Have you ever had a kolache? What is a kolache? These small Czech pastries have built a cult following around Iowa, thanks to their delicious components - a light, glazed yeast dough topped or filled with an assortment of jams or custards. You can usually find no shortage of them on sale in Cedar Rapids' Czech Village - but to find the best kolaches in Iowa, you'll want to head to the small town of Urbandale, on the outskirts of Des Moines and about two hours from Cedar Rapids. That's where you'll find Coaches Kolaches, a tiny cafe that takes the classic dessert and gives it an over-the-top modern twist. Made fresh daily, this cafe is always experimenting with new flavors of kolache that not only pay tribute to the original but fuse it with a distinctly American sensibility that has the locals coming back time and time again. You'll want to get there early - Iowans are going wild over these inventive kolaches, and they frequently sell out!
Coaches Kolaches has recently moved into a new Urbandale location, and it's brought its legions of adoring fans with it.
The small cafe could pass for any other coffee shop, but this is a place that celebrates one of Iowa's hometown pastries - the Czech-inspired kolache.
This isn't an old-school place, though - it puts new and inventive twists on the kolache, and the menu is changing daily.
So where to start? Just look into the case of fresh-baked kolaches, and see which decadent pastry tempts your taste buds.
Of course, those with a sweet tooth will be happy with the wide assortment of more traditional kolaches filled with jam or custard.
But the real specialty at Coaches Kolaches is the savory kolaches - starting with the bacon-and-egg-stuffed breakfast kolache.
At lunch, the headliner is the large, elongated smoked sausage kolaches. You'll never want to go back to a typical hot dog again!
The cafe puts all sorts of twists on the classic pastry, like this Texas-inspired BBQ kolache, topped with pulled beef, barbecue sauce, and shredded cheese.
If you can't get enough, the cafe also packs kolaches to go for easy transport - which means you can bring them home and spread the word about why this place has developed such a cult following!
Have you tried the new creations at Coaches Kolaches in Urbandale? Let us know what you think, and tell us where you find the best kolaches in Iowa in the comments section! You can find out about the latest creations on the official Coaches Kolaches Facebook page. And while you're in Urbandale, make sure to drop by the unique Living History Farms, one of the best rural attractions in Iowa.
Looking for a place to stay the night while you sleep off all those kolaches? Check out the local Hotel Renovo, the only four-star hotel in the Des Moines metro area.
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