Early Bird Ankeny

Early Bird café is the best brunch experience in the area! Our server, Gage was extremely attentive and helpful when trying to decide what to order. Believe me, whatever you choose, you will not be disappointed! The cocktails are just as good or better than the food. Expect to spend a little time here as you will want to try a few.

Early Bird has quickly become a favorite! We went there to celebrate my Grandma’s birthday (her go-to brunch spot) and had another great experience. Our server Carla was wonderful—fun, attentive, and kept our coffee cups full. The menu is creative, offering breakfast classics with a unique. Plus gluten-free free options and some healthier choices, which I appreciate. My only suggestion would be to include more balanced, nutritious meals with clean ingredients for those of us who prioritize wholesome eating. Overall, it’s always a treat, and we’ll keep coming back!

Our group called ahead to make sure we could have a Friday brunch for about 15 people and the staff was more than happy to accommodate! Our server, Domingo, was very attentive to all of us. Our orders came out quickly and correctly, which is amazing for a big group! Everyone agreed that the portions were huge and the food was delicious! We had a fantastic time and will definitely be back for my group brunches!

First time dining at this restaurant and food was not great! Latte that I ordered had a hair in it! The breakfast I ordered was the chicken fried steak with two over medium eggs and it was not good! The eggs were hard so they brought out another order but received the eggs exactly the same way - hard! Waitress seemed annoyed and only asked about refills as we are getting ready to leave! Needless to say we won’t be going back!!!

i came in this morning for biscuits and gravy, let me say the staff was absolutely amazing! hayleigh was our server and was absolutely fantastic! she was so sweet and checked in often to make sure our drinks were full and food was good. a big shout out to the manager carla, she stopped by the table before we paid and made sure our experience was good! it was for being an out of stater! i highly recommend.

Our first time and we will definitely be back. We love the options on their menu! We got the quesabirria omelette and chilaquiles and those hit the spot! Service was excellent too.

We came here on a gift card for lunch but will definitely be back! The food we tried was delicious! And we saw so many more things on the menu (especially breakfast) and people’s plates that we want to try. We had Birds the Word with a cup of soup. Yum! I like that they use sour dough bread. The atmosphere is also worth mentioning. The decor is so fun, energetic and happy, being there carries that theme. Kenna did a great job taking care of us and answering our questions with conversation as well. Thank you!

Shoutout to Carla and Andres for making it a great experience! Food was amazing and service was great! I couldn’t have the bagel for the “bun” due to gluten but Carla swapped it out for a gluten free waffle and it was phenomenal!

This past weekend, I had friends coming in from Minnesota. They picked out the spot that caught their curiosity most. I was given the time to show up and was eager to do so, as I had been waiting for a long time to check out this restaurant. Early Bird in Ankeny. Seemed like past reviews suggested long wait times, perhaps lackluster food... When I came into this location, I was immediately greeted by the host and was even offered up an available 5 top table for my friends and I - who had not shown up. The host reserved our table regardless, until all of my Minnesota foodie friends arrived. During the time I spent waiting for my friends, I was asked by five other servers there if I had been helped yet. I was blown away by their customer service. The young girl at the host station was attentive and kind. Within ten minutes all my friends had arrived and the food fest was about to begin. Originally from near Chicago, this place had a certain positive vibe about it that I loved. From the the mural on the wall, all the clever shirts, caps, mugs, etc behind the counter, the signage - it all just made me smile. And Im not even a morning person. The menu was unique from beginning to end. Not one menu item was something I ever recall a restaurant ever being able TO make, but these guys did, and with great ease. They have a flight of bacon called "When Pigs Fly." Four different types o' bacon and a slice of taste with bacon jam. You make Iowa proud Early Bird! I went with the Gravy Bacon Flatbread which was different yet inviting. The flatbread had more of a cracker taste to it, but the pork sausage gravy drizzled over the scrambled eggs and cheese made me an instant fan. The entree was topped with thick bacon bits and a honey drizzle. Who could ask for more? My friends and I were so impressed with this joint we all got t-shirts to commemorate our first time dining here. While each of my friends got a different plate that seemed to wow us all on a different levels, we all agreed that while the food was mind-blowing - it was the service of the owner Carla, who went above and beyond. Never met a person who cared more for their diners. Maybe it's the great food that keeps people coming back. Maybe it's the quick way in which you are seated - and with such genuine hospitality. My Minnesota friends - are convinced its because of Carla. I love Carla, but Im a coming back for the Bacon Flight sooner than "Pigs Can Fly."

This was our first time at the Early Bird in Ankeny and an easy pick as we were meeting friends with 3 girls aged 5 and under. Overall, service was fine - albeit by noon on Sunday our waiter was OVER IT - so much so my friend asked how much he hated her 3 kids (They'd had to pacify two of the kids with Burger King but still ordered meals at Early Bird). The food was fine - they brought fruit instead of my friend's side of tots but he didn't want to deal with flagging the absent waiter down, and my chocolate chip pancakes weren't at all as described on the menu aka just a scoop of mini chocolate chips on top but otherwise plain pancakes with much to be desired (hate that!). All the other food was well received but the two mimosa flights were suuuuper mid and not well presented: 3 half full juice cups on their own for $16 - not even on a tray or in a wine glass? Come on now. Three stars exclusively for ease of online waitlist and the mess I'm sure the kiddos made.

Hayleigh is the bomb.com. Great service and yummy food. We'll be back soon! Go Hayleigh!

Hailey is awesome! Came here with a large group and 100/10 would come back. The food is amazing, the Bloody Mary's are iconic. Great service as well!

Amazing food! We enjoyed the brunch type menu options offered and kids menu! Little wait as we went on a Sunday but friendly staff and we can not wait to come back!

Such a fun place! I read online how it's very busy on the weekends so we went on a Wednesday morning. It's bright and sunny. Haley was our server and she was excellent. She didn't make us feel rushed and she came back to check and make sure things were OK and was very friendly. I ordered the cinnamon roll pancakes with bacon and eggs as an add on. It was too much! The cinnamon roll pancakes were delicious and you did not need additional syrup. Everyone enjoyed their food. The bowl of fruit was beautiful and tasty! Three out of the five of us took extras home. Is it cheap? No. Is it tasty? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes.!

Another great breakfast place. We started with the Hash Holes. They are croquettes made with cheddar, smoked gouda and bacon. Really tasty, really filling, we took most of them home so we would be able to eat the rest of our breakfast comfortably. Lizzie had the Chicken and Waffle Fries. Fried chicken tenders with gravy to dip them in. The tenders were nice and juicy, the gravy really rich. It's the waffle fries that are the real winner here. You expect them to taste like french fries, right? Nope, they taste like waffles infused with maple syrup. It's a great idea done brilliantly. I have commented elsewhere about my wish for good southern style biscuits. The biscuits I grew up with were made in a cast iron skillet. These are pretty good. Still not what I am looking for, but quite tasty and a good texture. As I said above, the gravy is quite rich and very thick and very tasty. Go try this place, you will not be disappointed.

Most expensive breakfast I've had in a very long time. We had the pancakes and the Breakfast BLT. The food was ok, but nothing special. The waiter was rushing us and we had to flag him down for ketchup, silverware and refills. I spent $56 and that was without alcoholic drinks for 2 adults and one child meal. Disappointed

The staff was amazing on Mother's Day. Abbi was so nice and funny too, never rushed us and always happy to grab us something. The food was really good and so filling. Also I thought the restaurant was amazingly clean for kids coming through. The staff had great teamwork cleaning up tables.

This is fine. I didn't find anything that was amazing. Service was fine and the space is loud and trendy. Husband had the biscuits and gravy with a funny biscuit texture and super sage taste. Even the hashbrowns had a sage flavor. Crabs Benedict had an orange sauce on it that I didn't love but the hollandaise was good. I did like the extra crispy hashbrowns.

Checked into the wait line via Yelp, it did not mention that we'd get a phone call when the table was ready only to check in at the restaurant when we arrived. I missed two phone calls from an unknown number on our drive to the restaurant turns out it was the restaurant letting me know our table was ready- since I didn't answer it knocked me off the waitlist and back down to the bottom. All was discovered upon arrival. We were seated quickly considering all this happened which I was thankful for. I do think all of this should be noted during the part where you sign up for the waiting list via Yelp. The parking lot to this place is very small and shared with 4 other businesses- it was full & took some time to find a spot. Our food was really good, lots of menu options and fun drink options for alcohol, if you're wanting a Bloody Mary, mimosa, etc. we ordered the French toast and biscuits and gravy. Both were delicious. Our waitress was attentive and gave us plenty of time to look over the menu. The atmosphere has a very fun cartoon vibe with bright colors, and pop pictures in the walls. And Toy Story was playing on the screen at the breakfast bar! Overall a good experience, giving 4 stars because of the yelp waitlist issue and parking.

This is one of the best burritos I've ever had. It's definitely the best breakfast burrito I've had. The rice was tender and delicious, and the queso was really good. The tortilla was nice and chewy, and the beans were nicely done also. The steak wasn't my favorite, but it did not detract from the overall flavor. Our waitress was friendly and efficient. The restaurant was busy but clean. Highly recommend!

Spicy and filling. There are hash browns under this. I could only eat about half. The vegan chorizo is great

Food is great, many options, can definitely address sweet tooth. Staff is friendly and very efficient. Great atmosphere.

Service was good, food was great! Cinnamon roll pancakes were reportedly "amazing" by my sweet tooth teenager. I had the chilaquiles and it was a fantastic array of salsas, cheese and toppings. If we are ever back I would get the burrito next because the table beside us had one and it was huge and looked delicious.

My order was placed and delivered in a timely fashion. The food looked amazing and was tasty service was attentive to me. The ambiance was good but decor was cartoonish.

Carla was great and very attentive. The food was amazing I truly recommend! Thanks Carla

The ambiance was laid back with bright walls, very cheerful. I really like the decor it fits the happy upbeat attitude The service was GREAT MISTY was AWESOME!!! She really knew the menu and was so helpful navigating us through the AMAZING menu. And WOW is all I can say about the delicious menu items as well as WOW THE FOOD we got!!!! We got the jalapeno cheese balls to start then my husband had the Lavash Flatbread with the meat and gravy. But I got the most Amazing SALMON BENEDICT I've ever had!!! OMG it was so BIG, EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING! We will DEFINITELY be coming back soon and many times

Amazing food choices! Lots of gluten free or gluten prepared options! Gluten free Churro Waffles with Chantilly cream ! Pig out platter had the best pork belly and candied bacon ever! Our server was knowledgeable and very friendly! It was so good we are going back tomorrow!

Quick and friendly service. Sat within minutes after arriving at a busier time of the morning.

Everything was phenomenal! The food and drinks were !! The staff were very friendly and handled a very busy Friday afternoon. The atmosphere was just perfect! Everything was great! I highly recommend this place!!!

We finally tried out the new location in Ankeny. We have never been to one so it was a new experience. We used yelp to reserve a spot and it was about a 30 minute wait. The place was jam packed. My first impression was good. Very clean and nicely decorated. The tables are pretty close to one another so you are almost sitting with strangers. The menu is ridiculously large. Almost too many options in my opinion. We ordered an orange drink and a couple varieties of the bloody marys. The orange drink was delicious but the bloody marys were not worth the money in my opinion. We noticed several other tables that people didn't drink there or drank very little. I'm no quitter so I finished mine, but would not order another one from there. The kids had the early bird eggs, hash brown and bacon. The wifey had some cinnamon toast thing and I had the breakfast burrito. Everything was fresh and delicious and the eggs were perfectly cooked. Overall this is a what I would consider a trendy, fun place to get all day breakfast but I would also say 'almost' everything on the menu was over priced. Like the $15 burrito should be like $9 and the early bird plate should be like $6. Definitely paying for the name. I won't rush back due the value. It cost over $100 for 4 people to have breakfast and a drink. Here are some pictures.

The food service is a 5 but the fact when you call you can't speak to a human lowers the score.

Amazing food. We haven't had a bad dish here. Get the Hash Holes for an appetizer, you will not be disappointed. Their pork is also some of the best we've had. The atmosphere is fun and the decor is very cute and cohesive. One of my favorite places to take out of town guests! Just get there early or make a reservation through Yelp... they get busy very quickly!

Fantastic food and super friendly and efficient service. Prices are a bit high but portions are huge, so sharing an entree would be a great option to keep things a little more affordable!

The food was decent, service was great, and we didn't have to wait for a table at 10am on a Sunday!

Food is amazing! Gluten free options available! Services is great! Coffee is delicious!!

Loved our visit!! We adore the Waukee location & were so excited to try out the Ankeny location. It's got quite a bit more tables & I always recommend you make a reservation so you're not waiting!! The interior is brightly lit, service was super fast & the food was impeccable as usual. I am super excited about their opening here & can't wait to enjoy it with friends!!

Had the chicken and waffles. The chicken was obviously frozen previously and the meat was an off white green ish color. Atmosphere was also fun but chairs very uncomfortable.

We get something different and everything is delicious. Hash holes and Bennie's are usually the table favorites! Portions are huge. Would highly recommend!

I'm not sure why we waited so long! Our daughter has been hounding us to go to the WDM location since it opened, but I'm not the type of person who likes to wait for a table. So when I saw that the wait time was less than 5 min on Yelp, I said "let's go!" We walked in and were seated immediately. We ordered the Cinny Bobs (literal heaven on a stick and that caramel sauce is soooo good!!) as a starter. I ordered the Wonderful Day sandwich - what an explosion of flavor! Husband had the AM Pot Pie and he said it was wonderful. Our server, Carla, was so attentive and Jeremiah made a Bellini that hit with the first sip!! Such a great experience and we've added this to our top breakfast spots in Ankeny!

We were visiting our kids in Ankeny and had a great breakfast at Early Bird! Our food and service was wonderful. Peach/Sarah was an amazing server. She took great care of our large crew! Thank you Peach for great service. We will definitely be back!

I've been here a few times, and it's always an amazing experience! The food is fantastic, and the service is top-notch! Even when it's packed, my meal arrives steaming hot and super fast. My only wish? They could add green tea or chai tea to the menu to make it absolutely perfect!

Great food! clean, fun environment really enjoyed the experience... if you like a mimosa with breakfast this is the place for you

I absolutely adore Early Bird. I've been to the Ankeny location twice and both times the food blew me away. I've tried their sweet and savory and both deserve more hype. The service is great, with attentiveness that doesn't become hovering. It's definitely a busy place on the weekends so be prepared for a let of conversations and frivolity. I've found that sitting in the back portion of the restaurant makes it much quieter, so definitely ask for that if you're wanting a more relaxed feeling. Early Bird has become my go-to brunch spot in the Des Moines area. You must check it out! Recommendations: Apps - Cinny-Bobs Entrees - Pancake Sandy, El Gordo Morning Burrito Bowl (spicy!) Sides - Tots Drinks - Biscoffee (alcoholic)

Extremely surprised at the low reviews for this place as my experience was great. Went on a Friday morning for breakfast/brunch and was seated very quickly. Place was a little busy but got awesome customer service from the hostess and the waitress once seated. Had never been here so asked for opinions on drinks and food and the waitress had some great recommendations on drinks/dishes. She was really nice, had a great attitude and was super friendly. Food and drinks came very timely and were on point. For drinks we had an Espresso Martini 4/5, Good Doctor 3.5/5 and a Beermosa 5/5. For entrees we had Crab Cake Benny 4/5, Chicken Fried Steak 5/5 and an order of Pancakes 4/5. Everything was on point, only knock I had on this place was the Good Doctor. It was a tiny bit watered down to me but nothing outrageous. Might've just gotten a bad pour but again, nothing to bash this place on. Seen a few reviews complaining about pricing but i thought everything was very well priced considering economy and quality of food/service I received. I'm also from CA so i know what expensive really is lol. Overall, all things considered, this place was great and I am definitely happy it's in Ankeny. Definitely needed more breakfast places to patronize and I will 100% be coming back and trying more of their menu.

For first impressions, the building is placed in an awkward location. When you walk in, you have to check in on an iPad and wait inside, which I thought was interesting but not bad. We waited about 5-10 minutes until we were seated, but they were super busy so that is understandable. The ambiance in the place is very cute and relaxed, with pops of color and cute photos on the walls. The bar was cute and the seating was fun. The menu is very big and has a lot of options, but I did wish there was an option of a little bit of everything (pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, etc). I chose to get the chicken and waffles and my boyfriend got the burrito. The burrito was huge and delicious! The chicken was so tender it melted in your mouth, the breading was thin but delicious, and the waffles were yummy! I had eggs and bacon as a side and they were good as well. The only thing that brought down my review was the service. We were treated well in the beginning, but our waiter left and didn't show up for a while. We didn't even get one refill of water even when we ran out. After I finished my first cup of coffee, I was not offered another. After we finished eating, our waiter didn't give us the bill for about 30 minutes. We had to go up to the bar and give them the bill and pay because they never came back again. Our waiter did also say some inappropriate things to us as well. They said they'd never ate there when I asked them what they would recommend to eat. Overall, I thought the food was very good, the prices were pretty high, but I think it's worth a try! Besides our waiter, it looked like everyone was waited on well and treated how we should have been. I would not let our waiting experience deter you. It is a worthy eat!

Desiree was our server, she's AMAZING!! Atmosphere was nice and busy!! Food was ok. Expected the same quality as we get at the Des Moines location, that was not delivered. Room for improvement.

This was a very pleasant restaurant, comfortable and casual dining with good food. The service was excellent and gave us great recommendations to try. I even purchased a cute mug to take home!

Good food, service was ok. Feels a little bit like a cafeteria. But overall, we will likely go back.

Amazing food and amazing service! The BBLT blows my mind every time and you have to try the Crab Rangoon Omelet!!! Thanks for your service Kenna. Great work.

We were really hoping to like this place. The good: got on the waitlist and was seated shortly after arrival. Drinks came quickly and were yummy. Servings were large. The bad: all of the food was cold and dry. Biscuits and gravy was dry. Eggs tasted fake. Hash browns had funky seasoning that we weren't a fan of. Overall, it is far too expensive for not great food.

Hubby and I had breakfast here today and we had such a good experience. Everyone was so nice and friendly. Our waitress, Desiree, was so attentive despite taking care of other customers. We didn't have to wait for a thing. We had one, little snafu. They got the order wrong for my husband's breakfast, so they had to remake it. It didn't take that long for him to get the correct food ,but it's always awkward to get your food when the other person doesn't have theirs. The manager automatically comped his meal which I thought was very generous. We had a few requests to make the food to our liking (crispy hashbrowns, gravy on the side,!etc) and they nailed it. The food was excellent! You think that breakfast is pretty basic and hard to screw up, but that's not true. The scrambled eggs were fluffy, the bacon was crisp w/o being burned, the pancake was puffy, the chicken-fried steak was crispy, not soggy and so on. Give this place a try, especially if you're a breakfast person like me.

The food quality and the customer service are great. We went there twice and both times the experience was excellent. Our server Sam on the first visit and Lindsey and Diana on the second visit were very attentive. We will definitely go back every week and recommend this place to everyone.

Omg! So worth the try!! Very clean, very cute and very good food!!! Our waitress was also amazing, she was very attentive and had the sweetest disposition I've ever seen. I had the chicken fried steak w/ eggs and hash browns . I subbed the toast with a pancake. The pancake was big as a plate and so was the chicken fried steak Great food , great place!

The only negative I can say about this place is that when it's crowded, it is VERY loud and echos. We orders churro waffles and the hippie sandwich. Both were delicious!!!! Our waitress was very nice and attentive. It's not the cheapest place for brunch, but it has become one of our favorites!

Always delicious, service is fast. The churro waffles are a family favorite! The ambiance is relaxed and family friendly

This is one of what I would call the modern breakfast restaurant. The previous generation had Dennys and Perkins, but new restaurants have it be hip, have more exciting options and some fancy logo. I was happy with the cleanliness. I was happy with the size of the menu. It was neither particularly cheap or expensive- the prices were quite in with Perkins, IHOP and other breakfast restaurants The food was really good. Yes it was breakfast food but was very good. It didn't look like a lot on the plate but it was a decent portion. In the pursuit of being hip and modern plating, it probably ironically works against them. Service was disappointing for the time of day and generally empty Weekday restaurant. Server did the bare minimum and that's probably why I have seen so many negative reviews. Personally I enjoyed everything else but considered deducting two stars for the service. It perhaps was lucky everything else was in line as this easily could have went from a four star review to a two star review if there had been a wait for a table or the place wasn't clean

Good service despite being busy. Always consistently good food. Their reservation system is never right, but the wait is usually less than they say. We got taken off the waitlist because we weren't there when the table was ready but they accommodated us and got us seated right away.