Limited menu that changes monthly. Burger was good, handmade with a toasted bun and a nice side salad , but salty as heck! And took way too long for my to go dessert order. 1
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Shane Cox
Great food!
Hannah Turley
I’m not sure I should call Trellis a hidden gem lunch spot in Des Moines, because it’s always hopping when I’m there, and for good reason! I am always so pleased with my meals. I love how the menu changes monthly so there’s always something new and interesting to try. The ingredients are fresh and high-quality and the dishes are inventive. The patio is a wonderful place to sit on a beautiful day. Touring the botanical center and eating lunch at Trellis makes for a pretty great day!Kid-friendliness: The kids menu is small but exceptional. The grilled cheese comes on nice bread and is always perfectly toasted. Sides always include fresh fruit and crackers/chips.
SL
I took my daughters and my mom here for a girls lunch. We ordered at 1:10 and got our food at 1:41. So SLOW. They didn’t keep our water filled. Bill was $128 including tip for 5 standard lunches, no drinks and 2 desserts to share. Food was average. Small portions. I had a veggie wrap that had no spread as described on the menu, no seasoning just veggies wrapped in 1/2 a small tortilla. It was awful. They were out of the lunch special when we ordered even though there was still an hour left for lunch. Waitress did not bring our desserts and I had to go ask for them. Coffee “pudding” was terrible even though the waitress described it as “so good”. My mom had a steak sandwich that was 90% bread and the soup was a cold Spanish soup. Never again!! Too pricey for the quality of food and service. Beautiful patio but disappointing, I had heard so many good things.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 1
Kailey Gray
Tried to use them for wedding catering. They are such a disorganized unresponsive mess that I did not, but was stuck with them for the bar. There’s no transparency about pricing of anything, but I don’t think its from ill intentions. They are just that incompetent and mismanaged. They can’t answer your questions because they don’t even know the answer. They also refused to cater lunch day of for less than 10 members of the bridal party because they were “too busy” when again it would have been less than 10 sandwiches and we were in the building with them. They don’t seem very interested in providing any of their services, so give them what they want and use someone else.
Service: 1
Katherine Burton
I rarely gush but I am impressed with Trellis. It’s lovely to sit outside along the water and enjoy a very tasty lunch.I had the elote soup and the LGBT salad. Gorgeous! I thoroughly enjoyed both.The service was friendly and professional. It took awhile for my food but the sever apologized and honestly, it is such a lovely day to be sitting in the botanical gardens, anyway.If you’re visiting, I recommend getting a bite to eat here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Patricia P
Great food in a lovely setting, especially on the outdoor patio. The menu is imaginative. My only complaint is that they instituted counter ordering during the pandemic and have left it in place. For the price, I would like to be able to order at the table. Otherwise it feels like an expensive deli.
J M
Utilized Trellis as my catering company for a wedding venue at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Gardens. From the start of the experience to the end, the service was fantastic. We worked with Paige as a our coordinator and found her to be prompt, professional, and an overall pleasure to work with.Pricing and value is competitive with other catering companies. We received several quotes and Trellis won out due to their quality of food and overall experience of dealing with the staff. They also offer options that covers any and all dietary restrictions, which was great for a few of our guests who were gluten free and vegetarian. The food was fresh, delicious, and we were able to take home the leftovers to reduce waste.Would recommend to friends and family if they are looking for a solid catering company with professional service and high quality food. It made for stress free planning for a life event that is usually stressful to plan.
Escape16971107066
We have been to Trellis many times and have always had an awesome experience. Great food and service. However, this time we found that the menu that changes monthly, is not the same menu posted online. The one posted online is the WEEKDAY menu and not the WEEKEND menu, which is substantially reduced from the weekday menu. A couple that arrived just after we did, asked about it and then left. We had some choices that sounded good, so three of us ordered a salad which was $12. The fourth person ordered a SW chicken wrap that was also $12. You have to order at the counter and pay, even though we were the only customers and there were 4 waitstaff and 3 cooks in the kitchen. OK, no problem. Then the food arrived. The salads were the size of side salad, Small, few ingredients, a drizzle of salad dressing, and cocoa powder sprinkled over the top, which was advertised as "chocolate shavings." The wrap was on a cold, dry tortilla and the bits of "fried" chicken were cold. The chicken tasted like the frozen stuff you get at the grocery store. It was very disappointing! We will not be back.
Carissa Nagel
Overpriced and the food is okay. But it's nice to have something in the botanical gardens.
Cafe Trellis is the best spot in East Des Moines for breakfast and lunch. The chef prepares cafe styled entrees with a European flare. We ordered the French Toast Salad served (with fresh mandarin oranges, and artfully crafted French toast croutons) and the Donut Burger (a perfectly seasoned smash burger on a glazed donut with red hash browns) both were impecable. The service was kind and quick to seat and greet us. The chef even stopped by our table to check on our experience. 10/10, we can not wait to return.
Donna Schauer
Was just okay, flavor-wise and freshness-wise. Had brunch today. Mushroom/caramelized onion soup was good. Salad was under impressive. Croutons were burnt. Flatbread good. None of the food wowed us. Staff was great though, friendly and on top of things. I am sure we will give it another try.
Robyn Wingerter
A friend of mine was visiting from out of town and we decided to get warm by going to the Botanical Center. While walking around, we found Trellis Cafe and decided to have lunch. WOW! The menu is a CREATION of taste explosion! The menu is different every time I go and the combination of ingredients makes my mouth water just thinking about it. They have a nice outside patio with a view of a small pond with lily pads and water plants. The price is around $13-$14 per item. And, do NOT forget DESSERT! We've tried them all and I can't decide a favorite. It's only open for lunch from 11 am - 2 pm so make your plans around it. Well worth it! I can't find the photo I took of my dessert...:(Vegetarian options: They have the most AMAZING salads and soups!Parking: Huge parking lot for the Botanical Center/Trellis Cafe
Daniel P.
was in the area visiting friends and needed to get out of their way for a day so they could get something done besides entertaining us so here we were needing a snack after looking at plants and stuff all morning. as expected this little cafe was tastefully fancied up in soft earth tones and related neutrals... the menu was a pleasant surprise with a variety of noshes that turned out better than expected. apparently there's real people cooking real food in a real kitchen back there and they're doing it pretty well. we went with a bowl of the broccoli cheese soup and an apple bacon turkey wrap plus hot beverage. the cutest of chicks picked two from the tea buffet and the large pot of hot water for making is a nice change but my coffee black is the same as ever :-) the soup was a little on the cool side but oh so good regardless; maybe it's supposed to be tepid so the floaty cheddar bits stay intact? and the wafery little crostini things were a nice change from crouton as well. wrap was chock full of goodness: a flavory blend of sliced apple, turkey, and bacon with the requisite greens and a slather of fig cream cheese plus some fruits beside. it eats way bigger than it looks leaving a person feeling all warm and happy inside and so we indulged in a bit of dessert: chocolate-maple panna cotta. or as I like to call it pudding!! not your run of the mill instant pudding but genuine honest to goodness made from real ingredients and cooked by someone who cares about puddings pudding! or mousse, or custard, but still pudding... it's all variations on a theme and the theme is botany; smooth, creamy, chocolatey, rich botany with dark shards of other chocolate stuck in for good measure. yea botany!!
Heidi Janecke
My friend and I had the delious salad and cream of colliflower soup combo! Perfection!!
Limited menu that changes monthly. Burger was good, handmade with a toasted bun and a nice side salad , but salty as heck! And took way too long for my to go dessert order. 1
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Great food!
I’m not sure I should call Trellis a hidden gem lunch spot in Des Moines, because it’s always hopping when I’m there, and for good reason! I am always so pleased with my meals. I love how the menu changes monthly so there’s always something new and interesting to try. The ingredients are fresh and high-quality and the dishes are inventive. The patio is a wonderful place to sit on a beautiful day. Touring the botanical center and eating lunch at Trellis makes for a pretty great day!Kid-friendliness: The kids menu is small but exceptional. The grilled cheese comes on nice bread and is always perfectly toasted. Sides always include fresh fruit and crackers/chips.
I took my daughters and my mom here for a girls lunch. We ordered at 1:10 and got our food at 1:41. So SLOW. They didn’t keep our water filled. Bill was $128 including tip for 5 standard lunches, no drinks and 2 desserts to share. Food was average. Small portions. I had a veggie wrap that had no spread as described on the menu, no seasoning just veggies wrapped in 1/2 a small tortilla. It was awful. They were out of the lunch special when we ordered even though there was still an hour left for lunch. Waitress did not bring our desserts and I had to go ask for them. Coffee “pudding” was terrible even though the waitress described it as “so good”. My mom had a steak sandwich that was 90% bread and the soup was a cold Spanish soup. Never again!! Too pricey for the quality of food and service. Beautiful patio but disappointing, I had heard so many good things.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 1
Tried to use them for wedding catering. They are such a disorganized unresponsive mess that I did not, but was stuck with them for the bar. There’s no transparency about pricing of anything, but I don’t think its from ill intentions. They are just that incompetent and mismanaged. They can’t answer your questions because they don’t even know the answer. They also refused to cater lunch day of for less than 10 members of the bridal party because they were “too busy” when again it would have been less than 10 sandwiches and we were in the building with them. They don’t seem very interested in providing any of their services, so give them what they want and use someone else.
Service: 1
I rarely gush but I am impressed with Trellis. It’s lovely to sit outside along the water and enjoy a very tasty lunch.I had the elote soup and the LGBT salad. Gorgeous! I thoroughly enjoyed both.The service was friendly and professional. It took awhile for my food but the sever apologized and honestly, it is such a lovely day to be sitting in the botanical gardens, anyway.If you’re visiting, I recommend getting a bite to eat here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food in a lovely setting, especially on the outdoor patio. The menu is imaginative. My only complaint is that they instituted counter ordering during the pandemic and have left it in place. For the price, I would like to be able to order at the table. Otherwise it feels like an expensive deli.
Utilized Trellis as my catering company for a wedding venue at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Gardens. From the start of the experience to the end, the service was fantastic. We worked with Paige as a our coordinator and found her to be prompt, professional, and an overall pleasure to work with.Pricing and value is competitive with other catering companies. We received several quotes and Trellis won out due to their quality of food and overall experience of dealing with the staff. They also offer options that covers any and all dietary restrictions, which was great for a few of our guests who were gluten free and vegetarian. The food was fresh, delicious, and we were able to take home the leftovers to reduce waste.Would recommend to friends and family if they are looking for a solid catering company with professional service and high quality food. It made for stress free planning for a life event that is usually stressful to plan.
We have been to Trellis many times and have always had an awesome experience. Great food and service. However, this time we found that the menu that changes monthly, is not the same menu posted online. The one posted online is the WEEKDAY menu and not the WEEKEND menu, which is substantially reduced from the weekday menu. A couple that arrived just after we did, asked about it and then left. We had some choices that sounded good, so three of us ordered a salad which was $12. The fourth person ordered a SW chicken wrap that was also $12. You have to order at the counter and pay, even though we were the only customers and there were 4 waitstaff and 3 cooks in the kitchen. OK, no problem. Then the food arrived. The salads were the size of side salad, Small, few ingredients, a drizzle of salad dressing, and cocoa powder sprinkled over the top, which was advertised as "chocolate shavings." The wrap was on a cold, dry tortilla and the bits of "fried" chicken were cold. The chicken tasted like the frozen stuff you get at the grocery store. It was very disappointing! We will not be back.
Overpriced and the food is okay. But it's nice to have something in the botanical gardens.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
Cafe Trellis is the best spot in East Des Moines for breakfast and lunch. The chef prepares cafe styled entrees with a European flare. We ordered the French Toast Salad served (with fresh mandarin oranges, and artfully crafted French toast croutons) and the Donut Burger (a perfectly seasoned smash burger on a glazed donut with red hash browns) both were impecable. The service was kind and quick to seat and greet us. The chef even stopped by our table to check on our experience. 10/10, we can not wait to return.
Was just okay, flavor-wise and freshness-wise. Had brunch today. Mushroom/caramelized onion soup was good. Salad was under impressive. Croutons were burnt. Flatbread good. None of the food wowed us. Staff was great though, friendly and on top of things. I am sure we will give it another try.
A friend of mine was visiting from out of town and we decided to get warm by going to the Botanical Center. While walking around, we found Trellis Cafe and decided to have lunch. WOW! The menu is a CREATION of taste explosion! The menu is different every time I go and the combination of ingredients makes my mouth water just thinking about it. They have a nice outside patio with a view of a small pond with lily pads and water plants. The price is around $13-$14 per item. And, do NOT forget DESSERT! We've tried them all and I can't decide a favorite. It's only open for lunch from 11 am - 2 pm so make your plans around it. Well worth it! I can't find the photo I took of my dessert...:(Vegetarian options: They have the most AMAZING salads and soups!Parking: Huge parking lot for the Botanical Center/Trellis Cafe
was in the area visiting friends and needed to get out of their way for a day so they could get something done besides entertaining us so here we were needing a snack after looking at plants and stuff all morning. as expected this little cafe was tastefully fancied up in soft earth tones and related neutrals... the menu was a pleasant surprise with a variety of noshes that turned out better than expected. apparently there's real people cooking real food in a real kitchen back there and they're doing it pretty well. we went with a bowl of the broccoli cheese soup and an apple bacon turkey wrap plus hot beverage. the cutest of chicks picked two from the tea buffet and the large pot of hot water for making is a nice change but my coffee black is the same as ever :-) the soup was a little on the cool side but oh so good regardless; maybe it's supposed to be tepid so the floaty cheddar bits stay intact? and the wafery little crostini things were a nice change from crouton as well. wrap was chock full of goodness: a flavory blend of sliced apple, turkey, and bacon with the requisite greens and a slather of fig cream cheese plus some fruits beside. it eats way bigger than it looks leaving a person feeling all warm and happy inside and so we indulged in a bit of dessert: chocolate-maple panna cotta. or as I like to call it pudding!! not your run of the mill instant pudding but genuine honest to goodness made from real ingredients and cooked by someone who cares about puddings pudding! or mousse, or custard, but still pudding... it's all variations on a theme and the theme is botany; smooth, creamy, chocolatey, rich botany with dark shards of other chocolate stuck in for good measure. yea botany!!
My friend and I had the delious salad and cream of colliflower soup combo! Perfection!!