I've passed Cole's many times and just kind of shrugged it off. It looks like a state fair food stand that sits along the road. We rolled by it on our way home from a little day trip North today and decided to give it a try. There is no inside dining room. Just a walk up window and a pseudo-patio with a few picnic tables. Parking is tight, but there are a few adjacent spaces that can catch overflow if needed. I didn't know a lot about Cole's. A few pieces of Star Wars memorabilia, loud colored signs, a veterans mural and large battle cross on the storefront caught my eye. Being a veteran myself I decided to dig in a little bit and try to figure out what was going on with this place. The first thing I found... We were first timers, but people LOVE this place. There was a line. We were rubbernecking and watching food come out the window while waiting to order. The locals were friendly. More than once we heard "We've never had anything bad here. It's ALL good." Second. Cole's basically burned to the ground last year. The owner with support of the community of Slater rebuilt it. The third thing... Even more humbling for me than the story surrounding the rebuild. And the one that gave me the answer I was looking for about the veteran related pieces... The owner of Cole's (David Sturdy) named his restaurant after his son Brandon Cole Sturdy. Brandon joined the Marines and was lost to hostile fire in the Afghanistan War at the age of 19 on May 4, 2004. From this former sailor... Semper Fortis Marine. The food. We ordered a Cole's Super Tenderloin. Hand pounded and perfectly cooked. Topped with brisket, onion rings, dill pickles, and BBQ sauce. The Super Tenderloin was comboed out with some of the best onion rings I've ever had. Large. Whole onion rings...not minced. And again perfectly fried. The mound of shredded cheese is covering a boat of chili and hand cut fries hot out of the fryer. That and one scoop of hard chocolate ice cream in a bowl came to $27.50... Service at the window went well. The portions are HUGE. We split everything and were both more than full. If a little bit of a wait pisses you off... If you're not okay eating at a picnic table, in your car, or at a nearby park... This might not be the place for you. If you like good fair style food and ice cream... Grinders, various types of hot dogs, burgers, tenderloins, chicken strips, etc. Cyclones, hard pack ice cream, soft serve, banana splits and more.... See their Facebook page for a full menu. If you enjoy something new. Enjoy a short day trip. Enjoy time outside with your family on a beautiful day. This is a great spot. About seven weeks ago the owner made a post on Facebook that almost sounded like the restaurant's days might be numbered. Under it was a comment that added more detail. Like it may only be open on weekends for now... I know it was open today. And I know it would be a damn shame to lose another small town Iowa treasure like this with everything going on right now... read more

See all

Cole's American Tenderloin and Ice Cream Bar is one of those little places you drive by and think, "bet the food is good there." Famous for its American Tenderloin, Cole's also offers old-fashioned shakes made with real ice cream, and huge tacos with a pound of meat. The tenderloin $12/tax) is the star, a hand-pounded piece of meat so juicy and tender it almost melts in your mouth. The French fries are fried in a special fat and covered with herbs. The flavor of Cole's fried food tastes outstanding and the portion sizes are easily enough for two people. This is traditional Americana roadside fried food at its finest. Inside dining is limited to just a few tables, most people probably pick up their ice cream treats outside "to go" in the summer. Not really much here for people with specific dietary needs. It's just not that kind of place but they often try new items for the menu. Today's new item was tater tots with beef, onions, sprinkled with cheese. Sometimes you're just really hungry for this kind of food. read more

See all

I heard of this place because one my friends knows the owners son who also works there. My friend wanted to give it a try one day so I just went with him. First of all the location was the size was expecting but the inside felt very small but I guess it is made up with the patio space. When we went to order there was a strange stench that wasn't appalling but it wasn't pleasant either. I ordered a classic tenderloin and my friend just a regular vanilla ice cream cone. The food took a while to be made and while we were waiting I noticed there was a lot of trash surrounding the building and there were a lot of flys. We received our food and it wasn't bad but it wasn't good either it tasted a little bland and it felt as though it was heated up in a microwave. My friend said that the ice cream was really good thought so I tried it and the ice cream is pretty good. Overall a tolerable visit but there are many things that could be improved but I respect the owner for keeping his business alive after it's rough history One extra side note I did notice this zesty teenager roaming around the restaurant and I don't know what he was saying but he seemed kind of angry. He was on his phone and I think he was playing a game of some sort and he was yelling and saying random stuff. The only thing I could make out were the word gimme that win buzz which really made no sense to me. The teenager again was very zesty and his voice sounds super weird and he always says the words yapper and skibs a lot read more

What a find. We ordered the grilled tenderloin along with brisket piled on top. Ask the owner to build you his recommendation. Yes, it is dumpy, not much in the way of indoor seating and the owner isn't your typical chef. However, I was there for the food. There were three of us in our group, no complaints. One cool side note: The owners son started this restaurant a number of years ago. He was KIA in desert storm, his Dad is carrying on. Take some time to visit. read more

See all

Weird. The decor was strange, to say the least, and not in the quirky fun way, but more in a crazy hoarder way. Decent food, but they need a deep clean! I liked the tenderloin, it wasn't the best I've had, but good. It wasn't pounded out flat, and we actually had the discussion that it might be chicken. My friend had the same thing and wasn't a fan at all. With that said, I have found the preference of a tenderloin is varied based on the person. My husband gave the burger a neutral rating. Not great but not terrible. I'd give them another try sometime. It might have been an off time. read more

Cole's Ice Cream - Front of the building - American Near Me - Slater, Iowa

It's definitely a divey kind of place. Been on our list for awhile to check out. Tenderloin was ok but in need of salt. I've never had a tenderloin breaded with rosemary, which was just weird. My son enjoyed his cheeseburger though. Tons of flies in outside eating area. Tables inside were dirty. I'll stop by and try the ice cream sometime, but I'll take a pass on the food. read more

It's a dump. I mean a real dump. But. It was busy the whole time we were there My husband enjoyed the tenderloin. I had onion rings and fries. They have a small indoor seating area as well as outdoor seating. It appears that the owners live in an RV right beside the diner. The restaurant is being guarded by storm troopers and a Chewbacca head. Not quite sure what that was all about. They had lots of ice cream choices but we didn't have any. read more

See all

Super fun place! Tenderloin is delicious and nice stop for ice cream. Burgers were also huge and delicious. Go on an adventure! read more

Cole's Ice Cream - Tenderloin sandwich - American Near Me - Slater, Iowa

See all

Not the dining experience I was expecting considering the community support this place gets. The parking is not great to start with. When we walked in I immediately noticed a very strong smell of what reminded me of fish that's been left out and an immense amount of flies. The menu is on a chalkboard but not well kept up as it was partially erased. It seemed to take the lady forever to wait on us because she was standing there eating. We ordered a tenderloin with fries and a cheeseburger with fries and cheese balls plus 3 drinks. $31 was out total. I think I counted 3 places to sit indoors so luckily for my nose we went outside. The outdoor space is a little difficult to maneuver due to it not being even. There are low sitting picnic tables with umbrellas to sit at. What really threw me off was the teenager playing video games under the awning which is when I noticed the rv. Is this also a residence? Our food came out with fries and cheese balls first. Then the tenderloin then cheeseburger. The fries and cheese balls were hot and delicious. The tenderloin is the owner's late son's recipe. I did not care for it as it has large sprigs of rosemary. There wasn't really any other flavor to it. The sandwiches appear to be hand cut and breaded. Ours had a huge fat line so only about half was edible. I tried the cheeseburger but thought it tasted off. I am glad a small business is being supported but I will not return. I'm glad I tried it but it just wasn't my place. read more

What a find! Reopened in 2011, Cole's has so much going for it. A diverse menu, with the centerpiece being an award winning tenderloin. Local Iowa ice cream from Picket Fence Creamery (chocolate malt ice cream!!!) and soft serve. Décor like non other, a playful mix of Star Wars and well, whatever else. A wall featuring photos of veterans who have eaten there and a memorial for the fallen son of the owner. And who is Cole? The owner's young son. Who's behind the counter? Likely the owner's dad. So friendly. How can you not want to support a spot like this? A foodie paradise? Not really. Just a solid and creative mix of comfort food presented in a fun environment. Sure, it might be looked upon as a dive by some, but consider it an adventure. It's just a ten minute drive from Ames. We stopped in for ice cream and had to return for food two days later. I suspect you might do the same. read more

See all

Their ice cream is fantastic, and their prices are unbelievably low. This place reminds me of going to the ice cream stand when I was a kid! The folks that own the place and work behind the counter are very friendly and helpful. We got soft-serve, which often can be bland, but theirs was great! I have found my new favorite ice cream stand, because I'm a big soft-serve fan. Partner got a fun flavor of regular ice cream (butter-pecan something, I think) and said it was fantastic. They serve Blue Bunny and Picket Fence, so I'm not surprised! Yum yum yum. There's a whole bunch of seating outside -- picnic tables and benches that could seat quite a crowd. Inside also has a number of tables, include some high barstool tables. The place is decorated with all sorts of patriotic images and pictures. The business is named after the owner's young son, Cole, but is also a tribute to his older son, Brandon. Brandon apparently ran the place a number of years back, before joining the Marines and going to serve in Iraq -- where, ultimately, he died in 2004. The recipe for the shop's famous house-made tenderloin (nominated for Best Tenderloin in Iowa) was one that Brandon came up with, and his family continues to "carry on his tradition" by serving up monster-sized tenderloins using his special recipe. I didn't know about the amazing tenderloin when we first visited...looks like it's time for a return trip! I may have to bring a few friends -- those tenderloins look HUGE! read more

See all

So this was listed on Pinterest and since we were going to be in the area I added it to our road trip. It's an interesting little spot on a busy corner in Slater Iowa. I think quaint and quirky would describe the place. It could be cleaner for sure but the grilled tenderloin was delicious and the ice cream was tasty. My wife was a big put off by the grunginess but I didn't mind. It reminded me of small mom and pop shows growing up as a kid and so I found it charming. read more

Cole's Ice Cream - Bacon cheese burger and grilled tenderloin with fries - American Near Me - Slater, Iowa

Sad to learn that Cole's suffered an extensive fire on April 6, 2019. So sorry. We sure thought the tenderloin sandwich was amazing. Hopig to see the restaurant rebuild. read more

Cole's Ice Cream - One of the best tenderloins in Central Iowa! - American Near Me - Slater, Iowa

Owner is a great guy and he really knows how to cook. The thing you need to realize about this place is, it's just him and his wife, and they're not concerned about presentation, or appearances. Just good food. So if you're the type that cares about atmosphere and style, try a different place. If you want the best tenderloin you've ever had, go here. Burgers are also great. Ice cream is fresh and local, but not my favorite. I heard from a friend that some vegetarians went to eat here. All of the entrees contain meat, so the owner went to his garden next door, grabbed some produce, and cooked 'em something right then and there. You just can't get that anywhere else. Be aware: Hours change during the winter, usually closes at 7pm. read more

Cole's Ice Cream - Custom-made 2 burger patty + tenderloin sandwich - American Near Me - Slater, Iowa

Amazing tenderloins and great homemade fudge. Quiet atmosphere and easy fast service.

I am truly amazed that there aren't more Yelp reviews about Cole's Ice Cream in Slater (Corner of Hwy. 210 and 510th Ave., west of I-35). My wife grew up less than 10 miles from here and we both attended Iowa State together, but really never knew much about Cole's until some her cousins recommended it during a recent visit. Cole's has the best breaded pork tenderloin that I've EVER had and I'm not even close to kidding about that. It is absolutely amazing on every aspect. I've had dozens of "great" tenderloins over the years across Iowa but none stack up to this one. Their soft-serve ice cream is also great. We met the owner and he says they get their ice cream and milk from a dairy in Woodward, which is just a few miles down the road from there. There are a couple of drawbacks. One, the place is tiny. There aren't really any places to eat inside and I think only one or two picnic tables set up outside. Unless the weather is perfect you'll get carried away by mosquitoes or just won't be able to sit out in the A/C to finish your food. The second drawback is that there is a bad grease smell if you go inside. It isn't enough to turn the stomach, but it's not very pleasant. Don't let either of them stop you from going there. Cole's is what small-town Iowa is all about and if you haven't been there, please do so. They have the best tenderloin that I've ever eaten and their soft-serve ice cream is fantastic. Please don't pass up a chance to check this place out for yourselves! It might be six miles off of I-35, but it's WORTH IT! read more

Yikes this place is dirty. Our ice cream was melted when we got it, bugs are everywhere, and everything was sticky. I took a shower when we got home because we went inside (don't do that!!) and the reek of dirty oil/fryer stuck to my hair and clothes. Found a giant pile of old trash on the north side of the building while playing ping pong. I really wanted to love this place but I'm now disgusted that I ate there. Please clean up. read more

I have driven past this place hundreds of times over the last 8 years, but actually ate there for the first time the other day. I avoided stopping previously because the place looks like a dump, but sometimes those type of places have the best food! !Mismatched decor (if you can call it decor), faded signs, paint missing, and just an overall eye sore. The main menu items didn't have prices listed, but the sides did ($5.50 for onion rings seemed kind of high for a place like this). I ordered a regular tenderloin and my girlfriend ordered a cheese burger which came to over $22. Again, these prices seem really high for rural Iowa when a typical tenderloin with fries is less than $10 at just about any restaurant. It took about 10-15 min to get our food with just one other group at the restaurant. The tenderloin was pretty good though; great breading, good thickness, and good size. However, the burger was not good. It kind of tasted like one of those frozen sliders you get at the grocery store and warm it up. It was a decent size, but seemed to have kraft singles for the cheese which melted to form kind of a nacho cheese paste on top. The outdoor eating atmosphere was pretty terrible because there was literally trash on the ground and junk under tarps and flies were everywhere due to the unsanitary condition. We also saw a 10 year old child come out of the back kitchen door and believe he was helping prepare the food. Overall, the place had a good tenderloin which is what they are know for, but the prices are too high and the place had a very unclean feel. read more

Cole's Ice Cream - a picnic table and a trailer - American Near Me - Slater, Iowa

See all

What a random find! I was just driving by and looked at this place (I love a good dive spot) and figured hey why not! Got the tenderloin and fries, heard him pounding the tenderloin so great when it's pounded and not gone through the tenderizer IMO. He came out with my food and puts some sauce next to the fries and asks me to try one... AMAZING! They are hand cut and he uses duck fat for the fries and a special season blend, hardly anyone using duck fat unless you are at a higher end spot and it makes all the difference! He also gave me a spoon of ice cream that he makes in house it was very good I however wasn't wanting ice cream so I skipped out but will most definitely get next time. Be prepared the tenderloin is shareable. Overall yes the place is a little rough around the edges with that being said $11 for a massive tenderloin and fries doesn't equate to a whole lot of surplus cash. I will be back and next time with a big appetite! read more

If you're a tourist don't go there. This place is trumped up by a local writer and newspaper about how good their pork tenderloin is. There are much better places out there on yelp that are not biased based on one newspaper article. read more

I had read the reviews on Yelp as well as spoke to a few people who said how amazing there tenderlions were. I took my family and went hoping for something incredible. We were so disapointed by the food. My wife and I split a tenderloin that was so thick and fatty and tasted like old grease. When i bit into mine the grease bubble exploded in my face and burnt my lip. Our daughter got a cookie dough shake that had very little cookie dough and the icecream tasted like it was just on the verge of going bad. We will never return back there. read more

I've heard from multiple people not to go here... And I went against their reviews and got a malt here anyway. DISGUSTING. My raspberry malt tastes like raspberry milk, and there was trash everywhere. When we first walked up there was trash on the ordering counter, and we let the lady working know. She made some smart remark about how dirty customers are and she proceeded to add it to the OVERFLOWING trash can on the side of the building. Even a man who I presumes owns Cole's, walked by it and put something in the trash. How disgusting. We got three medium malts and they were all low quality and extremely expensive. Anyone considering going here would be much better off walking the block and a half to Casey's for some soft serve. read more

I made the 50 mi. plus round trip again and had a great tenderloin. I like this little shop and the folks that run it have always been nice to me. Being an Iowa Boy I grew up with tenderloins and Coles Ice Cream makes the best I've tasted. Since this is a seasonal business I hope to get a few more trips up before their season is over. Thanks for the good food and thanks for supporting our troops and veterans. read more

The tenderloin are awesome. The ice cream is frozen yogurt so it can't be expected to be as thick as Dairy Queen. The flavor is good. The owner always remembers who I am and asks how things are at my place of business and remembers where I work. It is a little slower than most place but I don't mind the wait. read more

Food was just ok. Service was horrible. We waited an hour and a half for 2 tenderloins, 2 fries and a milk shake. Definitely won't be going back. read more

i came in and ordered a philly cheese steak, waited for over 45 minutes and got the wrong sandwich, he gave me a grinder. i asked for my money back so i can go about my day and proceeded to tell me to fuck off. i support family runner businesses to the max but this service was extremely poor.. read more

Cole's has the best tenderloins I have ever had. They are absolutely delicious. I have also tried the tenderloins at the restaurant that won the 2014 tenderloin contest and they do not even come close to how good the tenderloins are at Cole's. I highly recommend these. read more