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McAlister's Deli

4.3 (43 reviews)
InexpensiveSalad, Delis, Sandwiches
Closed • 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Updated 3 months ago

McAlister's Deli Photos

Business Info

MCALISTER'S DELI ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Good for groups
Good for kids
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - McAlister's Deli

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papa kim and mama rasta are pleased all around!
Kim W.

my first visit, tho mama rasta has had food from here delivered to work not infrequently. i'm very pleased at: 1- the friendliness of ALL the employees. to a person, they were all kind, helpful, and just plain nice. 2- the vastness and variety of options on the menu. it took a long time for us to explore it, and even longer to decide. that said, the guy behind the counter was patient, offering answers to our questions, and making suggestions. 3- the quickness of the delivery of the food. SNAP, it was here. 4- the taste and portion sizes were spot on. the mac & cheese, while nothing special, was definitely tasty mac & cheese. 5- the cleanliness of the place! no qualms about hanging out and enjoying. a note: the employees all seemed more mature than one has come to expect these days, and it was obvious from their attention to detail and customer service and experience. we'll be back, and yes, we recommend this place.

Spicy Turkey Melt
Christine I.

My favorite sandwich place in all of Des Moines (: The sandwiches melt in your mouth. While the portions may look big, they're actually perfect. I usually order online for pick up and have no trouble with their site whatsoever. They also get their sandwiches done super fast. My sandwich recommendations: The veggie: jammed packed w veggies and taste so fresh. It's full of volume and won't leave you hungry. Spicy southwest chicken: it's not that spicy but has plenty of flavor. The bread is soft and all the ingredients are a delicious savory blend. Spicy turkey melt: this one looks big but trust me, you can eat it all. The bread is very soft w a slight crunch on the edges. I honestly crave this sandwich a lot. Every time I've been inside to order, the staff was super friendly. They're all patient and helpful. I love coming here.

Half of her King Club!
Tracy W.

My daughter and I just moved to Des Moines. I searched local places to eat near me and McAlister's Deli came up. Just down the street. First, we ordered online and it only took about 15mins until it was at our door! I ordered the French Dip, cucumber and tomato salad and a cup of chili. The only thing bad I could say is, I wish they had an option for a bigger sandwich! It was freaking delicious. The chili was amazing and I loved the little salad! I also ordered a sweet tea...PERFECT! Not too sweet but sweet enough! Loved it! I don't have a pic, because I tore it up so quick! My daughter ordered the King Club, chicken tortilla soup and a peach lemonade. The sandwich was HUGE! And so delicious! Yep, I tried it! And she loved it. She said the soup was yummy as well and she loved her peach lemonade. Definitely will be eating there again! Sooo Have to try other items on the menu! So good!!

Kids Mac n Cheese and Fruit and I got the Jalapeño Crunch Sandwich with Potato Soup. Absolutely delicious.

We were visiting Iowa and looking for something near Broadlawns Hospital. This place popped up in our search and we were not disappointed. The food selection was perfect for large groups. The taste of everything was above expectations. The restaurant was clean and kept in good condition. We highly recommended this place to the family we have in Des Moines.

Grilles chicken wrap and tomato bisque soup!

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7 months ago

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Carrie S.

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2 years ago

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Carrie S.

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1 year ago

Great food and service ! Don't hesitate to go here n eat ! Very Tasty and fast service !

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

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6 years ago

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2 years ago

Awesome food, great service and quality for your $$ I love this place, wish there were some by me in California!

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Carrie S.

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2 years ago

Great food always makes me happy excellent delivery time and always great food would recommend it to anybody

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3 years ago

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5 years ago

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

Great family spot to avoid fast food. Salads, baked potato's and broccoli for side are a nice change.

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7 years ago

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2 years ago

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8 years ago

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

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7 years ago

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3 years ago

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7 years ago

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5 years ago

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6 years ago

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8 years ago

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5 years ago

Unreal service. Never seen a place where the people are so nice and it doesn't feel fake. Lifelong supporter now.

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Ask the Community - McAlister's Deli

Charlotte’s Kitchen - Queso chicken

Charlotte’s Kitchen

4.7(114 reviews)
3.0 mi
•$$

We arrived right at noon and the drive thru line and parking were a little crazy, but we hung in…read morethere and found a spot to park! So glad we did! This will be a regular stop on our drive to Chicago. Happy to report that the drive thru lane moved pretty quickly and by the time we left 30 min later, that had cleared. As far as food goes, we tried the original with fries and the Nashville hot (as a wrap) with brussels sprouts. We both thought our meals were fantastic. I would put their brussels sprouts up against anyone's! The fries were also battered lightly and resulted in a crunchy fry with a nice light flavor. I like that they have a variety of seating inside and it never felt like you needed to vacate your space quickly. In fact, I noticed some shelving with board games, so they definitely welcome groups who want to enjoy good food and hang out. There is a large picnic table for groups or communal seating and some individual stools near the ordering counter for singles or anyone who just wants to sit and watch the world outside those windows. This was a great find for us!!

It's all about the customers! I mean- weekly specials that…read moreare as tasty as they are creative. We have waited for the return of the street corn sandwich. My son downed it in 4 bites! The monthly flavored shakes are also a nice treat. And where can one get some of the best Brussels sprouts at a chicken place? They are delish! You can get your sandwiches grilled, fried, in a wrap or in a salad. For me, all great options but the original fried is my go to- large, always perfectly cooked and juicy chicken. The service is as fantastic as the food- always friendly. And- dogs allowed! Outdoor patio seating in addition to indoor and (let me repeat what exceptional service) they find you even when you change your mind and start one place and end in the other. Drive through is a nice option and the only (good) problem for this business that started out as a food truck is that at peak times parking and pulling out can be tricky with the drive through. I've saved one of the best customer- friendly mentions for last- when you pay by card, the highest display for tip is 10%(starting at 3%). I mean- the service is always worth 20+ but I appreciate this range as opposed to so many that start at 15% or higher. Come for the always fresh, awesome food and tip for the excellent and friendly service! Locations growing around the metro- yeah!

Photos
Charlotte’s Kitchen
Charlotte’s Kitchen - The special of the night was a queso cheese chicken. Dragging cheese balls through the queso before taking this picture

The special of the night was a queso cheese chicken. Dragging cheese balls through the queso before taking this picture

Charlotte’s Kitchen

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Hot Off The Presses

Hot Off The Presses

4.9(24 reviews)
5.6 mi

I'm so glad we stumbled upon Hot Off The Presses while passing through on our way to…read moreMinneapolis--this place is an absolute gem. We were just here a few weeks ago and I am so bummed to see they permanently closed!! We came during lunch and took advantage of their weekday lunch combo (Tues-Fri, 11am-2pm), which includes soup and a half grilled cheese. You can choose from the OG, Kick in the Cheese, or Fancy grilled cheese, plus either tomato basil bisque or the soup of the day. Honestly? A dream setup. I ordered the tomato basil bisque with a half OG grilled cheese, and wow... just wow. The soup was rich, flavorful, and perfectly balanced, and the grilled cheese delivered that classic, beautiful cheese pull moment you hope for (and rarely actually get). The cheese had the perfect amount of sharpness and subtle bitterness, balancing everything out so well without being overwhelming.. I seriously could go for one right now! Every bite was comforting and delicious, and I immediately wished I had ordered a full OG sandwich because it was that good. The combo was mouth‑watering, satisfying, and wildly exceeded expectations for a quick lunch stop.

This is an awesome small sandwich joint! We stopped along the way on a roadtrip. The staff is super…read morefriendly and everything was made to order. The food came out hot and you could tell the ingredients were fresh. This is gourmet sandwiches on a budget! We got there right when they opened and stayed to eat our meal. There were at least 8 people who came in to order while we were there. I can tell it's a lunch favorite. We ordered Grilled Cheese of the Month Quesabirria and it was fantastic I would say it just needed more Consomé. We also ordered their Cuban sandwich and it was really good! This place is a classic hole in the wall but it was very clean!

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Hot Off The Presses - Menu

Menu

Hot Off The Presses - Check that cheese pull out!!!

Check that cheese pull out!!!

Hot Off The Presses - Best grilled cheese you will ever have

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Best grilled cheese you will ever have

Main Street Cafe & Bakery - Fresh Side of Fruit

Main Street Cafe & Bakery

4.5(405 reviews)
6.4 mi
•$$

OMG, this place is in such a nice area! They have a huge menu with so many amazing options to…read morechoose from. I ordered the Pit Master Sandwich with a side of French onion soup (you get to choose a side with the sandwich). The sandwich was really good! The bread was buttery and soft, and the homemade croutons in the soup were clearly made from fresh bread. The French onion soup wasn't for me--it kind of tasted like acid reflux to me, so I gave it to my mom. She actually thought it was pretty good. The sandwich had perfectly balanced barbecue sauce and cheese, although I thought the barbecue sauce overpowered the cheese a bit. Next time, I'd probably order it without the cheese. The brisket was good, but I would've preferred a fattier cut because I think it would have been more flavorful. I also wasn't a fan of the Gouda since it didn't melt very well, but the other cheese on the sandwich was delicious. Overall, the food was incredible, and this place is an absolute MUST if you're in the area! I noticed they have around 78,000 DoorDash orders, and after eating here, I can definitely see why. I'll actually be coming back in a few days before I leave my vacation because there are so many other delicious items on the menu that I can't wait to try! Staff were also nice!

Love popping in here. Been going since the beginning of July and I normally pop in once or twice a…read moreweek. I have a gluten allergy so it is so nice to see that they take it seriously. They have a celiac button to warn staff to be extra careful and even have gluten sensitive desserts including: cookies, donuts, scones, and slices of cake everyday. I will say I am disappointed about finding out the breakfast potatoes are not gluten free. I only recently found out and have now figured out that I have been glutening myself off and on since July 3rd. I did have one major screwup a few weeks ago too. I did a pickup order for the quinoa powerbowl. The cook substituted my quinoa for couscous even though my food was marked celiac. Only figured it out after taking a bite. Couscous is apparently new to the fall menu. I really wish the food allergen training was better done in staff training. No person seems to have the same training on the safety and what food allergens are in what food. This was what I thought was a safe place for me which is why I have continued to come. I now take extra caution when I do stop. Today was good. I grabbed a Baja chicken rice bowl, no pepper jack or ranch. They actually had cinnamon roll cake (looked more like coffee cake with frosting on top) which is a first for them, it was really good. My mom grabbed a grilled cheese and her all time favorite carmalita bar.

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Main Street Cafe & Bakery - Holiday pop up

Holiday pop up

Main Street Cafe & Bakery - Cinnamon Rolls with pecans mmmm

Cinnamon Rolls with pecans mmmm

Main Street Cafe & Bakery

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Flavory Bistro - Garden salad

Flavory Bistro

4.5(203 reviews)
7.2 mi
•$$

Yum!! Food was fresh and absolutely loved that their falafel was gluten free! Portions were the…read moreright size, enjoyed the atmosphere! Music playing wasn't over powering and it was neat to be able to watch the chefs prepare the food. Highly recommend!

The food outshined the service!…read more Ambiance: 4 stars Food: 5 stars Service: 2 stars Well, I came here with a friend for lunch. He loves the place and said the Gyros are fantastic. So I went with his recommendation. First impressions: The place is small and nicely located in the District at Prairie Trail in Ankeny. They have adequate seating and were only slightly busy when we arrived (I would say it was at half capacity the entire time we were there) We stood at the reception location for a while before we were 'greeted' and finally seated. We sat for quite a while before the guy with the headset to came back to take our orders. This was the weird part - he was fine, but he spoke so quietly we were not sure he was addressing us or talking to someone in his headset. Eventually we got our orders in, and we again waited. Some time later the water showed up, then after another pause the drinks we ordered were delivered, and sometime later the food showed up. He even remembered the dipping sauce which I thought I was going to have to ask for. We ate our entire meals without once being asked how things were, and eventually after the food was all gone, he came back to unceremoniously plop the bill on the table, and after another extended period he came back to process the payment. All-in-all the interaction with this guy was 'just weird'. (It was suggested that he might be the son of the owner...) He was doing his job but there was absolutely not any extra effort put in to make us feel welcome, and the total lack any real interaction was off-putting. The overall appearance of the place was nice and appeared clean, the decor was fresh and classy. However the bar area around the kitchen was very cluttered and looked like it was being used for overflow storage and it was a bit chaotic and had lots of clutter. Please forgive the fact that I forgot to take pictures of the delicious food. I got into conversation with my friend and just forgot! It was a very well made traditional Gyro with generous portions of meat, fresh hummus and a perfect portion of super fresh tzatziki sauce. I ordered fresh jalapeños and they got that right too! The side of fries were delicious as well, seasoned perfectly, crispy and fresh, and the garlic sauce...well did not lack for garlic! Wowza!! Overall I do recommend this place for the food! I will most likely return and I hope that the service will be a little better next time around.

Photos
Flavory Bistro
Flavory Bistro - Falafel "gyro"

Falafel "gyro"

Flavory Bistro - Drink menus

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Drink menus

McAlister's Deli - salad - Updated October 2026

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