Lacto
Ovo
Organic
Take-out
Breakfast
Coffeehouse serves fair trade coffee, smoothies, and other hot and cold beverages; soy and rice milk available for extra charge. Specialty is natural non-dairy fruit smoothies made with hemp nut. Also light breakfast foods, sandwiches, and salads. Live music on weekends. Open Tue-Fri 8:00am-3:00pm, Sat 9:00am-3:00pm.
21 Reviews
First Review by Amy916
hannahandzachmakefood
Points +63
Cozy and Delicious! - Edit
Cozy vibe and great food/coffee!
Read morePros: All vegetarian!
Guest
Hawkeyeic
Points +24
Tons of Great Vegan Options - Edit
Great food, great service. My first time. Will definitely come back.
Read moreGuest
MakoEyes
Points +94
Vegan grilled veggie! Yummmmmm 🤤 - Edit
Great service, very cool atmosphere, wonderful staff, and delicious food!
Read moreGuest
keebler
Points +87
Pretty good - Edit
Kind of mid food and drinks but there's not many options around here. Vibes are great though.
Read moreCouldn't use the bathroom because people were using it as a fitting room.
Updated from previous review on 2023-10-28
Guest
smithkevinc
Points +276
Can't go wrong here - Edit
I like the atmosphere, the menu, and the service. Just eat there. You will find tasty vegan food at a reasonable price. The only "negative" I have is that there may be people in your group that refuse to eat there (those that require meat at each meal); maybe that's a positive? 🤔
Read moreGuest
JustanHoover
Points +37
So grateful - Edit
On an emergency road trip across the states I stopped in and got the black bean burritos. They were made with such love and care, they were so fresh, and packed with flavor! Was the first real food I had eaten in 24 hours and it was a lifesaver. Thanks Ritual!
Read morePros: Flavortown, USA
Guest
kwbat12
Points +174
Fantastic atmosphere - Edit
Great atmosphere and amazing food. Loved my recommended panini (hummus) and the horchata latte.
Read morePros: Well priced, Great food and people
Cons: In downtown area
Guest
_scott
Points +24
Lunchtime staple - Edit
Tasty basic and healthy food. I go here often for lunch. I like the modest portions with modest prices.
Read moreGuest
jhdeluca
Points +110
This cafe convinced me to move to Iowa - Edit
I was in town, interviewing for a job, and not sure about relocating. I stopped here with my husband and daughter. I loved the place. It's all veg with lots of vegan options. We each tried a different vegan sandwich. And like everywhere in Des Moines, the servers were so friendly! But the best part is the atmosphere. The walls are full of local art and there is a shrine to Frida Khalo. It reminded me of coffee shops I used to hang out in in college in the 90s. I decided if this place can exist in Des Moines, the town can't be too bad.
Read morePros: friendly service, Atmosphere, Affordable
Cons: Not enough vegan breakfast options
Guest
sabrinalaurenk
Points +64
Great food and staff!! - Edit
I love to get a mocha latte with rice milk and their tempeh salad and sandwich is so good. The staff are also all so sweet
Read moreGuest
vconku
Points +136
Good vegan options - Edit
Great place with good vegan option (I got the grilled tempeh sandwich) with great vegan smoothies selection!
Read moreGuest
HipPea
Points +30
Favorite vegan cafe - Edit
Lots of vegan options and I absolutely love the staff
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options
Guest
LinnyCo
Points +35
My favorite cafe! - Edit
Ritual never ceases to amaze me with their service and products. The atmosphere is cozy and you're surrounded with art and activism. I love everything that this cafe stands for, and the staff is friendly and attentive. Great for a vegetarian or vegan brunch and the coffee is amazing! We even have our own special drink there!
Read morePros: Tons of delicious drinks and vegetarian/vegan food
Cons: I can't go there EVERY day! Closed on Sundays.
Guest
Kinsey-CaseyCoppock
Points +28
Love this place - Edit
Great location, great vegan options, great staff!
Read moreGuest
DairyStateVegan
Points +52
DELICIOUS, fantastic atmosphere, and sculpture garden right our back! - Edit
•SO DARN TASTY!!! (We ordered the "Sweet & Spicy" sandwich and the "Vegan Veggie" hummus sandwich, and Ritual Cafe knocked it out of the park!!!!!!
Read moreGuest
timothyhammond
Points +58
Great service - Edit
Almost as many vegan options as vegetarian.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options. liberal values
Guest
frecklesarein
Points +182
A gem in Des Moines! - Edit
Ritual cafe is a wonderful place to get a quick, simple bite to eat and a delicious cup of coffee. They have a full menu of breakfast and lunch items. Though many of their dishes have dairy or eggs, the staff there will gladly help you make your choices vegan (especially the sandwiches). Besides the usual espresso-based drinks, they also offer specialties like a Horchata Latte, a Mayan Mocha, and an Iced Toddy. If you are looking for something to warm you up even more, they also have a small selection of beer and wine.
Read moreAlthough the food and coffee was wonderful, the best part about this cafe for me was how progressive and socially active it seemed -- the espresso machine, water cooler, and refrigerator are covered with activist bumper stickers, the walls have local artwork and advertisements for events on them ... Gave me the warm and fuzzy feels :) The (entirely female?) staff was also VERY friendly and they shared tidbits about what cool things I could do while in town & what other vegan-friendly restaurants I could visit. I will definitely return to Ritual Cafe!!
Pros: Friendly and helpful staff, Plenty of work/study space, Moderately priced
Cons: None
Guest
heidibelle
Points +21
Kitchen closes earlier than the hours of operation - Edit
As we were passing through Iowa, we were excited to drive 25 minutes out of our way to a vegan friendly location only to find their kitchen closes 3 hours before the actual closing time. That was a bummer. It's not posted on their website.
Read morePros: Friendly staff
Cons: Hours are deceptive
Guest
Marxist Vegan
Points +67
An Alright Place - Edit
I stopped here with some friends because it was the only place in the area that was exclusively vegetarian. "Veg-friendly" is only a last resort for me. The sandwiches were okay and the people were pretty friendly. We played chess outside on a beautiful spring day while eating our food. I believe it was a little overpriced but what other choice do I have in Iowa?
Read morePros: Vegetarian, Friendly Staff
Cons: Price, Uninspired Food
Guest
kindlizard
Points +1131
Thank you - Edit
These folks are great. We were pasing through on a day when there was a fair going on outside so there was an abbreviated menu. Being Vegan travelers, they oh so kindly opened up their entire menu to us so we could eat. The hummus foccacia was amazing!!! The coffee was great. The people were the best.
Read moreThanks y'all
Pros: Food , Staff , clean and open space, cool too
kindlizard
best place in iowa and middle of the country
Read moreGuest
Amy916
Points +24
Fantastic - Edit
I love this place. They have a great hummus panini and soy latte. The staff is really friendly and the atmosphere is laid back. I would eat there every day for lunch if I could afford it. To top it off it is woman owned and queer friendly.
Read morePros: Vegan options on menu, Woman owned, Excellent food/beverages
Guest
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