This place is literally legendary. Home of the famous Dutch letters and all kinds of Dutch…read moregoodness, Jaarsma Bakery is the kind of place that takes you back to the old school in the best possible way. With a staff dressed in traditional Dutch outfits and fresh pastries filling an entire room, Jaarsma smells and looks about as close to bakery heaven as you can get. The sheer amount of pastries, breads, cookies, and treats is impressive. You can also grab various foods and sides, along with a great collection of Dutch products that won't disappoint. I arrived around midday, and some of the favorites were already gone or running low, which probably tells you everything you need to know. I was on a mission for the letter "S" pastries and the cream-filled bars, and they absolutely delivered. Since I had flown into Pella on a private plane, I also ordered some thank-you treats to bring home for a few supportive people in my life. It was the perfect place to find something unique and memorable. If you come to Pella, you come here. It's really that simple. Do not miss Jaarsma....your stomach will thank you!

Jaarsma is deserving of this 4-star review based on its size, selection and general quality. Please…read moreunderstand that's not a bad thing. They did a nice job on the Dutch letter and Chicago Cubs frosted sugar cookie that I tried. I did find the place to be overrated compared to the mass' reviews and the legend that it has outside of Pella. But no doubt, you kind of "have to" go there if you're in Pella. Hopefully a 5-star experience awaits you.

Yumishes!. Plus more gook for 85 characters okay more gook for more characters. hum drumread more

Excellent donuts of many varieties and the friendliest service and bakers you could hope to find…read more The Bismarcks are a special favorite: custard, chocolate, or strawberry. Can't beat the "glad to run into you in line" vibe!

This super cute coffee bar was just the perfect treat. Probably the best cappuccino in a 45 mile…read moreradius. The coffee was strong and hot! The young lady at that served us was kind and accommodating. Also a huge plus, the Christian music playing softly creating just a lovely atmosphere. 5 starts from this seasoned barista

From the owner: West Side Java is a locally owned shop specializing in coffee drinks, hot, iced or blended. We also…read morehave a wide variety of other drink options for the non coffee drinker, such as smoothies, shakes, teas, Lotus and boba.

It's hard to find Maid Rite in certain parts of the state and this feels like I walked into the…read more1950s. Had the cheese rite with cheese balls that are really cheese curds. Bummer that you can't substitute or upgrade. So I had to order à la cart, but the food is good and the service is friendly.

We stopped there to try breakfast! We saw that they offer the loose meat as a breakfast meat so we…read moretried it. It was reheated. It had that microwave taste that hamburger gets. We were very disappointed. We couldn't even finish the meat . The eggs and hashbrowns were good, as was the single pancake that I chose with my breakfast. I was surprised that you got one pancake whether you ordered the half or the whole. I would've expected two because I ordered the full order. The waitress was attentive. It has the same great set up: lots of schools around the Meat so. So if you go there for breakfast, do not get the maid rite meat..

I visited this bakery this past weekend with my sister-in-law and nephew and they had the cutest…read moresugar cookies for spring/easter! Service was great, definitely a very small shop though, no room to just hang around more of a pick your poison and giddy on out of there. I ended up getting a plain glazed donut but it was delicious - soft and pillowy with the sugary glaze on top - chef's kiss

Such an awesome bakery!! Was in town from NC and had to stop in to give this a go and loved it!…read moreBeautiful space with plenty of options, friendly people, and the Lemon Poppyseed muffin was unreal! Wish this wasn't so far from home!

This is my wife's favorite bakery, so for her special day celebrating with her Dad (I'll be…read morecelebrating her birthday until the end of March, it's a magical year), I got cupcakes and a chocolate chip cookie cake for the party. Here's the incredible cupcakes I got: White Wedding Cake. Maybe that sounds boring, but this is a classic cake packing amazing flavor. A cross between white cake & angel food cake with a hint of almond- simple and delicious the menu said. The cake is moist, so soft and silky with that excellent almond wedding cake flavor that just amazes your taste buds. Incredibly delightful and delicate. Ultimate Strawberry. Ultimate Strawberry my as$! This should be named Ultimate Crack cupcake. It's not your ordinary strawberry cupcake. Made with crushed strawberries, combined with strawberry buttercream, the cupcake melts in your mouth. However, it doesn't mention how addictive the flavor is. Such an amazing strawberry cake! The sleeper, chocolate chip cookie dough with chocolate cake. Filled with cream and cookie bites in the center and topped with vanilla buttercream more cookie dough bites and mini chocolate chips. I always worry chocolate will be dry, not this cake. I know somebody will say that I am comparing, however I am not, I am just describing. The flavor reminded me of a hostess cupcake with the cream center on steroids. So much more flavor, the chocolate, cream, and then the cookie dough bites. Wow, just incredible. Moist cake with that cream center is just a comfort food classic that just brings you back to being a kid. Man I love cupcakes and this one just made me smile like the strawberry. I wasn't expecting that to be so incredible intense. Wow, I am just on a sugar rush. You could just taste all the incredible love baked into the cupcakes. They all made my tastebuds dance with the incredible flavors and how moist and fresh all the cake was. So soft and decadent. The chocolate chip cookie cake is that old school birthday giant cookie that is classic. So good with the light vanilla buttercream. I ordered a couple weeks ahead and it was a breeze. Everything was ready when I picked it up. The owner was incredibly nice and friendly. I would absolutely order again.

Such good food!!! Loved the staff!!!! Cupcakes are sooooooo good!!! Definitely recommend this if…read moreyou can't think of what to eat

Amazing donuts! By far the best in Ames. I love taking family here on a weekend morning to get a…read morelittle sweet treat. Not many bakery options around and this is definitely the best I have found.

Van Hemert's Dutch Oven Bakery is a family-owned, full-line scratch bakery since 1983. This is a…read moregood check-off for visitors. We visited on a Friday afternoon around 2 pm and I was glad some of the baked goods were still available. I quickly picked up a few items: Dutch letters, almond horns, almond tarts, and blueberry filled Dutch windmills. The first three items have a strong but not overpowering almond flavor. I especially liked the almond horns which had a crunch but chewy and buttery texture. I also really liked the windmills and wished I had ordered the raspberry ones as well. It was buttery and flakey with just the right about of blueberry cream cheese filling.

This little business is growing and with the growth, the atmosphere has been changing…read more The owner has added bakery cases, made the tables feel more cozy and the food is still as good as it gets. This is definitely a go-to for me.

From the owner: Here at Red Ribbon Bakery all of our granolas are hand made in small batches and roasted to…read moreperfection. We use only the best ingredients. Whole rolled oats, clover honey and pure vanilla. Featuring an addictive blend of crunchy, nutty clusters and plump fruit, each of our unique flavors makes the perfect addition to your yogurt, as a cereal or a healthy sweet snack straight out of the bag!

Damn delicious baked goods and very friendly staff. Definitely a go-to option any time of the day!…read more/ ¡Son riquísimos los panes y postres de esta pequeña panadería y los que la trabajan son sumamente amables! Sin duda es una perfecta opción para cuando se te pegue el antojo a cualquier hora del día. :D

Delicious flaky cinnamony goodness!! Did not try the breads, but they smelled wonderful.read more

Cool little shop Yea drive a bit to this place…read moreBaked goods Mid late afternoon Saturday They still had some items An assortment of breads Cinnamon rolls And kolaches They did have a few cherry So I picked up 4 Self serve so get a plastic glove And make up the white box And add in They looked real good on the bake Just over 5 bucks And they do accept cards! Wow that was a shock Had I knew cards are ok in here I would to have been here sooner! Ok plenty of candies and other baked goods like brownies etc Maybe next time They did have spices and other bulk packed items Bulk oats as well! The gal before me had 2) 50 pounds bags of rolled oats I should have asked on the price I do not have my bulk bins yet for rice and oatmeal and salt and sugar But it is in the plan They had a small freezer of meat I did not checkout yet As well as the large refrigerator case with pies etc Maybe next time on that as well as updated pix Also I need to ask on the best times for fresh baked goods Yea this will be a stop every trip now!

My favorite part about a road trip to the Midwest is discovering Amish country stores. I am a big…read morefan of their homemade candies, baked goods, pies, and bread. Country Variety, offers many different types of pickled foods and jams. There are also, kolaches (Czech pastry), that's the first thing; I've tried. I was blown away by the raspberry kolaches. It was soft and creamy. I bought the baked goodies to bring to AZ. This is definitely a stop when traveling in the rural areas of Iowa.