Arcadia Cafe in Ames

My username for my TripAdvisor account is Travelforcoffee. I could easily take a vacation simply based on wandering to coffee shops. I could have one place scheduled for the morning and one for mid-afternoon, then sightsee while the caffeine wears off. I do have my limits with caffeine. 

I find a lot of joy and excitement in going to new places or revisiting ones I love. I have a mental list of the coffee shops in Kansas City, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Chicago that I'm wanting to go visit. Two of those aren't justifiable day trips for me so I'll get to them eventually, maybe KC sooner. 

Today's post is a little different as I'm just going to review and tell you about a place that's worth a visit when in Ames. 

I haven't spent a lot of time in Ames but it is home to Iowa State University and is about 40 minutes north of where I live in Urbandale. I've been here for music events mostly. All-State band is hosted here. I was here for my student's honor band in 2014, which is when I first discovered Arcadia Cafe. I remember loving the tree truck slice tabletops and quality coffee. With my extra free time in the summer, I thought I'd revisit.

Arcadia is part of campus town, just south and a little west of campus, off of Lincoln Way. As, I'm typing, the owner is talking with a customer about a potential move to a new location in town. Sounds like it will happen this fall!

Why would they move? Well, the location in town is great but the store is small. There are about 7 tables with seating for 2-4 people. So, a new shop would serve them well. 

Above is my almond croissant. It was warm, flaky, and tasty! I asked the owner if they make all their baked goods here and they do! They have scones, muffins, bread, cake, and sandwiches. The prices are very reasonable. I got a small latte and almond croissant for $6. The latte was good but I've had better. There was a little crema (the brown layer) on top which means the espresso pull was done correctly.

Because I've been sitting here for about 2 hours, I also got a pour over of their Guatemalan coffee. I know owners have respect for their own roast when they offer a pourover. This is a fresh, individualized way to brew coffee. It does take a couple of minutes but allows you to truly taste the flavor of that specific bean. I love medium roasts and Guatemalan is often roasted to that degree. It has good body to it and a slight acidity. My 12 oz cost $2. 

Summary review:

4 out of 5 stars

-Seating for small groups (2-4 per table)
-Free wi-fi
-Offers breakfast and lunch options
-Pour over coffee, lattes, Italian soda, smoothies

Arcadia Cafe provides quality products at a great price from friendly staff. The store is small and the work space looks cluttered but a potential new location should improve that for them. 

Worth a visit if you're in the area!