The iconic pumpkin spice latte heralds the arrival of all things fall, but if local coffee shops are more your thing (or if pumpkin isn’t), Des Moines has your taste buds covered. From ciders to chais to coffee, the central Iowa coffee scene hits practically every seasonal craving. These are only a portion of the offerings you can find!
Written by Seeta Mangra-Stubbs, Des Moines Girl Contributor
The DSMG Guide to Fall Drinks Around Des Moines
Chain + Spoke Coffee & Cyclery
- Open daily from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- Chain + Spoke Coffee, 515 28th Street, Suite 102, Des Moines, Iowa 50312
While the weather is still cooperative, a bike ride to Chain and Spoke in the heart of Des Moines will take you to less-pumpkin oriented beverages. Their fall menu includes a maple old fashioned, peach tea cobbler, and cream sproda, which is not a typo. They also feature a Bee Sting: A spicy oat latte with honey syrup, chili-infused honey, and espresso. But if you find yourself yearning for a little pumpkin, Chain and Spoke often has weekly baked goods including pumpkin scones made by their in-house baker.
Why we love it: It’s the city’s only combined bike shop and coffee shop!
Best for: Taking a break after maneuvering the bike lanes downtown.
Friedrich’s Coffee
- Open Monday – Friday, 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. & weekends, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Friedrich’s Coffee Des Moines, 4126 University Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50311
- Friedrich’s Coffee Urbandale, 4632 NW 86th Street, Urbandale, Iowa 50322
- Friedrich’s Coffee West Des Moines, 1821 22nd Street, Suite101, West Des Moines, Iowa 50266
Friedrich’s is one of the city’s oldest coffeeshops, opening in October of 1991. Going full-on pumpkin, they have four drinks to satisfy your basic needs. It starts with a standard pumpkin spice latte. They stay true to their coffee; however, with a pumpkin spice sweet cream (soft top optional), and a pumpkin cold brew. Beyond that, each location has their own October specials including a Monster Mash Mocha, a cinnamon roll latte, and a caramel and toasted marshmallow drink called the Ghoulish Latte.
Why we love it: They’re a city staple and the only local coffee shop chain.
Best for: Coffee and espresso traditionalists.
ChaCha’s Hiland Bakery
- Open Tuesdays – Friday, 5 a.m. – 1 p.m., Saturday, 6 a.m. – 1 p.m., & Sunday, 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.
- ChaCha’s Hiland Bakery, 3615 6th Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50313
You already know about Hiland Bakery, a Des Moines-institution in Highland Park since 1946. You might not know it’s under new ownership by the folks from ChaCha’s Confections. Hence, the new name. While they aren’t a coffee shop, that doesn’t stop ChaCha’s Hiland Bakery from jumping into the leaf pile with their own fall drinks. They have a pumpkin spice latte, a cinnamon mocha, a honey almond latte with local honey, and a caramel apple cider. Pair any of those with a classic glazed donut, and you’re set!
Why we love it: It’s a combination of a beloved old bakery and a beloved new bakery.
Best for: Donuts and cheesecake with your PSL!
Horizon Line Coffee
- Open Tuesday – Sunday, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Horizon Line Coffee, 1417 Walnut Street, Suite B, Des Moines, Iowa 50309
The ever-popular Horizon Line Coffee always wins for creativity. Their fall drinks do not fall short. They have five offerings, but they haven’t skipped a classic PSL. After that, each drink gets more fun. The malted maple latte seems straightforward until you get to the barley malt infusion. The song reference and romantically named “We Fell in Love in October” combines matcha, apple juice, and brown sugar sage syrup. The espresso tonics they’ve become known for aren’t excluded; “Walk in the Park” features a blackberry pear brown sugar reduction along with fall spices. Lastly, the for-here only drink and movie reference . . . “What She’s Having” lists nine ingredients and two more for the cold foam.
Why we love it: Horizon Line’s ingenuity continues to impress.
Best for: The adventurous palate.
Hyper Energy Bar
- Open Monday – Saturday, 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. & Sunday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Hyper Energy Bar Grimes, 180 SE Miehe Drive, Grimes, Iowa 50111
- Hyper Energy Bar West Des Moines, 675 S. 60th Street, West Des Moines, Iowa 50266
- Hyper Energy Bar Urbandale, 3739 86th Street, Urbandale, Iowa 50322
- Hyper Energy Bar Waukee, 1025 SE Laurel Street, Waukee, Iowa 50263
Although Hyper Energy Bar might not come to mind when thinking about autumnal bevvies, they bring us seven different choices. The highlights are Magnetic Apple with green apple flavoring and caramel sauce, Oh My Gourd “OMG” Energy with pumpkin pie flavoring and caramel syrup topped with a vanilla “cool cloud,” the Ahh Shucks Latte with the intriguing kettle corn flavoring and white chocolate sauce, and the Chai Chai Again mixing their chai with white chocolate. The OMG Energy drink also comes as a Latte, so if you need that coffee-pumpkin combination, they don’t leave you hanging.
Why we love it: Drive-throughs make them convenient!
Best for: Delicious energy buzzes.
Mayalu Coffee
- Open Monday – Wednesday, 6 a.m. – 2 p.m., Thursday – Saturday, 6 a.m. – 4 p.m., & Sunday, 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Mayalu Coffee, 4426 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, Iowa 50321
Newly opened in January, Mayalu Coffee is one of the newest coffee shops in Des Moines proper. It’s also one of the most unique with Nepali coffee, teas, and drinks year-round. Their regular menu is already spice-forward with the Nepali Chiya and Masala Coffee, but they have a seasonal menu as well. The PumpkinKTM combines espresso, cardamom, pumpkin spice, and saffron milk, which I’m pretty sure you can’t get anywhere else in the metro. If you aren’t ready to get that bold, they still have a pumpkin spice cold brew. For the pumpkin haters, they do have a mango lassi and three additional drinks.
Why we love it: Asian-owned and unlike anything else in town.
Best for: Warm spices and non-coffee drinks.
SweetDude Coffee & Cafe
- Open Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- SweetDude Coffee and Cafe, 9763 University Avenue, Clive, Iowa 50325
SweetDude’s draw is their choux pastries with craquelin, a hard sugar crust. But if you pair one of those with a pumpkin spice latte, toasted marshmallow latte, or their spiced brown sugar latte, you’ll have a creamy, crunchy seasonal treat. Moreover, if you’ve got a little following on TikTok, SweetDude has a fantastic space for a solid aesthetic.
Why we love it: Anything for that incredible choux pastry!
Best for: Stylish selfies and dessert-loving foodies
The Coffeesmith
- Open Monday – Friday, 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. & Saturday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- The Coffeesmith, 770 Alice’s Road, Waukee, Iowa 50263
In one of those “blink and you’ll miss it” strip malls, The Coffeesmith in Waukee has a full roster on their fall menu as well as a pumpkin cream muffin. Their competitor in the PSL fight is the pumpkin pie latte as well as The Great Pumpkin cold brew cold foam. But they don’t keep it to pumpkin. They’ve also got a maple brown sugar latte, butter pecan latte, a lavender spice pablo honey, caramel apple cider, and caramel apple sucker energy drink.
Why we love it: It’s as low-key as a coffee shop gets.
Best for: Solo workers seeking autumnal warmth.
Vibrant Coffeehouse + Kitchen
- Open Monday – Saturday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. & Sunday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Vibrant Coffeehouse and Kitchen, 520 East Grand Avenue, Des Moines Iowa 50309
Vibrant Coffeehouse and Kitchen is the East Village’s latest addition. Though they opt for a traditional PSL and a cold brew with pumpkin spice cold foam, Vibrant also brews up two remarkable chai options. One is the honey vanilla chai; the other is banana bread chai. As a chai lover, I’ve never seen that anywhere else, and Vibrant scores major points for playing with flavors.
Why we love it: They have a walk-up window for quick orders.
Best for: Those looking for coffee and a meal.
Bonus Mention: Lucky Lotus
- Open Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. & 5 p.m. – 8 p.m., Friday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. & 5 p.m. – 9 p.m., & Saturday, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
- Lucky Lotus, 2721 Ingersoll Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50312
No Des Moines fall guide is complete without pumpkin rangoonies. Lucky Lotus offers these variations on their standard crab rangoonies every year. They also have autumn rolls and a pumpkin spice thai tea that I will personally brave any weather conditions just for a single sip.
Why we love it: Some of the best local Asian cuisine in the city.
Best for: Seasonal menus and gorgeous interiors.
What’s your fav fall drink in the metro? Was it one of the featured lattes from Chain + Spoke? Or, did you try a good ol’ cup of joe with a choux pastry from SweetDude? Tell us your go-to fall drink and let us know your review!
