Located on the Lower level of the General store you will find Amana Coffee & Team. They offer a…read moreHUGE selection of beans and loose leaf teas along with samples! We make it down the the Amana Colonies two or three times a year from the Des Moines metro. Sometimes it's intentional and sometimes we are down in Williamsburg at the outlet mall and main Amana is just a few more miles down the road. The General Store is a must stop location for us. If you want to take home a momento of your visit or want to find something Amanda Colonies centered this is the place for you. Hard goods, food items (refrigerated, jarred/canned, dry), souveniers, some locally sourced goods, and a wide varitety is seasonal holiday items are available at The Christmas Room (connected but technically next door). And don't miss the teas and coffees downstairs at Amana Coffee & Tea... If you can't make it to the individual shops throughout main Amana you can find a lot of the same goods here like a small selection of meats and cheeses from the Amana Meat Shop & Smokehouse. So if your time is limited... The General Store is your spot! Service is always fantastic, the shop is clean and well organized, and it usually smells wonderful in here. It seems we always walk out of here with something! And I can almost guarantee that once you'v been in the General Store along with Amana Coffee & Tea and the Christmas Room, like us, this will be a location you venture into every time you come back to the Amana Colonies.

As a tea drinker who uses loose tea, I haven't found many local places with a variety of teas to…read morechoose from. That's why I take a drive to Amana to buy tea every few months. Located in the bottom level of the Amana General Store, Amana Coffee & Tea is a quaint little spot that has a good variety of loose teas to choose from. I'm able to mix it up and work my way through all the different flavors depending on my current taste when I visit. They have a number of black, green, and red teas, including some that are organic. Worth a visit if you want to explore some loose teas, and as a bonus you can stop upstairs and grab some other foods or trinkets from the General Store.

This bakery has a wide selection of cookies, breads, pastries and more. They had a strawberry…read morerhubarb bread-like-cake on sample when I went and I really regret not buying that because it was very tasty. I did get 3 items from the bakery cases. First was a chocolate eclair. It was like a long creme puff with chocolate ganache on top and yellow filling in the middle. Reminded me of a Boston cream pie only in cream puff form. I thought it was ok. I would have really liked the filling to have more vanilla flavor. The puff part was a good texture. The ganache was mildly chocolatey. The second item was a blueberry cream-cheese pastry. I wasn't wowed by it. The cream cheese maybe needed more vanilla. The third item was a creme horn. I liked it, but again I wished the filling had a bit more vanilla. Also at the very end, it was hollow, so save some of the creme at the big end for the little end so you get a more balanced bite. All of the items are presented with great care and beautifully displayed. I just wanted a bit more flavor. I would go back and I would try different items.

The coffee and sweets were delicious though it did seem a little expensive. The cafe is family run…read more It seemed like they were training a new person when we were there so it was a little slow service given it was us and one other pair of customers. The baristas were friendly though. The store was clean and offered two levels of indoor seating and the front porch outdoors. There's sweets and gifts you can purchase to go as well.

Sadly, mediocre at best. I would skip this place entirely. Tried coffee and food, both were poor…read morequality, not homemade....meh....nothing special. We ended up throwing both drink and the cookie we bought away as both of my kids said the cookie was "bad"...tasted like a box mix that was overcooked.

Love the community spirit and the cortado! I also recommend the dark roast and Monster cookies.read more

this place is totally underrated! it is cute, comfortable, the food was delicious and the coffee…read morewas really good! I especially love the happy attitudes of the employees and just the overall feel! service was great, and I 100% will be back!

My friend recommended lunch at Kava House. I chose the 1/2 turkey in the garden sandwich and…read morecranberry walnut salad. This might have been the tastiest turkey sandwich I've ever enjoyed! Great flavors! The salad was great too. The service was fast and friendly. The restaurant is clean and welcoming. I can't wait to go again!

This is our favorite spot to stop on our trips to Iowa city. It's the perfect distance from Dubuque…read moreand we love the farmhouse aesthetic.

Their espresso isn't the best I've had but it wasn't horrible by any means. They do have a lot of…read moreflavor options which I love to see in a coffee shop. We sat down to eat, service was quick and food reminded me of home. Their chicken salad is so good!

This place is the best - I consistently come back due to their amazing service and great food…read more Everything I have tried, the Turkey Melt, the Chicken a La King, and the Reuben, have been delicious. I am also a huge fan of their caramel lattes and coffee cake. They prefer cash to help offset card processing fees, but cards are accepted too. If you're looking for a place to work or study, they offer 5 high-top counter seats in addition to their 10 other tables for places to enjoy your coffee, tea, or meal. Just be open to background noise as they have an open kitchen and it gets busy during peak hours.

We LOVED it! My mom and I went for the first time as our brunch portion of her mom and daughter…read morebirthday outing and we really enjoyed it. I got the 3 cheese omelette with a iced lavender latte and mom go the avocado toast. It was a nice atmosphere and the service staff were SO friendly and nice. Will definitely come back!

Really wanted to let this place because it's in a cool spot in town, but the food left me…read moredisappointed. I had a trashmore for lunch, which I loved that they offered breakfast food all day. Unfortunately, when it came out, I thought it was way too greasy to be served. It was almost as if the hashbrowns hadn't had time to drain from the oil. If you're hung over, it might be a quick fix back to life but for somebody just trying to grab a meal it was a little disappointing. The chocolate chip cookie at the checkout counter was dank though.

While visiting friends, we stopped here for coffee. The staff were friendly and attentive. The…read moreplace was clean and offers a comfortable atmosphere. We ordered the orange blossom, iced Bohemian, a nitro, and dirty chai latte. Everything was very good.

These aren't just pastries; they're the kind of baked goods you think about long after they're…read moregone. Absolute perfection.

Stopped in to grab a couple of coffees, a scone and a cinnamon roll. The Encounter Cafe is…read moreliterally across the street from our hotel, so this was a no-brainer if you're looking for an upgrade to the complimentary powdered eggs and overused waffle machine offered by the hotel that your staying at. The space itself is large and looks to be separated into two halves. I entered on the one side, ordered at the counter, just like you would at any coffee shop and waited. This place serves a full-service breakfast as well if you're looking for something more substantial (eggs, panini's, pancakes, etc..). I was just here picking up and bringing it back to our room. The coffees were fine, but there was only one gentleman working the counter, and he was a bit overwhelmed. He forewarned me that he had 4-5 drinks ahead of mine, so I ended up sitting there waiting for about 15 minutes for our two drinks. I wasn't pressed for time today, but if I was, this would've been an issue. I ordered a raspberry chocolate scone and a cinnamon roll. The scone was delicious. Not too sweet and was definitely made this morning. The cinnamon roll was delicious as well, but it was extremely sweet. To the point where it hurt your teeth. It would also have been better if it were warmed up. Lastly, they gave me this big cinnamon roll in a bag without any napkins or utensils?!? I had to stop at the free breakfast at our hotel to get a fork, knife and some napkins. So kind of a mixed-bag at the Encounter Cafe. I would give it another shot and try some other things, but it didn't blow me away.

After a long day on the road, a great cup of coffee is non-negotiable--even if it means venturing a…read morelittle farther from the exit. Brickhouse was absolutely worth the detour. Tucked away in a charming small town off I-80 in Iowa, this coffee shop is a gem. The beautifully renovated historic building adds to its warm and inviting atmosphere, making it the perfect place to recharge, whether you're grabbing a quick cup or settling in for a break. The staff was friendly and welcoming, and they made me a fantastic Americano--my go-to order since it delivers a consistently bold espresso experience without the variability of drip coffee. If you find yourself in the area, do yourself a favor and make the stop. It's well worth it!

From New York to San Francisco, my wife and I have traveled to coffee shops across America…read more Brickhouse has now made it into our Top 5 best coffee shops we've been to. Expect to be greeted with a smile and warm vibes in this small town gem. This is a can't miss coffee shop if you're passing by!!

As someone who loves to bake, I don't really get to bakeries enough. But it's always fun to treat…read moreyourself and support a local business. I recently stopped in to try a few things and get a latte. They have a nice selection of cookies, cupcakes, and other pastries as well as a lot of fun coffee drinks. It's all very reasonably priced. I got mine to go, but they do have plenty of seating. The service is very quick and friendly as well.

Met up with a friend here on a Sunday. I had tried some of their items at an event and wanted to…read morecheck out the store. The store is very welcoming, neat, and clean. They have a full coffee bar and lots of baked goods. We were the only ones there besides staff only because it was bitterly cold and the streets were pretty bare. Staff had smiles and welcomed us. I had an iced sugar free caramel latte and he had espresso with a glass of water. We split the Billionaire Bar. Total without tip was just under $15. I'm will to pay a little extra for small business and something that was homemade and not shipped in a truck and defrosted. They were closing when we left and the owner gave us a few extra items that would have to be thrown out. Loved it! I'd highly recommend the Billionaire Bar, Olive Oil Cake, and Blueberry Scones. I need to try more items, so I'll be back!