The cake shake was amazing, but definitely bring a buddy to share it with. We were each gonna get our own until our waitress recommended splitting one. Saved our appetite for the main course and our wallet a little.The breakfast was delicious as well. My husbands chicken was a little dry but he said the flavor was good. My Denver omelet was super cheesy and the toast (sourdough) was really thick and crisp. Our waitress was really observant, quick, and never let our glasses run dry.
The food was really good and the server was very patient with me and super helpful. Very unique diner. Will definitely be going back to try the many food options.
We both had the Chicken Fried Steak and Eggs. It was delicious! I have never been disappointed with anything at the Drake Diner in all of the many, many years theyve been serving food.
We come in off a red eye from California and need a bite to eat. The food was comfort food and delicious! We thoroughly enjoyed our meal. When we asked for our check, we were informed that a kind man had PAID for our MEAL!!! This was a first for me, he had already left so we didnt get to thank him. If touched my heart that there are such thoughtful and selfless people in our world! That being said, the food was also delicious! Highly recommend!
Great diner food! Breakfast all day and always delicious. Many servers are long tenured so service is on point.
I love eating at Diners and Drake Diner did not disappoint. The atmosphere is chill, the food is on POINT and the service is great.The Chinese chicken salad came with a lot of chicken, almost too much for my liking, but still good. I might have preferred the taco salad.Pumpkin pancakes are in a category of their own, it’s almost an insult to put them in the same category as regular pancakes.
OHMYGawd Becky. Go here, stuff your feelings, and enjoy the scenery. Staff is super friendly, safe, and distanced accordingly. Food... is to die for. I ... was actually quiet for 10 minutes while enjoying their #5 breakfast. 2 eggs, hash browns, ham, 2 pancakes. Wife for the #4, 2 eggs, sausage and 2 pancakes. Food... is amazing. Fresh, hot, and everything you’ll ever need in your face. Now, get here, order it, eat it, and tip these awesome waitresses!
An absolute joy! People are great! Food is still great! Restaurant is clean. Service is fast. They have carryout! Oh, there malts are to die for! After there years of great service, this restaurant still stacks up for great dining!
What a find! Here from out of town and looking for a local breakfast/lunch place and the drake hit the mark! Breakfast was great and they even let me order a burger 30 min before lunch started. Great milkshake too!! The server on the patio killed it!! 💕💕 Def recommend!
Visiting Des Moines this weekend and it was recommended to try this diner. When they say, housemade. They actually mean it. Their cinnamon rolls was delicious! I also got their Santa Fe grits was spectacular!! My husband got the country fried steak, and a bowl of chill, which he can not stop talking about. Service was really good as well. Definitely will come back when were in town.
Im always a fan of the old dinner feel and this aesthetic at the Drake Diner does not disappoint. Everything food wise you would expect from a dinner plus a couple original things if your feeling adventurous. The Milkshakes are a must have, super creamy and very delicious. It comes with a large portion so your guaranteed to have your fill. Fantastic experience, would definitely come again
Non breakfast foods are low quality for their price, breakfast foods are adequate for their price, during peak hours they struggle to keep up regularly.
Our family ate at the Drake Diner this afternoon, and I want to say it was a great experience! The food was fantastic - large portions, great taste, and very reasonably priced! We then decided to get desserts, after deciding to box part of our meals so we had room! The Devil Sundae was enough for two (my daughter took part of that home, too). The atmosphere was perfect for our family which included a toddler and baby. And to top it all off, our server, Juan, was fantastic! He definitely made our time eating out even better with his friendliness and great service! The next time we’re in Des Moines, we look forward to visiting the Drake Diner again!
Have only ate here for breakfast and i enjoyed it a lot. it wasnt too expensive at all, and tasted delicious. never have gotten the chance to dine in and eat but it is a perfect diner type setting. they also have a pretty wide verity of menu items. would recommend coming in and checking out the Drake Diner.
Great Diner food and good prices. Found it on Google when visiting the area and wanted to avoid a chain restaurant. We had a decent size group and they made it really easy.
Such a cute diner. Unique atmosphere and great food. Super fluffy pancakes - the best I have had in a long time. It was busy, but the service did not suffer. Our waitress was super friendly. I would highly recommend to anyone in the area or passing through.
The Drake has been around since 1987. It was excellent when it opened and they have maintained their great standards and fun menu offerings ever since. It is now Drake area institution. You MUST go there. The meatloaf club is a good starting point. Enjoy!
Dope place for breakfast if you really want that diner feel. The food was good and the outside seating area was cool!
Came in for their pumpkin pancakes and sausage on the side, both were seemingly undercooked, pancakes had very minimal pumpkin flavoring, only sweetness to my pancakes were from the syrup that I put on, and the sausages were just outright grotesque. 10/10 would *NOT* recommend.
They do a nice job with their food, have pleasant severs and several vegitarian choices.
Busy lunch crowd mid week. Friendly efficient wait staff. Clean establishment. 50s diner atmosphere. Breakfast all day. My eggs Benedict and hash browns were delicious, prepared exactly as ordered. Near Drake campus.
Brunch here was amazing. You will have a wait to get in but it is worth the wait. The girls had the chocolate chip pancakes and it was amazing. I had the pumpkin pancakes and they are better then IHOP when they bring them out in October.
Really really busy Sunday morning. Pretty long wait but employees were working hard and fast. Good food and good service.👍😊
Love a good old fashioned diner for breakfast foods and milkshakes. This place hit the spot! Highly recommend the chicken and waffles and my daughter loved her chocolate chip pancake!
Highly, highly disappointed. Chicken fried steak was COMPLETELY soggy with the breading coming off. My girlfriend even felt it was undercooked. I attempted to eat it just a few minutes after receiving it, so it was not due to just letting it sit there. This is just awful, and inexcusable. Huge regret not just going to IHOP or another breakfast spot.
I we both had the Whole Hog omelet. Very, very good. Service was great, well be back!
It was busy, but our food came quickly. Very good. I got all the diet coke I wanted.
Food was good. Lots of options. Service... Not great. Not sure if our server was having a bad day or what her deal was. To start off she have half of the group water and the other have none. She took a while to simply get our drinks. She would question everything i would order. When we got some of our food my mother in law received her Cinnamon roll with a hair on it.. Waitress did not even bother to apologize. just over all no the service we expected. Not sure if we will return or not. Our server name was Sara Just i case you wondered (:
Excellent breakfast! I got 4 slices of the Cinnamon Swirl French toast with a side of eggs and bacon. This place is great.
This is one of my favorite places to go in DSM. Ive created so many memories here and the staff is wonderful. This place is a must when visiting DSM. Try the captain crunch french toast sticks!
If youre passing through Des Moines Iowa, I seriously suggest you go have breakfast at the Drake diner. I only had breakfast so that is all that Im promoting here, but given my experience, Im betting most of the food will be to your liking. Now back to it.. I had the eggs Benedict with hashbrowns. The muffin they used was thicker then your average English muffin. The eggs were poached medium as I asked for, the hashbrowns were beyond good with onions and cheese added, and the hollandaise was simple and light . I sat at the bar and even though it was Sunday morning the staff member helping was on top of everything.
I love Drake Diner but last couple times Ive ordered take out, the French fries were awful. Cold almost burnt..way over done, almost like reheated! The hostess even looked in the box and still gave me my order the way they were..very disappointed!!!
Really cute old diner feel. The food was perfect. The waitress was very attentive. They offer outside and patio eating as well. Very relaxing place to eat.
Quick service and decent price. The Captain crunch french toast is so good!
I LOVE this diner. There is no place like it. It has such comfortable booths and I love the atmosphere. I have never had a bad meal or bad server. Everyone is polite and the place smells great! Their French dip is my go to and I LOVE their sweet potato fries.
Service was good. The food was not at all. We ordered the biscuits and gravy, taste like flour was very dry and bland. I can eat anything and I couldn’t chick these down. We also ordered French toast it says Texas toast that’s a joke it was thin plain whit bread. I will give them that the flavor was very good. Served us cold toast without butter on it. This would be a good place to go if your drunk and don’t care what your food taste like!
Great service is still here! Food was served hot, tasted great and had good portion size.
Theyve been good, but they are on a bit of a downhill trend the last few times Ive gone. The seating is nice and parking is good. The quality of their burgers is getting worse though. Mostly, more bland. Better than fast food, but are becoming more overpriced as their quality keeps dropping.Fries are great though.
The food is always great, its clean, and theyre super friendly.
Food lacked flavor! Everything tasted like it was reheated from a freezer. The California grit barely tasted like it had sausage. Burgers were just meh.. wouldnt waste my money here again.
More food then I can eat. Katie our waitress was great.
I have been going here for YEARS! I even worked here part time some years back. Normally my experience has been phenomenal, even worked with wonderful ppl back when. My family hadn’t been in awhile so thought we’d take a trip for a DSM fav. Mistake! Our server was gross :( A friendly reminder (if that’s needed) we’re in a friggin pandemic! 1st I watched our server openly wrap silverware massless and then proceeds to wipe her mouth with the back of her hand and keep rolling. She then brought straws in no paper - with food on her hands. We had to ask the manager for wrapped ones. We ordered an appetizer and after 45 mins, nothing. She brings us 4 huge bowls of different dressings out before our meal with ranch all over her fingers!! Stopped at the table next to us and talked not even wiping her hands. She brought out 6 drinks with no tray- drinks pressed against her chest and rubbing her shirt. The customer service was gross. I couldn’t watch her any longer. My appetite was ruined. She needs training or another job. I love this place, but service like hers will cause this local fav to lose business.
Good lunch menu. Dry salmon Great veggies. Slow service
Great service and great meals at a reasonable price. Highly recommended...
Good food was slow. Had to take some to go to not miss meeting
Great outdoor porch space to eat! All-round Great Diner food! Recommend their Devils Sundae Dessert!
We come to Drake Diner often for breakfast, and have been for many years having went to Drake. Their is typically a wait on the weekend, so get there early or grab a seat at the counter. Food is always good and consistent, the captain crunch French toast sticks are one of our favorites. Service is hit or miss at times with how busy they are, but I’ve never felt like the servers weren’t trying, just incredibly busy. Check this place out if you haven’t been!
Menu items listed incorrectly over priced and flavorless. The server seemed upset when we asked for more then water. The burger I ordered didnt have a top bun so that was strange. Wouldnt recommend to anyone.
We loved it our server was amazing, Katie as we were having breakfast I learned quickly they are looking for quality staff, go in and pick up an application if you have diner experience! The Diner is a staple in Des Moines area, and after the pandemic they are busier then ever! Unemployment has run out so get up of the couch and get moving over to the Drake Diner to work🙂👍
Ordered Belgium waffles with strawberries. Afternoon craving for breakfast, but the waffles came out burnt, hard, and not very enjoyable. Ate most of it since I paid for it, but not worth coming back for them. Customer service was average. Atmosphere was good. Bathrooms were clean.
The food was perfect. The coffee could if been stronger but thats my opinion
I recently visited after living in California for a couple years, and thought Drake Diner would be a great place for breakfast. Unfortunately, either the quality of the food is variable or its just not nearly as good as I remember it. The eggs and hashbrowns were very bland, and the french toast was dry and flavorless. Service was great, though, and the staff are friendly. Im hoping I just caught them on an off day.
Love this place. Best breakfast in Des 😀 Moines. Reasonable price. Quick service.
They have the best food. I ordered the biscuits and gravy for my breakfast and it was so good! Our waitress was super friendly.
Food is always awesome. Breakfast and malts are fabulous.
Stopped for breakfast. Food was excellent, as was service. Was very busy, great parking, will return.
Fantastic service, great food. Excellent Irish Coffee
Great service, and good food. Their hash browns are soooo good, highly recommend. The waitresses are really accomodating and super helpful.
I thoroughly enjoyed my breakfast. I had the The Diner Omelette with hash browns with cheese n onions. Great service. I will go again
Excellent 50s-style restaurant with a traditional American menu from burgers, soups and sides.Both booth and bar-style seating is available. The service is fast and friendly. Very popular among locals and a great place to experience if you are just visiting.The diner can be found near Drake University.
Food as always was good but I got snubbed by a waitress and she walked clean away from me as I was checking out after cashing out another customer...didnt catch her name but she was quite frail and petite...looked right through me like I wasnt there...crazy thing was when she sat us...my daughter commented on the fact that she gave (Us) a party of 4 - 1 menu...Normally service is good...Ive been eating here since 89 when the diner opened...I personally know Steve his wife, & Many of the staff...so I was quite put off by her attitude and Disrespectful Mess...aint go time for that...I did Tell Jeremy, the store manager, not sure if anything was done but shes gotta go...wrong place for you to work with that B.S.
We had the hot roast beef sandwiches and shared a chocolate malt. The portions are huge . Enough for 2 meals. The malt was perfect. We sat at the bar which is not my favorite but with social distancing and the time of day we were happy not to have to wait.
Very interesting restaurant, I loved the feel, very 70s deccor, clean, presentable, staff was great. Now the food , the most important thing, very tasty, great menu, burgers are yummie! Looking forward to driving to Des Moines and going again. The Patio was awesome...
Everything tasted okay except the biscuits and gravy. Biscuits were kind of hard and the gravy had a strange flavor
It was the frist time ive been here and i love loved it!! I tryed everyones food that i went with and it was all good. I will definitely go back yummy yummy
My daughter and I’s favorite place to get breakfast. Food is always good.
The place is overrated. We eat there often, every time we are here the waiters/waitresses act like we don’t order quick enough, they never check to see how we’re doing. I was there yesterday and the server says everything ok and walks away before I could answer. The dishes and cuos were filthy. Ended up sick afterwards, I think we are done supporting drake diner.
First rarebit burger last week. Fantastic! So good that I got it right after outpatient surgery 2 days later. Passed out while eating it but it warms up just fine.
I do really enjoy the food usually but the service is HORRIBLE each time I come. This most recent visit sure takes the cake. Our waitress was the rudest individual I have ever encountered at any establishment and talking to the manager only made the experience more unpleasant and filled with retaliation. No refills, no check ins, she began tossing items down on the table and walking off after we sat here with no drinks whatsoever for the longest time. All the buns came out overly crunchy and soggy from probably sitting under the warmer. Every table that sat down and ordered after us got their food and was able to leave while we still sat waiting with zero service. It pains me to have to finally voice this opinion since i have always loved coming here but it has really gone downhill.
I had the meat loaf and it looks and taste like it came out of a can of cat food.
Pretty fast service considering it was absolutely packed. The food was amazing and the server was funny so it made a great dining experience.
This is the 2nd time we’ve had a terrible experience w the EMPLOYEES being rude and unhelpful. They seated us on the patio, perfectly fine. Then construction on their patio started. THEIR patio. So everyone was blasted w concrete dust and couldn’t hear anything. Then the water hose that was next to our table broke and soaked 3 of us. 1 including a 2 year old and 1 w disability. When asked to be moved they got annoyed with US! As if that inconvenienced them. (Employees were dry we were not). So we asked to be moved since literally no one offered to fixed the hose as it was spraying us. As we entered inside we overheard a male employee say “they can sit in booths separate or we don’t have room…” there was an entire space they could have moved a couple tables. At 8:30am they were not busy in the slightest. A great DSM favorite we will never return to or bring our out of town family to again. Disappointment.
Great food, get the milk shakes!!!! Burgers and salads are good too. Waiter was fantastic.
Great food. Enjoyed screened patio.
THEY HAVE THE BEST MEATLOAF DINNER.
Fantastic food, fantastic service, just great atmosphere...
Good food and good service 👌
Overall great food, the cake shake is a must try if youre here for the first time. Even among 4 people a single cake shake was able to fill 4 glasses, thats value. The waffle and chicken was decent, the waffle was dense and hard to swallow, probably made with pancake batter. If youre into it then you should order one but aside from that a great place.
Service was great. Food was wonderful. I would go again
Good food. I asked for a medium burger but got a well done.
One of my favorite places in Des Moines. You cant beat the prices or the portions!
The food was great, as it always is. The milk shakes are made from hard packed ice cream, so delicious! Our waitress was excellent, very attentive and friendly.
