Eating and drinking
Eating and drinking near The Oaks
Two kinds of eating out sit near The Oaks. The weeknight kind is on the retail streets a short drive east. The night-out kind is downtown, a short drive north.
Everyday, a short drive east
The restaurants, drive-throughs and coffee you reach on a weeknight cluster along Army Post Road and SE 14th Street, the same streets that hold the shopping. We do not list specific restaurants here, because they open and close and a web page goes stale; drive the corridor once and you will have the current roster.
A night out downtown
For a bigger evening, downtown Des Moines is about 4.8 miles north. The dining and the bars concentrate in a few walkable districts near the river, so you park once and walk. It is a straight run north from the south side, not a cross-town trip.
Close either way
The short version: weeknight meals are a short drive east, and the city's dining is a few miles north. The Oaks is renovated one- and two-bedroom apartments, one bath, with a new kitchen, a redone bath, new flooring and fresh paint, and a stove and refrigerator in every home; select homes add a washer and dryer in the unit. Live pricing is on the availability page.
Questions people ask
Where can I eat near The Oaks?
Everyday restaurants, coffee and drive-throughs line Army Post Road and SE 14th Street a short drive east. We do not name specific places because they change.
How far is a dinner downtown from The Oaks?
About 4.8 miles north by road, where the restaurants and bars concentrate in a few walkable districts near the river.
Is there coffee nearby?
Yes, along the Army Post and SE 14th corridors east of the neighborhood. Specific shops change, so drive the street for the current list.
Distances are road miles from 6209 SE 5th Street, measured with OpenStreetMap routing in October 2026. The Oaks keeps no distance module of its own, so the route planner is the source.
More about living here
- Living in South Park, south Des Moines
- Shopping at Southridge, near The Oaks
- Army Post Road, the corridor near The Oaks
- Groceries and everyday errands near The Oaks
- Getting into the city from The Oaks
- Parks and trails near The Oaks
- Schools near The Oaks
- Garages you can rent at The Oaks
- The commons at The Oaks
- The floor plans at The Oaks, explained
- How to apply at The Oaks
- Working from home at The Oaks
- What residents say about The Oaks
- The neighborhood guide
- All questions