Restaurants in Ankeny

“Ankeny has opened a new Indian restaurant that promises an authentic Indian dining experience. From the moment you step inside, you’re greeted with warm, inviting aromas and an ambiance that balances modern decor with traditional Indian elements. Paneer 65, Chicken Pakora, and Apollo Shrimp are absolute standouts. Biryanis are rich in flavor and absolutely delicious and Gulab jamun hits the perfect level of sweetness.”

“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.”

“Food and service were excellent! Mia our waitress was absolutely wonderful!!”

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

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

“Best bar in Ankeny. Great people, music, and drinks. Never a bad time at the Goodtimes”

“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!!!”

“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!”

“We had a work dinner & it was amazing! Food, drinks, staff - everything!!! 10/10!!”

“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!”

“Had the Tuscan Slice, which was a great combination of flavors and perfect crust! Great selection and quick! Will definitely be back.”

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

“Had it on our list for Ankeny Chinese restaurants and so glad we tried it. Small place, 3 big tables. Very attentive staff. Recommended good combos. Fair priced food. Can’t beat 4 crab rangoons for $2.50! The packaging is super cute and high quality. They cooked the food after we ordered it so we waited maybe 5-10 minutes but it was piping hot when they delivered it to our table. Will 100% be back again. So glad we found this Ankeny gem!”

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

“Unique, delicious meals served by friendly faces. Highly recommend!”

“Amazing food, great staff, fun atmosphere. Worth the 45 minute drive!!!”

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

“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.”

“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”

“I just went today for the first time….all I can say is thank God I live in Waukee and have to drive to them, otherwise I would be there every day! My experience was amazing. Macaroons being gluten free are an added bonus too. I am using them for my son’s Wedding Rehearsal dessert coming up. 10 out 10 5⭐️ Loved all the options.”

“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!!”

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

“Delicious breakfast! Tried the French Toast yesterday and my husband had biscuits and gravy.”

“Very good food which became a wonderful experience because of Tarla & her staff. Highly recommend!”

“Fast, friendly and tasty!”

“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”

“I drive rideshare. I had never heard of Main Street Cafe and Bakery until a few days ago when I dropped a couple of young people off who work there. I asked about it, and they were excited to tell me their favorite items. Yesterday I dropped a nice employee off and I looped around and went to the drive through, intending to order something to share with my wife. I didn't see the dessert items on the menu, so I asked and the young lady named pretty much everything from cookies to cinnamon rolls, etc. She was efficient yet not rude, and I knew they were starting to get busy so I decided quickly on some cookies. I ordered my wife and I one each of the "Monster" and "Chocolate Chip" cookies, so I could surprise her when she got off work that day. long story short, the service was fast and friendly, and we both enjoyed the cookies. We look forward to exploring more of your menu.”

“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.”

“Food was beyond amazing!!!”

“The girls at Sweet Swirls today were so accommodating! We brought in, from Rock Creek, 12 residents in at once. They listened, took their time, and made sure every order was right. We appreciate it so much!”

“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.”

“We have eaten at the Guadalajara weekly for almost 4 years now. Everyone is so friendly, the food is amazing every time, and the margaritas are fantastic. Great customer service, fantastic staff, and a fun atmosphere. Definitely recommend eating at any Guadalajara locations, but we love our Ankeny Guad 🫶🏼”

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

“My new favorite place to get coffee! The line can sometimes be long, but the employees are efficient and the line moves fast. They are also always friendly! The drinks are very customizable with lots of options, even for non-coffee drinkers.”

“good food, great price. always good”

“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 is straight fire!!! Food is awesome and FRESH! They are the best/only reason to go to Menards! Do your self a favor and drive past Tasty Tacos and hit up Tacos Meza you WILL NOT be disappointed!”

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

“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!”

“Literally the best tacos in existence.”

“This is our go-to! The staff, including the owner have always been top notch. Their food and drinks are a huge bonus!”

“It was a super busy Friday night yet the food and service remained excellent. We highly recommend the tuna bowl! Love the new location's character and ambiance! Keep up the great work!”

“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.”

“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!”

“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!”

“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!”

“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.”

“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.”

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

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

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

“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!!”

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

“I’ve been going to fresh fit for almost 2 years now and while I don’t write reviews often, these guys (and gals) more than deserve it. The convenience of their meals is unlike any other place, and the food is honestly amazing. I love coming here post gym for a protein shake, and stocking up on nutritious food and snacks so I can keep my calories in line. Whatever your macros are, they’ve got something that tastes great. The staff are the best, with amazing recommendations and incredible service. Incredible place that will always have my business.”

“Great food with very friendly staff.”

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

“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.”

“Awesome beer and support their local first responders!”

“I’d like to thank the Outside Scoop, operated by the 12-year-old Kylia for supporting the troop on the RAGBRAI events! We’re grateful for your awesome ice cream on a hot day, and it reminded us of why we choose to serve the people of the USA everyday!”

“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! 💯☘️”

“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.”

“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.”

“Love the Shakes and Tea Bombs!”

“First time going to Big Acai and will for sure be going back. The staff was so helpful and she gave great recommendations. Price was right cheaper, than others around and the quality of the product was excellent.”

“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”

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

“Lots of variety. Flavorful and hearty.”

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

“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!”

“Huge lunch portion! Great food!”

“Went over lunch and there was only 1 waitress for the lunch crowd. No lunch menu and the Gluten-Free dedicated fryer wasn't working. The food tasted good though and the waitress was on it.”

“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!”

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

“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.”

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

“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!”

“Tasted awesome 😎 Delivery was great and the driver was really nice.”

“Great service and atmosphere! The girls were working hard tonight!”

“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!”

“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.”

“The food was fantastic. My server Yotaga was very kind and attentive.”

“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.”

“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).”

“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”

“The best wings. Consistent every time. Also had the ornery tots and different sandwiches. All delicious! It’s quickly becoming a weekly stop for us.”

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

“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 Ankeny bar with fantastic music all night long. Have been here a couple of times with friends, and it is always easy to get drinks at the bar. This is our new favorite spot since we relocated from the south up north.”

“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!”

“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!”

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

“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.”

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

“Ice cream was excellent as always!!”

“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.”

“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).”

“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!”

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

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

“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!!”

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

“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).”

“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.”

“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!”

“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 !”

“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.”

“Klaus says “bark! Thank you for the puppuccino!” ❤️”

“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 personally thank you for the soil that you gave me. You are very good team guys, i recommend you to the customers for your open hearts. Thank you so much for the items. You’re the best!!👍👍👍”

“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.”

“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.”

“Love love love Baskin Robbins!!! Best ice cream out there! Mic the pb and chocolate with pralines and cream and you have the best! Now for my wife gold medal ribbon all the way!”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”