The Johnston Brief
Trying to settle the "where do we eat tonight" debate? Here are Johnston's highest-rated restaurants by aggregate review score, plus our picks by cuisine - Mexican, Italian, sushi, BBQ, steak, date night, and a beer on a patio. Ratings are point-in-time (mid-2026); a great meal is forever.
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Mexican - Flame The Taqueria leads at 4.8★; Pico De Gallo and El Mariachi round out the taqueria options.
Italian & pizza - Marino's Italian (4.5★) and Pagliai's Pizza, the family-owned pizzeria on Merle Hay. See the full Johnston pizza guide.
Sushi & Japanese - Wasabi, the 4.9★ favorite, plus De Rice Thai and Japanese Cuisine.
Steak - Trostel's Greenbriar, a Johnston steakhouse since 1987.
Barbecue - ShortE's BBQ, the go-to when you're feeding a crowd.
New American & Latin - Roots95 Craft Kitchen & Bar, chef Arturo Mora's small-plates room on Chambery Blvd.
Cajun - Cajun Belle, the highest-rated name on the whole list.
Breakfast & coffee - The Happy Egg and Cozy Cafe for brunch; for the drive-thru crowd, see the Johnston coffee guide.
For date night in Johnston, Trostel's Greenbriar is our dressier in-town pick, a steakhouse that's been at 5810 Merle Hay Rd since 1987. For something lower-key, The Cork 50131 pours 120 wines by the glass. For a special night out, the metro's chef-driven rooms in Des Moines' East Village and Court Avenue districts are about 15 minutes away.
Johnston keeps growing and new restaurants open all the time. We feature them in the weekly Brief - recommend a place and we'll check it out.
Craving something specific? See our guides to Johnston pizza and Johnston coffee.
The highest-rated restaurants in Johnston by review score are Cajun Belle (5.0★), Wasabi (4.9★), and Flame The Taqueria (4.8★). Johnston's dining clusters along the Merle Hay Road corridor and out toward Chambery Boulevard, spanning Mexican, sushi, Italian, steak, barbecue, and New American.
By aggregate review score, Cajun Belle tops the list (5.0★), followed by Wasabi (4.9★) and Flame The Taqueria (4.8★). "Best" really depends on the craving, so see our picks by cuisine above.
For a dressier sit-down in town, Trostel's Greenbriar is the pick, a Johnston steakhouse open since 1987. For a low-key date, The Cork 50131 wine bar pours 120 wines by the glass. For a bigger night out, Des Moines' East Village and Court Avenue are about 15 minutes away.
Mexican: Flame The Taqueria, Pico De Gallo, and El Mariachi. Italian & pizza: Marino's Italian and Pagliai's Pizza. Barbecue: ShortE's BBQ. Sushi & Japanese: Wasabi and De Rice Thai and Japanese Cuisine.
Yes. Johnston's top-rated spots are mostly local independents, including Cajun Belle (5.0★), Wasabi (4.9★), and Flame The Taqueria (4.8★). Roots95 Craft Kitchen & Bar is a chef-driven New American and Latin room on Chambery Blvd, and Charlotte's Kitchen started here in Johnston before expanding across the metro.
For families, Cozy Cafe and ShortE's BBQ both run kids-eat-free deals. For a group night out, Backpocket Pin & Pixel is an arcade taproom, 1908 Draught House is a sports bar, and Zeke's Rooftop & Grill has a seasonal rooftop patio.
The Happy Egg and Cozy Cafe are the go-to breakfast and brunch spots in Johnston. For coffee with your morning, see the Johnston coffee guide.