Zombie Burger + Drink Lab

Zombie Burger + Drink Lab is still a great place to get original burger creations. The monstrous creations include burgers with grilled cheese sandwiches for buns, Mac n cheese and cheese croquettes. They always have a limited edition burger and there are vegetarian options.
In xase you are wondeting, the décor is cartoonish zombies and not scary or disturbing for kidsome or the faint of heart/​stomach.
The ground beef and toppings are fresh, varied and flavorful. However, I’ve noticed in my 10+ visits that they seem to be cutting some corners. The buns used to be much better than they are now. I’m not sure if this is because they are expanding and can’t keep up or if it’s a profit issue. I hope this isn’t the beginning of the end… pun intended.
For now, I recommend coming in and exploring the diverse burger creatiins. Hint: Bring a friend and order 2 different burger styles and trade halves… That way you get to double your chances in finding your favorite.

I have never left Zombie Burger and said to myself, «Yeah, that was a good idea, you made good decisions today.» Now, it’s not because of the quality of the food (or maybe it is) I just perpetually overeat when I visit. I mean, who could possibly imagine that a triple patty cheeseburger with what I imagine is a pound of bacon and an entire deep fried onion could possibly have a negative impact on your diet? I fear for the day I eat here and the zombie apocalypse occurs, there’s no way I’ll be able to run or fight, I might as well just lay down and let the inevitable happen. I will sacrifice myself and give some poor zombie high cholesterol and a wonky ticker. Worth it for a double-​tap Dead Moines and some garlic, bacon, and blue cheese fries with a spiked zombie bride wedding cake shake.

Service was great. The zombie unicorn shake I got was amazing. Loved the cheese curds. I got the plan 12oz tenderloin. The seasoning was a bit unusual, but it was tender. Probably wont be back for anything other then the curds & a shake.

I remember seeing this place on diners, drive-​ins and dives so I was really inclined to try it. Got there somewhat late so there wasn’t a huge crowd. The vegetarian chili fries and fried pickles were amazing, the entrees were all great too!
Sami Jo was super nice and walked us all through the menu, the best server I’ve seen in all of Iowa so far!

I lived in Des Moines for a year, and I make sure to visit Zombie Burger every time I visit now.
Be prepared for grease if you’re eating, but it’s the glorious and delicious kind of grease.

Another amazing Des Moines must do. Place is zombie themed so of course you love that. Lots of options for burgers as that’s what this place is… a burger and shake lab! Never had a shake but the burgers are on point! Been here multiple times and never have been sad.
The restaurant is set up as one side is your quick take out or sit in and the other is more of a dine in option with a full bar! Again, not a bad choice.
One recommendation. They need guys dressed up as zombies walking around the place. Would make it that much better
Boo!!!

Came here with some friends over the weekend… Very crowded so usually that’s a sign of a pretty solid place… I ended up ordering the Walking Dead burger, because I love me any burger with a fried egg… It was really good… cooked pretty well… the egg was perfectly cooked and drippy, just the way it should be… Service was very attentive and the lady was quite friendly… Price was alright, though much like Smashburger, the sides are a’la carte… I’d come back if I’m ever in this area again…

A crazy menu and unique décor! We stop here every time we are in town. Can’t seem to migrate from certain items on the menu but what we have had is amazing. The burgers themselves have some great flavor a then add the topics and it makes them out of this world!

While on vacation in Des Moines, I was craving a heavy meal and their eclectic zombie-​themed burgers fit the bill! The burger joint is split in two sections, full service dine-​in or order at the counter. I opted to order at the counter. This isn’t your average burger place – the environment is fun, the food is artery-​clogging deliciousness, and the experience is definitely worthwhile. I split the Walking Ched and the Ray Gun with family. Out of the two, my favorite was the Ray Gun although the Walking Ched earned major points for being my first fried mac’n’cheese bun on a burger. Definitely a great burger joint, but enjoy in moderation!

We dined here with friends when we were in town for a concert. I had already looked at the menu beforehand, but I still hadn’t decided what I wanted until we were seated.
There was just so much awesome yumminess on the menu, that it was hard to decide. My friend and I shared the fried pickles — YUM! I finally decided on the trailer trash burger — which was pretty tasty.
Fun atmosphere — and my favorite part? The Zombie mural on the wall with one Zombie decked out in a Chicago Cubs hoodie. Yes, sir. That sold me right there.

Great BBQ burger and atmosphere. I like garlic but garlic-​bacon-​blue cheese fries were REALLY loaded with garlic. Beware– wake the dead level but good.
Defiantly going back to try another burger.

Zombie Burger is great for many reasons — the atmosphere, staff, and food are among them. It’s an upbeat burger shop with cool artwork and a unique style.
If you’re Celiac, don’t go. I asked for the La Horde (bacon/​onion/​goat cheese burger) w/​out a bun, and they said «Sure! Do you want it on lettuce?» I agreed, thinking they’d give me the burger on a few pieces lettuce. Boy, was I wrong. It showed up with shredded lettuce, a dry burger on top with no bacon, cheese or onions, or any sauce. Next time, I will just tell them to put it on a plate.
I can’t fault them for something I didn’t know, but an explanation goes a long way! Can’t wait to see if they’ll have more GF friendly options in the future.

Zombie Burger is a pretty cool spot.
I am shocked by the four star reviews. There is nothing like this nearby and it is quite an anchor for the surrounding businesses.
The burgers are decent. The loaded fry options are very good and they are substantial.
The milkshakes, especially the loaded shakes, make this a must visit destination in Des Moines. They are pretty incredible and will make your social media feed the envy of everyone for a post.
The staff was attentive and the counter staff was very well versed in the menu, offered suggestions and was able to discuss options in a very friendly and patient manner.
The business is split into two sides, a to go type counter with seating and a sit down restaurant side. There is outdoor seating as well.
During my visit, there was nothing that made me feel in any way that there was a better option for similar food in the area. They accomplish being a creative burger joint really well.

This was such a fun restaurant! They have an awesome bar I got a dark and stormy for $ 6 and it was great!
They have a lot of milkshakes with or without liquor.
The burger menu is huge! Really cool names and creative toppings. The fries are to die for! I tried the ones with sour cheese and as well as the garlic fries and both were very good but the sour cream ones were better!
The burgers are very tasty as well as their salad.

I was in town for a bachelor party and this place came highly recommended. So we ended up coming here twice. There is street parking or a parking lot across the street. You can either order at the counter to go or head to the back where you can sit down and order from a waitress or waiter. Upon being seated each time we were greeted fair quickly and our drink order was taken.
They have a fairly good beer tap list that include some good choices as well as a good drink menu. The first visit I got a Bloody Marry. It was a little bland for my taste but still an average Bloody Marry. The second visit we got a flight of beers to taste everything they had on tap. I’m glad we did that bc there was some pretty decent beers!
For food I ordered the Zombie Elvis burger that had bacon, fried bananas, and peanut butter. It seemed like an odd combo but the waiter said it was one of his favorite burger so I went with it! The burger was pretty tasty. The fried bananas were a nice touch but there didn’t seem like there was really any peanut butter on the burger. Even with the lack of peanut butter it was still a pretty tasty burger. Next time I’m in town I will for sure have to stop by and eat here again!

Atmosphere: This place is hipster and zombie themed obviously. They have two restaurants counter service like smash burger or sit down service with full bar.
Service: We sat at the bar and the bartender was super nice and did a great job 5 out of 5.
Food: We split a They are coming to get you Rita which is basically a patty melt. A basket of fries.
Their fries are pretty good and the burger was ok to me.
I would rate the food a 3.5 out of 5. It did not knock my socks off but was not bad just ok.

The burgers just don’t do it for me. They’re consistently too greasy, and the bun ALWAYS falls apart before I can eat a few bites. The fried brussel sprouts and the goat cheese jalapeño poppers are very good, however! The shakes are also great.
I’m a big fan of sitting at the bar (at any restaurant) and I have always been put off by their policy of having a waitlist for the bar top. It’s just my opinion, but I think the bar should be first come first serve.
Not my first choice in the EV, but you could do worse.

We stumbled across this place on a roadtrip across the country. It was one of the few places open at 10pm and we’d already walked out of a few places that looked good but were about to close. We were hungry. Driving 1000 miles does that to you. We braced ourselves for disappointment as we walked in, spotted the weird zombie décor, the neon lights…
Best. Burgers. Ever. I ordered the double Raygun… the chilli’s were fried just right. The cheese was perfectly gooey. The patties… heaven on earth. The bread, soft and billowy, like the clouds that float above the Iowa farmlands.
The goat cheese and Jalapeño poppers were equally delicious. The goat cheese nicely softening the actually-​somewhat-​hot jalapeños.
The chili cheese fries reminded me of my wife’s classic bean chili. Yum.
I also made a side trip to the Drink Lab to pick up some locally brewed beers and an organic gin and tonic! The bartender, wonderfully ironic, and incredibly helpful. Let me taste a few of the locals before picking the brew I liked best.
And the décor… I happen to love anything zombie, so it hit the spot for me. The murals on the walls, the themed menu, and the life size zombies by our table. Wonderfully executed décor.
All in all, a fabulous experience. Great food, unique atmosphere.

Juan of the dead is my favorite! Ooey, gooey, cheese sauce drains out of it everywhere once you cut into it. It’s quite the guilty pleasure. I wish they had tots though.
Sarah’s revenge is similar, without the cheese sauce everywhere, but the burger is just as good.

Zombie Burger was the very first meal I had when I went to Iowa for the very first time this week. I can say it was everything it was hyped up to be and more. The only reason I am giving it 4 starts and not 5 is because all of the top hits on the menu are super greasy. I think maybe we got carried away and just ordered too much because by the end of the meal it felt like Thanksgiving dinner – full beyond my wildest beliefs.
We arrived at the restaurant around 8pm to a 45 minute wait for 5 people. Wow that was not going to work for us. The long drive from Peoria, IL left us famished! We decided to go through the «fast casual» line to order apps. According to other Unilocalers, we had to try the cheese curds. We added an order of fried pickles for good measure. These were ready super quick and we wolfed them down. Everything was fried to perfection and definitely hit the spot. By the time we finished these apps, our table in the dining room was ready so we walked on over.
Can I just say holy moly this menu is enormous. It was so challenging for our group to decide what we wanted. We all decided to split 5 burgers 5 ways so we could try the most. We wanted to try the special Mac N Cheese Burger that came on a special bun but unfortunately they were out, so instead, I decided for my burger to be a super unique option – the Undead Elvis. Boy was this weird sounding on paper, but after a large amount of encouragement from the server, we went for it. It had peanutbutter, fried banana, fried egg, mayo, bacon and american cheese. It was quite delicious! We all agreed that it was actually the favorite of all the burgers we decided. A close second was the one we got with ham on it.
We loved how our server slowed us down when we were all trying to order fries, telling us that 2 baskets would be more than enough to share and 3 of the spiked shakes. We got the blue cheese bacon fries and they were delish. Just wish they were crispier. The shakes were out of this world. We got 3 spiked shakes – smores, oreo peanut butter and cinnamon toast crunch! The cinnamon toast crunch was a hit – love having the crunchy cereal with the creamy shake spiked with rum chada!
If I ever make it back to Des Moines, Zombie Burger will be a must eat. Between the zombie décor and quirky zombie themed menu items in addition to the food, it’s hard to find a single bad thing about this place!