Early Bird West Des Moines — Restaurant in West Des Moines

4.8* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 5* Value: 4* Service: 5* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $30

06/15/2025 Still one of my favorite places to go for breakfast or lunch, so took the opportunity today when I got to pick our venue for Father's Day brunch with our son, daughter-in-law and grandson.

Today started simply with a coffee and cream for me...although I did talk my wife into getting a large version of the Strawberry Booziest (see picture)so that I could share some of it. For our meals, my wife ordered the Quesbirria Omelette (see picture) and I opted for the Chilaquiles (see picture). As we have become accustomed...we loved both of them and would highly recommend them. Lastly, our son ordered the Churro Waffle and wasn't able to finish it, so we each got to enjoy a few bites of it - so sweet, so cinnamony and SO delicious!

4.75* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 5* Value: 4* Service: 5*

01/14/2024 It had been a while since our last visit, but we got the chance when our son and daughter-in-law asked if we'd like to join them for Brunch Sunday morning. We ended up waiting about 30 minutes past our projected seating time, so beware if you have a tight time crunch. Once we were seated though, the experience was great and in line with our previous visits.

We started today with an order of Cinny Bobs (see picture) to share and if you like cinnamon rolls...you will love these! They are served with both white icing (traditional cinnamon rolls) as well as caramel sauce (traditional caramel rolls) - so you can choose your favorite...or go with both if you can't decide. I am a sucker for caramel and liked the caramel sauce so well that I enjoyed what was left over after the rolls as my dessert at the end of the meal!

For our meals, my son ordered the Monkey Business (see picture) as he has the last few times he's been here and once again, enjoyed both the sight of it as well as the taste. My wife ordered the Breakfast Nachos (see picture) and since she wasn't able to finish it in the restaurant, was able to enjoy a 2nd meal of it for breakfast the next day. Lastly, I went with the Chicken & Waffle (see picture) and while it was more than I really wanted to eat, I cleaned off the plate and loved every bite!

12/01/2022 We finally got a chance to stop here for brunch and we loved it. Based on the waiters recommendation we started with the Hash Holes (see picture) - delicious cheesy, hash brown potato croquettes that you have to try!

For the main meal, I ordered the Shrimp Grit Benny and my wife ordered the Woke Omelette. Both were delicious (see pictures). Can't say that I'm a grit aficionado, but this combination was delicious - I'm confident you will enjoy them.

November 2022 Update: We have stopped at the Early Bird Brunch several times and always enjoy the experience - casual atmosphere, great food and unique alcoholic drinks combine to make a memorable experience.

This stop found us at the front door at opening time on Sunday morning (6:30am) due to our son needing to catch a mid-morning flight at the airport. For future reference, this is a great time to go...as we had the place to ourselves initially and only a couple of other tables were occupied when we left. If you've tried to get a table mid to late morning on a weekend, you know how crowded it can be and how long the waits are...

We started with an order of Hash Holes - always a favorite of ours and a strong recommendation to try. They are delicious potato croquettes with cheddar, smoked gouda & bacon (see picture). We ordered Huevos Ranchero, Pancakes & Eggs, Meat Head Benny and The Bird Cage for the main course (see pictures) and all were delicious - I would recommend them all.

If you haven't tried this place for brunch yet...you don't have any idea what you...

If you're looking for high prices, mediocre food, and abject chaos, head out to Early Bird in West Des Moines!

My wife and I went to Early Bird at about 10:30 on a Sunday morning. Expecting a crowd, we joined the online waitlist, which predicted a 40-60 minute wait. I really appreciate the online waitlist. Being able to just sit in my car instead of trying to huddle inside the restaurant was very nice. The wait ended up being about 70 minutes, which is fine, as the online waitlist kept us up-to-date.

Things went downhill fast once our table was ready. The two women at the host stand were engaged in what must have been an absolutely enthralling conversation, as they couldn't be distracted from it, and finally, seated us without a word.

The facility itself was nice, but far too crowded. Our table was so close to the next one that I had trouble hearing my wife over the conversation of the lady seated to my right, who was not talking excessively loudly, but was practically sitting in my lap. Frequent loud yells from the kitchen punctuated the din as staff moved hither and yon. Disney's "Moana" played on a large TV behind the bar. The atmosphere was one of near ear-splitting chaos.

Our waiter came by, and seemed upset with us, like maybe we were bothering him. He was curt, and talked over me as I ordered. I ordered biscuits and gravy. My wife got a burrito. She asked for the salsa on the side. We both ordered coffee.

The coffee was fine. My wife's burrito was large, and the pork inside was good. The salsa was completely absent, but I guess that's what you get for asking for alterations. My biscuits and gravy were poor. The two biscuits looked like they were probably pretty good, when they were fresh. These had clearly been reheated, and were tough. The scrambled eggs were completely unseasoned (there were no salt/pepper/condiments on the table), dry, and cold in spots, and reminded my of college dormitory "powdered" eggs. The hash browns were a thick square that had obviously been cut from a deep pan. The top and bottom were nicely browned. The remaining three inches were cooked, but very conservatively seasoned, and, of course, not brown at all. The worst bit was the sausage gravy. There wasn't enough gravy to cover, much less saturate the two biscuits. The flavor was decent, but I've had better from convenience stores. I don't understand how you can charge $14 for biscuits and gravy, then be stingy with the gravy.

Eventually, we flagged down a random server (ours had retreated behind the bar) and got our check.

All told, two breakfasts and two cups of coffee cost us $50, with tip.

In summary, the food portions were good, the restaurant itself was nice, and at least the burrito was pretty good. The service, the rest of the food, and the actual atmosphere were terrible.

I'm sure on a random Wednesday morning, this is a nice little place to overpay for cafeteria-grade food, but on a Sunday, it's a hot mess. I'd avoid it, and go to literally any diner in town. Heck, Baker's Square has similar food quality, and they'll at least keep your...

Hot Tip: Join the waitlist using the Yelp App! It worked really well for our group of 4 as well as others. You can actively see your position in line and check in was smooth.

Be patient and prepare to wait a bit, but it is worth it if you enjoy a good breakfast/brunch. Also, come with an appetite. As you may assume, the dishes are large and decadent. We joined the waitlist on a Sunday at 8:45am, and we were seated around 9:45. The Yelp App gives you a time that you need to check in by which is about 20 minutes prior to being seated, it really went smooth. I suppose if you're an inpatient person, I would skip Early Bird on the weekends.

Once we were notified by text that our table was ready, we were seated by the hostess. Early Bird has indoor and outdoor seating (booths, tables and high tops). You can request certain types of seating, but I would anticipate a longer wait. Once we were seated, our waitress cam by for a drink order. She mentioned bringing water for the table and then took our coffee orders. When she returned, she had our coffees but not water. We put in our order right away when she came back with the coffee order. Being a new and busy restaurant, check the menu ahead of time and know what you want to order. The sooner you place your order the better. We probably only waited 25-30 minutes from the time we ordered to the time we were served.

The Hash Holes were very good, I would highly recommend this as a dish to share with your table. It's basically hash brown rolled into a ball with bacon and cheese mixed in. A good combination all around. Items ordered at our table included: Avocado's Number, Chicken Fried Steak, #16, and a Pancake Flight with Plain, Chocolate Chip and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. The pancakes were cooked well, but I don't think there is much decadence to the cereal pancakes. It's just a pancake topped with cereal, so don't set your expectations too high. Even the chocolate chips were just in a pile on top of a pancake. The #16 on the other hand was a bit more decadent. A note on serving size, they are large. I think everyone took home leftovers, or left food on their plate.

Food was served warm. We did eventually get water...from the kitchen server that brought us our food. Be persistent if you have too.

All in all, a good and worthwhile experience. I would recommend Early Bird and come back again...