Is Maid-Rite Drive-In Still Open? Food Paradise Update (Des Moines, IA)
Current status
As of September 2026, Maid-Rite Drive-In is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed July 2026.
Last verified
What the source shows: A Yelp listing for the Merle Hay Rd. location was last updated July 2026 with continuing photos and reviews; Google Places separately lists it as operational at the same address.
- Season / episode Season 4, Episode 10
- Original air date
- Address 3800 Merle Hay Rd #988, Des Moines, IA 50310
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What happened after Food Paradise?
Food Paradise's 'Drive Thru Paradise' (aired 2012) featured Maid-Rite Drive-In's loose meat sandwich, the pressed, unformed ground beef sandwich the Iowa chain has served since 1926. The Des Moines location operates as a counter inside the Merle Hay Mall food court at 3800 Merle Hay Rd. According to a Yelp listing for the business, the Merle Hay location was updated in July 2026, with customer photos and reviews continuing to post through that update. Google's business listing separately marks the Merle Hay Rd. Maid-Rite as operational at the same address. The corporate Maid-Rite website, checked 2026-09-08, still promotes the franchise brand generally but does not carry current, store-specific content for this location. Between the Yelp listing and the Google listing, the record indicates continued operation of the food-court counter under the Maid-Rite name.
Featured on Food Paradise
- Show
- Food Paradise
- Season / episode
- Season 4, Episode 10
- Original air date
- Episode title
- Drive Thru Paradise
- What was featured
- the loose meat sandwich, Maid-Rite's signature pressed ground-beef sandwich
- Role
- Featured restaurant
- Name on the broadcast
- Maid-Rite Drive-In
Frequently asked questions
Is Maid-Rite Drive-In still open in 2026?
As of September 2026, Maid-Rite Drive-In is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed July 2026.
What happened to Maid-Rite Drive-In after Food Paradise?
Food Paradise's 'Drive Thru Paradise' (aired 2012) featured Maid-Rite Drive-In's loose meat sandwich, the pressed, unformed ground beef sandwich the Iowa chain has served since 1926. As of September 2026, Maid-Rite Drive-In is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed July 2026.
Where is Maid-Rite Drive-In located?
3800 Merle Hay Rd #988, Des Moines, IA 50310. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.
What season and episode of Food Paradise featured Maid-Rite Drive-In?
Season 4, Episode 10 of Food Paradise, first aired 2012. The episode is titled “Drive Thru Paradise”.
What do reviews say since Food Paradise?
According to a Yelp listing for the business, the Merle Hay location was updated in July 2026, with customer photos and reviews continuing to post through that update. We summarise what dated sources report; we do not publish our own rating.
Every status on this site carries a confidence label and a date, and names the source it rests on. Read the Editorial & Corrections Policy for what each label means and how quickly we act on corrections. The questions above are generated from this record's own published fields — we never publish a question we cannot answer from the data.
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Visit info
- Address
- 3800 Merle Hay Rd #988, Des Moines, IA 50310
- Venue type
- diner
- Official website
- maid-rite.com
- State hub
- TV restaurants in Iowa
Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.
Sources
- Yelp — https://www.yelp.com/biz/maid-rite-des-moines-des-moines-2
- Google — https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Maid-Rite+3800+Merle+Hay+Rd+Des+Moines+IA
- maid-rite.com — http://www.maid-rite.com/
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Record fp-0265 · last verified .