Service was great and treats were delicious! Prices were very reasonable. Bummed we didn't find…read morethis place sooner before our out of state move.

Really yum got a champagne cake for my anniversary with just whipped topping and it was real good…read moreguys you should get if you can

One of my foodie friends turned me on to this little gem. It's a market nestled in the corner of a…read morestrip mall where Mama Lacona's used to be years ago. If you're not familiar with the area look for Pally's Bar and Grille (formerly Mickey's). My Spanish isn't very good, but they were sure nice to me. One of the gentlemen, whose English was probably better than mine, stepped up to help me out with my order. The market, meat counter, and bakery offers some really neat items and is worth browsing while you are there. The hot food is a recently new addition. They're still working on their menu. Most of the meat items (gorditas etc.) are available on Fridays and Saturdays... I ordered two cheese pupusas. $2 ea. The wait was about 20 min as they were prepared fresh. He let me know I could always call ahead and place an order if I wanted to and made sure to give me their number. I can do a 20 min wait standing on my head... But I appreciated him letting me know and giving me the info. The pupusas were fresh. I only live a couple blocks away and they still burnt my hand after paying, driving home, unpacking (also bought mazapan de la rosa, a mango Jarrito, 500 ml Coke in a glass bottle, and a couple hot sauces) and starting to eat. They were served with a pickled coleslaw style mix of vegetables and house made hot sauce. The pupusas tasted awesome. The cheese pull was excellent. I loved the combination of the pickled vegetables, hot sauce, and pupusas. Pretty close to a perfect bite. I almost forgot this carnivore was eating vegetarian today. Like I said they're still working out the hot foods so be patient and be kind. They have refrigerated desserts in a cooler by the baked goods. I had my eye on a crema fresca that appeared to be made with strawberries. And I completely forgot to grab it... I might be taking a short "break" here in a little bit. All aspects of the cheese pupusas were simply wonderful. Bang for the buck... $2 ea. Does it get any better than that? Friendly service. Definitely worth checking out.

You're in for a treat at Lara's Bakery. The combination of Hispanic bakery and grocery store has a…read morehuge variety of breads, pastries, and cookies, nicely displayed. The staff is super friendly. I would definitely recommend Lara's if you're looking for authentic Mexican food staples and treats.

I don't know about Gemma down there but this cake was the BEST cake I've had in a long time. I came…read morein while my sister was ordering her wedding cake. There were lots of flavors and the owner had perfect mini cake portions (as well as regular sizes). I tried the mocha and the carrot cake and they were both delicious! So light and fresh with decadent flavor. It left me feeling satisfied but not heavy. It was not overly sweet which I enjoyed. The texture of the frosting was almost like whipped cream, yet it was still buttery and flavorful. Plus, he did such an amazing job making my sisters wedding cake vision come to life! Will come again!

Guy was rude... I understand it was a busy time but no. Went somewhere else. Crème, give them your…read morebusiness!

The atmosphere as you enter is super friendly with a smell of vanilla and cakes that transports you…read moreto your happy place -- home where there may be tasty cakes in the oven. The server was full of trivia information about popular cakes and monthly specialties. The prices are moderate for the area $$. The lemon Bundt Cake was my cake of choice with red velvet coming in second. The only element that gives me a moment of pause each time is the small parking lot with limited close parking spaces on the corner of a very busy small in and out area where cars zoom too fast as you may be exiting out or parking in front of the hidden gem.

While I must admit their cakes are delicious, I found two issue robbed me of the joy I was…read moreanticipating. 1. The young lady at the counter was devoid of friendly customer service. She seemed annoyed to be there. 2. What kind of eatery offers carry-out without utensils? I was dressed up and did not want to get cake crumbs and frosting on my clothing. Because I couldn't get a knife and fork, my cake sat in a hot car until I could get home later in the day. The frosting melted and the container was a mess.

I found these authentic, delicious meat pies at the Waukee Hy Vee a few weeks ago. When I returned…read moreto restock my freezer I found none in the store. After some research, I found they are made by our friends at St Kilda. I will be ordering directly from them. On the cold, miserable winter day in Iowa, I closed my eyes and enjoyed savory meat pies and imagined I was on the beach "Down Under."

My boyfriend found PIE MATES pies at Hyvee's frozen food section. Its marketed as handcrafted by…read moreAustralian artisan bakers from a 100 year old recipe. My boyfriend bought the 14-hour braised steak (rich peppercorn reduction & balsamic infused caramelized onions). We both wanted to try it so we split it in half and the half portion was plenty filling for each of us AND it was absolutely delicious! When I found out it was a local brand I had to go to Hyvee to try the other flavors. So far the other flavor I've tried is the Chicken Sun dried & cherry tomatoes in a basil béchamel. It was so good! I started with a half portion but it was so good I ate the other in the same sitting. That was a mistake on my part because I was too full eating the whole thing! The pie may seem small but it is plenty filling for two meals. The nutrition facts on the back are based on a half serving and at half size the caloric intake is over 400 calories. But it's to be expected because these things are so good! I can't wait to try the other different flavors I bought of PIE MATES from Hyvee.

Stop 2 of our daddy daughter afternoon. Dessert and coffee!…read more Tucked away in Valley West Mall is European Taste. This shop has been on my list for a while, but every time I seem to get to VWM is on Mondays. The only day European Taste is closed. That's my luck... Lol It's a small space with three two person tables if you choose to dine-in. Which we did... It's order and pay at the counter. The majority of the food items are handed to you upon ordering and they bring the drinks to your table when they are done being prepared. The menu board is easy to navigate and the desserts are showcased right up front in a glass refrigerated case. Straws, spoons, lids, etc. are at a station to your Left as you face the front counter. The owner (Alina) helped us today and you couldn't ask for better customer service! Very personable. I really enjoyed our conversation! She let me know most items are prepared fresh and a few of the specialty items come in through other local sources and/or a distributor. We ordered the following: 2x Tiramisu cake 1x Chocolate macaron 1x Double latte with vanilla syrup with oat milk (hot) 1x Blended chai; iced with vanilla syrup Everything was fantastic and I know I'm going to be back! My daughter is a Starbucks girl and she said the chai was sooo much better here... At almost half the price! Besides the tiramisu cake they offer a tiramisu cupcake... If you zoom in on the picture of the tiramisu cupcake you will note the included extra shot of espresso poised in the tube to be released into the pastry... I have to try that! Not a lot of businesses are thriving in Valley West Mall and I wish I'd made it here sooner. VWM doesn't have the food court of locally owned businesses that Merle Hay Mall has... Yet. But this place is worth the stop! It's literally a couple of storefronts inside the entrance by Blaze Pizza on the second level. Plenty of parking and easy to get to! Convenient to grab and go! If you haven't checked them out yet... Swing in and say hello! https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559973381958 https://order.online/store/31914193?pickup=true...

We walked into European taste and were greeted immediately. The ambiance was relaxing with a cozy…read moreatmosphere, but unfortunately the seating is limited. Since it is located in the mall, you are able to sit elsewhere. We decided to try the Honey Cake, Lungo, and Iced Caramel Latte. The Honey Cake was deliciously elegant and not too sweet. This was my first time trying a Lungo and it was fabulous! You can get a single or double and it was overall somewhat small, but I loved the richness and creaminess of this espresso. My significant other enjoyed the iced caramel latte and drank it quicker than most places we have been! Overall, this is a solid place for European treats and great coffee!

Nan's has been around forever and there's a reason. Great local shop. My family loves this place…read more Always a good time.

Great service, reasonable prices and quality products! I've been here a number of times and have…read morenever been disappointed! Can't go wrong!

Yes please! I don't know who put this place together but !…read more The staff 10/10 and I come every year and this is a must visit but this time they really WOWed me...one of the employees was having a birthday and the celebrated it right on the farm table with joy and love! It wasn't rehearsed it was a moment and it really put this place at a new level for me (also I realized it was "the crumb" Spanish not French ‍, ai had a laugh at myself) Food is sublime and the coffee is and well I don't have enough pockets for the sweets . See you next year

Do not be fooled by the exterior. It looks like a plain strip mall location, but on the other side…read moreof the door, you're in Paris. I've been here a few times and I really should have written a review quicker, but I can't figure out how to get the review to post 10 stars instead of five. This is easily the best bakery I've been in outside of my time in Paris. The people working there are fast, efficient and friendly...the ambience feels like something out of a Parisian boulangerie or patisserie. With that said the bakery items are absolutely fantastic. I had the rhubarb puff pastry and it was the perfect combination of crunchy,sweet, and tart. I've also had the bacon, egg and cheese, croissant...which, by the way is enormous...and while the egg cheese and bacon are perfectly well done, the croissant is the absolute star of the show. All of their croissants and puff pastries are warm, flaky, and buttery. I also purchased the French macarons for after my lunch that day and to be honest they didn't made it until 9:30am. Who can wait that long? They were crunchy, filled with delicious fillings, and had creative flavors. I can't possibly imagine going to a different bakery in Des Moines.

Have door dashed Cha cha's goodies a few times now and not once been disappointed. Their donuts and…read morecinnamon roll are delicious. The creme horn too was so good! I need to go in to give you a better review of this place but so far I love everything I've had here. The champagne donut was probably my favorite! The raspberry filling, the glaze and the creme on top transport you to donut heaven. Excited to go in and try more.

I have a strong preference for donut hut but they are closed on Monday so we came here instead. The…read morekids each got a frosted donut and they were great. I got maple long john which is usually my fav but was a little let down I felt like the frosting was a little thin and bland. My husband got a mystery say old donut box. It had a couple chocolate cake donuts and a couple glazed in it. It was fun for him. He also got a sausage cheese jalapeño breakfast sandwich and it was comically large with like 5 or 6 patties in it. You could get one and share with at least two or three people for sure.