Mars Cafe: User Reviews
Mars Cafe
2318 University Ave. - Des Moines515-369-6277
Make sure to check out @MarsCafe on Twitter for deals on food and drink offerings!
Friendly staff, great coffee, easy-going atmosphere, and involved owners make this spot hang-out favorite. Blazing wifi recently upgraded makes Mars a great place for mobile working during the day.
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I love the Mars Cafe Happy Hour and the great events they have going on. In addition to cofee, they have a nice wine and beer selection. Try the paninis-delicious! The Bulldog is my favorite by far. Its not a coffee shop I go to frequently, but I always enjoy it when in the area.
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This is an OK coffee shop, but it is loud and it seems like it should be more "homey" in a University setting.
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I have enjoyed many a Latte from around the Des Moines area and have not found a place that pulls as good of shots as Mars Cafe. The drinks are always phenomenal and the atmosphere as well.
It's a great place to bring your laptop, book, or craft project to work on, or just hang out to pass some time.
Sidenote: Mornings and afternoons are more conducive to reading or thinking, as it can be a bustling place in the evenings.
There are many generations that hang out at the cafe, depending time and day.
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Mars probably has the best coffee and espresso drinks I have ever had, anywhere in Des Moines. I have grown to love and support locally owned, independent stores over the past couple years, but this place is by far my favorite.
Gotta love Mars' coffee. Makes me really appreciate excellent coffee! I have never witnessed so many baristas in one place that show so much attention to detail with espresso.
These guys do LATTE ART! No one in Des Moines does latte art! How cool is that.
It's a little slower than a Starbucks or Caribou, but that's because they actually care that you are getting a fresh, tasty drink. These guys are efficient and they always use fresh milk - unlike most places where i've watched baristas re-steam milk when they used too much on the last drink - that's just sick.
They usually have awesome art on the walls, it's all by local artists too. It changes every few weeks.
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Mars Cafe is hands-down the best place to get a cup of coffee in Des Moines. Their baristas are the best-trained of any shop I've been to in the state. And, as a one-time barista myself, I'm impressed by the consistency and quality of their drinks. They know their coffee.
The food, while more "snacky" than "rib-sticking" is nonetheless tasty and fresh. A coffee shop is not a restaurant, so you probably wouldn't end up at Mars if you were starving, anyway. I rather like the three-cheese panini.
Other posters may complain about the prices, but in coffee, as in most things, you get what you pay for. When you take into account the better coffee, better technique and better ingredients, Mars Cafe coffee is a great value. Their prices are very comparable to other independent coffee shops.
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I find Mars Cafe to be vastly overrated, incredibly overpriced, and far too noisy, and I'm not a cranky old coot. I find their baked goods to be stale more often than not, their paninis are rarely heated through, their prices are very steep (for everything from coffee and beverages to the sandwiches) and their service is very aloof. And it is always freezing cold inside. I find Java Lava down the block to be much less expensive, more polite, and quieter for meetings. I just don't get the Mars Cafe fascination!!!
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Mars positives: Great space, location, free Wi-Fi and a WIDE menu for coffee, tea, and beer options.
Negatives: Stuffy baristas, inattentive service, and random price changes.
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This has to be my favorite cafe in Iowa, if not overall. It is hard to find baristas that take the time to craft an espresso drink like they do at Mars. The brewed coffee is heads and tails over others in town. Panini sandwiches, great beer and wine selection and comfortable atmosphere are all part of this great venue.
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Review Summary
The following scores represent the average rating submitted by 86 users:
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