Brought the family to eat here for breakfast after a local graduation. Three out of the four of us ate breakfast. My husband had biscuits and gravy. My kids had a blt and fries, the other a chicken fried steak with very little gravy. The food was decent, not as good as it used to be. The waitress acted almost angry that we were there. The restaurant was a bit busy for a Sunday, but quiet enough to hold a conversation. Was shocked by the bill, was not expecting to drop $80 for 3 meals. We will probably not do breakfast again. read more

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Breakfast with a table top of 6. Its crazy busy here this morning. Sunday morning with the girls. We got seated way in the back. Its fairly loud with how busy it is on this morning. The waitress is on it this morning and takes all our orders. I've reviewed this place multiple times over the years. Breakfast is my go to here. I was a little disappointed in my eggs this morning. This is the first time that my eggs Benedict was over cooked. The eggs were hard which was a little of a bummer. I will communicate a little better next time to make sure that doesn't happen in the future. Not much to change on my previous reviews. I do miss the flavored coffee they used to have. read more

Cozy Cafe - Eggs Benedict. With bacon instead of ham. - Comfort Food Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

We were craving pie on a Monday night and ended up finding one of the better places we have found here in Iowa. The Cozy Cafe mixes excellent customer service, a vast menu that includes all-day breakfast, and tasty food in an authentic diner vibe. Located about 15 minutes from Ankeny and downtown Des Moines, Cozy Cafe embraces who they are, as the exterior tells you they identify as a diner, and they don't veer when delivering. If you're traveling via Highway 80, it's a quarter-mile off the exit. Lots of parking. It has a fun old-school diner interior with far more seating than expected. Booths along the many windows, tables for bigger parties, and a counter that will be my spot the next time I visit. Our server, Abby, was terrific. She combined restaurant knowledge with a pleasant personality and kindness. Thankfully, she tipped us off to their "Blue Plate Specials," a Cozy Cafe daily feature that offered an outstanding meal at a great price. We were agonizing over whether to have an adult dinner or breakfast for dinner, an option that always exists at this place! My Way Better Half loved her Hot Beef with mashed potatoes and veggies, and my Meatloaf dinner with mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn was delicious. We capped off our tasty visit with pie slices, one coconut, and one apple (both with ice cream), satisfying our earlier pie craving that led us to Cozy Cafe! Nice going, Cozy Cafe; I loved it, and we are returning! read more

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True diner flare! One time I'm going to sit at the counter!! Service is always friendly. I did order the biscuits and gravy and found the gravy to be a little milky and not having much sausage so that was disappointing but everything else was fine. The portion size is good for the price, for breakfast. read more

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Thursday lunch with my parents. mom and I split the pork tenderloin, stepdad got chili mac and added grazianos sausage o. it. he loved it. the tenderloin was ok. they said the onion rings were skinny ones, but these were in between, not the straw type, but we're still pretty good. Our server did a great job. read more

Cozy Cafe - chili mac add grazianos sausage. - Comfort Food Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

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The food was outstanding. The service was perfect. The ambience was great. I met my daughter here for breakfast and the best part was she bought. But I would definitely come back here again it was great. You should try it read more

It was cozy and it was in fact a cafe, so I knew I was in the right spot. I was promptly seated next to a gentleman wearing a 3 Wolf Moon shirt...it was perfect. The food was comfort style, so not cozy, but I was happy to eat it all and lick the plate. I will return 10/10! read more

This is a cute little diner with everything you would expect on the menu. I was super impressed that you didn't walk out of there smelling like diner food so I'm not sure how they did it, but that's a plus! Service was good, there weren't a lot of people at tables so that helped. Food was good. Nothing super memorable or wow factor, but I didn't really expect that. Cinnamon rolls were wrapped in plastic wrap. A lot of the food seemed like it was frozen versus made fresh/locally. Prices were great, so you get what you pay for! A good, cheap, greasy breakfast - the perfect diner. read more

Got my order wrong....but food was really tasty. Cute atmosphere. I ordered a meatloaf club, but got an Italian meatball sandwich. read more

Cozy Cafe - Not the meatloaf Club sandwich that I ordered......but it was good anyway. Meat Loaf Club Sandwich - Comfort Food Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

I think the place was alright. Few things really got me to think I will never go back like all there severs just grap the Cinnamon roll with there hands (not cleaned) warm it and serve it. Also the fact it didn't come out first, it came with breakfast. Then I saw another server pickup dirty dishes then go get another roll to warm up for a table using hands.... As far as food goes it was good old school dinner place, with large size meals and full once done. Had the coffee black with no issues so that's good too read more

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Had breakfast and while the food was OK but a little greasy I was a little hesitant to eat it since the booth I was in was just plain dirty, I could write my name in the dust on top of napkin holder and or on the trim back wall, to go with fact it was a very chilly morning and they had an overhead fan blowing on me the entire time which also made my food cold very fast. read more

I came here on a busy, New Year's morning with a large group and we waited 30 minutes to be seated. Our waiter was quick to get our drinks and orders. I got a cinnamon roll, potato bites (tater tots) and bacon. The cinnamon roll was so good! Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food and didn't have any issues. Cozy Cafe has a warm, homey, diner atmosphere with TV's to watch the game. Would come back again when I'm in the area! read more

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So many places are closed with the economy tanking, and we thought this place was closed, too. There were only two cars out front. Now that I see what a terrific little place this is, this has me worried about their future. But, for the present, this is a big winner. As with many diners, there are entirely too many things on the menu. But, it appears that they do enough of those things quite well. My wife got a nicely cooked grilled chicken sandwich with perfectly cooked crinkle cut fries. I got the southwest omelette, which included various meats and peppers. I added cheddar cheese. I was concerned about the jalapeño cheese sauce, but it turned out to be very mildly spicy. It was delicious. And, the hash browns are perfectly cooked: crispy, without a hint of grease. I also love the marble rye toast. A meal with more than enough food for two, including a glass of Prosecco, only set us back $27. As good as the food was, we are definitely going to make this a stop next time we pass through town. I just hope that they get enough business that they stay open. read more

Cozy Cafe - It's a diner that also has beer and limited alcohol options. And, Food Network on the TV! - Comfort Food Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

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waffle raw in the middle. Bacon stiff like it was reheated, oily (not drained). Food warm not hot. Restaurant freezing, outdoor was seating available but the restaurant employees had an attitude about having to wait tables outside. read more

Dreamy lil nostalgic spot to come for Sunday Brunch after church! They were busy but well staffed and we were treated kindly. My biscuits and gravy were delicious! I would like to know more about the apostrophe by Cafe on their sign (see picture below) but my friend said please do not ask that is embarrassing so I guess I will never know and that is okay. Maybe I am not meant to know, maybe I am just supposed to enjoy gravy! read more

Cozy Cafe - What is up with the apostrophe!!!! - Comfort Food Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

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Hello I went to cozy cafe in Johnston I was very disappointed I order my meals to go I had the number five all white chicken meal and bacon cheeseburger with onion rings when I got home my daughter took a bite out of piece of chicken it was raw the chicken was raw uncooked my husband took a bite out of his burger middle was raw when I called to talk to them they said manger wasn't in and hung up read more

We love the service & the food! Our server was incredibly sweet - very family friendly & the prices are great! Tons of options to choose from, we've been there 2 times & loved it. We bring people visiting into town here, as we can have conversations & still hear each other. The food is comfort & the setting is cozy. Would recommend as it's a wonderful location to feel right at home!! read more

Cozy Cafe - Comfort Food Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

First off, what a menu! Place has it all, including a full bar. The location has outside seating and plenty of indoor seating. The waitresses and waiters were on point, extremely friendly, and super fun. Jamie was our main server, but other servers were willing to help, working well as a team. The food was AMAZING, breakfast and lunch. My friends and I had a great meal in a very friendly environment for breakfast and lunch. Would recommend, 5 stars! read more

Cozy Cafe - Bar and seating area - Comfort Food Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

Stopped in while in town, had a yummy breakfast. Plenty of food! The coffee was awesome! Also, they had fantastic cinnamon rolls! They were really busy this morning, I imagine that's really common for them! read more

Cozy Cafe - Comfort Food Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

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Great food, fast service, clean environment, cozy cafe vibes. Our server was Abby, and she was very friendly and nice. read more

Cozy Cafe - Breakfast Mess - Comfort Food Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

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We were looking for a good breakfast spot before heading to work. Cozy Cafe had good hot coffee, a filling hot breakfast and friendly attentive staff. I recommend them for breakfast if your in the area. read more

If you want the worst breakfast you've ever had then it might be worth the trip. Otherwise, dave yourself the time money and experience and go somewhere else. I ordered eggs Benedict and they covered it with gravy and tried to tell me it was hollandaise sauce. Never going back. read more

Love Cozy. After a night out this place does a best job of bringing me back to life. Love the Johnston location with the old diner feel. Coffees nice and hot. Food is usually on point and we leave satisfied. read more

As the name implies, this is a nice little Cozy Cafe. Food was good (but could've been better), service was fast and overall a nice place to eat. Definitely would go again! read more

Well I have eaten at this place several times. Not the best experience I wold say but for the most part is a little fast. This time I try the huevos rancheros. wrong choice, didn't make sense but I tough ill give it a try. Never again read more

Solid cafe spot that has just about everything you could need on the menu. The place was nice and clean, and the service was alright. Food didn't come out fast, but it tasted very good. Some of the staff members were screaming at the cooks and it seemed way too loud and unprofessional. Other than that, the cafe was good. read more

Most amazing individuals that I've ever met. They are incredibly kind and thoughtful. My compliments also go out to the chef that works the morning shift, because all the dishes that have been served to me were superb. I definitely recommend eating here for a quick bite. It may not look like much from the outside, but it's the inside that really matters. Hopefully, you all enjoy it as much as I have. read more

Delish food, friendly, quick service with avg. pricing. I had the bacon cheeseburger and mom had the Chicken and Noodles Plate.

First time visiting Iowa and the server with brown hair and green eyes provided the worst customer service I've ever had. We were traveling with a toddler so we were trying to ask her for a both and her demeanor completely changed giving us a condescending facial expression saying "we're too busy to sit you over there, we don't have enough servers" gesturing with her hands and walked away. Just very rude servers, would not recommend read more

Best HUGE pancakes in all of Des Moines! Highly recommended to all!! The best little Hole in a walll diner! read more

This is a great restaurant with a hometown feel. Their menu is like a book, everything from delicious breakfast choices to pizza! Whatever you're craving, chances are they have it. The food is consistently delicious and the service is wonderful, especially our favorite waitress, Jamie. Despite serving hundreds of customers, she remembers what we ordered last time! She is super friendly and great at her job. Cozy Cafe also has a full bar if you wish to have a cocktail with your meal. Give this place a try. You'll be glad you did! read more

Food was good, but it's very noisy. The wait staff were loud and disruptive. That made for a less than pleasant experi We are back in town so gave this place another try. Nope! Never again. Our food was cold and when we told the waitress, she offered to microwave it for us. read more

Disappointing. Firstly, our waitress said that the prime rib advertised and pictured on their web site hasn't been available for years. Ambiance left much to be desired as decor looked tired and marginally clean. I had an over-priced beef brisket plate that was just meh at best. There was just one cook, so we had to wait a long time for our meals. Just skip this one. A poorly run Applebees would be better and cheaper too. read more

Last two times there, it took nearly an hour to get a run of the mill breakfast plate. Hope they can improve on that. Food is a good greasy spoon breakfast. read more

I'm currently sitting in a booth at the cozy cafe and I'm so disappointed. My husband and I have come here several times and had the worst food and service ever. The sad part is that it used to be good. We used to be thrilled with the service but unfortunately not anymore. read more

I have been a long time customer of Cozy cafe's. I love the huge menu and decent prices to match. It filled a nice void when dining out because its not super fancy and its prices are reasonable enough to satisfy my need to let someone else do the cooking. I like the diner atmosphere and I love that they have breakfast all day. I feel the food and price are on equal levels and deserve to be recognized as that. read more

Cozy Cafe - Comfort Food Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

Came in for Sunday Breakfast buffet. There was a variety of options to get from the buffet tablr with choice of ordering fresh omelette or whatever egg style you like. Great and delicious food. read more

Cozy Cafe - Comfort Food Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

They have good food but need to work on their online order / takeout system. I had no way to customize my order online, so ended up having to pick the tiny pieces of tomato off my salad. The fries were put into a sealed container. When I arrived a minute or two before my pickup time, the food was already packaged. The fries were soggy... they should consider putting food like that into a container with air holes like most restaurants do now. read more

I was looking for something quick to go. The lady suggested a cinnamon bun. I took one bite and ... Yuck. Not the best first impression. read more

My coworker and I ordered breakfast to go this morning from Cozy Cafe in Johnston. When I picked up the order the bag was tied shut so I did not look at the order. I got back to the office to realize they forgot half of our order. I called and let them know and the server asked if I wanted to come back and get it. When I arrived I asked for a gift card or some type of reimbursement for their mistake. The manager then proceeded with it was my fault I did not check the order and he was not willing to do anything for my inconvenience. I have been in this business for almost 20 years. I am absolutely appalled by the management. I understand people make mistakes...but you always try to make it right with your customer(s). I hope this place goes out of business. MIND BLOWN! read more