I was only here for a stop-in smoothie, so take my review with a grain of salt. Servers and ambiance were great. The smoothie was...not worth the money charged. $7.50 for something that tasted like $1.50. I would come back and try something else read more

Came in here this morning to grab coffee and a small breakfast for my family. I ordered the large iced pistachio rose latte and it was superb. The pistachio/rose flavor makes it the perfect combo of creamy and delightful. My husband had a large iced pumpkin spice latte which was exactly that deliciously pumpkin and spice. The staff was very friendly and I believe one of the owners was there and she was very nice smiling at me snapping pictures of her beautiful business. My husband and I shared the mexi bowl which I unfortunately didn't get a picture of because my kid was into it picking out the beans and we devoured it up right away too. It had egg, salsa, cheese, black beans, bell peppers and avocado slices. The mexi bowl was the perfect balance of all the good things we love. They have quite the variety of dishes for everyone. We are gluten free so the young lady who helped us recommended it for us and it definitely hit the spot. Highly recommend for everyone to try! read more

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The coffee here is really good! Came here for coffee hop. The staff was nice and good at recommending items on their menu. The only down side is the parking is all metered downtown. read more

Coffees in all flavors that are delish! The ambiance is quirky and comfy. If you are looking for a quick peaceful bite or an afternoon chatting with a friend...this is the spot! Sandwiches and sides are delish and the servers are always happy to help you. read more

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What is not to love about this place? Had a delicious Mexican coffee and sandwich. Great people and ambience.

Everything is amazing here. From the quality and care put into the food and beverages to the beautiful art and decor.

Excellent coffee house with tasty vegan menu. The brews are strong, and the espresso drinks are equally made very well. I loved their daily quiches most of their baked goods are also delicious. The breakfast burrito was rather small, so do add the beans. I love the decor and the messages of support for the cause. Fight the power!! read more

Ritual Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I always enjoy coming here. I love the ambience of the cafe featuring new artist from time to time, and the people working are always sweet to approach when ordering for my drink. They have variety amount of specialities that you don't see in other cafes which is the reason for frequent visits. read more

We love everything about Ritual Cafe: the atmosphere is comfortable, the baristas are kind and the coffees are delicious! I like a vanilla oatmilk latte read more

Love this little cafe. Awesome vegetarian food and good coffee. The owner was so sweet and accommodating. 100% support this lovely cafe then corporate chains that are around here. read more

Ritual Cafe - Dope sweater and logo - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Just had the nicest time at Ritual Cafe. Delicious hot chocolate and café miel. Lovely shop owner and staff. Nice, welcoming community vibes. Thank you! read more

The Ritual Cafe is an amazing gem right downtown near the sculpture park. The coffee was amazing. We were able to sit outside and their cute little tables and enjoy our coffee and muffin. read more

Ritual Cafe - the interior of the restaurant - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

This place has a very cute vibe and I am obsessed with the F**k Kim Reynolds sticker by the register. The staff was extremely friendly! They have great breakfast options. I got the egg croissant and my friends got the breakfast burritos. For coffee, I got the horchata latte with oat milk which was the perfect amount of sweetness. I'd definitely recommend for coffee lovers and my vegan/vegetarian friends! read more

I walked here from my hotel and was pleasantly surprised to find this bohemian gem. Right away as I walked in I was met with vibrant color, tons of art, posters, sculptures, and plants to admire, mellow music that wasn't too loud, the amazing aroma of coffee beans, and cool A/C. The baristas immediately greeted me and pointed out the descriptive menu and said that any of their hot drinks they could prepare iced. I ordered the tomato and basil panini with provolone and parmesan cheese on a garlic herb focaccia along with the iced Mocha Bianca. The sandwich came with a small side of homemade coleslaw. Everything was so fresh and delicious! I finished my sandwich and sipped my perfect white mocha while reading a book. What a wonderful afternoon! I will definitely return next time I am in downtown Des Moines. read more

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Decent, but certainly has more potential. Don't get me wrong, this is a reasonably priced, cozy and inviting vegetarian cafe, although there are several reasons why I didn't give them a higher rating. I came in and ordered the tempeh sandwich with BBQ sauce, to dine in. I liked that free water was made available, so the $8.00 cost for a lunch was very inexpensive. Their online menu didn't list any prices and frankly, I was expecting to pay more, so that was a pleasant surprise. Although it wasn't very busy, the simple sandwich took about 20 minutes to cook. The dish itself was good, but very basic. Even though the menu said that sandwiches come with vegan coleslaw, mine didn't. Instead, it had about five or six tortilla chips on the side... The sandwich tasted nothing remotely close to BBQ for most of the meal, as it was heavy on the mustard. It wasn't until the last few bites that I noticed a tiny bit of sweet BBQ sauce. Either it was overpowered by mustard or they only added a few drops. As a whole, the sandwich was good, but based on the menu description of what I ordered, I was underwhelmed. I came right around noon on a Wednesday and there was plenty of parking right out front, so that was convenient. Ritual also has an opportunity to be a bit more inviting to vegans. Although the menu is all vegetarian, only a small amount of the dishes are vegan and nothing on the counter menu noted if a dish was vegan or not. In summary, I liked the atmosphere, both parking and prices were good and the food was fine, but I wasn't overly impressed by the dish I ate, or the relative lack of vegan options for an exclusively vegetarian cafe. read more

Ritual Cafe - Grilled tempeh sandwich with "BBQ" sauce. It was okay, but the sauce tasted like mustard. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

This spot is super adorable, and very reminiscent of a place I used to frequent in Long Beach, CA. It has a cozy vibe while still offering plenty of space between tables. The baristas were exceptionally friendly and all had very pretty and genuine smiles. That kind of lovely is contagious, I think! I had three large mugs of their plain black coffee and it did not disappoint. I was also gifted with a large, flat brick of peanut butter crumbly goodness. Whatever that was, it was good. The art on the walls was nice to look at too. This is a great place to study, or to just sit and get caffeinated in good company. read more

Ritual Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Lovely spot! Incredibly welcoming atmosphere and a wide variety of diverse options for food and drink. Was in town for one night and made this a must visit. Next time I'm in town I'll be sure to stop in again! A true gem. read more

Ritual Cafe - Large hot coffee with sugar free white chocolate syrup - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Okay, so they may not sell vagina pillows or demand all gender-neutral word usages but this place could not remind me of the famous Portlandia bookstore, Women & Women First, more. Why? Well, the gentle and warm vibe of the staff for one. The earthy decor with liberal signage adorning the walls. I love it, don't get me wrong. I mean c'mon, look at the 5 rosy stars I'm dishing out. Why should you pop in here for a meeting, drink or study session and not somewhere else? 1.) four words: homemade spicy mango jam. Must must must. Pair it up with egg breakfast topped with chives and cheese and you have a perfect morning; 2.) despite the frigid Des Moines air outside, this place is as toasty as all get out. The ample seating doesn't hurt either; 3.) Mayan Mocha: chocolatey/spicy bliss - I'm not a coffee drinker but this one seemed too good to pass up; 4.) they also sell beer. Day drinking and work? Okay. I guess. Can't beautiful my next visit when in Des Moines! read more

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Went in, first impressions were 1. extremely hot, and 2. staff didn't seem interested in helping me until i initiated conversation. I can find that understandable under busy times, but the person taking orders just stared at me until i said something, which is very unsettling to say the least. Prices were decent, but coffee was way watered down and wasn't very good, at least to someone who drinks coffee regularly. The cheese danish was extremely dry, but flavor was there. Wanted to support a small local business, but they were beyond rude and essentially pretentious. Starbucks treats its customers better, and there's on down the street. Sad when you rely on these customers, but can't even treat them with decency. read more

AVOID I tried to use my debit card and the owner was totally rude and dismissive. What is up with service industry people in this town? They act cooler than they actually are... ahh, LAME! read more

Been 4 years since I have reviewed Ritual, and it's still a great place to work, have a meeting, meet friends for a drink and a vegan treat! Always interesting art on the walls, and friendly baristas! The coffee is great, and the lattes are some of my fave in town! Also the vegan baked good they have been making for years are still top notch as well! Great location nestled between the library and the sculpture park this would be a great place to stop in grab a drink and go sit on one of the many benches or in the grass.. Perfection! read more

Very cozy cafe. I love the art on the walls. Got me thinking, can I get one? Tasty drinks, free wifi and an eclectic surrounding. Very cool, very hip. I liked their Mexican hot chocolate. I'd like to try the horchata latte. It would be nice if they had longer hours. This would make a nice place to study in the evening. read more

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I wish I could give this place another star, but they need to work on some things. The biggest thing is that the staff is sometimes grumpy. Not everyone and not all the time, but since we are in Iowa, the friendliest place I've ever been, it is a bit jarring. When they are at all busy, it seems like they just get a bit flustered and give off an antagonistic vibe. The second thing is that they need more vegan options. For an unabashedly feminist, progressive shop, they should expect more customers who don't want to participate in the cruel diary and egg industries. I asked about a tofu scramble one and got a strange response about tofu "going bad." They usually only have one, if even that, vegan option of baked good. That being said, this is a solid coffee shop with the usual fair and the most woke decor as you are gonna get in Des Moines. read more

Quite a hipster place but it's cute. I'm not vegetarian but I'm happy they have places like this . They can also make anything on the menu vegan, which is great. I got the hummus toasted sandwich thing. Omg the bread was soooo soft. Wow. . I enjoyed everything about it. read more

Ritual Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Portions were really small. Took a really long time to get the food and it wasn't busy. The black tea was pretty much all water. Huge waste of $3 :( read more

Ritual Cafe - Watered down tea, didn't even taste like tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Very hard to support this local coffee shop when their hours are inconsistent and are not simply updated on their social media. Coffee drinks are watered down. I've never heard of a coffee shop only having one shot in a large size drink, such as a mocha, latte or americano. They are also not the friendliest. Certainly didn't feel appreciated. Even-though the indoor dining has been closed for over a year due to the pandemic, it certainly looks like nothing has been cleaned on the inside in over a year. Caked with dust on the tables, window sills and floors. Definitely disappointed. read more

Ritual cafe has been serving up the best horchatta lattes long before Starburn ever knew Latinos existed and they are the BEST. I love it iced. Their vegan options are tasty and the staff is super friendly and helpful. It's welcoming and cozy. It's a great spot for popping in or for a long visit and chat with friends. read more

Ritual Cafe - Iced horchatta latte and tomatoes, basil, goat cheese quiche. Delicious!!! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

If you're looking for a delicious, filling , and healthy breakfast, Lunch, or just a good coffee.. ritual is the place to be! Stopped in for a quick bite and was pleasantly surprised that they also had plenty of vegetarian options. The staff is very friendly, very quick with service, as well as knowledgeable in helping you make a decision if you are unsure of exactly what is the best thing to order. There were three in my group and everyone loved their meals... more over two of the people in the group are on restrictive diets for health reason and they still had options for then to choose from...and even better.. when i saw what they were eating it also looked delicious! lol check em out for the food and stay for the war friendly service! read more

In my short 3 months of living in Des Moines - most of it buried in snow. We have made a sort of ritual (pun intended) of taking out of town guests to the sculpture park and walking over to ritual cafe after for brunch. This place is heaven for a vegetarian like me. The "Jess" is my favorite sandwich there. It's spicy and grilled and has creamy coleslaw to balance it out. They have a nice selection of coffee drinks as well. The portions are perfect for a light lunch. Another bonus is they can make just about any of their menu items vegan. Staff is friendly and I love to look at the artwork and signs around this cute little cafe. read more

I love Ritual Cafe. It's a special, local place. The eclectic, unique, cozy, bohemian vibes make my soul feel right at home. They have local art on the walls, plants on plants, prayer flags... it's a great place to meet & catch up. They have yummy baked goods, a legit breakfast & lunch menu that is vegan and vegetarian friendly, BEER, a plethora of tea options, healthy smoothies, and last but certainly not least coffee. The black bean burritos are okay and the veggie panini is DELICIOUS. If that wasn't enough, Ritual hosts events like live music and poetry readings. Check their website for more details. read more

Ritual Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Looking for really (reeeaaaally) great coffee in Des Moines? Look no further than Ritual. A friend and I stopped in for coffee and breakfast and we were so pleased with the caffeine situation. Both black coffee iced and hot were really excellent. There's nothing better than a local cup of coffee inside of a charming coffee shop! This place was friendly, welcoming, and full of people doing work and catching up. The food wasn't super great for us... I had the quiche (tomato, basil, and goat cheese) and my friend had the breakfast burrito (which was actually two smaller burritos together.) The salsa was good, but the food was mediocre. I'll have to come back to try their lunch. This was a great stop during two days in Des Moines... I'll be back again! read more

The good: this place has Mayan mochas, a diverse food selection, and a large seating area. The bad: the service never seems very friendly or warm like you get at Caribou or Starbucks. It's a small thing but something I notice as a customer every time. There are little things too like paying for parking which adds 1-2$ every time you want a coffee or the 4$ minimum spending for credit cards... My drink was 3.98 and they up charge. It's a small gripe, but annoying nonetheless. The ugly: the atmosphere is very hippie, earthy, with smells from aroma candles or something. All the artwork on the walls is also quite odd. Ritual is a coffee shop for a unique crowd, not necessarily somewhere you take your business colleagues or go to do work. I think with some work, I could be a great coffee shop, but without making any adjustments, honestly it's just easier to get a better, cheaper, friendlier cup of coffee somewhere else. read more

Ritual Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Just walking around downtown Des Moines last week and we were thirsty so we decided to pop into this awesome looking place for a quick thirst quencher. The decor is very vintage and retro, it has a look of a hip local coffee shop. It is definitely not your chain Starbucks or Caribou coffee, it has much more character! I definitely wish I actually tried their coffee or food items, but we only got their Italian sodas as a quick thirst quencher. We got the coconut and peach flavor, both were incredible and refreshing! There were plenty of seating options and the atmosphere was very casual and relaxing! We stopped by again a week later and had a few of their food items. We got the Cheese and Broccoli quiche as well as their 4 Cheese sandwich! The quiche was okay, but the sandwich was very very good, cheesy and tasty! The staff members were friendly and the view of downtown was nice with the option to people watch out of the windows as well! You will definitely see me returning here again! read more

Ritual Cafe - Coconut and Peach Italian Sodas! Refreshing! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

This coffee shop is on my list of favorite coffee shops while traveling. It's a shame I can't bring it home with me! The environment is very relaxing, and it's very close to the sculpture park, which makes it a great stop after a stroll outside. I was enthralled to find that they offer unique espresso drinks--I ordered a hot mayan mocha and an iced horchata latte with soy. The spice in the mayan mocha was just right, and each sip was better than the last. The iced horchata latte was a wonderful combination of flavors, and it greatly resembled an actual horchata drink but still was an espresso drink! The service was as great as the drinks themselves. All smiles and friendly conversation. Plus, I don't think I was charged for the soy when I should have been, lol. If I ever come back to Des Moines, Ritual Café is a stop I'm willing to visit again :) read more

Ritual Cafe - Mayan mocha :-) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I really enjoyed my bbq tempeh sandwich! Really yummy! I really appreciate that this place has vegetarian/vegan options! It's a cute cafe near sculpture park. This is a self service place. While I enjoyed my sandwich, my brownie which I understand is from another bakery tasted and smelled a little weird. Almost like there was some cross contamination from a savory food. I also tried the horchata which was a little too sweet for my liking. There's a minimum for using your creditcard, which is also inconvenient for a cafe/coffee shop to use. Ironically, my cashier accidentally charged me 70 cents first then had to charge me for the remaining due balance in a second transaction. While sandwich was great, the other stuff I experienced makes me give this place a 3 vs 4. read more

Ritual Cafe - BBQ tempeh sandwich with coleslaw - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Cozy space on Locust street right near the Pappajohn Sculpture Park downtown. Beautiful views of downtown, and local art is exhibited on a rotational basis every month inside. Try the divine chai or mayan mocha for a pick-me-up; their vegetarian/vegan foods are also fantastic, especially for breakfast (get something served with their sourdough!) Very liberal hotspot, though -- conservatives beware. The internet is also prone to hiccups and outages, and the hours are a little bit inconvenient. Very nice employees. read more

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Ritual is probably my second favorite cafe/coffee spot in town (behind Zanzibar's). I have yet to be disappointed by any of their drinks (coffee-based or not) or their food (from muffins to sandwiches). It is a cool little spot that definitely has established its own vibe. Plus it is a good place for a lot of experiences, including various different live performances. I will admit that about half of the time that I go there, I stand around and carefully think about what I want and then right before the words leave my mouth, I just order a beer instead (usually Snapshot). read more

This place was very great for both my wife and I. It's a vegan/vegetarian place only. Their 4 grilled cheese spicy sandwich was excellent. My wife had a vegan grilled sandwich, which she says was even better than expected. The humus was great as well, I didn't care for the salsa but my wife loved it. They had coconut milk, so that pleased us even more. The managers and workers were extremely nice and helpful. 5 stars all around! Thanks guys, we will return when we come back to Iowa! read more

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Out of all the places on my list to frequent when I visit Des Moines - Ritual Cafe definitely tops the list. The Horchata Lattes are what intrigued me and initially coaxed me into this cafe -- and after one taste of the Mayan Mocha I never wanted to leave! My favorite thing about this cafe which makes me prefer it to others in the area is the atmosphere. Friendly diverse crowd at Ritual Cafe and if I stay long enough I can usually drum up a conversation with the most interesting people you might meet in Des Moines.. Seems like they always have some type of live music available thoughout the week, and local artists display their work there (And no, it's not your typical crappy coffee house artwork, actually something decent to look at here). If you're a cool open minded person who likes good company and good coffee - this is the spot for you!! read more

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Quick and simple coffee stop! Staff was friendly and the coffee very affordable. Note they open a little later than most downtown coffee shops but delicious and worth the stop read more