Ate here for breakfast. Our server was so gracious and polite! The food was mediocre. I had cinnamon swirl French toast, which had my mouth watering - but the dish itself was chewy and ok. Hubbers pancakes were bland and undercooked. This diner itself was located in a hotel, so the smell of chlorine was heavy and a little nauseating. Would have given 2 stars but the server deserved better. read more

First time here. Wow! Everything we ate was delicious old style diner food. Yummy, greasy, unhealthy deliciousness!! The retro look of the place is fun. It is clean and well maintained. The staff is friendly and helpful. The food portions are huge. If you leave this place hungry, it is your own fault! For me, this place is a definite do over! read more

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This is a very interesting place. Waited a half hour for some eggs and an omelette with zero interaction from the waitress at Noon. Figured now we'd just enjoy our food. Nope. Found a hair; decided I'd still try to eat. Nope, again. Found a second hair. Stop eating and hear the table next to us ALSO found a hair. Waited for the waitress to come over but she proceeded to ignore her tables and was slowly setting out flatware. Finally host asks how it was I showed him the hair and refused to pay because I could not eat the meal. He was very nice and apologized. The end. read more

Great diner experience. Good menu choices and a lot to look at. Had an omelet for lunch. Very tasty

A classic food style diner nestled with in the Ramada Inn. This diner had several food options for breakfast that were fantastic. My family stayed in the Ramada and received complimentary breakfast coupons to try the restaurant. The kids were able to get free pancakes and when they came out they were in the shape of Mickey Mouse heads which made it really fun for the kids to enjoy. I personally had the gut Buster omelet which was loaded with meat and 6 eggs, it was definitely a delicious omelet and something I will remember. A must stop for good breakfast you've you want to go outside of the norm. read more

Saw the Ankeny Diner listed as a candidate for best burger, so we decided to give it a try and we were not disappointed! The burgers are fantastic! Cooked to perfection and had great flavor, the chili was also great, lots of flavor and just the right amount of kick, this was our first visit, but we plan to be regulars! read more

The Ankeny Diner - The California burger with cheese and bacon - Diners Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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Wow, what a nice surprise and treat. Tucked into a Ramada Inn in the northern part of Ankeny is the best burger and diner in the metro. Had a couple of entertainment book coupons to use so went to Drake diner last week and Ankeny diner today for a late lunch. The prices are reasonable and consistently less than drake diner by $1-2. Burger was done to requested and had a very nice sized patty, bigger than drake diner. Everything came out hot and fresh. Worth the drive for me! read more

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Great diner! I'm from NJ where there's a diner on every block. Great food, friendly staff. Great coffee!! Eggs were a little wet, I'd ask for them cooked through next time. Great sourdough toast! read more

The Ankeny Diner - Great Bloody Mary! - Diners Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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We went to ankeny diner and the place is nice and everything but there were some minor set backs like the bacon wasn't very good,hash browns were cold,and the location makes it a little annoying to get into but other than that the buttermilk pancakes were really good and the biscuits and gravy were very good not to mention the service was very great. I would go back but it wouldn't be my first option read more

amazing service!!! sue and john were amazing! sue is an awesome server and takes her job seriously! she deserves the world! john is 84 years old and still helping out at his local diner! so amazing! food was great! read more

Got takeout recently. I had to chase someone down to help. The food was not packaged properly for take out. If something has a sauce on it (rarebit/gravy) it should be packaged separate so it downs make things soggy. It was a disappointment. read more

We had the wonderfully priced breakfast buffet.... it was disgusting! Some of the food was super cold, but even worse, nothing but the omelette was any good. I will never return to Ankeny Diner... Ever. Interesting decor... read more

Waitress was sub par and the food as well not worth the price. Place looks like it could use a little upgrade.

Three times I've eaten here in the past two days and not disappointed one bit! My first breakfast (pork sausage and cheese omelette, hash browns, and toast) was amazingly fluffy and delicious and the hash browns were done right. Crispy on the outside and hot and steamy on the inside. My second breakfast ( country fried steak and eggs with hash browns and toast) was done to perfection, and the sausage gravy was hearty and had the perfect amount of meat to gravy ratio. My first lunch ( Reuben sandwich with fries and a chocolate shake) very delicious but not as good as mine lol!... the fries could have been a bit more crispy, but the milk shake was like drinking chocolate silk!.. probably the smoothest and creamiest I've I've had and it was hand made!! Autumn my waitress was very nice and made you feel like home. A guy that travels as much as I do needs that. Thank you Autumn. Overall the Ankeny Diner is a complete win!! We need more Diners like this in this world! I'm definitely coming back! Great job !! read more

If you're looking for a great Sunday breakfast buffet, keep looking. We visited Ankeny Diner for Father's Day brunch. Everyone in our party of 10 was thoroughly unimpressed by the food and the service. Ordering off the menu might not be so bad, as the few people from our party who did seemed to like what they got. But our advice is to avoid the buffet. The scrambled eggs were just plain bad. The breakfast potatoes and French toast sticks were overcooked and hard. The biscuits & gravy were OK and the omelet station was fine, but we want GREAT! I'm not going to describe in detail everything we ate but I will say that I don't believe one person from our table who ordered the buffet went back for seconds. That says it all. read more

Very gitchie. Service was slooooow but they had a help wanted signnout front. Daily special of chicken fried steak over sausage biscuits and gravy topped with a fried egg for $6 was one of the best values I've had in years. read more

Burgers are great. Haven't had a Blue Burger since Maytag has its cheese problem though. I appreciate their support for Maytag, but cmon! Breakfast is good with satisfying portions, and service is usually quick. read more

Food is decent diner food. Awesome Cheeseburgers and onion rings. We like their breakfast buffet but they do a terrible job on reservations and when it's busy they can get a little snippy. The younger woman helping at the desk on Sunday was short and snobby. If you have reservations for 11, I would expect you can get in at least by 11:20 but no they don't take the people with reservations first. They pull off both lists. There were a lot of empty tables but they leave them sitting while their hallway fills up. They could definitely manage this better. They do much better on weekdays when it's not so busy but for breakfast, it's still just okay food. read more

Ordered take out for 10 people yesterday (lunch). Overall, I was pretty pleased with the food. We all ordered burgers with either fries or onion rings. The burgers were cooked to perfection and the onion rings were fantastic! The only negative aspect of our experience was the older lady that took my order by phone. She seemed to be irritated that I was ordering for so many people. I had everything streamlined with cook temps and all, however I was interrupted when she huffed wanted to know how many more I had. I understand that they were busy, but carry out orders should be awarded top notch customer service! Carry out orders don't take up space (no table to turn) and typically require very little attention. If I have this experience again, I won't return. read more

Yummy Yummy Yummy I got burgers in my tummy. The burgers did not disappoint. This is a place I can go to again and again and the food still taste great, unlike Zombie burgers which sucked the 2nd, 3rd, etc. read more

Gets very busy on weekends, especially Sunday mornings. I'd recommend their half price burgers on Mondays, which won Best Iowa Burger a few years ago through Cattlemens Association. read more

Not sure what all the fuss is about. Food was fine but eggs were runny. Nobody on staff was happy. Service was slow. Zero atmosphere. Also an unpleasant smell in the entryway. I ask myself why there was a line out the door. Price was reasonable. Maybe that's the draw. I probably won't return. read more

Step back into a fifties diner. The smoothies and shakes are very good. Had the burger which are half pounders. The good varity of topping and mixes. Spoiler alert onion rings were not fried in hot enough oil, they were just a soggy pile of onions. They would have made it if they were done in hot oil. read more

Food was good but not worth the hour wait after ordering, both mornings. We stayed at the Best Western and had breakfast here both mornings. Our server the first morning was great, at least she checked in every so often. The next morning our server almost avoided the table until the food arrived. I wish I could give it a better rating for the food, but the service out weighs in this case. Maybe some day I will come and try the lunch or dinner menu. read more

The best all around food. Superstars burgers, tenderloins,chef salad, club sandwiches,breakfast. Great service.

If you can get over the fact that you have to walk through a hotel to get to the restaurant the food is very good. Had breakfast here and the portions were just right and the coffee is delicious! Diner seemed clean and the staff was very friendly. read more

The previous reviews are mixed and this is no different. We thought we would give it a try since the location was convenient when on I-35. Waited 15 mins with many tables empty. Waited another 20 mins for food. Hamburger was large and presented well. Ordered well done and got medium Fries were cold, soggy and plain Root beer float came after my food was served. Staff were fine but not a lot of "we are in this together to serve the customer" attitude. Appears to be adequate wait staff but not well oiled machine. read more

A tad cheesy with the 50's theme and attached to a hotel, which I'm always a bit leery of. I've been there 2x for breakfast and the food ROCKED both times. Both times I was there on sat morn and had the "ultimate biscuit and gravy"... Wow.., high quality biscuits and gravy with a homemade chicken fried steak and egg on top. A couple of dashes of tabasco on top and a good cup of coffee and u are in heaven. Will cure any hangover and fuel u up for the day! read more

Great service and even better food. The atmosphere is very laid back and feels retro. We will definitely be back here!

Stayed at the Ramada tired and hungry walked over too the diner not expecting much had a wonderfull meal at a exceptional price the staff was great thanks to our server Stephanie for the great service with a great smile read more

I love diners. This one is a renovated bar from days gone by, like the 70's ... food was ok, nothing stellar in my book. I'm not sure I'll add it to my must return to spots. But it is close to the freeway exit/entrance and is good enough, clean but could use an facelift inside and out to bring it up par with a more appealing look and feel. read more

We regularly dine at this restaurant, but on our last three visits the service and the food has declined majorly. We waited much longer than needed for a host to seat us. Then we waited and waited for waitress to come to our table. They were not busy at this time. When our food arrived the hash browns had been precooked and were hard as cardboard. I had asked for my toast to be toasted twice. It was great but my sisters was charred. Our waitress never returned to the table. This diner is known for the best food in town, what happened??? read more

What a disappointment. Not sure what was worse, the poor quality food or the unorganized apethetic folks taking names and seating people. I don't understand how there is even a wait unless it's hotel guests that don't k ow any better. If you are looking for dried out biscuits that resemble small hockey pucks to put with gravy, paper thin bacon or "seasoned potato cubes" that are overcooked and actually lacking any seasoning then this is the breakfast buffet for you. Add an omelet bar that has very limited options and and a chef that gives your omelet to someone else and you're in for a tremendous experience. We will not be back and recommend you try someplace else! read more

Went here for the Breakfast, since they brag about having the second best breakfast in Ankeny, always wondered what was first, IHOP? Ordered the Denver Omelet and a cinnamon roll, which I split with my dining companion. Prices are very reasonable for the amount of food you get, my omelet was huge and well cooked. Also got a huge serving of hash browns with cheese and onions. Service was pretty good, no real complaints. Decor was nothing special, less of a retro, and more of a had not been updated in a while. read more

Great place to get a cheap breakfast that tastes good. Good burgers too. Like to come here for dinner when we just want something easy. The service however can be a hit or miss. I have had great service and some really terrible service. You usually won't get a drink refill before you are done dining, but the food is good enough to bring me back. read more

This place is a gem! First time having a burger with peanut butter (the "goober") and it was AMAZING. Asked for medium rare and it came out perfectly (although I'd recommend adding bacon). The onion rings are the shoestring variety, and a side of them means about half a POUND. Great service and warm staff; really happy with everything. read more

The food gets five stars. The service gets maybe two stars....maybe one. We have eaten at the Ankeny Diner a couple of times now. It is right off the interstate, connected to the Ramada Inn. They serve breakfast all day and other typical diner fare. The coffee is good as well (not bitter and doesn't taste like it's been cooking all day, even at night). Food is really good! Pancakes, goober burger (cheeseburger with a fried egg), breakfast skillets, shakes, coffee, OJ, etc. are tasty, good portions, and affordable. I would assume everything else tastes just as good, but I haven't tried everything on the menu yet! The service, however, is pretty lacking. Wait staff seems overworked, not sure which tables are theirs, don't have time to check on tables as often as needed for drink refills, etc. Much of the older staff looks like they are worn down and act as though they don't have time to smile or even wait tables. The manager himself seated us this past weekend. He basically grunted at us to follow him, laid the menus on a table, and huffed away. Super rude. This was AFTER waiting for several minutes to be seated without anyone saying a word to us. The cashier was busy ringing up a long line of elderly buffet goers and did not even acknowledge us or any of the few people who had just walked in to eat. It wasn't until we asked a passing waitress what we should do that we were even acknowledged. Apparently the huffy manager was the only person allowed to seat people and he was on the phone. About five minutes later, older cashier lady barked at us and the few other groups to wait to be seated and just stay where we are...out of the way. The layout of the diner is a bit congested. Tables are pretty much right on top of each other. Don't plan on having a confidential conversation. Or, if you like listening to other people's convos like I do, then this is great. But I don't like basically being on top of one another. There doesn't seem to be any method to seating people, waitress areas, who does what really. I am sure this scattered culture is a direct correlation to Mr. I-Hate-People Manager. The younger waitresses tend to be friendlier than any over 35. Also, they offer a Sunday full buffet from 9 am - 2 pm. I would suggest getting their EARLY or right at 1:30 pm. Thankfully the food speaks louder than the service and we will go back. We just know not to expect any type of good service. TL;DR Food is amazing, Service sucks bad! read more

Best place in town for a juicy burger, onion rings, and a shake. Lots of menu options here - most of them " American diner" style.

Went to Ankeny diner this morning with a group of 4 and a toddler. Got seated right away, friendly servers. Drink orders came out quick all waters and a coffee, but nevertheless. Restaurant was a bit full this morning with High School wrestling in nearby DM this weekend, plus it is attached to a hotel. Ramada Inn I believe. That being the case, food took a lil longer to get to table. The group behind our table sat down after us but got their meals sooner. Could have been they ordered easy fixins. The food was excellent quality. Huge order of biscuits and gravy, chicken fried steak was one of the best ever eaten, sourdough toast was good too! Big pancakes, bfast buffet has made to order omelets, fruit, and the meats. Also smaller biscuits than the ones on the menu for biscuits and gravy. Prices are right there in comparison or even slightly better than others. Overall this place is a keeper. The decor is dark, but that crap never bothers me. read more

The Ankeny Diner - Diners Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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This Diner has good, old fashioned diner food. The restaurant is connected to the Best Western Hotel, but we witnessed several 'regulars' come in and eat. The exterior screams '50s diner, but the interior is more subdued, with mirrors, period pictures and a few antiques lining the walls. This place serves the typical fare such as burgers, open faced sandwiches, and a wonderful fried pork tenderloin, but also serves salmon, steaks, and vegetarian items. It serves alcohol from a full bar. Three people in our party had salmon dishes, and they all raved about it. It didn't have the slightest bit of 'fishie-ness' despite being served on the interior of the country, far from the coasts where salmon live. One had a standard burger, which was also very good - this restaurant is among the 'Top 10' burger places in the state per the Iowa Beef Council. Myself, I had a dinner salad, pork tenderloin sandwich and onion rings. The green salad was very good, served with house made dressing, and the breaded loin was HUGE and very tender. The onion rings are paper thin, and full of flavor. For desserts, they offer various baked goods and a full ice cream 'bar' serving period styled shakes, malts, sundaes and sodas. The pie of the day (strawberry/banana) was sold out but my wife and I shared a slice of pineapple cake which was very light and tasty. My sister in law had a Strawberry mousse cupcake, and sundaes and shakes were also had, and they all were very good. In summary, you can't go wrong with this place. Everyone will go home happy. read more