Some restaurants win you over with white tablecloth polish, some with neighborhood warmth, and Simon’s somehow pulls off both while ending the night with a slice of red velvet cake people in Des Moines cannot stop talking about.
Tucked on Franklin Avenue, this intimate American and Italian spot has built a near legendary reputation for heartfelt service, serious comfort food, and a dessert finale that feels less like a menu item and more like a family tradition shared with lucky guests.
If you love places where the owner checks on tables, the dining room hums with anticipation, and the meal leaves you plotting your return before the last bite is gone, Simon’s deserves your full attention because this corner eatery is not just serving dinner, it is delivering the kind of experience that turns first time visitors into regulars with one forkful of cake.
The Cake That Starts the Conversation
The first thing you should know about Simon’s is that the red velvet cake is not some throwaway dessert added to pad the bill.
It arrives with the kind of confidence only a house favorite can carry.
One bite explains the fuss, because the cake tastes handmade in the best possible way, rich without being heavy, sweet without turning sugary, and memorable enough to dominate the ride home conversation.
What makes it even more appealing is the story wrapped around it.
Multiple guests rave that the cake is made by Simon’s father, which gives every slice a family made charm that chains simply cannot imitate.
That little detail changes dessert from a pleasant ending into part of the restaurant’s identity, and you can feel how much people love being let in on that tradition.
Plenty of restaurants serve excellent steak, pasta, or appetizers, but not many send out a complimentary dessert that becomes the headline.
At Simon’s, the cake feels like a final wink from the house.
It tells you this place understands hospitality, and it knows exactly how to leave food lovers thinking about Franklin Avenue long after the plates are cleared.
A Tiny Dining Room With Big Energy
Step up to Simon’s around opening time and you will quickly notice this is not a sleepy neighborhood spot coasting on old reputation.
There is a pulse here.
People line up early, tables fill fast, and the compact dining room creates the sort of lively energy that makes a simple dinner feel like an event worth dressing up for.
That intimacy works in the restaurant’s favor.
Instead of feeling cramped, the room reads as cozy and in demand, the kind of place where every seat matters and every reservation free evening feels like a small victory.
Reviewers repeatedly mention that the atmosphere is a vibe, cute, quaint, and personal, which tracks perfectly with a restaurant that seems to run on warmth as much as technique.
The excitement also builds anticipation for the meal itself.
When guests willingly arrive before 5 PM or settle into a wait because they know something special is coming, that says a lot about what Simon’s has built.
It is the rare corner eatery where the buzz starts before the bread hits the table, and that sense of occasion makes every cocktail, appetizer, entree, and famous cake taste even better.
Why Service Feels Like the Secret Ingredient
Here is where Simon’s separates itself from plenty of good restaurants with very good food.
The service does not feel scripted.
It feels human, generous, and genuinely tuned in, with review after review describing Simon himself visiting tables, checking on guests, swapping stories, and making people feel seen instead of processed.
That personal touch shows up in both joyful and difficult moments.
One guest wrote about receiving extraordinary kindness from Simon during a family emergency, while others praise servers by name and describe a team that moves like family rather than faceless staff.
When hospitality feels this sincere, diners relax fast, and the whole evening becomes less about ordering correctly and more about enjoying where you are.
For food lovers, that matters more than some people admit.
A great steak or flawless pasta can impress you, but thoughtful service is what convinces you to return, recommend the place, and forgive the wait if the room is full.
At Simon’s, the red velvet cake may grab the headlines, yet the care surrounding the meal is what turns first timers into loyal fans who talk about the experience with almost as much enthusiasm as the food.
The Menu Gives Dessert Strong Competition
It would be easy to assume people come to Simon’s just for the famous cake, but that would shortchange a menu that clearly earns its own loyal following.
Reviewers rave about beef stroganoff, steak de burgo, lasagna, onion rings, seafood bisque, lamb chops, and tenderloin with the kind of intensity usually reserved for hometown legends.
That range is a big reason the place keeps attracting both regulars and curious first timers.
Simon’s describes itself as a refined destination for American and Italian fare, and the lineup backs that up.
You can lean classic with spaghetti and meatballs, settle into a steakhouse mood, or go comfort first with rich sauces and hearty portions that make the table go quiet for a minute.
Several guests even mention eyeing other diners’ plates, which is always a promising sign that the kitchen is firing on all cylinders.
The smartest move may be ordering boldly and saving room anyway.
Appetizers like baked feta, artichoke dip, or mushroom crostini start the meal with personality, and the entrees seem built to satisfy serious appetites.
By the time the red velvet cake arrives, it is not rescuing a mediocre dinner, it is capping off one that was already winning before dessert entered the room.
Your Best Strategy for Getting a Table
If you hate waiting for dinner, Simon’s may gently test your patience.
If you love restaurants enough to plan ahead, you will probably see the wait as part of the adventure.
A clear pattern runs through the reviews: regulars and savvy visitors show up early, often before the 5 PM opening, because this intimate place fills quickly and weekends can get especially busy.
That is not hype, it is practical advice.
People mention lining up around 4:30, and several say the meal was well worth the delay when they did have to wait.
In a world of overhyped spots that disappoint once you finally sit down, Simon’s seems to inspire the opposite response, with guests leaving convinced the timing strategy matters because the experience genuinely delivers.
So if Simon’s is on your list, treat it like a popular local secret, not a random walk in afterthought.
Go early, expect limited seating, and build a little flexibility into your evening.
That approach turns potential frustration into anticipation, and when you finally settle in for cocktails, entrees, and that celebrated red velvet cake, you will feel less like you gambled on a wait and more like you earned a seat at one of Des Moines’ most beloved dinner tables.
The Lounge Next Door Makes Waiting Easier
Now for the detail that makes Simon’s wait far more civilized than the usual sidewalk shuffle.
There is an adjacent lounge and waiting space next door, and guests repeatedly mention grabbing a drink there while their table is prepared.
That setup changes the tone completely, because instead of hovering by a host stand, you get to ease into the night with a cocktail and a little anticipation.
Several reviews call the waiting room gorgeous, splendid, or simply awesome, which is not language people use for an afterthought holding area.
It sounds like a deliberate extension of the restaurant’s personality.
Even out of town visitors who arrived a bit clueless about the line seem to remember the lounge fondly, which says something about how Simon’s manages the crowded demand without draining the fun out of the evening.
For diners, that matters.
A strong meal begins before the first course, and the mood you carry to the table affects everything from how patient you feel to how celebratory the night becomes.
At Simon’s, the next door cocktail option acts like a pressure valve and a prelude, setting you up for a smoother transition into dinner and making the eventual appearance of that handmade red velvet cake feel like the payoff to a well paced night out.
Family Tradition Is Baked Into the Experience
Some restaurants talk endlessly about being family run.
Simon’s seems to let the feeling reveal itself naturally through the way the meal unfolds.
From the owner making rounds to the widely shared story that the red velvet cake comes from his father, the whole place gives off an atmosphere of care that feels inherited, practiced, and sincere rather than manufactured for marketing.
You can hear that in the reviews.
Guests describe being welcomed like family, noticed by name or spirit, and guided through the experience by servers who seem invested in making the night memorable.
Even simple touches like complimentary bread or cake feel less transactional in that environment, because they read as gestures of hospitality instead of freebies designed to create buzz.
That family energy also explains why Simon’s has become the sort of restaurant people recommend with unusual passion.
When someone says they drove hours, wish they lived closer, or cannot stop talking about one dessert, they are rarely responding only to flavor.
They are responding to a place that feels personal, and at Simon’s the handmade red velvet cake becomes the sweetest symbol of that identity, a final course that tastes like recipe, ritual, and welcome all at once.
What to Know Before You Go
Before you set out in search of that famous red velvet cake, it helps to know exactly where Simon’s fits into the Des Moines dining map.
You will find it at 5800 Franklin Ave, Des Moines, IA 50322, a neighborhood address that feels pleasantly local rather than flashy.
That corner eatery charm is part of the appeal, because the restaurant feels discovered even though its reputation is clearly well established.
Simon’s is an American restaurant with strong Italian classics in the mix, and it holds an impressive 4.8 star rating from nearly two thousand Google reviews.
Hours are dinner focused, opening at 5 PM Monday through Thursday until 9 PM, staying open until 10 PM on Friday and Saturday, and closing on Sunday.
If you need details before heading over, the phone number is +1 515-255-3725 and the website is simonsdsm.com.
The practical takeaway is simple.
Plan for dinner, arrive early, and come ready for a polished yet welcoming evening built around excellent food and standout hospitality.
Do that, and Simon’s stops being just another well liked local restaurant and starts feeling like the kind of place you tell friends about immediately, especially after the house made red velvet cake seals the deal.
Why Food Lovers Keep Coming Back
At the end of the night, the real magic of Simon’s is not just that one thing is great.
It is that the whole evening seems engineered to give food lovers a story worth retelling.
You come for a respected local restaurant, discover a room buzzing with anticipation, settle into genuinely warm service, eat dishes people rave about, and then get handed a slice of red velvet cake that somehow still exceeds expectations.
That sequence matters.
It creates momentum, so each part of the meal reinforces the next, making the final impression much bigger than the square footage of the dining room.
Reviewers do not sound like people checking another restaurant off a list, they sound delighted, surprised, emotionally connected, and already halfway into planning a return visit before they have left the parking lot.
For anyone wondering whether Simon’s is worth the drive, the wait, or the effort of showing up early, the chorus of praise makes a strong case.
This is the sort of place where excellent food meets old school hospitality and family pride.
In a dining landscape full of trendy distractions, Simon’s offers something far more durable: a memorable night out, a handmade dessert with real heart, and a reason for Iowa food lovers to keep flocking back for another table.