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    South Union Bread Cafe

    4.2 (76 reviews)
    InexpensivePizza
    Open 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order South Union Bread Cafe Takeout or Delivery

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    SOUTH UNION BREAD CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Chicken Pesto Chicken Hot Melt
    Stephanie K.

    I love their super fresh food and homemade breads. Dipping their garlic focaccia into the decadent potato pepper jack soup is something to live for! Every sandwich is a bit unique but the flavors work well together. After trying most menu items, there is not a bad one in the bunch. The hot chicken pesto melt was made with fresh pesto. Most importantly, they did not skimp on the pesto either, it was dripping all over. I recommend getting a regular sized sandwich with a combo. For $3.50 you get a beverage and a side (chips, potato salad, or soup).

    Triple pepper turkey, full order
    Melinda A.

    One of my favorite lunch spots downtown. I wish they were open not than just lunch hours because the sandwiches are fantastic. They're made on the fantastic focaccia bread that one expects from South Union. (The same bread you can get at Gateway or Centro) The soups are also amazing. I recently tried their online ordering which was super easy and saved on time. The lunch lines can be long but it's worth the wait! (Or order online to cut that out)

    Sarah's Revenge
    Thai B.

    Often imitated, but never duplicated. South Union is the original ciabatta bread sandwich shop. I have been coming here for years and you can always count on the quality of the sandwich. I usually visit here about once or twice a month, but for about a year my office was just a couple of blocks away, so I was visiting once or twice a week. I slowly made my way through most of the menu, but hands down my favorite is still Sarah's revenge. This place gets busy quick, so you want to go before noon if you can. Even though dining area is spacious it fills up quickly.

    Pesto chicken sandwich
    Alex W.

    Ordered the pesto chicken combo. The sandwich is a really good, especially the bread. The pepperjack potato soup is really nice too, although it is a little salty. The queue is really long during lunch hours. You can order a pickup from GrubHub to avoid the crowd. Would be great if the restaurant can prolong the operation hours. Found out it is only open during 11-2pm on weekdays. Would be great if the menu extended beyond salad and deli.

    The union flatbread.  Best sandwich i ever had.  Large order for a big man.  :)
    Dmitriy N.

    This was my first time to this place and I came during lunch hour. Line was huge, making me thing this is going to be some good food. It was good food indeed. It was darn good food. Actually, it was the best damn sandwich I've ever had, and I have ate at many sandwich places. I got their The Union Flatbread sandwich. It was hot and featured all kinds of Italian style meats. I got the Large, and also added a soup and pop for $3 extra. My total was $16.50 with tax but that's because I was the only person at this whole place that would order a LARGE sandwich. It was pretty big indeed, and it was worth every penny. The flatbread itself was toasted to perfection. The meat was juicy, salty, and orgasmicly good. The people I was with probably got tired of me saying how good my food was. On top of the already amazing sandwich, I got their potato soup or whatever it was. It was creamy goodness. It's like every bite of everything they have is so delicious. This place is 5*. Not only was I amazed at how good my food was, but everyone else that was with me loved everything they ate as well. I'll be coming here often. I'm going to try half the menu because I know everything will be on point!

    Italian was a little much for my taste, but all the ingredients were of great quality!
    Safia A.

    What an amazing lunch. The wait was well worth it. It was crazy crowded from 12-1 (lunch break), but it was great again right around 1pm. I liked how they had the hot soup with the salad buffet (self serve). It was a little strange that it didn't have covers, but it was no big deal. The italian was a little too flavorful for me, but the chicken pesto panini was perfect.

    Beautiful old architecture.
    Michael G.

    It's taken me a while to get to eat at South Union Bread Cafe because it's mainly a weekday lunch place. It was worth the wait. The environment is simple... tables, chairs and a clean open area. The staff is efficient and work quickly. They are not overly friendly. But honestly, it's not a place you go to make friends. It's a place for an amazing, quick lunch. The Formaro Cheesesteak was simply delicious. The meat was tender, the focaccia bread held its crispness, and the cheese/mayo/peppers blended in perfectly. The pasta salad side was just okay. Not bad, maybe just underwhelming... But the sandwich alone makes it 5 stars. I can't wait to go back and try a few others.

    Chicken BLT Salad

    There food is the bomb. This spot has been on my list of places to try for a while but since I work in West Des Moines I hadn't had a chance to make it during there open hours, but I took a lil longer lunch and it was definitely worth it. I had the pasta salad and triple pepper Turkey sandwich and loved both items. The chicken BLT salad was so pretty, fresh and delicious lol lots of chicken and bacon. Also the dressing complemented the salad perfectly, I had the blt salad for lunch the next day. I shared the Italian sandwich, potato salad, and Italian salad and they loved everything as well. The chili was the soup of the day and had a lot of beans, too many for me, but the flavor was great. The potato soup was delicious as well. Very reasonably priced for the amount of food you get it's about $9 for a salad or sandwich snd everything is so fresh and flavorful. I ordered online and went straight to the pickup counter, my only complaint was the gentleman there was a little abrasive which I shared when asked for feedback after ordering online. Someone from the business reached out which I greatly appreciated. Either way I would be going back the food was just too good!!!

    One trip salad bar and garlic focaccia bread chunks!

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    29 days ago

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    8 months ago

    10/10 sandwich I cannot wait to come back! Service was great, quick, and AMAZING bread! We got the California club!

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    Paul R.

    Thanks for your positive review Taunie! Stop and see us again soon.

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    Truman's KC Pizza Tavern

    Truman's KC Pizza Tavern

    4.0(163 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    Locally owned & operated
    Free parking

    Everything here is good. We go because the onion rings are homemade and everything is fresh. This…read moreplace serves quality food at a fair price.

    Truman's Pizza Review (Delivery Experience) We ordered from…read moreTruman's using a delivery service, which always adds a bit of mystery to how the food will arrive. Luckily for us, this time it showed up fresh and hot! This review focuses on Truman's food quality, as experienced through a delivery order. My wife Kim is a pizza fanatic, so we're always trying new spots! She ordered a garlic cheese bread which was fantastic and came delivered with dipping sauce. This could easily serve as a meal on its own! The main event was the Mahome's pizza. It was a bit messy - with random chunks of topping not evenly distributed and obviously just thrown together (this wasn't a delivery issue, but how it was prepared by Truman's). Regardless, as this is a minor complaint, the pizza was delicious. I enjoyed all of the toppings with the exception of the hamburger; it was just unspiced, browned hamburger. I find it odd to put something with no flavor on a pizza. The pizza sauce saved the day as it's amazing and has a ton of flavor. Then there was the crust - it was thin, but not too thin. It had those cool bubbles and somehow managed to be perfectly chewy and crispy at the same time! (Sounds impossible, but it really was). While I'll definitely prefer to go and eat at Truman's in person next time, the delivery itself was surprisingly good considering the distance they had to travel. I hope Kim tipped well! We look forward to visiting the restaurant in person soon!

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    Truman's KC Pizza Tavern
    Truman's KC Pizza Tavern
    Truman's KC Pizza Tavern

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    Fong's Pizza

    Fong's Pizza

    4.0(1k reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Kitchen open late

    This is an amaaaaazzzing spot. They have my two favorite things, pizza and tiki drinks. You will…read morefind a decent-sized private parking lot here and a walk-up pick-up window for people who placed to-go orders online. There is also free street parking available. There is a decent-sized dining area and a very nice outdoor patio as well. It was a nice day during my visit, so I sat on the patio. The staff there was very friendly. Their menu has traditional pizzas such as sausage, pepperoni, and meatzilla. They also have some unique Asian inspired creations like Tai Chicken, Mac and Cheese, General Tso's Chicken, Iowan, Crab Ragoon, and Korean Beef Chicken pizzas. They also have soups and salads, and Chinese food entrees like Beef and Broccoli, Stir-Fry Chicken, Sesame Chicken, Orange Chicken, and Chili Garlic Shrimp. And yes, they have some of the best tiki drinks and mocktails around. I ordered a Painkiller and a Waving Cat to go with my Bang Bang Chicken Pizza. It took them about 12 minutes to prepare my pie. It was fresh and hot. It was also so good. I have never had a pizza like that before. It was very flavorful and tasty. It was so good, I even forgot to take a picture of it because I just jumped right in. My drinks came out much sooner, and they were also really, really good. The staff there was very friendly and attentive. My service was first class. I am so glad I found this spot and got to experience it. I highly recommend this place, and I definitely will be back very soon.

    Sweet but they were kinda sluggish with my order I almost felt angry and wanna leave but the aroma…read morekeep me staying

    Photos
    Fong's Pizza - Beer on Tap at Fong's Pizza

    Beer on Tap at Fong's Pizza

    Fong's Pizza - Passion Fruit Mocktail

    Passion Fruit Mocktail

    Fong's Pizza

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    7 Stone Pizzeria - Large buffalo chicken on artisan crust

    7 Stone Pizzeria

    4.0(131 reviews)
    10.7 mi
    $$

    SERVICE: PLEASE KNOW THAT 7 STONE DOES NOT BAKE PIZZAS IN THE ORDER RECEIVED. We were six people…read more(3 couples) ordering 3 large artisan pizzas and eating there. Two pizzas came within 10 minutes. The third was not received within 20 minutes so I went back to the counter and inquired. It was sitting in a rack and had not even been placed in the oven. I asked why and was given some song and dance about the three were not reported as being together in a group. Silly me, I didn't know I was supposed to report that my order was with the other two. IF YOU EAT IN AT 7 STONE PIZZA BE SURE TO EXPLICITLY TELL THEM IF YOU HAVE A GROUP AND ORDER MORE THAN ONE PIZZA. I had ordered second and the first and third orders were promptly processed and baked. Why mine was set aside on a rack for some reason I do not know. We got our pizza 20 minutes after the other two were received and the other couples were almost done with their pizzas. We will eat the pizza tomorrow at home. In defense of the place, a lady came to our table and apologized. She offered to give us a gift certificate. I said I appreciated the apology and didn't want another pizza at some other time and declined the gift certificate. An apology was enough. FOOD: The pizza was delicious but would have been better hot out of the oven rather than the next day at home. AMBIANCE: Ambiance is OK but be prepared for a heavy dose of smokiness. I love the smell but some in our group did not.

    My boss and I went out to lunch today. He'd picked 7 Stone with a friend of his and his friend's…read morekids. I was just along for the ride... Lol I took at look at their menu online and it's not a big menu... Build your own 7-Stone crust (thick) and artisan crust (thin) along with six different specialty pizzas. Big into appetizers? Don't plan on it here. They have cheesebread and side salads. They offer a couple different items for lunch specials (Wednesday - Friday 11am to 2pm)...toasted hoagies and a half pizza combo. It's order and pay at the counter. Pepsi self serve fountain drinks. Plates, utensils, napkins, and pizza spatulas are beside the fountain drink station. Parmesan and red pepper are on the tables. Seat yourself. The seating is a combination of booths and low top tables and chairs. There's a small counter with seating as well. The business itself is in a strip so there is lots of parking available. There was one gal behind the counter taking orders as well as cooking and serving pizzas. Two younger ladies came in a bit later, but it was hard to tell if they were actual staff or daughters there to hang out with their mom (or maybe both). Staff was friendly enough. Our party ordered: 1x large House7 on 7-Stone crust 1x large buffalo chicken on artisan crust 2x small pepperoni pizzas on artisan crust 1x large cheesebread 1x side salad 7x fountain drinks It was a short wait for everything to get cooked and served. The thicker 7 Stone crust takes about 20 min. The artisan...probably half that. The 7 Stone crust vaguely reminds me of when Pizza Hut still cooked in cast iron. The toasted crust with cheese burnt like little vertical stalagmite (that's the cave formations that form from the floor up)... That was something neat to see. I haven't had a crust like that in a long time. The artisan crust is thinner of course, but perfect for folding. You like a little char? This gives you that in some bubbling aound the edges, but the bottom of the pizza crust is not burnt. I really enjoyed the buffalo chicken pizza! I'm not sure what it was but for me there was something off about the red sauce... It wasn't "bad" but just tasted off. At first I thought it might be a residual taste from the black olives from the House7, but the red sauce on the pepperoni pizzas had the same taste. Maybe it was the plum tomatos they use v. roma or another more traditional variety? Bang for the buck... To me it seemed a little pricey. $22 for a small cheese pizza on 7-Stone. $20 for a small cheese on artisan. $33 for a large specialty on 7-Stone. $31 for a large speciality pizza on artisan. But that might just be me... The company was buying for the two of us today so... The cost is sort of irrelevant outside of mentioning the noted pricing in general. When the company is buying I really don't care. But I'm kind of glad they were paying for it... Lol But no one walked away hungry that's for sure...! And the leftovers I took home will get eaten as long as it warms up anywhere near the same (follow up edit: it did). This is a tough one for me... It's kind of like Gusto. I had a ton of friends who loved the place. I just never cared for it. And there was no particular reason... Is this some place I would return to? Maybe if invited again... But while it's not exactly my favorite... You might love it! Definitely worth checking out! https://www.7stonepizzeria.com/

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    7 Stone Pizzeria - Interior

    Interior

    7 Stone Pizzeria - Large mushroom pizza half sausage half pepperoni. The red sauce is tasty.

    Large mushroom pizza half sausage half pepperoni. The red sauce is tasty.

    7 Stone Pizzeria

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    Centro - this is just for starters!

    Centro

    4.2(677 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    We just celebrated our mom's 60th birthday here! Reservations were easy, they customized the menu…read morewith her name and reason for celebrating, servers were nice and on top of everything and gave her a delicious free dessert! On top of that, the food was good and priced well for the big portions! We will be back!

    Centro is one of the best restaurants in Des Moines. The service is very good, and they bring out…read morenew plates for each round of food, which makes the experience feel thoughtful. You also get complimentary fresh bread and the portions are quite generous! My only feedback on service is that we were asked about dessert while still eating dinner, which felt a bit rushed. The ricotta gnocchi has a lot of flavor and is clearly made with fresh ingredients. I also recommend trying the vegan sausage. We created our own pizza and added it, and the fake meat had a unique flavor with the same emphasis on freshness. The best appetizer is the portobello mushroom fries. The sauces they come with are so delicious and really make the dish. For dessert, we had the pistachio tiramisu. It was very good, but I would not call it a traditional tiramisu. It tasted more like a crème brûlée style lemon mascarpone with pistachios. Still really good, just different than expected. Overall, this is definitely one of the best Italian restaurants around and well worth visiting with a more formal, date night vibe.

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    Centro - No diners

    No diners

    Centro
    Centro

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    South Union Bread Cafe - pizza - Updated May 2026

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