We love the Cafe food. Tonight we were there for a drink and it was so dark that we needed to use our phones to read the menu! we were at the bar and my husband had to sit back lest he was blocking the dim source of light that allowed me to see what we were eating! What's the problem with adding some lights above the bar, or some LED candles, and making the lights above the tables just a bit brighter? Food is great so you dont have anything to hide but when my teenage son is complaining about the darkness, this isn't ambience: you are putting off customers. read more

Feb 2021 update: we had a late brunch here. Approx 20 min wait when we walked in. They took our name and we waited in the car for them to text us. After we got our text, we went back in and they took us to our table. All the staff had masks and they're still doing limited capacity. Staff was friendly and helpful as always. I ordered a latte mocha, they have milk alternatives such as oat milk, soy, and almond. And for my meal I ordered the monte cristo, the salad was delicious and the sandwich was so filling I actually couldn't finish it all. We also ordered dessert for take out. They bring out a dessert menu if you ask for one. It was nicely packaged, I definitely recommend a slice of their cheesecake. read more

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Once upon a time... they all went to The Cafe in Ames Iowa and lived happily ever after. The End. If you have never experienced The Cafe on a week day for their breakfast than you are missing out. The menu is updated from time to time. Do I know why or how? No I do not. But I was lucky enough to encounter the Breakfast Quesadilla again. Yes, this was not my first time having these delightful quesadillas. The chipotle sauce on the side is what is considered a game changer. My other half got the Cafe Skillet and was impressed by it. We were very happy we were able to have the breakfast menu to start of this journey of ours. Also Once Upon a Time - this breakfast is truly what would be in a fairytale. So skip work on a week day and live like your in fairy tale. Why not? read more

The Cafe - Breakfast Quesadilla- Chipotle Sauce - Bakeries Near Me - Ames, Iowa

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My favorite restaurant in Ames. The food portions can be hit or miss depending on the seasonal menu but they quality is always great. It's a little pricey but you definitely get what you pay for. Their cold brew and lattes are some of the best in the area as well. read more

The Cafe - Thai sticky ribs - Bakeries Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Excellent coffee and food! We devoured our plates - not a crumb left haha. Service friendly and quick. Highly recommend if you're in Somerset area! read more

The Cafe - Salmon club - Bakeries Near Me - Ames, Iowa

This is a go-to place for friends who invited us there for breakfast. the atmosphere was very pleasant. The service staff were great. The recommendation from our friends was for the French Toast, so that's what I got. I almost hate to say it, but the french toast was not great, actually pretty ordinary. This was probably more my mistake because there were other things on the menu that I should have ordered. Nevertheless, I know that when I am next in Ames, there is no doubt we will come back and I will try something else. read more

A cold night has to call for some form of great food if you're out and about in town right? Well good thing this place exists! The Café is a classy environment with classy food! The menu frequently changes, giving you a decent amount of variety to your tastebuds. My girlfriend got the mac and cheese with a piece of bread and salad and i got the cafe burger. But were full of flavor and great proportion for what we got! Side note: if you are looking for a vegan option, the veggie burger is also super good! Seating is also spacious. It is a pricy spot, but the quality of the food is great! Definitely try it out, whether in sun or snow! The envrionment can be busy, but it can be a great experience overall! read more

The Cafe - 1 year date! - Bakeries Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Eaten here many times for both breakfast and dinner. Food is excellent and service good. Really nice atmosphere.

Absolutely our favorite!! Many wonderful memories! We have hand many special meals and dinner dates and our anniversary here. I proposed to my wife after a meal at this Ames Favorite! read more

The Cafe - Braised Short Ribs - Bakeries Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Lackluster at best. My "well done" hangar steak was both burnt and bloody before and after having it sent back to the kitchen. My friends burger was the same. I had a catered lunch that they did not follow my food allergy instructions on. My fries have been burnt twice and resembled rock texture. Like the food overall but each visit there seems to be one or more things wrong. The service and errors makes The Cafe somewhere I'd be wary of. read more

The Cafe - Somerset salad - Bakeries Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Food was amazing. Fish tacos were very elegant and tasteful. I noticed the pancake maker was working very hard and made my peers some delicious pancakes! read more

The Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Ames, Iowa

The website states that breakfast is served till 1045am. When we arrived at 1025am we were informed that they switched over for lunch at 1030. I wouldn't be writing this except the rude way I was spoken to just now. Otherwise wonderful experiences read more

Go here and try the Autumn Cobb Salad if they still have it. My dad is a big fan of the burgers here. I haven't had a bad meal. The Cafe Mocha is delicious and they have milk alternatives which I love. The oatmilk mocha is delicious since I can't do traditional milk. On the bakery side they sell really good bread. Sometimes I stop in when I am visiting family in Ames and buy a loaf of the sourdough or the raisin walnut. They will put it in the slicer for no additional charge. Their bread does sell out quickly but you can place an order 48hrs in advance if you think of it. Highly recommend this place. read more

Love their food and pastries. Quinoa cranberry salad is so good! Service is good and fast.

My mom and I came here once before and our experience was great, we came today and decided to sit outside, it wasn't crowded at all. We got our menus and empty glasses and were left out there for 20 minutes with no acknowledgment from the staff, no one even came to fill our waters. My mom went inside to tell the hostess that we were ready to order and that nobody came to check on us and the hostess said "Somebody should come out, if you can just wait". So we waited another 5 minutes before someone from the table next to us even went in and asked about our service. Eventually we just decided to leave. We got no service, no food, and no respect. I give 2 stars because I know their food is good, but there service was horrible. read more

Environment is great. Very clean. Excellent food, both ingredients and flavor. Their desserts are the best in town!

I love this place every time I go. My husband had Korean steak and eggs that he liked a lot. I loved my autumn Cobb salad. Good drink selection. Excellent desserts. Menu is very seasonal and atmosphere was darke and fairly quiet even when busy. read more

The Cafe - Chocolate pot de crème. - Bakeries Near Me - Ames, Iowa

My husband and I went to The Cafe for brunch today. We both felt like their selection for choices was slim picking. A lot of the food choices were difficult because they use a lot of ingredients in the description that you have no idea what's in it. I asked about black tea which they didn't have. They only have iced black tea. I then ordered a matcha tea latte and then the waitress came back and said they didn't have the matcha powder but could put a matcha tea bag in milk to steam. I struck out with tea and I was really sad because I wanted tea. The potatoes that come with their brunch options were spicy and had extra stuff that shouldn't have been added. I was going to get peppers added to my omelette but, they pre-mix them in with caramelized onions. Overall, we won't be going back! It wasn't worth $35.00. read more

Very good place for breakfast. I had the veggie skillet. It was delicious. I would order again. Very well seasoned and the veggies tasted fresh. The coffee was good as well. I have had a difficult time finding good coffee me in these parts. So this is a plus. The service is excellent as well. Allyson was very attentive and kind. A couple minor complaints that reduce this to 4 stars is the lighting at breakfast time is too dark and the toast is "buttered" with some kind of grease. Next time I'll have it dry. read more

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Been here 2x and both times the food was amazing My family and I had the Mahi Al Pastor, Peruvian chicken, fish tacos, Korean steak and egg and the Salmon dish. 5 stars!!!! What I DIDN'T like is that both times my family was seated in the very very back bar area despite the restaurant being empty. I would say I'm never coming back but the food is so good maybe I'll just get it to go. read more

The Cafe - Mahi Al Pastor - Bakeries Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Food is good; however, the service was beyond terrible. The staff were a bunch of young female college students that think of their job as a social hour. Stood 10 minutes at the door waiting to be seated. Not one of the girls bothered to acknowledge me. I finally spoke up and asked for someone to seat me in the empty restaurant. I received major attitude for doing so. Management needs to watch how these young ladies are bringing down the reputation of their cafe! read more

Favorite restaurant when I'm visiting Ames. Delicious homemade options in a nice casual environment.

Been here more than I can count in the past 4 years now. Amazing food coffee and ambience. Highly recommend for first timers visiting Ames! Cozy place and great food. Very best desserts. read more

The Cafe - Mushroom Bolognese - Bakeries Near Me - Ames, Iowa

I loved this spot for breakfast! For some reason the vibe was giving me the same feel as the coffee shop from FRIENDS but nicer. My breakfast sandwich was so good. I got an iced latte that was so so but my partner and my food was sooooo good. The service was really nice and also my fav part besides the food was the music playing. read more

Very cute restaurant. Food was spectacular. Staff were friendly and attentive. Everything was we've had there has been excellent. Highly recommended when in Ames. read more

This was a fabulous restaurant. We liked it so much we went for dinner one day and breakfast another day! The service was great, nice workers and everything arrived in a timely fashion. It was nice out for the dinner so we sat outside and enjoy the fresh air and space. Favorite dinner: wood/grilled chicken sandwich 100/10, It was so good! The pizza was also great, had some lemon salt on top. Favorite breakfast: strawberry shortcake French toast. They have mastered French toast making. We had four of them at our table and everyone was raving about theirs. The lemon poppyseed pancakes were also great with the blueberry butter, it's less sweet than the French toast. The bacon was a great addition! read more

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What an extraordinary experience. Driving through Ames, we invested time to drive into the downtown area to eat at The Cafe. A splendid decision. Food quality was exceptional. Service was friendly. My husband and I had the fish tacos and the Somerset salad. Every bite brought a smile as the flavors were so fresh and happy. As we left, I peeked into the bakery and bought a slice of key lime pie and a cup of coffee to go. That was a great decision. Lots of key lime juice in that pie. And coffee that was really coffee. A great example of good food at a fair price with unique expressions of healthy food. Thank you for sharing your passion for great food! read more

Came here for dinner after a long day visiting Iowa state and I was pleased. It has a very nice fancy cafe feel. One thing I didn't like is that it wasn't free refills on fountain drinks. I got the Korean steak and egg. The steak had a strong soy flavor and had definitely been marinating for a long time. The kimchi fried rice was amazing and I wish I could just have a big plate of that. For dessert I got the blueberry crumble and I could not have had a better way to end the meal. The top was perfect and the filling was so good. read more

The Cafe - Blueberry crumble - Bakeries Near Me - Ames, Iowa

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Nice selection of food...not your typical menu. We were there on Sunday, so it was the brunch menu. I had the omelet with mushrooms (very good) and my husband had the fried chicken and biscuits (excellent). My son had the Apple French toast (very good, not overly sweet and rich which was perfect.) Our service was very good. Atmosphere was nice. We'll be back. read more

Pretty good place in Ames with a variety of different options. The Kimchi fried rice was my favorite! Also love the vibes and ambience here read more

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Well cooked food and interesting dishes. Staff has always been very pleasant. This place is more for adventurous eaters. I do not recommend for picky eaters. read more

Sister restaurant to one of our faves in Ames--Provisions. I had the Fall Cobb salad and it was delicious, my partner had the Cafe burger and said it was one of the best. Homemade chips, great desserts and wonderful bakery items. read more

Oh, how I've missed this place after I moved away! I got here early and the restaurant was fairly dead, which meant no wait! The staff was very polite. They brought a glass of water to the table (I'm wondering if the pandemic stopped what they used to do with a bottle of water per table?) and I ordered an Iowa Fashioned. Everything they do is with fairly fresh ingredients. I ordered their fish tacos and asked for some hot sauce to go with it. The fish tacos were very good and the "Iowa Fashioned" was delicious, if not a little pricey. Finally, I capped it off with a cookie to go (chocolate fudge) which tasted like a brownie in cookie form with nuts. If you've never been and are looking for a good restaurant and reasonably priced (not necessarily cheap), I'd recommend going here. I've also had their breakfast in the past and that is a slam dunk, as well. While you're there, also make sure to check out their dessert case. They change them out fairly often but from what I've had, it's pretty delicious. read more

The Cafe - Good ol' Iowa Fashioned - Bakeries Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Fresh ingredients and magical flavors. The Cafe' is amazing! My daughter introduced this breakfast, lunch and dinner eatery to me this morning. The ambiance and decor is nice, but a slight bit on the dark side. Personally, I like to be able to admire my food under a bit more light. Also, low lighting makes it harder to take good food photographs. Our server was pleasant and waited on us promptly. I love the water carafes. My daughter and I wanted something savory and something sweet. I chose the quesadilla and an order of sourdough bread french toast with fresh strawberries. We were wowed by our meal when it arrived. It was a treat for all my senses. The quesadilla was warm and stuffed like a comforter. The fried tortilla was toasty on the outside, perfectly soft omelette and homemade sausage with sauteed veggies on the inside. The accompanying chipotle sauce and diced chili pineapple went perfectly with this amazing breakfast quesadilla. Our sourdough french toast has made me reconsider ever using any other bread. The territurrific first bite took me to french toast heaven. The viscous warm maple syrup soak nicely into the toast, co-mingling with the quickly melting piped whipped butter and fresh strawberries. This fabulous meal came up to $19. What a steal! I am a total fan. read more

The Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Stopped in at 10:30 on a Thursday. No breakfast being served. Lunch menu is limited, being generous. Ordered Korean steak and egg (that's right, one egg) and husband ordered soup and salad. Salad came out dry (no dressing). Steak was small with a larger serving of cheap carbs for about $17. Waitress eventually came to check on us. Won't be back. read more

The Cafe never disappoints. The menu changes seasonally so there is always amazing options to choose from. The staff is very friendly and professional and the atmosphere is very personal and cozy and clean. I personally LOVE their coffee and fresh baked pastries. If you're in Ames, this is a must. read more

It's been a while since we have been here as we had moved out of Ames, but we recently moved back and our lunch did not disappoint. The fish tacos were as good as we remembered and the chicken sandwich was delicious as well. Coffees are good quality too. read more

Food 3/5 Service 5/5 Ambiance 5/5 The food was decent I really wanted to try the breakfast but they stopped serving it at 10am so I ate a burger and it was good nothing really memorable about it. I would eat here again next time i come up to Ames. read more

What a cute place! Stopped for breakfast on a Sunday and we were seated right away. The menu is great, not too overwhelming but has a lot of unique options. I went with the roasted broccoli omelette but was good, not great. It did come with cafe potatoes and homemade toast, both of which were very delicious. The raspberry jam with the toast is a must- so fresh and tasty! The coffee is also great- nice and strong! My friend had the peach French toast and loved it. The bite I had was amazing! Like dessert for breakfast! read more

Great food and service always. Have yet to be disappointed. I really like the Korean steak and eggs!