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

New Year's Day 2025 Wed 2 pm…read moreSo special was the open faced tenderloin With mashed potatoes and country gravy And green beans 11.11 all in with tax Good solid value meal! Not too busy I phoned in the order to go Fast in and out And yes it is still one of my favorite Blue plate specials in 2025!

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.

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.

This place was unexpectedly AMAZING! My husband, son and I ate here for the first time ever for…read morelunch 3/24/24 and it was fantastic! For a bar and grill one never expects anything out of the ordinary. Just your regular service and bar food. However, we were immediately greeted with amazing energy and service! There was only one man to serve the bar and the sit down area to eat and he did beyond amazing. Even after we sat down and ordered drinks and then appetizers and food more people started coming in and he met them with the same amazing energy and service. He warned everyone he was alone behind the bar and to get orders and people still chose to stay and wait and I fully believe it was because of the man behind the bar and the amazing food! I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a bite to eat in a great atmosphere and energetic/ personable staff!

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.

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

Best tamale I have ever had, hands down! We always want to be in the area at lunch or dinner time…read more Pupusas are also the best restaurant pupusas I have found. Cabbage is not as fermented as I have had in the past but is still wonderful. Red sauce is very spicy and I can rarely tell if something is spicy. Has the grilled chicken, beans and rice and loved the flavor of all.

Great place for breakfast. Love the Nutella pancakes but you can't miss with the entire breakfast…read moremenu. Friendly staff and good pricing to portion ratio. Highly recommend! They serve lunch and dinner but we usually go there for breakfast in the morning.

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.

Well where to start! To say a good spicy pork burrito would…read morebe an under statement. 2 days in a row, under 7.00 nice portion for a hungry guy! And to go as a carry out. They have beer there! Wish I still had a drink now and then! Lol! It is located in the old wapello county shopper building... There is good food happening here for sure. Nice clean taste on the food. Well done!

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!

Best food and historic atmosphere. Our waitress was great. It's a true experience!. We'll stop…read moreagain when nearby.