Story by Katie Ericson
For being in a state that is generally perceived as conservative, Des Moines is a city filled with a lot of quirks. We have the Pappajohn Sculpture Park with a man made out of letters next to heads reminiscent of Easter Island, Zombie Burger filled with gruesome décor and eccentric meals, and SkyZone — a simple building that secretly houses a massive trampoline park. However, one favorite oddity of the city was recently closed, but re-opened just after the semester started: Fong’s.
Located in the middle of downtown, Fong’s Pizza is a restaurant that serves just about any kind of pizza imaginable. From the Moo Shu Pork to the Philly Cheesesteak, the Crab Rangoon or the Loaded Potato, its assortment of pizzas is wild and wonderful. Yet that is not the only portion of the menu that can be considered strange. In addition they have mozzarella sticks wrapped in egg rolls, bacon and peanut sauce Thai Styx and a massive drink list including Super Happy Fun Good Time Tea, the Unlucky Tourist and the Angry Pirate. Fong’s is also one of Des Moines’s most well known restaurants. On Jan. 30, the Travel Channel featured the restaurant on “Pizza Paradise 2.”
The restaurant’s recent close was caused by a water main break on Nov. 23. The break near the building flooded Fong’s from the basement to the roof of the first floor. It was forced to close for a month as the damage was fixed. Walls had to be replaced, a walk-in cooler installed, along with a new electric system. On Jan. 29 the restaurant opened for the first time in a month. During that time the dining room was remodeled and a new drink menu created. The business is now back to normal.
