Eat Around the World in Fairfield, Iowa
Grab your partner or your best friend and head to the hottest foodie place in Iowa … Fairfield, Iowa. Who knew a small town has some of the best restaurants? Typically when driving through small towns you may find a Pizza Hut or Burger King, but not Fairfield. Their local restaurants are full of freshly-made, good food, and friendly service. Whether you enjoy baked goods, Middle Eastern cuisine, or a juicy burger, you can eat a different cuisine from a different part of the world for every meal. The food is the reason to visit, but the passion and love that the business owners show will make you come back for more. Fairfield is about 105 miles from Des Moines. An easy day drive or a quick weekend trip. Plan your getaway, now, and eat around the world in Fairfield, Iowa.
Bountiful Bakery
Address: 303 S Main Street
This cute little bakery is located in an old white house in town and is the perfect spot to stop and fuel up for a day before exploring your way through Fairfield. Bountiful Bakery uses local flour, butter, farm-fresh dairy, and eggs to make all of its flaky pastries. Everything is baked freshly in-house. You will want to sip on coffee or tea when you enjoy your baked goods. They make coffee drinks using local, Radiance Dairy whole milk, and house-made syrups.
Hungry Camel
Address: 121 W, Broadway Ave.
Plan ahead because Hungry Camel is open only on certain days and hours. They are the place in town to grab lunch and you may be full for the rest of the day, but your stomach will thank you. If you are wanting Middle Eastern cuisine this is your stop. Their Falafel in a homemade pita is warm and oh-so-good. While you wait for your made-for-scratch pita, make sure you order some homemade hummus and pita chips to snack on.
Broth Lab
Address: 102 N 2nd St
Love ramen? Check out Broth Lab which puts a twist on ramen dishes. You can create your own bowl or choose from one of the chef’s favorites. The Broth Lab was probably my favorite of the Fairfield restaurants we made a visit. Do not forget to place an order for Fried Okra as an appetizer. Not only do they create delicious food, but the look of the food and their space is so pretty. Chef Camp and his wife are so kind and truly have a love for Fairfield, Iowa. A popular must-stop as you eat your way around the world in Fairfield.
Café Paradiso
Address: 101 N Main St
Eating all this amazing food may put you to sleep, that is why you need to make a stop at Café Paradiso for a cup of Steve Giacomini’s award-winning coffee. Steve takes his love for coffee seriously and creates his own organic, shade-blend coffee bean and roasts them on-site daily. If you love straight coffee or a latte beverage definitely make a stop before you wander around the Fairfield square. He also serves Radiance Dairy!
Depot House
Address: 500 N 4th St
The Depot House is definitely not what you would expect from the outside. When you walk into their space you will be in awe at their beautiful and fun decor. Take a seat and order one of their delicious, Peruvian dishes. You cannot go wrong with anything on their menu including the Peruvian Club, Truffled Mushroom Crostini, or the Grilled Veggie wrap. So many great options!
Fishback & Stephenson Cider House
Address: 1949 Pleasant Plain Road
Fishback & Stephenson Cider House is located on the outskirts of Fairfield with the most beautiful scenic Iowa views. This is a great place to grab a local cider and take a seat outdoors. They have so many great flavors available such as Cherry Poppins, Peach Passion, and Salty Sailor. They are all very refreshing and if you get some to go, you will love the artistic cans they come in. You will definitely become hungry while you take in the view and sip away on cider, that is why they also serve delicious burgers from a fourth-generation Iowa farm not far from the cider house. If you love a little spice, you will love the Smoke House Burger. Don’t forget the sides!
SOMM Wines
Address: 102 E Briggs Ave.
If you are looking for a place to relax after a long day of eating and exploring your way through Fairfield, make a stop at SOMM Wines. They are a retail wine market but also serves wine by the glass located right off the square. They have a beautiful, shady patio to unwind. The owner is extremely knowledgeable about wines, so bring your questions! Take a look at their website before you go, because they off live music occasionally.
Taco Dreams
Address: 400 N 2nd St
Tacos for breakfast? Yes, please! This was the perfect place to grab a delicious, local breakfast before heading home. Taco Dreams is located in the Fairfield Food Collective which is a neat concept. Restaurant owners who are not ready to purchase or lease a permanent space or are still working on the kinks in their concepts can rent the kitchen space to cook and serve their food to the public. In addition to Taco Dreams, you can grab a fresh cinnamon roll croissant and coffee beverage from Breadtopia Bakery while you wait for the main dish. The breakfast burrito bowl is a winner!
Radiance Dairy
During our time in Fairfield, we had the opportunity to meet the dairy farmers (Francis and Susan Thicke) and the cows that make up Radiance Dairy. One common trend you will find as you explore Fairfield is that everyone locally sources their products as much as possible and many use Radiance Dairy. Radiance Dairy products are only available in Fairfield and through a few local, co-ops throughout Iowa.
What makes them so unique? Their goal is not to be a mass-producing dairy farm. Their Jersey cows receive fresh pasture twice daily, the cows are not confined to a barn, and the milk is not homogenized (cream rises to the top). Their cows are so happy and I quickly fell in love with the story of Radiance Dairy and their mission. If you are looking to try Radiance Dairy while visiting head to Everybody’s Whole Foods, a natural grocery store that sells its products including soft-serve ice cream during the Summer months.
Also, give them a follow on Instagram … their happy cows and daily updates put a huge smile on my face.
Some other places to try
There are so many great restaurants in Fairfield, Iowa and 48 hours in the town didn’t allow me to hit them all. Here are some other favorites that many locals rave about.
- Asian Pho Bistro – 110 W Burlington Ave
- Sweet ‘N Saucy BBQ – 117 N Court St
- The Big Acai – 61 S Court St
Fun Experiences in Fairfield, Iowa
As you are eating your way through this small Iowa, town you may want to do something fun! Fairfield offers some fun experiences in the area.
- Scarlett & Co. – Shop and make a candle at this cute boutique off the square.
- Cafe Paradiso – If you are staying for the evening head to Cafe Paradiso for a fun music experience.
- Birdwatching – Get outdoors! Fairfield is home to some of the best local birders and Cedar Creek Trail is a great place to see some fun and unique birds.
- Carnegie Historical Museum – This museum is filled with many hidden secrets of Iowa history. If you are a history buff, you will not want to leave
