Scenic Route Bakery
Review of Scenic Route Bakery
Scenic Route Bakery: A Family-Owned Cafe with Delicious Coffee and Pastries
If you're looking for a cozy and welcoming coffee shop and bakery in Des Moines, Scenic Route Bakery is the perfect spot. This family-owned cafe serves light fare, java, wine, and pastries in a contemporary interior. Whether you're looking for a quick breakfast, a leisurely brunch, or a mid-day snack, Scenic Route Bakery has something for everyone.
Their coffee is top-notch, with a variety of espresso drinks, pour-overs, and cold brews to choose from. If you're in the mood for something sweet, their pastries are a must-try. From croissants and scones to muffins and cookies, everything is baked fresh daily and is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.
One of the best things about Scenic Route Bakery is the atmosphere. The cafe has plenty of seating without feeling crowded, and the quirky decor makes it a fun spot for people-watching. The staff is friendly and welcoming, and the service is always top-notch.
While Scenic Route Bakery is primarily a coffee shop and bakery, they also offer a small selection of lunch items. Their sandwiches and salads are fresh and flavorful, and the portions are just right for a mid-day meal.
Overall, Scenic Route Bakery is a fantastic spot for coffee and pastries in Des Moines. Whether you're looking for a quick pick-me-up or a leisurely brunch, this family-owned cafe is sure to please.
Amenities
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
- Wheelchair accessible parking lot
- Wheelchair accessible restroom
- Wheelchair accessible seating
- Outdoor seating
- Takeout
- Dine-in
Daniel Cain
Very solid café with a cozy interior, looking forward to spending a morning or two there post-pandemic. The coffee is pretty mediocre imo, especially in comparison to nearby offerings. Though their pastries are so good that I'll gladly drink an overly roasted cappuccino to justify eating a third SR cinnamon roll in a week.
Kaitlyn Jongko
Visiting from Florida. This local bakery is fantastic! They let me use my own cup and the espresso is amazing! I got a white mocha latte with extra white mocha. Staff is super friendly. We also got a chocolate chip cookie which tasted fresh and homemade. :D
Laura Abels
Love this place and the kale and goat cheese salad!!!
Justin Norman
Great coffee and maybe the best looking place amongst the coffee shops in town. It’s huge, with lots of windows, and feels very open. The lack of vegan food options is really unfortunate. I’d probably visit more often if this were improved, but if that’s not an issue for you, this is a great place to spend an afternoon.
Jenna
The first time I went to Scenic Route I was just exploring East Village and wanted to try something new. I drove past and decided to go there for breakfast even though I had never heard of it--little did I know it would end up being my favorite downtown DesMoines drink/food shop!
There's an excellent selection of different croissant flavors that are absolutely to die for (ham & cheese is my fave, and get there early so they're nice amd fresh!), and a ton of other delicious food & drink options.
The specialty coffee/espresso drinks listed on the menu (such as honeybee) are way too sweet for my taste but the espresso and coffee themselves are delicious, so that's just something you may want to be aware of!
Overall it's bright and buzzing but also very pleasant and fairly quiet-- An amazing place to chat over breakfast AND my very favorite place to study and be productive! Best of everything and I will always recommend it to anyone :)
La Toya Crittenden
There's such a good vibe here. I went in simply because of it. The menu has a nice balance of drink and food options, as well as options for baked goods. The baked goods looked and tasted to be homemade and not commercially made. Which I appreciate!
I took away one star as my drink order, green tea latte, seemed to lack flavor and tasted watered down.
Taylor Feldman
Very tasty! Highly the brookie bar!
Jennifer Cleigh
I cannot say enough good things about this place!!! I was looking for a lesser-known, cute cafe to settle in and read my book while I sipped a hot drink. Scenic Route Bakery was everything I hoped for and MORE! Nice selection of pastries, plus some light lunch fare (get the chicken salad - it is ginormous and oh-so-delicious!). And the place is huge! It was constantly busy but I never felt crowded. It was cozy yet modern. They had something for everyone. I WILL be back! This is my new "spot" to get away from it all.
James Weathergood
Very bad service here. That staff is very rude and think a little too much of themselves. I was there with my friend and the two girls behind the counter were talking to some friends of theirs. Fine at first, but we kept waiting and waiting. They would look at us, they were very aware that we were there. I finally said something, asking if we could order. The girl acted like we were asking her to lift boulders. Heaven forbid you stop talking to your friend and do your job for two seconds. I don't need over the top customer service, but when I come to a place that is supposed to provide some time of service for their overpriced bad sandwiches, they can at least acknowledge customers when they come in, not act like they are better than them, and serve them instead of shooting the breeze with their friends. For the record, I stood there in line (nobody in front of me) for 15 minutes before they actually helped me. Also their coffee is bad and tastes burnt.
Lizzie Crowe
Had the cinnamon roll. It's a soft, well risen bread base for the roll, a bread that would have been amazing on its own. Paired with the cinnamon it wasn't overly sweet, which is a refreshing change. The cream cheese frosting is obviously made in house. Also not too sweet. The staff are super friendly, the atmosphere is welcoming yet minimalist and earthy. A gem of a spot.