Food is yummy. Service is amazing. Everyone is so helpful and kind. This is a calm place to get breakfast at!!

What a fun place! Worth the wait. Great service and diverse menu. The menu was a balanced blend of adventurous and diner classics. Great spot for brunch or breakfast. Family friendly and large portions. read more

Super friendly staff. Super quick service. Great tasting food! Great cute little spot hidden in the heart of Ankeny! read more

Great service and very good diner food. Meeting friends for coffee this is one of my favorites. They have a very good local following.

Food, service and ambience are very good. Ordered tenderloin special which was a very pleasant surprise in size and taste and enjoyed breakfast at another time also. read more

This has to be one the best breakfasts I've ever had. The food was so fresh, non greasy, full of flavor, and came out quickly! The mimosas were $3 and they did the job!!!!!!! I think the best part of the experience was Alyssa and her customer service! Highly recommend this hidden gem! read more

We love going here for brunch! They have a great selection of options on the menu and the food is good. The restaurant needs a little updating read more

Above average dinner fare. We where welcomed with hearty hello and a big genuine smile. We went on a Sunday morning and had about 10min wait. But it was worth it. The buffet had a small omelet bar, with ham, cheese tomatoes and onions. The rest of the buffet included fruit, cottage cheese, pudding. Hot food included eggs, American potatoes, biscuits and gravy. Bacon French toast sticks. There where two other options but they where changing over to a lunch buffet. Well worth the 10.00 and 6.00 for kids. If you are staying at the hotel you can use your breakfast vouchers as 4.00 off coupons. We would for sure come back when we visit Ankeny again. Over all just a nice small town dinner with great staff a good food. read more

The Ankeny Diner - Diners Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

It is located within a hotel, but I promise, they have a really good menu and really good food and great service. They even have a few healthy options for the vegans/vegetarians. Check out their menu online - http://ankenydiner.com/wp-content/themes/sandbox/images/Ankeny-Diner-Menu-New.pdf read more

I came across the Ankeny Diner when I searched for a place to get a good breakfast. I was sold when I saw a picture their pork tenderloin. I lived in Des Moines for five years. Iowans know how to make a good tenderloin! I also ordered cheese curds and the portion was humungous! The tenderloin was really light (in color), but it was fantastic. My husband ordered the Gut Buster omelet which was a six-egg monstrosity with ham, sausage, cheese, and a slew of vegetables. It came with a heap of hash browns. He said it w as s very good and he loved the coffee. The food was great. It was very under-seasoned, but I'd rather have that than food that's too salty. The service was good and the decor was fun. It really does look like a diner inside. There are a lot of appetizing things on the menu and I look forward to returning to try them out! read more

Cool little place. Seems it's been around a while. Got the chicken fried special. It was delicious and a great price. I would eat here again read more

The Ankeny Diner - Lunch special. Think was 6.99 - Diners Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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We took my mother-in-law and sister-in-law there for a late Sunday lunch. The service was phenomenal. The servings are huge! My mother-in-law said it was the best burger she had. My husband's omelet was perfect. Only complaint is the hallway and bathrooms could be a little cleaner. The window sills had quite a bit of dust on them, but those parts are part of the motel. We will definitely be back, I need to try one of those burgers. read more

Another update, tried the tenderloin this time. It was very good. It looked handmade not some pressed pork fritter that you find in some places. I love cottage cheese so I skipped the fries for that and was very pleased. Great service yet again. Priced Right. Still one of my favorites read more

The Ankeny Diner - Diners Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

*Duplicate Review* There is already a page for Ankeny Diner Just came home from eating here and I can say that I will be coming back here multiple times in the future! This diner is tucked back a little bit behind Tokyo Steakhouse. First I'll talk about the decor and service of the diner. Their decor is like a classic diner theme with large booths and many mirrors. They have a bar with TV here as well as standard restaurant seating. Their service is perfect here, everyone from the servers to the cashier were very friendly and interactive with the customers. Now the food...WOW! I had their burger and it was great, long time since I've had a good burger. Also tried their chicken tortellini which contained more chicken than tortellini (no complaints here haha). I got greedy and went to try their biscuits and gravy. I did not know this, but on Tuesdays they have certain menu items which you get unlimited refills. The biscuits and gravy were one of those items and I could not even get through the first plate. Their servings are HUGE! The final kicker, their price is AMAZING. I would actually go to say their prices are low for the amount of the food and the quality of food you are getting. Parking is convenient here with their big parking lot. They have an interesting daily specials menu, I cannot wait to come back and try their other products! Definitely recommend to people reading this review! read more

Amazing breakfast! Love the old school diner feel of this place!! Came here because of all of the good reviews I have heard. This diner us situated behind Tokyo restaurant on Delaware. We had not much of a wait to get in! Which for a Sunday right at lunchtime was very nice! We were seated right away and it's apparent that this is where the locals go to eat. They offer Sunday brunch which was a nice feature! Chicken fried steak was amazing!! Eggs cooked perfect. Crispy hash browns! And great sausage gravy! Their prices were great! Staff was friendly. A definite place I will have to come back to! read more

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This is a very unique eatery. Located inside a hotel, the entrance feels like you are entering a backdoor/underground poker tournament. The place is huge and blows your mind with its 70s or 80's interiors. Huge seating. Extremely huge menu and highly customizable. Place is clean. Service may be a hit or miss. We got what we ordered. Sadly wasn't very hungry so couldn't try their shakes. Highly recommended if you are looking for diner type food. read more

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Good value good food the place could use an update server very friendly will go back. Had the Eggs Benedict

Staff was so friendly when we stopped by for lunch on our way from Minnesota to Nebraska. Right off the highway which is handy. We like supporting local diners and recommend stopping here if you are in the area. It's a diner, so breakfast, sandwiches, burgers, and the daily specials are your best bet. I had the Eggs Benedict and the eggs were cooked perfectly. read more

We were greeted with a huge smile and seating without wait. It took a while for our server to show up. I think they make malts and specialty ice cream dishes and all are made by hand. Not 100 about that, but every waitress seemed to spend a lot of time over at the ice cream counter from time to time. We came here because I read a article in the paper a while back and they were listed as a great place to get a burger. I love a great burger and finding one can be challenging. On my visit we were definitely the youngest people there. Usually this is a good sign. I ordered the Maytag Burger rare, a side of fries, and an egg on the side. I really like a rare burger and most places will not make a burger that's red on the inside. My daughter ordered the french dip and fries. Their fries are crinkle cut and we both dig those. Disappointment on both orders. My burger was cooked thru and dry without a hint of red burger or Maytag blue cheese flavor. Mustard couldn't even bring it back, luckily I had ordered a draft beer which did help. The french dip was so boringly bland only half was eaten. The only way to make it taste better was to pour salt on it. The au jus was a lifeless brown liquid tasting nothing like beef, in any way shape or form. The only redeeming quality was the crinkle cuts were cooked to perfection. So well in fact they needed no ketchup. Had our waitress came back prior to eating half of our food I might have sent my burger back for a much less dry one, not sure the french dip could be helped. But she was no were to be found for about 15-20 minutes. I was really expecting something spectacular after reading all the reviews on Yelp. But the word diner should have been the first clue. It wasn't particularly busy on my visit, so my burger should have be almost perfect. The au jus I'm sure was what it was on any visit. If my grandparents were in town and asked for boring food I might go back, but surely not on my own. read more

The Ankeny Diner - Diners Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

General Manager needs retrained over service animals. He sat us in area that was not a good placement. I asked the server if we were in the way and she assured us it wouldn't be a problem. Moments later the GM scolded us saying, "can't you put that dog under the table?" he repeated himself carrying a scolding tone. I was not allowing service animal under the table when it was littered with food and paper scraps. Would of been happy to move since the restaurant was not busy. Was not given that option. If he thinks it's okay to speak to a disabled guest the way he did, I can only imagine how he treats the staff. I did write a complaint on the restaurant website and received no response. Hey Mr. General Manager!!! You sat us. Take responsibility for your actions. Server and food were great. read more

This seems like the only place left that hasn't increased their prices to the extreme. My family if 4 can eat here under $30 and all be satisfied and full. The food is always fantastic and the staff is very friendly. Highly recommend trying this place out! Oh the best part is they serve breakfast ALL DAY! read more

This diner is attached to a hotel in Ankeny. I thought the service was good and the blue plate special I got was great. No complaints at all. read more

The Ankeny Diner - Diners Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

Stopped in for breakfast. Friendly service, food came real quick. The Gutbuster Omelette is definitely a gutbuster. 6 eggs. Came with hash browns and toast. Nice stringy pull on the cheese. Good place to eat. read more

The Ankeny Diner - Gut buster Omelette - Diners Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

The Ankeny Diner is a great place to take the family. The menu selection is great. Breakfast is available all day! The food is good and the portions are mostly appropriate. The kids menu has all the kids favorite of both breakfast and lunch. The kids portions are spot on. It is enough food for the kids. The kids get a small scoop of ice cream free. The servers are good and attentive. Afforable prices in a retro environment. I definitely recommend! read more

This was a good find! The shake was a meal in itself, served in the mixing tin, ice cold. Big portions done up by a good chef. By the way the bar is stocked, this place must be a good time on the weekends! read more

The Ankeny Diner - Big portions, friendly service! Great shakes! - Diners Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

I love this place. I mix it up and get something different every time. The staff is always super friendly and the food is always great!

Old, outdated and they could do everyone a favor by going out of business. Located in a motel, you walk into the building and the first thing you smell is the chloirne from the motel swimming pool. The diner is dingy and the food is bad. Before Covid, Ankeny Diner was just OK but now it sucks. Ordered the Blue Plate special, the mainstay of any diner. The turkey sitting on top of the bread was just tiny crumbs, the leftover of slicing the breast and was smothered in a thick gravy. No cranberries and the stuffing lacked flavor. My wife's cheeseburger was no better. read more

Small portions, weak coffee, bar/hotel attached. The service was good though. Prices were ok, but just needed a bit more. 70's truck stop decor. read more

So just wanted to post a little update* I tried the tortellini at our most recent visit and I was satisfied. It comes with a dinner salad, a HUGE portion of pasta (they do not skimp on the chicken) and a soft bread stick! I had plenty of leftovers and my boyfriend really enjoyed the hot beef. read more

The Ankeny Diner - Chicken tortellini! Hefty portion. Comes with a garlic bread stick and side salad. $12.29 - Diners Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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Great food and ambiance. Friendly fast service, and close enough to walk to...Love it!!! read more

The Ankeny Diner - Diners Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

An Ankeny staples. This place has been here so long that I don't remember it not being there. The interior decorations seem the same too. Yes they have done a great job keeping things clean but I believe anytime they remodeled, they just replaced it with the same decor. Makes for a great retro diner look. I love coming here for breakfast. Apparently so does everyone else because it is always packed for breakfast. The Sunday breakfast buffet if something you should avoid. While it is cheap $9.99, the selection and quality is not there. You definitely get what you paid for. I recommend just ordering a made to order breakfast. I have never been disappointed. The eggs are always made perfectly. Whether I ordered scrambled eggs, fried sunny side up, over hard, or poached, the kitchen staff knows how to make it just right. Come early if you don't want to wait. If you do come a little later, don't be surprised if there is a wait. This is especially true on the weekends. read more

OK ankeny diner what happened you use to be the best place to eat in town boy tonight you dissappointed horribly!!!was not busy at all got there had beef noodles the special it was burned dry and potatoes cold nasty!!!the outside parking lot was littered with trash and across from the register to check out there was a employee laying down in the booth sleeping for real what a mess!!!we were a party of 4 one person got a lettece salad that was brown and rotten!!!what has happened I asked the cashier its under new ownership I was told....we someone needs to get back to the old ankeny diner good food service,this place is a dive!!! read more

We went for dinner and it was interesting. The location is in the hallway of a hotel that looks like it has seen better days. There are missing ceiling tiles among other various signs of neglect.The interior aesthetic of the restaurant is fairly off-putting. The most egregious issue is the widespread use of horrible daylight bulbs that give the entire restaurant a cold blue 1980's fluorescent tube extremely depressing clinical laboratory vibe. I've been in ER rooms that have more comfortable lighting. There doesn't appear to be any concerted effort into the decoration or appearance of the space. It's the kind of place that is uncomfortable to be in and doesn't welcome anyone to rush back. Change those bulbs and hire an interior decorator, stat. The service was just ok. The server made a faux pas comment or two that I was surprised by and will never forget. She was older and I think had lost her filter. In a hospitality role you must maintain some level of appropriate filter. The service, otherwise, was just fair. The food was up and down. The portions were enormous. I like large portions. This was beyond large portions. Very few people desire the amount of food we received. For an app we ordered a chilli cheese fries deal and it was delicious and huge, the star of our visit. My wife ordered an omelet which was gigantic. She ate 1/3 of it. I had the french dip. No doubt, I'm a critic of french dip and prime rib sandwiches. They look so simple but good ones take more effort than throwing meat into bread. The french dip was boring and among the bottom of my list of comparisons. I wouldn't mind walking back in here to try other items but it's so painful to my eyes to do so. read more

Having lived in Ankeny for 12+ years we wanted to like this place. Every single time we tried to go the lines were long to even get a table. The disorganized place is very disappointing. The staff arguing with the patron over a kid's orange juice (raised voices on both sides disturbing every other patron in the place) was enough to make us turn around and walk out. I mean, it's an orange juice. 1. Just pay for it or 2. Just give it to the guy and move on. Don't argue about it. We never once got to taste their food. I can't imagine it would have been 'worth it' had we of waved the white towel and waited for a seat. Too many other places to try. Skip it.... read more

Stopped here for breakfast, looking for a diner - style place. Although it is decorated like a diner, it is really a hotel restaurant within an older Ramada. Service was okay, food was okay. Just not the "diner" we were looking for here. read more

Very disappointing quality of food. Undercooked fries and onion rings, burger was low quality, everything else very mediocre.

So i gave them 3 stars because we waited for our food for 45 min. And 20 min to be sit in. But i guess they saw our frustration and gave us 5 strips of bacon and i only ordered 1 read more

Pretty good food but the service is very hit or miss, mostly miss. The last couple times our waitress has been short with us, borderline brash, and nearly blind. My empty water cup sat on the edge of the table for the duration of our dinner when finally I was able to ask her for a refill, because that was the first time we actually saw her. I usually come here with my dad. He isn't hard to please and rarely complains, but even he has had a few words to say about it all the last two times. Maybe it will be different next time. read more

The Ankeny Diner - California burger - Diners Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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Just had a wonderful breakfast at the Ankeny Diner. It's the best place in the Des Moines area for breakfast. read more

The Ankeny Diner - Patty Melt and Fries - Diners Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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Good homemade diner food. It's hard to be beat. Great priced and get huge portions. The service is always good and personable. A must try! A hidden gem in Ankeny for 15 plus years. read more