Maid-Rite

Restaurant · Urbandale

Maid-Rite

Restaurant · Urbandale

1

3800 Merle Hay Rd #988, Des Moines, IA 50310

Photos

Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by Eater - Lists + Maps
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null
Maid-Rite by null

Highlights

Signature ground-beef sandwiches, salads, sides & shakes  

Placeholder
Placeholder

3800 Merle Hay Rd #988, Des Moines, IA 50310 Get directions

maid-rite.com

$1–10 · Menu

Information

Static Map

3800 Merle Hay Rd #988, Des Moines, IA 50310 Get directions

+1 515 278 8173
maid-rite.com
maidrite
𝕏
@maidrite

$1–10 · Menu

Features

payment credit card
Tap to pay
reservations
wifi

Last updated

Sep 20, 2025

Powered By

You might also like

Terms of Use • Privacy Policy • Cookie Policy
 © 2025 Postcard Technologies, Inc.
@eater

Des Moines’s Best Restaurants, According to 2020 Campaign Operatives | Eater

"Started in 1926 by butcher Fred Angell, Maid-Rite serves the iconic Iowa “loose meat sandwich,” consisting of seasoned ground beef topped with onions and pickles and served in a hamburger bun — basically a sloppy Joe minus the tomato sauce. The fast-casual chain has 70 locations scattered across the region, mostly in small cities. The downtown location closed recently, so you’ll have to hike to the Valley West Mall or the Merle Hay Mall out in Urbandale for a taste of this almost century-old small-town institution." - Gary He

https://www.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-des-moines-iowa
View Postcard for Maid-Rite

Diana R

Google
I was so excited when we went to Des Moines and my son told me that they had Maid-Rite near where we were. So we went there and the food was delicious the person waiting on us was so so nice. And I went and thanked her after I was done eating and I explained that the majority in Cedar Rapids is closed so I was so excited to see this one. And she said next time you're in Des Moines make sure that you come see us. That was so

Leon Spargo

Google
I hadn't been to a Maid Rite in several years and was really looking forward to an original Maid Rite sandwich. The recipe seems to have changed over the years. It tastes more Like a sloppy Joe now. And not a great sloppy Joe at that. It wasn't bad, but it was far from great. Or even real good for that matter. There is no sign outside, and there is no atmosphere to speak of inside. But the service was great and the staff was friendly.

Dennis M

Google
Nothing beats a classic maid-rite. Meat was so full of flavor! Service gal was amazing bubbly & polite! Great experience!

Nancy Riphahn

Google
Great Maid Rite sandwiches! The service was very helpful and friendly. It is in the Merle Hay Mall.

A.

Google
Brought a friend for his first time maid rite experience. Cashier was friendly and took our order quickly. Guy preparing the food took a couple minutes to get started because he was on his phone, guess he decided to save time by not washing his hands in between, gross. Food was good, hot, large portion. Left both a cash and suggestion tip (All the germs that go from your face to your phone to your hands to the food can be removed if you’ll just wash your hands properly between the phone and the food prep)

Colby Wallace

Google
Bryan at the Maid Rite in the Mall in Des Moines provided us with stellar customer service! And his food tasted great. My wife’s first taste of Maid Rite was a the best I could ask for.

Heather

Google
Our sandwiches and fries had no flavor! We threw our food away! So disappointed!

bryce bergman

Google
Hadn’t had one in decades. Still every bit a as good as they used to be.
google avatar

Dan T.

Yelp
This Maid-Rite recently made the news on KCCI and has been all over social media. This is the last Maid-Rite in Des Moines. The business has seen a substantial decrease in sales since the pandemic and have been struggling with the construction in the area affecting customer traffic. I'm not really sure I can say anymore than what has already been said by so many others recently... So I'm going to keep this relatively short. I went with a cheese rite with everything in a basket with fries and a drink (Pepsi products) and a plain chili cheese rite... Support local! It's an easy thing to do when a place serves good food and has a great staff... Brian and his team are personable and do a wonderful job at the counter and in their kitchen. Maid-Rite sandwiches are nostalgic for me and evergreen in that the first one I had was probably close to 50 years ago... And I still enjoy them today. And a fun fact. As much as I enjoy a breaded pork tenderloin (which Maid-Rite also serves)... Loose meat sandwiches are the official state sandwich Iowa is known for. Google it. Grab a Maid-Rite sandwich! Whatever combination floats your boat... And then come back to MHM to support Brenda at Vietnam Cafe and Tamales Industry too! https://www.facebook.com/maidritemhm?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Debra Z.

Yelp
Best service and food around Meryl hay mall the owner is very friendly and best customer service I have experienced
google avatar

Fox E.

Yelp
They're good, except when they're Made Wrong. This is sort of like the Des Moines version of a sloppy joe. One of the few foods that is famously Iowan along with the much more impressive pork tenderloin sandwich. Maid-Rite is a local staple so when you are in town you absolutely have to try it. I've been hearing about it every time I came to IA since as long as I can remember. This one inside the mall is perfectly fine. Wait time is nominal. Service was iffy. The product was probably around three stars but it gets bumped up to 4 because of low prices and because it is the tradition and I support traditions.
google avatar

Cliff K.

Yelp
it's all about expectations. I had their loose meat sandwich here and it was exactly what I thought it would be and it tasted good and their fries were hot and fresh and were also good. in other places around the country they might call this a sloppy joe in Iowa it's something different. They have lots of other items on the menu. The key thing to remember is they've gone a long way to try to make it safe at the Merle Hay Mall for these kind of venues to operate in prosper.b there's nearby parking and lots of choices from Vietnamese to Italian to barbecue and then of course this Maid- right. the staff were messed up they had gloves on and if you go later on during the lunch time there's always lots of tables so you don't really have to sit next to anybody so you can maintain healthy social distances. of course you can order to go so you don't really have to dine in.
google avatar

Nam T.

Yelp
One of the last few Maid-Rites still open in Des Moines. The French fries are awesome here. Always hot and crispy when we get them. I have to order two baskets for my kids. The cheese curds are good too I like the original Maid-Rites with ketchup a vanilla shake. Yum Service is friendly and I guess you can say my food is always Maid-Rite! Haha The new owner, Brian is the nicest.
google avatar

Thyme K.

Yelp
The woman working here today is so helpful. The calories are not listed and she was willing to print a sheet out. She also came up with low calorie options. Very friendly and accurate with the order

Frank L.

Yelp
I love maid-rite! I usually only eat at Taylor's in Marshalltown but on the way back down I-80 I decided to stop in at the mall to eat. I saw this Maid-Rite I never knew was here! This young man greeted me almost immediately he talked a bit fast but nailed my ordered almost perfectly. I did not even get my drink filled and my order was already finished in under 30 seconds. The food was hot and fresh very, very tasty fries must have been fresh out of the fryer because they were almost to hot to eat, for a non Taylor's Maid-Rite the sandwich was pretty good. If i am ever back in the Merle hay area again I would definitely eat here again.