Macey Shofroth, Journalist

Chef Amara Sama got his start in the Des Moines food scene in a quintessentially Des Moines way – at the Downtown Farmer’s Market. 

“We wanted to introduce some of the Afro-Caribbean flavor to Des Moines, which it lacked,” Sama said, “and it was one of the best ways to get out there.”

Food as Heritage from Here and There

Sama is the owner of Palms DSM, a West African and Caribbean fusion restaurant on Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines. His family immigrated to Des Moines from Liberia when he was two years old, and he grew up to realize there weren’t many opportunities for other Iowa residents to try his culture’s food.

So, Sama developed a menu that reflected each part of his culture. In addition to traditional Liberian and West African dishes, like jollof rice and protein-heavy stews, Palms DSM also serves the more traditional American food Sama grew up with. Sama explained that West African food is protein heavy while East African food is more plant-based. For example, their menu includes rice dishes, smoked meats, and heavy stews.

“We want to make sure that people get the Afro-Caribbean flavor,” he explains. “So, at the same time, we kind of blend it with some of what we grew up in Des Moines. We have oxtail pizza, we have burgers… It's some of the American flavors, in a fusion.”

Fusion, Flavor, and Friends

Palms DSM started to gain a following at the Downtown Farmer’s Market as well as through catering and annual events like the World Food & Music Festival and RAGBRAI. Staying versatile, they switched to a pickup model during the COVID-19 pandemic and continued to grow.

The biggest challenge was finding a brick-and-mortar location plus the capital needed to get started. Backed by their growing social media following, Sama’s team secured the old Gusto Pizza location. Their fans were excited and Sama was, too, to showcase the food he loved to even more Iowa residents.

“It was a slow crawl because we’re introducing a flavor to people,” he said. “We were testing it out. A lot of people have never had jerk chicken or jollof rice, so our goal was to teach them what those flavors are and figuring out what heat level is acceptable for customers while keeping it authentic. All of those things went into the detail.”

A Star on the Map

Any time he traveled with his wife, Sama returned to Iowa wishing the community had more access to these flavors.

“You look at Iowa and the food scene, [and] it’s American, Italian, Mexican, and Asian cuisine. The African-Caribbean was a big piece missing from the puzzle.”

Now, this new piece of the food scene puzzle is making a splash! CITYVIEW readers recently voted for Palms DSM to be Des Moines’s Best New Local Restaurant. 

“We wanted to do more than just serve good food,” Sama said. “We wanted to create a space where, when people walk in, they felt welcomed. When you walk in, there’s a big African-Caribbean mural. But in that wall you — if you look at the people — they’re dancing with the bare necessities, having a good time. That’s what I want people to be introduced to when they come in.”

Palms DSM will be hosting the third Dine & Dance with CultureALL event on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. The menu includes Liberian Meat Pies, Pepper Soup, Smoked Chicken Curry, and Rum Bundt Cake. 

Rhythm and Roots

CultureALL’s Dine & Dance at Palms DSM is Tuesday, March 3, beginning at 6 pm.

‍UPDATE: This event is sold out. Follow CultureALL and sign up for our newsletter to be the first to learn of our next event!

‍Purchase your tickets here.

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