Brunch: The most important meal of the day and the perfect companion to Sunday Fundays. Celebrate this brilliant mashup of breakfast and lunch with all the best sweet carbs, savory proteins, and loaded Bloody Marys that Greater Des Moines has to offer, as voted by locals. Get egg-cited!
*All of our Des Best lists are crowdsourced and voted by locals.*
Waveland Café
Served all day
This no-frills neighborhood diner is home to the “best hash browns in the galaxy” (an objective fact) and plate-sized pancakes. It has a legion of loyal fans, perhaps none as recognizable as actor and Hawaiiowan Jason Momoa. If you have the metabolism of a superhero, try his namesake “Da Mamoa” – biscuits and gravy served over hash browns with sunny side eggs and a mound of bacon. Or if you want the ‘unch’ in brunch, opt for the hot beef sandwich – sliced beef piled high on white bread with mashed potatoes and brown gravy, which is just about the most Iowa thing ever.
Guesthouse Tavern & Oyster
Saturday: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. & Sunday: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Brunch at Guesthouse is considered “Blunch”, an elongated version of this breakfast/lunch weekend tradition. Bringing your Northwoods favorites to Central Iowa, order a classic hot dish of tots, braised beef, mushroom cream, Wisconsin cheddar, parmesan, and peas for the table. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, their oyster menu boasts a wide variety of shellfish that even the pickiest of eaters would be tempted by. Beyond that, they’ve got your classic breakfast sammies, burritos, and platters for everyone.
Drake Diner
Served all day
No list of Des Moines institutions is complete without Drake Diner, which has been slinging hash in the Drake neighborhood since 1987. Bask in the old-school diner ambiance while sipping a cup of joe and enjoying one of their specialties like Santa Fe grits, pumpkin pancakes, chicken fried steak, or their signature omelet with Iowa sausage, mushrooms, and cheese. They serve lunch and dinner, but Rule No. 1 of diner dining is if they have all-day breakfast, you order it.
Eggs and Jam
Served all day
Sure, you can get eggs and jam at just about any place on this list. But where else are you gonna get it with funky 90s hip-hop theme, complete with a Tupac and Biggie mural? These chronically good dishes are as creative as their names; try the Yo Holmes to Bel Air (omelette w/Philly Steak, provolone, and grilled onions) or the Toast Face Killah (French Toast w/raspberry whipped cream and chambord syrup) and wash it all down with the I Just Crush a Lot mimosa flight. It was a good day indeed.
HomeGrown
Served all day
This Wichita-based eatery opened in Sherman Hill in 2023 with big expectations and bigger lines. They’ve delivered on the hype while also figuring out a way to manage the lines. There’s truth in that name, as everything here uses fresh ingredients and is made from scratch. Start off with a homemade pop tart or warm coffeecake with buttermilk caramel sauce, and then work your through some eggs benedict and rosemary potatoes, all washed down with a Bloody Mary. We don’t blame you if you’ve already stopped reading and are on the way there. Find the location nearest to you in either downtown or West Des Moines.
The Breakfast Club
Served all day
Lucky for you this East Village cool kid’s club isn’t an exclusive one; in fact, its popularity has necessitated locations in West Des Moines, Ankeny, and Waukee as well. Maybe that’s because it takes the guilt out of drinking before noon. Think kitschy retro cool décor, with decidedly progressive dishes like Jamaican Me Hungry (sweet corn cakes, pork carnitas, pineapple salsa), White Hot (egg white omelet with ranch and buffalo cauliflower bites), and Seoul Food (loaded hashbrowns with bacon, kimchi, and sriracha mayo). The drink menu alone is reason enough to visit, with five types of Bloody Marys and a half dozen coffee cocktails. They even have an Email Joke List...brunch with a side of Dad jokes? Sign us up!
Mullets
Served all day
With a name like Mullets, you know they don’t take themselves too seriously, but this food is nothing to laugh at. There’s a party in the back, with the two-tiered outdoor patio offering unmatched views of the downtown skyline. And the food and drink up front is big business, with their award-winning Bloody Mary mix being sold at grocery stores across the metro. There’s no better place to soak up the questionable decisions of the night prior than with some breakfast pizza and one of those Bloody Marys we won’t shut up about. Get back at it!
Machine Shed
Served all day
Three words: hash brown casserole. Three more: giant cinnamon roll. We shouldn’t have to say much more, but we’ll put in a word or two for their down-home atmosphere, hearty skillets, and country store where you can bring a little taste of country back home.
Lua Brewing
Saturday & Sunday: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Bottomless mimosa and Bloody Mary bar? Say less. Known for their iconic "smush burger”, which you can still order during brunch BTW, Lua Brewing has a brunch that deserves all the hype. Think breakfast burritos that you can customize to add chorizo gravy, cheese sauce, and/or home fries. Or impress your fellow brunchers by ordering the Caviar Cutie Vol 3.0 for the table, a potato en croute with creme fraiche, scallion, and a choice amount of caviar.
University Library Café
Monday-Friday: 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday: 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Two words: Breakfast Nachos. Sure, there are other equally amazing options at this Drake hidden gem like the Cheese Shop Omelet, Hangover Hash, and Breakfast Burger, but they don’t have that “Voted Best Nachos” sign on the side of building by accident. The fresh flour tortilla chips are the differentiator here, topped with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, onions, peppers, and finished with Monterey cheese sauce.
Gilroy’s
Saturday-Sunday: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Brunch is great as it is (never change), but what if I told you it didn’t have to end? At this all-you-can-eat brunch buffet in West Des Moines, choose from a long list of breakfast options such as cornflake French toast, breakfast pizza, biscuits and gravy, made-to-order eggs and omelets, and stacks and stacks of flapjacks! We’ve truly reached brunch nirvana. Bonus for families — kids under the age of six eat free!
Cafe con Leche
Served all day
Newer to the Greater Des Moines brunch scene, Cafe con Leche has won over the hearts of our locals with their authentic Latin flavors with a breakfast twist. You’ve got chilaquiles, huevos con chorizo, and huevos rancheros served hot and ready off the grill with rice and black beans. If the lunch side of brunch is more your thing, Cafe con Leche has a wide variety of quesadillas, burritos, and other Mexican dishes. You’d be doing brunch wrong here if you didn’t order a Horchata Latte.
Motley School Tavern
Tuesday-Thursday: 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Friday-Sunday: 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
The charming Beaverdale neighborhood is always good for some underrated hidden gems, and Motley School Tavern fits the bill perfectly. With a warm and inviting interior that is effortlessly cool, there are few better places to enjoy the most important meal of the day. Pastrami hash? Wild mushroom omelet with goat cheese and fried brussels? Buttermilk and blueberry pancakes? Do we really need to go on?
Early Bird Brunch
Served all day
Early Bird Brunch made a tasty name itself in Omaha, and the hype followed to its location in West Des Moines. We’re here to tell you: believe the hype. Now we don’t need to drive two hours to enjoy their famous A.M. Pot Pie (flaky puff pastry with sunny eggs, sausage turkey gravy, and hash browns), Fruity Pebble pancakes, or Shimp Grit Benny. They even have a breakfast appetizer menu (hash holes, tot poutine, bacon sampler), which is such a great idea we’re mad we didn’t think of it first.
Bubba
Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Bubba has become a Des Moines institution thanks to their swanky-yet-cozy atmosphere and unique southern classics. That magazine ready décor has us fanning ourselves like an old southern grandma, and we won't stop hootin’ and hollerin’ about those deviled eggs. If you’re looking for a Southern-style brunch with shrimp and grits, creole omelets, and fried green tomato benedict, then Bubba will leave you happier than a pig in...well, you know.
Fresko
Served all day until 2 p.m.
Fresko has made a name for offering a little something for everyone and doing it all very well. For brunch, we’re partial to their crab cake eggs benedict, Maine Lobster omelet, and strawberry banana crepes, chased with an Aperol Spritz. We’re fancy like that. Fresko means “fresh,” and they’re certainly true to their word.
St. Kilda Collective
Served all day until 4 p.m.
St. Kilda has been around for a few years now, and they've helped to practically invent the “elevated brunch” scene in Des Moines. We’re pretty sure they also invented avocado toast. In Historic Valley Junction, this “Australian style” café has mastered the art of the Instagram breakfast; From the salmon and eggs to that oh-so-dreamy avocado toast, it all looks just as good as it tastes, if that’s even possible.
La Mie Bakery
Monday-Saturday: 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
It’s unlikely you’ll find a better bakery in the whole state than La Mie, who bring the (baked) goods with their chocolate croissants, pecan rolls, and cherry Danish pastries. More than just a bakery, this café also has quiche, french toast, scrambles, and the type of impossibly fluffy and delicate looking omelets that you usually only see in fancy food magazines. Bon Appetit!
False 9
Saturday-Sunday: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Brunch should be fun and False 9 in Historic Valley Junction, formerly Mitzi’s, got the memo. The fun is reflected in not only their menu, but the animated and energetic soccer-centric space that ensures you’ll never miss a match. The brunch items, including chicken fried steak, blueberry pancakes, and a breakfast burger, scream “Yum!”, while the posters on the walls scream “ROCK AND ROLL!” No need for that double espresso shot to wake up, just head over to False 9 to get your fill.
Get Des Best of Greater Des Moines Food All Day Long
Des best doesn’t stop at brunch. No, in fact, we’re just getting started. Check out Des Best lunch spots, date spots, and happy hours that our metro has to offer for every time of the day and every snack, sip, and stop in between.
