Great food and the service we had with Amy was excellent! Recommend the breakfast quesadilla or maple bacon bird tarts.

Breakfast was Yummy . Our waitress was top-notch. We will be back for sure. Beautiful restaurant. Thank you. Jana Lande read more

Waitress didn't do refills. Had to ask the hostess had to get her and still took 5 minutes. Waited almost an hour for breakfast and now told we still have like 3 more tickets before they even start ours. I haven't even tasted the food and I know I won't be back. Nothing is worth this wait. My wife makes better pancakes at home. The avocado they forgot on my friends plate, when it finally came out. Looked like avocado gone bad. read more

Early Bird won me over when I walked in the door, as a warm greeting combined with a vibrant, sunny interior, guaranteed a positive visit. Thankful for that in these challenging times. Tasty breakfast served quickly and efficiently. Server was kind and spot on. Large portions. Definitely returning! read more

Early Bird - Ankeny - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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I was visiting from out of town and I stopped for breakfast at Early Bird. The decor reminded me of a diner/ice cream shop. It was Sunday morning and although they were busy, I was seated promptly. The server was attentive and my food and drink were both brought out quickly and were hot and fresh. I really enjoyed the Campfire Hot Chocolate as a special treat since the weather was cold. My breakfast combo was the perfect amount of sweet and savory and I left feeling satisfied and full. read more

Early Bird - Ankeny - #16 EB COMBO, blueberry pancakes with cream cheese, strudel, two eggs and bacon - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

Great food! Music good! Had fluffy scrambled eggs. My Sister and I saying just like our late Mother used to make. Biscuits and sausage gravy delicious! Cool place! Hip vibe! read more

Early Bird - Ankeny - Eggs, bacon, toast, hash browns! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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This past weekend, I had friends coming in from Minnesota. They picked out the spot that caught their curiosity most. I was given the time to show up and was eager to do so, as I had been waiting for a long time to check out this restaurant. Early Bird in Ankeny. Seemed like past reviews suggested long wait times, perhaps lackluster food... When I came into this location, I was immediately greeted by the host and was even offered up an available 5 top table for my friends and I - who had not shown up. The host reserved our table regardless, until all of my Minnesota foodie friends arrived. During the time I spent waiting for my friends, I was asked by five other servers there if I had been helped yet. I was blown away by their customer service. The young girl at the host station was attentive and kind. Within ten minutes all my friends had arrived and the food fest was about to begin. Originally from near Chicago, this place had a certain positive vibe about it that I loved. From the the mural on the wall, all the clever shirts, caps, mugs, etc behind the counter, the signage - it all just made me smile. And Im not even a morning person. The menu was unique from beginning to end. Not one menu item was something I ever recall a restaurant ever being able TO make, but these guys did, and with great ease. They have a flight of bacon called "When Pigs Fly." Four different types o' bacon and a slice of taste with bacon jam. You make Iowa proud Early Bird! I went with the Gravy Bacon Flatbread which was different yet inviting. The flatbread had more of a cracker taste to it, but the pork sausage gravy drizzled over the scrambled eggs and cheese made me an instant fan. The entree was topped with thick bacon bits and a honey drizzle. Who could ask for more? My friends and I were so impressed with this joint we all got t-shirts to commemorate our first time dining here. While each of my friends got a different plate that seemed to wow us all on a different levels, we all agreed that while the food was mind-blowing - it was the service of the owner Carla, who went above and beyond. Never met a person who cared more for their diners. Maybe it's the great food that keeps people coming back. Maybe it's the quick way in which you are seated - and with such genuine hospitality. My Minnesota friends - are convinced its because of Carla. I love Carla, but Im a coming back for the Bacon Flight sooner than "Pigs Can Fly." read more

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Great food and service! Excellent menu choices. Loved the breakfast sandwich with candied bacon and jam. Skillet was excellent as well.

This was our first time at the Early Bird in Ankeny and an easy pick as we were meeting friends with 3 girls aged 5 and under. Overall, service was fine - albeit by noon on Sunday our waiter was OVER IT - so much so my friend asked how much he hated her 3 kids (They'd had to pacify two of the kids with Burger King but still ordered meals at Early Bird). The food was fine - they brought fruit instead of my friend's side of tots but he didn't want to deal with flagging the absent waiter down, and my chocolate chip pancakes weren't at all as described on the menu aka just a scoop of mini chocolate chips on top but otherwise plain pancakes with much to be desired (hate that!). All the other food was well received but the two mimosa flights were suuuuper mid and not well presented: 3 half full juice cups on their own for $16 - not even on a tray or in a wine glass? Come on now. Three stars exclusively for ease of online waitlist and the mess I'm sure the kiddos made. read more

Early Bird - Ankeny - CHOCO CHIP PANCAKES - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

Such a fun place! I read online how it's very busy on the weekends so we went on a Wednesday morning. It's bright and sunny. Haley was our server and she was excellent. She didn't make us feel rushed and she came back to check and make sure things were OK and was very friendly. I ordered the cinnamon roll pancakes with bacon and eggs as an add on. It was too much! The cinnamon roll pancakes were delicious and you did not need additional syrup. Everyone enjoyed their food. The bowl of fruit was beautiful and tasty! Three out of the five of us took extras home. Is it cheap? No. Is it tasty? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes.! read more

Early Bird - Ankeny - Delicious cinnamon roll FRENCH TOAST - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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Braised bacon fried rice was perfect! Super delicious. I wish they had coated the toast for French toast a bit better with egg because you couldn't really taste the French toast flavor (egg, cinnamon, etc etc). Overall, nice area & food is pretty good. read more

Always good food! Now just trying to get to the character count, very irritated at yelp

Another great breakfast place. We started with the Hash Holes. They are croquettes made with cheddar, smoked gouda and bacon. Really tasty, really filling, we took most of them home so we would be able to eat the rest of our breakfast comfortably. Lizzie had the Chicken and Waffle Fries. Fried chicken tenders with gravy to dip them in. The tenders were nice and juicy, the gravy really rich. It's the waffle fries that are the real winner here. You expect them to taste like french fries, right? Nope, they taste like waffles infused with maple syrup. It's a great idea done brilliantly. I have commented elsewhere about my wish for good southern style biscuits. The biscuits I grew up with were made in a cast iron skillet. These are pretty good. Still not what I am looking for, but quite tasty and a good texture. As I said above, the gravy is quite rich and very thick and very tasty. Go try this place, you will not be disappointed. read more

Food was delicious, took quite a while to get seated even though the place only had one other table. Hot chocolate was DELICIOUS. Such a fun atmosphere in there and plenty of things that sounded yummy to try! read more

Ankeny location has and always will be my favorite. The atmosphere is very welcoming and the staff is incredible. Shout out to the manager, Carla, who helps anywhere she is needed. PS. Bring back the cereal martinis! read more

Delicious and fun. Great place for breakfast! Really enjoy the drinks and food. Never been there that I wasn't impressed.

Checked into the wait line via Yelp, it did not mention that we'd get a phone call when the table was ready only to check in at the restaurant when we arrived. I missed two phone calls from an unknown number on our drive to the restaurant turns out it was the restaurant letting me know our table was ready- since I didn't answer it knocked me off the waitlist and back down to the bottom. All was discovered upon arrival. We were seated quickly considering all this happened which I was thankful for. I do think all of this should be noted during the part where you sign up for the waiting list via Yelp. The parking lot to this place is very small and shared with 4 other businesses- it was full & took some time to find a spot. Our food was really good, lots of menu options and fun drink options for alcohol, if you're wanting a Bloody Mary, mimosa, etc. we ordered the French toast and biscuits and gravy. Both were delicious. Our waitress was attentive and gave us plenty of time to look over the menu. The atmosphere has a very fun cartoon vibe with bright colors, and pop pictures in the walls. And Toy Story was playing on the screen at the breakfast bar! Overall a good experience, giving 4 stars because of the yelp waitlist issue and parking. read more

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This is one of the best burritos I've ever had. It's definitely the best breakfast burrito I've had. The rice was tender and delicious, and the queso was really good. The tortilla was nice and chewy, and the beans were nicely done also. The steak wasn't my favorite, but it did not detract from the overall flavor. Our waitress was friendly and efficient. The restaurant was busy but clean. Highly recommend! read more

Early Bird - Ankeny - Steak burrito - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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Most expensive breakfast I've had in a very long time. We had the pancakes and the Breakfast BLT. The food was ok, but nothing special. The waiter was rushing us and we had to flag him down for ketchup, silverware and refills. I spent $56 and that was without alcoholic drinks for 2 adults and one child meal. Disappointed read more

Hailey is awesome! Came here with a large group and 100/10 would come back. The food is amazing, the Bloody Mary's are iconic. Great service as well! read more

This is fine. I didn't find anything that was amazing. Service was fine and the space is loud and trendy. Husband had the biscuits and gravy with a funny biscuit texture and super sage taste. Even the hashbrowns had a sage flavor. Crabs Benedict had an orange sauce on it that I didn't love but the hollandaise was good. I did like the extra crispy hashbrowns. read more

Early Bird - Ankeny - Crab Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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The staff was amazing on Mother's Day. Abbi was so nice and funny too, never rushed us and always happy to grab us something. The food was really good and so filling. Also I thought the restaurant was amazingly clean for kids coming through. The staff had great teamwork cleaning up tables. read more

Spicy and filling. There are hash browns under this. I could only eat about half. The vegan chorizo is great read more

Early Bird - Ankeny - VEGAN HASH - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

Waitlist was easy to get on and even accidentally was late due to traffic and the host still got us in. Host and waitress were incredibly friendly and the food was great. Had the steak bagel with a side of fruit and eggs. Was so delicious! Even for being a busy Sunday morning it was clean and very quick! read more

Food is great, many options, can definitely address sweet tooth. Staff is friendly and very efficient. Great atmosphere.

We finally tried out the new location in Ankeny. We have never been to one so it was a new experience. We used yelp to reserve a spot and it was about a 30 minute wait. The place was jam packed. My first impression was good. Very clean and nicely decorated. The tables are pretty close to one another so you are almost sitting with strangers. The menu is ridiculously large. Almost too many options in my opinion. We ordered an orange drink and a couple varieties of the bloody marys. The orange drink was delicious but the bloody marys were not worth the money in my opinion. We noticed several other tables that people didn't drink there or drank very little. I'm no quitter so I finished mine, but would not order another one from there. The kids had the early bird eggs, hash brown and bacon. The wifey had some cinnamon toast thing and I had the breakfast burrito. Everything was fresh and delicious and the eggs were perfectly cooked. Overall this is a what I would consider a trendy, fun place to get all day breakfast but I would also say 'almost' everything on the menu was over priced. Like the $15 burrito should be like $9 and the early bird plate should be like $6. Definitely paying for the name. I won't rush back due the value. It cost over $100 for 4 people to have breakfast and a drink. Here are some pictures. read more

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Let's start with the service. My husband and I entered the hostess area and no one was there to seat us. We waited a while and a lady came from the back and finally seated us. We ordered pumpkin pancakes, scrambled eggs with American cheese, and the breakfast egg rolls. The pancakes tasted like cornbread with pumpkin puree, the eggs were good and the breakfast egg rolls were delicious. The service was less than subpar; the server on duty never really came back to make sure we were good, so we had to walk to the bar area to get silverware. The only reason I would go back to this place is that the food was pretty good, with the exception of the pancakes. read more

Seems like every time we go here I get less food in the order. Today was really embarrassing with the small amount of hashbrowns they serve. Toast that was barely toasted...this place is just not good and crazy expensive for the quantity and quality. My last time for sure! read more

Food was great. It is a really busy place but we still had good service. I would recommend.

My order was placed and delivered in a timely fashion. The food looked amazing and was tasty service was attentive to me. The ambiance was good but decor was cartoonish. read more

Early Bird - Ankeny - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

Carla was great and very attentive. The food was amazing I truly recommend! Thanks Carla read more

The ambiance was laid back with bright walls, very cheerful. I really like the decor it fits the happy upbeat attitude The service was GREAT MISTY was AWESOME!!! She really knew the menu and was so helpful navigating us through the AMAZING menu. And WOW is all I can say about the delicious menu items as well as WOW THE FOOD we got!!!! We got the jalapeno cheese balls to start then my husband had the Lavash Flatbread with the meat and gravy. But I got the most Amazing SALMON BENEDICT I've ever had!!! OMG it was so BIG, EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING! We will DEFINITELY be coming back soon and many times read more

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Always great service with a smile. Love coming here for the friendly atmosphere and amazing brunch. Worth the wait if the line is long. Consider adding yourself to the online waiting list ahead of time. read more

I'm not sure why we waited so long! Our daughter has been hounding us to go to the WDM location since it opened, but I'm not the type of person who likes to wait for a table. So when I saw that the wait time was less than 5 min on Yelp, I said "let's go!" We walked in and were seated immediately. We ordered the Cinny Bobs (literal heaven on a stick and that caramel sauce is soooo good!!) as a starter. I ordered the Wonderful Day sandwich - what an explosion of flavor! Husband had the AM Pot Pie and he said it was wonderful. Our server, Carla, was so attentive and Jeremiah made a Bellini that hit with the first sip!! Such a great experience and we've added this to our top breakfast spots in Ankeny! read more

Early Bird - Ankeny - Cinny-bobs - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

This was a very pleasant restaurant, comfortable and casual dining with good food. The service was excellent and gave us great recommendations to try. I even purchased a cute mug to take home! read more

Amazing food choices! Lots of gluten free or gluten prepared options! Gluten free Churro Waffles with Chantilly cream ! Pig out platter had the best pork belly and candied bacon ever! Our server was knowledgeable and very friendly! It was so good we are going back tomorrow! read more

Early Bird - Ankeny - Churro Gluten free Waffles, Pig Out meat sampler and French Toast with Marscipone whip! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

Quick and friendly service. Sat within minutes after arriving at a busier time of the morning.

Everything was phenomenal! The food and drinks were !! The staff were very friendly and handled a very busy Friday afternoon. The atmosphere was just perfect! Everything was great! I highly recommend this place!!! read more

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Service was good, food was great! Cinnamon roll pancakes were reportedly "amazing" by my sweet tooth teenager. I had the chilaquiles and it was a fantastic array of salsas, cheese and toppings. If we are ever back I would get the burrito next because the table beside us had one and it was huge and looked delicious. read more

I ate here on 8/9/2025. I had the salmon eggs Benedict. I made it approximately 3/4 of the way through one of the two when I began feeling like I was being stabbed in the stomach. While leaving I began gaging in the parking lot, and subsequently throwing up all the way home due to food poisoning..... my son's french toast sticks were great though. read more