Saturday morning - had about an hour wait to get in but the food, staff, and experience made it all…read moreworth it! There wasn't a bad looking item on the menu. The coffee cake is HUGE but delicious. Plan on sharing it or bringing some home. The honey bee latte (hot) was flavorful without being too sweet. I tried their signature salsa verde pork and eggs and it was every bit as good as described. Lots of fresh ingredients and SO flavorful! Hands down, HomeGrown is a must if you're in Des Moines.

HomeGrown Hit the Spot…read more We stopped at HomeGrown for brunch after a Friday morning ER visit, and it ended up being a really nice way to reset the day. I had the Salsa Verde Pork & Egg with a pancake on the side, and Kim had the seasonal Limoncello French Toast. We both had caramel lattes, and everything was excellent. The place was moderately busy, but service was friendly and excellent. It has a bright, cheerful feel inside, and the outdoor seating looked really inviting too -- I just wasn't dressed for hot weather that morning. Prices felt reasonable for the quality, and the menu has a fun mix of breakfast and lunch options with seasonal specials thrown in. Good food, good lattes, great service, and a really nice atmosphere. We'll definitely be back!

We brought in a large party on a Sunday morning. Service was outstanding - friendly and every order…read morewas accurate. The food was also delicious. I would strongly recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting a delicious diner-style breakfast with excellent service.

Used to be one of our favorite places. Even when busy they were on top of it. Went yesterday…read moreabout 10:30. They were busy and service slow but we were OK. Husband ordered a Swiss burger. They asked how he wanted it cooked ..medium. came out well done and very dry and skinny. Fries were cold. Was hard to get a water refill. Best thing was my large blueberry pancake. The last few times we've been here things were lacking. Unfortunately we'll find other places in the future.

This was our first time at Waveland and it definitely lived up to our hopes…read more We stopped in late on a Thursday morning and the place was still hopping, which is always a good sign. It's got that old-school, decoupaged diner vibe--definitely a little worn around the edges, but that's part of the charm. The staff was great--loud, friendly, and clearly tight with the regulars, which actually made us feel more at home. Our waitress was super helpful and made some solid recommendations. We sat near the kitchen window and got to watch a parade of delicious-looking plates come out. Food-wise: prices were fair if not a touch expensive, portions were generous, and most of it hit the mark. Pancakes were huge (seriously--massive), but ours were a touch underdone. Everything else was on point, though, and we'd absolutely come back and try more menu options. The have daily specials; Weiner Wednesday looks interesting...

Came to Des Moines for a wedding and ate here before we left. The space is very cozy and the staff…read moreare very friendly. They were extremely accommodating and we had such a wonderful brunch. We ordered a breakfast egg sandwich, a skillet and the traditional breakfast. Definitely worth it if you're in town!

After seeing some fellow yelpers recommend this place we took our pub passes and made the easy trip…read moreto old downtown Grimes. This place is right on the corner, well maintained and has good signage. It lacks on curb appeal, but we came for the food, drinks and atmosphere. Upon entering we were greeted by big crowds and a very busy place. We lucked out and were able to sit right down (at the bar of course). The place is dated, and slightly divey but it has a lot of seating and the staff all seemed to be busy making it happen! There is a lot of table seating both high top and standard table and chairs. In addition to about 20 seats at the bar. Plenty of televisions with all types of content playing. Although it was busy we soon had 2 bartenders offering us drinks and menus. Shortly after we were drinking our beers and ordered some hamburgers. Kim opted for the regular hamburger with cheese and a side of fries. I ordered the jalapeño blue cheese burger. It was loaded with plenty of blue cheese crumbles and the jalapeños were a nice touch. I will say they were both solid choices. They make it clear that the $12-15 sandwiches do not come with sides unless you order the baskets. So sides are all in addition to the prices on the burgers. So it makes it a bit more expensive and for me $20 for a burger and fries is on the high side for anywhere in or around the metro. The service was good and as the crowd began to die down we ordered a second round. Though I feel the prices for stand alone sandwiches are high, at least the ones we had and the ones we saw delivered to other tables were pretty generous in size and the ingredients seemed fresh. All in all a pretty decent experience. If you are looking for a well made sandwich, in Grimes this seems like a good place to find it.

I had the coldest blue moon beer I've ever had! The bar was doing music bingo on a Sunday so the…read moreatmosphere was fun and friendly. I also ordered a Tenderloin that was delicious! The bartender was super chill and friendly too she was very efficient. I Highly recommend!

Hear ye, hear ye -- Fridays are fish days during this Lenten Season - several weeks before Easter--…read moredrive to Cajun Belle in Johnston for Louisiana Style Catfish with a spicy kick. There is no dine in seating, but a friendly staff of two will take your order and deliver it to where you park and wait. The wait is somewhat long due to the staffing of this small business, but once you get your entree you either drive to your quiet space or sit where you are, and smile as you taste the delicious crunchiness of your catfish or hush puppies. This is a small family locally owned business we should support as we wait for "Good Friday," or those other opportunities to say we wish you much success into the future.

Tucked into an unremarkable strip off Merle Hay Road, in that no-man's-land between a gas station…read morecar wash and a triumvirate of sandwich chains slinging the same elongated, meat-stuffed mediocrity -- sits Cajun Belle. You could blink and miss it. Most probably do. But for those paying attention, there's a faint promise here -- a whiff of something soulful and Southern cutting through the beige hum of suburbia. This is a drive-thru only operation, the sort of setup that usually spells disaster for fried food. We all know the routine: your hot, crispy prize entombed in a plastic clamshell, slowly suffocating under its own steam until it becomes a sad, soggy relic. But Cajun Belle has been on my radar for a while -- ever since I stumbled upon it months ago by accident. I remember pulling up, eyes bright with hope, only to find it closed for catering. That kind of heartbreak sticks with you. Fast-forward a few months and fate (or maybe hunger) brought me back. I was surrounded by the usual suspects -- Subway, Jimmy John's, Cheba Hut -- each hawking their own version of the same tubular monotony. I didn't want that. I wanted something with character. Something cooked by someone who actually gave a damn. Cajun food in Iowa is always a gamble -- fried shrimp filtered through the lens of the Midwest. But I was in the mood to roll the dice. I debated the gumbo but landed on the shrimp po' boy, mostly because I wanted to see if anyone up here could pull off a fried shrimp sandwich that didn't taste like regret. I added hush puppies to the order, because you can't not. Everything's cooked to order here -- no heat lamps, no reheated sadness. I sat in the drive-thru line for eight minutes, watching exhaust curl into the autumn air, waiting for something worth the time. When the bag finally hit my hands, it was hot, fragrant, and alive with promise. I parked across the street, in the quiet anonymity of a half-empty lot. This was not a meal to eat in front of anyone else. Some food demands privacy -- the kind of honest, slightly shameful pleasure best enjoyed alone. The shrimp po' boy was a beast. Overstuffed, the kind of sandwich that dares you to get through it without a mess. The shrimp were perfect -- golden, crisp, tender, actual flavor -- which is more than you can say for most fried seafood this far north of the Gulf. The breading had bite, even after the short steam bath of transport. The drizzle of sauce -- something like honey mustard -- didn't quite land. It was sweet where it should've been sharp, indecisive where Cajun should be bold. Still, the shrimp carried the day. The hush puppies, though -- those were the moment. Hot, perfectly fried, full of cornmeal bite and savory depth. You could make a meal out of them alone. The dipping sauce they came with was a miss -- thin, sour, lifeless -- but it didn't matter. A squeeze of lemon or a dash of malt vinegar and a cold beer would've made them transcendent. Cajun Belle has a perfect 5/5 on Yelp, and while I can't quite stretch that far, I get it. There's something about finding a little piece of Louisiana soul food hidden in the land of pork tenderloins and ranch dressing that feels like a secret worth keeping. For me, it's a solid 3, maybe a 4 if you hit it on a good day. Give me a shrimp basket, fries, and that vinegar I keep dreaming about, and we're easily talking 4.5 -- maybe perfection in a Styrofoam box. In a stretch of road dominated by fast-food sameness, Cajun Belle is a rare thing -- a place with identity, with pride, with the audacity to serve real food through a drive-thru window. It's not fancy. It's not polished. But it's good. And sometimes, that's all you need.

Always looking for a great breakfast place after church. OMG - this was the BEST breakfast ever!…read more Hubby had biscuits and gravy and I had the breakfast bowl. Portions were huge and delicious. We sat at the bar and chatted with friendly locals and bartender. We ate the leftovers today...and will definately be back to try out lunch/dinner menu too!

We came here on Wednesday and shown a table right away…read more Since I like to try local beers when traveling, I ordered a Pseudo Sue Pale Ale. Pale ales are usually not my choice but it was worth a try. I ended up ordering 3 before we left. For food each ordered 2 tacos each a la carte. I ordered one grilled shrimp taco and one blackened chicken taco. My friend ordered one fish taco and shrimp taco. We ordered 1/2 order of the jumbo pretzel appetizer which came with one jumbo pretzel, queso, and nacho chips. The queso had a good amount of heat. The pretzel was soft and not too much salt. Our server was professional and friendly

We got here at 7:15 and no one was here. I don't know why because the service was great and the…read morefood was fantastic. It picked up closer to 8. You need to come here. We all had delicious meals.

I used to enjoy eating here, until today and it's been a while since I've been here…read more What a difference :( The food was awful; the service was a joke. I ate may be four bites spoke to the waitress about the quality, and she replied snooty "oh, you don't like butter" No, I do but not biscuits coted in butter for biscuits and gravy. After four bites, tasting all four to see if they all tasted the same, they did. I asked for a pancake instead, she informed me that they would not take it off my bill... I would understand if I had eaten half but literally four small bites. The waitress was a total SNOT replying with 'I don't cook the food'. No, I didn't say that you did, you could have at least said I'm sorry, instead of acting like a spoiled brat. Too bad their food at one time was good, now I will NEVER go back! I would advise you to think twice!

Delicious food and great service. Haven't had a meal here that I didn't love. Great for breakfast…read moreor brunch, but their sandwiches are amazing too.

4.6* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 5* Value: 4*…read more Service: 4* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $24 05/31/2026 We enjoyed our visit to the Des Moines location, so wanted to give the West Des Moines location a try with our son, daughter-in-law and grandson. I'll cut to the chase with just a list of the dishes that we thoroughly enjoyed (all of which have pictures attached below): Homemade Pop'd Hearts (x2), Traditional and Turkey with Avocado Friends with Benedicts , Gimme Meats - Omelet and Biscuits & Gravy! As I hope the pictures portray, these were all very good and we would highly recommend all of them! You won't go wrong with a stop here for Breakfast or Lunch. I would recommend that you make a reservation though, as they are very busy. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.

Yes please! I don't know who put this place together but !…read more The staff 10/10 and I come every year and this is a must visit but this time they really WOWed me...one of the employees was having a birthday and the celebrated it right on the farm table with joy and love! It wasn't rehearsed it was a moment and it really put this place at a new level for me (also I realized it was "the crumb" Spanish not French ‍, ai had a laugh at myself) Food is sublime and the coffee is and well I don't have enough pockets for the sweets . See you next year

This place is consistently bananas level good. The bread is next level. A loaf, a sandwich (fresh…read moreor pre-prepare), and the baked goods are always such a treat. Thank heavens we have family close by so we don't have to go without. Good location. Staff have always been aces.

I ate there today with a friend, and our server was excellent and I want to make sure she knows…read morethat. However, the music is very, very loud, it is hard to converse because of it. I had asked her twice if they could turn the music down, which she did ask the guy behind the bar, I don't know if he was a bartender or a cook, but I heard him say what do they want, I've turned it down four times. Well, yes, I did overhear that I was sitting very clause to the bar. It was very rude of him, and I had been very kind and requested that the music be turned down some. The food was pretty good, I had the fig and creamy goat cheese flatbread. Overall, it might be a very good place for other people, rudeness is not acceptable.

4.6* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 5* Value: 4*…read more Service: 4* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $42 08/01/2025 We have stopped here at least one other time but for some reason, I don't have a review documented...so getting it done this time. While a bit of a hidden gem off of 86th Street, the building is modern, chic and inviting - with a large covered patio area connected to the north side of the building. The one negative is that the temperature is kept very cold inside, so consider bringing a sweater or light jacket to stay comfortable. Unfortunately, tonight was a bit cold outside, so it was a coinflip on which was better - we opted for the patio seating and the wind settled down during our visit to get quite comfortable. We started with a Cuban Martini and Sojito (see picture) along with an order of Bang Bang Shrimp (see picture) for an appetizer. We enjoyed the drinks and the Bang Bang Shrimp with the drizzled Yum Yum-type sauce was delicious! For our main courses, my wife ordered the Thai Pasta (see picture) and I opted for the Fig, Avocado and Goat Cheese Salad (see picture). As is our custom, we both shared bites from each of our plates and liked both of them very much - although the Thai Pasta definitely had a bit more 'kick'. We ordered the Tres Leches for dessert (remembering it from our last visit), but unfortunately found that they were sold out, so had to leave without dessert. If you are looking for a modern, unique, Asian fusion type restaurant in the Johnston area, Roots 95 won't disappoint. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com