Restaurants in Ankeny

“Everything we have eaten there our food and service has been superb. In fact, it has become my wives favorite place in Ankeny to eat.”

“Great spot for a date night or getting together with friends. My husband isn’t a wine drinker, but they have plenty of beer options. I have a monthly membership, which is worth the money. One of my favorite spots in Ankeny!”

“We often eat there when we're in Ankeny, and did so last Sunday. The fish and chips was, as it always is, outstanding. Our waitress, Jordan, was equally outstanding. She took care of our lunch time needs, often anticipating what we were wanting next. She even sent my wife home with a cup of the pop she was drinking. Simply outstanding and is our favorite restaurant when we're in Des Moines area.”

“I have never been here but after following some of your reviews and looking at you online makes me want to visit!”

“Our first visit. Seated straightaway. Food was excellent!”

“Every time we come here for breakfast it is top notch! We think it's the best breakfast around and prices are great! Cooks and staff kill it! Jason is the best! Thanks!”

“love this place. great staff. good people. Good Times!”

“We chose to check out in a lane that had a first day cashier. The girl bagging the groceries was very helpful to him and us. He accidentally double charged us and the girl took it upon herself to get the approval from management to get it deducted and get us going to keep the line moving!!! Very impressed!! Thank you to the two working isle 5 today!! You are what Hy-Vee is supposed to be!!!”

“Chicken de Burgo was delicious! Highly recommend”

“Just went here for my bday dinner last night with family (was a little worried due to reading prior reviews) and all 7 of us had an excellent experience! Bar tender was friendly and did a great job, and the wait staff served happily and quickly. Chef did a great job and entertained and engaged us, while we had delicious food at the hibachi grill. It was a great outing!”

“My wife two kids and myself come to Buffalo Wild Wings often and always request Krystal to be our server. She’s always on the ball with everything and is friendly and fun. It’s not always easy going out to eat with two kids , but Krystal goes above and beyond to make it easy for us . Good servers are hard to come by now a days so thank you Krystal for doing a great job!”

“Great service, my dad and I went and they explained how ordering worked and even gave us 2 whole boiled eggs on the house. This tops every asian restaurant in Ankeny i’ve been to. You definitely get what you pay for, portions are out of this world and food is fresh and home made. Highly recommend!”

“The BEST. I will be showing everyone this place ASAP.”

“Definitely our go to resturant. The drinks. The food. The atmposphere. All of it!”

“Food is always hot and fresh! Everything on the menu is great!”

“We love Portofinos!!! The salmon dishes are my favorites!!! Great soups and yummy bread!!! We're close, so we walk there often!!!”

“My husband and I visited Hawkers Kitchen on 11/22 and loved it! We had the shrimp pancakes, egg tart, roti John sandwich, gochujang sandwich and strawberry boba fizz drink. Everything was delicious and made to order. The staff were super friendly and welcoming. They have lifetime customers now. :-)”

“A lot of their cookies are very tasty. After my family and I tried Crumbl once without even knowing if we would like it or not we became obsessed. And now we get cookies almost every week.”

“Fantastic food that is ready quickly. They also take celiac disease seriously.”

“Good place in Ankeny to meet for breakfast. I've turned others onto the breakfast egg rolls. My brother-in-law is hooked. If you want something on the lighter side try the Thai fried rice with egg n veggies. Ask for extra sauce on the side. Dad had the steak n egg n cleaned his plate. The breakfast burrito are ginormous. Enjoy the Des Moines based chain. There's something for everyone”

“Absolutely excellent BBQ and sides! We typically make the drive to watchu smokin but now we don’t have to! Prices were great and service also excellent! We will absolutely be back!!”

“Delicious and interesting brunch. Great service. I can’t wait to go back and try some more things on the menu.”

“Hands down one of my favorite food places in central Iowa. Always fresh, hot and so good. You also cannot beat the price when eating out. Every time we have out of state company we take them here and every time they are shocked to find an amazing Hawaiian grill in central Iowa.”

“The Asian server was super nice, all smiles, and accommodating! The food came in fast. Something that we seldom experience on the Southside.”

“Taco truck extraordinaire - delicious food, courteous service, professional!!”

“Thrive Nutrition is the place to be if you need a little pick me or just a quick meal. The shakes are delicious and they have so many flavors to choose from. The teas a tasty treat that do not taste like your average tea. They also have protein balls and pudding. They also have options for kids.”

“Todo es exelente , atencion al clients y mucho que degustar muy rico”

“Really cozy place for an amazing bowl of ramen and sushi! Staff was incredible. Ramen blew my socks off so good. Best in Iowa I've had so far. Very attentive and friendly. Had an amazing time.”

“Absolutely perfect food staff probably one of the top 3 best omelets I've ever had. All the food was cooked perfect. I can't say enough about the service and food”

“Amigos has delicious food and friendly staff. 100% recommend 👌”

“Very good quality, taste is amazing and plant selections

Dietary restrictions: I always order oat milk to work around lactose. They have that.”

“Delicious, unique, hand crafted ice cream!!!!”

“This was a very nice place to eat some excellent wood fired pizza. Loved the service, loved the pizza, and i loved the wine. Dinner is a little pricy, but they have a decently priced lunch special.”

“The best atmosphere and coffee in town! Small town feel, friendly faces and amazing coffee! Support small business! Scones are amazing and baked fresh daily! Come check it out!”

“Absolutely DELICIOUS!!! While in Ankeny today, we wanted to try something new. We went completely blind with our choice as it just happened to be near by. WOW!!! It seriously now is our favorite Mexican restaurant! We were greeted right away, and noticed when walking to our table how clean the restaurant is and impressed with the open kitchen! The service was TOP NOTCH! Delicious food. Great prices on lunch menu, plus still left with leftovers to have tonight. HIGHLY recommend! It is nearly an hour from our home, however we will be back often!!! R”

“We were in Altoona for a long weekend and stopped in to try Guadalajara. The food was so yummy, staff were great! We will definitely be back when we travel through the area! Highly recommend if you are in the area!”

“Fast, friendly and tasty!”

“we had their pizza today it was very delicious and love the thin crust great job to kevin and his crew”

“The food was so good and our experience was exceptional! We had our baby with us and the owner took time to make her some food and spend time talking with us! I can’t wait to go back!”

“This place is amazing! The flavors were all so delicious I could hardly pick one! 😋”

“Great tacos, love the al pastor. Both the green an red sauce are good, red sauce is spicy.”

“I LOVE Cafe Diem! Every time I go I feel like I’m at home. Tabitha is an amazing barista/host and always helps me with getting a high chair and bringing my drink over. She is very kind and welcoming and makes me want to keep coming back!! I would recommend Cafe Diem to anyone!”

“These guys are awesome! Every time I come in, the staff are super friendly, helpful, and the food is pretty awesome. For meal prep that is ready to go, no cooking required, they’ve got it down to a science. Sure, it’s not the cheapest option, but for those who are constantly on the go and don’t have time to cook, it’s worth it! Even better, they donate meals to local community fridges, and do so with a smile!”

“Must try!! Delicious, almost too pretty to eat just beautiful 🤩😋”

“Good quality, fresh and mostly organic ingredients with many choices of toppings. I also like the pizza roll, the drinks, and the cookie dough. This place is fast and delicious!”

“Literally the best tacos in existence.”

“We made the bad decision to go to Olive Garden late on Valentine’s Day and I can tell you I was pleasantly surprised by the service we got and the atmosphere. Instead of chaos, we had a server that was very into positivity and making sure we were well taken care of. I ordered the Chicken Marsala which cannot be oversold because it is so good. The food was hot and was as we expected. I had some wine which was delicious and overall it was a very good experience. We will be back!”

“I am the type of person that loves positivity and giving great reviews. Give honor to where honor is due. And I give great reviews, call the managers and praise the service all the time. I have also had my share of terrible service and/or food and usually do not say a word. The experience I had this afternoon at Culvers in Ankeny was horrendous. The food that is. The drive through guy that took my order, payment and delivery was so kind and helpful. I ordered a cod dinner and was only able to eat some of the fish. The 2 sides I ordered were cheese curds and fries. Both were so cold, hard and dry. I was so disappointed. The roll that came with it was cold, hard and dry as well. The butter was good! I did eat most of the fish but it too was tough. WHAT has happened to Culvers? Don't they realize that they are not the only option for food? Sad to say but I will be going to those other options for my meals in the future. The concrete I ordered was sloppy (down side of cup) and melting but did taste good. I HATE leaving a poor review but come on Culvers. Do better. Be better. If it had been just 1 food this review would never have been written. Oh, side note. This was after the lunch rush and before dinner rush. It was close to 2. Got right into drive through with no waiting. Disappointed.”

“The gluten free breakfast sandwich is awesome! Doesn’t even taste gluten free!!!”

“OMG food is amazing and hot. Friendly service. I will go no other place for breakfast when I am in this area.”

“Foods always good, quick, and by far my favorite selection of music”

“The food was great! I recommend the Taco Tuesday taco and fried onion rings. The atmosphere was good but it was so noisy that we couldn't have a normal conversation. We asked the server if she could ask the noisy table to lower their voices and she said she couldn't. I know The Clipper is extremely busy on taco Tuesday and that's fine, customers should be respectful and servers should ask people to lower their voice a few notches if they are disrespectful.”

“I’ve been craving a burger all day….. went to Spage tonight and had the best burger! #cravingsatisfied Tried a new drink too…. Vodka soda with a splash of pineapple juice! Thanks for the great service, Spage staff!!”

“LOVE this place there food is AMAZING! and Margaritas fresh made the Jalapeño one is my favorite! We love the birria tacos, the shrimp tacos, and the loaded carne Asada fries, The bowls are amazing as well. And the chips & queso!!!! 10/10 everytime!”

“High quality, rotating ice cream flavors made in-house. Lots of selection, both in the dipping case and to-go pints in the freezer. This ice cream is premium - it's my very favorite shop in the area and I gladly pay a little extra for something this incredibly delicious.”

“Awesome beer and support their local first responders!”

“Best pizza in Central Iowa!! Great family environment, ownership, and staff!”

“This is a wonderful spot for an out of the box meal! The customer service is phenomenal every single time. The food is fresh made to order and the flavors complement each other in such an unexpected delightful way. This is a very interactive experience in a very unique whimsical environment. This place is always white glove clean. These are hardworking professionals here! The girl working the counter remembered me from last week. I very much enjoyed the small talk with her and I felt special being remembered like that. It’s a little touches like that that mean a lot to me personally can’t say enough good things about this place.”

“Wish I paid attention to her name....but very friendly and when I asked for a bean she didn't charge me 15¢. She smiled and put 3 beans on top. Tipped her and thanked her.”

“This place is legit… the food was fantastic and the drinks are awesome. Great atmosphere and the service was amazing. Thanks for a great late brunch! 💯☘️”

“Fast, polite and kind service with ordering and additional breadsticks. Speaking of the breadsticks, they are delicious as well as their entrees. The sampler platter is perfect to satisfy hunger both initially and portions saved for later.”

“First time at the new location and it’s so spacious! Huge bar! Cannot beat the Mimosa deal during weekend brunch 🥂 We also had the best server, Grayson! He was so polite, friendly, personable, and provided excellent service!”

“If you wanna experiment with food and make a delicious all you can eat Asian style dish this is the place to go!! Excellent food and great staff.

Shoutout to the server who complemented my attire for the day. It really put a smile on my face.”

“Freaking delicious! I will be occasionally working from a nearby office and these cookies will always be calling my name. Forget the chain cookie stores, these are way way better tasting and a better value.”

“Huge lunch portion! Great food!”

“Thank you for preparing our office lunch and learn. The food was on time, labeled, warm, and delicious. We always enjoy ordering from your kitchen.”

“Wow! Great Pizza, top notch service and wonderful atmosphere.”

“Love the Shakes and Tea Bombs!”

“Great food with very friendly staff.”

“The staff are incredible!! Monty and I love all the helpful and friendly bar tenders! Highly HIGHLY recommend ☺️”

“Had mother's day brunch. Good selection of food on the buffet line. Good service to. Had 11 am reservation. Was seated right at 11am.”

“All the coffee! Quiche, banana bread, acai bowls...basically anything I have ordered”

“Lots of variety. Flavorful and hearty.”

“Went through the drive thru yesterday for lunch for my toddler. The line was crazy for drivers side so we went through passenger side and I let him pass the money out his own window and get his food. He loved it and the guy working the window was amazing with him! He had the biggest smile!”

“Food was good. Great place to watch a game and have a tasty beverage.
Server oddly would walk away before finishing our order or sentence. Didnt refill our drinks without being asked. My friend excused her for having too many tables. True.

Parking: Parking around entire building with entrances on both sides.”

“Last week was my 1st time here, but the staff treated me like an old friend. & the pizza was amaaazing. While waiting for my food, there was a little girl who was dancing & fell (she was alright). The staff were very kind to her & even gave her a big cookie to have for dessert!”

“Friendly crowd and service in early afternoon. Music is kept low until the evening but they have great local brews on tap. Bartender Kevin is great. No food but u can bring ur own and theres a Casey's acroos the road”

“we love this place the employees are nice and they get stuff out when people needed what food they wanted.they was on top of everything and it's a good place to take kids do birthday parties or other kind of parties. and all the workers cooks dish washers and the little robot keep up the good work and a happy new year”

“The flights are fantastic. Ask questions if you’re unsure.”

“Best food ever, very affordable price and everything is so fresh!”

“Amy’s work is top notch. She has made our daughter’s birthday cakes every year, we don’t even need to discuss where we are getting our cake from. You won’t be disappointed!”

“10/10 recommend La Cava! Beautiful decor, delicious food, fantastic margaritas/drinks and an amazing staff. Definitely my new go to Mexican restaurant in Ankeny!”

“Awesome place! Great staff, great service and great food! Love the Smoothies!”

“Great family restaurant Great food”

“Delicious authentic Mexican food. You definitely get your money's worth. Along with it tasting bomb af the amount they give you is definitely on the generous side. Love this place. One of my latest favorites.”

“This is the BEST Abelardo's around.
Clean,friendly. although it was warm, it was a lot cooler than the other ones.
Well worth the drive from SDM.”

“The food was delicious and well priced. Never heard of this place before, but we'll be back to try other things.Their tenderloin and onion rings were top notch.”

“Ice cream was excellent as always!!”

“Great staff!! Great drinks! Excellent service! Super location!”

“Love this place! Thanks for providing healthy options here in Ankeny! Thanks for your patience in answering all my questions. Product is super fresh, the place is always clean and the staff are always helpful. The owner is a true business leader and strives to ensure his customers are well taken care of.”

“Best hole in the wall I've been to for a while. Went on a tuesday night, karaoke all night, great time. Friendly people. You'll be missing out if you don't go here.”

“Great pizza and slammiches! Great owners!”

“We were in for lunch yesterday, my grandson wasn't feeling well. Our waitress refused to wait on us. She must have gotten the manager, he was a real trooper, took our order and delivered our food. I thought it was unprofessional of her. But we were suppose to get salad, he even said he forgot the salad and never brought it. Never again!!!”

“Great food, great service!! Best brunch in Ankeny!!”

“5 out 5⭐️ We had the calamari, and two noodle bowls. I got the spicy siracha & my husband had a garlic pesto. It was AMAZING. Will definitely go back. We went on a Monday around 12pm and they were pretty empty (as to be expected for a Monday afternoon) but still had good, timely service. We had our baby with us and unfortunately they don’t have a changing station in the women’s restroom. But otherwise- it was great! ❤️”

“One of my favorite places in Ankeny!”

“Really great place for a drink, appetizer or meal. Excellent atmosphere to watch a game or meet up with a friend. Prompt, friendly service. We will for sure be back.”

“Really great food! I love the green curry. We have ordered 4 times in the past 2 weeks since trying it for the first time. Yum!”

“Great little neighborhood bar! Friendly staff, clean, lots of choices for drinks. Dart machines, golf game, lots of seating. It has a locals feel, but we felt welcomed right away. Will stop again!”

“Love their lavender lattes. Their food is also delish! Great place to study or hang out with friends/family. Friendly staff. Indoor and outdoor seating (weather permitting).”

“You could never go wrong here. Business or pleasure. Food or service.♡

Vegetarian options: Great!

Dietary restrictions: Amazing!

Parking: Great!

Kid-friendliness: Yes!

Wheelchair accessibility: Yes!”

“The people are always friendly, the timing is great and the food is delicious!

Parking: I am sure because they are busy and there are other restaurants in the same strip mall.”

“Stopped by at the farmers market today, great prices and delicious cookies!”

“We already love The Ornery Chicken, and when I saw the post about The Crafty Mac opening today we just had to order for dinner! I got the Philly mac and he picked the Chicken Bacon Ranch Mac, both are amazing - the pasta was cooked just right (no mushy noodles) and they use my favorite, cavatappi. The toppings would have been great on their own, as everything was cooked and seasoned perfectly - will be regular for sure! I loved that you can order from both Ornery Chicken & Crafty Mac (we added a side order of Sidewinder fries).”

“One of my favorite bars in Ankeny! We went there last week and got the cheese curds and buffalo wings...and shocking, they might have been the best wings I have ever had! There was live music which was also awesome. Quick service, kind staff. My husband & I had the best date night there (sat at the bar).”

“Always a great experience at Cancun! Service and everything is top! I decided to give the buffalo chicken wings a shot tonight. Solid flavor, but unfortunately they had WAY too much sauce on them. Otherwise everything else was perfect!”

“All around enjoyable place to go and eat! I had the Maui pizza, my wife got the Philly cheesesteak pizza, and our friends shared the buffalo chicken pizza. All 3 types were great! I wish the crust had some sort of garlic butter glaze or seasoning. The 9” pizza was enough to feed 2, the 12” we could have fed 3 and possibly a not so hungry 4th person. Paired with my pizza I ordered the mulberry mule; it was not very flavorful, but wasn’t terrible. The server was friendly and professional. She checked on us often.

The pizza did take a while to come out, I understand it is made fresh however, if it was a full house I could only imagine the wait time. I suggest turning on another stove if they have one during dinner service.

Overall great experience and will definitely go back!”

“amazing dinner we all loved which is no easy feat with asian cuisine in my house and its my birthday so thank you!”

“Went to Ankeny today and it was amazing . Their service is quick and efficient. They give bright smiles and they listen to you. The food comes in a matter of minutes and it’s all warm and crispy. Definitely coming back!!”

“Awesome fast and friendly service and exceptional drinks ! Thank you and welcome to Ankeny - you are finally here :)”

“Employees tonight were friendly and polite. Veggie sandwich with fresh, crisp veggies and bread soft and flavorful. Usually will go during the day, and have always had fabulous service. It is always clean. I like having Subway so close:)”

“I wish I would’ve taken a picture but wasn’t around for long.

Phenomenal place to come eat and the service is great. Very friendly and great environment. Never thought I’d be a big fan of bagels but after coming here it changed. So many different options you’re bound to find one that you’ll like. 10/10 would come again”

“Ordered for delivery and the app was easy to use and quoted an hour for delivery. Before I could finish vacuuming and she was knocking on my door. This lady was so sweet!!! Now the food was... It was amazing! I ordered Mongolian beef and chicken with veggies. The egg rolls were perfect, light crispy and full of goodness. Both entrees were fantastic. Definitely the best I have had in the Ankeny area in the past. Thank you for doing a great job on customer service and quality😊”

“I’ve been coming to pho 85 since I’ve been out of high school. It’s my #1 fave spot in Iowa. I come here for my birthday, when I’m feeling down, and any other occasion. It’s very good food. The staff is friendly, fast, and super helpful. The atmosphere is just great, best vietnemase spot I’ll ever go to. I always get the 1b and spring rolls.”

“1st visit here last night. Will not be our last! Great food, great drinks, good portions, reasonable price, great atmosphere! Our group had 4 entrees: Salmon, Pasta Primavera, Chicken Amigio, and Ravioli in a custom Alfredo sauce. We also sampled the sugar cookie martini's.”

“Starbucks us definitely a favorite for my daughters. They love their Starbucks drinks. The employees here always seem friendly and courteous as far as I see, and our drinks always come out correctly and in a prompt manner.

We went into the store once and also thought the coffee shop seemed clean and inviting. All in all, I would recommend this Starbucks location.

Vegetarian options: Drinks is why I go here, mainly

Parking: Free lot

Kid-friendliness: My kids love it

Wheelchair accessibility: Accessible”

“My sandwich and okra were good. The chicken is small though!”

“everytime she works the window i always give her a tip ! she is such a joy to see and she reads off my order nd gets my coffee out fast to me not to mention the fact i noticed sheputs napkins with my donuts and always folds my bag so nice and neat. love that girl malissa !”

“I am the type of person that loves positivity and giving great reviews. Give honor to where honor is due. And I give great reviews, call the managers and praise the service all the time. I have also had my share of terrible service and/or food and usually do not say a word. The experience I had this afternoon at Culvers in Ankeny was horrendous. The food that is. The drive through guy that took my order, payment and delivery was so kind and helpful. I ordered a cod dinner and was only able to eat some of the fish. The 2 sides I ordered were cheese curds and fries. Both were so cold, hard and dry. I was so disappointed. The roll that came with it was cold, hard and dry as well. The butter was good! I did eat most of the fish but it too was tough. WHAT has happened to Culvers? Don't they realize that they are not the only option for food? Sad to say but I will be going to those other options for my meals in the future. The concrete I ordered was sloppy (down side of cup) and melting but did taste good. I HATE leaving a poor review but come on Culvers. Do better. Be better. If it had been just 1 food this review would never have been written. Oh, side note. This was after the lunch rush and before dinner rush. It was close to 2. Got right into drive through with no waiting. Disappointed.”

“This store is so good! The staff are friendly and attentive, and the food, prepared as requested, tasted great!”

“Awesome food, awesome service”

“I don't usually leave reviews but truly I must after the incredible experience we just had here. My kids are your typical picky eaters and getting them to eat is usually quite a task. Instead of the usual, both my kids devoured thier burgers, and were even asking if they could get another burger. They are currently talking about how they can't wait to go back. The atmosphere was fun and the staff was just as fun while still being professional. The food...the food was absolutely scrumptious. We will be back soon and greatly appreciate how one stop has made our entire day brighter.”

“This place is the bee’s knees. Consistent fast fresh & friendly. Fair prices too. They’ll modify your order to make you something, even if it’s not on the menu. They used to have a burger I liked that wasn’t on the menu, but our server Levi knew what we were talking about and told the kitchen. The best service we’ve seen for a long while.”

“Great customer service from manager, Robin G. She is real customer oriented and provide excellent customer service. Good to see employers care about customer satisfaction. She was extremely helpful and told me about the deal that saved me money. Way APPRECIATE that❤️. You should treasure such an amazing employee!!!! I’ll definitely be back and spread the word.”

“Excellent server! He went out of his way to suggest beers and make recommendations. Seemed very knowledgeable. Food was pretty good, as well! Overall, would give a 4.5 stars, but that is not an option.”

“Great Place. Had the brisket and burnt ends, baked beans, cream corn w/ jalapenos and corn muffin.
Brisket was tender & lean w/ a bit of fat (flavor!). Burned ends were good, in a sauce, maybe the normal BBQ sauce, a little sweet.
Service was quick and Server, "D?" was helpful, personable and friendly. Great Job!
Sauces were good. Five to choose from. I enjoyed the spicy.”

“Every time I go here with my niece and nephew, we always leave with a smile on our face. The food is so good. The atmosphere is amazing quite loud sometimes but it’s a public establishment. I’m not picky. They’ve always gotten my order right and it’s tasty.

Parking: Plenty of spots for its location.

Kid-friendliness: Every time I take my niece and nephew here they have a blast, and the staff is so kind to them.

Wheelchair accessibility: All wheelchair handicap spots are directly in front of the building so easy access.”