01/24/2026 My wife and I stopped here for dinner after Mass tonight and has been typical on our visits, enjoyed it very much. What made it especially good tonight was that after years of talking about ordering one of their Shakes, we finally had one for dessert tonight (see picture). But I'm getting ahead of myself... We started with an order of Wings as an appetizer (see picture). My wife then ordered the Bourbon Blue burger (see picture) and I opted for the Jalapeno Jack burger (see picture). As we've come to expect with all of our visits - we really enjoyed all 3 and would highly recommend all of them. read more

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Walked out before we sat down due to rude hostess. Can't remember being talked to like, that much less at a restaurant.

I don't get here all that often, but every time I do, I remind myself that the gaps between visits shouldn't be so long! A group of 4 of us met for lunch on a pleasant day in late May, and sat on the nice, covered patio. It was a bit windy out there, but it's a nice setting. We got our drink orders in and got them quickly, and ordered our food. We had about 10 minutes to chat before our food arrived. Presentation was good on everything and it was all hot and fresh. We were missing one protein added for a salad, and it came out quickly. Everything was very good. I opted for the lunch combo special with a 1/2 Club Sandwich and a Poblano Soup. The soup was pretty good and the club was excellent. My wife got the chili and the Kale Salad combo. Our host for lunch got the Buffalo Chicken Wrap with Brisket Mac and Cheese. Our final diner got the Funny Bird. She was the only one who didn't finish her meal, so I guess I'd have to suggest the lunch specials as a good way to get enough for lunch without having leftovers! Service was very good and it was a great experience overall. read more

Central Standard used to be seriously amazing food and service. The last couple times I've gone, both have really been lacking. I always get the special shake; they have been missing ingredients or the ingredients have been reduced in size/quality (ie no sparklers for my friends bday shake, no rhubarb in my strawberry rhubarb shake, tiny dry piece of cake in the shake as well). The last time I went I saw my shakes sit in the kitchen for 15 minutes, so they were basically milk when we received them. It's been really awkward trying to get seated the last few times I've gone. I have wound up waiting up front for quite a while without any greeting or anyone around. Both times I asked my party if we should go to one of the other restaurants nearby, like maybe they were closed. The food isn't cheap either! You get nickel and dimed for everything; if you want ketchup or mayo or ranch it's $0.50 for each and the credit card fee is passed onto customers as well. At this point, I don't plan on going back, which is sad because I would have said it was my top 3 restaurant previously. read more

This place never disappoints!! Excellent service every time. Consistent food quality! I've tried many different things , but I am leaning to brisket and Mac and cheese and fried cheese! Yum yum! Excellent place for a group, lunch or dinner date. read more

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The food was amazing as it always is, the best is the brisket Mac and cheese! It was a mid Saturday afternoon and they got us right in sat us down and had our food to the table in 15 minutes! read more

I had no complaints with what we got, I probably need to go again and update the review. I got the buffalo chicken wrap, my husband got the chicken caesar wrap. The mac and cheese was good, not overwhelming, more like a light, saucy pasta, will definitely get again. The wraps were full and flavorful. Smores milkshake was good, birthday cake milkshake was mid. Service was great! They were busy but our waitress was always checking in on us. read more

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Upscale bar food on an amazing bun. That is how I would describe Central Standard. When you walk in you walk into a clean sporty bar /restaurant atmosphere with good energy and volume. We were seated immediately and our server greeted us in a decent amount of time with a friendly "I love my job" kind of greeting. This was our second time coming because I wanted to make sure the first time wasn't a fluke before I wrote a glowing review. This time we ordered the Whiskey Bleu burger, The BBQ Briskit Burger and started with the Cheese Curds. The cheese cheese curds were hand breaded and deep fried. The star of the show was the Raspberry Jalepeno Jam. I could write a review on the flavors of the jam itself... lets just go with amazing. They could of been better with a better or sharper cheese, the cheese lacked flavor. They also could of drained the curds after pulling them from the fryer better as the bottom half were really greasy to the point that we didn't eat half of the basket. The Whiskey Blue Burger was a favorite. Although it was blue cheese dominate, it had a very layered flavor profile. The whiskey sauce on the side was good also, it only took a little sauce to bring the burger up another level and it really brought out the other flavors in the burger. The BBQ Briskit was the interesting one. My wife said, "it's one note, but comfort food on a bun." You have to know that the bacon here is THICK sliced and the products they use are not the cheapest on the shelf. The hamburger buns themselves made me want to come back, seriously. Knowing that, when you ate all the toppings separately they were great but when you ate them together it was ONE flavor, not even the bacon stood out. It was a great flavor but ONE. I had the idea of dipping it the Raspberry Jalepeno Jam and it came ALIVE. IT kept that same great flavor but it also brought all the layers and we fought over the burger from that point on. We will order that again with a side of jam. The only thing that I wish they would do better is their cheese selections across the board, they are so mild that they are tasteless.. Going twice stood up to my first experience, which lets be real, that doesn't always happen. We will definitely be going back on a regular basis. PS: They changed the channel to whatever game I wanted Taste 8 (cheese brought this down) Cost 9 Presentation 9 Atmosphere 10 Service 10 Total 46/50 = 4.6 =5 Star read more

Central Standard - Tacos Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

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I met friends for lunch today. It was my first visit, but will not be my last. The menu was varied and seemed to have something for everyone's taste. Normally I can't care for cheese curds because they tend to be heavy and greasy, I took a nibble from my friend's order and was wowed! I indulged in their "shake of the month," because some proceeds go to the Cancer Center treating me. (But let's be real.... I love a good shake no matter who it benefits!) The restaurant is very clean and I love the substantial chairs they have at the tables. My only complaint was the corn chowder. I will not order it again because it was way too thick and seemed like it wasn't particularly fresh. Don't let that fact keep you away. Everything else was superb. read more

Central Standard - Shake of the Month. - Tacos Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

called in 4 menu items. My $19.20 Autumn Orchard Salad had brown veins in the leaves of the lettuce. Sent pictures to corporate email- no response. Will NOT go to Central Standard ever again! ! read more

Central Standard - Autumn Orchard Salad - Tacos Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

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Great place! We come here a lot and it always hits! Love the chicken nachos, buffalo wings, and cheese curds! Super good

New GF menu is a hit. Burger was cooked great with lots of flavor and the fries were excellent. Nice and crispy and seasoned to perfection. So happy for the new GF options. read more

This place is a gem! I had one of the most delicious chicken sandwiches of my life here, it was a fried cajun chicken with all kinds of delicious toppings. I also have a long held belief that you can tell the quality of a restaurant by the temperature of their fries - these fries were HOT. Southwest salad with chicken was also delicious with fresh ingredients. We were actually just traveling through and looking for a good meal close to the highway, this is a great stop just a couple miles from I80 - highly recommend!! read more

Holy incredible. This was a first time experience that will have us visiting and bringing all of our friends. First off, you get your moneys worth. We ordered these nachos & could not finish them between the two of us - it was incredibly delicious & topped with our drinks we were THRILLED. Our server was the most kind young lady who suggested us amazing options for foods & assisted in our decision making. We did visit for the shake at the end & we attempted to leave room for such an incredible dessert but you need to come READY TO EAT. What an amazing experience, it was so beautiful on the interior, amazing service was delivered & very welcoming staff with food that raises your expectations. All around AMAZING. read more

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We went to Central Standard at 2:00pm on a Saturday afternoon with 7 people. It was maybe 10% full, hardly anyone outside. We asked to sit outside and they wouldn't let us because they only had tables for 6. I'm like, we can pull in a 7th chair - we have two small kids. Mind you, there was virtually nobody outside. We said okay, we'll go elsewhere and went to Barn Town and it was packed. The young lady at Barntown said we they only had tables for six but if we don't mind pulling in a seventh chair it'd work - with a smile on her face. $250 later it was a great experience. Only one of these two places will survive. read more

Another great experience at central standard! The hostess did tell us it would be a 20 min wait for patio seating and may or may not have forgot about us at the bar but we'll let that go lol. The staff was very busy but they were giving everything 110% it is a fun atmosphere with good music selection at a perfect volume. There is also a good beer selection. I ordered the salmon sammy (pic attached) it was delicious with cucumber slices and an aioli. My wife ordered the kale salad. I would recommend that especially if you were wanting to eat light. We also got a side of cheese curds also really good with a raspberry sauce to dip them in. I wanted one of there amazing shakes but I wasn't trying to eat too bad. next time maybe. I would recommend this place! read more

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Food was fairly good, however, service is very slow and takes forever to get your food.

We had great service! The waiter went above and beyond to provide great customer service. I had the chicken cesar wrap and it was delicious! Experience: 5/5 Food: 5/5 read more

Central Standard - Chicken Cesar Wrap! - Tacos Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

We've been to this restaurant too many times to count, but it's been a while since I've reviewed it. Went went on a Thursday night around 6. It was not super busy. Service was really good. We were seated promptly. The waitress was on her game. Drinks came out fast, apps and meals did not take long either. Waitress was extremely friendly. Food was good. I love the cheese curds. The brussel sprouts are amazing. The Steak Sammy was a nice take on the traditional steak sandwich. Our experience proved again why we visit this establishment. read more

Central Standard - A side of brussel sprouts - Tacos Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

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I really like this place. The HUGE pretzel is what really does it for me. I honestly plan this for my next meal and visit. I love the beer cheese that comes with the pretzel. The meals have all been great and so have the drinks. This time we got a cookie dough shake with the meal that was good but will be a hard sell at that price a second time to me. I gave the gal bussing tables a tip because I think she was working harder then all of them. Keep up the great work. Ohhhh I almost forgot- Plan ahead for the wait for a table and they don't take reservations over the phone. read more

Central Standard - Busy night tonight - Tacos Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

"Nathan " our server was great. I have a dietary situation and he was knowledgeable and asked chef to confirm. We have a large group. 5 adults, 3 Littles, and he did great, the food was delish. We arrived @ 445 pm on a Saturday and was seated right away. read more

Loved the atmosphere and our food and service was spectacular. We started with the Buffalo tots which were delicious, I had the spicy chicken Sammy and can honestly say it's one of the best that I've had. Their shakes are delicious as well. One complaint I would make is all of our cheese curds were melted together into a squishy ball... but that being said it wasn't enough to ruin my rating. Will definitely return. read more

Removed gluten free menu and separate fryer. Our family will no longer be going here. This used to be our favorite celiac safe burger and fries place. Stopped there for lunch today and were told they no longer have a gf menu or gf fryer. Could not confirm what was gf and celiac safe. read more

The food was amazing it didn't take too long for us to receive and always service was great! Definitely would be coming back! 10/10 read more

Central Standard - BBQ Bacon Burger - Tacos Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

We were very disappointed to find that they no longer offer a gluten free dedicated fryer for customers. This was one of our go-to restaurants for our daughter with celiacs disease. We will no longer eat at this establishment. read more

Great spot in Waukee for good food, drinks, and milkshakes!!! Another good first impression for us at a place near our home. We wanted bar type food for dinner and this place was came highly recommended. You must Try The Tenderloin! We shared that some wings and two sides: cheese curds and tots. Everything was better than expected! Also we saw all the reviews of their milkshakes so I knew I wasn't leaving without one. Our server was even nice enough to offer and split our shake for us in two separate glasses. Perfect ending to our meal! Overall we have No complaints, and Our service was great! We will be back! read more

Central Standard - Split order milkshake! Perfect size! - Tacos Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

Being new to the area, we are still trying to find the best restaurants, and this one was amazing! My husband loved his hamburger and I got the pork sandwich which was HUGE. Both so tasty. Our server was Cin (Cindy) and she actually suggested the cheese curds, so I got it as a side. They come with a chipotle ranch and a raspberry jalapeño sauce and holy crap. I'll never NOT get these. Plus she was amazing and so quick and kind. It's clean, new, and beautiful inside. We want to bring our family here when they come to visit! read more

Central Standard - Tacos Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

Went to have lunch with my family and my large service dog. They refused service for us because our service animal did not have a vest on. ADA rules stated that service animals do not require a vest but need to be leashed as my service animal was. I am deeply upset because I have came here with my service animal many of time and have never had an issue. Why now if rules haven't changed. read more

I should start by saying my mother and stepfather have been hyping the heck out of Central Standard for a while now. We finally went on a random Monday night and found it to be just okay - worth a repeat visit to try other menu items but nothing particularly special. The waitstaff seemed great and super capable, I had heard it could be slow but that wasn't a major issue on a moderately busy Monday. We also learned shakes and wine are half price on Mondays + after 8 PM they have happy hour - definitely a happy accident! I got the BBQ brisket and bacon burger and found it to be unfortunately dry. My husband got the Piled High Burger and while he was happy, noted he'd try something else next time (he's usually a repeat orderer so that speaks to the meh-ness of it). For dessert I got the s'mores shake and he got a berry lemon martini. We were both so so on each and neither choice seemed completely worth the calories. His drink was insanely sweet and my shake was probably a third full of dense marshmallow whipped cream that was pretty off-putting, plus my shake itself was super thin. That said, I would have happily eaten a bowl of their toasted marshmallows...AND the shake was only $4.50. read more

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Went to Central Standard. Food took longer than normal. I told my wife, "if the plates are hotter than the food. "It was under the heat lamp. The bartender agreed with the food being under the heat lamp. We asked for the manager. Instead, we got Paul, a waiter with a hot temper. I told the "manager" the food and service was way below sub par. I showed him a carrot from my wife's wings. He said " I would not eat that!" That's from Paul. He also said he would eat my burger that sat under the heat lamp. I said "does this look like an 18$ burger. He said. Yea it does. It had less meat than a Big Mac. Never going back ! Thank you Paul! read more

Central Standard - Worse taste than Burger King. Please go somewhere else. Don't sit with Paul. - Tacos Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

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First time at Central Standard. Brandon got a burger which was really great. The bun was perfect and they are smash patties. Don't forget to ask for ranch with your fries. It's to die for. I got the chicken nachos and they were okay. Honestly they looked huge because half the chips didn't have toppings. The chicken they used want the best either. They were fine but could use some improvements. Finally, we got a shake to go. Honestly felt like we didn't get a ton of actual shake but it was so good! read more

Central Standard - Chicken nachos - Tacos Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

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Came here on a Sunday for a late lunch (1:30pm) with a friend. Walking in, I immediately noticed how open it felt and the decor. Lots of grays and teal. The place looks nice! I secretly hoped we get to sit in the teal chairs but wasn't at all disappointed with the big booth. They have a bar (with many people dining/drinking) and lots of TVs. I also noticed there wasn't anyone at the hostess stand/counter and it took a bit for someone to come out. But once seated, things moved much faster. We looked over the menu and found what we wanted pretty quickly. We both started with just waters as we knew we wanted shakes. I selected the Whiskey Bleu burger with fries and the Sweet & Salty Shake. The food came out really fast! Like so fast that it made me question how long the hamburger patties and fries were sitting around. We probably had it on the table within five minutes of ordering. It was great it came out so fast, just not the norm at all! The shakes came maybe five mins after that. Again, fast! Wow did the food look good! Especially that shake! They look unbelievably delicious! So much candy, marshmallows, etc on top and a chocolate coated rim. The food tasted as good as it looked! I admittedly only had maybe two french fries though. The burger was a perfect combination of beef, Bleu cheese, bacon, and onions. I used the whiskey sauce sparingly as it was sweet and that shake was super sweet. I thought I could finish the burger but gave up on that. The shake was really sweet. All the caramel, candy, and whipped cream made it maybe too sweet. I had problems using the straw as peanut bits kept getting stuck. I was so stuffed and loaded with sugar that I didn't eat dinner that night. Next time I come, I may just stick to a meal and no shake. Side note, The bathrooms were really cold! read more

Central Standard - Whiskey Bleu Burger - Tacos Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

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"It's going to be a while. They are backing up to hook up the cars that ¾ of a mile back" This is what the Altoona city worker told me after waiting 20 minutes on train that hadn't moved. Now I'm running late after setting up a lunch date with a friend that I hadn't seen in almost forever. Before I get the opportunity to let them know I am running late, I receive a text from them saying "I'm going to arrive early" Awesome I thought to myself before responding "I'm going to be late because of a train". Because of a train. True or not that may be the lamest, most overused excuse ever. Circling back and taking the long way out of town, I was finally on my way. Having checked out the menu while I was deciding on where to meet for lunch, I had already decided what I was going to order. Opening in July of 2018, I had never heard of them. I was excited to be in Iowa long enough to try something local and new to me. The road gets old and writing reviews for restaurants in other states isn't near as satisfying as a local joint. I only ended up being about 10 minutes late and found my lunch date is sitting outside on the patio. I'm not an outside on the patio guy but I'm a little late to be dictating anything at this point. Our server must have seen me take a seat because he appeared within seconds asking me what I would like to drink and then returned with it again within seconds. He took our orders. I ordered the cheese curds for an appetizer and the spicy chicken sandwich. My friend ordered the corn chowder after we had just had a conversation about it becoming soup and chili season. These cheese curds are at the top of the curd's mountain top. They are light, fluffy, and cooked perfectly. Served with a raspberry/jalapeño dipping sauce that is out of this world delicious. The curds alone are worth a visit. The spicy chicken sandwich lived up to its name. In my experience, most menu items that have the word spicy in the description are anything but, however this sandwich certainly lived up to its name. Breaded and deep fried, it was juicy and cooked perfectly. It was as advertised, spicy. I know this not only because of how it tastes but because after a few bites, I got the hiccups which always happens whenever I eat anything that pushes my level of spicy tolerance. I did not try the corn chowder, but I was told it was delicious. The food was great. The service was very good and not overbearing which I appreciate and the prices in my opinion was very reasonable. I look forward to returning for dinner next time. Nice job Central read more

Visit this place! My fiancé and I came here for what we planned as only having drinks, but we couldn't pass up trying some of their food and shakes! We arrived about 5:30pm on a Friday evening and the place was busy, but didn't have much of a wait for just 2 people. We opted to sit at the bar. The 2 bartenders we had were very friendly and gave great suggestions for menu items. We used our Pub Pass here for 2 free drinks and I opted for Lake Time's Blackbery Lemonade sour. It was delicious! My fiancé got 5 cities brewing Bikini Bottom Pinapple Wheat Ale, also very good! We had to ask the bartender what his favorite appetizers were and he recommended the spinach dip or the parmesean pretzel, but also said the cheese curds are very popular as well. We decided on the parmesean pretzel and asked the female bartender how big they were and she replied, "I'll let it be a surprise." What a tease in anticipation! Holy cow! The parmesean pretzel is huge AND delicious! It comes with a honey Dijon mustard (my favorite), gouda fondue (nice smokey flavor!), and a marinara sauce (homemade with lots of basil!). The crust was perfectly crunchy and the middle was warm and soft. Mmmm! After finishing our pretzel and sipping our drinks we asked the female bartender about the shakes when she asked if we wanted to order dinner. She let us know they do shakes of the month and this months was a strawberry churro. My fiancé was eyeballing the strawberry cheesecake shake and we decided on it instead. This is the most gourmet shake I've ever had. Worthy of a 5 star restaurant. If nothing else this would be a great place for a fancy treat when you're in the area. We will be back and you should make your way there now! read more

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Great food and atmosphere. Portion sizes are plentiful. The milkshakes are pricy but very fancy with the toppings while still tasting good. The spinach and artichoke dip appetizer is enough for two or more people as their meal, so enough for like 6 or 8 people for an appetizer. It's very tasty, with many options for dipping with bread, veggies, and tortilla chips. The cheese curds were alright, but the sauce to dip them in... Oh spicy goodness! You won't leave hungry from here, and with all the different menu options including rotating specials, you'll have many opportunities to stop by and try something new. I know I do, too! Next stop... Tacos, or burger? Or noodles? So many choices! read more

Two DELICIOUS salads. 1) SPINACH salad, feta, tomatoes, cucumbers, pepitas, sunflower seeds, fresh salmon and sides of balsamic and ranch. (the GOOD ranch...if you know, you know). 2) COBB salad, romaine, bacon, eggs, avocado, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes and salmon, sides of balsamic and honey balsamic. Neither one of us loved the honey balsamic but we loved (LOVED) their regular balsamic. We're salad junkies and loved both of our choices. read more

Central Standard - Spinach and salmon - Tacos Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

Perfect date night dinner! The space has a clean and modern vibe to it. We were seated right away and drinks were brought out quickly. We ordered fried cheese curds for an appetizer. The dipping sauce made them even more delicious! We ordered a sunny side up burger with fries and buffalo chicken mac and cheese. The burger was tasty! The mac and cheese was too overwhelmed with hot sauce which threw the flavor off for us. Next time we will try a different mac and cheese as they have several options. The most anticipated part of the evening was... the shakes! We ordered a "sweet and salty" and a "s'mores." Too good! Pictures don't do them justice. If you are in the mood for burgers, beer, and shakes, check this place out! read more

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Very fast on take out. Drinks are well made and usually have the Hawkeyes on tv. Salads are really good.

Worth the wait!! Unfortunately, this restaurant does not offer call ahead seating or reservations. We went for dinner on a Saturday night (during State Wrestling) and had to wait about 30min. We were originally told 40min, so we were pleasantly surprised when we were notified earlier that our table was ready. While we waited, we ordered a round of drinks from the bar. They have over 20 local brews on tap, so I can imagine there is something for everyone. There are ciders as well. We sat at a high table in the bar area and were comfortable. We ordered the Parmesan Pretzel. When I asked the waitress if it would feed four, she laughed at me....and rightfully so. The pretzel arrived and it could have fed a family of 8 easily! It was so tasty. I really like the Honey Mustard, but the Marinara and Gouda were also good for dipping. We had 4 people nibbling at the pretzel, and we weren't able to finish it - but we did certainly try. The other appetizers on the menu resemble typical bar food with an elevated flavor like the pretzel I imagine. I hope to return to try the Spinach and Artichoke Dip. Our waitress, Chelsea, was so friendly, she also happened to be one of the bartenders that we ordered drinks with during our wait for our table. She took our order from memory which seemed to impress my younger sister. I ordered the half-order Spinach Salad and Sweet Potato Fries. I order sweet potato fries as just about every restaurant I can, so I've had my fair share. I nearly finished these - they were thinly sliced and cooked with a good crunch. The side order can easily be shared. Other items at our table included; Buffalo Chicken Mac, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, and the Crispy Chicken Ceasar Wrap. Everyone enjoyed their meals, and I imagine this will be a restaurant we return to in the future. The atmosphere is fun and upbeat! I would recommend this to family and friends visiting or living in the area. read more

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Overall the food was really good. The menu is intricate in details on the ingredient choices. Our serve was attentive, a little on the quirky side but entertaining . We had the buffalo tots which was good, shake was delicious I would try them all ! The four stars is because of the price . $14 for tots are steep, so almost perfect. read more

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