I can't believe we didn't go here earlier. This is the coolest place in Ames. If you are at the farmers market or just downtown for any reason, stop in. Blake is the most genuine host/owner ever. Very cool - recommend the deep cut - tell him what you like for coffee. The vinyl collection is insane. Support this local business!!! read more

Walking in, the coffee shop was quite small and cozy, with music playing and people chatting. I was kindly greeted and had a fun conversation when I was ordering my coffee. I had a blueberry maple latte and it was served to me in a quick manner. The coffee itself was delicious! It was my first time in a while having something with blueberry in it, and the sweetness level was just right. Not too much that its overbearing, and not too little that you're just drinking a normal latte. The shop had record players that you can buy, and vinyls that you can purchase. There was also an area where you can buy shirts? Was not so sure since there wasn't any prize tags on them. For the most part the place was alright! I think it's a good place to get something different aside from your usual espresso drinks. Not a fan of the lighting but that's just me. read more

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They serve the best latte's I've had in Ames. Fun, funky atmosphere. Good selection of vintage albums and gently used audio equipment. Wall art and T-shirts for sale too -- all very unique and original stuff. read more

What a wonderful experience and flavor. 10/10. Really fun custom menu and fresh roasted beans weekly.

Coolest Coffee Shop in IA? Don't know, haven't been to them all, but definitely the coolest in Ames. Blake will serve you up a dbl espresso with a shot of scintillating conversation on the side. Ask him about fishing in CO or his fave vinyl. Better yet, have him recommend a couple vintage LPs and add to your collection on the way out. read more

Such a cute underground coffee shop! The owner pays attention to every customer and has a conversation which gives the cafe a special charm. The beans are super good, and most of the syrups are pretty good! I like to go study there or meet friends! read more

Vinyl Cafe - Cute outside seating - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Great local coffee shop in downtown Ames. Nice service, good music and great specialty coffees.

Fantastic coffee and the sweetest gentleman serving us! We purchased a few albums as well! Definitely a great spot to stop!

Really great coffee with a cozy vibe! I really like their white chocolate raspberry latte.

Basement location, vinyl, good coffee, cool proprietor! Visit this place. Visit this place!

Ok so I will never stop going to cafe vinyl. the owner is the nicest person you'll ever meet and has amazing stories to tell. Vibes are immaculate and there are tables to study and do work. The specialty drinks are simply amazing. if you don't like a drink they will let you exchange it for another one you do at no extra cost. That had never happened to me before, I like everything they make. They sell vinyl records of corse. Makes me want to get a record player! I think they make the best Chai latte in Ames. read more

This place is rad. Honestly one of the cutest gems of Ames. Great coffee and fun records. Some of the records are definitely in used condition though, but that adds to the charm. read more

New to the Ames area and this is by far my favorite cafe to do some work while drinking coffee. A variety of not only drinks to chose from but music you can tap your foot to while typing away. Another plus is the friendly staff that are always striking up a conversation and suggesting new places to visit in the area. There is parking right around the corner of the building or paid parking in front. Just down a few steps and you enter a cozy room full of vinyls read more

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All of the drinks are great and there are unique flavors you can't find anywhere else in Ames. The environment is epic with all different types of vinyl playing all day long. The owner, Blake, is friendly, kind, patient, and helpful. There's a variety of drinks as well as vinyl and art to explore. Highly recommend! read more

The perfect spot for me to spend a few hours! Either sipping coffee working from the computer or flipping through the stores amazing record collection! This is the type of place I would open if I ever opened a coffee shop. It's part record store and part coffee shop. The owners travel the county buying records to sell in this quaint downtown coffee house. Every time I go in there I find something I can't find down in Des Moines, Rare imports, classics, and those cheaper ELO records you have to have cause they are amazing! The coffee is great as well, and nicely priced! The service has always been great, and the bathrooms might be the cleanest and nicest I have ever seen in a record store! They also carry a nice selection of local music and record players and vinyl supplies! This is a hidden gem, right off main street down the steps to the underground palace of rock and coffee! Two of my favorite things! read more

First time there today and really enjoyed the barista. He was a super nice guy and the coffee was awesome. Only complaint is the music was to loud for my liking but will for sure be back!! read more

My new favorite coffee shop on the WHOLE PLANET. You should trust me, I've been to my fair share. It's divey in a good way and just pricey enough that you know your coffee ought to be good (I had the Whole Latte Love and it was around $4). I am not exaggerating when I say this was the ~best~ latte I've ever had. The barista, who turned out to be the owner, was very kind and offers great deals to new customers! It was cozy and quaint. A great place to work or study. There looked to be plenty of vinyls for sale, and although I can't personally claim they have a good selection, the music played in the shop was top notch. I suspect they sell good records as well. read more

I love this coffee shop! It is the perfect place to sit and work on homework and listen to music without having to put headphones in. Atmosphere is nice and chill, coffee is great. read more

Eagerly awaiting the reopening of this little gem of a coffee shop/record store. They have the best coffe in Story County and the most interesting and eclectic clientele and staff. read more

Every time I come into this place, I am perplexed as to why I'm not exploding due to pure joy. This place has my two favorite things in the world: coffee and records. The record selection is plentiful and reasonably priced. I've found some of my most beloved pieces here. I could spend hours sifting through their collection, and often do. They also have a great local selection, which is great if you want to check out all the crazy talented people you share a state with! The coffee is by far the best in Ames. It is prepared drip style, which is great because it's better tasting coffee AND it gives you more time to get your eyeballs scanning through all those beautiful shelves of glorious, glorious records. It's also a really great price. Life's too short to pay a lot of money for bad coffee, and at Vinyl Cafe you don't have to! The seating area is nice and always kept in order and clean. There are a variety of tables to accommodate groups or solo dining. In the hotter months, they even have a few outdoor tables set up, which I love. There is a serious lack of outdoor seating in Ames for some reason!! If I could, I'd rate this place more than five stars. They get high marks in everything: Coffee, music selection, ambiance, location, and a great staff that will remember you if you return a lot! You can't beat that! read more

This was a very relaxed atmosphere, but due to its small size it gets crowded. They make a very solid cup of coffee and are perfectly fine adjusting a recipe to a customer's liking. The actual vinyl records they also sell are fairly generic used record store fodder, and the price is right considering the average condition of the records. I love coffee; I love records. I'm glad this place exists, and I make it a point to stop by every time I'm in Ames. UPDATE: Only bother going if you know the owners are working (they're a husband & wife duo). The baristas are pretty lame--neither coffee aficionados nor vinyl enthusiasts. Also, their hours suck. I quit making an effort to go here due to their crumby hours. read more

The place is tiny. Really small. Like NYC small. That said, it's still a gem. MUSIC SELECTION: Consistently high quality of vinyl album selection--mostly used, some new. The Grind majors on quality over quantity (you won't be flipping through twelve copies of the same recording of Brahms to get to a busted up copy of a Shins recording) and has the cream of the pressed Iowa scene. BEANS: Fresh. Talk to the owner, Blake, who is also the main barista. He's got a whole story on why the beans are so fresh. Short answer: he sources from Broadway Roasting in Kansas City and they ship fast. The drinks are not fast. They're hand crafted for taste rather than maximum speed. That said, drinks are $ rather than $$$. ART: There's art. Local. It's pretty decent and it's for sale. Last I was in there there was some really loud and striking color on the walls. Definitely putting up the middle digit to American Pastoral. Art is reasonably priced (typically $50 - $150 per). In short, definitely try it. If you need vinyl/art/joe, you owe it to yourself to visit the place. read more

Coffee=Chocolate. Records=Peanut butter. This place is the best Reese's Peanut Butter Cup ever. read more

I love love love this place. The espresso is absolutely delicious, and they have so many creative specialty drinks! I'm so glad they're finally open again (: read more

The espresso and the staff were out of this world! I had an iced doppio and it was like crack! Super strong, couldn't even finish it... So good! The owner was very friendly and so was the other employee I saw. I spent $40 on 7 LP's. The more obscure records were few and far between, lots of radio friendly artists for sure.... But I left with some Scorpions and Nazareth, as well as Rod Stewart, Diana Ross and Scritti Politti.... I did not use their turntable to check the quality of the records' playability, but I'm hoping for no scratches;) If you love coffee and music, check it out! read more

Always fresh coffee, good prices, great tunes. Find out what's going on the live music scene in Ames.

Stopped to check out the vinyls and get a coffee while we were in town for a vet appt at the college. Vinyls were the typical, nothing too special. Super cool place though, great atmosphere, owner was super chill, made a good mocha, and the bathroom was pretty neat. Would go back. read more

After leaving Milwaukee, I thought this place might sooth my missing of Fuel Cafe (which I would recommend visiting if you're ever in the Riverwest neighborhood,) and upon walking into this dark basement cafe, I thought I might be right. The barista was genuinely friendly, asked how I was doing, if it was my first time in the cafe, would i like a punch card, what was i doing in town and actually listened when I told her. I heard a similar heartfelt interaction with one of the regulars that came in after me. In spite of being in a basement and off the beaten path, this cafe is very clean and appears to be well-visited. There are (of course) record albums for sale, as well as vintage audio equipment and even jewelry by local designers. The one and only thing that is so big, and keeps me from giving this place 5 stars? The MUSIC! I don't know if it's always the case, but I firmly believe that no business should play Serius radio, but especially not the bland mix of 90's covers that is the coffee house station. I realize it is thought to be generally "pleasing" to a wide audience, but it is unimaginative, not to mention, features ads every 5-10 minutes. This is not intended to be a diatribe on Internet radio, I just expected a better musical vibe from a place that is full of flyers for local musicians and Pink Floyd albums hanging on the walls. Start trusting your awesome barista to pick her own tunes and give the place some character and I would reconsider my rating in a heartbeat. read more

Records and coffee. Duh. The best thing about this place is the listening booth. Yes, an old school telephone booth with headphones and a turntable. Pick out any record, get a cup of coffee, and you've got a pretty good lunch break! Plus great local selection! read more

This place is super rad! Just visiting from Madison, Wisconsin. This place is really unique. Friendly. Lots of vinyl for sale too. Very cool! read more

The Cafe Mocha and breakfast burrito really hit the spot! They have pretty reasonably priced records too.

Nice and hidden gem here. Good, homemade(literally) choc creme filled muffins today. Was quite good, along with the americano coffee. Neat and small shop. Just right. read more

The Vinyl Cafe is a hidden gem in Downtown Ames. I have been by here about a thousand times and never stopped in. After a recommendation about their coffee I decided I needed to check the place out. I'm glad I did. This tiny little coffee house serves up some mean coffee. They'll pretty much make whatever you want and the prices aren't bad at all. The coolest part - they sell vinyl records, something I didn't know about prior to stopping in here. Lots of records available and a lot of familiar artists, which works for me since I'm not a collector and not looking for rare records. It was fun just thumbing through the collection while waiting for my coffee. The only bad part about the Vinyl Cafe is that it's really small and very crowded at busy times. I'm not a fan of big crowds and since I am claustrophobic it didn't take long for me to get uncomfortable. Otherwise, enjoyable experience and I'd definitely go back again. read more

One of the best kept secrets of Ames. The coffee is, in one word, perfection. My friend purchased a black and white mocha, which is blackberry and white chocolate flavors incorporated into one drink. This is where I go for my daily cup of joe. read more

Highest quality coffee in Ames along with local charm, rows of vinyl to browse through, and a connection to the local music scene. Come check it out! read more

They took what was good about it and ruined the shop with the new owner. It was a bit divey and a bit pricey to begin with, but then you could actually find the records on the shelves. In the infinite wisdom of the new owner, they decided to stop alphabetizing. From time to time I still find records that would go for $30-50+ at a record store that knew what they were doing for less than $5. However, it's hard for me to even bother coming in when it's so inconvenient to find anything. read more

Great atmosphere and badass owner that makes you feel very welcome to the shop. The coffee is great and you have to check out the unique bathroom! A must go to coffee shop! read more

I have been hitting this place for the last few years. I only get to check it out when I head to Des Moines or Omaha, so I always budget a pit stop into Ames to see what they have. There is plenty of free parking, so that is easy. They have a pretty decent selection of vinyl, and a nice mix of stuff. The rock lps are a good amount of the stock, and the prices are good. Some stuff is priced a notch or two above what I expect, but most is very reasonable, and a few things considerably below average. There is not a lot of junk in the mix, although they don't have a deep high end stock of collectible stuff. Grading seems pretty much in the VG and up range, typically everything is NM or VG+, which is a relief from places that sell whupped junk for money. Jazz, RnB and country selections always offer a surprise, and are worth the look to see what could have popped up. The bargain bin is about what you'd expect for 90% of it, but again there is always a surprise in there. I have managed to buy something really solid every time I have stopped in. Some of my keepers came from here, and oddly enough I have picked up a couple of lps here and more than doubled my money on them within a week. I find I can take a nice road break here, go through pretty much everything and then grab a really decent cup of coffee to get back on the road with. At one point they had a few guitars and amps of player and lower end quality, but that stuff seems to have gone the way of the dodo here. I've never been here later, so I have no idea what in store performances are. There were a couple of turntables and stereo stuff that were 70s cool vintage, priced about what you'd expect from a hip used vinyl place - more than a thrift, maybe same as CL. They did have a bin of local pressed stuff up front, and Ames has some hipster cred of some sort, so there you go. read more

i genuinely love coming in here to get coffee, i love the unique records that are displayed at the front, workers are so nice and chill to talk to!!! read more

5 Stars for the personable owner, Blake, and awesome customer service (which I find are hard to find nowadays). Oh yeah, the coffee and atmosphere are great too! Will always stop by when I'm visiting Ames. read more