While the owls nest was highly recommended by several locals, which included those who worked at…read morehotel Ottumwa within walking distance (bc no Ubers) and ( fancy like)Applebees. We decided to give it a try, bc dive bar... Service started decent enough, beers were brought in a timely manner and without constant need to ask, bartender admitted there was party coming in later on in the evening. It was also her birthday...Emily I believe. She was excited to get off and go celebrate....it seemed quite early on in our visit that she'd already started celebrating, lots of shots, plenty of time not even in the bar, actually admitted and apologized that she went to the "thrift store". We spent approx 4-5 hours there, same patrons would come and go between the bar and the sidewalk. A little sketchy, even for a dive bar.

The food was delicious as always. The hardest part was ordering the food when I'm not bi- lingiul.read more

The food was good, but the customer service tonight was extremely bad. The bartenders were…read moresarcastic and rude no matter what you said or no matter how polite you were to them. We were there with friends from out of town and they never want to go back.

Good lil bar in Ottumwa. Very good hamburgers and tenderloins. Very friendly bartenders. Give it a…read moretry

Recovery room Sunday! Yea early lunch…read moreHad the special to go Fast service Easy parking In and out Open faced tloin with gravy and mashed potatoes and green beans. 13.00 out the door. lol Too hungry to snap pix Real good!

The food was 4 star, atmosphere 3 star, good prices, decent but not spectacular tenderloin (I might…read morehave gotten mine on an off day or time). However, a real turnoff was the N-word used 3 or 4 times, once by an off duty worker (waitress/cook/co-owner?) while I was there. They can't help how the customers talk, but employees, even off the clock? Not cool. It was supposed to be a great night; while my politics is ever-evolving, my family in Iowa had just gotten to high five Don Jr at an event which, whoever I vote for now was darn cool that day! This visit kinda put a damper on our fun. We don't talk that way.

A charming little small town dive bar with very cheap beer on tap. We enjoyed the wall art... a…read moreseries of tastefully-done nude portraits, all of the same woman. I don't know if Annie was our bartender or if she was the woman in the art, but neither were particularly fat by any means. :) Both when we arrived and when we left, a little girl opened the door of the laundry next door and stared at us with a scowl. Whether she was curious about the strangers in town or concerned about the sinners drinking in the afternoon remains a mystery.

If you like small town atmosphere Annie's is the place. You can ride up on your horse and tie him…read moreoutside while you enjoy a COLD beer. Also a great place to stop in and have a refreshment if you are on a scenic Motorcycle ride through southern Iowa. Super friendly folks. You will be glad you stopped by.

Yummy smash burger! Good cook!! The servers were tidy and on point. The drinks were good they were…read morenot skimpy on the booze. The crowd that was in there that afternoon was a crowd that I would hang out with. altogether the place was clean, friendly, fun and me and my three friends enjoyed ourselves.(maybe a little too much). we also like the smoking area that was outside, and it was even clean. me and my friends would highly recommend this place. #Memorial weekend, 2026.

You should go when the owner Steve P. is there. He's a funny, outgoing character! Food is good,…read moretypical bar food like burgers and Midwest style sandwiches. Bloody Mary is fun. Service is pleasant and fast. Place is kept clean. Can get crowded, loud and a bit drunk but is generally well controlled.

You know you've hit dive bar paydirt when you walk in to find a young female bartender pouring…read moredrinks for an old man who is chain-smoking through his tracheotomy hole. Checkers is done up like a (run down) 1950s diner on the inside. As we drank our beers, the tracheotomy dude told us about the town and said that come sundown, once the farmers come in from the fields, that Checkers would be packed.

TLDR: No frills cash only delicious Salvadoran food…read more I'm not an expert on Salvadorean food so don't ask me about authenticity but I do like to eat and this place meets it in spades. If you're a fan of papusas this place does a great job. If you want a lower carb option the beef soup is a nice option. Remember it's cash only.

Excellent Breakfast here, great coffee, food and service. Cash only works for me…read more Love this place I hope to go again.

Everything!!! Food,Service and prices excellent waitresses nice atmosphere!! Very good experienceread more

I happened to drive by this place last week and it has reopened. I talked with my brother has eaten…read morethere and says the liver and onions is really good. It's a long drive for me to check it out but I will go with my brothers advice and when I am looking for a dish I rarely get to see in restaurants, I will make that drive and check it out.

Amazing tacos! I had a taco plate w/ 3 lingua tacos, rice…read moreand beans. Having grown up in San Diego I know a good taco. This place is now located on 2nd St. at Las Palmas.

Juquelita is clearly the best Mexican food in Ottumwa. I like to eat at Cerro Grande, but…read moreJuquelita is a little more restaurant-y and the food is excellent. My latest visit was just for tacos and they did not disappoint. I appreciate being able to get lengua tacos. They were juicy and tender with the right salt level. I also appreciate being able to get them without onion. Their squirt bottles of salsa are good accompaniments to the tacos. I also had chorizo and chicken tacos. Both were good. The dilemma is, which to order. I will keep coming back. I might make it five stars. It's close.

A proper Old Fashioned made with Rye. Only in town for one night, but found a spot I'll remember…read morefor quite some time. Nice place. Cocktail bar atmosphere. Although I didn't order any food, what I saw nearby, looked good.

Very neat, historic bar. Loose meat pizza was different, but hit the spot, also got a chicken…read moresandwich the next night, also good. Prices are insanely cheap to me and there's nothing wrong with that. Came here all 3 nights I was here for beers, Kris the bartender was wonderful. Kudos to her!