I have come to this establishment a couple of times and had a great time! This place reminds me of the Java Joes Coffee downtown. Their building layout and decor is very trendy with the use of bricks. Their coffee and desserts are very good, the only things I have ever sampled at this location. Parking is convenient here with their own lot, and there is plentiful seating for large groups. Their staff is friendly and their menu looks awesome with the content as well as the menu itself (Chalk written). They also have a drive-thru which I have seen in use often. I will definitely come back to try their sandwiches to see if they are any good. This place is a great place to chat with friends or just study. (I'm not sure if they have Wi-Fi, I'm pretty sure they should). read more

Smokey Row Coffee - Coffee and a nice dessert - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Great spot for beverages, desserts, and meeting spaces. Just stay away from the food. Smokey Row has a great open setting for college students and aspiring hipsters to congregate and work. A lot of windows and outdoor seating lends itself to a popular summer spot. The staff are friendly and quick with the orders, and parking is usually not a problem. Their variety of beverages and shakes are sinfully delicious. Now, the downside: I've been consistently underwhelmed by their meals. Their burgers are dry and overcooked, and their chicken (in panini) tastes like they've been blandly boiled. Their Cobb salad is decent, but I've found inconsistencies in their choice of ingredients. Granted, Smokey Row is mainly a coffee shop, I only comment on their food because they choose to offer it. read more

The cafe is very nice and cozy! They've got sandwiches, ice cream and desserts, I tried their tiramisu and it was SO good! read more

Smokey Row Coffee - Tiramisu and a medium skinny latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Ventured here for lunch on a snowy day to meet a friend. Having never been here, I had no idea what to expect. I had been by the place a couple times but never really paid much attention to it. The parking lot is small, especially when snow covered. I'd say maybe 8 cars could park in it. There is some street parking and also a parking lot behind the building. Again, due to the snow, there were fewer spots available than normal. It was difficult to find a parking spot. There are two entry locations. One in the back and one in the front. I wish I had known about the back one as it was a bit more of a walk to get to the front. The building itself is of good size. Inside, it is bright and airy and I didn't find it too loud. To order, you go up to the counter. They will then bring you the food. I opted to get the Chicken Salad Croissant which came with chips. It was ok, but nothing to "write home about." It took away my hunger but really, not much more. I will say the price of $6.50 is reasonable for lunch. Overall: This is a nice place to meet up and enjoy some socialization but not my favorite spot to eat. They do have children's highchairs and also a changing table which is nice. read more

Smokey Row Coffee is a HUGE coffee shop! There are tons of places to sit and hang out. I think you can reserve one of their back rooms for meetings, too. Definitely good atmosphere; there are all types of people here from college students on their laptops to business people conducting interviews. The coffee here isn't that great. I would say it tastes pretty similar to Starbucks. I've gone here a few times, and I'm okay with the Sweet Georgia Brown drink they sell. They do have a decent amount of teas to try, so that's good. The one rave I have is that Smokey Row's bran muffins are the best; try one warmed up with your caffenated beverage. read more

I used haaate this place, but I gave it another couple shots because I wanted to like it so bad! The last few times I went the employees were super nice and it was a much better experience. I dig it. read more

Calm cafe to come drink with friends or work on your laptop. Parking can be a hassle due to its location but it's a nice place to try out. Many coffee options. Recommend coming in unless you in a hurry. Drive through looked slow but could differ on time of day. read more

Smokey Row Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Cool 50's diner atmosphere packed with a young college crowd zoned into their laptops. The food is so-so, most of it appears to be pre-frozen or pre-packaged. Even though the smoothies are made from "smoothie mix" and fruit preserves, they're my favorite thing about Smokey Row. Still, it always seems open and it's a good place to hang out away from home to get some work done. read more

Cool little place with plenty of options for food and beverages. The foot was really good but nothing out of this word. They have sandwiches, wraps and the like, so you can only go be so awesome with these. They make their own soda, which is nice. My only complaint is the cups are a bit small if you're a big drinker. Cool atmosphere that fills up quickly. read more

This is our usual place to go on a day off or weekend. Coffee is always flowing and is always amazing. Great place to work, chat, play a board game, whatever. We love SR :) read more

Smokey Row Coffee - He's full of confusion being back at SR!!! :) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

This place naturally attracts a lot of students and it's funny to sit down and watch a group of students flounder around the place for an open wall socket so they can plug in their laptops. You'd expect that this place just serves coffee but they do have a sandwiches, salads, soups, paninis, burgers, and specials like chicken pot pie. I've had their dutch chocolate mocha and it was just a disappointing mess of sugar and chocolate with no hint of coffee; however, their club sandwich was HUGE and very good. Their specials always sound yummy and I hear good things about them, it's just odd that one would want to avoid the coffee at an established coffee house. Even being the lone person in line during a weeknight, it may take ten minutes to get even a small coffee. Another Yelper described the staff as a Montessori school of children charading as baristas, which is a very hilarious yet apt description. They just kind of hang around and talk to each other and I've been on the embarrassing end of thinking that one was talking to me when it was, in fact, to his fellow barista. During one visit, a barista kept attempting to sing? I think? It was very odd and he was not a good singer, but carried on for the hour I was there and it was pretty distracting and annoying. Although this coffee house supposedly fosters a fun, casual, sit down and hang out a bit environment (they have board and card games for customers to use), there may be afternoons where seating is scarce among the students camping out for the whole day. This isn't normally an issue until you realize there's one person per four person-table because students have their books and laptops spread over everything. So getting a coffee with your family or friends and finding seating may be hard when a single person takes up a table for six. I have seen other coffee houses employ little signs people can put up at their tables that say "Please join me or feel free to take a spot!" so at least there's more options for seating, but I think that's just a typical coffee house problem, so just be prepared to throwdown that toddler blocking the only open table in the joint because you may be competing with other parties. read more

amazing shakes, coffee and bakery items- however shakes are a bit slow coming out and the straws they give you are annoyingly tiny

My go to coffee spot in Des Moines. Great service. Best house brew in Des Moines if you are a basic black coffee drinker AND they have unlimited refills on their house if you get a mug and stay for awhile. Also their rice crispy treats are the size of bricks and you should definitely try one! read more

A decent coffee shop that also serves meals. Decent food and the hard scoop ice cream is hard to beat. Grab yourself a Smokey Row shake and a scotcheroo while you are there! read more

Always a good place for a casual bite to eat and a good cup of coffee. Wouldn't recommend the ginger peach tea though. It tasted like hot dirt and when I tried to put sugar in it tasted like sweet dirt. It got worse as you go further to the bottom of the kettle. I'm sure other teas would be fine. The biscuits and gravy were 10/10 though. read more

Smokey Row Coffee - Biscuits and gravy. $5.50 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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This is one of my favorite coffee shops in Des Moines if I know I'm going to be hanging out for a little while. There's a bunch of seating and outlets (a Godsend for my aging laptop battery). I love the free refills for in house coffee and their breakfast sandwiches and other food items are great if you're looking for a little more sustenance than your basic coffee shop pastries. You can also enjoy some ice cream if you need a cold treat! read more

Smokey Row Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Such a great atmosphere and the Pumpkin Pie Latte was a delight! I stopped in for a visit and it is a clean place with a lot of open space. The inside is well decorated and brings a welcoming atmosphere. I loved seeing so many people engaged in conversations. The energy didn't seem to bust and I will likely be back for another drink read more

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Had been wanting to try this place for quite a while. Finally we were back in town and had our chance. Slowest coffee house I have ever been in. Coffee was ok, nothing life changing. The food warm, not hot. Staff had zero desire to get orders quicker. Food was out 10 minutes before we had our drinks. Knew it would be busy but the baristas were more into their conversations than getting orders taken care of. Defiantly better places in DSM for coffee. read more

This place has a phenomenal location for a coffee shop. Very cool building with tons of seating. Easily the largest coffee shop in town. The coffee I've gotten has been pretty decent. That's the good parts. Having been here multiple times I'm always flabbergasted at just how disorganized and poorly planned this place is. To enter the line (and its usually long) you have to walk to the other side if the massive building from the main door. Seems logical to reverse it and have the line by the entrance like almost every other counter ordering food service establishment. It's like entering a restaurant and the host stand is back by the bathroom. If you want ice cream, rather than walking up, pointing to what you want, and being handed the ice cream. (like 99% of the ice cream shops in the world) You instead walk up, remember what you want then walk 50 feet to get in the actual line to wait. Then order it and wait. The amount of time it takes to get even a simple cup of coffee here is really unacceptable. Behind the counter its like watching the Montessori school playing coffee shop. Everyone is just kind of working on whatever they want, at whatever speed they want. Wandering back and forth. Chit chatting with each other regardless of the extensive line. There seems to be no assigned jobs or decent "flow". Have any of the staff here been to a high volume coffee shop before? A subway? Watch the flow of things. Its Infuriating when all I need is one cup of coffee and they are just wandering aimlessly. Yesterday I got in line and 14 minutes later was handed my coffee. Hilarious if it wasn't so sad. Considering that the entire desert cabinet, soups, and baked goods came right off the Sysco order guide what could be taking so long?? Speaking of that. If you are going to display deserts at least remove the paper between the slices and help us pretend you actually bake. Location, location, location. If this were 4 blocks in any direction it would probably be empty. read more

Smokey has always been a great study spot. The unique setting makes for a great date, study session or Bible study! I love the egg nog latte in the winter. Really can't go wrong with any drink! Prices are pretty reasonable as well. read more

Located near 235, Smokey Row is a coffeehouse with some light breakfast offerings. Order at the register and take a seat. Food is delivered but drinks are lined up at the bar so keep that in mind. I thought it was fine but was expecting hardier food but if you are looking for a good place for coffee and a muffin or other baked good, this would be a good selection. My breakfast casserole was fine although a little meager in quantity for the price but it included toast. read more

I am a regular! Love the food, the staff, the decor and the vibe. Campfire Mocha is my go to with a Snickerdoodle chaser...oh, yeah! read more

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Best option for a quick morning meeting close to downtown. Never too loud and easy parking. Grab one of the tables near the back entrance if you want more privacy and a place to plug in the laptop. There is a private room if you are looking for a casual place for a larger group meeting. read more

We love this place. When in Dsm. The location is what initially got us here. Soon we realized they had great shakes for my boyfriend who hates coffee. So we stop here and get coffee and ice cream for the road. read more

I have been here twice now for business related meetings. I have only tried coffee here and it is not great, but not bad. I mostly like this place because of the layout and how there are multiple places to sit depending on what type of meeting you are trying to have. There is an open space where it is a bit more loud, and then two side rooms that seem to be more quiet and secluded. There is also an outside seating area, which could use some umbrellas for some shade from the sun. This shop is centrally located so it's easy to get to and always plenty of parking (free of charge, thanks Des Moines). Overall, great meeting place for business or working on your laptop. read more

Average food and drinks. Their WiFi DOES NOT WORK. Their WiFi cut out several times and took ages to reconnect only to disconnect again shortly after. I asked other patrons if this happened to them, and they laughed saying they always need to use their hotspot here. Seriously, please plan to go elsewhere if you're looking for a place to drink coffee while doing work/homework. read more

Admittedly, I've never been inside Smokey Row, only through the drive-thru. They make a mean latte with almond milk, and apparently mochas too, according to a friend. Their menu is creative and large, their staff is helpful, the service is fast, and the vibe is very cool. This is my favorite coffee-shop stop in the mornings! read more

Nice place to meet up with others. Can get pretty loud though. Coffee is good. Food is okay. I still have yet to try a cinnamon roll. Will update when I do! read more

My neighborhood coffee shop never lets me down. I feel at home here. The staff is incredibly friendly and the service is quick. I'm a big fan of the smoothies. It's a bit of a fast paced environment, which is my speed. Plenty of space too. Shout out to Mary for being an absolute ray of sunshine everytime I come in. This staff makes my day read more

Nice coffee shop located in the Sherman Hills neighborhood right off the MLK I235 exit. This place offers many types of drinks, from coffee to specialty drinks, like malts, shakes, and fountain sodas. Good atmosphere with antique decor surrounding the area, and a very lofty feel. It has a college vibe as It's the kind of place to grab coffee and study for a while. But it's definitely a place that's open to all types of people, not just young college students. Service staff could use a little jolt of energy as they seem a little underwhelmed and bored. Overall, I do see myself returning for a coffee again sometime in the future if I'm in the area. read more

I've always been a bit perplexed with this place's popularity. Staffed by a slew of hipsters that have no customer service skills, little to zero places to park and no where to sit from all the tables occupied by a single computer hacker milking 1 mocha chapa wapa frapa for 3 hours as they leach free internet. But the food today gets the grand prize for their tragically cool indifference. Ordered a turkey bacon panini. The bread was not toasted nor pressed which is signature panini, the cheddar was cold and hard thus proving it had never met the panini press and it came with a pile of corn chip fragments that look like they had been through a paper shredder and then sentenced to life in a salt mine. If there is a next time, I'll order the box the napkins come in. It would probably be have more taste and attention to presentation than this drivel. read more

We just tried Smokey row for the first time. We got there about 930pm so pretty close to closing. The staff were great and friendly very helpful and smiling. I got a Java freeze that was fantastic. And the turkey panini was fabulous. Will definitely be going back. read more

Amazing coffee, great vibe and wonderful customer service ! Can't wait to get back to Iowa for that Sweet Southern Brown

I did not enjoy my experience here. I will never be returning to Smokey Row. The service was subpar...waited forever to be noticed standing in line. Then waited longer for them to make my Americano. The coffee was okay ...not as good as Mars Cafe/Java Joe's makes it. On the day I went, this place appeared to be a place for douche bags to come play guitar (very badly) and annoy patrons with their bad guitar playing. Also watch out for the bible kids...if you go, you'll know what I'm talking about. I have ZERO INTEREST in going to a coffee house that resembles a bible club youth group meeting with douche bags badly playing guitar....with bad service and just-okay coffee to boot. read more

Quick lunch - got the cheeseburger soup - filling and pretty good. Plenty of chunks of hamburger in a moderately creamy cheese sauce. A bit bland for my taste, but added some pepper and it was pretty good. Service was prompt and very polite. You stand in line to order and they bring food items to your table. Neat interior and I'm not a coffee drinker, but there was a pretty good line waiting for them so they must be pretty good! read more

Now do not let my pessimistic old man shaking a stick yelling "get out of my yard" attitude scare you away from trying this little gem of a place. There are only two reasons why this place is not getting a 5 star from me. 1) Their chai lattes made my taste buds run away for a week and not call or write. 2) The service needs to be fixed BIG TIME. I waited less time in a line to buy tickets for my high school girlfriend to go see NKOTB (new kids on the block for you whipper snappers) in 1989. Really the service can become log jammed at a busy time. I would really suggest going with table servers, it would greatly improve things. On to the things that I am not a crumb-up-aty about! Love the cheeseburger chowder. I can do without the bread bowl. There breakfast casserole is like my mamma makes on easter day! yummmmmmm! The atmosphere is great and free WIFI throughout. My favorite part is their RootBeer selection. They have the best bottle RootBeers in Des Moines! It is also a great place for a family to go to. Which this area needs more of. All an all good job smokey row. _____________________________ Amended on 9/7 Went in recently and they changed their recipe for the cheeseburger soup. It just was not good. Sorry there is now not enough to keep this at a 3 star. read more

I've been going to Smokey Row for years, ever since I was in high school. It will always be one of my go-to coffeeshops to meet up with people, but it might need to step up its game compared to other places in town. First lets start with the food. Sometimes it's a hit or miss. I prefer their bagel sandwiches and paninis over anything. All sandwiches are served with a side of kettle chips, beside the paninis they are served with chips and salsa. I don't like it when salads are super expensive for what they are, and this is one of the places with expensive salads for my liking. BUT to make up for their food, their desserts are great! They serve a variety of treats like cookies, cheesecakes, and muffins; they also have ice cream. Moving on to drinks, they are just good. I am totally one of those people who likes their coffee to be coffee when I'm trying to get work done, and not a treat in a cup. Their specialty drinks are just that, if you are into sweet tasting coffee drinks this is the place for you! Their brewed coffee, is good but I feel like I can get a bolder flavored cup else where. Their other drinks like phosphates and teas are great if you aren't into the coffee thing as well. Location of Smokey Row is great, right off the interstate. Decor of the place is very nice with the decorations with old school cans and bottle around. It can get very, very crowded here though, and parking can be a nightmare if you go during a busy rush. If you need a quiet place to study or get work done, this may not be the place for you. If you can cancel all the things and noise around you, you probably can. I would say this, they also need to pick up the dishes customers leave in the bins more frequently and whip down the tables after people more often. Overall I would still recommend people to come here because I have been for years, but it will have to change somethings up. read more

Iced vanilla latte was pretty bad. Tasted like cold chocolate milk. Way too much vanilla and milk. Good place to study/meet with people, bad place for coffee. read more

This place has a really great atmosphere and loose leaf tea options served on your own pot. Unfortunately, the coffee and food is just so/so. Every food item I have had here is like something I would make myself for a quick, "oops I forgot to eat" meal. The service is also painfully slow.... But hey they have free parking which is why most non-downtown people come here. I am looking forward to SR improving their menu over time. read more

As someone who doesn't mind a crowded spot, I really like Smokey Row. I love to sit down with a coffee and a delicious taco salad and get some cramming in. The prices are awesome, the food is delicious, and I really like the menu options. However, the service here is costing the 2 stars. Almost every time I've been in, there's been a guy at the counter who is very unfriendly and, at times, rude. It's actually kept me from going in a few times. If it weren't for the rudeness, I would frequent this place a lot, but as someone who has worked in the service industry, courtesy is really important to me. read more