The place kind of looks like it used to be a diner, then they tried to turn it into a sports bar…read more It gave some mixed signals, but my husband and I loved the burgers we ordered. He said he was a tad disappointed in the beer; it was a bit warm. I only had water with my burger. The coleslaw was just so-so. There's a very nice patio area (we ate inside) and I saw that they do live music on the weekends. (We visited on a Monday.) There's an entrance to the restaurant via the hotel and obvs. vice versa. The hotel looked super nice! We were staying at a hotel across the lot and didn't want to drive anywhere for dinner, so we were happy to have the place available for us. Thanks for a nice dinner all the way from Nebraska!

Stopped by for a late lunch since we were staying at the hotel…read more Our waitress was friendly and generally attentive, but it wasn't the best service we've had. Our order was taken quickly, and came out in a reasonable amount of time. There was a large funeral across the street and apparently the attendees gathered here afterwards because it was pretty busy for a Saturday afternoon. But it was still not too crazy and we were able to have a conversation at a reasonable volume. Lots of TVS playing sports. Some reviews referred to it as a nightclub which seems a stretch. At least in the afternoon it was family friendly.. The espresso martinis were strong and all alcohol. But what I'm used to and not my favorite but we definitely got a nice buzz! The cheese curds were average; the pizza fries were an interesting concept. It would have been nice if the cheese had been melted more. The pepperoni was somewhat spicy. The fries were really good! I truly enjoyed the quinoa bowl. The pork belly was crispy and crunchy and just delectable. It worked well with the quinoa and vegetables. I'd happily eat this regularly. Prices are average. Especially for a hotel, one might even consider them reasonable. It's a good option if you don't want to leave the hotel.

Nice clean organized campground. Only spent one night passing through the state. Plenty of room for…read moreour camper, nice pool and very quiet. Thank you Nancy for a smooth check in.

This campground is like the Shrine Circus on crack. The very large pool has a hole in it and it…read morebeing repaired but it doesn't look like it will have water in it soon. They say they deliver firewood right to your campsite except when we asked, they did not have any firewood but we could grab some from last years scraps. The bathrooms have not been updated ever. There is a trickle of water in the showers, not enough to rinse shampoo out. The seasonal people all mow their own lots so there is a lawn mower constantly running. There are golf carts driving around in circles all day and night. There was a dirt bike at night racing without lights down the road. Saturday night was Karaoke night with speakers blasting until 11 PM, in addition to people playing very loud music at their campsites. Everyone is drunk during all waking hours. They said there was wifi but there is not. If you want a campground that is absolute chaos, this is the place for you.

We love this rest area and could likely write a book from our stops here over the years. Great…read moreplace to stop with the dogs on the way south or coming home heading northbound. The Northwood Rest Area, aka Top of Iowa Rest Area, is located just off I-35 at mile marker 214. It's just south of the Minnesota border and the exits off i-35 allow traffic from both north and south to stop here. It's a large rest area with lots of parking for cars and tractor-trailers. The rest celebrates Iowa's farming heritage and the main building looks like a big red barn. Clear Lake and Mason City are south of here. If you're a fan of The Music Man by Meredith Wilson, or Frank Lloyd Wright inspired architecture, Mason City would be a fun stop. Also in the area is Clear Lake where Buddy Holly played his last concert at the Surf Ballroom (still there) and flew out of the airport for his final flight. The crash site is walkable depending on weather. The area is ADA compliant and has rest room facilities. It also has phone, TDD, a weather monitor, vending, Wi-Fi, an RV dump station. This is the rest stop I pulled into when a tornado was hot on my tail. The storm shelter is in the men's bathroom. There is a welcome center that is staffed during business hours. They used to serve coffee and had amazing cookies, but Covid messed that up. The upper level also has a gift shop - we usually buy post cards if it's during business hours. This is a great place to stop. stretch your legs and take a quick break before heading back onto the interstate.

This was a convenient redt stop off the interstate. Lots of space to walk your pet or have kids…read moreburn up energy in a safe manner. Bathrooms are clean, and there are plenty of parking spots. Vending machines should be available, but I suggest going to Kum & Go, located several 100 yards away, and getting fresh food or snacks there.

Love that it is very much being in nature. If you are looking for a place where you hear owls…read morehooting at night, this is for you. There are horseshoes, volleyball, basketball and a playground. If you are looking for a resort with tons of amenities, this is not for you.

lovely and quiet place - well worth the 5 miles off the I-90. Google maps shows three entrances…read moreof 890th st. Don't use the southernmost one because it actually belongs to the neighbor not the campground.

Really nice park We had to stop here unexpectedly due to…read morestrong storm weather. Tons of rain and 60 mph winds. Camp host is super friendly had no problem getting us a spot. Clean, and open. Nice pull throughs. Near a lake, or maybe it's crystal springs? Free wifi, but kinda slow. No cable tv, but still has plenty of over the air channels to enjoy.

Love this place. We stay there 1 night, every year, on the way home from vacation in MN. Quiet…read more Clean. Beautiful little spot. Always nice guests.

Stayed here 4 weeks for work. Basically the cleanest room I've ever stayed in traveling all over…read morethe country, including high $ hotels. I always take sani wipes & clean rooms when I first check in since hotels/motels almost NEVER "clean" rooms, they just change sheets/towels. When I went to wipe things down in this room upon check in there wasn't even dirt on the window sill or any of the desk/nightstand tops. Newer carpet in Rm 4! They clean your room every day, vacuum, & refresh towels, take out trash,.....nice coming home from work to a clean/made up room. Mgr is very nice & she has a really cool dog named Rukus! This place is also in a quieter part of town, except for the occasional train that rumbles by but it wasn't often.

On the cheap. If you are desperate to save money and don't require a comfortable bed to sleep in,…read morethis is the place. Staff is courteous. Rooms have a minimalist setting. Good place to take your wife if you want to divorce her soon.

still Sunday night but after almost two hours of hydroplaning I'm tired even though the rain has…read morepaused briefly here and there and it's still not really blowy and no lightning or thunder but there's so much water on the road that I've taken up boating as my new hobby... a break in the weather as I pull up to the curb, snap a couple pics, and after getting inside for a little relief down it comes and stops and comes again... super abundant parking for anyone not clever enough to stay off the road until this point... it was pretty much just me. basic sheltered facilities for a welcome center with vendo-land in the foyer and a whole lotta info and mappage locked up for the night and just out of reach but still several displays of regional interest material for the late night crowd...

I stayed at the Albert Lea/Austin KOA Holiday last night and will be staying again tonight…read more(7/7-7/9). Beyond a doubt, Ann and Debbie were as warm and welcoming as their campground! I tent camped near the edge of the site; the scenery, nature, and fellow campers are what made my stay very memorable. I've stayed at a couple of other KOAs, and this one is well-maintained and clean. My father used to always say to me, "You can tell how good a place is by their public bathrooms." Sounds crazy, but the bathrooms here are very nice, especially for me as a tent camper. There are plenty of other people here too in their campers! This location offers: WIFI, clean bathrooms, walking trails, outstanding service, beautiful views, manicured grass areas, and above all, a true Minnesota feel. I highly recommend this KOA location! X 10

Do not stay here. The electric power is "dirty" and will trip all your RV protections leaving you…read morewith no power and a hefty bill. Showers only produced hot and I mean HOT water!! Terrible place!