Fong's Pizza

Was really excited to try the crag rangoon pizza and it turned out to be nothing special… my boyfriend and I hadn’t eaten all day and he only had one piece which I feel like says a lot. The crust tastes like they got it out the freezer and there wasn’t enough toppings on it in my opinion. The appetizer Thai sticks that we got were good-was a good amount of peanut butter, honey and bacon but was on the same crust as the pizza… overall would not come here again or suggest anyone to come here either…

Definitely a new favorite. I was very surprised about their selection of pizza options I got the Iowan and the crab Rangoon the heavier toppings were balanced by the lighter crust and like other pizza places don’t assume more is better and is the perfect size for just a few people and not having to take home half the pizza because it’s the size of the table. Overall great place for a reasonable price

The crab Rangoon pizza at this restaurant is both one of the most unusual and best pizzas that I’ve ever had. I highly recommend giving this one a try. If you like drinks on the sweeter side, the waving kitty is also excellent.

Really enjoyed Fong’s. I went in with a sole purpose of getting the Crab Rangoon Pizza. I got it and it was exactly what I hoped it would be. Crispy and sweet and savory and crispy again. I recommend this! There is also so many other pizzas on their menu. I saw some at the restaurant and now I want them also.

I made a last-minute decision to grab a bite before midnight and was pleasantly surprised by this pizzeria. Their daily homemade pizza was absolutely delicious. I opted for the bacon mac and cheese combination, which was fantastic. I also enjoyed trying different beers, all of which were tasty. The service was exceptional. I highly recommend this pizzeria!

The pizzas were average but very filling, especially the Thai chicken, which had a robust peanut butter taste and could disappoint people. The alcoholic drinks were too sweet and could have been made a lot better. The appetisers like the crab rangoon, cauliflower wings, and garlic bread were good.

This was a great restaurant to try new pizza flavors. We tried crab ragoon, Thai peanut, and honey and garlic. I highly recommend their orange cauliflower bites as an appetizer. It was fantastic!

Atmosphere & Service was pretty average, but the food was definitely lacking. General Tso's Chicken was not good, sauce was spicy "okay", but no sense of sweetness or thought into the creation. Meatzilla Pizza, pretty good as any pizza goes, but the meat was poor quality.....

Fong's Pizza is a must-visit! The food was absolutely fantastic, and the service was top-notch. I ordered the Crab Rangoon Pizza with chili sauce on the side, and it was an explosion of flavors--just the right balance of creamy, crispy, and spicy. My friend went with the Baked Potato Pizza, and they were equally impressed. We were seated immediately, and the staff was incredibly attentive throughout our meal. It's clear that Fong's Pizza knows how to deliver both in taste and experience. Highly recommended!

This is in one of the older parts of court Ave. Previously the downtown location was home to King Ying Low, supposedly the oldest Chinese restaurant in the United States. It was a funky Cantonese style Chinese like your grandparents ate. My group would go once a year for great egg rolls and won ton soup. The new restaurant owners honored their legacy and they crafted a menu inspired by a fusion of Asian, Italian, & Polynesian cooking styles, and created some very unique pizzas Its all with an old "Trader Vics".atmosphere with the tropical and fun flavors of a Tiki bar to present a unique dining destination. They have lot's of options a few slices for lunch, a happy hour, dinner or late night slices after drinks on court Ave. They have great bartenders and wait staff and were very patient explaining things to my quests I took.my niece and her husband for a cocktails ( i had a captain hook, and they had a Hurricane and a Beach comber) and to go pizzas. They got eight 10' pizzas to take as road for there trip back to Ohio. They got a couple crab rangoon pizzas, Banh MI pizza, Orange Chicken pizza, Thai Chicken pizza. Firecracker Shrimp Rangoon and a Southsider... They loved them all. I enjoyed a slice Of firecracker Shrimp Rangoon and a slice of their Southsider

What an amazing restaurant/bar. Asian inspired pizza options; many vegetarian options. The Iowa pizza was great as was the cauliflower wings. We sat at the bar and the server was attentive and helpful. Great place, definitely worth the visit.

Fongs is a must visit when in Des Moine. They have classic as well as the coolest Asian pizzas. The service was great, the pizza came out quickly, and the drinks were amazing and dangerously smooth! Get the margarita you can't go wrong with it!

Really enjoyed Fong's. I went in with a sole purpose of getting the Crab Rangoon Pizza. I got it and it was exactly what I hoped it would be. Crispy and sweet and savory and crispy again. I recommend this! There is also so many other pizzas on their menu. I saw some at the restaurant and now I want them also.

All the rave and it was just OK to me. Had to try the "Legendary Crab Rangoon Pizza" and the sauce was too much for me. Couldn't really taste anything but the sauce. The Mac & Cheese pizza was actually better if you like Mac and cheese and we love Mac and cheese. The place was also just OK. A regular chinese looking restaurant with asian decorations that serves pizza. Our server Cadin was probably the best part of the dinner. 3.5 on food, 2 on the restaurant's decoration but 4 stars for service. I would check it out if you love pizza and chinese food fusion. And quite a unique pizza you can't get anywhere else.

I really wish I could get this pizza back home! You've got to try this Asian fusion pizza--trust me, it won't disappoint! If you love crab Rangoon, you're gonna love this!! The service is solid, and the vibe is super chill. I'm craving this pizza so much right now! I finished it all by myself, so it is a perfect size. You'll leave full.

What an amazing idea! What an amazing menu! Located in downtown and parking accessible and available . We ordered an appetizer which had the exact needed heat and of course, a pizza that had Chinese rice on it! Yes you heard right Chinese rice, enjoy the pics! Will be returning next time and Iowa, thanks guys.

Off day for Fongs. Food mostly fine, service very slow. Usually get the crab Rangoon pizza but opted to try the orange chicken. It was good. Needed a tad more sauce to be honest. Didn't mention service was slow.... Ugh.

Been to Fong's several times in the past and this time this visit was just as pleasant. Sat at the bar to get the full Tiki Bar experience. Ordered Crab Rangoon pizza and a Waving Kitty. Always loved the vibe of this establishment. Makes Des Moines one of my favorite eating towns.

I was told by several people to try this so we did! Cute place, clean and good service.

Pizza was perfect size and super tasty. Had the crab Rangoon just because is was something different it did not disappoint. Paired it the kitty drink and I'm taking home the cat mug. Alex was my server she was spot on! She check on me, to see if I needed anything and gave recommendation. Thanks Alex! Ambiance was perfect. I can around 4:30pm it was quiet, enjoying a peaceful meal with great music.

My go to is the honey garlic alfredo pizza with their Chinese cheese sticks. Can't go wrong! Super basic & yummy. Great staff at the bar seating. A DSM staple. We will be back when the craving hits!

If you love crab rangoon and you love pizza, then Fong's Pizza needs to be your next stop. Their crab rangoon pizza is scrump-ditally-uptious. You might not think this combination of foods would be a match but all you need to do is close your eyes and take a bite! My sister and I planned an afternoon date of Fong and Jean Valjean (Lés Miserables). She picked Fong and I picked Jean lol. From the moment we walked into this tightly packed little restaurant, the experience was positive. There were two open bar seats calling our names and the seats were actually clean. The bartender was nice looking and very attentive. It took us about 20 minutes to get our pizza and eat the entire thing. From the moment we took the first bite, I don't think we talked at all. I plan to go back and try the other pizzas.

We got into Des Moines late in the evening on a Thursday night and immediately got carry out from Fong's! In my research of Des Moines, this was somewhere people really recommended for a quirky little meal and that's exactly how I'd describe Fong's! This used to be a Chinese restaurant, one of the oldest in all of Des Moines and when that restaurant closed and new owners finally came in and opened up Fong's Pizza, they decided to keep all the original decor and incorporate this identity into the menu. Fong's Pizza is half pizza restaurant and half tiki bar so what you have now is what properly looks like the inside of a Chinese restaurant, just with a bar and a very unique menu of food and drink! What everyone talks about in relation to the food is the crab rangoon pizza. I love crab rangoon and I love pizza, so I knew I had to try it. The result? It really did taste like crab rangoon! I would say that the novelty of this restaurant is a large part of the appeal and that the food, overall, isn't all that great. The pizzas aren't the best quality, they don't reheat well either if you're eating leftovers, and generally they have a really sad looking air about them with their sad pizza dough, pale, thin crusts. We also got the mac and cheese pizza (similar pizza appearance), cauliflower wings (delicious and overpoweringly sauced/sweet), Chinese cheese sticks (mozzarella sticks in spring roll wrappers - mozz was delish, spring roll wrappers were a little too thick, bready, and tough), and ended with the raspberry cheesecake egg rolls (perfect, no notes!). So as you can see, the food was relatively hit or miss, but overall we appreciated the experience of trying out the menu at Fong's and trying out one of the more iconic restaurants in this city. If you're interested in good food, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this spot, but if you're looking for a glimpse into Des Moines culture, definitely check it out!

Walked in and placed a to-go order. Super friendly and quick service. Front half was a bar, that I would have definitely stayed to enjoy if I wasn't in a hurry.

Fonts is amazing! I used to always go to the Ankeny location, but it closed. Now, when I'm in town I trek to the downtown Des Moines location. Yes, it's worth the extra few miles. I have to get the crab Rangoon pizza - if you love crab rangoon, it's a must! There are SO many yummy pizzas to try. The macaroni & cheese and the Iowa with pork and corn are my daughter and son-in-laws fave. But, there are probably 20 more 'fun' pizzas that we've tried over the years. Service has always been excellent and they are super fast - unless every single seat is filled on a weekend - then I have to bring a few toys for my 3 yr old granddaughter - but it's easy and never a horrible wait time. Call ahead! Parking...well, I'm not completely familiar with the downtown area, so I use the paid parking lot next to the restaurant. It's pretty tight, he squeezes cars in - but I've never had a scratch or ding, so it's a winner for me! If you get seated by some old framed photos, look at them and I can remember menus like that from near when I grew up! The atmosphere is reminiscent of the old Chinese restaurants that are still scattered all of the US - I'm in heaven!! Now I get to eat crab rangoon on my own pizza and not have to look like a jerk after I ate all the appetizer rangoons! You can too!! Bonus!!

I tried the recommended crab rangoon pizza. It was by far the most confusing, disgusting thing I've put in my mouth. I had to drench that with siracha for it to be edible. To top it off, I don't know how a side salad, small/thin pizza, and a non alcoholic beer (worst I've had, pretty much just sparkling water with a little hoppy after taste) came out to nearly $40 dollars! What a rip off! We are here on a business trip and told all my colleagues to stay away from this place.

Bad. Really bad. Even by Midwest standards this is bad. Bland flavorless crust and gimmicky toppings. I gave one extra star just because it's open late. I'd skip this.

A Chinese pizza place? IN! What a great concept but can be executed better. First off the décor- love it! Typical Chinese restaurant decor. But it looked a little aged in a bad way not a good way (you know like oh this place has been loved and it's just old. It was more like it's been beat up, not taken care of and my husband was worried about how clean the kitchen was. I can confirm I looked into the kitchen and no issues.) I had the orange chicken pizza. The orange chicken was good. I loved the rice on the pizza- who would have known?! The crust was where it could have been better. it's like flatbread cracker crust. We started discussing how we could make this at home with better crust. I ordered the painkiller. I am super cheesy for cute drinking glasses at restaurants I want them! The menu had each cup featured ne to the drink. My cup was not as pictured on the menu but the drink was ok. Overall I want someone to take this concept, make it better and open in my state!

Food: the general tso chicken pizza was good and hearty, however it needs a side of sauce for the side. It was a good pizza, but I'm surprised it was on Man Vs Food! (I wouldn't order it again) Side salad: just skip it, lettuce isn't good and the "mozzarella cheese" is non existent Service: food was ready faster than expected and I did a take out order so I can't speak for the actual restaurant service Was a bit surprised they don't automatically give you cutlery when ordering a to go order

Was really looking forward to trying this unique pizza joint after reading an article. Unfortunately, the experience left a lot to be desired. The waving kitty was overly sweet and I wasn't able to finish it. The crab Rangoon had potential- but it lacked flavor and sustenance unfortunately. There were piece of imitation crab, but the sauce was very bland and minimal. The dragon wings were the best part of the meal and were a okay. The atmosphere is a typical divert my college pizza joint. I think Fong's has a lot of potential and maybe was over better quality in the past. They missed the spot on my visit unfortunately.

I was so excited to try the much talked about Fongs Pizza DSM. It lives in the heart of downtown and has hole in the wall vibes with some cool Asian decor. Walking in the bar is prevalent and there are a few booths and other seating options. (It definitely could fill up quickly!) We ordered the Thai Sticks -- which is kind of a misnomer as it is in fact a pizza. But dang, I did like the creamy Thai peanut sauce and bacon-- the Mike's Hot Honey was a nice touch. Definitely can be shared amongst four people or so for an appetizer. After that highly publicized Crab rangoon pizza arrived at the table. Can't beat the crispy wontons and sweet chili sauce on top but the execution of this one fell flat IMO. (I had been to its sister restaurant-- since closed-- in CR, so I had a base to compare it to.) There are lunch specials at this location (two slices and a soft drink | One slice, side salad, and soft drink -- I believe for just under $10) so that is rad. But the true star is their DAILY happy hour (3-6PM). There are discounts on all tiki drinks, wells, domestics, and drafts; plus every drink purchase scores you a free slice of za. Overall this mid-day lunch excursion to Fong's Pizza fell flat. Service wasn't very attentive (despite not being that busy) and the food wasn't on point. I'd give it a 3.5 star because it really is a unique concept living in Iowa. I'd FOR SURE come for some tiki drinks and free slices during happy hour. Come check it out and be sure to ask for the pizza of the day!

So glad that we visited Fong's on a walk back from a midweek work event in the Capitol. It's a Des Moines favorite for more than a dozen years, and I now know why. Located near major hotels and within the (great) Farmers Market footprint, it is on the site of once what was the oldest Chinese restaurant in the USA, hence the unique bend of a Tiki Bar, Asian-influenced place. Loved it! Great vibe, kind customer service. Luckilynhad a wonderful server, Yanexy, who guided us through their menu. She rocks. Loved "The Southsider," a 10" pizza that was delicious. Great mix of an olive oil base, Gaxiano sausage, garlic, incredibly fresh basil, tomato and mozzarella. Fairly thin crust but it held its crunch and sensational texture. I'm in DSM quite a bit, and they have a return customer, zero doubt here.

Asian Pizza SLAPS! So good! Highly recommend the General Tso's Chicken Pizza and Dragon Bites! If there is a wait ...wait for it! Worth it! Great portions & friendly staff. Brought my daughter and there is plenty of other regular pizza options and other choices to pick from, if you don't want the Asian-inspired pizza creations.

My boss recommended coming for lunch, so she, my coworker & I did just that. It's a very cute place and I was excited for the Asian pizza selections. We all chose the lunch special of a personal pizza and salad. They had the Crab Rangoon, and I had the Thai Chicken. We were very a happy with them. Mine was so flavorful. I wish to return on my next DSM visit.

Waitress was great food was awful! Black guy was cool as shit! Atmosphere was a drag! Between the methed out girl you had to step over to get in the door and the stale ass lunch pizza! I guess I love coming to these places to eat and hate to leave dissatisfied.

I was in town for only 24 hours and someone told me to go to Fong's pizza. I am so glad they did and that they recommended it because this is one of the most different pizza experiences that I have ever had! It's Asian infused pizza, plus their cocktails are Tiki style. So it's like a two in one win! The Decor is really cool as well. It's half Asian and half tiki vibe. I loved it and I have never seen anything like that! Our bartender/waitress was amazing! Not only did she have great customer service, but she was super funny and really entertaining as well! We ordered the crab Rangoon pizza, and some other pizza that I can't remember. Also, the tiki cocktail that comes in the kitty and the one in the peacock and both were super delicious! We also ordered another cocktail that we didn't realize was a shot and when they give it to you they give you a helmet to wear while you do the shot. I thought that was so unique and so funny! I definitely want to come back here! This place is a must if you are ever in Des Moines, Iowa!

Had the Crab Rangoon pizza that this place is known for. I'm not a fan of cream cheese so I wasn't expecting to be a big fan, but I was pleasantly surprised. I also had the general tsos pizza which was also good but not as good as the crab rangoon. I would definitely go back for the crab Rangoon pizza again if I'm ever back in Des Moines.

One of the coolest and original pizza places I've ever been. The food was amazing. You might get a wide variety of patrons when you visit.

Such a fun place and concept. Have cheap slices immediately available if you want something quick. I got a honey and ricotta (I believe) slice and it was out of this world. We were here on a Saturday night around 9 and it was packed. We got seated relatively quickly and ordered the famous crab Rangoon pizza and loaded potato pizza. Both were fantastic. The crab Rangoon pizza isn't too intense or rich at all- not really what you would expect. They were both 10/10. Service was impeccable and ambiance is quirky and fun. We will certainly be back!!!

What a unique concept - Asian pizza? What an unusual menu! There's so much variety though, it's even good for a picky eater. There's also Iowa themed pizza and traditional pizza too. My wife and I shared a 10" pizza which was plenty for the two of us and was a great value. Don't miss it! A really unique place! We didn't take any pictures because the pizza was so good that we ate it all really quick before we remembered to get pictures

Had Fong's for dinner tonight. Now I've been here before and had the crab Rangoon pizza which is delicious. Tonight wanted to try something new. Had the Kung poa pizza. It was pretty dang good. The mirepoix was a little over powering in flavor. Putting Sriracha on it definitely helped. We had the Chinese cheese egg rolls. Essentially there mozzarella stick inside of the eggroll wrappers. So good! Gotta try Fong's if you haven't

This place rocks the house! I've tried the crab rangoon, this chicken, and general Tso's pizzas. All incredibly tasty! Local beer on tab is excellent and goes with all pizza selections. Service was awesome! Wait staff is friendly and patient. The restaurant itself is very quaint and eclectic! Really cool and very much recommended! You'll love it!

Great, unique pizza options in a laid back asian decorated scene. Quick and friendly service. Even when they are busy they move tables quickly and I have never waited more than 15 minutes for a table.

I really wanted to enjoy this dinner. It was just ok, though. I looooove the location and atmosphere. The staff was pretty good, if maybe a bit overworked. The biggest problem was the pizza itself. Look at the crust in my picture- it's the texture of matzah from Passover 1998. Also, why is there mirepoix on a General Tso's pizza? It just was not great.

Ehh. Was definitely over hyped over crab Rangoon "pizza". But I was an experience nonetheless. Best part nothing was over priced

Fong's was at the top of the recommendation list of our Des Moines native friend when we announced that we would be spending New Years in the city. In ended up being across the street from our Air BnB and therefore became our first stop. Perhaps it was the drive but we are still dreaming of our experience. A true combination of a trashy tikibar and Chinese restaurant. The cocktails are spectacular and the pizza is even more fun! We had the crab Rangoon and General Tso's and I'd die if they'd deliver to Minneapolis!

We enjoyed the fun pizza options and shared selections with our party. The service was good and we got good recommendations for beer and pizza options. The location was accessible and we found parking on the street.

Fongs downtown has a nice comfortable atmosphere when you walk in. You're greeted immediately by bartenders and their staff they're always smiling. They're helpful. I noticed that they had a chef special that Fongs allowed their own chef to come up with his own pizza and I really love that about privately owned companies rather than a franchise ! I would recommend this restaurant. I think you will find this restaurant to be worthy of your time and definitely stands out among Your Normal pizza restaurants!

I came to Des Moines for a wedding earlier this year, and this is one of the places that popped up on a few sources I was researching. If you go and browse this menu even just once, you'll understand why I had to rush here as soon as possible. I took an Uber here from the airport, lugged my luggage inside, and got to work. I was preparing for a giant dinner, so I only ordered two 10-inch pies to split with my girlfriend. Pie number one was General Tso's Chicken Pizza (General Tso's sauce, breaded chicken, water chestnuts, baby corn, roasted red pepper, Mozzarella and Asiago topped with fresh green onion). This was a fun one! The sauced chicken and the crunchy chestnuts and the most unique part, the baby corn! A solid combination. You will not be disappointed. Now the real star of the show was the Crab Rangoon Pizza (Crab rangoon base, surimi, green onion, Asiago and Mozzarella topped with crispy wontons and a sweet chili lattice). This was the best thing I ate for the entirety of my visit in Des Moines. I'm not kidding. The base of rangoon is genius. So creamy. And then the crispy wontons are everywheeere. You'll get some with every bite. And the sweet chili sauce, we all know how good that stuff is. I just don't know how to even describe it. You'll just have to come try it. It's amazing. I had it a total of three times while I was in town. Not kidding. So yea, this is a good place to come eat. Probably the best place in Des Moines. Come, eat.

Based on reviews, I really looked forward to this place. The food was ok. However, terrible service ruined it: stuck in the back of the restaurant, server ignored us, wasn't informative once she arrived, then wouldn't print the receipt when asked us to pay.

Got the Thai Chicken Pizza. I thought it was ok but nothing overwhelming with flavor. The crust could have been better, as I'm not sure if they make their crusts from scratch or they're already premade. Maybe I will try a different pizza next time, like one of the classic Chinese ones they are more known for.

A little something different - fun gourmet pizzas with creative toppings - obviously the Asian pizzas are all well worth the try (a fan of the Crab Rangoon one myself).

Cool hole in the wall place. The pizza was a mixed bag. We order three pizzas, Fongolian Beef, Crab Rangoon and Thai Chicken. The Fongolian beef was delicious. It was super tasty full of flavor. The Thai Chicken was not good. It was very peanut buttery where that almost all you could taste. The Crab Rangoon was different but good. The Rangoon pizza was very rich, I could not imagine eating more than one slice. All the pizza crusts were on the thin and soft side so I would not recommend getting a traditional pizza toppings because I it would make the pizza below average. They had a lot of unique drinks I had Spicy Paloma. It was tequila concoction that wasn't super hot but had a salty brine taste to it. It was bad but not my favorite. The Mango the Panda drink was very good but sweet. These drinks are on the stronger side and will creep up on a person. Service was ok nothing great nothing bad.

Found this gem on "Atlas Obscura" and it did not disappoint at all. Order the weird, order the "Asian-inspired" pies! (Come on! You can have regular pie anywhere else...Just saying!) AND tiki drinks to boot!? This place just keeps getting better and better! We opted for the "General Tso's Chicken Pizza" 16" Gluten-free, General Tso's sauce, breaded chicken, water chestnuts, baby corn, roasted red pepper, mozzarella, and asiago topped with fresh green onion. It was really tasty! Make sure you pour some soy sauce (it's on the table!) on top to compliment the pie! We also ordered "Street Taco Pizza" (Not Asian but still weird!) Gluten-free cajun corn and bean base. Topped with cheddar, pepper jack, and mozzarella cheese, red onion, jalapeno, mojo beef, baked to perfection when taken out of the oven topped with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo and cilantro-lime sour cream and house-made salsa verde. It was good but we agreed the General Tso's was more fun flavor-wise. The decor and kitsch of this place make it totally worth a visit, hands down! Just don't order a pepperoni pie fool! A Des Moines "GEM." Thanks to whoever added it to Atlas Obscura!

This place is really unique. Pizza with Chinese food toppings in a tiki-bar? Yup... it works too! Pizza is thin crust but very flavorful. Good service!

Had a group of three come in at 11pm at night, we did not have to wait long to get a table. The waitress was really really nice to us. I do think that the quality of food could be better. I got the banh mi daily special rice bowl. It was really spicy but the rice definitely tasted like minute rice. The pizza was good as we got the pepperoni and the crab Rangoon. It does feel very expensive as it was $17 for a 10 inch pizza, but it tasted good. I will give this place a try again but I might not get a rice bowl, I'll just stick to pizza.

Cheap eats and a bar Sometimes slices are less than fresh but the flavor combinations are great Alfredo with garlic and honey is better than it sounds