This is a famous little cafe. Not only small town charm in our "little big town" but also loved by Iowans in stardom. The place is always packed. Even with negative temps outside we fight to get in the door. Street parking. You're whole party had to be here to be seated. January 2025 we are getting in for a late breakfast. The walls are decorated with local art and advertisements decorate the tables. Coffee mugs along the walls. Huge menu. I got Waverlands best breakfast/ half order. They do eggs Benedict are only on Tuesdays. I upscale and get bacon. It was good. My whole table enjoyed their food. The waitress was fun and chatty. I got menu pictures and picture of the giant pancake that my friend got. I will always say support this cafe. The coffee is on point and the music was pumping from the kitchen. All around great vibe.

This has been my #1 favorite breakfast spot for over a decade. The eggs Benedict with the everything hashbrowns. Every single time, I'll never order anything else. Such a small town feel in the heart of Des Moines. The type of cafe that also has shirts and sweatshirts for sale lol there is a location in Booneville as well that has an even smaller town feel. Heads up** the eggs Benedict is only served on Tuesdays.

Really enjoyed the visit to Waveland. Portions are ample, service is friendly, and atmosphere is fun and enjoyable. I'll be back for another visit in the future!

What a gem of a breakfast place! We were in Des Moines for the weekend and decided to stop in Waveland Cafe. There was a little bit of a wait but it was worth it. I had The Lumberman, which was a half order of the biscuits and gravy on top of hash browns. It was so good and fresh! The service was great, all the waitresses were kind and funny and attentive. I also loved how it was decorated inside with such a cozy local feel.

It is so worth dealing with the construction mess in front of the waveland cafe. We arrived and saw a number of people out front. We were worried there was a huge line. We walked right in. Turns out they were waiting on some of their party so they could be seated. The wait staff was very attentive. Their internet went done and the waitress came by to let us know. By the time we were done eating, it was up and running so we could pay with a credit card. Both of us ended up getting the Everything Hasbrowns. I ordered an egg as I like to get a little extra protein in. I LOVE that you can order a full order (my dining partner did) a half or a 1/4. The 1/4 is perfect for me. These are my favorite loaded hasbrowns. They have ham, green and hot peppers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and cheese. The hashbrowns are always crispy on the outside. They are amazing!

What a great old school breakfast spot! Pretty busy most of the time ! There were lots of regulars there--one was being served a birthday cinnamon roll with a little candle! Hubby & I are still stuffed 3 hrs later. He had delicious 1/2 order everything hash browns with two eggs over easy. Tasty. There were quite a few jalapeños. I had the special-2 eggs, 2 bacon, & yummy buttery rye toast! Molly was good & kept our drinks full. The place is fun to see the vintage murals.

Traveling from out of town and I found this place using a basic Google search. I almost didn't go in- based on the outside, you know (the cover of the book) Wow so glad I decided to go in- this place is fantastic-

When my wife, son, and I arrived there was no parking available, either in front or out back. We had to park down the street a bit. When we got back to the front door there was a line. We ended up waiting about 20 minutes to be seated. We ended up at one of the small tables towards the back. The waitresses were all pretty chill, and they gave us plenty of time to survey the menu. We were there for breakfast, as was pretty much everyone else on a Sunday morning. My son got the Waveland skillet and my wife and I ordered omelets. Hers was 2- egg veggie omelet and mine was 3-egg veggie omelet with ham added. My wife was quite excited when she found out they had blackberry jam for her toast. I didn't get many photos because, honestly, I was more interested in eating than taking pictures. I asked my wife and son afterwards, and they unanimously agreed we should come back soon with my daughter. The food was excellent, as was the service. They refilled our drinks multiple times while we waited for our food and again after the food arrived. For the curious we had a water, a coffee, and a soda. We will go back. Soon.

Great spot we found in Des Monies. Ambiance is great with very friendly patrons. The service we received by MOLLY was awesome. She handled our sense of humor great. She has the best personality and could handle a joke. MOLLY was very efficient and is an excellent server. THANK YOU MOLLY for making our morning great. I would come back for the great food and best personality. Highly recommend