The Slow Down Coffee Co.

Lovely local coffee spot with absolutely delicious coffee - try The Sparrow! - and great side items and merch.

Plenty of seating, especially for families. Super friendly and talented staff - I'm a sucker for good latte art, and the drinks are beautiful.

Highly recommend.

I was here last summer, so it was nice to come back. The service and atmosphere is great! I specifically remember the pleasant staff, atmosphere, and local artwork!!! They had some stained glass pieces that really resonated with me that summer.

This trip, all the positives were the same. The artwork changed but I appreciate them supporting local work. They had this awesome Gold Retriever work.

Super chill and definitely worth a visit!

I've been a regular of Slow Down since March of 2023 and am never disappointed by their offerings and services. From house made syrups to local pastries and other baked goods, I'm always impressed with my visits. I come in at least once a week and am always welcomed with a friendly face and a smile. I would recommend Slow Down to anyone wanting a chill place to work, read, or just visit with a friend!

Drew made the best americano I've ever had! It tasted like it was a good pour over. We enjoy seeking out new coffee shops and this was quite a find. I'm glad we chose this place to stop at on our drive from Minneapolis to KC. My wife was looking for a coffee shop and this one (reviews) stood out. The space is inviting and comfortable. It used to be a hardware store and you can still see isle numbers on the wood floors. What stood out for me, besides the good coffee, was how engaging the owner was with the customers. No wonder I noticed a 'Entrepreneur of the Year' award while looking around. I will definitely return the next time we're passing through Des Moines.

This is a very relaxing coffee shop. This family friendly environment had many tables for whatever your party size. The back had a large bookshelf filled to browse during your visit. They sold bakery items in cases in the front along with coffee beans, mugs, and other small items.

I got the cold brew with their house made almond syrup, which was very good. I would recommend stopping in if you need a chill place to sit and work or relax.

One of my favorite coffee shops! Very happy with the variety of great coffee options available that aren't overly sweet! The Figgy-o-latte that I tried last year has been my favorite those far but you can't go wrong with a chai or one of their specialty lattes. There are some pastries and baked goods, in addition to a few refrigerated salads, sides, etc.

The vibe of the place is very sunny and laid-back. Very light background music, plenty of tables and outlets, pieces by local artists for sale, and walls that don't echo make this a great place for remote working or a small meetup with friends on the weekend.

There is 2-hour street parking right outside and a small lot on the south side of the building.

This was my favorite coffee shop on our driving trip from the Kansas City metro to Minneapolis and back. Des Moines, IA is about halfway between so we searched for the coffee shops with the best ratings. This was our stop on our way home and we were not disappointed. The shop is very inviting and had an interesting vibe that I couldn't pinpoint. It's kind of a flashback to hippie/flower power days (I'm aging myself here - I was little :) ), but not really hippie either. Our barista was the owner, Drew. He is very friendly and engaging. I noticed it as I talked to him, but also as I observed his interaction with customers after us. He is attentive and very present with each customer. I told Drew that I really like the name of their shop because it makes me think "relax". He told me the story of the name, the reason for the shop, and how he and his wife came upon the space. I'll let him tell you the story so you can enjoy conversation with him yourself. There is quite a bit of varied seating inside and a couple of cute wooden table and chair sets outside. I ordered a mocha and my husband ordered an Americano. I really enjoyed my mocha. I could actually taste the espresso and it was smooth. He did a great job pulling the shots. My husband said over and over how much he enjoyed his Americano. The only one I believe he's raved about that much was from Oddly Correct in Kansas City, MO. We each had an oatmeal cream pie made by a local company, Thistle's Summit. They were large like the ones I used to get from Little Debbie. They were SO GOOD! This was such an awesome and relaxing visit to a coffee shop to break up our drive. Great memory. It allowed us to enjoy the journey, not just focus on the destination. We look forward to going again.

Cannot recommend this coffee shop more! It’s one of those places where you can truly settle in and spend hours having conversations with friends and not realize where the time went. From the intention to keep it quiet by forgoing blenders and loud machines, to the community aspect of the showcased art and events, the owners put in so much thought to make this a place to gather and “slow down”! My fav drink of all time is the Honey Cinnamon latte and I love grabbing a cinnamon roll from Leety’s on Sundays or a quick healthy lunch when in a pinch from their coolers! So happy to have this neighborhood institution here in Highland Park!

What a sweet find this place is! The coffee is great, atmosphere is exactly what you want in a neighborhood coffee shop, and the owners are sweet and helpful. I loved hearing the heart behind their desire in a coffee shop and the details they employed to make it happen, even down to not serving blended drinks so the sound of a blender doesn’t disrupt conversation. We don’t live here, but would be here daily if we did.

True to its name, stopping in at Slow Down is a great way to start your day or take a break or end your day. The baristas have great recommendations if you're not sure what you want. Their food options (not made in house, but sourced locally as far as I can tell) seem to account for almost any dietary requirements. You can linger and browse through a shelf full of books, puzzles, and boardgames meant for your enjoyment while you're in the café. Want to take a book home with you? They have a selection available for purchase as well as a few other products. Worth a stop and worth returning to again and again <3

Great place. Love their gluten-free items. Picked up this salad the other day…it was besides being delicious, beautiful as well and super healthy.

I love The Slow Down. This coffee shop is the perfect place to grab a a hot drink and they have really yummy cinnamon rolls too. I am a hot chocolate fan and theirs is one of the best I have ever had. Highly recommend!

One of the best cappuccinos I have ever had!! I found this cute coffee shop on our way through Des Moines. The vibe was spot on with great coffee and lots of cute plants and pots for purchase. The staff was friendly and engaging. 10/10 would recommend to anyone looking for a good coffee and atmosphere.

I had a great time applying for jobs at this cafe! Their coffee was yummy and I got a free cinnamon roll near the end, the barista is really sweet. I would highly recommend trying out this cozy joint!:)

The best local coffee shop!! The atmosphere is so welcoming the moment you walk through the door. Their vanilla white chocolate mocha is so good!! The owners Kara & Drew are amazing as well!! If you haven't been here yet, you most definitely should! :)

Don’t knock this place just because it’s on 6th. Beautiful shop. Makes me motivated to open a similar atmosphere in Ankeny. Thank you for the oatmilk latte. It’s very rare that I order twice.

The Slow Down is a beautiful local coffee company with happy service and quaint ambience. Enjoy!

The Slow Down is Great local coffee shop where we love to hold casual meetings. Something for everyone from coffee to tea to pastries! They have tons of local promotions and events too!

The Capital City Pride book club hosted our discussion group here and it was great! Thanks for welcoming us and to Steve for being a delightful host!

CUTE coffee shop and by far my favorite local spot in the Highland Park Neighborhood. The Lavender Honey is spectacular.