Great local coffee shop where we love to hold casual meetings. Something for everyone from coffee to tea to pastries!

Coolest little coffee shop. Great place to stop on my bicycle. Not far off the trail from The new Riverview Park amphitheater. Great bakery next door in Highland Park.

One of the best cappuccinos I have ever had!! I found this cute coffee shop on our way through Des Moines. The vibe was spot on with great coffee and lots of cute plants and pots for purchase. The staff was friendly and engaging. 10/10 would recommend to anyone looking for a good coffee and atmosphere.

Tasty almond latte and pastry! Take time to browse the selection of books, plants, coffee accessories, and art for sale. Also a great spot for picking up locally produced foods!

Quaint place. Neat decor. Plants for sale and display are a nice touch. Coffee is pretty good. Fairly busy at 10 am on a Monday morning. A few tables outside. A great local place. Mocha could have been a touch hotter.

A local, family owned shop with the best coffee and pastries in town! They have the freshest beans in Iowa with a focus on top quality, single origin beans which are always fresh roasted. Plus the ambiance is super nice and comfy. The owners and staff are always so gracious and welcoming. You gotta check it out!

The Slow Down is Great local coffee shop where we love to hold casual meetings. Something for everyone from coffee to tea to pastries! They have tons of local promotions and events too!

I live in Ankeny and work downtown so this is a perfect spot to stop on my way to work. Street parking and spots alongside the building are usually open. There is construction across the street and the busy intersection nearby makes it a little more hectic, so just be wary when crossing the street!I snagged a spot in the window to relax a while before work. Mornings are busy! The staff is incredibly friendly. I tried an almond croissant and OMG, they slice it open and put almond paste ALL OVER INSIDE. DROOL. It wasn’t dry at all. Amazing. Happiness.I also visited another time and had been wanting a jade plant for my home, and guess what? They also sell plants! They work with other local businesses and artists to collaborate and support each other, which I LOVE. The plants are healthy, displayed nicely, and are reasonably priced.They also once invited a Des Moines based games group called The Rook Room to host a pop-up last winter and I bought a delightfully difficult puzzle as a Christmas present for my roommate. It was art from a local artist and the puzzle was made locally too. What a fun way to support local!And lastly, I should probably mention the coffee. I like Americanos, and I think they do a fine job on those (water first, shots on top!), however, the only wish I have is for a larger size than 16 oz. I can down a 20 oz. like no one’s business, so I’m a little disappointed to have to end my morning coffee consumption 4 oz. earlier. It has left me wanting on more than one occasion. But besides that one baby qualm, that’s really it. This is a terrific local business in a historic location owned by two hardworking, caring, and amazing business owners Drew and Kara Kelso.

Mass props to this amazing small business paying homage to pandemic concerns. As a public health professional with two masters degrees from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg school of public health, I endorse, respect and appreciate this business for actually caring about the health of its patrons. I will be a customer for life. Thank you thank you thank you for enforcing a mask requirement!!

This super cute coffee and tea boutique is awesome!! They have local honey for your tea. Plenty of seating and tables to sit and work. Plus a cute couch area. Owners were very friendly and helpful!! We will be back!!

This was my first visit and I will be back! This is a great place for hanging out and doing homework! The space has a good ambiance and is not over crowded. The owner Drew has a heart for the community and is very personable! Also the coffee was great! I ordered a honey cinnamon oat milk latte and I happy I got a large!!

My husband and I found this place while passing through Des Moines on a road trip. What a find. It’s a cute place with great coffee! And it felt especially local and friendly when we met both the owners and the man who owned it when it was a hardware store, who was coming in to get a coffee. Don’t know if we’ll ever be back but we wanted to give them a shout out as a quality local coffee shop that we hope is wildly successful!

Welcoming, good ambiance! Coffee is amazing. Wonderful service! I highly recommend and we will be back. I wish though they offered vegan options for their pastries/food options.

Very nice coffee shop. Relaxed atmosphere ❤️🌟🌟

Fantastic coffee, chill atmosphere, kind welcoming and friendly people, my partner and I visit this lovely little shop regularly, and hope to do so for a good long time!

Simply the best community coffee space. The owners are genuinely beautiful people and it reflects within the walls of Slow Down.

Cute and quiet coffee shop with an good selection of coffees, teas, and specialty drinks. Mix your favorite coffee with some of their inhouse made syrups, or have a espresso cola! You will easily find a drink you can cherish here.Staff: Friendly and inviting! love being greeted as you enter an establishment.Food: I have yet to try their options, but if it is anything like their espresso or pour overs I can trust its going to be a delight.Des Moines has a few coffee shop gems, you just have to search for them. Im glad I found this one.

A great, quiet place with excellent ambiance. The coffee is wonderful and so are the people who work there. Try the Elvis latte or a smoked sea salt caramel latte!

We visited this cafe on our way to Omaha. It is beautifully setup with small and decorated corners to have your privacy. The menu options are impressive and there is a section with collection of plants which you can buy from. Friendly owners 🙂

I found The Slow Down about a month ago and I am so glad I did. The coffee is great, the atmosphere is calm, the music is cozy, there are potted plants & succulents for sale, and the space has a lot of character. Its a great place to take a breather from the work day & just relax for a bit.

Beautiful little shop in a historical part of DSM. The staff is friendly, the treats are delicious, and of course theres coffee! Weve been buying the beans from them for months but it was nice for someone else to make me a cup!

The best blend of modern and hometown you could ever find. The Slow Down makes a great neighborhood coffee shop, in a historic neighborhood thats coming back to life! The drink menu is unique and vibrant but your coffee shop staples are still there. They often partner to bring in products from other small, local, businesses, so each visit into The Slow Down and really Highland Park is a new experience.

Love this place! My absolute favorite coffee shop in town. I like to go in and grab a mocha to go and a couple of bags of their house blend beans for home.

This is the cutest coffee shop in Des Moines with great seasonal lattes.

Love the place and enjoyed talking to the owner. Great place for a great coffee and to sit and work for a bit.

Fast and friendly service all the time! Best coffee shop in town!

Really great coffee with knowledgeable and friendly staff. Good place if youre interested in supporting local business and coffee roasters.

A great neighborhood business that is passionate about their craft and community. Have been meaning to make it here since they opened and can promise you we will be back way more often. Such a great experience.

Amazing coffee, friendly staff, relaxed atmosphere. Perfect for studying. Free parking. This is by far my favorite coffee shop in Des Moines.

This is a wonderful addition to the Highland Park/Oak Park neighborhood. The staff are friendly, the coffee is excellent, and the space is super cool. No tables set up at the moment due to COVID, so you have to take your drinks to go, but otherwise its perfect! Highly recommend that you check this place out.

A cozy atmosphere with kind workers. The espresso was surprisingly deliciously smooth. I got an iced vanilla latte with oat milk and I have no complaints.

I love the relaxing environment and beautiful space they have created. Their lattes, coffee, and baked goods are all so good!! They also have an amazing tea selection. And everyone on the staff team is wonderful! So glad we have a neighborhood spot where we can get exceptional coffee!

Great new coffee stop in Highland Park right amongst the new renaissance going on. Check it out you will be pleased.

Great coffee. Great atmosphere. Great service.

Really great coffee, friendly staff, and I love all the plants you can buy there too!

Absolutely amazing. great vibe that instantly comforts you. will be here again many times in the future . The Black Rose Latte is to die for.

The staff was so friendly and engaging. Would so recommend to anyone looking for a good coffee and atmosphere!

Excellent coffee, cool shop.

Not going there they like things way too slow put Euclid back to the way it was. And maybe I will start coming back to highland park. Traffic is horrible. I now hate this area

Great space to hang out. Hip, yet comfortable, and my decaf latte was delicious. 🙂👍🏼

Love, love, love! I grew up on the north side of Des Moines and wished for a coffee shop here since I was young and I couldn’t have imagined a better addition to the neighborhood! The coffee is so smooth and the flavors are amazing! I highly recommend!

First time in, so excited to finally have a real coffee shop in the neighborhood. Had the cold brew and some pumpkin bread today no complaints at all. The cold brew definitely got me going no slow down here.

Great coffee, great service, and great houseplants - what more could you want?

Friendly staff and great coffee in a cool modern environment. Highly recommend!

Awesome coffee, great staff!

A coffee shop with coffee just as good as the people running it! If you are in the up and coming Oak Park area, this is your spot for an amazing cup of Joe!

Very nice environment. Beautiful, unique art for sale. Tasty pastries.

The beans this place sells are so freaking good. We would stop by before it was open and the owners are the absolute sweetest. The place is gorgeous and Im so excited to spend time here once quarentine is over.

Beautiful coffee spot in Highland Park! Stop by and support local! ☕

Great place! They truly did a beautiful job inside! I cant wait to see it bustling with people studying, chilling, and working. Will be back!

Over priced, not to impressed

Amazing dirty Chai, fast and friendly staff, great location (has needed a coffee spot for too long), chill vibes. Love it.

Great Oolong tea. Also lovely atmosphere. Love to see Hiland investing in this historic neighborhood & the old Hiland Hardware location.

Friendly, beautiful atmosphere, yummy pastrys from a local bakery and delicious drinks!!!

Neat place, great coffee!

Good coffee, great service, cool atmosphere

Just got an americano there this morning. Best Ive had from any coffee shop in the metro!

Beautiful cafe in Highland Park with attentive staff and great coffee. A gem in the neighborhood.

Great vibes, awesome coffee highly recommend!

Havent been there yet...look forward to...

Great lemonade

Delicious coffee and brownie

Great

Slow service. Parking is a nightmare. QT coffee is just as good.