Beloved Pizza Joint Named ‘Most Fascinating’ Restaurant in Iowa

When you offer pizza flavors like Crab Rangoon, it's easy to take home the title of "Most Fascinating Restaurant!" According to Love Food, Fong's Pizza in Des Moines is the most interesting restaurant in Iowa, and number 38 on a list of interesting restaurants from all 50 states.

Fong's Pizza has a pretty interesting history. The restaurant's location was previously home to the oldest Chinese restaurant in the United States, King Ying Low, which opened its doors in 1907. Buzzfeed reports that the restaurant closed in 2008 after a kitchen fire, and Fong's Pizza took over in 2009. The owners of Fong's decided to pay tribute to the original restaurant by keeping much of the interior the same, but also by curating a special menu. The Fong's Pizza website reads:

"We wanted to honor their legacy as we crafted our menu inspired by a fusion of Asian, Italian, & Polynesian cooking styles, to create our unique pizzas and other food offerings. We paired all this with the tropical and fun flavors of a Tiki bar to present one of the most unique dining destinations in all of Des Moines."

Fong's Pizza is known for its non-traditional pizzas, including Crab Rangoon, General Tso's Chicken, Firecracker Shrimp Rangoon, Honey & Garlic, and (my personal favorite) Loaded Potato. As Love Food says, "it shouldn't work, but countless happy customers will assure you that it really does." Other menu items include Dragon Wings, Thai Sticks, Cauliflower Wings, Sesame Ginger Chicken Salad, and more.

Another cool thing about Fong's Pizza is the fact that they sell late-night pizza by the slice! The restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday until midnight and Friday & Saturday until 1 a.m. You can check out all that Fong's Pizza has to offer on their website HERE.