Had dinner tonight at Surfside. Tried the Brussels sprouts and crab cakes for appetizers. The crab…read morecakes were wonderful. Ordered the seafood risotto which had a lot of different seafood including a crab cake. I would highly recommend. Also tried the almond crusted walleye and enjoyed this as well. Highly suggest upgrading to the watermelon salad, for the extra dollar. It's a great seasonal salad. Drinks were great. Portions were big. Will be back. Thanks.

A fun place to have a meal or appetizer after visiting the Surf Ballroom and museum. Our server…read morewas awesome. Food was tasty. A bit pricey but can understand considering it's' location. Drink special was a Yellow Fever. I'm a Sidecar drinker but the Yellow Fever was tasty. You have to go to at least once but go when there isn't an event happening at the Surf Ballroom.

This restaurant is right off of I-35 and is a "slice of Iowa". My family and I stop here for…read morebreakfast on a regular basis. The staff is friendly and efficient. Expect a full breakfast and they keep the coffee coming. This is a great example of rural Iowa and wholesome food and service.

The waitress went on and on about how she did not set the schedule or make the rules when I asked…read moreif breakfast was still being served. In the middle of her ranting (and I am quiet), she decided to refuse service to my husband and me. I did not deserve that level of disrespect. We had been there earlier that morning when the wait for food once you ordered was 1.5 hours and decided to come back. They should have been pleased to have a customer return. I think the waitress may have been overworked that day, but still, she needs to apologize to me.

In a town full of local Mexican restaurants Agave Azul was a disappointment. The good- the house…read moremargaritas were tasty and if I'd only had a cocktail- I'd feel better about the restaurant. Unfortunately, we had dinner. I had the birria tacos and it was just not good food. It said the shredded beef came with corn tortillas. What arrived were three filled corn tortillas that had been deep fried. It was greasy and not at all what I had expected. The beans were spread out on the plate in a really unappetizing look. Three entrees and 2 margaritas came to over $60. At $20 per diner I just expect better food. There were about three total dining parties when we were there- so it's relatively quiet. There was only one server I saw and she did well providing service to the three parties. I will definitely not be going back. There are just too many better or cheaper Mexican restaurants in town.

We were visiting from out of town and hungry for Mexican. We decided to try Agave Azul after…read morelooking through other reviews. The restaurant sits on a a corner so that is a good location. There is seating on the main floor but it looked like there was an upstairs. Service was prompt but we were the only ones in the restaurant at 5:30p on a Saturday. The restaurant was busier by the time we were done. We were greeted with a complimentary basket of chips and salsa, which was a nice touch. There was a good variety of options on the menu. The one downfall is the other couple we were with wanted the Carne Asada and they were told the restaurant was out of that. That was disappointing and other couple made a choice B and C, in case they were told again the restaurant was out of something. My husband got the chicken taquitos and I had the Birria tacos with rice and beans. The taquitos were a little different than anything we've had before, there was a sauce over the top so they were not as crispy as we are used too. The Birria tacos were decent. Not spicy, not overly flavorful though. The rice was really good (and I usually don't care for Mexican/Spanish rice) and the refried beans were ok. The other couple we were with really enjoyed their second choice for dinner. I can't remember what exactly they ordered but it was another steak dish. They were really happy with it. All in all, not a bad place to eat. I would go back but I would probably check out some of the other options in town before returning.

We're on our way to Minneapolis and stopped here in Clear Lake to get a little dinner at El Loro…read moreMexican restaurant. It is a cute, very clean little restaurant right off the interstate. The food was absolutely delicious. Chicken, steak, and shrimp were both marinated and cooked perfectly. It was a dead Tuesday night so the service was a little slow as there was only one person staffed. But, I would definitely stop here a second time without hesitation. Nice little joint!

This review is for the Clear Lake, IA location. I have also tried the location in Eagan, MN…read more Neither locations food taste good. I don't care for El Loro food in the twin cities, but I thought I would give this location a try. Different state. Who knows. Don't order off the pictures. What I ordered is in the picture I attached. You don't get what you thought you were ordering. I ordered the poblano enchiladas, seeing that it had green sauce and covered with cheese sauce. THAT is not what I got. I got enchiladas with some red mole sauce over it. The mole sauce was gross. Didn't finish it. It went in the trash. Sorry, I didn't get a picture of what I received, but it wasn't like in the picture, believe me.

First of all, Kay made me the best Old Fashioned I've ever had in 55 years. Wow! This woman…read moredeserves a medal for her hospitality and kindness. We spent July 4th (our 19th anniversary) at The Draftsman. It's in the basement of The Historic Park Inn. Not much in town was open on the holiday. So we hung out with Kay and played pool. We had beef tips and chicken satay. Certainly our least fancy anniversary dinner ever. But Kay made us feel like family and even bought us a round. What a sweetie! Thanks, Kay!!

Bartender was... NOT Friendly!…read moreNOT Welcoming Perma FROWN We waited nearly 10 minutes at bar to order food before kitchen closed. And when we were finally acknowledged, and ready to order after floor is, we were told kitchen closed at 9pm Visited July 5, 2025

We visited during Band Festival weekend and the Happy Donkey had definitely rebounded a bit from…read moreour last visit. This time the lime margaritas tasted like lime and we did enjoy them! The service was good and everyone enjoyed their meal.

Lorenzo was great! Great service, good talks And good drinks. Would recommend to any one…read morevisiting.

We dined at the Leadlight on a Saturday night. The restaurant has a Frank Llyod Wright feel with…read morePrairie Style art work and furniture lending to a warm and cozy ambiance. We started with the Historic Old Fashion and crab cakes. The cocktail was well balanced. The crab cakes had a nice crisp to them. We ordered the Cast Iron Ribeye, one medium and one medium rare. When the steaks came out, I asked which was which and our waitress walked back to the kitchen. She came back and explained they were both medium rare. We were hungry so went ahead and had them instead of sending one back. The peppercorn glaze on top of the ribeye almost overpowered the flavor of the ribeye. The ribeye was tender and flavorful. The restaurant was not particularly busy that night but the two waitresses on duty had to hustle. Our waitress Karen was great. Staffing seemed to be a real problem. The bartender was making drinks for the restaurant and covering the downstairs bar, slowing down the time it took get more drinks. While we were not in a hurry, we noticed several tables frustrated with the service. We saw the manager once the entire time we were there and he just came out, looked around, and went back to his office. As busy as everyone was, I was surprised he did not pitch in and clear a few tables or help expedite the food.

We loved our evening at Lead Light. The service was excellent and the meal was beautifully…read moreprepared and delicious. The menu is limited, but sufficient to meet the preferences of most. The beer menu was tip-top. The restaurant has a quiet, serene atmosphere. We can't wait to go back.

Good ambiance, cold beer, and wonderful Monday night cheeseburger basket special....EXCEPT....when…read morethe waitstaff asked if I wanted pickles and/or mayo with my burger, I, of course, said yes.....then when the bill came I discovered I was charged $2.50 for a smidgen of mayo and 5 dill pickle chips. Not a big deal, but totally a rip off at a what is otherwise a good place to hang out at CL.

Great atmosphere, good food that is consistent, Service is great with few exceptions. Tap beer…read moreselection is better than most.