Gluten-Free Dining in Des Moines: 3 Verified Addresses

Des Moines has 3 verified addresses, 2 of them fully dedicated kitchens: a Mexican restaurant built on heirloom corn, a wheat-free sweet shop, and a neighbourhood café not to be confused with the first two.

By Nutrixe · September 5, 2026 · 3 min

Des Moines has 3 verified addresses, 2 of them fully dedicated kitchens. That distinction is the heart of this guide: at the first two you order without asking a question; at the third, a neighbourhood café, gluten-free is just a handful of snacks in the middle of a regular menu. A Mexican restaurant, a sweet shop, a café.

The city in numbers

Des Moines's 3 verified addresses, by type

Restaurants2

Café1

The two dedicated kitchens

Bar Nico, 428 East Locust Street, reworks Mexican cooking around heirloom corn and traditional techniques, with a 100% gluten-free menu: tacos, churros, an affordable happy hour. Find Me Gluten Free classes it as a fully dedicated restaurant, and Tripadvisor and Yelp reviews praise how safe the place is for celiacs. The only caveat concerns the drinks: bottled spirits are not guaranteed gluten-free. Not all beers are either — ask what is being served before ordering.

Sweet Treat without Wheat, 2809 Arthur Avenue, lives up to its name: a shop entirely dedicated to treats without wheat or gluten, with a full range of sweet things. The official site carries a “Gluten Free” page and the slogan “Your home for Gluten Free goodies”. It is the address for dessert and for gifts, picked straight off the shelf without reading a label.

The café, to be treated differently

Wake Up Iowa Coffee, 3605 Douglas Avenue, is a neighbourhood café offering a few gluten-free snacks within a regular menu. The official site mentions “gluten free snacks” with no dedicated menu or space: we have therefore classified it as a simple option, not a gluten-free kitchen. The kitchen is mixed, cross-contamination is possible: announce your celiac disease, ask whether the item comes sealed from the manufacturer and is prepared away from the rest, and watch out for the shared toaster and work surfaces. It is a coffee option, not a guaranteed meal.

Our tips on site

Say “I have celiac disease” rather than “I’m gluten-free”: the first phrasing is understood as a medical constraint.
Two levels, not one: two dedicated kitchens and one mixed café. Dedicated kitchen or gluten-free options, the difference explains why you do not treat them the same way.
Watch the drinks at Bar Nico: the kitchen is safe, the bottled spirits are not guaranteed.
In the United States, GIG (the Gluten Intolerance Group) certifies gluten-free establishments and Beyond Celiac informs patients. For the rest of the country, see our guide to gluten-free travel in the USA.

Explore the 3 addresses

Every address cited has been verified at the source: existence, actual gluten-free level, risks. All 3 are on the Nutrixe map. If a Des Moines address is missing from this list, suggest it. The whole set is also on our page gluten-free restaurants in Des Moines.

Figures at the time of publication. The database grows every week: today's exact count is always on the map.

Frequently asked questions

Can you eat gluten-free in Des Moines with celiac disease?

Yes: Nutrixe has verified 3 addresses in Des Moines, 2 of them fully dedicated kitchens with no wheat flour on the premises — the Mexican restaurant Bar Nico and the shop Sweet Treat without Wheat. The third, the café Wake Up Iowa Coffee, offers only a few gluten-free snacks in a mixed kitchen: it does not suit a strict celiac without checking on site.

Is Bar Nico suitable for a celiac?

Yes as far as the kitchen goes: Bar Nico, 428 East Locust Street, serves a 100% gluten-free menu built on heirloom corn, tacos and churros included, and Find Me Gluten Free classes it as a fully dedicated restaurant; Tripadvisor and Yelp reviews praise how safe the place is. One caveat, flagged by our sources: bottled spirits are not guaranteed gluten-free. Ask what is being served before ordering a beer or a cocktail.

How do you tell staff you have celiac disease in Des Moines?

Say "I have celiac disease" rather than "I'm gluten-free", which often passes for a dietary preference. At a café counter, the useful question is "Is it prepared in a separate area?" — exactly the one to ask at Wake Up Iowa Coffee.

Are the gluten-free addresses in Des Moines close to one another?

No, the 3 verified addresses are in three separate parts of town: East Locust Street for Bar Nico, Arthur Avenue for Sweet Treat without Wheat, Douglas Avenue for Wake Up Iowa Coffee. Count on a trip for each one.