Anything Sweet & More Cafe

This was a fantastic little cafe, the food was terrific, decor was fun, and the staff was very friendly and personable! My wife had grilled cheese with tomato soup. She said you could tell the tomato soup was homemade and tasted delicious. The grilled cheese was done perfectly. I had the Ruben Panini, and it was fabulous. They had a great selection of items, even gluten-free and vegetarian items. The pies that we had were homemade, flavors were perfect, and the pie crust was flakey and to die for. If you are ever in the area or passing close by, this would be a great place to stop and enjoy a bite to eat and relax.

Nice hole in the wall, family owned restaurant on corner. Sandwiches are good, but comes with bag of chips. They were kind enough to replace my chips with applesauce. It was hot the day we arrived and with my dog traveling with me, I was going to need to order my food to go. Really nice owner, had me take my dog around to side of building to sit and brought large glasses of water for everyone, including the dog. I'd go back.

A gem in the small town of Winterset. Iowa State Fair blue ribbon winning cook, delicious paninis and yummy desserts. Be sure to try the butternut squash soup. Pleasant surprise, worth the stop!

My family and I, loved the food. Everything was fresh and so tasty Lisa was an amazing chef and an expressive ghost teller. Thanks!

I recently visited the café and was impressed by the friendly and attentive staff. The prices were affordable, and the atmosphere was inviting. I was welcomed and felt welcomed as soon as I walked in and was pleased with the service throughout my visit. Overall, I had a great experience at this café.

One hundred percent the best experience I have ever had in winterset and I've lived here my whole life the owners are so sweet and the food is delicious I tipped $60 because it was that good the full meal only cost $20 for me and my friend to eat we ordered almost all of the desserts and each one was more impressive than the last I absolutely love this place and I will be visiting again soon

My friend and I are staying on the outskirts of Winterset for a couple of days and stopped in here for lunch. I couldn't find anything on the menu that was hitting me just right since I'm a bit of a picky eater. I asked for a sandwich that took ingredients from the other menu items. The chef came out and jokingly asked who the troublemaker was but also made it abundantly clear that she didn't mind making exactly what I wanted. The sandwich was delicious and I really appreciated her friendly and welcoming manner. The iced tea, coffee, and the slice of cake my friend and I shared were all fantastic. I would definitely go in again and listen to the award-winning chef on her recommendations. Thank you again for the outstanding service!

EDIT: Since the owner just can’t handle being called out, I will add to my review. My grandma absolutely hated her food, but we are not ones to waste food. Also the price point thing, that’s ridiculous. I hope future customers see how you responded to my review and think twice before they step foot in your establishment. We had plenty of money to get whatever we wanted, but I’m not going to defend myself to a low-life cafe owner who can’t take criticism. Your establishment was DISGUSTING, the food was SUBPAR at BEST, not to mention your customer service is FOUL. The servers were amazing, super sweet, friendly, attentive. We were very pleased with our service. I ordered Mac and cheese & my grandma ordered a tuna melt. The description for my Mac and cheese was “creamy, something something.” It was Kraft. If I would’ve known that I would’ve got something else, but I was under the impression it was creamy and delicious. Also, my side was a pile of ruffles potato chips. For an establishment that boasts about the home made food, none of mine was. The only good thing I got was the pomegranate lemonade, which was DELICIOUS. We’re not from here, so we won’t be back. The establishment looked like an episode of hoarders as well.

4.5* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 5* Service: 4* 09/14/2023 We had just finished a trip to Winterset to see a covered bridge and the John Wayne Museum with friends from France and were looking for a place to stop for a drink. The Drift wasn't quite open (it was 10 minutes before 3:00), so we took a walk to kill some time - and then found this quaint little coffee and dessert shop. While the lady who greeted us was admittedly loud and borderline obnoxious, she was quite friendly and encouraged us to stay even though it was just a few minutes before closing time. We decided to have coffees here rather than alcoholic beverages at the Drift...and were quite pleased with the coffees that they served. My wife ordered the Cafe Au Lait (Milk Coffee - see picture) and I went with the Caramel Macchiato (see picture). My wife and I are admittedly a bit on the 'coffee snob' side, with an expensive fully automated espresso machine at home - and we both found these coffees to be very good. A solid, quality cup of coffee with great flavor and nice creme on the top - and at a reasonable price. I look forward to having something to eat here during a future visit to Winterset! For a quality 'big city' cup of coffee at small-town Iowa pricing, you'll love a stop at Anything Sweet & More Cafe in Winterset! If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

Used the surprise me while in winterset area and it did not disappoint! Food was amazing. Cozy atmosphere and great service. Highly recommend if you have the time going in for a great lunch and dessert. We should have gone full size portions as it was so good we could have eaten until we burst! We will be back.

What a great concept with hard working staff, yet Anything Sweet & More Café was a miss. I was there at lunchtime on a Saturday, 2 of the 9 tables were empty. The waitress informed me that there were 2 tables ahead of me. Then I realized she was alone for the front of the restaurant: hostess, waitress, bus person, etc for all the tables. She was working extremely hard to keep up but was clearly overwhelmed. During my lunch I saw her turn away at least 15 customers due to lack of seating and table rotation. Eventually she took my order, in rotation and didn't do any follow up (no water, etc). The menu offers a very interesting and thought out variety of fares, see my menu pic. I ordered the Ham, Cheddar & Peach Panini. I liked the originality of the sandwich. My lunch was delivered by the Chef, with the explanation that she hoped it was correct since she had 6 more orders coming behind her. As you can see in my sandwich pic, the execution fell flat. While all the components were as listed in the menu, it just didn't come together. The honey mayo piqued my interest, which I couldn't detect. The side dish was their strawberry applesauce - this was good. The strawberry flavor shined through, yet this wasn't too sweet. This may be worth a try other than at peak meal hours.

Sandwich was fine with a fantastic lobster bisque. The pies seemed very normal texture/flavors. The peanut butter cupcake with chocolate chips was very good.

My wife and I visit a nearby shop on occasion that we adore and so we decided to give this cafe a try for lunch this Saturday -- big mistake. We enter to a nice but overburdened older man trying to host and serve. We were seated to these odd chairs to a table with drawn-on tablecloths in a small dining area full of weird decor. After we ordered, we kept hearing an older lady talking very loudly at both the older man and a younger woman (older teen/college age). After a good teen minutes, this woman finally emerges into the dining area. The first two things she says was asking if we were the folks who wanted no mayo on a sandwich and "You two should let me murder you". We were in disbelief. After a pregnant pause she mentions some kind of murder mystery drama she hosts and something about how we were "dressed up". Then she comes over, awkwardly joking about how she needs ID because of "how much sherry is in the bisque". In doing so, she grabs my wife's arm and makes her feel very uncomfortable. She turned to me and did the same. During this she asked us to like her on Facebook. In the next ten minutes, our food was being prepared, during which she kept yelling to the man and young woman about putting food in the microwave. It was not enjoyable to listen to. The cook/owner lady comes with our food, sets it down, and chides us for being on our phones while waiting, telling us to "talk to each other" and exclaiming "Oh yes! This is your mother's house!" The food was mediocre and bland, which made sense as it was pretty inexpensive. The only good thing was the bread pudding dessert special, which makes sense, as the awards on the wall were mostly for baking. Overall, I do not recommend this location unless you're a local who appreciates both the poor fare and management.

What a lovely lunch with great service! I had the Apple & ham panini, a side salad with Mama's dressing and an apple cider iced tea. Really all delightful, and the older gentlemen that was taking care of me was genuine and kind!

Unfortunately every time we have tried this place the results have not been good. One time the waitress was new and she kept apologizing to every table and every time she delivered anything to a table that she was new. No one complained to her about anything but when you order some tea, and she disappeared for 10 minutes before bringing some out, everything just took a long time to get your meal. The experience went over an hour and a half for just a quick lunch. Second time we were seated and then two other tables were seated. We placed our order, the next table that was seated placed their order and finally the last table. Before we got our meal the waitress went to the third table and said one of the specials was out and did they want something else. They said they would take the meatloaf. Time passes and we have now been there almost 45 minutes and before we get our food she goes back to third table and say they are out of meatloaf. The ( second table ordered before them) she has said nothing to them. We got our food , it has been close to an hour and now she walks up to the second table and tells them they are out of the specials they had ordered. They had been there almost as long as us and they said they couldn't wait any longer as they had to be some place, so they left. Unfortunately every time we had gone it takes forever. The food is good but the wait makes it not worth it. The lobster bisque is great. But again if you don't have over an hour to wait.

Stopped on a beautiful day. Only one other person was there. This is a small place, eclectic in decor. It used to be a bank. We were quickly seated. We sat at a table with a write on tablecloth. Chalk was provided. Our waitress was pleasant and efficient. We both ordered turkey bacon paninis, but on different breads. They came with chips. They were tasty and freshly cooked, though a bit low on meat. A snickerdoodle was a pleasant touch to end the meal. Not sure what sweets were available.

Cute little place inside an old bank. Limited menu (no soda, only coleslaw, applesauce or. Hips for sides) but interesting dishes. The cherry limeade was sweet yet tart. The ham, cheddar and peach sandwich was unique and yummy. Just wasn't a fan of the mayo. My guy got the "Rachel" and said it was really good.

We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch & the hospitality was off the charts!! Highly recommended A+++

Excellent food and good service. Small place with gluten free sandwich options. Quiet and inexpensive

Stopped and got a sandwich for my daughter who has Celiac Disease (Gluten Allergy) it was very good. They also made her peanut butter muffin for desert. She is very sensitive to cross contamination. She enjoyed both a lot. Thank you so much for the great meal and quick service. We will definitely eat there again. Eat here if you are Celiac. it is safe.

Great little place, wonderful sandwiches with unique combinations of flavors. Staff and owner/chef were so much fun. Great prices & the best balsamic salad dressing (she even made me a jar to take home). Chef had many fair blue ribbons that she proudly displayed. She also hosts some murder mystery dinners so will definitely be back for one of those.

Nothing but the best for anyone traveling within the area. The food is great! I had a fantastic lobster bisqie soup and sandwich, then topped it off with a piece of peach pie. I recommend highly. Thanks and I'm glad we found this little place of heaven.

Great little local find. There was a note on the door warning customers they were short staffed but the service was still friendly and the food was great!

Food was ok but not great. Understaffed so very slow but sweet, young waitress was doing her best. Just seemed very unorganized and a cluttered business environment.

We had some friends in town from Kansas City on Saturday for lunch. We decided after seeing this intriguing post to go to here. After Lisa told us about the story as to why she puts chocolate in her award winning chocolate fried chicken my husband and my friends husband decided to try it. My friend and I decided on the meatloaf dinner and then we'd split dinners with our spouses. Well, let's just say we know now why it's award winning chocolate fried chicken!! Do you remember the fried chicken your grandma use to make for Sunday lunch? It was juicy and had a yummy crispy coating. Our meatloaf didn't have any of those yucky ingredients as it was simply delightful!! Each came with a sampling of pie or bread pudding. The guys tried the cherry and apple pie while my friend and I went for two of the three kinds of bread pudding and split those. We had blueberry cream and caramel peanut crunch. Can you say DELICIOUS!! We left feeling very satisfied and so very glad we took our friends to this quaint little restaurant. And even better being introduced to the owners, Lisa and Vinsen Alessandro. See you again very soon!!

Good sandwiches and a cookie included. Restaurant is located in an old bank. I had the deluxe grilled cheese and hubby had the turkey. We would go there again.

Great ambiance, food, and company! First of all, Winterset, IA, is a quaint little town, in beautiful countryside, which includes at least one winery (The Covered Bridges Winery), the birth-home of Wayne Rogers, and several covered bridges, including those in the movie The Bridges of Madison County. In the center of town, right across from the Court-house, is the Anything Sweet & More Cafe. We entered, hungry and hot from the June heat. We entered into a truly "country-style" cafe, and were met by the friendly serving staff and the owner of the cafe, all very friendly and welcoming. The special of the day was chicken pot pie - amazing. The Apple Blueberry Crisp was also a wonderful dessert! Overall a very pleasant place to have lunch, visit with friendly folk, and cool off from the heat. Next time you're in Winterset, Iowa...go for a visit!

Very nice couple. Food was excellent and the conversation was enjoyable and entertaining. Not what we expected when walked in but a sweet change in the "normal". Good old fashioned food with good old fashioned hospitality. Would eat here again if ever in the area.

I like to go here for the variety of foods Lisa makes. I've never had anything I didn't like. I've even had chocolate chicken here. Yes! That's right! Chocolate chicken! It was really good. We aren't people that eat out often so to go here is a treat.

This was a nice little roadside find on the courhouse square in Winterset. I had a great grilled cheese sandwich on marbled rye and my wife had a half a turkey sandwich with a really nice carrot-ginger soup. If you are touring this pretty corner of Iowa, this is a great place for lunch.

If I could give it zero stars I would. The owner was very loud and obnoxious and because the venue is very small, she could hear our conversation and felt compelled to comment on it. I don't know what the food was like because we left before it arrived. The property was very clean and cute, but the fact that it was empty at lunch time should have been a tip off that something wasn't right. Also the sign states that they serve Italian and German comfort food. In fact all they served were panini sandwiches and frittatas. I will never go there again.

AN INCREDIBLE FIND!! If you are ever in or near Winterset, please do yourself a favor and go. You will meet the owners and they will probably do something special for you. Great people. VERY GLUTEN FRIENDLY!! Pannini's are great, really everything I saw and ate was great. Home made and hot cookies for dessert as a part of your meal. I could write 500 more words and still not exhaust how good I think they are.

Gluten free and vegan options! The chicken cordon bleu sandwich on GF bread was very savory and the homemade bread didn't fall apart, delicious! The staff is friendly and concerned with your satisfaction. This was a pleasant stop for lunch.

Ate late lunch on 12/23,and the food was wonderful. They were very attentive and super friendly.Would definitely go back.

I have gotten wedding propsals from my quich, but this places' salmon quiche puts mine to shame. Looks small when it arrives, but it uses rich cream and good chunks of salmon. Most everything on the menu has placed high at the state fair: salad dressing made fresh to order, meatloaf, quiche, carrot cake... The chef owner's charm and storytelling makes this otherwise unremarkable (first inpression) diner a real golden gem. It is a great gathering place for locals and travelers from all across the country. Locals are greeted by first name. Has been my favorite find, even above the bridges, museums and countryside. Thanks for this rich memory with my Mom.

It's small eating area and the lunch menu was limited, but they had a good selection. Due to the festival , it was busy and I waited about 20 for my food. The seating is awkward and not very comfortable and I didn't see anything sweet or anything sweet offered to me. I had a margherita panini w plain chips & coffee for $9. It was hot gooey and bread was crispy. The young girls taking food orders, we're friendly .

Had the truffles and they were AMAZING! If you get a chance to check out this place, I would highly recommend! The owners are good people and the food is great!

Quaint little spot in Quilting country. Of course hit a few covered bridges on the way. Located across the street from the town square. If you want soup or a Panini you're in the right place. Happy staff and good old Iowa hospitality!

Had the Tuna Melt on marbled rye bread and it was fantastic! Loved the minestrone soup too. Perfectly seasoned. Lisa, now we know why u have won so many awards and ribbons. Great cookies too!!

This was our first time to come to this restaurant. we had looked for something a little different and found it here. I never get a tuna melt at a restaurant. I decided to try it and I thought it was very good. It took a little longer because it was done after being ordered and was worth The wait. My husband had a soup and half Sandwich and was very happy with his meal also. The young girl that waited on us was in training. we think that she will be a very good waitress. all the people we saw with very friendly. Next time we go to Winterset, we plan to go and try one of their other sandwiches or maybe a quiche. Even though we didn't eat any, The desserts looked very good.

been here once, great food ! i would come again if i went back to the town. the cookie that came with the meal wasn't the greatest & neither was the blueberry tea but the service was good & the price was reasonable

This little cafe has probably the best clam chowder I've ever had, and I used to live on the Oregon coast. She has several other soups on her menu that are most likely just as good. The entree and salad were both good. It's in a very good location on the square and a large window let's you watch the activity outside. It has a lot of character and lots of potential. One of the reasons for 3 stars is because the name implies desserts and unfortunately the only dessert was an expensive piece of chocolate.