I have had this gem on my bucket list of restaurants to try since the photos started being posted. I’ve silently been watch, waiting until I could make it out. I came all the way to Des Moines, IA from Kansas City just to visit Lachele’s and I promise it was more than worth it. Before you even walk in the door for indoor dining you see a gaggle of people outside waiting for their to-go orders. (There is a super convenient to-go window right to the left of the front door to help alleviate crowing indoors) The moment you walk in the door you are greeted by what seems like everyone inside with a cheerful, “hey! Welcome in”. Immediately you feel welcomed. I ordered the Lachele burger with spiced tots 🤤🤤 and my friend ordered the yogi burger with fries (not pictured because we were too excited to eat). From the quickness of the service to the cleanliness of the restaurant, you can tell they take pride in every detail. The vibe from the music, to the bar seats and the 50s modernized look, I was so excited to be there. Every customer in the place was a return customers and fans (they couldn’t stop asking for the lachele stickers). The food was mouthwatering delicious. Perfectly juicy, flavored and heat. And last but certainly not least, the service was amazing. Everyone was so kind and always (but not overly) checking in to make sure your visit was everything you needed it to be. This is a place I will be traveling back to. The details make the difference! Props.

The hype is real! Amazing burger and tots. I could have had a second but had to control myself. Super friendly and attentive team and overall awesome atmosphere inside.

Hey, when you got a burger joint rated one of the top ten in Iowa, you gotta try it. I ordered The Jake, The Gym, Hush puppies with a creamy cheese sauce for take out lunch. Standing room only—no tables available. There were all ages inside. Great service—Parking with construction was terrible. Had to park on the street and walk in. The flavors were sizzling from the grill. The potato bun was soft. The smash on the meat is similar to Smash burger with more flavor. This is a good place to try as Channel 8 rates the “Best Burger” in Iowa.

I first heard of this place from the Wine and Crime podcast, and I've been wanting to try it for a while. We were both blown away! I had the Lucy with chicken (pictured) and my boyfriend had the Lachele. The whole staff was friendly and hardworking. We highly recommend stopping by for a visit and to chow down on some fantastic food!

Visited for the first time on a whim this summer because of the reviews here—and now I’m a proud regular. This place deserves all of its accolades. The burgers are creative but approachable, fun, and almost impossibly delicious. All are available with a meatless patty, which earned my praise.The staff are incredibly kind, and they’ve made their petite space feel like home. The atmosphere is cool, uniquely cozy, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Lachele’s is definitely a little edgy, independent and divey (without ever feeling manufactured) yet impeccably clean. Sometimes it can look like seating is hard to come by, but tables turn around quick, and the team is incredibly accommodating. This place is my idea of a perfect comfort food restaurant—hats off to the team for being masterful at the art of curating atmosphere, customer service, and excellent food.

4.25* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 4* Service: 4* 02/16/2023 Saw that this place won best Burger in town (specifically recommending the Smashburger) in Cityview, so asked our neighbors to join us and ventured downtown for dinner after the big snowstorm. Given the name, I was expecting a fairly high-end and expensive place - so was a little surprised when we walked in to see a colorful retro-diner decor. While one of the servers shared that a previous reviewer had made disparaging remarks about the workers appearance, I've shared in my online profiles that I enjoy servers with some character, opinions on the food and a story to tell. I found the atmosphere to be quite inviting with friendly and professional workers looking for ways to be of service to their customers. Given the award and recommendation for smashburgers, I ordered the Uncle Denny (see picture). I loved the soft, moist bun and found the Duke's mayo & pepper jelly to be the perfect level of spice to complement the smashburger and bun. The included fries were also very good - great combination of crispiness on the outside, yet soft inside. My wife ordered The Big Gym with Tots (see picture) and also enjoyed it - commenting especially on how good the tots were. She liked the fact that the tots were nice and crispy on the outside and not soft / soggy. Our neighbor ordered the The Chili Charles (see picture) open-faced chili burger on Texas Toast and also enjoyed it. Admittedly, it looked so good that I think that is what I will try on our next visit. The pricing, including $5 tap beers, seemed reasonable and the burgers were top-notch. A great retro-diner experience that you will want to try! If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.

Went in at around 2pm on a Sunday afternoon. It was steady, but the food was super fast. It is a hybrid between fast food style ordering and diner style eating. Amazing smash burgers.

Love the burgers here! Personally, I think the best in DSM. I follow on social media and the postings of the daily specials make me want to drop everything and go eat! Will definitely be back again soon! Great crew working behind the counter as well!

This place runs like a well oiled machine. I might categorize it as a "no-frills" establishment, but I wouldn't want to risk taking away from the incredible customer service, lightning-fast meal preparation, casually comfortable space, and overall wonderful experience that is served up at Lachele's. They have perfected their craft and I would encourage anyone thinking about visiting this restaurant to pull the trigger. Well done!

The picture doesn't do this burger justice; I ordered The double Uncle Denny and this is one of the best burgers I've ever had, definitely top 3. I ordered fries as well, while they were really good I felt they were a bit expensive. Despite being really busy when I went, I was able to be seated and get my food really quick.

Lachele's is just one of those places that everyone needs to try at least once. The hole-in-the-wall restaurant/diner is easy to miss when rolling down Ingersoll, but make no mistake, it's well worth a stop. The place only seats less than 30 people total, so unless it isn't busy, good luck getting a seat right away. They're known for their greasy smash burgers made on their flat top griddle, and you can watch the entire process if you want, as it's cooked right behind the counter. There's a certain vibe of efficiency & indifference among the employees, and it's comforting. So, if you've never been here, don't overthink it; just order a burger. Although you really can't go wrong with anything on their menu. In my opinion, the Chili Mac is the tastiest side order. Creamy, cheesy, and just the perfect amount of spice. But they offer fries, tots, chili, hush puppies, and even salad believe it or not. Just do your mouth a favor and stop into Lachele's sometime. They never disappoint.

Quaint yet full of atmosphere including the attire of the staff. Lover the daily special. It's not the cheapest burger, but it's awesome if you like smash burgers. I loved the topping choices and different drinks in the cooler. Fries were fresh and good, too. The location is close enough to downtown. Parking in front is very limited. I've always parked in the back, which is available for the restaurant as well as other establishments close by.

Every bit as delicious as I had heard. Limited seating, but they also offer takeout. We took ours to go and ate it at a brewery down the road, and it was still good after several minutes of traveling. I love that they keep things fresh with different daily specials.

Food was amazing! Smash burgers are delicious and tots were great. Fast friendly service, food was ready in 10 mins or less!

Wow ! What a delicious jem. Very possibly the best burgers in Des Moines !!! Fries were hot, fresh and crispy. Hashbrowns were a home run.

Hands down the best smash burger in Iowa. I have tried nearly all of their burgers and sandwiches, with The Hot Rod being my favorite (it is a chicken sandwich, add grilled onions and bacon). They have a daily special which you can find via their IG page so stay on they lookout because those are always fire! Their fries and tots are also amazing. The staff works hard, the chefs are awesome, and the owner is a great dude. Highly recommend this place to any and all.

Mediocre burgers are everywhere these days and it’s amazing how so many eateries don’t get it and get away with it. Now and then a place shows up to put other burger joints on notice and smiles on the palates of burger lovers who wanted more than what was being offered before. LFFs has a simple game plan and they seem to have a good base of decent employees that are on the same page when it comes to customer service. You order when entering and then wait for a seat. Once seated your just minutes away from a mouth watering experience your sure to enjoy. LFFs gets it and they enjoy what they do as it shows on every burger coming off the grill.