Right in the beating heart of downtown Des Moines, Centro has been the city’s most beloved gathering place for Italian-inspired food since it opened its doors in 2002.
Housed inside a magnificently restored historic Masonic Temple, this is the kind of restaurant that draws first-timers with its drama and keeps locals coming back with the kind of scratch-made, ingredient-obsessed cooking that never gets old.
More than two decades in, Centro isn’t just a restaurant — it’s a Des Moines institution. 🏛️
How Centro Won Des Moines’ Hearts
Centro was built around a bold, defining feature that no other restaurant in Iowa could claim at the time: the state’s only coal-fired oven, burning at 900-plus degrees and delivering a char-kissed crust that flatly cannot be replicated on any other cooking surface. 🔥
It gave Centro a flavor identity so distinct that once you’ve tasted a coal-fired pizza in Des Moines, no ordinary pie will ever quite satisfy again.
But co-owner George Formaro and his culinary team understood early on that a great oven alone doesn’t build a two-decade legacy — the cooking philosophy behind it does.
Every menu item is crafted from scratch using fresh, seasonal, and locally sourced ingredients, with produce sourced prominently from the downtown Des Moines farmers’ market, turning the restaurant into a living, breathing expression of what Iowa’s seasons have to offer at any given moment. 🌿
The legendary Monday Pizza & Pint Night — half-price pizza and Peroni beers every Monday from 4 PM — became one of the city’s most reliable weekly traditions, cementing Centro’s role not just as a special-occasion destination but as a genuine neighborhood anchor.
Pair all of that with the stunning Masonic Temple setting, high ceilings, vintage grandeur, and a warm energy that somehow feels equally right for a Tuesday happy hour or a milestone anniversary dinner, and it becomes clear exactly why this Italian-inspired restaurant in Iowa has outlasted trends, recessions, and a pandemic to remain the most talked-about table in the city. ❤️
Food Highlights
- George’s Favorite Pizza: Named after owner George Formaro himself — mozzarella, Graziano’s Italian sausage, roasted red pepper, red onion, and red sauce.
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Capricciosa Pizza: Mozzarella, Graziano Brothers Italian sausage, capicola, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, red onion, and red sauce on a coal-fired crust. 🍕
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Centro Salad: Italian greens, Gorgonzola cheese, toasted pecans, red onion, and a balsamic vinaigrette. 🥗
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Saus & Shrimp Fett: Fettuccine tossed with link sausage, plump shrimp, broccolini, tomato, garlic, crushed red pepper, and a silky white wine butter sauce. 🍤🍝
- Centro Crab Cakes: A perennial fan favorite and one of the dishes visitors single out most — perfectly seasoned, expertly prepared, and utterly satisfying. 🦀
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Spaghetti Amatriciana: Homemade egg-enriched spaghetti with guanciale, shallots, charred red pepper flakes, a touch of tomato, and pecorino Romano. 🍝
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Handmade Ricotta Gnocchi: Pillowy, house-made ricotta gnocchi crafted with the lightness and care you’d expect from an Italian grandmother. 🇮🇹
- Rigatoni with Sausage: Hearty rigatoni pasta tossed with savory Italian sausage in a rich, satisfying sauce.
Atmosphere
Stepping into Centro feels like entering a place that was always meant to be exactly this — the soaring ceilings, warm wood, and vintage grandeur of the historic Masonic Temple create an atmosphere that is simultaneously dramatic and deeply welcoming. 🏛️
The bar hums with energy during happy hour, the patio fills quickly on warm evenings, and the dining room strikes that rare balance between casually convivial and genuinely elegant — making Centro equally perfect for a business lunch, a date night, or a boisterous group dinner.
Monday nights take on a life of their own as the Pizza & Pint Night crowd flows in, turning one of the most beautiful dining rooms in Des Moines into the most fun room in the city by 5:30 PM. 🍺
Every corner of Centro hums with the energy of a restaurant that has earned its place in the city’s heart — and knows it, without ever becoming complacent about it.
Bottom Line
Centro is downtown Des Moines dining at its most iconic: Iowa’s only coal-fired oven, scratch-made pastas and pizzas, two decades of community-rooted cooking, legendary Monday Pizza & Pint nights, and a drop-dead gorgeous historic setting that makes every meal feel like an event. 🍕🏛️❤️
Address:
1003 Locust St, Des Moines, IA 50309
🕔 Mon–Tue 4:00 PM–9:00 PM | Thu 11:00 AM–9:00 PM | Fri–Sat 11:00 AM–10:00 PM | Sun 11:00 AM–9:00 PM