A pretty good experience near my university. Will definitely be eating here and drinking my coffee here regularly. For the side chips though, maybe use a different chip than a nacho chip. Cappuccino was pretty well made and the sandwich tasted good too. Took a little long to make a sandwich though. read more

Mars Cafe - Tomato/Mozzarella Sandwich. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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I love everything about Mars: the art, the music, the atmosphere, the staff, the company, and of course the coffee. Try the white mocha or whatever special drink they have listed. Stay and soak up the art. Leave a better person. read more

I used to frequent Mars Cafe when I lived in Des Moines. Then I moved to Chicago. I figured I'd find some place just as cooler - probably WAY cooler - than Mars Cafe; after all, it's Chicago, the largest city in the Midwest. Three years later, nothing still has come CLOSE to Mars Cafe. I'm not just saying "well, Mars Cafe was better, but this place will do." I'm saying "Mars Cafe is literally the first place I will go the next time I visit Des Moines." 1. Drinks - it doesn't matter what you get, every single drink (and I've had most of them) are well-mixed, presented perfectly, and well-worth the price. 2. Stage - live entertainment from local jazz, blues, and other acoustic artists? Yes, please. It is a great venue with great performers. 3. Community - Mars Cafe is an essential part of the Drake University community, and the surrounding area would be missing a LOT without it. I could list a ton more bullet points, but you have to just trust me when I say that this place speaks for itself as the best coffee shop I've been to in the Midwest. I've traveled extensively, and no matter where I go - Quad Cities, Indianapolis, Peoria, or Chicago - there is NO matching the perfect atmosphere, attitude, and sheer quality of Mars Cafe. read more

As a Drake student living on the west side of campus, Mars Cafe's past-25th-Street location was always a bit of a turnoff. But every time I walk in, I think, WHY AM I NOT HERE ALL THE TIME? It's well worth the walk or drive. (I've started reminding myself of that more often and my foursquare checkins have gone through the roof.) Mars is a locally owned coffee shop that attracts Des Moines residents and Drake students alike. (If networking is your thing, it's a great place to mingle with some of the city's coolest movers and shakers. Des Moines Music Coalition's Amadeo Rossi is the mayor.) Whether you drop in and get a cosmonaut to go or you are going to spend 14 hours writing a paper and need three meals, coffee AND cocktails (...just me?) Mars is the place to go. Highlights: The staff is friendly and knowledgeable They keep good hours Most importantly, they make good coffee. They know ABOUT coffee. These people are artists, man. Plenty of seating. They are always innovating to make sure they are engaged in and engaging with the Des Moines and Drake communities -- whether that's through social media, live concerts or their new weekend brunch. Go there. read more

1. LOCAL: Locally owned coffee shops are always the way to go, and this one gets two huge thumbs up. 2. AWESOME AMBIENCE: I refer to Mars as "caffeination station" or "procrastination station". While sometimes I am able to get work done, most usually I end up drinking far too much and using the caffeine buzz to people watch and surf the web. If you appreciate music, you are in luck: the cafe often has live tunes in the evening and the staff keeps great indie records spinning throughout the day. 3. QUALITY CAFFEINE: All the barista's know what's up and brew a great cup of coffee/tea and pull perfect shots of espresso. Their iced green tea is some of the best I've ever had, and happy hour is sure to tickle the beer lover in us all. 4. BREAKFAST DELIGHT: Eat the Solarz ... it's a breakfast sandwich that is delicious all day! All of their breakfast sammies are delicious, and they've got a great affordable brunch on the weekend. 5. MEET ME IN MARS: This is the perfect place to meet friends or classmates. Free Wifi and lots of plug-ins for you laptop if you score a booth. Be warned: you will likely run into familiar faces and are bound to make some Mars Cafe friends if you come more than once. read more

What a great dive! Friendly service, good food, and some local beers available as well. Beware of hipsters. Signs include apple products, tight jeans, and a desire for PBR. Loved this place! read more

Mars Cafe is a great place for a number of things. 1) Studying 2) Meeting up with a friend or two for their $2 beers after 9pm 3) Meeting with a person or two for business 4) Dropping in quickly for a cup of coffee on your way to work 5) Getting their Twitter Tuesdays special by following them at @marscafe. 6) Lunch read more

I had the caramel latte here which I enjoyed. The coffee was served to me without a lid and the coffee was almost running over the rim of the cup. Thankfully the coffee was not too hot that I could sip my drink to a reasonable level to put my own lid on it before walking out of this coffee shop. Service was only okay. I received my coffee quickly but the girl working the cashier was not the friendliest. This place has free wifi which is why I think the place was filled with students and their laptops. The decor was very cute and very futuristic probably to keep on point with their "Mars" theme. Prices were comparable to other shops in the area and almost the same as Starbucks prices! read more

This place is pretty hip and hoppin' (Sorry, still in the Easter spirit!)! Its a pretty chill place to study or to meet up with friends for some coffee or lunch. They have awesome sandwiches, smoothies, bagels, and drinks. Fun place! read more

Once again Yelp has directed me to a glorious meal in a town I am not familiar with... Mars Cafe is Delicious!!!! I had the bacon turkey sandwich, and the lavender-dijon dressing was out of this world!!! I discovered Peace Tree Red Rambler Red Ale, and lunch was a complete success. On my way out the door I had the fortune of meeting the chef. His mentality in creating his dishes is great, and he even directed me to a local liqueur store where I could purchase some of the new and tasty beer I discovered. Bravo! read more

Much more than a coffee shop, it's a community. One where everyone is welcome, this place isn't just for the cool kids. Wonderful coffee, tea, and food made by great people who will become your friends. It's also a great place to work. I'm a freelancer, and I frequently set up shop at a table and meet clients there. Check it out, spend some time, you'll see what I mean. read more

Gonna have to be a brief review as all I have had here the couple times I have gone has been normal drip coffee which I take to-go. The coffee is fantastic, the service has been pleasant, the price for a travel mug of coffee is way better than the chains will make me pay. The only thing I don't get is why the two times I have been there they only had what looked like skim or 1% milk in the carafe on their counter of coffee self-enhancement. The white liquid in question doesn't seem to be labelled but it definitely isn't half and half which is what I prefer in my morning coffees. read more

This is a great place with a great vibe. As cool as it was when NASA sent a chimp into space! It's mostly a collage age crowd (drake collage is in the neighborhood) although you do get a good mix of people. Young professionals and families. Let me put it this way; your not going to feel un-hip or like a loser if your not dawning skinny jeans, or eyeliner on a guy. Wait....is that stuff sill "in"? I can't say that the coffee here is any better then any other coffee shop in DeMo. What they do have is a great vibe and friendly service. The new food menu is hands down the best coffee shop food in DeMo. I really recommend the fresh from the farmers market saturday brunch! I will say that their lunch sandwiches could use a little more filler. They also have WIFI as long as you make a purchase (and you should make a purchase). Great place in DeMo and good to have it in the local options! Support local, buy local, and grow local. read more

Coffee was good. We had the white chocolate blueberry iced latte with soy and Carmel iced latte with soy. Also my 13 year old had the yogurt parfait which he licked the bowl. I had the turkey pesto that was good, I would next time ask for it not toasted. read more

I had been working at home and was getting cabin fever so I decided to try out Mars Cafe (I had heard good things). The artistic ambiance is perfect the neighborhood - it reminds me a bit of The Varsity when it was on 25th. I ordered a cappuccino and it was delicious. I have to admit I was a little confused as to whether I needed to wait for it at the counter or if they brought them to the table, but I should have asked :) I also had some of the baked pastries - not too bad! The one thing is, this is a coffee shop so there are a lot of people meeting, etc so don't expect it to be super quiet. Pretty standard for a college coffee shop. Love the free parking in the back. read more

Being a Brooklynite, I'm used to pretentious cafes that-to their credit-have great coffee. So, you get kinda spoiled by there being great coffee every 2 blocks. My expectations for good coffee in Des Moines were very low. This place is great! The staff talks coffe language and I had an awesome Ethiopian pour over. read more

This coffee shop is out of this world. Not only does it have great coffee, but it has tasty sandwiches and lots of treats including ice cream sandwiches. Mmm. If that wasn't enough they've got beer . Everything is space themed from the drinks to the wifi password. Service was friendly and they were apologetic they were out of so many items the day after Thanksgiving. The atmosphere (pardon the pun) is very collegial with large tables and booths and excellent wifi. On my way through town I intended to simply stop for a snack and a cup of coffee, but it was so relaxing I stayed a while longer. Totally recommend. read more

They have summer hours which are not displayed, so please call before a late night cup of coffee. Went there at 7:30 and they were already closes. Went back the next day and they informed me of their summer hours. I had a cold brew and it was great! Would give it 5 stars if they had house made syrups. That makes a difference in coffee cafes. read more

I stopped by here with a buddy after walking around Drake campus and had a great experience. The cafe was very trendy and served great coffee and food. The atmosphere was good for chatting with friends or studying. The cafe consists mainly of college students which provides a great atmosphere. I would definitely come back to try their other items and maybe just to hangout with friends on a relaxing day. Staff here is very friendly and is able to recommend items if you are unable to decide. read more

Delicious coffee. Great service. Friendly environment. Great for someone traveling and in need of a coffee shop with fast wifi. read more

Came here every day on my weekend trip to Iowa. Really wanted to try some other coffee shops in the area but I think when it comes to coffee if you find something good just stick with it. I had the iced Sputnick with an extra shot and extra ice. It was the perfect balance of sweet and strong. Baristas were friendly, prices were fair, shop had a good vibe. Plenty of space to read, do some work or just hang out with friends. Looking forward to visiting again for just a regular cup of coffee and some food. Everything on the menu sounded pretty good! read more

I'll have to admit that I am spoiled by my previous hometown of Kansas city. The sheer volume of coffee shops makes finding a cup of java perfectly tailored to your exact specifications a walk in the park. When my partner and I moved into Des Moines about a month ago, we were excited to check out the new scene. The ambiance and location of Mars is great. Quirky without being unapproachable. You know how snobby some coffee places can be. The staff was kind, if a bit harried, but all of these good things aside, the coffee is where I place the bulk of my star power--- meh. Don't get me wrong, it was a decent quality and taste. But lukewarm. The first time I got a lukewarm mocha I chalked it up to individual preferences. Maybe Des Moines people like cooler temps? So the next time I ordered, I ordered it extra hot. No noticeable difference. Mars is a wonderful place to hang out, but for an enjoyable and hot coffee, I'll keep looking. read more

Excellent espresso. Helpful staff. Nice play corner for kids.

Being a student at Drake, I used to come here all the time as it is practically on campus. Even though my very first visit here was horrendous (wallet left on table stolen right in front of me), I have had generally positive visits there after. The baristas have always been nice, coffee is usually good at a very reasonable price. WiFi is free and fast. I gave three stars because 1.) a lot of their tables are wobbly and their booth seats are filled with holes ineffectively covered by duct tape. 2.) the place is often busy and it can be hard to find a spot to park as well as sit down 3.) they do not have any stoppers for their to-go cups which leads to spills when driving read more

Friendly staff, good food, delicious coffee, and great atmosphere! It's also conveniently located, definitely coming here often read more

Mars Cafe - Mocha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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This is one of the best cafe I have ever been to. Since it's located only a few minutes walking distance from my campus, I love to walk here and get a cup of great coffee.. I took off one star because the price is a little too expensive and the service is sometimes too slow.. I am very impatient that's y I don't really like to wait. I tried their caramel mocha, rocketfuel (mocha + coffee + lots of caffeine), skylab (mint + mocha), Appollo (white chocolate mocha).. I guess that's it.. I tried their mint tea and some other which I can't really remember and bought a few packet of tea leafs as a gift for my aunt from Malaysia since she loves tea!!! The tea is really good.. it's not some cheap tea leafs that you get in walmart.. Some of it is organic and you can only get in their shop.. As for the coffee, starbucks totally lost to them!!! From the smell of their coffee beans.. you can even feel the coffee beans they used are "good stuff"!!! I believe the workers there are all well-trained to make you a cup of good coffee.. The way they pour the steam milk with the caffeine.. is totally different.. you will always see your drinks with a tea leaf on it.. or even a heart shape.. they will not simply make a cup of coffee for you even though there is a line waiting for the coffee (that's y you have to wait)... I will recommend RocketFuel to people who really needs caffeine for the day.. You will definitely become "hyper" after a sip of it!!!! (that's what happen to me) I came here once for a networking event... I guess they are way too busy.. the coffee wasn't that good on that day.. but it's good on the other days.. this also another reason that made me took off a star... There are bands playing almost every Thursday.. For music lovers.. you can choose to buy a cup of coffee and listen to some great local musics.. :) read more

With baristas who compete at a national level, Mars café has simply the best cup of coffee in town. The atmosphere is relaxed and somehow simultaneously family-friendly and a great place to work away from the office. read more

I dig the music when it's close to closing. Convenient parking. Great coffee. Excellent study space.

Mars Cafe is an excellent place to get caffeinated. Alongside their fantastic coffee and espresso beverages made with Kickapoo coffee, Mars carries a selection of teas from Gong Fu and makes a delicious yerba mate lemonade. The employees are super friendly, the bathrooms are clean, and the wifi is decent. I've never had anything to eat here, but they have a selection of salads, pastries, and sandwiches. This place also has my (somewhat worrying) #1 favorite characteristic of Iowa coffee shops - beer and wine! Basically they just have a house red and a house white, but they change up their beer selection and there's usually something interesting. One unfortunate downside - for a college cafe, they could definitely stand to extend their hours. 10 pm isn't really that late to begin with (or maybe it is for Des Moines?), but they seem to have altered (shorter) hours very time I come in... read more

I love these guys for their coffee and late night snacks, but don't come here for breakfast on Sunday morning. They don't have the capacity to be offering food for the post-church crowd. 45 minutes waiting to get a bowl of oatmeal, unbelievable. But otherwise I really like them! So, average of 3 stars. read more

As I often mention I am a coffee snob. I travel throughout the Midwest for business and am forced to try many new places. I am aware that places like this often get good reviews based on atmosphere , some new flavoring or the cute girl behind the counter. While all of that may be nice, I feel a coffee shop should have good coffee. Mars does NOT ! It may be the worst espresso I have ever had. It's so bad it makes Starbucks seem good. Avoid this place! read more

Food: didn't have food... Decor: 5 Service: 5 I love coffee shops and can be somewhat critical if the coffee shop gets the vibe wrong. Luckily, Mars Cafe gets it. After traveling around the city looking for a coffee shop with ambiance for a Sunday afternoon read with the Fiancee, the Mars Cafe was a good find. The space is big and set up in a few different versatile configurations that would be good for studying solo or in a small group, reading, a date, a meeting, eating a meal or playing yo-yo. I saw two guys playing with yo-yos when we walked in.... it seemed to fit. There were some booths, a couch or two and smaller tables. We chose the booths. They were cozy. They played upbeat coffee shop style music. The staff were cheerful and lacked angst that sometimes comes with cafe employees. I had a chai. It was standard cafe style chai (which I consider to be a bit less sweet than Starbux and with more foamy milk). We sat down and read the paper and it was a pleasant experience except for some guy yakking loudly on his cell phone. Not Mars' fault so I won't count it against them. I will definitely go back there to hang out and will try some food next time. THANK YOU FOR BEING OPEN ON SUNDAYS!!!!!!! read more

Best espresso in the metro area. Don't put gunk in it just a little milk if you need it. Smooth, noted, delicious. I stopped drinking Starbucks and Caribou over it. Shout out to the baristas who take their time and do espresso drinks the right way! read more

Mars Cafe - Cappuccino at Mars - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

What a fiasco. One person working. Keeps taking orders. No one making food or drinks. Finally a second person shows up. They made all but mine - 20 minutes since I ordered. They ask "are you waiting for something?" I walked out. read more

Mars Cafe gives off just the right amount of hipster vibe for me to consider it one of my favorites in the area. It reminds me a lot of the cafe's you see in Minneapolis-- local art-for-sale hanging on the walls, live music in the evenings, barristas that slightly intimidate they know more about coffee than you ever will and you're nervous that you might say something stupid when ordering. But.... all in a good way that makes you feel slightly cooler than you are. This place has a good vibe, and really I have mostly positive things to say. They're coffee is WAY better than anything you'd get from Starbucks or Caribou (and that's a big deal coming from me, as I used to work at one of those places 0_0). They have some desserts and sandiwhces too, which I give a thumbs up. I've come here to study on occasion because they have free wi-fi and good coffee. It can get busy during the Drake school year though- and I have had trouble connecting to the wi-fi a couple of times on my crappy school computer. Anyway. Do approve. 5/5 yelpz. read more

I'm a coffee snob and I thought the coffee here was great. Got a second espresso as I left 'cause it was so good. Food is good. Ambiance is great. Internet can be a little flaky when it gets busy. read more

If you want a cup of coffee served by pretentious hipsters while experiencing the slowest service ever, pop into Mars! You'll leave pissed and a 1/2 hr later. "Can you make that extra hot?" "I'm not going to burn it." "I didn't ask you to burn it, I asked for it to be extra hot" "Well, it's a fine line between the two." Smirks smugly at coworker. God forbid a paying customer have preferences beyond your coffee expertise. read more

Good latte, good service, and great ambience. I would definitely return if I came back in town. Didn't have any food but was tempted to get a second latte :) I will add that I am a loyal Starbucks customer (terrible I know) and that it's rare that I really enjoy other coffee places, check this place out you won't regret it. read more

Casual coffee shop located by Drake university campus. Wifi is free and fast. Coffee was pretty good with a good variety of specialty drinks. They have some good - salads and panini sandwiches. I got the humus panini on wheat bread. It was an ok sandwich...nothing great but not bad either. It was an appropriate place for me to grab a bite and some caffeine while also getting some work done. read more

I was in two-weeks ago and ordered tea because I wasn't feeling so hot. The barista recommended an excellent tea and the atmosphere was conducive to conversation. Note to other shops: I may quibble with their coffee, but I've always received excellent customer service at Mars. Add in that they have wi-fi and comfortable booths, I'll probably be in more now that I'm a grad student starting this fall. The place has improved since my initial review. read more