The Ankeny Brief
It depends on what kind of morning you want. A big plate and a cocktail is Early Bird. Benedicts in Prairie Trail is The Breakfast Club. A diner with hot beef on the board is It's My Jam. A breakfast sandwich and a laptop is Cafe Diem. Here's how they line up.
The two big brunch spots close at 2:30 p.m., seven days a week. If you are rolling out of bed at 2, go to Cafe Diem, which keeps its doors open until 6.
Early Bird calls itself a modern take on the classic diner. It serves brunch cocktails, and its "Flocktail Hour" takes 50% off cocktails daily from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., so a late table has a real upside. The restaurant runs a waitlist through its site, and it does boxed brunch catering.
The Breakfast Club sits in Prairie Trail and builds its menu around Benedicts (the section is called "Benny & The Jets"), loaded hashbrowns, pancakes and a lunch list, with coffee, cocktails and mimosas. Its Ankeny page points you to reservations, which is the move on a weekend.
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Yes. It's My Jam Cafe is at 7015 NE 14th St in the Carney area, just south of the city limits. It took over the old Sorriso Grille space. The Des Moines Register reported in 2024 that the menu would keep hot beef on Tuesdays, chicken fried steak on Thursdays, the Carney platter, cinnamon rolls and biscuits, and add ham balls and house-made sausage. The owner, who also runs Smokey D's BBQ, said he hoped for 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. hours with breakfast all day. That was a plan, so call or check their social pages first.
Main Street Cafe & Bakery is on the southwest side at 2510 SW White Birch Dr, Suites 1 and 2. It is the pick when you also want something from a bakery case. It made the Ankeny Business Journal's 2025 patio list, along with Early Bird and The Breakfast Club, so all three are worth a look on a nice morning.
Cafe Diem, at 2005 S Ankeny Blvd, Suite 700. Hours are Monday to Friday 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 7 to 6 and Sunday 8 to 6. Expect breakfast sandwiches on a croissant, bagel or ciabatta, a Southwest breakfast burrito and bagels. The Ankeny shop has mobile ordering through its app and a conference room you can book. It also runs Cafe X inside DMACC Building 5, which is handy if you are on campus. For more coffee picks, see our Ankeny coffee guide.
Older review sites list Egg Bistro as an Ankeny breakfast diner. We could not find its own site or current hours, and the one address that turned up (617 SW 3rd St) is listed by the Ankeny Business Journal as Mullets. Confirm it is open before you drive over.
Usually no, but plan on a wait late on weekend mornings. Your best shortcuts: join the Early Bird waitlist online before you leave, or check reservations on The Breakfast Club's Ankeny page. The other way to beat it is to go early, since Early Bird opens at 6:30 a.m. and The Breakfast Club at 7, every day of the week.
Feeding a group at home or at work? Early Bird offers "Brunch in a Box" catering. For dinner plans after all of this, try our restaurant guide.
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It depends on the morning you want. Early Bird and The Breakfast Club are the full brunch spots, It's My Jam Cafe is the classic comfort-food diner in Carney just south of town, Cafe Diem is the coffee shop option, and Main Street Cafe & Bakery adds a bakery case.
Early Bird at 1520 S Ankeny Blvd serves diner classics with brunch cocktails daily from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Breakfast Club at 1465 SW Park Square Dr in Prairie Trail is known for Benedicts, with cocktails and mimosas, daily from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Yes. It's My Jam Cafe at 7015 NE 14th St in Carney was set up as an Iowa comfort food diner with biscuits and cinnamon rolls. Main Street Cafe & Bakery at 2510 SW White Birch Dr is another local option. Call either one for current hours.
Early Bird and The Breakfast Club both close at 2:30 p.m. every day. Cafe Diem stays open until 6 p.m. Check It's My Jam Cafe and Main Street Cafe & Bakery by phone or online before a late-morning visit.
Early Bird opens at 6:30 a.m. every day. Cafe Diem also opens at 6:30 a.m. on weekdays, then 7 a.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday. The Breakfast Club opens at 7 a.m. daily.
Usually no, but weekend late mornings get busy. Early Bird has an online waitlist and The Breakfast Club's Ankeny page lists reservations. Going a little earlier is the simplest way to skip the wait.
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