Zanzibar's Coffee Adventure

I always get really great service here and the coffee is soooo good. This is my favorite coffee shop in Des Moines for so many reasons, the vibe in here is great i love the plants and the in house roasting, the music is always the perfect vibe and its never too loud, it makes a great date spot since you can have a conversation in here without being super overstimulated, the baristas are friendly and so kind, the food here is simple but tasty, the coffee is so so so good, the tea list is super big and if you get the tea “for here” it comes with the cutest tea pot setup and they refill the hot water for free! Today I came in and had to wait a little longer than usual for a drink due to a table number mishap and they gave me a complimentary free beverage coupon. They seriously are the best and I’m always recommending people to come here.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Excellent selection of affordable specialty coffees

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

Zanzibar's was the first place that made Des Moines feel inhabitable for my partner and me. Walking in, you are immediately immersed in a third space that smells good and feels cozy. The owners are truly coffee experts, roasting fair trade beans right there in the shop where you can watch while you sip, relax, or while you're in line. They have jars of each of their beans/roasts lined up for you to smell before buying. Each drink is made as close to perfect as you can really get, and they're made that way every time. Any drink is good, but the drip coffee is perfectly extracted each time I'm in there, so it's easy to have a good drink while keeping it simple. For lovers of the big coffee chains, they have a vanilla sweet cream cold brew that blows any chain's version of the drink out of the water. Their espresso drinks hit every time, too. While you're getting a drink, don't sleep on their food options. Lots of fresh baked goods are available, but their simple steamed egg sandwich (Eggspress) is just the best. I can't recommend Zanzibar's enough. PS They are the longest continually-owned local coffee shop in the Des Moines area, owned by women too!

Very nice place for coffee. We stopped on our way through, from Colorado to Wisconsin! We really enjoyed their coffee, and I would say out of all coffee shops we tried this weekend, this one was by far my favorite. I had a classic chai, and my mom and fiancee had the grizzly bear! They both really enjoyed theirs, and I tried it too, and it was very tasty! Friendly atmosphere, and I like the art on the walls as well!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Very good coffee. I also got an italian soda here which is unique that I never had before. Will def comeback ♨️☕️

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Love the cappuccino and pumpkin bars, really any of the baked goods knock it out of the park. One does need to allow for patience here as they do all orders one by one, so just settle in and get to know your neighbors in line and you'll have a great time!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

My partner and I really don’t drink caffeine a lot and we really try to search for shops that have locally roasted beans or do wholesale from a local roaster since that’s the best bet for better tasting decaf. Best damn cup of decaf I’ve ever had! I recommend asking for double strength instead of single strength since you’ll get a more intense and overall flavor but I could honestly drink cold brew concentrate straight up so use that information how you will. Their beans use Swiss water process (i don’t know if they all use Swiss water) so no ethyl acetate if you care about how it is decaffeinated (I personally don’t care I like it all but I know some people care about it). Never heard of a place that had decaf cold brew since I know it’s not really profitable to do so since everyone wants caffeinated coffee (decaf is for the true coffee lovers and I will say it!). It was smooth of course, but it had an intense flavor of cocoa and dark chocolate with hints of ripened red fruit and a medium body (I just had it black). My partner also got a decaf oat milk latte which I believed also used their decaf house blend which was also yummy. Also, the chocolate-covered espresso beans were to die for (not decaf)! The barista that helped us also was very nice and sweet. He also helped clear up an altercation that happened to my partner when I was in the bathroom. I didn’t get his name but to the taller guy with the longer hair, thanks for sticking up for him when I was away =) otherwise everyone else was busy but they were all still pleasant from the small interactions we had. We’re out of town but I’ll be telling my friends about this shop and I’ll perhaps order a bag of beans shipped to me sometime! If the decaf was good then I can bet you the regular they serve is on the same level. Highly recommend!

Coffee is awesome, full bodied flavor and they’re roasting in right in the retail area! We loved the breakfast eggspress with toast and eggs.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

Great beans and bagels! A Des Moines institution really

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great coffee and excellent service.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

It’s a cool coffee shop atmosphere with the raw beans and roaster. But every time I’ve bought their roasted beans they’re burnt. Even smells bad. The food okay but I think they could try a little harder in the menu.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 3

Nice cute cafe. Good variety of international coffee beans.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The staff and food were equally amazing. Becca made the perfect latte and she made us feel like family while we were there. A MUST stop on Ingersoll in Des Moines!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

My Dad and I stopped in for breakfast during the holiday season and had an enjoyable morning before heading back on the road towards the Quad Cities. The coffee was hot and piping which I enjoyed! The breakfast was tasty and just the right portion. The cafe itself was very functional with people coming to get their beans and grounds to take home while others of us were enjoying our brew and bites in the cafe. If you're visiting Des Moines, make sure to stop by for an enjoyable experience!

Wonderful place with wonderful staff. The baristas are kind and give great recommendations. Not a traditional coffee place, but that’s what makes it great.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5