Chuck's Italian and American Restaurant - Des Moines

Chuck's Italian and American Restaurant is an institution that has been around for nearly 50 years.  Located in the Highland Park section of Des Moines just north of Euclid Ave. on 6th (see map), Chuck's has some of the best pizza in Des Moines, if not THE best. 

Opened in 1956 by Chuck Bisignano, the brother of famed Des Moines restranteur, Babe Bisginano, Chuck's is one of the "old guard" Italian restaurants still in existence in the Des Moines area.

Chuck's is basically two sides with a party room in the back.  There's a bar that caters to the smokers and the non-smoker side, which is larger, that has the pizza kitchen up front.  In fact, the pizza kitchen faces the street and you can see the pizza chef making the pies as you walk by the place.

Chuck's pizza has a thin crust that is very tasty.  They use the freshly ground sausage (they grind it themselves) for the big chunk sausage that I like.  The sauce is sweet and zesty and the pizza really tastes great with a cold beer.

Chuck's also has great beer battered onion rings, the stringy kind that taste so great.  There's a little pepper in the batter so it adds a little zip to the taste of the rings.  They are sinfully great. 

One other thing I've had at Chuck's before is their lasagna.  Since they make their own sausage there, the lasagna is very, very good.  The portions are almost too big to eat in one sitting. 

Chuck's takes all major credit cards and is open until 10 p.m. thru the week and, I believe, to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.  There is some parking around, but you can park on the streets near the place, it's pretty safe and well lit at night. 

I have to eat at Chuck's nearly everytime I go to Des Moines.  It's worth the trip.

Comments

[John]

Where's the picture?

[Will Veber]

I don't have a picture for Chuck's. I'll have to take my camera next time to get one.