the real question after the sermon
Where to Go for Sunday Brunch in Des Moines
It's Sunday, the service just let out, and now the actual decision of the morning begins: where's everyone eating? Des Moines has no shortage of answers, but "everywhere" isn't a plan when you've got a hungry group standing in a parking lot. So we sorted it — by neighborhood, by how big your group is, and by how much of a wait you can handle.
We led with the local, independent spots — the diners, cafes, and neighborhood favorites Des Moines actually talks about — then pushed out into the suburbs (West Des Moines, Ankeny, Waukee, Urbandale, Norwalk) before closing with the reliable chains at the very bottom. Those are still on the list, because sometimes a full pew of people just needs a table fast, but they're not the point of this guide.
Des Moines Diner Classics
The local spots Des Moines already has memorized. Expect a wait at most of these on a Sunday — it's part of the deal.
Waveland Cafe
Near Drake · $
Legendary hash browns and roughly 40 years in business. Small dining room, big reputation — the wait can run 30 minutes or more once church lets out.
⚠️ Expect a wait; arrive early or plan on standing around a bit.
Visit →Drake Diner
Drake · $
A Des Moines landmark since 1987 — retro diner room, all-day breakfast, and the kind of consistency that keeps a place open for decades.
Visit →Mullets
South Side (riverfront) · $$
Riverside patio, brisket breakfast burrito, and a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar. Weekend hours run an hour later than weekdays — 7am–3pm.
Visit →Early Bird - East Village
East Village · $$
Voted best breakfast/brunch three years running. The hash holes (cheddar, smoked gouda, bacon) and chicken & waffle are the two things people fight over.
Visit →HomeGrown — Des Moines
Sherman Hill · $$
Locally sourced biscuits and gravy, rosemary potatoes, and avocado toast. Open 6:30am–2:30pm daily, right next to Big Grove Brewery.
Visit →Valley Junction Charm
Two doors apart in historic Valley Junction — an easy stop if your church is on the west side.
Mitzi's
Valley Junction, WDM · $$
Home of the "House of the Rising Bun" — three cinnamon rolls stacked tall with cream cheese frosting and bacon — plus biscuits and stacked pancakes.
Visit →St. Kilda Collective
Valley Junction, WDM · $$
Australian-café sensibility — tiramisu French toast, a Big Aussie breakfast, and the avocado toast that built its following, made with farm-to-table ingredients.
⚠️ The separate downtown St. Kilda Cafe & Bakery location closed in Dec. 2024 — this is the Valley Junction location only.
Visit →Mitzi's "House of the Rising Bun," Valley Junction.
Bottomless Brunch (Make It the Whole Afternoon)
For the crew that wants brunch to turn into an afternoon — mimosas, buffets, and menus built for lingering.
Americana
Downtown · $$$
The Bottomless Bombshell Brunch — ~30 dishes, a grilled cheese station, potato bar, and bottomless mimosas or Bloody Marys. Saturday & Sunday, 9am–3pm.
⚠️ Reservation essentially required — this isn't a walk-in spot.
Visit →The Breakfast Club
Downtown (+ WDM, Ankeny) · $$
Steak and eggs, biscuits and gravy, shrimp and grits, plus mimosa flights — a few blocks from the Capitol if your church is downtown.
Visit →Tupelo Honey
Downtown · $$
Southern comfort brunch — chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits — with a mimosa list built for lingering at the table.
Visit →Gilroy's Kitchen + Pub + Patio
West Des Moines · $$
All-you-care-to-eat weekend brunch buffet, Saturday & Sunday 9am–2pm — corn flake French toast, biscuits and gravy, cinnamon roll bread pudding. A party room seats 75+ if your whole congregation shows up.
Visit →Suburbs Worth the Drive
If your congregation is in West Des Moines, Ankeny, Waukee, Urbandale, or Norwalk, you don't need to drive downtown. These are the local, independent spots each suburb already claims as its own.
HomeGrown — West Des Moines
West Des Moines · $$
The Jordan Creek location of Des Moines' locally sourced breakfast favorite — same biscuits and gravy, same avocado toast, closer to the mall side of the metro. Open 6:30am–2:30pm daily.
Visit →It's My Jam Cafe
Ankeny · $
A cozy, locally owned comfort-food spot regularly named Ankeny's best breakfast — French toast, biscuits and gravy, and custom omelets, served all day, every day.
Visit →Mullets — Uptown Ankeny
Ankeny · $$
The Ankeny outpost of the Des Moines riverfront favorite, with its own rooftop patio. Sunday hours run 8am–8pm.
Visit →Littleleaf Luncheonette
Waukee · $$
A seasonal, chef-driven menu in downtown Waukee — breakfast burritos and French toast alongside dishes that change with what's fresh. A step up from the usual suburban brunch spot.
Visit →100th St Corner Cafe
Urbandale · $
Locally owned, homestyle breakfast and lunch in the Ash Creek Center — fluffy pancakes, crispy bacon, and breakfast burritos in a genuinely cozy nook.
Visit →Mullets — Norwalk
Norwalk · $$
A newer Mullets location near the ball fields and field house, with patio seating that opens up in warmer months. Sunday hours run 7am–7pm.
Visit →In a Hurry? Coffee & a Pastry
Not everyone wants to sit down for an hour. If you need to grab something fast and get on with the day, this is the move.
Zanzibar's Coffee Adventure
Ingersoll · $
Full espresso bar, a steamed-egg breakfast sandwich served all day, fresh-squeezed OJ, and local baked goods. Open Sundays 8am–4pm.
Visit →Cafe con Leche
East Side · $
Mexican-inspired breakfast — chilaquiles, breakfast tacos, and a pastry case that's just as tempting as the entrées. Open Sundays 8am–3pm.
Visit →Heads up: La Mie Bakery, a Des Moines favorite for pastries and light breakfast, is closed on Sundays — save it for a weekday stop instead.
Big Groups, No Wait
Not the point of this guide, but sometimes useful: when it's you, the grandparents, and four kids all still in church clothes, these chains take walk-ins, have a kids' menu, and won't blink at splitting the check six ways.
Cracker Barrel
Clive · $
Country breakfast, biscuits, and a rocking-chair porch to wait on if there is a wait. Open Sundays 7am–9pm. The gift shop keeps restless kids busy while you settle up.
Visit →Perkins Restaurant & Bakery
Multiple locations · $
Five metro locations, several open 24 hours, all-day breakfast and a bakery case for the road. About as low-risk as Sunday brunch gets.
Visit →Village Inn
West Des Moines & Des Moines · $
Breakfast served all day, pie case on the way out, and a menu everyone from toddlers to grandparents already knows how to order from.
Visit →IHOP
Des Moines, West Des Moines & Waukee · $
Pancakes for the kids, a full menu for everyone else, and hours long enough to cover an early or a late service.
Visit →Machine Shed
Urbandale · $$
Farm-themed comfort food with a Saturday & Sunday breakfast buffet and a banquet room that can hold a genuinely large group if you call ahead.
Visit →Was this helpful?
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