Coal Palace Café and Books — Restaurant in Ottumwa

They do a very nice job. There's not a huge selection, but there's enough that you should be able to find something. The treat here however, is getting to meet and help train a new cashier / Clerk. These employees are drawn from our towns special needs population. This could be their first job in a non sheltered environment. So not only are they learning to take and serve an order, they are learning customer service. They do get help from job coaches employed there & everything seems to come out correctly and everyone seems friendly.

Food: they have sandwiches, which I'd say are pretty good but the two soups I've tried weren't "pretty good, " they were VERY good. Desserts are a bit better than average. Service is GREAT...

What an amazing experience! -- First time customer and it was no let down. -- Great staff, tasty food, and the espresso latte is DELICIOUS. -- Peaceful atmosphere. -- Books to read. -- They even seem to have a loyal customer base, which is always delightful to see and is a great sign. -- My food reccomendation: Bacon breakfast burrito with pepper jack cheese and avocado toast on wheat. The food is so filling you won't be able to finish both, even though it's so delicious you want to.

Edit Remarks: To add: How convient is it that it's across from the mechanic shop? If you're anything like me and fall behind schedule sometimes, grabbing a bite in a relaxing and calm environment while your car is being worked on is a...

The food is great, everything we've had here was delicious. The staff are super friendly and they make you feel welcomed from the moment you walk in. The organization does wonderful work with it's workers. They made the space feel very comfortable with an eclectic style, book collections, and boardgames. The building is old and has a lot of character inside and out and the overall ambiance of the space is adorable. They also provide free WiFi for customers. This quickly became one of our favorite...