Gerri's has become a staple for my family and I when we are in the mood for some wings. We stopped…read morehere for the first time on a bar crawl and have been back 10 + times since. The wings are the best in town. They are crispy and full of flavor. You can only with the wings baked or with buffalo sauce. The buffalo sauce is delicious you don't even need ranch. There's a kick to the sauce but it's not too spicy. A platter and an extra 8 wings with a side of fries serves 4 of us. Most people here are coming for wings, so sometimes it is a little bit of a wait, but it's so worth it. The place is seat yourself with the bartender as the server. It can get busy on weekends, we have always had quick and attentive service. There are a few TVs but not a bunch if you're looking to watch a game. If you're on the hunt for some good wings and cold beer this is the place to be!

Dive bar just next to the Iowa State Fair Grounds. Small…read morelittle parking lot that will be completely full when the fair starts. This place has been know for the awesome wings for a long time. It has been a long time since my last visit. We got a hankering and decided to go out of our way to make a stop. W - We stepped right in and sat at the bar on a Thursday evening, I - I was helped right away by the lovely waitress behind the bar. N - Naked wings or smothered in their sauce they come out hot. G - Getting the platter of wings. It was lots of wings for 2 people. S - Sizzling platter and very tasty. The cost of everything has gone up over the years. Nothing you can do about that if you want a place to survive. We shared the platter. The hubby got 2 on tap beers. The tab was $55. The crispy wings are great. I ate my fill and we still left with some. They came out in good time. Ranch provided in squirt bottles so you can get your fill. I really enjoyed the service, the ambiance and food. Yes it was a little high, and yes it smells like a dive bar but the wings are still good.

Thao and Kara welcomed us to our first visit to the Smoking Goat Pub like we were family. We…read morestumbled upon this place through a different channel, and decided to give it a try. We are so glad we did. The atmosphere is a dicey but very clean and the vibe looks like a great time. It was a quiet afternoon but the ladies went out of their way to make us feel like we belonged. This visit was only for a couple of cocktails but we saw some food come from the kitchen and it looked on point! Kara made a tasty treat and shared it with some of at the bar and that sealed the deal! We will be back in to give it a shot. I will update my review on the food after that! See you soon!

Stopped in for lunch, had the (really good) house specialty burger. The service was excellent and…read morethe staff was friendly. Didn't get to sample any of their beers but the selection was definitely appealing.

This place is where it's at! There's a pretty big selection of chicken joints in Altoona, but none…read morecome even close to this little gem! They are fast, friendly, clean and still feels lukewarm new! They have my favorite cheese curds, I HAVE to get them, every single time! Thanks Charlottes! Altoona loves you!

The chicken sandwich was perfectly cooked. Super moist on the inside. The outside was nice and…read morecrispy. I didn't even eat it right away and it was still hot when I opened it. I had time to drive home and unload groceries so that tells me it was fresh fresh. The wait was long in the drive thru. I expected that when I pulled in so I can't really complain there. The fries and batter were pretty salty. That was my only "complaint". I think it must be seasoned salt because it had a different taste but yeah, too salty. (Which is saying a lot because I like salt.) I'd eat here again. When I have time to wait in line. lol

We went to Boulder Tap House in Ankeny with a party of five and a half -- Kim and I, three of my…read morekids, and my one-month-old granddaughter. We sat at a high top with a bench, and it actually worked really well for having the baby with us. Drinks and waters came out efficiently, and our waitress was kind and courteous. The food did take a little while, but everything came out together, which I appreciate with a larger table. My fries were room temperature when they arrived, but they quickly replaced them with piping hot ones, so no real complaint there. Our table had a good mix: the Pulled Pork Sandwich for $12.99, Crispy Chicken Wrap for $14.99, Tequila Lime Chicken Tacos for $14.99, BTH Classic Smash Burger for $14.99, and a medium order of house-made boneless wings for $16.99. No one complained, which is usually a pretty good sign with our crew. The restaurant was clean, fairly busy, and all the staff we interacted with were friendly. Drink prices seemed reasonable too. We were also able to hang out and visit for quite a while without feeling rushed, which made it a really nice family stop. It is close to home, the food was good, and my daughter picked up the bill for Father's Day, so that made it taste even better. We will definitely be back.

My family and went here on a Monday night. It wasn't super busy and we were seated right away. Half…read moreour group ordered tap beers from their lengthy beer menu. One of the options we wanted was out which I have heard is a fairly common thing with certain beers here. For an appetizer we ordered the bone-in Buffalo wings. They were so good and the best item that I had during this meal. I would go back for the wings alone. One of the members of my group who has been here before said the boneless wings are not good and he would only recommend the bone-in wings. For it being a Monday night and not very busy I felt like the food was taking longer than necessary, but this was my first time, so I didn't have anything to compare it to. Majority of the table ordered burgers. We all enjoyed them, but didn't think it was the best burger ever. My favorite was the jalapeño popper burger, but I really don't think you could go wrong with any of the burgers. I liked this place and will be back if the opportunity comes, but I don't think it will be a staple restaurant in our house.

Wingz On Wheelz is located in the Advanced Auto Parts parking lot…read more I've been wanting to check this truck out FOREVER, but I wasn't sure if it could live up to the hype I'd heard from others. Spoiler... It sure did. I wandered down University Ave to MLK, through the construction in the Drake area, and the truck was easy to spot. I got there at about 620ish PM. There's ample parking in the lot of the auto parts store. A small crowd had built up. Some people were waiting to order...some were just waiting for their food. Social distancing was being observed for the most part. 50 cent wing Wednesdays. I'm not a big fan of a standard buffalo sauce so I really like that they have a lot of different options to choose from. Some spicy some not. Hopefully you can see the list by zooming in on the picture of the menu board. I ordered 10 garlic parmesan and 10 Cajun wings, but I didn't stop there. I had to try the shrimp and catfish too... I don't even want to talk about cost... I spent too much, but I have lunch for tomorrow. The ordering process went smoothly. I had a bit of a wait, but even though I wasn't the only one standing they kept me updated from the window and apologized for the wait when my number was called. Stellar customer service from a very busy truck. The wings were cooked perfectly. Not dry and not undercooked. The sauces and seasoning was nicely done. I like it when the taste of the chicken is complimented and not overpowered. They are a little on the small side, but if I recall correctly they are... Ahhhh... I forget the fancy word. No hormones. They're better for you and the all naturally raised wings tend to be a little smaller. It's all good. The catfish was excellent. Once again cooked perfectly. The breading had a great texture and taste. The fillet broke away easily to expose the white flesh. You could tell it was catfish, but it wasn't a strong catfish taste. I grew up eating bullheads and channel cats. It's something I love. A comfort food for me. I really enjoyed this menu item. These would be perfect for a po'boy. That being said... The shrimp. These are legit. To put anything on these, outside of just popping them in your mouth with the seasoned breading, would be a crime. I can honestly say as far as fried breaded shrimp these may be the best fried shrimp I've ever had. The breading isn't thick, and the shrimp are really nice sized. They hit a perfect balance. This truck has moved into my top three local trucks from the jump. Obviously popular from it's crowd, a good staff, and excellent food. I wish I wouldn't have waited so long to give them a try... I'll definitely be a return customer. Don't take my word for it though... Go check them out.

Well, you know this girl is always all about supporting Black business. I had high hopes for this…read morefabulous truck with beautiful food photos. I visited on a Saturday drive into Des Moines. The food came out in a reasonable amount of time and was fresh and hot. The portions were pretty great and it looked good, but it just didn't taste that spectacular. I had higher expectations for a Black owned food truck serving in a diverse area in Des Moines. The food was cooked perfectly, but it wasn't seasoned well enough. There wasn't much flavor and pizzazz to it. If you care more about crunch then flavor, hit them up. They had a steady stream of business and people seem to like it. Sadly, it just didn't do it for me.

I'm not originally from Iowa so I had this place recommended to me by a few people when I came into…read moretown. It's a nice place and easy location. Walking in we were immediately greeted and led to our table. They had a QR code (see pictured) of their extensive local beer selection. $7.00 for a 16oz or 3.50 for 6oz I got a few 6oz selections to try a few different options which was an enjoyable experience. Lily was kind and attentive even the busier it got throughout the evening. Thank you so much for the service!

What an amazing stop for some fantastic Iowa craft beers! The staff was extremely friendly and…read morehelpful with the beer and food selection. They were quick when we wanted to order and the food came out exactly as described. The bar and seating area was open and inviting. It was a little earlier in the midday on a Friday, but it was still pretty open for anyone to enjoy. I'd go back for another couple of different beers!

I really can't leave anything but five stars for this review…read more.. I walked in and the bartender/host/our server was a dear friend and former co-worker of mine who I hadn't seen in years. It took me a few seconds to recognize her. She'd went from "a kid" to a young woman since I'd last seen her. I heard the Striking Sparrow Lounge has gone through an ownership and menu change recently. That didn't mean much to me since this was my first visit to any iteration of the Striking Sparrow Lounge. Lol I popped in for a quick lunch with a current co-worker and friend of mine. The parking lot is along the West side of SE 6th St and there are quite a few spaces available. Dala greeted us right away as we walked in. She called me out immediately. And like I said it took a minute for recognition to set in. I'm 55 now. Sometimes that happens. We took a seat at a low top table and chairs. There are high tops and booths available too as well as a long "L" shaped bar and barstools. Dala popped over and took our drink orders and gave us our menus. We ordered: 1x Fountain drink (Pepsi products) 1x Unsweetened ice tea 1x Smashburger (two patties) and fries 1x Tenderloin and fries 1x Onion rings The onion rings are hand cut and breaded. We tried them with the chipotle ranch. Served hot and fresh out of the fryer... Very good! Jeremy got the smashburger. He sets his bar for burgers at Lachele's level and comes to the Striking Sparrow Lounge as a regular for trivia on Wednesday nights. He said today's was one of the best burgers he's had here. It didn't disappoint! He's probably going to order the same when he goes back tonight. I got the tenderloin and I hate to beat the same drum, but it was very compareable to the one served at Lachele's too. I really like both! Thicker and fits the bun it's served on, not a hub cap, cooked perfectly and not dried out... The kind of sandwich you want for lunch and don't need a nap to recover from when you get back to the office. Fair warning. It's served with lettuce on it so if you are a pickles, onions, and mustard purest make sure you let them know to hold the lettuce. When you're literally a stones throw from B&B you better have a decent tenderloin and burger... Lol The fries were fantastic. A little thicker. Seasoned. Fresh and hot. I wouldn't be surprised if they were double fried. They had that unmistakable crisp to them... Dala was great. Attentive. Made sure everything was good and we had what we needed. But like I said...I'm biased. We're friends and it was really great seeing her again and catching up a little. Your mileage may vary... But I doubt it. She's just always been that kind of a person. Lol Standard table service. You can pay via Toast using a QR code on your receipt and ask about their punch card program. Buy nine pizzas and/or sandwiches and get the 10th one free. Don't quote me on that... Ask your server. I also heard from Jeremy the console video games might be free to play? I should have checked out the Galaga machine to verify that! If you've never made it over to Striking Sparrow Lounge... Stop by and check them out! If you haven't been in for a while... Maybe stop in and look over the new menu!

Have seen photos before and finally went for lunch. Wasn't too busy, so we were greeted and ordered…read moretaken right away. It's a dive bar/slash bar food, but fantastic bar food. There are lots of TVs and a long bar. It's pretty dark, but they have fun lights. Service was outstanding and, again, food was great. We will be back to try more.

Food was excellent as well as the service. We had a person in our group that has a food allergy to…read morefish. Fryer was fresh and had no fish cooked in it. Was able to get fries. All food was very hot and fresh. Bathroom was clean and had nice extra touches in the ladies room. Jukebox was nice

I badly wanted this review to be higher. The bartender greeted me within 10 seconds of walking in…read moreand I had a beer within two minutes. As I was one of the first people in the restaurant at noon, he offered to put on whatever game I wanted. The cook also came out and made conversation with the clientele. The food was generally good and service was on the spot. On the downside--this place advertises having the Sunday ticket--but only has three TVs that can support it. The other TVs were on whatever other sporting events were on ESPN, FS1, etc. Additionally, they had a Yelp check-in offer that was not honored due to them no longer having the product.

Wish we lived closer! Good food, good service, lots of screens to watch sports. Only complaint is…read morethat it's a little loud in dining are but I'm sure the rooftop seating is better for conversation. We hade the Brick & Ivy burger with chips. The burger was flavorful and cooked well. The chips were great. Also had Pedro's Tacos - brisket was the choice. Yummy and could only eat 2 out of 3. Very filling. Brisket was delightful. Our meal was topped off with the $4 margarita special. What could be better!?!

I have been here before a few times and will say the food alone is worth visiting for. However,…read moreservice wise I was so unimpressed today. Requesting unseasoned salmon & received a salmon with seasoning. Orders came out wrong, our appetizers must've been ordered at different times as one came out 2 minutes before the entrees. She rarely checked in on us & just overall wasn't impressed. When I came in it was a minute before being greeted, with 5 ppl noting me - as someone who worked in the industry for 11 years, a simply "someone will be right with you" would've had me feeling fine.

Very lively BBQ spot!! They have a decent sized parking lot, which is good because this place is…read morealways busy. It can get pretty full and loud, probably because they're great for large groups and families. The atmosphere is very fun. I like that they have meat challenges and their news articles all over the walls. They also have a big bar and plenty of TVs to watch games. The BBQ was pretty good! I got the Two BBQ Dinner 2 Meat: Pulled pork, pulled chicken, Campfire baked beans, and jalapeño cream corn. The BBQs sauces on the table really helped it. The classic is rich and sweet, and the hot had a bit of kick to it. The meat was tender. The baked beans were pretty good- I liked that it was a variety of beans. The jalapeño creamed corn wasn't spicy in the least but it was still my favorite. It was creamy and warm!! Service was nice and it didn't take too long, even with how crowded it was.

We stumbled upon this BBQ spot right across from the Adventureland campgrounds, and honestly it was…read morethe perfect find after a long day. The vibe is exactly what you want from a casual BBQ joint laid back, a little loud, TVs on, and that classic neighborhood bar feel. Super easy, no pressure, just good food and a place to hang out. We ordered a mix of things to try and everything came out hot and packed with flavor. The wings were crispy and saucy (definitely a highlight), and the waffle fries were seasoned perfectly and so good dipped in their ranch. The BBQ plate was super solid too tender, smoky meat with classic sides like green beans, mac and cheese, and cornbread that felt comforting and homemade. Also have to mention the chips and queso moment, simple but hit the spot. Service was friendly and quick, which made it even better after a long day of traveling and being outside. Overall, if you're staying at Adventureland or passing through, this is such an easy, satisfying stop. Nothing fancy, just good, hearty BBQ and a fun atmosphere. Would definitely come back.