If you’re the type of person who loves The Walking Dead and/or would celebrate Halloween year-round, Zombie Burger + Drink Lab is your kind of food joint! Although I’ve visited Zombie Burger once before, I recently made another visit that reminded me why I love this restaurant so much!

Other than the food, one of the best things about Zombie Burger +Drink Lab is the ambiance. When you arrive at the restaurant in Des Moines, you are greeted by their colorful neon signs.

And as you make your way inside, the undead theme continues.  There isn’t a wall or surface area that isn’t embellished with zombie decor!

Because Zombie Burger is a popular tourist attraction and a beloved franchise to Iowans, I was apprehensive about visiting them on a weekend. However, despite how busy they were,  Zombie Burger exceeded my expectations! My family and I visited the Des Moines location on a Saturday night and we didn’t even have to wait 10 mins until we were seated!

Once we were seated, the waiter gave us our menus and took our drink orders. And just like everything else in the restaurant, the menu is incorporated into the theme by looking like a newspaper from a Zombie Apocalyptic future.  The stories on the menus are probably changed every few months. But, during our visit our menus featured hilarious political content based on current events.

Other than the playful zombie apocalyptic design, the highlight of Zombie Burger’s menu is their “Gore-met Bashed Burgers” in which they have more than 20 unique combinations to choose from. Some of their most popular and wildest creations are The Walking Ched(deep fried mac and cheese with bacon burger), Undead Elvis (peanut butter, fried bananas, bacon, American cheese, egg, and mayo), and the Flamethrower(Buffalo sauce, blue cheese, onion rings, ranch dressing). No worries if you can’t handle the heat from the Flamethrower! Zombie Burger also offers a variety of specialty shakes to wash down your burger! 😉 

Although most people visit Zombie Burger for their unique burger choices, due to my diet restrictions, I,unfortunately, didn’t have that option . However, I was pleased to find out that the staff at Zombie Burger are not only very energetic but also very accommodating.

When I asked about their gluten-free options, the waiter was kind and knowledgeable.  He told me that their hamburgers (served with a lettuce bun) are currently their only gluten-free choice. And while I had hoped for more options, I am happy that Zombie Burger still makes some effort to include gluten-free foodies like me!

Our food arrived not long after we placed our order. And while my lettuce double cheeseburger with bacon ended up looking more like a salad than a cheeseburger, it worked out well for me! Besides, I wasn’t sure how well a lettuce bun would hold up anyways. My double cheeseburger was very tasty and I was glad I opted for a double rather than a single.

🍴 Overall, I’d give the restaurant a 4.5 out of 5 rating.

The food is great. The service is friendly and fast. The restaurant is clean and the atmosphere is fun and easygoing.The only thing missing is more gluten-free options! While I was pleased that they at least had a choice for me (because that is often more than other restaurants offer), I do believe Zombie Burger should expand their gluten-free options.But, other than that, I have no complaints!

If you ever find yourself vacationing or passing through Iowa, a visit to this restaurant is a must. You haven’t lived until you’ve made a visit to the Zombie Burger!

 (All photos featured are personal photos taken by Tabitha Blaisdell)