Come in for a great start to the day with one of our excellent breakfast items and a nice cup of your favorite refreshment. An excellent way to start your day. PerKup Cafe is located in the Governor Square Complex at 2700 University Ave, Suite 324 in West Des Moines. We offer Breakfast, Lunch and a full range of coffee drinks.
At PerKup Cafe, you'll find our menu packed full of great homemade food. Our french toast features Big Sky's homemade apple cinnamon bread and our secret batter. You really must try it. Hashbrowns are cooked fresh and definitely worth the wait. They are said to be the best in town. For a special treat try the hashbrown taco, loaded with sour cream, cheese, green onion and bacon.
At PerKup Cafe, you'll find our menu packed full of great homemade food. Our french toast features Big Sky's homemade apple cinnamon bread and our secret batter. You really must try it. Hashbrowns are cooked fresh and definitely worth the wait. They are said to be the best in town. For a special treat try the hashbrown taco, loaded with sour cream, cheese, green onion and bacon.
Services
In addition to our many friendly staff members, PerKup enjoys a family environment and team atmosphere. At PerKup Cafe, our goal is to serve great homemade food. Very little of what we do comes from a box. A lot of pride and effort goes into everything we make including homemade jam to top off your toast.
The Chalula Wrap - diced chicken, bacon pcs, fresh jalopenos, onion, provolone cheese, lettuce mayo, and chalula sauce wrapped in a slasa wrap. SW Quesadilla - diced grilled chicken, bacon pcs, cheddar and pepper jack cheese, mixed peppers, onions, & ranch, served in a tortilla that has been buttered and grilled.
Box Lunch Sandwich combinations. Our amazing sandwiches are served on a croissant, white, wheat or marble rye and include a brownie and a side. Pick any sandwich and side combination. Tossed Specialty salads - Our delectable salads are served with salad crackers and a brownie. Choose a half sandwiches or whole, with or without sides or as combo meal which includes a brownie.
Fresh biscuits and gravy can make me smile like nothing else, so it came as no surprise when I started grinning like a Wonderland cat during a recent rendezvous at the PerKup Caf. The charming Urbandale nook just happens to have the best biscuits and gravy in town. Nestled in a bland shopping plaza, the caf is bright inside with a 40-seat dining room full of warm colors and casual country dcor.
Reviews (21)
Evan Johannson
Dec 31, 2021
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Nice atmosphere, comfortable booth seating, and friendly attentive staff. The food is really great, as is the coffee! I would rate this place 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 but they have one huge problem. They need to install water filters and filter their ice machine as well. Their water tastes horrible, like it came from a corroded old soda machine.
Ellen Paullin
Dec 24, 2021
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Don't forget about this lovely restaurant nestled in Urbandale! Open 6 days a week for breakfast and lunch. Closed on Mondays.
On this visit they only had one table left which I snagged. My server Ann was a rock star. Quick, nice, knowledgeable, and everything I like in a server.
I chose the Mama Mia omelet with hashbrowns and French toast. I could go on for days about how good they all were. Fresh, tasty, filling, pleasing to the eye, smelled wonderful, and FAST! I think it was less than 10 minutes from the time I ordered until I received my food.
Ann checked in a couple of times, brought me
On this visit they only had one table left which I snagged. My server Ann was a rock star. Quick, nice, knowledgeable, and everything I like in a server.
I chose the Mama Mia omelet with hashbrowns and French toast. I could go on for days about how good they all were. Fresh, tasty, filling, pleasing to the eye, smelled wonderful, and FAST! I think it was less than 10 minutes from the time I ordered until I received my food.
Ann checked in a couple of times, brought me
Mindy Farmer
Dec 21, 2021
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Ashley C.
Nov 02, 2021
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PerKup Cafe has become one of our breakfast favorites. It is our go-to when we aren't looking for a trendy brunch but just a good, know what you are getting breakfast. PerKup Cafe reminds me of a mom-n-pop cafe which I can appreciate. They are always busy which speaks for itself - but we have never had to wait an unreasonable amount of time for a table.
Their coffee is exceptional, I love when restaurants offer espresso drinks like lattes and mochas. Not to mention their specialty drink coffee cups are large and worth every penny. I always get PerKup's cornflake crusted french toast
Their coffee is exceptional, I love when restaurants offer espresso drinks like lattes and mochas. Not to mention their specialty drink coffee cups are large and worth every penny. I always get PerKup's cornflake crusted french toast
Sam F.
Oct 21, 2021
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Joan M.
Oct 06, 2021
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Fun twist on the standard breakfast. I like the Crake, hashed browns, and coffee bar offerings. I have yet to be served the jam of the day. Am I Assuming correctly that the jams are all housemade? The staff are great and it is so nice to see the teamwork amongst them. I've never had to wait for a table.
Jeremy Peterson
Sep 17, 2021
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I stopped at PerKup after seeing high ratings on my cross country trip.
I went with the Chicken Parm omelet and a side chocolate chip pancake. The pancake was amazing and came with plenty of butter and syrup. The omelet was large but was average in taste. Something didn't mix well. My server was attentive but didn't tell me that my side of sauce was an extra fifty cents. I wouldn't mind, but the sauce wasn't that good and the waitress suggested it.
So, great quick service. Would visit again and try a different sandwich or just a large stack of pancakes.
I went with the Chicken Parm omelet and a side chocolate chip pancake. The pancake was amazing and came with plenty of butter and syrup. The omelet was large but was average in taste. Something didn't mix well. My server was attentive but didn't tell me that my side of sauce was an extra fifty cents. I wouldn't mind, but the sauce wasn't that good and the waitress suggested it.
So, great quick service. Would visit again and try a different sandwich or just a large stack of pancakes.
Robert L.
Sep 14, 2021
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Jill C. hit the description on the nose. The breakfast was fab and the service great. The decor isn't antique Granny but it is clean, well lit and attractive. The half order of biscuits and gravy with two eggs hit the spot. The gravy is a tiny bit sweet which isn't a bad thing. Coffee is good, a real maker or breaker for an eatery. Mrs L went light with oatmeal and fruit, good on her. Then she ordered a bread pudding. We split this bit of food paradise. I'm used to a gooey mess but this had body and flavor plus walnuts, caramel and whipped cream makes this a dish for royalty.
Kelly Morgan
Aug 18, 2021
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We stopped in for breakfast on a recent road trip and were so glad we did! The place was busy and we had a short wait... good sign that we made the right decision to dine here. The food was served quickly and was hot and delicious. Everything we had was good: biscuits and gravy, hash browns, pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Great service too. Highly recommend!
Misty T.
Apr 29, 2021
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Decided to give this place another try as other Yelpers rave about the breakfast. We had a much better experience this time. I ordered a mocha coffee drink which was good but not as hot or flavorful as I had hoped. We also ordered biscuits and gravy which I didn't try but was told it wasn't the best. I had the stuffed strawberry french toast and it was amazing! I will definitely go back for just the french toast! When it was time to pay our bill, I just had to scan the code and pay from my phone.
Deb S.
Apr 25, 2021
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Amy S.
Nov 26, 2020
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This is our go to breakfast spot! It's soooo tasty and we used to love dining-in pre-covid. Now we get it to go and it's just as tasty. We usually call to order and pay ahead and then they bring it straight to your car. I might be in my 30's but I also love how they'll put chocolate chips in my pancakes if I ask. They have so many delicious items on their menu that I have a hard time ordering and usually end up stealing from whatever my husband ordered too. You can't really go wrong with anything you order here. We are trying to keep ordering regularly to make they make
Kristina C.
Oct 18, 2020
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I honestly was excited to find a small cafe. My disappointment hit when I opened the menu. There was so many choices that it's overwhelming to choose.
I opted for a bacon cheeseburger because you can't go wrong with it. No french fries in the menu... a cafe without french fries. Okay, went with potato salad instead. And an iced tea, the waitress specifically asked if we wanted lemon. No, got lemon.
My tea tastes like it has soap in it. Don't recommend. No french fries and the potato salad had WAY too much dill.
My son was disappointed in his meal as well. One option for chips
I opted for a bacon cheeseburger because you can't go wrong with it. No french fries in the menu... a cafe without french fries. Okay, went with potato salad instead. And an iced tea, the waitress specifically asked if we wanted lemon. No, got lemon.
My tea tastes like it has soap in it. Don't recommend. No french fries and the potato salad had WAY too much dill.
My son was disappointed in his meal as well. One option for chips
Susan Pratt
Aug 08, 2020
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We stopped here for a fun breakfast on our way exploring around town. The food was delicious. My eggs were cooked perfectly and the buttermilk biscuit was a delightful treat. There are lots of coffee options and plenty of tasty baked goods. The real winners of the meal were the homemade pineapple jam which was divine! Be sure to get some of this stuff or you are missing out. The revenge sauce on the croissant sandwich was also absolutely delectable with a hint of spicy and a ton of creaminess. The service was very attentive and friendly. If we are back in this area we will definitely visit again
Chris H.
Jul 28, 2020
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My friend and I have been attending PerKup cafe for over three years now each Friday. Dolores, Jake, and the entire staff are amazing. The food is top quality, the service is second to none, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. This is my go to place.
I encourage you to try the Jake, Cinnamon Apply French toast, Chocolate chip pancakes, and the beef stew is a must. There are many more favorites of mine and I've tried many over the three years. Enjoy this community of friends and great food!!
I encourage you to try the Jake, Cinnamon Apply French toast, Chocolate chip pancakes, and the beef stew is a must. There are many more favorites of mine and I've tried many over the three years. Enjoy this community of friends and great food!!
S. Palmer
Jun 24, 2020
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This was our first time visiting Iowa. We Googled places to eat for breakfast and chose this place from several other options. This place was wonderful. It's definitely a hidden jewel.The food was good and the service was flawless. Our waitress was Caressa M. and she was very kind, patient, smiled, and checked in often to see if we needed anything. We highly recommend this place and wish we had a percup cafe in our state. Thanks Caressa for making our day start off great!🙂
Gabrielle S.
Feb 23, 2020
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I'm upset that it has taken us this long to make it over to try PerKup Cafe. We decided to try it after another breakfast spot had an almost hour long wait. We only had to wait about 5 minutes, and then were seated in a booth. The decor of this place is really interesting. It's a color scheme and style that you just don't see anymore outside of thrift stores, but it's homey-feeling, clean, and welcoming.
Our server was excellent, and our food didn't take too long to come out. We ended up ordering a variety of foods, and then later, added some coffee after we saw how delicious
Our server was excellent, and our food didn't take too long to come out. We ended up ordering a variety of foods, and then later, added some coffee after we saw how delicious
Jessica R.
Oct 28, 2019
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Awesome lil breakfast spot!
Don't confuse this for 27th and University in DSM...or you'll look like the fools driving around Drake looking for PerKup (which is 27th and University in WDM)!
Cute little nook, waited less than ten minutes for a table. Service was super perKupy (see what I did there ) and personable. Clean and quaint.
Jake's is like a skillet without the skillet. Hash browns on the bottom, cheese, scrambled eggs, peppers, onions and bacon. What we liked was the fact that there was no grease at the bottom. Just crispy hash browns and the fixin's without the
Don't confuse this for 27th and University in DSM...or you'll look like the fools driving around Drake looking for PerKup (which is 27th and University in WDM)!
Cute little nook, waited less than ten minutes for a table. Service was super perKupy (see what I did there ) and personable. Clean and quaint.
Jake's is like a skillet without the skillet. Hash browns on the bottom, cheese, scrambled eggs, peppers, onions and bacon. What we liked was the fact that there was no grease at the bottom. Just crispy hash browns and the fixin's without the
Taylor Reneetheway B.
Oct 09, 2019
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John H.
Sep 13, 2019
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Excellent all around. A group of us met there for breakfast after learning our intended location was without power. They were able to hold a couple of larger booths for us and easily accommodated the nine that showed up.
We ordered a variety of menu items from their nice selection of tasty options. There are the standard breakfast items that are simply priced, or offered as combinations, and a variety of breakfast sandwiches. I had the Paige Sandwich - a combination of egg, sausage, Pepper Jack cheese, and spicy Revenge Sauce. It had a good kick to it, but was still very flavorful without being
We ordered a variety of menu items from their nice selection of tasty options. There are the standard breakfast items that are simply priced, or offered as combinations, and a variety of breakfast sandwiches. I had the Paige Sandwich - a combination of egg, sausage, Pepper Jack cheese, and spicy Revenge Sauce. It had a good kick to it, but was still very flavorful without being
Nick Hamilton
Jun 25, 2017
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We visited PerKup Cafe on a Saturday morning around 8:30. It was fairly busy but not out of hand. There was a wait when we left around 9:15. A little girl sat us which was really cool and shows the true meaning of a family owned restaurant. The food was awesome, with highlights being the revenge sauce and apple cinnamon French toast. They had a very intriguing hash brown taco as well. They also have a full coffee bar to serve lattes and specialty drinks which was a great change of pace. We had never been before today, but will definitely be returning!
