Covered Wagon Cafe & Bakery

This is a really fabulous stop in DeSmet!! We stopped in for the coffee but also enjoyed the slushies/smoothies and root beer floats. It had a beautiful setup for enjoying our refreshments on site. There are many gifts available for sale...this is a great pit stop when you're traveling through the area. Highly recommended!!

We were in town to see the Ingalls Homestead and wanted to find a local breakfast spot. Our search was a success when we found Ward's Store & Bakery. Although the breakfast menu is small, everything on it was absolutely delicious. My kids ordered fresh toast (made with HOMEMADE wheat bread) and the ham & cheese omelette. I've never seen my kids eat so quickly! They said - "this is the best french toast ever!" and "I love these eggs I love these eggs I love these eggs!" I would agree - I had the breakfast sandwich with HOMEMADE wheat bread and it was gone within seconds - delicious! Many locals were also inside enjoying their coffee - you could tell they come here often. The prices were reasonable, the donuts were light and fluffy, the friendly staff was attentive and the coffee was quite good too. If you're in town to see the Ingalls sites, be sure to stop in, you won't be disappointed.

Wards is really great food with just the best people. It's like being home. The staff are just the best! Very knowledgeable about everything. From events in town to the history of Laura Ingles Wilder. To the best fishing, hunting & other sports.

Great service and price.well worth a visit. Great tasting food & coffee.

Thank you for accommodating my allergies! Lunch and dessert were delicious! The gift shop also had some really fun and unique pieces, and the staff was terrific. Update: Your Maple Frosted Cinnamon Rolls are heavenly! I will use them as a benchmark from now on.

The staff was incredibly polite and the pastries were phenomenal! Their coffee selection caters to every taste, and the food came out very quick. I had a cup of black medium roast and an elephant's ear. A great way to spend a morning.

The food was proper food and home cooked. Made with care and the staff were kind and attentive. Really good coffee. Filled up with local people coming in for lunch and a chat. Crafts and artwork for sale or just to admire there. It is a delightful, bright, artistic, interesting and quirky place and I would eat here very regularly if I lived in De Smet.

We came here with two kids and a baby, staff was so friendly! Lunch was delish, my kids ate all their food! Also one of the best mint mochas ever! So yummy! We will be back for sure when we come to town.

Wards is a very charming little place with a limited menu and small gift shop. Nice seating outside. They serve American as well as espresso coffee. The people who work there are very friendly and helpful. However, we can't recommend the breakfast buffet. The eggs were made from powder the hash browns were soggy and we had to pay extra for biscuits. The lunch menu looks great but we haven't tried it yet. No vegan or vegetarian options that I could see.

We were in town to see the Ingalls Homestead and wanted to find a local breakfast spot. Our search was a success when we found Ward's Store & Bakery. Although the breakfast menu is small, everything on it was absolutely delicious. My kids ordered fresh toast (made with HOMEMADE wheat bread) and the ham & cheese omelette. I've never seen my kids eat so quickly! They said - "this is the best french toast ever!" and "I love these eggs I love these eggs I love these eggs!" I would agree - I had the breakfast sandwich with HOMEMADE wheat bread and it was gone within seconds - delicious! Many locals were also inside enjoying their coffee - you could tell they come here often. The prices were reasonable, the donuts were light and fluffy, the friendly staff was attentive and the coffee was quite good too. If you're in town to see the Ingalls sites, be sure to stop in, you won't be disappointed.

Great food,coffees and friendly fast service. Many interesting things to look at lots of local talent to see and purchase. Walleye jewelry!! Now that was unique

This is a very good place to eat, but it does close early, so don't plan on eating supper here. We had wraps with side salads and the food and the service was excellent. I would definitely eat here again!

Arrived at closing but proprietor gladly welcomed us & visited with us. Great appeal for small town. Super pastries & coffee. Hope to return to the area soon.

Nice quiet place in the quiet little town of De Smet, SD. We did the town because (of course) Laura Ingalls Wilder and wanted a quick bite. This was one of the few places and it has a reasonable Yelp rating. Old fashioned American style diner inside a general store of a small hometown. Service is very friendly and quick. We had a late lunch around 1:30pm on a Friday. We had Deluxe Cheeseburger, chicken salad sandwich and the pulled pork sandwich. All were good, down-to-earth home cooked food. Nothing special, just a good hearty bite.

Worst service I have ever received from a business owner. Went in to speak the owner about ordered a wedding cake, she asked who was doing the rest of my stuff. I told her I already had a catering company hired to do food and sheet cake, but they don't do anything fancier so Im looking for someone to make a nicer cutting cake. She rudely told me to have them do my cake and refused to help me after that. I could not believe that came from a business owner.

I was on outreach for professional school for 1 month in the little town of De Smet. Coming from Minneapolis, it was a big change to be without organic grocery stores, greenways, and quaint, independently-owned coffee shoppes with wifi right in my backyard. I was elated when I discovered Ward's! I could at least indulge in my routine fufu drink that Patty would expertly make for me on a bi-weekly basis. The owner is very friendly and cares about her customers. I cannot speak to the food, but they also function as a small restaurant and gift shoppe. If you're stuck in the middle of nowhere- stop here!

My boyfriend found this quaint store, bakery, restaurant when he was De Smet about a month before we planned on going to visit the Ingalls Homestead. So when the day finally came, this is where he took me for lunch. We were not disappointed! The servers were super friendly and there were a lot of Made in South Dakota items for sale. I had the chicken fried steak special which was quite tasty and my boyfriend had a cheeseburger and fries which was decent. The prices were good and we were full and ready to hit the Homestead. I also picked up a large squeeze bottle of SD honey to take home as a souvenir.