HomeGrown brings homemade Pop Tarts and brunch favorites to Sherman Hill

Des Moines has a love affair with brunch, with restaurants bringing a boozy weekend version, a bloody Mary bar, crazy breakfast pizzas, and even buffets to load up on eggs and pancakes galore.

Now Des Moines now has a new place for a daily dose of the breakfast and lunch dishes that make up brunch. HomeGrown opened in Sherman Hill, taking over a space next to Big Grove Brewery in the Crescent Building with a roster of brunch favorites and cocktails to boot.

Restaurateurs Jon and Lauren Rolph opened HomeGrown five years ago in Wichita and grew the company to five locations in the Kansas City metro area and Wichita.

“We believe that if we help each other start the day right, we will awaken a contagious chain of positive acts that cultivate kindness throughout Des Moines,” Jon Rolph said in a news statement when the restaurant announced its opening last year.

More:Country music venue Beer Can Alley moves into smaller space and now serves food

What's on the menu at HomeGrown?

Fans of sweets for breakfast should look for the special section of the menu to find a Pop Tart (most recently blueberry that tasted like a pie) that changes periodically and carrot cakes, a stack of two pancakes topped with cream cheese glaze, toasted walnuts, and a side of homemade caramel. Coffee cake is another reliable dish to share, while the menu also has croissant French toast and cinnamon swirl French toast along with blueberry streusel or gluten-free pancakes.

Five different scrambles and omelets bring a meat-stuffed or veggie-stuffed version, an Ironman with egg whites and chicken breast, a riff on a Denver omelet with ham and veggies, and a West Coast with bacon, avocado and brie cheese.

Three Benedicts feature turkey and avocado, a Florentine with spinach and mushrooms, and a traditional that uses Beeler’s shoulder bacon.

For something a little different, try biscuits and gravy, avocado toast, or a salsa verde pork and egg bowl.

Lunch dishes include sandwiches such as a Cuban, a BLT with a fried egg and avocado, and a turkey with brie and avocado, as well as salads and soup. A number of sides include meats such as shoulder bacon, sausage or ham; breads including English muffins, brioche or gluten-free multigrain; and roasted rosemary potatoes, creamy grits, or roasted veggies.

Anything on the menu can be ordered all day. HomeGrown uses locally sourced ingredients as much as possible, as well.

More:The 15 biggest restaurant and bar openings of 2023 in Des Moines, from Oak Park to Barbarian

What drinks does HomeGrown offer?

HomeGrown uses Windmill Coffee Roasters espresso from Ames for its Honey Bee with Ebert honey and steamed milk, Real Deal Mocha, Americano and more.

Customers can also add a cocktail to their meal with an HG mimosa; Mimosa Rising with reposado tequila, Prosecco and orange juice; HG bloody Mary garnished with bacon, celery and pickle, or a spicy habanero-infused version; a margarita; an Irish Hug with Baileys Irish Cream, Jameson Irish Whiskey and coffee over ice; or a Beermosa that combines Big Grove Citrus Surfer with freshly squeezed orange juice.

Is there a kids' menu at HomeGrown?

Kids can get their own dishes, such as a grilled cheese, Funfetti pancakes, buttermilk pancakes and a creamy peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich.

Diners can sit at butcher-block wood tables with dark-wood chairs, booths with navy cushions or at the bar of this restaurant that feels straight out of a home kitchen.

“HomeGrown’s motto is, ‘We’re thoughtful about our food,’ which mirrors Krause+'s thoughtful approach to selecting tenants for the revitalized Crescent Building,” Nate Easter, director of commercial development at Krause+, said in a news statement.

Also on the way to the building, Des Moines-based marketing firm Trilix. Big Grove opened in July.

More:Big Grove Brewery wants to experiment with beer styles at its new Sherman Hill location

Where is HomeGrown located?

Location: 555 17th St., Suite 102, Des Moines

Contact: 515-348-4094, homegrownkitchen.com

Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily

Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: New Des Moines restaurant HomeGrown opens with brunch-favorite dishes