☕ 🍳🐓Five Modern Breakfast Spots, Ranked

A candid guide to today’s breakfast scene: great pancakes, Benedicts, hash browns—and a few misses, too.

Not that long ago, a truly good any-day breakfast spot was hard to find. In my neck of the woods, the choices were mostly Waveland Cafe, Drake Diner (both solid), or … Village Inn (which honestly did the trick). Of those, only Drake Diner offered alcohol and espresso drinks.

My, how that’s changed. In recent years, breakfast spots have popped up everywhere, making breakfast out nearly as eventful as dinner. I decided to try some of the newer ones, rated here from “worth a visit” to “don’t sleep on this one.”

I skipped weekend-only brunch spots and longtime breakfast institutions, focusing instead on the newer wave of modern breakfast places. Most offer both espresso drinks and booze, along with house specialties that veer off the beaten path, from dulce de leche pancakes to shoulder bacon. Just as important, they have the kind of upbeat ambiance that makes leaving the house feel worthwhile, even on the groggiest of mornings.

What the icons mean:
☕ Worth a Visit
☕☕ Go Sooner
☕☕☕ Don’t Sleep On This One

Note that these places can be packed on weekends. Try a weekday visit if you can.

Eggs and Jam ☕

1907 EP True Pkwy., West Des Moines; (515) 528-2248
Open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Alcohol served; no espresso bar.

Wake-up call! The edgy, energizing decor makes sure you’re fully alert before the coffee even arrives. The delightful blueberry French toast (we had them split an order in the kitchen, as we both had other full-sized entrees, too). The Red Light Special omelet.

This spot sets itself apart fast: street-art murals of hip-hop legends give the room swagger, and the music follows suit (though thankfully not too loud at breakfast). Then there are the homemade jams—rotating flavors like watermelon, dragon fruit, and pineapple-jalapeño—that come with toast and deserve to be spread or drizzled on everything.

The French toast nailed that rich, eggy sweet spot, topped with blueberries and deeply flavored blueberry whipped cream. Fluffy pancakes also impressed. The Red Light Special omelet, with candied bacon, roasted jalapeño, and cheddar was solid, though not everything else landed: our bacon lacked crispness, and the lukewarm breakfast potatoes were forgettable. But those jams alone make this easily worth a visit.

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