Bruce Gerleman founded Splash Seafood in 1998 out of a personal craving for bacon-wrapped barbecued shrimp after his favorite restaurant, Eighth Street Seafood Bar and Grill, closed its doors. Gerleman, a seasoned deep-sea fisherman who spent significant time in the Florida Keys, realized Des Moines lacked a fine-dining, fresh seafood destination and decided to bring the Florida flats back to Iowa. “I said, what this city needs is a fine dining, fresh seafood restaurant,” Gerleman recalled of the initial vision that has now sustained the business for 27 years.
An Immersive Undersea Environment
Housed in the historic Homestead Building, built in 1892, Splash is designed to feel like an “underworld seascape” rather than a traditional restaurant. The space features original murals by local artist Saline Nong—which Gerleman has insured for half a million dollars—alongside 12 major saltwater tanks, including a piranha room and a massive lobster tank. The commitment to authenticity is so high that the restaurant employs a scientist to run an on-site distillation plant to manufacture its own saltwater. Gerleman noted that “if you want starfish to spawn and grow, if you want coral to spawn and grow, you’ve gotta have the pH balance” and a complete ecosystem.
Jet-Fresh Logistics and Prestigious Honors
Despite being landlocked, Gerleman ensures the menu remains a “Midwestern steakhouse for fish” by flying in loins of tuna, sea bass, and mackerel every single morning via Federal Express from Hawaii, Seattle, and Boston. Beyond the seafood, the restaurant boasts a wine cellar valued at nearly $300,000, which has earned the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence every year since 2001. “We’re the only restaurant in the state that has both the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and the Distinguished Restaurants of North America Award,” Gerleman said, highlighting the rare double distinction that places the Des Moines landmark in the same company as the famous French Laundry.
Bruce Gerleman 