Waveland Cafe

I've been twice and was more than disappointed. A simple order takes at least 30 minutes to come out of the kitchen and the waitresses are more interested in gossiping by the coffee pots than greeting customers. The toast is soggy and the steak is consistently overcooked. The hashbrowns taste like old oil, the french fries are rubbery and I couldn't take a second bite of the french dip. Des Moines needs a good breakfast diner, but this is not it.

This is about the West location in Booneville. I don't understand the appeal at all. It took over 30 minutes for our food to come out, my steak was _way_ overcooked, hashbrowns burnt black, and the soggiest toast I've ever had. Gateway Market is a much better breakfast, but even Hy-Vee and Dahls put Waveland to shame!

The epitome of a greasy spoon I guess, but I can't figure out the appeal of this place. To me, the constant long waits every weekend morning are not worth the hassle for a plate of $4 eggs toast and sausage. If you're on the near west side, at least try going to places with a more creative breakfast menu like La Mie, Palmer's, or even Star Bar for Brunch. I'd rather go to Drake Dinner for the same concept, only much more convienent. The wait staff at The Waveland have plenty of charm and certainly do their best under the always packed weekend breakfast conditions.

The food is decent, but it isn't good enough to justify having to wait 20 mins in a cold doorway for a table. Plus, the place is a total dive. I would sooner go to Village Inn or Perkins.

A Des Moines institution! We make it a point to go to the original Waveland every Sunday for breakfast. The interior is nothing special, with the exception of the murals on the walls…this is just your typical townie diner (greasy-spoon) type of place, but the menu speaks the truth: they make the best hashbrowns in the universe. They uses locally produced meat and produce. The wheat bread is an excellent multi-grain that toasts up very nicely. This is the only place I have been to in this town that has mastered the over-medium egg. My partner loves their country fried steak, and I usually order the breakfast special. They also have good coffee and serve plate-sized pancakes, which are delish but very filling.

The only reason this place doesn’t get five stars is because sometime the waitresses (all which have been there forever) can sometimes get a little grumpy, but I suppose that’s part of this café’s charm.