102 Year Old Grocery Store Has One of Iowa’s Best Burgers

There is just something about a great cheeseburger that has fans coming back for more. There is a reason the state of Iowa has a best burger competition every year. We can't get enough! But sometimes the best burgers are hiding from plain sight. What if I told you that one of Iowa's best burgers can be found at a 102-year-old grocery store in Des Moines?

The store is B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli. Archie and John Brooks opened up the store in May of 1922. The store began as a grocery store and meat shop. But in the early 1980s, they added deli sandwiches to their lineup, including one called 'Dad's Killer Sandwich' which has won best deli sandwich in Des Moines multiple times. Then, burgers were added including the Quadzilla cheeseburger. Yes, you guessed it. It stands FOUR patties tall!

So how great are the burgers? The Des Moines Register described eating a burger from B&B Grocery as a "religious experience." The recipe is simple Two buns. Two griddled beef patties. American cheese. The Register boasted about the quality of meat and said that glistening patties had the kind of grease that made everything taste better.

B&B Grocery Meat and Deli is located at 2001 SE 6th Street in Des Moines. You can stop by Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. It might not be much to look at, but there is no doubt that some 'Killer' sandwiches can be found at this historic grocery store!

Get our free mobile app