morning alongside Waveland Café or a bakery stop.
- Best for: Espresso, drip coffee, iced drinks, and a quick café break
- Price range: $3–$10
- Foodie tip: Use Friedrichs as your starting point for a University Avenue food tour, then walk or drive west toward Waveland Café.
La Mie Bakery: Worth the Short Trip
Although La Mie Bakery sits just outside Waveland Park near the 42nd Street and Interstate 235 corridor, it is close enough to belong on any neighborhood food itinerary. The bakery at 841 42nd Street is known for fresh breads, pastries, sweets, sandwiches, and prepared foods, making it a dependable stop when you want something portable rather than a sit-down meal.
Expect roughly $3–$8 for pastries and coffee, with sandwiches, salads, and prepared meals costing more. Pick up a croissant, loaf of bread, or pastry box for a picnic at Waveland Park or an easy breakfast at home.
- Best for: French-inspired pastries, breads, sandwiches, and grab-and-go meals
- Price range: $5–$15 per person
- Foodie tip: Go earlier in the day for the best bakery selection.
Food Trucks and Community Food Traditions
Waveland Park does not have a permanent food-truck court, but mobile vendors frequently appear at neighborhood gatherings, festivals, golf events, and summer celebrations. The neighborhood’s Porchfest programming, for example, has included food trucks alongside live music and community activities.
That pop-up quality is part of the appeal. Instead of relying on one fixed truck location, Waveland’s food-truck culture tends to follow the calendar: watch neighborhood association announcements, event pages, and local social media for taco trucks, barbecue, sandwiches, desserts, and other rotating options.
The broader tradition here is simple: breakfast is social, portions are generous, and neighborhood bars and cafés serve as gathering places. Whether you are eating hash browns at 8 a.m., sipping coffee near 42nd Street, picking up pho for dinner, or sharing a drink at Waveland Tap, the area delivers the kind of everyday dining that makes a neighborhood feel like home.
A Perfect Waveland Park Food Crawl
For a satisfying half-day itinerary, begin with coffee at Friedrichs, continue west for breakfast at Waveland Café, and save room for a bakery box from La Mie. On another day, make All Phở You your lunch destination, then finish with a relaxed drink at Waveland Tap.
Waveland Park may not have the largest restaurant concentration in Des Moines, but its food scene has something better: personality. These are places people return to repeatedly, whether for the hash browns, the pho broth, the familiar bartender, or the pastry they have been craving all week.