Waveland Cafe — Restaurant in Des Moines

We have lived in the Merle Hay North neighborhood for almost two years now and have never been to Waveland Cafe before. I had heard good things about it, but just had never made it over there. We don't typically go out for breakfast fare, but decided to give it a try this weekend.

I am eternally upset that we have lived here so long without Waveland being a staple in our lives. Waveland has that perfect "small town cafe" ambiance to it that I frankly have been missing as a rural Iowa transplant in Des Moines. Not only that, but Waveland is a great reminder that simple food is NOT the same thing as boring or plain.

We came in on a Friday morning around 8 am and sat ourselves at a little table. I loved that they have menus already available so we could look them over while we waited for our waitress to take our drink order. I also appreciated that they had a little history pamphlet at the table about the history of the restaurant. I learned in that pamphlet that they use local bacon (Webster City) and I love when establishments support local producers. (It also helps to explain why a side of bacon is more than $3. It's well worth the price, in my opinion).

The place was clean, and although it's small it doesn't feel overly cramped. The decor is really simple as well, which lends to the "small town" vibe they wanted to create.

Just some background: I struggle when ordering typical breakfast food because I'm not a big breakfast eater, and frankly the standard breakfast can often be very lacking in flavor and thus satisfaction for me. I ended up ordering a western omelette sans onion with sour dough toast and a side order of bacon, while my husband ordered the Lumberjack (biscuits and gravy over hashbrowns) with a side order of cinnamon french toast. I also ordered a cappuccino.

My cappuccino came out FAST and was perfection. It even came in a Waveland Cafe mug, which I felt added to the "small town" cafe feel. It was buttery smooth, sweet, and the perfect temperature to sip and enjoy.

Western Omelette Plate: This is a standard, two egg omelette with ham, cheese, and a variety of veggies inside. I am very happy to report that it was NOT bland or boring like some omelettes can be. The eggs were cooked perfectly, it had cheese inside AND on top, and the fillings were ample without being overwhelming. A bite of omelette on top of the crispy and VERY buttery toast was as close to bliss as one can get at 8 am in the morning.

I also want to take a moment to praise the hash browns. I am extremely picky with my hash browns, so much so that I just don't order them most of the time. So many places don't get them as brown and crispy as I want, and I just don't want to waste my time and calories on soggy, lackluster hash browns. Waveland's hash brown are golden crispy and crunchy on the outside. LOVE.

Their biscuits and gravy are good, as is their french toast. My husband loved them. The french toast is very thick and pillowy, which we both really enjoyed.

I would highly recommend Waveland to anyone looking for a simple but flavorful breakfast experience. For other rural transplants, it really does feel like a small town diner. If you are feeling homesick, make...

Nothing particularly special. This is a neighborhood favorite and many in Des Moines know the name Waveland Cafe. In fact, I can't count the number of times I've tried to visit but couldn't find parking or ran into an hour wait.

I finally happened upon some immediate seating on a random Tuesday morning. But after years of anticipation given the the large crowds and making a number of "best breakfast" lists, I was somewhat disappointed.

Greasy spoon is the perfect description. The main dining area has a very small town feel with small tables and a counter that you can belly up to. Most of the decor looks like it was last updated sometime in the 80's including many of the random murals, photos, and pictures on the walls (the one above our table was half peeled off and looked in danger of falling at any moment).

It's seat yourself if you can find a table. Just don't sit at one of the large tables unless you have at least four people in your party because there's a strict rule and you'll probably get booted. The family that tried during our visit was roughly ushered elsewhere.

The menu is sparse - mostly your standard breakfast fare. There are a few slightly different items (like the Protein Omelette that I got), but the bulk can be found at any breakfast venue in town.

When the food came, it was warm at best and the presentation and flavor weren't doing it any additional justice.

The service wasn't anything special. It wasn't bad, but there wasn't anything in regards to making it a special experience.

Parking is horrible. There's angle in parking off University (one of the busiest streets in the city), but not much else. There's a parking lot around the side and back, but it's clearly marked for barbershop parking only.

I'm sure for those that have been going for years, it's a solid place where they get the treatment that comes with being a regular. But as far as a memorable dining experience or a solid breakfast, you're probably better off with other places around the metro doing truly creative things with their menu or providing a better greasy spoon experience (without...

My sandwich meal was supposed to come with fries, but my plate had no fries on it. I didn't notice at first and wondered if maybe I was mistaken, but I checked a menu nearby and the meal was supposed to come with fries. We really wanted to tell our server so I could get some fries, but we never saw our server again once our food was delivered. The next time we saw her was probably 15-20 minutes later, my sandwich was gone and it was time for the bill. We sat there for a solid 10 minute with my plate totally cleared of food (all I had was a sandwich), but still nobody took notice and came over at any point. Once it came time for the bill and we finally saw our server again, we pointed out the error of having no fries that was supposed to come with the sandwich. As far as a solution for the problem, we were never asked what we wanted to do (like, would you still like the fries?). It was just acknowledged that oops, it was supposed to have fries, and our server left with our plates. My wife's drink was empty for half her meal, and we were never offered a refill. Regarding the fries--without consulting us on the error, $1 was taken off our bill to make up for it. I'm guessing they sell fries for a lot more than the $1 they took off my bill without asking me, but it was pretty surprising we were not consulted on if we wanted the fries or not. Like, would you like them still... (I did). so when she came back with the bill with $1, we were not going to drag it out any longer.

Also, I ordered banana pudding the menu says they make there (one of a few desserts). It was barely into the afternoon, but I was told they were all out.

Atmosphere I would say, is pretty grungy, and the music was way too loud.

The food was good, and I can't say I was disappointed by the quality or taste of the food (besides the fries I never got). However, the lack of service and atmosphere, I can't see ever going...