This place is pretty good! I had the korean lettuce wraps and they were decent, not the best, but not horrible. The brussel sprout appetizer is amazig though and everyone elses burger looked good. Great atmosphere! read more

This is my favorite place to eat in Ames. The food is as good or better than Aunt Maude's and it's not as fussy! They also support local farmers, a big plus in my book. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is that they don't take researvations. When I want to eat here, I go slightly early. As for the food, YUM! Their menu changes frequently. There's always something to tempt me. The chef is imaginative and often has food combinations I've never seen before but which are wonderful. My father has travelled all over the world and he found something on the menu he had never seen before. He jokes that he had to come to Iowa to find something new :) Because the menu is not particularly large, there are not a lot of vegetarian options. However, a vegetarian friend of mine always finds something there to eat. They also make their whole menu available for carryout. The carryout station lists a few sandwiches, but you can get anything off the main menu if you ask (as long as you aren't ordering something they don't serve in the main restaurant at that time, of course). We often grab a latte and carryout so we don't have to deal with waiting for seats. read more

The best of Ames. The Cafe offers original dishes (cooked by real chefs!) at reasonable prices. The menu changes often and is always interesting--one of my favorite items is the salmon cakes benedict. They seem to prefer to buy items locally, which is a little unfortunate for me: Iowa is huge into pork, and I'm not a fan. It appears in many of their dishes, but it should say something that I rate the place five stars, even while I avoid half the items on the menu. Their desserts are really tasty and displayed in the coffee bar area to tempt people waiting for a table. There's usually been a wait of 10-20 minutes when I go, upwards of an hour if you're there for Sunday brunch (which is amazing). read more

Arrived with a party of 14 and asked about wait time to be seated as a whole or separate. The hostess told us 20 minutes if we separated and about 25 as a group. We enjoyed being outside for the first half an hour, but started to get slightly impatient when the hostess came out to tell us it would be even longer. We agreed to split up. At this point we had been there longer than anyone in line, and yet she continued to seat people ahead of us. Until half my party reminded her we wouldn't mind splitting up. After waiting another 45-an hour for our food it arrived. (Which forced us to request a delayed check out at our hotel since at this point we were there almost 2 hours.) Yes, the food was amazing.. But this is not a place to take children and think that the food will arrive quick. We are willing to pay more for a good quality meal, but would prefer to have some organization and management to make sure people are getting seated appropriately. All that said, the salmon omelet and the banana bread French toast were incredible! read more

By far the greatest place I have ever had the pleasure to eat at. My wife and I have never been let down before. Their menu changes with the season, they cycle through desserts made fresh in house. Their salad greens with candied walnuts make salads more enjoyable and their balsamic vinaigrette just up the anti. I often get the Cafe Burger medium rare. It is a large helping cooked perfectly. I substitute the chips for the salad green. My favorite time of year is Lent for the fish and chips. If you need breakfast, lunch, or dinner I recommend The Cafe. The wait staff is courteous and helpful. My wife often asks what they like if she is torn between what to pick for chow. Which happens every time. So please, I implore you to go eat here. read more

I'll be honest, I really love this place. My boyfriend and I visit often for brunch and occasionally for a nice dinner. The ever-rotating menu and quality dishes keep us coming back for more. The atmosphere in general is very relaxing and oftentimes romantic and make a great choice for a nice date (well, for Ames anway). I recommend coming for brunch, as that's where the Cafe really shines. The bakery is also filled with delectable treats. 4/5 stars only because I feel the dinner choices are noticeably less interesting than the brunch options. read more

Great local restaurant. Some of the best food in town. We travel from Ankeny frequently to enjoy the Cafe and appreciate the local vibe. Best Bloody Mary I've ordered in a restaurant. Great Omelets, Soups, Burgers, Salmon Sandwiches, Desserts (to die for) Also, they change their menu to reflect the seasons. We always enjoy finding a new favorite. My last meal there ( last weekend) I enjoyed the Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos. WOW! Worth the trip of you live out of town. read more

This is my go-to place to eat in Ames. The food is always the highest quality, and the servers are helpful in working with my food sensitives (I'm gluten free and dairy free). Great drink selection, great atmosphere. The only bad part is the line to get a table. I love that the kitchen opens into the lobby. You can see how the food is made while you wait. The coffee is decent, but not worth a trip to The Cafe just for a cup. I can't say anything about the bakery because I have food sensitivities that won't let me partake in them. Overall, a delightful place. read more

Amazingly fresh food purchased locally is used to make everything on the menu amazing. The menu changes often so there is always something new. Desserts are top notch and their pizza is wonderful. I would highly recommend this to anyone! read more

I love this place and have for the past 7 years now! The daily bread is always a must have. I love the big green salad with salmon on top! Always made to perfection! read more

Rissa, Jayne, and Alli all are wonderful, make the restaurant feel more homely. They made my experience memorable, will absolutely return in the near future! read more

I look forward to visiting Ames so I can eat at The Cafe. Doesn't matter if it is breakfast, lunch, or dinner...the food is amazing. This morning I had sourdough French toast with strawberries and a side of sausage patties. Amazing! I want to have those housemate sausage patties for every meal! read more

I have tried this place many times for dinner, brunch, deli sandwiches, and pastry. You will never be disappointed. Everything is fresh and yummy. read more

Great ambience and the food is the BEST in Ames! I could eat here for every meal. You will not be disappointed!

This {Insert 5-star restaurant adjective(s) here} place is a must for dinner or lunch. No reservations, so you might have to wait but it is well worth it. Wait in the bar and get yourself an Iowa Fashioned (old fashioned). What you get here is high quality food with no compromises at very reasonable prices. I shared an order of the mussels and pizza with a carrot cake for dessert, yum. Service quick and friendly. read more

It's all about the Iowa Old Fashion, outstanding! Also enjoyed the tomato salad appetizer- very generous- and the duck entree, both excellent as well. read more

This is honestly the best restaurant in Ames. Every time I visit, I always stop here. The food is slightly pricey at times but is completely worth it. The menu also rotates so you would get to try new things each time you are here. Stellar food, amazing desserts! read more

Stumbled upon this restaurant on Sunday morning. What a great, pleasant place. Very busy, but worth the wait!

Good food. Great bakery. I just hate the dark-lit ambience. Supposedly makes it feel romantic. To me its just depressing. Come here if u wanna have good food. But I suggest u come during day time if u dont enjoy dark ambient like me. The cafe burger is by far the best savory menu. The french toast there is heavenly and to die for. read more

Whenever I'm traveling, I try to find a good local breakfast place. This is the one for IA. Had the Pancake Combo with eggs, pepper bacon, and sourdough toast. Seasonings are top notch and prepared well. Staff was very fast and nice. read more

I LOVE this place. The desserts are sublime. The soups are always amazing! The fish tacos are beyond delicious. Love the chicken curry sandwich. Never had anything that wasn't phenomenal. read more

OMG! Fantastic kale salad and Korean wrap. Good coffee too. I must come back.

Food isn't bad. Depending on the food you get it is wishy washy on goodness of flavor. The water is awful which makes me concerned if they use the same water for the food. Or the problem could be whether they keep the water in the bottle for too long that the flavor is off. But it taste awful! read more

Hands down, my absolute favorite restaurant in the Ames area. I have eaten at the Café for breakfast, lunch and dinner. All three meals are produced fantastically, however their breakfast is my all time favorite. I am a coffee fanatic, and theirs is my favorite. The best two dishes I have ever had here are the Biscuits and Gravy and their Orange French Toast. Two very opposite meals: one salty and bold, one sweet and savory (like dessert for breakfast) yet they were both absolutely delectable. I am a gymnast at Iowa State, and every recruit that comes to Iowa State (including me) is taken to the Café at some point. It is truly a great representation of Ames. It is a friendly setting with warm and welcoming decorations. I am also from Dallas- a place where we are very proud of our food. I came to Ames very skeptical of the food scene (as it does not compare greatly to Dallas). My mother, a native argentinian turned Texan and the best chef I know, was even more skeptical than me. The Café is one of her favorite restaurants, period. We go every time she visits-- sometimes twice a visit. All in all, this is a great place to go for any meal, any day, any attire, with any guest. The wait can be long, but it is worth every minute. Get there early, head into the bakery to grab a coffee or a pastry, enjoy the time with your guest and try not to eat your meal in three bites! read more

I want to like The Cafe. However, over the last 6 years the absurdity of attempting to eat here has only increased. As many other reviewers comment, they refuse to take reservations, have no waiting area, and won't even take your name down to get in line for a table until all members of your party are present. This last is especially absurd when the wait times have increased to OVER AN HOUR. On 3 of the last 4 attempts to eat at The Cafe with a group of 4, we have had a wait times ranging between 45 minutes to a maximum wait time of 1 hr 20 minutes. Have fun standing awkwardly cramped into the tiny walkway while wait staff attempt to squeeze past you with food and other wanna-be diners struggle to the podium to get put on the list. Those 3 times we simply left and went to visit other restaurants. On our 4th recent attempt we actually got in with only a brief 10 minute or so wait. However, we then received some of the worst service I have ever personally experienced at a restaurant. Although we were able to get our immediate problems addressed and ended up having a relatively pleasant dining experience, the overall trend is still a quite steady decline. Overall the service is very hit and miss, and much, much, worse: the food is also incredibly inconsistent. Some of the items on the menu are just fantastic, others range from the unnecessarily weird to just downright not good. The desserts always sound and look fantastic but just fail to hit the mark, and the same for most of their drinks. Until The Cafe addresses the issues with inconsistent to poor service and their inability to adequately address the level of demand they experience, I won't be returning. But hey, obviously a lot of people like it, or they wouldn't be busy enough to discourage customers... read more

Love this place. Wish I could eat here everyday. I have never walked away wishing anything was better. The food the service is wonderful.

Their tomato bisque is definitely no longer as creamy as it once was! I ordered it today and was very disappointed. My mom's salmon pita also came with a really black, diseased (maybe moldy?) tomato, which was really gross. To their credit, they did take her sandwich off the bill when we pointed it out to them. The salmon pita sandwich my mom & I both had was excellent, other than the issue with the tomatoes, my dad really liked his burger and my bf enjoyed his BLTA pizza, so it still remains a solid 4 stars in my opinion - just know that the bisque has changed. read more

I think the Cafe is an excellent choice for a meal whether with your family or friends. I've always been greeted with friendly service and have been impressed with every meal I've had there. Their desserts are amazing as well! read more

In Ames for work. I asked one of the gentlemen I worked with today, who lives here in Ames. Asked if he could go anywhere tonight for dinner and without any hesitation, he said The Cafe! OMG! This place is unbelievable! Great service, food and atmosphere! Thank you Nahla! read more

Anyone who comes to Ames needs to try the Cafe. It is a little expensive but you definitely get what you pay for! The staff is always kind and gentle. The menu changes seasonally so there are always new things to try. It's a great place for a date! I've gone for breakfast, lunch and dinner- all satisfying. Ask for the sandwich menu :) read more

I no longer live in Ames, but it is THE place I recommend to people visiting Iowa State or just passing through. The food is always fresh and tasty. The mac N cheese is to die for. YUUMMMM read more

Nice place for lunch in Ames for parents of college students. Had lunch there after Iowa State orientation ( recommended by a graduate of Iowa State). Sat outside on the small patio and enjoyed a beautiful day. The pork lettuce wraps were delicious! read more

This place is amazing !! Compared to all the other places I've been to in Iowa it's by far the best one. I had the French toast and my friend had a veggie torta. We both liked each other food quite a bit. The only thing we weren't so happy with was the cheesecake, but we were comparing it with Cheesecake Factory cheesecake and that's just a no no. Otherwise if you stick with the regular things you'll be fine! read more

Hands down my favorite restaurant. Items are always fresh and the desserts and divine.

My husband and I drive about an hour to come here about six times a year-never disappointed!!! You MUST try the creme brûlée. Excellent and friendly service as well. read more

The Cafe is awesome. Consistent, fresh, and delicious every time. It's a great spot for a date, really nice atmosphere and a good wine selection. I usually go there for dinner with my bf, the food is always fabulous and the service is awesome too. read more

Seriously, this is the best restaurant I have been to in town. I am NEW to Ames and coming from Oakland, I have HIGH standards when it comes to food. This place rocks. I've eaten here before when visiting and twice since we moved her two weeks ago. EVERYTHING I have is amazing. The wines are decently priced and good. The desserts are so tasty. I'll definitely bring folks here when they come to visit out of town. Lucky me it's only down the street from where I live! read more

This is the best food in Ames, especially for the price.

Great food, great service. The perfect place to take any foodie in your life!

I think this place is overhyped. There is good food and they switch up the menu a lot so it's small. The wait staff is decent. They only give you small amounts of water at a time. There is consistently something fancy or weird on every dish. I'm sure some people enjoy that, but I just like things that work well! read more