Tucked into the southeast side of Des Moines, Tumea & Sons Restaurant has been feeding families, celebrating anniversaries, and winning over first-time visitors since 1998. This family-owned Italian spot at 1501 SE 1st St. is known for its scratch-made pasta, generous portions, and a dining room that feels more like someone’s home than a commercial kitchen.
With a 4.6-star rating from nearly 1,500 reviews, it has earned its reputation as a true Des Moines institution. Whether you are a longtime local or just passing through Iowa, a meal here is worth every bite.
Why This Place Matters to Des Moines
Some restaurants feed you. Others make you feel like you belong.
Tumea & Sons does both, and that is exactly why it keeps showing up in conversations about the best Italian food in Des Moines.
Sitting on the southeast side of the city at 1501 SE 1st St., this family-run spot has been a neighborhood anchor since 1998. The menu leans heavily on scratch cooking — pasta made in-house, sauces built from real ingredients, and portions that remind you someone actually cares about your meal.
Customer reviews describe it as “a long time south side institution” and “the kind of locally-owned restaurant everyone wants to support.” One regular summed it up perfectly: the food, service, and environment are all above and beyond. For travelers and locals alike, Tumea & Sons represents something increasingly rare — a place where the cooking has not been handed off to a frozen supplier or a corporate recipe card.
The rest of this post walks you through everything worth knowing before your first visit, from the family history behind the food to the best dishes to order and the smartest time to show up.
The Tumea Family Story
Every great restaurant starts with a story, and the one behind Tumea & Sons is rooted in real people with real recipes. Joe and Lucretia Tumea brought their family’s Italian culinary traditions to Des Moines and opened the restaurant in 1998, building it around the kind of food they grew up eating — hearty, honest, and made from scratch.
Over the years, the operation grew into a true multigenerational business. Family members work the floor, greet regulars by name, and keep the kitchen running on recipes that have been passed down rather than pulled from a binder.
One reviewer recalled how Mr. Tumea personally came to their table at the end of a dinner and handed them a bag of extra rolls to take home — no charge, no explanation, just warmth.
That kind of gesture does not come from a management manual. It comes from a family that genuinely sees their restaurant as an extension of their home.
The Tumea name is not just on the sign — it shows up in every plate that leaves the kitchen and every smile at the door. History like that is hard to fake and even harder to find.
House-Made Pasta as a Daily Kitchen Practice
Fresh pasta has a texture that store-bought noodles simply cannot replicate. Pull a forkful of Tumea & Sons’ house-made pasta through a ladle of red sauce and you will notice it immediately — a slight chew, a springy resistance, and the way the sauce clings to the surface rather than sliding off.
The kitchen at Tumea & Sons operates on a scratch-cooking philosophy that extends well beyond pasta. Sauces, meatballs, and many other menu staples are prepared in-house daily.
Reviewers have called out the ravioli, manicotti, and penne as standouts, noting that the pasta is almost always cooked to the right consistency. One customer described a pasta dish with Graziano sausage and tomato sauce as deeply satisfying — the kind of meal that lingers in your memory.
Graziano Brothers is itself a Des Moines institution, so using their sausage is a quiet nod to local sourcing that regulars appreciate. When a kitchen takes the time to make pasta by hand and pair it with locally made sausage, the result is not just dinner — it is a small act of culinary preservation that keeps real Italian-American cooking alive in the Midwest.
Signature Dishes Worth Ordering on Your First Visit
Picking your first order at a new restaurant can feel overwhelming, especially when everything on the menu sounds good. At Tumea & Sons, a few dishes come up again and again in reviews, and they make a solid starting point for anyone walking in for the first time.
Steak de Burgo is a local Iowa classic — a tenderloin finished with butter, garlic, and herbs — and multiple reviewers call Tumea & Sons’ version the best in town. Chicken Saltimbocca, layered with prosciutto and sage, earns equally enthusiastic praise.
The Pasta Diablo brings heat and depth, and the good news is that it is available in a gluten-free version upon request. Classic lasagna with house red sauce is exactly what it sounds like: generous, cheesy, and filling.
For dessert, the house cannoli and tiramisu both get shout-outs in reviews. One couple visiting for their anniversary described taking home “a real piece of cheesecake” — emphasis on real.
Portions across the board are described as generous, and most entrees include a side salad or soup. Arriving hungry is strongly advised, and sharing an appetizer like the ravioli starter is a smart move before your main course arrives.
What the Dining Room Actually Feels Like
Walking into Tumea & Sons feels less like entering a restaurant and more like being invited into someone’s extended living room. The decor is described by reviewers as vintage, religious, and family-style — think framed photographs of family members covering the walls, warm lighting, and the faint sound of Frank Sinatra drifting from the speakers.
Booths line the dining room, and a bar area draws regulars who seem to know every staff member by first name. The overall energy is relaxed and unhurried, the kind of place where no one rushes you out the door once your plate is cleared.
One reviewer described the ambiance as “cozy” and said it gave the feeling of being invited into an extension of the restaurant family’s home.
The dining room gets busy on weekend evenings, and the noise level rises with the crowd — but in a lively, social way rather than an uncomfortable one. A group of 16 once celebrated a 50th wedding anniversary here on a packed Friday night and reported that their table was set up perfectly and the food came out hot despite the full house.
That kind of execution under pressure says a lot about the team running the floor.
Local Rituals and the Regulars Who Keep Coming Back
There is a certain kind of restaurant that becomes part of a neighborhood’s weekly rhythm — not just a place to eat, but a place to belong. Tumea & Sons has clearly become that for a loyal slice of Des Moines’ south side community.
Regulars return weekly, and some make it a point to stop in for the lunch specials on weekday afternoons. The lunch crowd tends to include workers from nearby offices grabbing pasta plates between meetings, while evenings draw families and friend groups settling in for longer meals.
Reviewers mention feeling recognized and welcomed even on a first visit, which says something meaningful about how the staff operates.
One of the small traditions that stands out in customer stories involves the family’s habit of going above and beyond with small gestures — extra rolls tucked into a bag, a friendly check-in from a family member mid-meal, or a server who remembers your dressing preference without being asked. One reviewer specifically called out a server named Gina as the best they had ever encountered.
These micro-moments stack up over time, turning one-time visitors into people who plan their calendars around dinner at Tumea & Sons. That loyalty is the restaurant’s most honest review.
Location, Hours, and Practical Tips for Planning Your Visit
Planning a visit to Tumea & Sons starts with knowing the basics. The restaurant is located at 1501 SE 1st St., Des Moines, IA 50315, on the city’s southeast side.
Parking is available directly at the location, so driving is the easiest approach. The neighborhood is straightforward to navigate, and the restaurant is easy to spot.
Current hours run Tuesday evenings from 4:30 to 9 PM, Wednesday through Friday for lunch from 11 AM to 2 PM, and Saturday evenings from 4:30 to 9 PM. The restaurant is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
These hours can shift around holidays, so calling ahead is always a smart move — especially for larger groups or special occasions.
Peak times on Friday lunch and Saturday evening tend to fill up quickly, and a short wait is not unusual. Reservations are accepted and highly recommended for parties of six or more.
The kitchen accommodates gluten-free requests on certain dishes, including the Pasta Diablo, so guests with dietary needs should mention them when booking. Takeout is also available for those who want to enjoy the food at home.
Reach the restaurant by phone at +1 515-282-7976 or check the menu and hours at www.tumeaandsons.net before heading out.
Pairing Your Meal With a Stroll Through Downtown Des Moines
A meal at Tumea & Sons pairs naturally with a short exploration of what Des Moines has to offer nearby. The restaurant sits on the southeast side of the city, which puts it within a comfortable drive of several downtown and East Village attractions worth adding to your itinerary.
The Principal Riverwalk runs along the Des Moines River and offers a flat, scenic path perfect for a pre-dinner walk or a post-meal stroll to let the lasagna settle. The East Village neighborhood, just north of the State Capitol, is lined with independent shops, coffee spots, and galleries that make for easy browsing on a weekday afternoon before an evening reservation at Tumea & Sons.
If you are visiting from out of state and planning a full day in Des Moines, consider spending the morning at the Iowa State Capitol building — free to tour and genuinely impressive — then heading to the East Village for lunch or shopping before making your way to Tumea & Sons for dinner. The drive from the Capitol to the restaurant takes under ten minutes.
Turning a single dinner reservation into a full Des Moines afternoon requires almost no extra effort and makes the trip feel much more complete.
What to Notice on Your First Visit
First visits to a beloved restaurant can fly by in a blur of conversation and good food. Slowing down for just a moment to notice a few specific details will make the experience stick with you much longer.
Start with the pasta texture. Tumea & Sons’ house-made noodles have a distinct springiness that dried pasta cannot match — pay attention to that chew on your first forkful.
Notice how the sauce clings rather than pools, which is a hallmark of well-made fresh pasta. The house creamy garlic dressing on the salad has earned its own fan club in reviews, so do not skip the side salad.
A bottle of olive oil sits on each table for dipping bread, and the rolls — when fresh — are worth every bite.
Look around the dining room at the family photographs covering the walls. Each one is a piece of the Tumea family history, and together they turn the room into something more personal than standard restaurant decor.
Listen for the easy, unhurried tone of the servers — staff members have been described as making guests feel like family rather than customers. These small sensory details are what separate a good meal from one you will still be talking about months later.
Lunch vs. Dinner
Tumea & Sons serves two distinct meals under the same roof, and knowing which one fits your schedule can shape your whole experience. Lunch runs Wednesday through Friday from 11 AM to 2 PM and draws a noticeably faster crowd — office workers, nearby business regulars, and people squeezing in a satisfying pasta plate before heading back to their desks.
The pace at lunch is quicker, the tables turn more often, and the energy has a purposeful buzz to it. Lunch specials are a genuine draw, with at least one reviewer calling the lunch visit “phenomenal” and praising the friendly staff even during a busy midday rush.
For visitors with a packed schedule, the weekday lunch window is an efficient way to experience the kitchen without committing to a full evening.
Dinner is a different animal entirely. Tuesday and Saturday evenings slow the pace down considerably.
Families spread out in booths, couples celebrate anniversaries, and groups of friends linger over wine and shared appetizers. The kitchen takes its time, and the service feels more attentive.
Saturday evenings fill up fast, so a reservation is close to mandatory. If your goal is to soak in the full Tumea & Sons atmosphere — the photos, the family energy, the unhurried warmth — an evening visit is the right call.
Final Takeaway and Practical Tips for Travelers
A meal at Tumea & Sons is not a flashy dining experience built around Instagram moments or trendy plating. What it offers instead is something harder to manufacture: genuine home-style Italian cooking, served by a family that has been doing this for over two decades and still treats every table like it matters.
For travelers passing through Des Moines, this restaurant is worth rerouting for. The portions are generous, the prices are reasonable for the quality, and the scratch-made pasta alone justifies the stop.
Regulars swear by the Steak de Burgo and Pasta Diablo, but honestly, the menu has very few weak spots based on the weight of customer feedback.
A few practical notes before you go: call ahead for busy Friday lunches and Saturday evenings, especially for groups larger than four. Ask your server about daily specials, which sometimes feature seasonal ingredients or off-menu preparations.
Gluten-free options are available on request, so dietary needs are manageable with a quick heads-up when you book. Reach the restaurant at +1 515-282-7976 or browse the current menu at www.tumeaandsons.net.
Show up hungry, bring someone you like, and let the Tumea family do the rest.