I love the ambiance of this place. There is a friendly outdoor patio, coffee house feel indoor seating and a bar area. It felt like a European cafe that transforms to an Italian restaurant at night. We traveled to Ames for Mother's Day and picked this place without much fore thought. We both enjoyed our food, though my ham and Gruyère croissant was pretty small for the price. I would like to try their Italian dinners sometime. read more

Bar La Tosca - Nutella and banana crepe - Italian Near Me - Ames, Iowa

See all

the food in general tasted store bought / frozen, however the calamari specifically was honestly just gross. looked barely fried, was thick and chewy, and for some reason, they fried and served the bodies of the squids with it. the ranch was almost sour and definitely store bought. very slow service too, we were one of a few people there but were here for over an hour for just two people. pricing is ridiculous for what you get-- low quality food and not great portion sizes. we paid $52 for what tastes like food from the state fair, definitely won't be returning read more

Bar La Tosca - Calamari - Italian Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Huge potential restaurant for the Ames Iowa scene. Our server was a bit inexperienced with dinner service but everything was delivered perfectly. (Might need more practice opening wine bottles lol). We had several appetizers and different entrées. Cheese plate and meatballs were tops on appetizers, and meatballs were fantastic. Use those for pastas . Risotto was top, and any pasta add a protein as they can be on the small portion entrée. The ambiance is great, with good location and easy parking. The chef can increase the seasoning and salt on pasta water. Pastas are homemade, so expectation is set high. Overall, it has a huge potential, keep improving and dare to make changes. Great cocktails. Desserts were excellent too. Tops were pannacota and olive oil w mascarpone cake. We will be back when in Ames! read more

See all

Delicious well-crafted cuisine and friendly and attentive staff. Great coffees and teas too, all in a quaint, warm and welcoming setting. I love this place! read more

I've driven by a few time and always see a crowd. I finally had time to stop and foot a try. I never found the right entrance but that was fine as the young waiter said you could pick up a chair and crash through the glass to find your way in if you wanted. Well I wanted but entered through the stage. I sat outside in the shade and it was very comfortable and surprisingly not that noisy with traffic, much to my delight. Weather was great! I had lovely service and although I was dressed haphazardly as I only brought winter cloths in tights and a shirt I picked up at a secondhand store as, surprise, it's hitting the high 70's today ! I ordered tomato bisque and a side of French bread. I asked for balsamic oil and was met with blank stares from the young man and his trainee but he was good and quickly asked for an explanation of what it was and after my disbelief that an Italian place didn't have it, I was served a little bowl(without oil) of a balsamic reduction. Well, that was alright for me and waited for hue bread and soup while I eavesdropped and a watch the college kids walk by. The tomato bisque with bread, no olive oil but a mountain of garlic in water, and a balsamic reduction soon was served and I did not go away hungry but everything needed tweaking! The tomato bisque was flat and needed not only pepper but salt to perk it up. A dollop of crème fresh would have helped. Lovely waiters who need to expand their horizons, well the manager and the head chef. I'm picky though and it was Sat. I shouldn't have quizzed the young sweet waiters! read more

Bar La Tosca - Tomato bisque with bread, no olive oil, a mountain of garlic in water, and a balsamic reduction. - Italian Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Great place! Food tastes good and the service was fast. The environment was nice and the outside seating is a plus read more

Bar La Tosca - Fettuccine - Italian Near Me - Ames, Iowa

See all

It's okay. The coffee shop half is great with coffees but the Italian restaurant experience could be improved. For a Sunday lunch both our drink orders and our food orders were misplaced. When we finally received the food our server had to be reminded to bring us silverware and napkins. The sandwiches were tasty, but the caprese pasta was flavorless and watery (like there was a cup of water at the bottom of the bowl leaching flavors from the veg and cheese). The check comes with a note that if you pay by credit card they will tack on an extra 3%. That's their right, but it should be up front on the menu. Fortunately I had enough cash to cover everything. read more

A block south of Ames' CampusTown sits an Italian restaurant with a terrific menu, excellent customer service, and a spot to get away. Yes, complete with WiFi. Open for breakfast through dinner, this restaurant goes by a pair of names, Bar La Tosca and Stomping Grounds Cafe. Plenty of street parking is available, so make sure you feed the meters in front! You could walk from here to Jack Trice Stadium or Hilton Coliseum. It's ample space but could use more color and a slight tweak of added ambiance, but overall an outstanding experience. Maddie (our server) was excellent, a pleasant combination of friendly, efficiency, personality, and knowledge. I'm glad she served us and steered me to some items expertly. It opened with grilled Italian bread with roasted garlic oil, and it was delicious, toasted just right with the oil, and its content was so darn good. Could have eaten that all day! They serve Coca-Cola products, plus a full bar. Chose a BLT as my lunch option, recommended by Maddie, and she nailed it! Local bacon was tasty; greens were fresh, and tomato and mayo were added to the meal. Then, after catching up on some schedule craziness, I enjoyed a slice of yummy carrot cake that was quite good, capping off a pleasant visit. Reasonably priced on top of all of that too! read more

Bar La Tosca - tables and chairs in a restaurant - Italian Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Stopped in for brunch. They are now combined with stomping grounds and they've updated their interior decor. I think the ambience looks nicer and more modern. Definitely a nice change of pace style in the campus town area. I ordered a hot scarlet herbal tea. Incredibly fragrant and sweet. And I highly recommend this one. I am glad their tea is still great quality. For my brunch order I had the egg bake. It was served on a cast iron skillet and I would say it was decent. I did have hot sauce on the side with my order. I think the fruit on the side looked kinda awkward since it was a small amount served on a plate. I would definitely stop in again to try more of their pasta since I used to be a fan of that in their old location. read more

See all

We came here for late lunch, party of 5, not too bad of a wait for a table. From there everything went downhill. It took over 10 minutes to get menus, then another 10 minutes for our server to take our order. I selected this restaurant based on the Yelp reviews and the menu items. Keep in mind they offer different dishes between lunch and dinner, which is fine, but the menu today was significantly limited as compared to what was shown on their website for lunch. Our party ordered grilled bread, breakfast croissant, turkey avocado sandwich, rigatoni, farm vegetable salad and tomato bisque soup. All were simply "ok". The soup came after all the entrees were served, presumably because they had to make another pot. But when I got the soup, it was lukewarm at best. I'll never return. read more

I ate breakfast here on Thursday, Feb 27. The bill we signed including tip was 53 dollars, they charged our credit card 73 dollars.

Food was great. I had a very good chicken parm, and the gnocchi is always great. Service was very poor. Our waitress chomped her gum the few times we did see her at our table, and she wasn't very tentative. I'm not a picky person normally, but the lack of service was enough to ruin my dining experience. That being said, I will still be back because of the food. Just disappointed in our waitress. read more

Great spot to split drinks and small plates. The steak I got was over cooked and the side potatoes bland, but literally everything else served to our group of ten was delicious. The selection of cheeses on the cheese plate, the meatballs, and the linguine neri stuck out. Next time I'd skip my own entree and order small plates and split a couple pastas with friends. Will absolutely be back next time I'm in town. read more

This is my first time at the new location. It doesn't have the same ambience as the previous location but it's still very nice. The menu is more limited but their choices are great! They also offer a specials menu. We started with an order of the grilled Italian bread. It comes with a garlic oil dip and with the perfect amount of garlic. The bread was toasted to perfection. Outstanding! My daughter ordered the gnocchi. It was served with a creamy red sauce which included basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. Gnocchi was al dente as it should be. Overall 5 out of 5 stars. I ordered a special, which was the shrimp and orzo in a creamy brandy, lemon sauce. Shrimp were good size, orzo was al dente, and sauce was amazing. Both dishes were served piping hot! What more could you ask for? The service was outstanding! We had immediate seating. Drinks were taken and served almost instantaneously. Ordered our grilled bread as an appetizer and it came out in minutes. I was skeptical and figured it had been pre-cooked. But, to my surprise it was freshly made and hot! Dinner came out about 10 minutes later. What more can you ask for in a restaurant? Oh! And prices were more than reasonable. You're not going to break the bank at this place. Overall, 5 out of 5 stars. We'll be back and next time I'll next time it'll be with the entire family. BTW sorry I forgot to capture pics! I was so hungry when I sat down that we forgot about it. LOL! read more

Long time customer, more than 10 years and have always enjoyed everything. However, went for dinner a few nights ago with my partner. She got a salad, I got a pasta dish, and we shared an appetizer. Unfortunately, the food was terrible, all of it. We couldn't eat it. The salad greens were completely limp, like not quite starting to rot, but no life left in them. The pasta was totally cheap quality and the flavor of the sauce was nonexistent. The smell of the pasta dish was scary. The appetizer was equally lame and flavorless. We are not fanatical gourmet's and generally laid back and accepting folks. Plus, we were hungry! But we left 95% of each plate untouched, paid our bill and left. It was sad. I left a note for the owner John with my name and number kind of hoping he would contact me with a refund but so far he has not read more

This is cool little restaurant with some outdoor seating available. The service is great and the food is tasty. I love their soups and salads! read more

Great food and location near campus. We make it a habit to stop in 1-2x/wk. Italian food is good. Staff is consistently excellent.

Our group of ten had a nice meal the weekend of ISU homecoming. We had reservations and were seated promptly. Our waiter was attentive and efficient. I had a bee sting drink and it was excellent!! The "sting" grew in intensity the more you drank. Hubby's Tipping Cow stouts were right up his alley! He had rigatoni and the beef and pork were in a sweet red sauce. He thought it was tasty. I had TAGLIATELLE nduja sausage, marinara, herbs, parmesan. It was ok. The spicy sauce was good and the noodles perhaps a bit more al dente than I like. I looked up the type of sausage after dinner & realized I ordered the wrong item for my tastes. No salad nor bread came with the meal, which is what these midwesterners expect. The waiter happily brought a couple of orders of bread. Nice intimate restaurant! read more

We stopped in for an impromptu lunch. Great pub like atmosphere and friendly bartender, although I thought the overhead music was a little loud. Surprisingly the calamari we ordered had jalapenos in it, I have never had it served this way and we absolutely loved it. It was crispy, salty, and spicy. The aioli sauce was very good too. We also ordered the Chicken flat bread and Chicken fettuccine. The chicken on the flat bread was very flavor ful, but I personally didn't care for the big chunks of tomatoes, but my wife really enjoyed it. The chicken and mushroom fettuccine was creamy and we'll balanced. This was a great little lunch spot and worth coming back to try other menu items. read more

See all

Looking at pictures of your Dishes your Cavetteli looks like it's dried pasta out of a box! Just FYI a true Italian restaurant will use homemade fresh cavatelli or at least frozen cavatelli noodles that were made with ricotta and flour - NOT OUT OF A BOX - trust me (I'm Italian) change your cavatelli noodle. Some pasta absolutely cannot be used from dry! Check, is your gnocchi dry or fresh frozen? Then same with Cavetteli. Just some friendly advice. read more

Bar La Tosca - Boxed Cavetteli!!! Never!!! - Italian Near Me - Ames, Iowa

If you enjoy how food tastes and makes you feel, this is not the place to stop. The consistency of the gnocchi (my favorite pasta) was just gross and gummy. The sauce was reminiscent of tomato sauce out of a can -- not pasta sauce -- straight up tomato sauce. It was fairly thin, had no seasoning, and you could still taste the acidic tang of tomatoes that haven't simmered for nearly long enough. It also had large chunks of raw tomatoes and 2 very lonely pieces of basil chiffonade. Others at my table also mentioned their dishes were very underwhelming. At $18-$26 bucks per plate, we just expected better quality and flavors. Our waitress was very pleasant, but under educated about the food and bar menus. She did search out the answers to all our questions and did the best she could. As for the atmosphere, we drove by twice trying to find it. It was dark out and the place lacks outside lighting and signage. The inside is modern and has potential; however, the restroom needs help. I am by no means a chef or food critic, but I do expect much better food than I can make at home when I decide to dine out. Otherwise, what is the purpose of going out?! read more

Bar La Tosca did a wonderful job accommodating a large group of guests that arrived after a concert at the ISU M-Shop. They were flexible, friendly, and everyone very much enjoyed their visit. Will definitely be sending more business their way! read more

Great last minute graduation dinner in Ames. Server was terrific. We were seated immediately after being told at another establishment we would have a 2 hour wait. Our group of 9 all had good drinks and really good meals. Dessert was good too. Thank you for letting us cap our son's 4.5 years in Ames with a terrific celebration at your restaurant! read more

Third time I've been here and all times very happy. Good intimate date night atmosphere. LOVE small plates cuz I like to try all the things. read more

Bar La Tosca - Slight disappointment on the seafood amount in the ciopinno but flavor of broth was good. Could honestly just come here for the antipasta - Italian Near Me - Ames, Iowa

See all

We picked Bar La Tosca for dinner since we were in Ames for a show, and we couldn't have picked a better place. For starters, it was only 2 blocks from where we're going for the show, the ambiance was perfect for a date, and the food and drinks were fantastic! I had the mule (which was only $5!) and my husband had (I think) a Tom Collins which I tried and it was really good, but I still prefer a mule. We decided to share a few of the small plates to try more out and here the order is rate it but regardless of where it landed on this list it was great! Antipasti plate- the bread that came with this made it Braised pork belly- it was actually crispy! Marinated beets Grilled broccolini I wish we had more excuses to go out to Ames to try more here! read more

I don't know if it was an off night or what. We got the pork belly, which was borderline inedible. It was way too salty. All of us had our tongue on fire from the salt. The initial flavor was great, but the wave of salt that proceeded that ruined the dish for us. Onto the flatbread - this looked promising, but the potato purée lacked flavor. It was just a starch on top of bread. Not too appetizing. The one redeeming quality, if you can call it that, was the calimari. Again, the flavor was lacking in the breading. The only flavor we had was from the lemon we squeezed over the dish and the garlic aoli that came with the dish. I will definitely give this place another try, but the first time here left me wanting more. read more

My friends and I had an amazing culinary experience at this restaurant. Everything was expertly prepared, nothing over cooked. The flavors of the dishes (we tried many) were complex and exciting. I savored every bite, eating slowly and enjoying the explosions of layered tastes. Food so good it made me sigh with delight. This is the place to go in Ames for expertly prepared Italian food on par with the excellent meals you find in Chicago. A gem of the Midwest! read more

Ames is lucky to have this place! Fresh, clean and classic flavors. Well thought out and seasonal produce is put into play. Had the caprese salad with heirloom tomatoes that tasted like it was picked right out of the garden, also enjoyed some wine and the cheese and meet plate. A must go in Ames read more

My wife and I are originally from central Iowa but have lived in Seattle for years. Whenever we come back for a visit, we look for good local (non-chain) restaurants. So we were delighted to find Bar La Tosca. Our party of three arrived on a rainy Friday night without reservations and were seated right away (there was a tornado warning in effect, which might explain our good luck). We each started with a green salad with a delicious raspberry vinagrette. The most interesting ingredient in the salad was thin slices of pressed ricotta cheese, a first for us. Next we shared a big dish of lightly breaded deep-fried calamari. It was served with an aioli sauce with a good balance of garlic and heat. Then we ordered three different pasta dishes (penne with chunks of pork shoulder, fettucini with chicken, rigatoni with a pork ragu). Each dish was very flavorful and each had the pasta perfectly cooked (al dente). The restaurant does not place salt and pepper shakers on the tables, and fresh ground pepper was not on offer. In our experience this means that the chef is telling you that additional seasoning is not needed. In Iowa, we find that most prepared food is overly salted, and we watch many people routinely salt their food before tasting it, so no salt and pepper on the table is a bold statement from the chef. One person in our party still lives in Iowa and found that for her the dish needed just a touch of salt, which was gladly supplied by the waitress. We each had two glasses of Italian wines (white and red) and were impressed with the small but carefully chosen wine list and the reasonable prices. Alas, we had no room for dessert. The service was impeccable and the pace of the courses was just right. We travel almost every year to Europe, including Italy, and It is a real pleasure to find authentic, creative, and reasonably priced Italian food like this on Main Street in Ames, Iowa. We will certainly return to La Tosca every time we're back in Iowa. read more

Go right now and get yourself a slice of their Lemon olive oil cake with mascarpone cheese filling. It's topped with caramelized pecan and makes me say "Yes. Yes. Yes!" It's one of the best dessert I've eaten and it reminds me of growing up in my Italian grandmother's home. Bar la Tosca is a visual jewel. It's posh little restaurant in a swanky art nouveau meets mid century modern space. Lush and rich colors and textures dotted with retro decor and Parisian style penny hex tile floor. It's gorgeous. Food is inspired and delicious. It's creative and inventive but with Mediterranean influences. I wish there were more non-shellfish options so my allergic husband and I could eat there more regularly. Service is great: friendly, helpful, knowledgeable. Well done. read more

My friend and I went to Tosca on a Tuesday evening, so we were seated right away. The atmosphere was nice and relaxed. The background music was quiet and not distracting. We ordered an old-fashioned ($7) and a margarita($6) for beverages. My Margarita was tasty and strong. We got three different small plates: a chickpea and ratatouille on flat bread, ricotta crepes, and fried gnocchi with a creamy Parmesan sauce. The gnocchi was amazing! Flat bread, very good! The crepes were average, I guess. Our total bill was $40. The staff was friendly and accommodating. We were very impressed overall and would come back and try one of their pasta dishes! read more

We actually ate here two nights in a row it was sooooo amazingly delicious! We loved the cucumber salad, beet salad, calamari, rigatoni, Diver scallops and a special for the evening of butternut squash gnocchi with baked shredded chicken. I wish we had more time in town to try the rest of the menu, lol--absolutely next time. Love the aesthetic and the fact that it was calm and not loud at all. Drinks were also super fresh. A must if you are in the area. read more

What an awesome place! Delicious cocktails and the small plates were great. We had the Gambas which were tasty, calamari lightly crisp and lovey - i personally would prefer a marinara but that's me, then the mushroom faro was pretty good as well. The BEST was the olive oil lemon marscapone cake - TO DIE FOR not even kidding! read more

Menu never changes, service is slow, food is predictable and the coffee is bad! It gets 1 star because it has a great outdoor dining location!! read more

Brilliant little spot on Ames' Main Street. It's a beautiful space that feels like an eatery on a corner in Chicago that in the middle of Iowa. Great drinks, menu is simple, but well done and the vibe is just right! read more

We came here because of the reviews, and were sorely disappointed. Best Italian in Ames? I feel sorry for the town. We came in on a Friday night and it was hopping. Tables open for two people in the front, but my daughter and I were put at the worst table in the place. Don't let them seat you next to the wait station in the back. Everyone else gets ambiance. You get constant activity. The food... Is there supposed to be taste here? I had to add salt to my meal and I just hate doing that. I will say this: my cocktails were delicious. Our waitress could not have been nicer. Wish it would have been a better experience. read more

This a a nice little restaurant on Main Street in Ames. Slightly upscale but very casual. I ordered the Penne pasta with pork. I've never had a dish like this before, it was great. The pork and noodles were succulent and tasty and the sauce complemented it well without taking away flavor from the meat. They have a full bar and a few beers on tap. They feature mostly local breweries which I'm a big fan of. The staff is always friendly. I've only been here during the times when they're not very busy so I'd be interested to see how they do on a Friday/Saturday night. This is a tranquil place to get a bite to eat while still providing the quality of a popular restaurant. read more

My husband and I LOVE this restaurant! The calamari is delicious and all the pasta dishes are perfectly made. The ingredients are all fresh and the staff are very attentive. The drink selection is great and the environment is dark but relaxing read more

The best (and only good) Italian food in Ames. Great drinks. Mellow atmosphere. Great for lunch or dinner.

Excellent food, great service, and intimate atmosphere. The chef is truly amazing and knows how to make things I'd ordinarily hate (asparagus), amazing. I am thoroughly impressed with this restaurant and I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a romantic dinner place. I will say that Bar La Tosca portions are not like Perkins, Village Inn, etc. For me, that's perfect but I know a lot of people that like huge portions and you won't find that here. read more