Proudfoot & Bird

Proudfoot & Bird in Des Moines is an upscale choice for diners who want modern American steakhouse cooking with eclectic, globally influenced fine-dining touches. At about $120 per person, it is better framed as an occasion meal than a quick casual stop, especially for guests who want a meal built around steakhouse and composed fine-dining dishes.

The details are direct: Proudfoot & Bird serves a modern American steakhouse menu, lists smart casual dress, is open daily from 2:30–11 PM. Its confirmed recognition includes a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2026.

Go for an early dinner, dinner, or later meal

The posted hours run from 2:30–11 PM every day, which makes Proudfoot & Bird most useful for an early dinner, a standard dinner, or a later meal. If the occasion is celebratory, the price point and smart casual dress code make it a natural fit for a planned meal.

Menu’s strongest lane is modern American fine dining with steakhouse overlap and broader global influence. Order around the signatures: 32-day dry-aged ribeye or Châteaubriand carved tableside for two if the table wants a classic centerpiece; warm ricotta with truffle honey or wood roasted oysters with smoked jalapeño-bourbon butter to start; espresso-rubbed rack of venison or Alaskan salmon with rye berries and beets if the group wants something beyond a standard steak order.

Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2026 is the clearest confirmed external recognition. For diners deciding whether Proudfoot & Bird fits the night, the stronger reason to book is the combination of upscale price point, smart casual dress, a menu built around premium steakhouse and fine-dining dishes.

Who should book, who should skip it

Book if the occasion calls for an upscale Des Moines dinner without relying on a narrowly defined tasting-menu format. The smart casual dress code and $120-per-person price point make it a better match for a planned night out than an improvised low-key meal.

Couples and small groups can both make sense here when the goal is a polished meal with enough menu range to suit different appetites. The dish list covers beef, seafood, venison, oysters, a rich starter, so the restaurant is not limited to a single steak-only path.

Skip it if the goal is a low-cost, fast, or relaxed meal. Proudfoot & Bird is easier to justify when the group wants an upscale modern American steakhouse experience in Des Moines and is comfortable with the stated price point.

Use it as the formal stop in a Des Moines plan

Within a Des Moines dining plan, Proudfoot & Bird is best treated as the formal anchor: a smart casual, higher-spend meal centered on modern American steakhouse cooking and globally influenced fine dining. If that is the brief, the menu signatures and confirmed Wine Spectator recognition give diners a clear reason to consider it.