There are burger joints, and then there is Zombie Burger + Drink Lab in Des Moines — a place that decided long ago that subtlety is wildly overrated. Tucked into the East Village neighborhood on East Grand Avenue, this beloved local institution has been turning heads, raising eyebrows, and converting skeptics into devoted regulars since it opened its doors in 2012. If you have any affection at all for creative American food done with theatrical flair, you owe yourself a visit.
Walking through the door, you are immediately greeted by a décor scheme that can only be described as lovingly macabre. Dim lighting, zombie-themed artwork, and a soundtrack that leans toward the delightfully offbeat set the tone before you even open the menu. But here is the thing — none of it feels gimmicky once you settle in. The atmosphere is warm and genuinely fun, the staff are knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and the food is serious enough to back up every bit of the showmanship.
The menu is where things get truly extraordinary. Burgers here are named after pop culture icons and horror references — the Walking Ched, the Undead Elvis, the Zombie Apocalypse — and each one is a fully realized culinary concept, not just a clever name slapped on a standard patty. The Undead Elvis, for instance, layers a beef patty with peanut butter, bacon, and a fried banana, all between two glazed donuts standing in for buns. It sounds like a dare, and it absolutely is, but it also works in the most glorious way possible. The beef is always fresh, never frozen, ground in-house daily, and the quality shows in every bite.
Vegetarians are not an afterthought here either. Several burgers feature a Morningstar Farms patty or a house-made black bean option, and they receive the same imaginative treatment as their meat-forward counterparts. The sweet potato fries are consistently excellent — crisp on the outside, tender within — and the shakes deserve their own conversation entirely. Flavors rotate seasonally, but expect options that incorporate local spirits, unexpected mix-ins, and combinations you would not dream up yourself.
The Drink Lab portion of the name is no decoration. The cocktail and milkshake programs are inventive and meticulously crafted, and happy hour brings some genuinely impressive value to an already reasonably priced menu.
What strikes you most after your first visit is how Zombie Burger manages to be both a neighborhood hangout and a destination worth crossing the city for. Families roll in for early dinners, date nights unfold over shared appetizers, and solo diners sit at the counter without a trace of self-consciousness. The energy is inclusive and easy.
Des Moines has no shortage of excellent restaurants, but Zombie Burger + Drink Lab occupies a category all its own. It is committed to being exactly what it wants to be — bold, creative, a little weird, and genuinely delicious — and that confidence is infectious. Go hungry, go curious, and go ready to have a very good time.
