One of the few cafes and bakeries in the area, Scenic Route has ample indoor and outdoor seating for groups of all sizes. The atmosphere is cozy and I found that the staff were really helpful and kind. I visited later in the day so most pastries and breads were already sold out! I still managed to have a “unicorn” latte (lavender), green goddess salad, cup of tomato bisque, and a peach pastry. The salad I should’ve asked for dressing on the side, as it was delicious but a bit too drenched for my tastes. I also wish more additions were available as options, other than proteins. The soup was a great surprise and I’m glad I had it! Their lattes feel generous and well-priced; I would say that their food selection may be a bit pricier than one would expect compared to their drinks. The pastry was still delicious and crispy by the time I had it in the afternoon. Overall, great place to relax and catch up with others, plenty of cozy spaces.

What a fun and bustling place. Just had a black coffee but you can get whatever you want. The pastry choices... wholy heck. I was trying to be good and not eat any sweets.As soon as you walk in you are immediately greeted then tempted with a bakery choice. SOLD! I caved 😂 got a delicious Blueberry flakey pastry, I problem couldve eaten two of them!They were busy but still had many places to sit and enjoy everything.

Foods are good, but not surprisingly good. Staff are nice and kind. Good place to have some casual lunch

What a great bakery! One of my favorites. Amazing selection of baked goods, delicious coffee, and well decorated interior.Interior dining is off limits currently but quite a few outdoor tables were in place. The staff were very friendly.

$4.50 for a good scone and good cup of coffee. No complaints here.

This place is just the best. The baked goods are awesome and the coffee is great, but its the people who work who set it apart. They are so genuinely nice! I also love a good cup of coffee so its a win, win, win.

Recently went here with my mother in law. The baked goods are AMAZINGING. I tried a croissant and another little pastry of theirs and I would highly recommend both. However the coffee that we both received tasted a little off. I am not sure if its just the kind that they used..almost tasted burnt. I will probably try something else for a beverage there next time to see if its different. But over all I would recommend. Their decor and cafe area is adorable. Wish it was open even in a limited capacity for covid regulations but it is completely closed.

A trendy little bakery in downtown Des Moines. I had the ham & cheese croissant while my daughter had their cinnamon roll. Both were very good. The have a nice outdoor seating area perfect to use on a nice summer day.

Nice coffee. Outside seating. Safe with a strict masking policy. Overall great experience.

Staff was super friendly, food was great, and i loved the atmosphere!!

I have been here 3 times the past week. Their lattes are excellent and well priced. The ham and cheese quiche and cinnamon roll is great too. Friendly staff and I appreciate that they took the pandemic seriously.

Nice selection of baked goods to pair with a morning cup of espresso. They also do lunch sandwiches starting at 11 AM. There plain croissant was solid and will hit the spot if you enjoy a good croissant. I had a cappuccino and that was good too. Prices are good too. It can get busy but the line moves well and there is large amount of seating with WiFi too. And the Pseudo Cheese Steak sandwich is👌.

Best ever Clean great staff,have to wear a mask while in line but soo worth it

Driving through on a road trip with just myself and my pup! Not only was the patio dog-friendly but the staff was super accommodating, and offered a cookie treat! The my mocha latte was delicious and the food looked fantastic!

Great place for coffee and pastries. Had hot tea, honeybee, and hot coco. So good

I drove out of my way to get a coffee and danish on my 15th wedding anniversary today & to support small business. I can’t believe how horrible I was treated when I refused to put a mask on. I calmly asked the employees to look around and out of the 40 people in their small cafe, only 2 customers were wearing masks and they were in line waiting for food. I then pulled out my COVID vaccination card and communicated I am vaccinated and shows them proof. I said I would not be participating in the mask wearing any longer and it was time to get back to normal. This lead woman (employee) scowled at me and with a raised voice told me to put a mask on or GET OUT!!GET OUT is what I did and unfortunately I’ll go out of my way to not do business again after being made to feel this way. I’m sorry, but I didn’t get this vaccine for no reason.

I had been staying up the street at a local establishment and decided to forego the boring, greasy, continental breakfast. After scouring reviews for eateries in walking distance? Decided to try Scenic Route Bakery and am extremely happy that I did!If ever you should find yourself in Des Moines? Wherever you might be lodging. Scenic Route is worth it. The pastries were wonderful and the house blend coffee I chose? The Honey Bee was perfect for my palate. Id be hard pressed to have any desire to stop anywhere else when Im back in Des Moines again.Cheers!

Super delicious food and coffee with high quality ingredients you can taste!!

They have great ice tea and chai. The sandwiches here are fine, nothing amazing, but nothing terrible either. Love their mini quiches, especially with ham. However today I was very let down with their “monkey bread”. It was more like a slightly sweet dinner roll than anything else. If you have a sweet tooth and want to satisfy your craving, don’t get the monkey bread.

I usually love it here. Went to go in today and didn’t have a mask. I was told I had to go outside and call in an order and they’d bring it out to me. I have no issues if a business wants me to wear a mask. But it’s not mandated; so if you want people wear them you should provide one for them when they don’t have one. Not kick them out. Needless to say I didn’t order from them and will not be unless policies change.

One star because they are still requiring masks as of 5/29 after updated CDC guidance. Great food and service however

Great pastries, sweet n savory, and coffee. In East Village and close to Riverwalk Dog Park.

No donuts, no dine in (covid). The caramel on my Caramel Pecan Roll had an odd taste. I threw it away after two bites. Wifes blueberry pinwheel was good for the bite she shared with me.

Cute space with great coffee and bakery items

Very nice place, good food

Mini quiches are so delicious

Very good coffee. Had the mini fritatas right out of the oven, wowww were they delicious - big chunks of ham and nice and cheesy. I had never tried a gooey butter cake before, so I cant compare it, but it was really good. Nice and dense, not too sweet, and the creme on top has a nice lemon touch that made it seem much lighter and prefect with the coffee. Its a really bright and beautiful space and the staff was super friendly.

Great atmosphere and food, the monster cookies are awesome

Really nice specialty coffee - the interior is also well decorated - lots of pleasant things to look at.

Grabbed coffee with a friend this afternoon. The cappuccino was delicious! They are always very friendly, as well.

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 Ill gladly drink an overly roasted cappuccino to justify eating a third SR cinnamon roll in a week.

Quick service, pleasant staff, good food.

Love this place.. Staff is always the best!

Their chicken salad sandwich is delicious!

Saturday Morning Must! The Cuban on Ice is necessary

Theres 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.

The chocolate pinwheel I ordered was a heavenly combination of flaky and chewy. There was so much chocolate! I left a very pleased customer. The service was excellent, and they waived at my dog through the window. What a dream!

Very cool atmosphere in a hip neighborhood setting. Latte was very good.

The place is clean and inviting. The service was fabulous. I couldnt resist trying the chocolate croissant despite my diet restrictions and it was so worth it. I had a small taste of the almond croissant, which was wonderful as well. The cheese quiche is delicious and the cappuccino is good. Loved it and highly recommend!

You won’t regret the giant cinnamon rolls!

This bread was the best slice of bread Ive ever had. Seriously.

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.

Very nice decor and a great dowtown location! I came once the night the Rook Room hosted a game night at Scenic Route and Im planning on going back sometime soon just ti get a coffee or something. Definitely a great place to hang out with friends for a couple hours!

Good people. The Midwest sandwich is unreal good. The cinnamon rolls are amazing but I think they are a little smaller than they used to be (still great though). Good spot for a clean lunch.

I love Scenic Route and the people who work there. Their my kind of people. My favorite drink is the Honey Bee. Iced or hot. Its delicious. Was a crazy morning there today and want to say thanks to the baristas for always killing it!

Great bakery in a good location, and handled the quarantine really well. Good coffee too.

The cinnamon roll was the only good thing about lunch. It’s my first time seeing a burned grilled sandwich be soggy at the same time. Unlikely to return.

The bialys are delicious!

Love this place! Wish they were open every day🥺 enjoy all the pastries and lunch options. Note: they only carry two non dairy milk options, oat or rice.

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

Good food and great coffee. Croissants are SO FLAKEY! I wish there was more single seating for those that want to come in and work on their computers. That way theres more seating for those that want to buy food and chat with a friend. Ill pay more money to be there than they will for that 1 cup of coffee and brownie.

Nice place to meet, parking meters have always been available. The 1 suggestion I have, would be to add window shades cuz that sun brutally reflects off the tables & glass, hard to enjoy yourself (which is kind of the point). Other than that, the rest is good!

A little too foo-foo...and i love foo-foo if its about the customer experience. For example: we requested a sandwich with the Chutney on the side and we were informed they couldnt do that... apparently they prepare all the sandwiches ahead of time (for their convenience) and a special request by a customer is just not their thing.The bakery goods were dry (wheat bread slabs for my chicken salad sandwich and the cherry cheese croissant) and were just a little bit over-baked...It was okay, but I paid excellent prices, so i wont be back. I hope your experience is better.

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.

Great place. Everyone who works there is always friendly. If you go, try the cinnamon roll, you will not be disappointed.

Had the cinnamon roll. Its a soft, well risen bread base for the roll, a bread that would have been amazing on its own. Paired with the cinnamon it wasnt 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.

Pretty good breakfast drinks. Good pastries.

I frequent this bakery often and have always been pleased. However I had a bad experience with an employee who loudly confronted me at the register for not tipping on my $2 cup of coffee, that I made half myself. It made everyone in line visually uncomfortable including myself. I understand tipping is important, but it shouldn’t be expected unless you’re getting table service.

Truly the best bakery in Des Moines.

Delicious and stellar customer service

This place always looks busy and has queues. However, the staff work hard and tables turn over quite quickly so you dont have to wait long. The atmosphere is great and there are a good range of coffees. The hot chocolate is served at a perfect drinking temperature and it was excellent. The cakes all looked amazing so it was.

Very good.

Great atmosphere, lots of comfy seating, friendly baristas, and well-priced pastries. Unique and fun seasonal lattes.

This is one of the best bakeries in Des Moines! Go now!

Staying at a nearby hotel for work and came by for a coffee. I was taken aback by the abrasive nature of the cashier and, weirdly, the customers. It was like they knew I wasn’t a local and thus didn’t want me there. Not a vibe I ever expected to receive while in the Midwest. (I was born and raised in Missouri and have since lived in NYC and Denver. It was the kind of atmosphere I’d expect in NYC.) Maybe it was an off day, but it was very off-putting. The coffee and cinnamon roll were good though.

Delicious food, great atmosphere

This is my go to Coffee shop in Des Moines for a little over 2 years now. I love the staff and atmosphere. And my coffee is always consistently great!!

So so so good!! Wish I had tried this earlier. Go here, you won’t regret it.

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 dont 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.

This place rocks... everything about it is awesome... the food the service the people the atmosphere... fantastic

It was cute, and the coffee I had was perfect! Didnt need any sweetener. It was just right. It was just espresso, milk, with sweetened condensed milk. It was perfect!

Absolutely scrumptious pastries. I am a fiend for coffee and a sweet treat to start of my morning. I came here multiple mornings throughout our visit to Des Moines.Their pecan scones were phenomenal. I even got a loaf of their sprouted sourdough bread for the ride. Amazing place.

The coffee is amazing, the baked goods are delectable, and the staff are very kind!Highly recommended.

Fantastic place!! The best coffee Ive had in a very long time. And Im a coffee stob!! Great waitstaff. Friendly, knowledgeable, and the food is fabulous!!

I absolutely love Scenic Route Bakery. I visit regularly and have never had a bad experience with any pastries, drinks or food. Their menu has so many good options and their pastries are always excellent - especially the cinnamon roll and chocolate croissant. I think their chocolate croissants are one of the best Ive ever tasted, right here in Des Moines, including ones from France. Id definitely recommend grabbing lunch here and enjoying a coffee for a bit while enjoying the interesting artwork covering just about every wall.

Wonderful little coffee shop downtown. Has a good selection of food items as well. I enjoyed my lunch there. Good place to get work done and has a nice atmosphere.

Best local coffee shop !

This is a regular coffee stop for me. Indoor and outdoor seating makes it perfect for a morning cup of coffee to get the day started outside. Help is all very friendly, and coffee is one of the best downtown. Definitely recommend checking it out.

Love! Great coffee. Yummy, interesting bakery items, snack but attractive lunch menu. Comfortable seating. Happy atmosphere.

Delicious pastries and coffee. Great spot for meeting a friend to catch up or a casual business meeting. Friendly staff and great location.

Ive already left a review, but that was the best goddam chicken salad sandwich Ive ever had.

This is purely bakery and cold sandwiches/salads. Nothing fried or greasy here. Cinnamon roll with cream cheese frosting was good.I would summarize this is a young adult/business place. Definitely not a child friendly menu.

Great coffee, great pastries, great environment. Friendly staff. Lots of energy. You can sit for a while comfortably working or people watch or visit with friends. Just a really good atmosphere.

Very busy on a Saturday morning. They had trouble keeping stuff organized - many groups waited for just one persons order, long enough that others could be done already. Otherwise good

Great little shop.

Great atmosphere and desserts. Coffee was a bit dull but I think its because of what I ordered which has a lot of milk in it? Scenic Route was fairly busy but the staff and customers were all friendly. I plan to go back to try something else :)

Honey bee latte is great ☕

Great place to sit and work. Like the vibe of the place and the decor. Food was great and so was the coffee. Only issue is the internet didnt work for me.

Scenic Route is a must visit for an delightfully delicious croissant that the flavor of which you will not normally find in our fair city of Des Moines. Staff is always friendly to me and my family. It is set in the East Village which makes it a great stop as you walk around to the shops on a beautiful afternoon!

Great coffee and atmosphere. Really great pastries as well. In my top three coffee shops in Des Moines.

Nice place, younger crowd but easy going. Seemed to be pretty popular but the line was never very long. I had a hot piglet (ham, bacon, cheese, toasted), dare I say better than South Union???

Ive only recently noticed this place. Today is National Donut Day (huh?). I eat enough donuts already. I stopped in today and got a couple goodies to share with a friend. They were delicious. A peach muffin & something called a pan pie. ... 4 pieces total for less than $10 (& free parking before 8 a.m.).

Great pour over coffee. Always a nice place to meet with friends, neighbors, and colleagues.

Coffee was a little bitter but it was late in the day. The raspberry bar was wonderful.

Good cup of coffee. Friendly service. Fair pricing. Nice atmosphere. Clean and comfortable. Not overly busy on this visit.

Their bakery is one of my favorites in town because they’ve got a great variety of things like croissants and canelés (though if you mispronounce their name, the staff may correct you). They have great coffee and some lunch options. Their wi-if is pretty good, and they have plenty of spots that are comfortable for getting some work done, as well.

A laid back, pleasant atmosphere with great coffee and friendly staff.

Best cup of coffee Ive ever had...Scenic Routes own..(Pour Over Ethiopian) splash of cream...best cup in the world! In my humble opinion. Complemented with great staff and the baked goods are A#1!

A nice place to relax and enjoy a latte and read on the couch or oversized chairs. Yummy filled croissants. My only complaint is that they dont have BAGELS & CREAM CHEESE!

Their lattes have the best steamed milk. Love the pastries.