Dishin' it up at The Drake Diner

Today's review comes to you by the lovely, Elicia Ropte.  Friend of Eat, Play, Love Des Moines, Elicia is wife to Dave (part-owner of the fantastic new 515 Brewery) and mom of two super-cute kids.  Elicia considers herself a foodie and this girl can cook!  I'd take food advice from her any day!  Thanks for the review Elicia!

The Drake Diner, named for its proximity to Drake University, is located at 1111 25^th Street in Des Moines.  The Drake Diner is locally owned and operated and has been a local favorite since the doors opened to the public in 1987.  The diner is open from 7AM-11PM Monday-Saturday and 7AM-10PM Sunday. 

The exterior is reminiscent of a retro dining car with its rounded sleek design, bright neon and a large clock above the entrance.  The interior exhibits just enough 1950s nostalgia without being tacky and is always a cozy spot to grab a bite. Breakfast on the weekends is always bustling with hungry diners and tables fill up quickly with eager customers during the weekday lunch hour.  They do accept reservations for parties larger than eight. 

The menu features an extensive list of breakfast items which are served all day with the exception of a few items, such as the oatmeal and grits only being served until 2PM.  There is a nice variety of lunch and dinner items as well.  Have room for dessert?  It doesn’t fit on the menu and tends to rotate often so ask your server for a list of the delicious daily offerings.  Beverages range from fountain soda, specialty bottled sodas, hot beverages and they even offer a selection of beers and wines.

On this particular weekday we arrived at 11:00.  I had my heart set on breakfast but my husband decided on a lunch option.  Our preschooler has always enjoyed the variety the children’s menu offers with choice of one main item, a side from a larger selection than most restaurants offer kids and a choice of beverage.  Each child’s meal also comes with a lollipop and a small toy.  This is not stated on the children’s menu, which I feel is a nice option if you would prefer your child not receive such items.  The lollipops and toys are kept behind the host stand so check with them out on your way out the door!

Our preschooler ordered mini Belgian waffles.  He received two golden and feather light waffles which were quickly drenched in syrup.  His side of choice was the fresh fruit cup which is always impressive selection of melons, green and red grapes, fresh pineapple and fresh strawberries.  Unfortunately four year olds don’t understand that mommy wants to take a photo of the meal before digging in.  My husband opted for the Portabella Mushroom Sandwich and sweet potato fries.  The large, meaty portabella mushroom cap was broiled with garlic butter and then served on a whole wheat bun.  A slice of melted Swiss cheese adorns the sandwich along with crisp lettuce, a juicy tomato slice and red onion slices.  The sandwich was served with a creamy honey jalapeño sauce and my husband declared it very tasty.  The sweet potato fries weren’t particularly note-worthy but were hot, crisp and not at all greasy.  The fries were quite a hit with our toddler.

I went with what the menu stated was a Drake Diner specialty, the Santa Fe Grits.  The menu claims their creamy grits are mixed with sausage, cheddar cheese and green chiles and then are grilled and served with two eggs cooked to your specification with white or wheat toast.  Sounds interesting, doesn’t it?  I think this menu item shows a lot of potential but it could have used some tweaking in the cooking process.  I was surprised to see two dense, fully-formed patties come out to the table and was served with a small cup of salsa.  The eggs were cooked perfectly over easy.  But the Santa Fe grits were extremely dry and I was not able to detect sausage, cheese nor green chiles.  I would probably try this item again as it does sound so interesting.  Perhaps this particular Wednesday was just an off day in the kitchen.

The crowning moment in the meal, in my opinion, was the pancakes.  Drake Diner offers pumpkin pancakes but unlike many other breakfast establishments I’ve visited, the pumpkin pancakes at the Drake Diner are offered year round.  Score!  They are always a beautiful deep orange color with just the right amount of spice as not to overpower the delicate and fluffy pancakes.  I ordered the short stack in addition to my meal but I was only able to get a few bites in!  They were an astounding hit with our toddler and she nearly finished two plate-sized pancakes!

By the time we were finishing up our meal the lunch crowd was in full force.  The diner was alive with happy chatter.  The Drake Diner is deeply rooted in the community and when you visit it’s easy to see why.  As we walked to our car with full bellies and surprisingly contented and calm children, I reflected on our nearly perfect visit.