Wilson's Ciderhouse - Des Moines

“We've been meaning to come out here for quite some time but only recently made it in! The last few times we visited the farm and shop, they were so busy that they couldn't take any walk-ins. Completely understandable once you try their food! I saw a pasta special on the chef's page and I immediately made a reservation when we got back to town (at a time I knew would be more calm). Everything was phenomenal! We started out with the Beef Tartare which had a delightful, summery spin to it. The hand-rolled pasta was *magnifique*--vraiment! It was the perfect amount, the noodles had a great bite, and the sauce was light, yet bright with zestiness! The tacos were highly rated by my other half (they make their own tortillas), but I could personally go on and on about the tartare and pasta forever. We got to try the bread basket which surprisingly blew my mind! Each type of bread was so light and airy with the perfect char--whether it was sourdough, foccacia, etc...I hate bread. I know, that's really controversial...but I absolutely loved this bread--with or without the sorrel butter and jam. I would gladly eat here all year long, inside the vast dining room with cozy, weathered elements of rustic farm life, or out on the grounds surrounded by nature. Highly recommend if you haven't been yet!”

“Loved the lunch! The French fries were some of the best I’ve ever had—thick, meaty, and cooked to perfection. We tried the Bianca pizza, which had an amazing thin crust with just the right amount of char. The burrata salad was light and fresh, and the sparkling cider was my favourite. The key lime dessert was perfectly balanced—light with just the right sweetness. Service was quick, and the staff were very friendly. They also have a lovely patio setup and a café/store offering frozen take-and-bake items and other goodies. Would definitely recommend this place🙂”

“We drove to the Madison bike swap, Brazen Dropouts, from Texas and stopped here on the way back. Well...first we tried to go to like 2 other places, but no luck. Fortunately for us, third time was the charm because this place is killer for brunch. Chicken and waffles, awesome! Biscuits and gravy, awesome! The bread basket appetizer??? Why is it that good? Try some cider while you're here. They grow the apples, they brew the cider. It's awesome. Des Moines is lucky to have a place like this. We will be back next road trip.”

“This place has a lot to offer. We were visiting family in the area and glad we stopped here for lunch. The menu is larger but the brunch menu had some extra options. They do rotate some menu options to keep it fresh. The food was fresh and was flavorful. The service was friendly and prompt. And the vibe was modern/industrial farmhouse. They had an extensive gift shop that had so many goodies. So much more they offer that I am not mentioning. Food specifics I tried included a delicious fig & pig pizza and the duck poutine fries and I also had the dry cider flight to drink.”

“First time here. Really wanted to like this place. Beautiful countryside view and overall atmosphere. Spacious accommodations including a country store and separate bake shop counter with donuts and ice-cream. We ordered from the brunch menu $16 Spring Toast and $14 Whipped Ricotta Toast, lavender lemonade and Sangria, but honestly, all of these items were underwhelming to say the least. (Toast had an almost lighter fluid flavor which overwhelmed the plain tasteless toppings and drinks were very sour and lacked flavor other than sour but adding water seemed to help.) Server pretty much disappeared, but others did take notice after some time. Surprised as they did not appear busy. When asked about our food, stated we weren't happy with the selection, yet our very nice waitress just walked away with no further inquiries. Probably not trained in what to do. Again, really wanted to like this place as you could tell the owners worked hard to create the perfect atmosphere inside and out. But darn, service and food (and price for toast) missed the mark today.”