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    Cozy Cafe

    3.2 (106 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Cozy Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    COZY CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Cozy Cafe

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    Reviews With Photos

    Love the exterior!
    Daniel E.

    We were craving pie on a Monday night and ended up finding one of the better places we have found here in Iowa. The Cozy Cafe mixes excellent customer service, a vast menu that includes all-day breakfast, and tasty food in an authentic diner vibe. Located about 15 minutes from Ankeny and downtown Des Moines, Cozy Cafe embraces who they are, as the exterior tells you they identify as a diner, and they don't veer when delivering. If you're traveling via Highway 80, it's a quarter-mile off the exit. Lots of parking. It has a fun old-school diner interior with far more seating than expected. Booths along the many windows, tables for bigger parties, and a counter that will be my spot the next time I visit. Our server, Abby, was terrific. She combined restaurant knowledge with a pleasant personality and kindness. Thankfully, she tipped us off to their "Blue Plate Specials," a Cozy Cafe daily feature that offered an outstanding meal at a great price. We were agonizing over whether to have an adult dinner or breakfast for dinner, an option that always exists at this place! My Way Better Half loved her Hot Beef with mashed potatoes and veggies, and my Meatloaf dinner with mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn was delicious. We capped off our tasty visit with pie slices, one coconut, and one apple (both with ice cream), satisfying our earlier pie craving that led us to Cozy Cafe! Nice going, Cozy Cafe; I loved it, and we are returning!

    Cozy Burger and Side of Onion Rings
    Dawn M.

    True diner flare! One time I'm going to sit at the counter!! Service is always friendly. I did order the biscuits and gravy and found the gravy to be a little milky and not having much sausage so that was disappointing but everything else was fine. The portion size is good for the price, for breakfast.

    chili mac add grazianos sausage.
    Kris S.

    Thursday lunch with my parents. mom and I split the pork tenderloin, stepdad got chili mac and added grazianos sausage o. it. he loved it. the tenderloin was ok. they said the onion rings were skinny ones, but these were in between, not the straw type, but we're still pretty good. Our server did a great job.

    Not the meatloaf Club sandwich that I ordered......but it was good anyway. Meat Loaf Club Sandwich
    Erica Rikki R.

    Got my order wrong....but food was really tasty. Cute atmosphere. I ordered a meatloaf club, but got an Italian meatball sandwich.

    Ahhh coffee
    Dil S.

    I think the place was alright. Few things really got me to think I will never go back like all there severs just grap the Cinnamon roll with there hands (not cleaned) warm it and serve it. Also the fact it didn't come out first, it came with breakfast. Then I saw another server pickup dirty dishes then go get another roll to warm up for a table using hands.... As far as food goes it was good old school dinner place, with large size meals and full once done. Had the coffee black with no issues so that's good too

    Breakfast menu
    Hannah V.

    I came here on a busy, New Year's morning with a large group and we waited 30 minutes to be seated. Our waiter was quick to get our drinks and orders. I got a cinnamon roll, potato bites (tater tots) and bacon. The cinnamon roll was so good! Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food and didn't have any issues. Cozy Cafe has a warm, homey, diner atmosphere with TV's to watch the game. Would come back again when I'm in the area!

    It's a diner that also has beer and limited alcohol options. And, Food Network on the TV!
    Rob P.

    So many places are closed with the economy tanking, and we thought this place was closed, too. There were only two cars out front. Now that I see what a terrific little place this is, this has me worried about their future. But, for the present, this is a big winner. As with many diners, there are entirely too many things on the menu. But, it appears that they do enough of those things quite well. My wife got a nicely cooked grilled chicken sandwich with perfectly cooked crinkle cut fries. I got the southwest omelette, which included various meats and peppers. I added cheddar cheese. I was concerned about the jalapeño cheese sauce, but it turned out to be very mildly spicy. It was delicious. And, the hash browns are perfectly cooked: crispy, without a hint of grease. I also love the marble rye toast. A meal with more than enough food for two, including a glass of Prosecco, only set us back $27. As good as the food was, we are definitely going to make this a stop next time we pass through town. I just hope that they get enough business that they stay open.

    What is up with the apostrophe!!!!
    Makayla K.

    Dreamy lil nostalgic spot to come for Sunday Brunch after church! They were busy but well staffed and we were treated kindly. My biscuits and gravy were delicious! I would like to know more about the apostrophe by Cafe on their sign (see picture below) but my friend said please do not ask that is embarrassing so I guess I will never know and that is okay. Maybe I am not meant to know, maybe I am just supposed to enjoy gravy!

    Jaci S.

    We love the service & the food! Our server was incredibly sweet - very family friendly & the prices are great! Tons of options to choose from, we've been there 2 times & loved it. We bring people visiting into town here, as we can have conversations & still hear each other. The food is comfort & the setting is cozy. Would recommend as it's a wonderful location to feel right at home!!

    Bar and seating area
    Benjamin J.

    First off, what a menu! Place has it all, including a full bar. The location has outside seating and plenty of indoor seating. The waitresses and waiters were on point, extremely friendly, and super fun. Jamie was our main server, but other servers were willing to help, working well as a team. The food was AMAZING, breakfast and lunch. My friends and I had a great meal in a very friendly environment for breakfast and lunch. Would recommend, 5 stars!

    Hunter S.

    Stopped in while in town, had a yummy breakfast. Plenty of food! The coffee was awesome! Also, they had fantastic cinnamon rolls! They were really busy this morning, I imagine that's really common for them!

    Breakfast Mess

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    5 years ago

    Delish food, friendly, quick service with avg. pricing. I had the bacon cheeseburger and mom had the Chicken and Noodles Plate.

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    Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar

    Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar

    3.8
    (334 reviews)
    7.2 mi
    $$
    Full bar
    Takes reservations

    I'm originally from the south, and oh boy this is the best comfort food I've found that isn't back…read morehome. Jennifer waited on me and was a joy to speak to and offered great recommendations on the whole menu (bottom line, sounds like you can't go wrong). The 'bee dust' is a nice twist on adding honey to your chicken, it's a dehydrated honey/pepper combo that adds a great flare. Unfortunately, I'm not in Des Moines as much I'd like to be, but next time I'm here I'll be waiting at the door before they open! 2 thumbs up, 5 stars, oh yeah!!

    We arrived with a group of three for lunch on a Wednesday. It was not busy, maybe 1/8 of the table…read moreoccupied. Tables and restaurant was clean. Service was friendly and fine overall. Everything just seemed to take longer than necessary. We stood at the front maybe 10 minutes before anyone came to seat us and food took even longer, around 25 minutes (figuring out our order maybe took ten). I parked the meter for an hour and had to go refill. I ordered the Grilled Harvest Chicken. There is a creamy tomato pasta used to coat the chicken breasts. The cuts were good overall. This dish also includes two sides. I got the fried okra and goat cheese grits. Fried okra was good, around thirty percent breading that makes a nice savory balance. The grits were creamy and smooth. I think I would come again if I was looking for heavy southern. There were a lot of classic options to choose from that I could not try this time around. Though I would still be concerned with the wait involved.

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    Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar
    Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar
    Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar

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    Machine Shed Restaurant

    Machine Shed Restaurant

    3.7
    (487 reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$

    Cracker Barrel on steroids. Would definitely be 5 star but…read moreI need to try more items. The turkey Reuben was fire, the salad was delicious, and my friends burger looked scrumptious. Can't wait to come back. The service was great, and unique ambiance...

    Machine Shed was a bit of a mixed bag for us. The overall vibe reminded me a little of an older,…read moremore worn-down Cracker Barrel. There's carpet throughout the dining area, which unfortunately makes the whole place feel a little dingy and dated. One of the coolest things about the restaurant is actually outside. It's located near what used to be a farm, and there's a chicken coop along with a nice herb and vegetable garden that you can walk through. It was a fun and unexpected thing to explore while waiting for our food, especially with a kid. The food itself was very hit or miss, and nothing really wowed our group. I ordered the sirloin medium rare, but it came out closer to medium, and I didn't think the quality of the steak was particularly good for the price. The presentation was also a little odd, with the steak served on a very well-used tin-style plate that had definitely seen better days. Other dishes were mixed as well. The onion strings were a hit, and one person really enjoyed the Reuben. The corn was excellent, and most of us liked the coleslaw and rolls. There was also pieces of spice cake or pumpkin bread tucked underneath the rolls, which was an unusual but surprisingly nice addition. On the other hand, the liver was dry, the prime rib was fattier than expected with quite a bit that wasn't really edible, and the mashed potatoes were very dry and bland. They also bring several family-style sides to the table whether you order them or not, including things like cottage cheese. It felt a little strange and somewhat wasteful since we didn't want or touch some of it, and overall it creates a LOT of food on the table. The meal wasn't particularly inexpensive either. Before tip, we spent about $70 for two adults and a child, which felt pretty steep considering the overall quality of the food. I will give them credit for the country store area. These types of restaurant gift shops can sometimes be filled with a lot of random junk, but this one actually had some interesting Iowa and farm-themed items that were fun to browse. Service was perfectly good, but overall this was more of an interesting one-time experience for us than somewhere I'd be eager to return to. We were invited here rather than choosing it ourselves, and I'm glad we tried it, but there are too many better dining options in the Des Moines area for me to be clamoring to come back.

    Photos
    Inside Decor!
    Inside Decor!
    HUGE Chicken Pot Pie
    HUGE Chicken Pot Pie
    Machine Shed Restaurant

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    Gilroy's Kitchen + Pub + Patio

    Gilroy's Kitchen + Pub + Patio

    3.7
    (244 reviews)
    4.6 mi
    $$

    4.2* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 4*…read more Service: 3* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $19 (no drinks) 03/08/2026 Slept in after a late night so found ourselves going to a noon Mass downtown and looking for a brunch stop on the way home. We've driven by this place and talked about stopping for food before and my wife had been there with co-workers after work one day, but this was our first stop for food. A clean, modern storefront greets you (see picture) and with plenty of televisions and a nice patio, it looks to be a hopping place once the temperatures warm up a little. While our server was a little hard to find at times, we both found our food to be quite good. My wife ordered the Nacho Burrito Meal (see picture) and I opted for the Honey Citrus salad (see picture). As is our custom, we shared samples of each of our meals and both of us found both choices to be worthy of ordering again. I really liked the clean, crisp and fresh salad with a delicious tangy dressing and the Burrito was tasty inside and out (loved the creamy, cheesy sauce). If you are looking for a great stop for Sunday morning brunch (possibly after some shopping at Sam's Club just across the interstate to the North), you won't go wrong here! If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

    A friend wanted to meet here for lunch, and I figured it had been a while, so it was worth trying…read moreagain. The food was OK, service was great, and I do like the atmosphere. I do wish I was a bigger fan of the food, but it just isn't that memorable for me. On this visit, my friend had the Spinach Artichoke Dip. She said it was good. I had the Hot Honey Chicken Wrap. I chose grilled chicken, which was tender. The wrap overall was a bit sloppy as the honey kind of oozes out all over. It was just ok, and was advertised as having jalapeños, but I didn't notice any. I got coleslaw for my side and it was very bland. Great patio seating with shaded areas and sunnier spots, and a variety of indoor options. Lots of TVs.

    Photos
    Wall Art!
    Wall Art!
    Cheese Curds
    Cheese Curds
    Mule

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    Mule
    Main Street Cafe & Bakery

    Main Street Cafe & Bakery

    4.5
    (396 reviews)
    6.5 mi
    $$

    OMG, this place is in such a nice area! They have a huge menu with so many amazing options to…read morechoose from. I ordered the Pit Master Sandwich with a side of French onion soup (you get to choose a side with the sandwich). The sandwich was really good! The bread was buttery and soft, and the homemade croutons in the soup were clearly made from fresh bread. The French onion soup wasn't for me--it kind of tasted like acid reflux to me, so I gave it to my mom. She actually thought it was pretty good. The sandwich had perfectly balanced barbecue sauce and cheese, although I thought the barbecue sauce overpowered the cheese a bit. Next time, I'd probably order it without the cheese. The brisket was good, but I would've preferred a fattier cut because I think it would have been more flavorful. I also wasn't a fan of the Gouda since it didn't melt very well, but the other cheese on the sandwich was delicious. Overall, the food was incredible, and this place is an absolute MUST if you're in the area! I noticed they have around 78,000 DoorDash orders, and after eating here, I can definitely see why. I'll actually be coming back in a few days before I leave my vacation because there are so many other delicious items on the menu that I can't wait to try! Staff were also nice!

    Used the kiosk to order but you can order at the counter. Ask a server for hot drink cups unless…read moreyou have a specialty drink. Water glasses near soda machine. Food came out very quickly and very hot. The dishes can be customized and the breakfast burritos come with a fresh fruit and berry cup. Both the breakfast sandwich and the burrito were very filling and large. The bagel was a little dry but they have a condiments table where butter, syrup, jelly, and peanut butter are in individual single serve containers so you can make your sandwich as you like (I added butter to my bagel sandwich). Has street parking but shares it with other nearby shops. For the winter season there is an outdoor, covered patio pop-up.

    Photos
    Holiday pop up
    Holiday pop up
    Cinnamon Rolls with pecans mmmm
    Cinnamon Rolls with pecans mmmm
    Main Street Cafe & Bakery

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    Cozy Cafe - comfortfood - Updated August 2026

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