35 Best Coffee Shops in Des Moines

“Beautiful roasts, great pour overs, delicious shots and Gibraltars. Best in the state that I’ve found! Keep it up guys. Omg and the scones…perfect.“

“Best coffee shop in Des Moines!! ☕️ Amazing local honey tooo 🍯“

“Love that they are passionate about the community.“

“Was looking for a better coffee place to support -rather than a corporation that funds unethically internationally, or a local place that treats their employees horribly. I love that Mayalu is local, delicious, and invested in the community. Feels good to spend my treat money here ☕️ 🥮.“

“This coffee shop has it all! 1. The best coffee, specifically the cold brew latte is AMAZING! Second is Spanish Latte when I need something hot. 2. The best hospitality team! I can't say enough great things about Jack and Macie and the rest of the baristas! 3. The owner has created an atmosphere that you can't find at other coffee shops. This place is truly one of a kind!“

“Great local food with excellent service!“

“It’s been awhile since I’ve stopped in, but each time I did, the baked goods were heavenly. The shop is cute as well, feels very spacey, but homey too.“

“Absolutely amazing experience! Owner is amazing and really knows his Pokémon cards and his coffee! Has an excellent selection of cards, old and new, and has great prices! Coffee was excellent and cards were even better!“

“New paved parking lot directly across 28th street as of summer 2025. C&S will validate parking when changes to paid lot in future, so don’t let lack of parking deter you anymore. Lattes are on par with the best coffee shops in town. Mechanics and shop owner are top notch. I was a Rassy’s refugee and found my new home here.“

“If you're into loose-leaf tea at all, you have to visit Gong Fu Tea. The wall of tea tins they have behind the counter is insane—they literally have every kind of tea you could possibly think of.

I was a bit overwhelmed by the massive menu, but the staff was super patient and helped me pick out an incredible oolong tea that they brewed perfectly. The vibe inside is incredibly peaceful, minimalist, and relaxing. It's the perfect place in the East Village to get away from the noise, sit down, and just enjoy a really high-quality cup of tea.“

“I'm extremely picky about boba so it can be hard to find boba places that I like, and I thought I had found my favorite boba place... and then I tried Zenko and now other boba will never beat it lol. I'm a very routine-order person so I've only ever tried the black sugar milk tea with boba here, but I lowkey just never bothered trying any of their other drinks simply because this one is so good. Most of my friends who do like several of their drinks also tend to gravitate towards the black sugar milk tea as well, though, so I feel validated in always ordering the same drink over and over :) It's also so cozy and fun inside all the shops--I've been to three of the locations and they all have the same relaxing vibe, lots of plants and soft music.“

“Gotta get a Sputnik- you’ll never go back!“

“#AmazingCoffee #ZanzibarsCoffeeAdventure 🥰☕“

“They have the best coffee and yummy food!!“

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

“Excellent, freshly roasted coffee, and great people.“

“The drinks are always delicious but the staff here made my day!!“

“Great neighborhood coffee.“

“This location rocks. If you’re looking for a place to study or get work done, this Caribou Coffee has a spacious dine-in area with many tables and chairs and even a conference room. Oftentimes at coffee shops, it seems that the sit down area has been downsized in order to promote drive-through ordering. Not the case with the Ingersoll location, perhaps harkening back to a more communal time. It is interesting that in the age of increased remote work, the number of work spaces within coffee shops (especially those of large chains) has decreased, but I digress… You can tell this Caribou predates the company’s consignment to the maw of private equity, since the interior incorporates rustic design elements like exposed wooden beams and stone-look floor tiles rather than the cheap vinyl flooring businesses opt for nowadays. Unlike the pale imitations we are presented with today, this location embodies precisely the winter-lodge character the name 'Caribou Coffee' evokes.“

“Favorite coffee spot in Iowa!“

“Great atmosphere with good coffee! Lots of seating, in booths or tables. Large, open indoor space with lots of seating. Large tables and sofas/arm chairs to socialize. Booths are very comfy to get work done and its nice and quiet in the back seating area.“

“Kayla and Jayden made my morning!!! Kayla has a great smile and wonderful personality! I was having a bad morning due to Starbucks not taking my order because they could not cash a large bill. Does money not buy things anymore???
needless to say, I did not have that problem here thank you for getting my coffee order taken of and getting me happily back on the road!!“

“Hey folks! This is one of the best Scooter locations I frequent. Mistakes may happen here and there. But it certainly doesn't define the crew holding this place down! Staff is always friendly and efficient when my friend and I pull up to get his pup cup! I only get to visit every other weekend, but its definitely the highlight to start our weekend!
Keep up the great work!“

“We submitted a large order for a 500+ person annual event--very impressed with the communication, professionalism, and high-quality of the chocolate, personalized with our logo and packaged as gifts, for our guests. Chocolaterie Stam will definitely top of our list for future gifts as a special treat!“

“Baristas always greet you and are a wonderful chat when not busy. My drink is always made correctly, and on the rare occasion it is not, they jump at the chance to apologize and fix the mistake. Food is always delicious as well. Love sitting at the tables working or relaxing by the fireplace. A wonderful location“

“It's just amazing & comfortable“

“Sarah K. is truly one of a kind, and Starbucks is incredibly fortunate to have her as a manager at the Downtown Des Moines 10th & Locust location. Her customer service skills are unmatched - she handles every order with care and makes everyone feel valued and respected. Sarah consistently goes above and beyond for every single customer, setting the gold standard for what exceptional customer service should look like. She even personally delivers orders to customers throughout the store, which speaks volumes about her dedication. I would be remiss not to mention the rest of her team, who are nothing short of phenomenal. I truly cannot say enough great things about Sarah and her team! She absolutely deserves all the recognition and more for the incredible experience she consistently provides. If every store were led the way Sarah leads hers, customer service everywhere would be better for it!“

“Every time we come here the line is insane but it moves so quickly! The set up is super efficient - think Chik fil a but coffee/energy. My husband got a milkshake which was delicious, we hmgot several of their energy drinks which were pretty comparable to places like Hyper, and a matcha with cereal milk?! It was great! Highly recommend if you're in the area“

“A nice little bar. Great conversations. Friendly bartenders but they'll kick you out if you're trouble. Loud music on the Touchtunes / jukebox. 5 overhead flat-screen TVs. No food served but chips are available for purchase. Might even see an occasional Amishman come in and sell naked goods.. Pool table for those so inclined. Nice little place. Come on down to sit at the bar and read a book.“

“Fast and friendly! The carmelicious coffees are my favorite - iced, blended, AND hot.

The tomato and feta omelet bites are insanely delicious- and are a good portion size in my opinion.

Vegetarian options: Vegetarian option for the omelette bites. Assortment of rolls, muffins, cookies, bagels, donuts, etc.“

“Awesome service and awesome employees“

“It's a very busy place often with long lines. to be fair to them I think they're having a difficult time keeping good experienced baristas which slows them down. it may be a symptom of the actual company or it could be just a difficulty in getting good baristas. I've been there a few times usually it's pretty simple when you just ask for a black dark roast if they have it, but sometimes I want to dry cappuccino and I had a difficulty trying to explain to someone what that actually meant. I will say after I did explain it to them they got it. Anyway if you go in there with reasonable expectations it's not an independently owned coffee shop and they're usually busy you should be okay.“

“The staff were super friendly and helpful. I was kinda nervous about just ordering a water, because some people get annoyed at that, but the worker was super kind about it! She even went in and got it for me herself so I could skip the line!“

“I am usually not one to write reviews however, this Starbucks deserves one. I go to this Starbucks every day to study and the employees are angels. Each of them are so intentional and kind. Customer service aside they have never missed a beat on my coffee. This Starbucks is by FAR the best in the area. Great work Ingersoll Starbucks!!!“