The Ankeny Brief

The caffeine index
Where to get coffee in Ankeny, Iowa — the drive-thru lineup and the cafes worth sitting down for.

Ankeny might have the most competitive coffee scene per capita in Iowa — there's a drive-thru on seemingly every corner, plus a handful of genuinely good local cafes. Here's the field, whether you want a 90-second drive-thru or a slow Saturday morning.

The drive-thru crowd

Fast coffee & energy drinks

7 Brew · the current drive-thru go-to — fast, friendly, huge menu4.7★
Hyper Energy Bar · 120 flavors of custom energy drinks + coffee, double drive-thru · 1101 S Ankeny Blvddrive-thru
Dutch Bros · coming soon — and from the build, it may be the nicest of the bunchopening soon

We'll flag the day Dutch Bros opens in the weekly Brief — it's the most-watched grand opening in town.

First to know when Dutch Bros opens

The Ankeny Brief is a free weekly email — new openings, deals, and what's happening around town. We watch so you don't have to.

Subscribe free →
Sit & stay a while

Local cafes worth a slow morning

Porch Light Coffeehouse · a true local third-place to read or meet uplocal
Cafe Diem · longtime Uptown coffeehouse stapleUptown
Blue Bean & Twisted Bean · neighborhood roasters & espresso barsaround town
Smokey Row · Iowa coffeehouse mini-chain — coffee, malts & a full menucafe
Coffee + breakfast

If you want a sit-down breakfast too

Main Street Cafe & Bakery isn't just coffee — it's the single highest-rated spot on our whole Ankeny restaurant list (4.7★), with from-scratch baking and a proper breakfast. The move when you want a cup and a plate.

We're missing your favorite?

New coffee shops open in Ankeny constantly. Tell us the one we should add and we'll feature it in the weekly Brief.

Sources: aggregate ratings from Google & Yelp (point-in-time, mid-2026), business listings, and local knowledge. Hours, locations, and openings change fast in a growing town — confirm before you drive over.