How to Book Lucca in Des Moines
Published
Lucca occupies a brick storefront at 420 E Locust St in Des Moines’s Historic East Village — about forty seats, an exposed-brick wall, an arched window onto Locust — and it has been the city’s reference Italian room since chef-owner Steve Logsdon opened it in 2003. Call (515) 243-1115, aim at Saturday for the four-course prix fixe, and start in the pasta.
The Chef and the Pasta Room
Steve Logsdon trained across Tuscan and Roman kitchens before returning to Iowa, and the menu reads as a serious editorial answer to Italian cooking rather than a Midwestern interpretation of it. Four James Beard Foundation nominations for Best Chef: Midwest back that up. The pasta room is visible from the dining floor through an arched window, and the hand-cut tagliarini with brown butter and sage comes straight out of it. Our Lucca review ranks it #2 in Des Moines dining.
Booking It
The channel. Phone (515) 243-1115 or the site at luccadsm.com. The night. Saturday is the prix-fixe service — a four-course tasting menu the kitchen has run as its signature since 2003, $89 at RFK’s late-2025 visit; confirm the current price when you book. The easier tables. Tuesday through Thursday is a la carte and lands on shorter notice. The forty-seat room books days ahead for weekends, so call early and ask for the front room by the window.
What to Order
Open with the tagliarini in brown butter and sage, then choose between the salt-baked branzino carved tableside and the slow-braised lamb shoulder with Castelvetrano olives and preserved lemon. The hand-rolled cavatelli with sweet Italian sausage and broccoli rabe is the room’s comfort argument, and the tiramisu is the close. On the Saturday prix fixe the kitchen sequences it for you across four courses. It earns its seats on our Italian dining index and the birthday list.
Related Reading
- Our full profile: Lucca review.
- The city: Des Moines dining guide.
- Des Moines alternatives: 801 Chophouse for steak and Alba for a modern room.
- For the occasion: the first-date list.
View Lucca on Restaurants for Kings →
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you book Lucca in Des Moines?
Call the restaurant on (515) 243-1115 or book through the site at luccadsm.com. The dining room seats about forty, so weekend tables go days ahead, especially Saturday when the four-course prix fixe runs. Midweek is easier and lets you order a la carte. Ask for the front room by the arched window onto Locust rather than the quieter back parlor if you want the full room.
When should you book for the prix fixe?
Saturday night is the prix-fixe service, a four-course tasting menu the kitchen has used as its editorial signature since the room opened in 2003, and it books out well ahead. It ran $89 at RFK's late-2025 visit; confirm the current figure when you reserve, as it changes with the menu. Tuesday through Thursday the format is a la carte, and those tables are the ones you can land on short notice.
Who is the chef at Lucca?
Chef-owner Steve Logsdon, who trained across Tuscan and Roman kitchens before returning to Iowa and opening Lucca in 2003. He has earned four James Beard Foundation nominations for Best Chef: Midwest, and the menu reads as a serious answer to Italian cuisine rather than a Midwestern interpretation of it. His pasta room is visible from the dining floor through an arched window.
What should you order at Lucca?
Start with the hand-cut tagliarini in brown butter and sage from the visible pasta room, then the salt-baked branzino carved tableside or the slow-braised lamb shoulder with Castelvetrano olives and preserved lemon. The hand-rolled cavatelli with sweet Italian sausage and broccoli rabe is the kitchen's comfort argument, and the tiramisu closes it. On Saturday the prix fixe makes the choices for you.
Where is Lucca located in Des Moines?
At 420 E Locust St in the Historic East Village, the warehouse-and-loft district directly east of the State Capitol grounds. It is a brick storefront of about forty seats with an exposed-brick wall and an arched window onto Locust. RFK ranks it #2 in Des Moines; see the full Des Moines dining guide for how it sits against 801 Chophouse and Alba.