This long time staple has reputation of home cooked meals at family budget prices at fast food like service. They offer daily specials, homemade pies. You will never be alone here always a few along side your seating to line up outside waiting for a table they staff hustles to the best of their ability read more

Bad food. Lettuce looked like it was old and our food didn't come for an hour. And our waitress was not polite.

In town for the Hinterland music festival. We wanted a yummy, reasonably priced breakfast...and preferably where locals hang. Crouse Cafe hit the spot. Nicest server. Hometown feel. Delicious hash brown, biscuits with sausage gravy, eggs over medium - perfecto. Most likely going again this morning. read more

Crouse's has been around for what seems like forever, and with good reason! It can be a bit busy at times, but the best places usually are! The decor and booths are old style and well kept. They are very flexible with additions, changes, and special orders. This is a great brunch spot with friendly staff and delicious home style cooking. read more

So so place needs to be upgraded for Indianola it's not bad,tha staff is always friendly and welcoming

We stopped in for lunch today after going to Milo to pick up a deer. It was a really nice experience. We had a late breakfast of poached eggs, crispy bacon and wonderful french toast. I ordered a piece of peach pie for my 'dessert' since I'd heard about how good they were there. The homemade crust was the best and the filling was so full and good!! If you haven't stopped in you should real soon. We will be back!! Love Peach Pie Dave!! read more

The best small town diner close to the big city. Food made like grandma did! Best French Toast I have ever found!! 30 years ago I sat her with my dad now I'm eating here with my family. Restaurants only stay open this long in a small town when they are this good. read more

Crouse Cafe - Hanging at Crouse's with my kid like I did 30 years ago with my dad. Great food, great people, great time!! - Cafes Near Me - Indianola, Iowa

Small town diner/cafe feel. Staff is mostly family and they're super! Menu has a wide variety, in a good way. Favorites: all the breakfast food, onion rings (you know they're good when you order at 9am!), grilled ham and cheese sandwich, and their roast beef dishes. read more

THEY HAVE REAL, HOMEMADE CHICKEN PAN GRAVY!! Sorry for the caps, but you have no idea how happy this makes me!! Pan-fried chicken is one of Crouse Cafe's Sunday lunch specials. You get 2 pieces of piping-hot pan-fried chicken, a huge helping of mashed potatoes topped with that incredible homemade gravy (just like Grandma's), applesauce, peas & carrots, and a roll for less than $8.00. I just wish the peas hadn't been those big peas from a can. They were kind of mushy while the carrots were still kind of hard and that's keeping me from giving a full 4 stars. Oh well. It's more food than I can eat in one sitting and everything else was very good. Great, friendly service. The place is packed on Sunday. The breakfast buffet is great as well. read more

I wish that I could add something new and insightful, but alas I can do no such thing. Everything is solid and reasonably priced. You won't find anything gourmet or fancy, but why would you come here if that is what you're looking for? Not every restaurant needs to be pushing the culinary boundaries. Crouse Cafe is wonderful for what it is and I will keep going back for breakfast from time to time. read more

Crouse Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Indianola, Iowa

Walking into Crouse definitely let me know exactly what I would be getting, and I guess its my own fault for staying. That being said, its a trip worth taking. Now, if the food was better I would love this place... Alas, the pancakes were not worth finishing. Other things tasted included fried chicken (not worth it at all, way too greasy and mostly flavorless), omelette (decent diner quality), hash browns (I hate when they come out barely cooked on one side and completely white inside), toast (best thing on the table!). So while you're in Indianola, go for a cup of the weakest coffee around and maybe a slice of pie? But really, go to do a little people watching and relaxing in an old school Iowa diner. read more

We have been eating there for over 30 years, the Hot Beef has always been a hit! Not any more! The last few times we have been there the Hot Beef has been getting more fatty and less beef. Today was the worst! It was so fatty that it was hard to chew. The waitress was indifferent. Our visit was not during a rush, so no excuse there. We will stop recommending. Time to find a new place! read more

One of my favorite places on the planet! I have driven 2 1/2 hours one way for Saturday and Sunday breakfast buffet! And...have never received a bad meal or bad service. Everyone is so friendly. If you want some of the best pie anywhere - this is your place! If you leave here hungry - it's your fault! read more

Crouse Cafe - 2 eggs over easy, ham and sourdough toast - Cafes Near Me - Indianola, Iowa

This is the absolute stereotype of "the small town diner." What you see is what you get. Wonderful home cooked breakfast food. Heavy breakfast food. Biscuits and gravy are a MUST! The other major pro to this place is the service. They servers are so incredibly friendly. In fact majority of the time when I go to pay the bill I end up talking to the woman behind the counter for at least 5 minutes before I leave. Always a favorite when I am in Indianola! PS. If you come in at the right time you can have a late breakfast and catch the price is right! read more

The best home cooked meal ever I love not just the food but the people that's work there! The hot need is to die for but all there food is good for your soul! read more

Your normal small town diner. Super friendly employee's. Very wallet friendly prices, and some of the best food you can get. I work 3rd shift & don't get off until about 8 am. I have breakfast here at least once or twice a week. Definitely recommend. read more

Come here on Saturday mornings for breakfast. Really enjoy the service we get. Coffee is great! The prices are good too! Ward and June

Good food. Veggie omelet was a good meal. Service was good and coffee flowed. Saw sausage gravy biscuit at table next to me. Pieces of sausage were so big I could see them from my table. Next time. read more

We had to go to Indianola and we had heard about Crouse Cafe and decided to stop for lunch. Typical small cafe with prompt and friendly server. The special was liver and onions and the old guy and I both happily ordered it. The liver was over cooked, tough and dry with instant mashed potatoes (yuck) and packaged brown gravy. Breaded tomatoes and cottage cheese were our chosen sides. I hadn't eaten breaded tomatoes in many years when Grandma used to prepare them.Tomatoes were so sweet, they could have been dessert. Iced tea was watery. The cottage cheese was good. read more

I have been coming to this place whenever I visit family in Iowa. Yesterday we were a little disappointed. The food was ok. They have cut back on the portions a bit. I had a pork tenderloin sandwich and it was way smaller than what it used to be. My wife had the shrimp dinner and it was smaller too. The cherry pie was a big winner of course. I hope it doesn't continue this way. read more

This is your typical small-town locally owned Iowa cafe. Nothing fancy--just plain old fashioned home cooked food. They have a great hot beef sandwich and cherry pie---I have never had a bad piece of pie here--try the chocolate pie--if you can---when they make it they are almost always sold out before I get there! And their mashed potatoes are REAL potatoes---not out of a box! Their prices are VERY reasonable--in fact, Crouse Cafe is one of the most inexpensive places to eat in Indianola. Unless they are slammed (which happens often) the wait staff is good and very attentive to their tables. If you are in Indianola and want good old fashioned food, I highly recommend Crouse Cafe! read more

Great diner in downtown Indianola. We came in for breakfast omelets & we were pleased. Solid mid-western breakfast, hot coffee & hometown service. read more

This is the "greasy spoon" restaurant of the the city. Don't expect anything that isn't greasy when you come to eat here.

Crouse Cafe is an Indianola staple. Unfortunatley, I haven't had a good experience there in many years. Rhonda's pies have always been and will always be delicious, but the rest of the menu is bland, cold, and is likely frozen/microwaved before coming to the table. read more

Excellent breakfast place. The service is usually very good, though it depends highly on which waitress you get (both of the twins are awesome). I usually avoid buffets like the plague but their weekend breakfast buffet is great. Worth WAY more than the 8 or so bucks it costs. Great coffee. Anything beyond breakfast is fine. Typical diner food. The decor is ugly as sin, but you don't notice it so much when faced with unending biscuits and gravy. read more

I had a fairly lovely breakfast at Crouse Cafe this weekend. The place was extremely full and most people had to wait for a table. The service was quite nice and welcoming. We waited a longer time than one should for eggs and toast, but it was quite busy. Everything for breakfast tasted delicious except for the pancakes. They seem to be known for it, but to me the cake was totally too sweet and definitely had an unusual ingredient like almonds. I will say one negative thing: the place is entirely over-priced. I could have purchased the same breakfast in a major city for roughly half the cost of what our bill was here. This might be due to the fact that it's a small town and they can pull that, but truthfully the qualit read more

Great little local diner! Aside from the menu, they'll make almost any staple to order.

Ultimate Sunday breakfast buffet!!! Huge selection and amazing broad array of pastries.

My friends and I like to go to Crouses after church. It's home cooked meals. We come especially for their coconut pie. Our opinion is the coconut pie is the best we've ever tasted. read more

Long time favorite ever since being a student at Simpson College. Crouse Cafe is the type of place where the plates are bigger than the bills and hospitality is served to fill you up. You will always leave full at Crouse Cafe....belly and heart. read more

If you're looking for a stick to your ribs meal for a good price before you head out to do your farm chores, not a bad place - minus the farmers sitting at the bar with their butts exposed. If you're looking for a unique experience, what you find here can be found in 75% of small towns in the upper Midwest. read more

Crouse Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Indianola, Iowa

Crouse's is a family owned and operated dining establishment in Indianola. The award-winning pie brings in people from all around. But the great tasting food and the friendly atmosphere bring people back time and time again. I eat there frequently and favor the philly steak pita (with a side of mayo), the chili dog and the chicken sandwich with bacon! The cheese sticks are awesome and the onion rings are great. read more

I absolutely love this place! This is the definition of a small town restaurant. The onion rings are top five best onion rings I've ever had! The broasted chicken is to die for! I've had plenty of other options from this place as well but those two are the reason I give this a five-star. The hours of operation are a little weird, but that is to be expected from a mom and pop shop. If you are ever in town either just rolling through or are visiting your children at Simpson this is an absolute must try place! read more

Very yummy food, waitress was friendly and bathrooms were clean. The peach pie was amazing! French dip was good, fresh homemade apple sauce for the kids & macaroni was good. Cute location, lots of parking read more

This place is one of those restaurants Chamber of Commerce types would call an "institution." I think it has been around forever, and seems to be the place to go in Indianola. Honestly, I don't know why. I've been for breakfast and for lunch. The breakfast is good, and fairly inexpensive. But honestly, pancakes are pancakes. There can be a wait, especially on the weekends, but breakfast is served all of the time, so if you are in the mood for a carb bomb, stick to this page of the menu and go at an off hour. The rest of the food is okay, but just overwhelmingly average. Nothing I or any of my tablemates had made us stop and say "Wow!" Most disappointing were the veg options, which all looked like they had come out of a can, and tasted like it too. I had heard that the place was especially known for cherry pie, so I tried a piece, and was immediately discouraged when I saw the server put it in the microwave to warm up. Again, it was okay, but I would sooner drive to Pella for one of the Amish ladies' efforts than go back for this. This seems to be the bar for dining out in Indianola. I'll buy that for breakfast, and hope for better the rest of the day. read more

We came here because it was #1 on Trip Advisor, and we thought it would be fun to eat at a traditional local diner. The kids liked their store bought Mac-n-cheese and frozen smiley fries. We liked the traditional fried mushroom appetizer--nothing fancy. My bacon cheese burger was the typical greasy diner burger I was expecting. My husband didn't like his barbeque beef sandwich. It looked like the meat came out of a bucket, and the sauce was horrible. He couldn't eat it (and I didn't want it either). The waitress noticed he didn't eat the sandwich and he told her why, but she didn't offer a replacement or to take it off the bill. Then we got the French silk pie, and it wasn't good at all. The main mouse part was solid, not airy and creamy like you'd expect. It almost was like a frozen pie that had freezer burn. It was frustrating to leave almost $50 poorer and not satisfied. No doubt this is a beloved local restaurant, but we were disappointed. read more

Best onion rings in the world! I love the cozy hometown atmosphere and the waitresses are fun and always remember you! Breakfast is a must any time of day at Crouse Cafe. read more

Oh my! I just finished my first piece of cherry pie! I know cherry pie. It is my favorite dessert. I have had cherry pie everywhere I go and find it available. Hands down, this was the best I've ever enjoyed! I will force myself to stop at two pieces! Thank you for allowing me to buy a whole pie! read more

Stopped here for lunch with some coworkers. The pancakes are plate sized and absolutely delicious! The servers are very welcoming to outsiders & are willing to give honest opinions about the food. We were a bit disappointed in the chili cheese fries because the fries were a little soggy - they could have been cooked a bit longer. read more

My wife and I eat here at least once a week and have never had a bad meal or service! Best real home cooked food in the Des Moines area. The servers always get 20% or more. read more