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    Dinky Diner

    4.1 (50 reviews)
    InexpensiveDiners
    Closed 7:00 am - 2:00 pm

    Dinky Diner Photos

    Business Info

    DINKY DINER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - Dinky Diner

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    This is the Pyrotechnic Artist of Texas crew.
    Ken P.

    If you are in the area you need to stop for the entertainment. The staff was hilarious and chatted openly about their small town issues. Food is what you expect in a dinner. As a Texas boy I can say the ice tea was good. We smiled so hard while we were there. Get that waiter into a theater program!

    Just off I-35/ Decatur City exit in southern Iowa is the Dinky Diner.  Small town cooking that reminds you of a time gone by.
    Dave M.

    If you are traveling the roads of Iowa like I am, and you stop to visit small town diners like this one, you should not be expecting gourmet or 5-star quality meals. With that understood, Dinky Diner in Decatur City IA offers a quaint, local feel that not only feeds your tummy with some staple meals like burgers, grilled cheese, meatloaf and fried chicken, but also feeds your inner youth with nostalgic views of what once was. The staff is friendly and the service fairly quick. If you are not a local, you will likely get a few curious eyeballs your way, but not in an uncomfortable sort of way... just a "where you from?" sort of way. Within five minutes, everyone is back to their own meal or conversation. Decatur City has been incorporated since the late 1800s and the town has clearly seen better days. However, the Dinky Diner is a wonderful way to enter the town with decent food and nicknacks throughout the establishment like John Wayne and Elvis pictures, glasses with the Fonz on them from "Happy Days" and other items that you will recall from your childhood if you are older than 40. Is the food "great"? No -- but its decent, standard American faire (hence my 3-star rating), but don't let a 3-star throw you off. There are not a ton of choices around this area anyway! But at the DD, you will walk out feeling well feed and your soul is just a little bit happier for being able to support local businesses and revisit someplace special that is disappearing from the American landscape.

    Mark W.

    Excellent breakfast in a great dive diner. It was full of locals so you know it's good. The wait staff was friendly to

    A real winner!
    Bill D.

    I stop for gas and was directed to this place a 1/4 mile down the road from the I-35 exit. It's a Valentine Diner built in Witchita KS in the mid 60's and move here from Ellsworth Kansas in 2005. The food was great and so was the staff. I'll be back with friends the next time I go north.

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    3 years ago

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    7 months ago

    My husband and I stopped here on our drive through Iowa. Very quaint diner. Both food & service were very good.

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Amazing food. It's that hole in the wall kinda restaurant. Looks are deceiving lol. Small dinner greaT service lots to eat. Love it.

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    3 years ago

    Great breakfast in Southern Iowa, the name says it all, worth the stop at the highway 2 exit!

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    4 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Very nice woman who owns the diner. The coffee was great! It is such a cute place I just had to stop. It did not disappoint!!

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    5 years ago

    Really good, very small. The food is delicious and is good cheap prices. Not much staff and has a mask policy

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    8 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Totally tiny, which is fine, totally dirty & totally slow, which is not. Locals only, cheap eats & friendly staff.

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    5 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Exactly as advertised. Small, clean, friendly and basic goodness to appease the appetite. If we lived locally we would be regulars.

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    12 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Dinky Diner

    Review Highlights - Dinky Diner

    Great food, friendly staff, great prices, and they are open during COVID, which I'm happy to see.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Nana Greer's Family Table Restaurant

    Nana Greer's Family Table Restaurant

    3.7(85 reviews)
    20.0 mi
    $

    Stopped in around 10am on a Saturday morning expecting it to be empty. There was a wait to get a…read moretable but well worth the wait. The servers were all genuinely pleasant. They treated everyone like a regular and made me feel welcome. The food was diner delicious as you would expect. Looking at the plates around me, I was kinda sad I didn't try the cinnamon roll pancakes. Good thing they are just right down the street for another visit. The tables were buzzing with happy chatter and the feel is of a much smaller place. Homey and inviting. It's worth a quick jump off 35 to give them a try. You will leave full and happy.

    We came to this area for a birthday and grandpa suggested this place. They were able to accommodate…read more7 of us with room to spare. We were placed in what looked like a separate party room with a few other smaller tables. Service was prompt and polite. Since it was just before noon I chose a lunch option and the rest of the party selected breakfast. I ordered the Italian Grinder and seasoned curly fries. The grinder was a little like spaghetti sauce but had a good flavor. I was given a large portion of fries I was able to share with others. The rest of the party said the breakfast was delicious with no complaints and a few people were not able to eat all the food. This is a nice mom and pop restaurant worth the visit. If we are in the area again for grandpa's birthday we would come back.

    Photos
    Nana Greer's Family Table Restaurant
    Nana Greer's Family Table Restaurant - Half order biscuits and gravy. Huge serving!

    Half order biscuits and gravy. Huge serving!

    Nana Greer's Family Table Restaurant

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    Iron Horse Neighborhood Grill

    Iron Horse Neighborhood Grill

    4.0(104 reviews)
    20.6 mi
    $$

    Wow what a find! Went for lunch on a Tuesday to find this gem! Hot honey brussel sprouts as a…read morestarter which tantalize you with a sweet heat and feta cheese bits to cool the palate. Followed by one of the most amazing hot Reuben sandwiches with spicy pickles and homemade aeoli and a side of real fries Hubby had hand battered fish and chips which was cooked to perfection. Add to all of these wonderful gems was a great waitress with a pot of fresh coffee on an always refreshed cup... Folks this was a wonderful gem not far from I-35 and worth the extra mile or two... Osceola's Gem!!

    Another drive outta DSM, this time to Osceola's The Iron Horse Neighborhood Grill and I had thee…read moreBEST onion rings! I'm so glad we thought to order them AFTER our meals came, or I would've eaten the humongous pile as my meal. Delicious! Chicken Wings: they have "the good ranch" and the wings were really good. Dirty Bird: turkey and bacon sandwich, side of coleslaw. All was good. Personally, this sandwich would be awesome with stuffing on it, like a thanksgiving leftovers sammy! It felt slightly...lacking something, but my aunt liked it so that's all that matters. Rueben (forgot pic until half was gone): very good! Perfectly toasted marble rye, french fries piping hot and delicious. Once the fries and Rueben were delivered, that's when we realized we forgot to order the onion rings and ordered those as well. Sirloin & Baked Potato (forgot pic until halfway through my baked potato ): delicious! However, I'm a total sucker for baked potatoes, lots of butter and sour cream. Also, I was so enthralled with the onion rings, I really didn't touch the steak beyond tasting one bite. I did bring it home for my lunch today! So again...let's talk about these amazing onion rings! I love large, hand-battered onion rings, not a huge fan of shoestrings. These hit every mark in my book, and were 100% worth the 45min drive! ‍‍Service was excellent, highly recommend! Sometimes it's just nice to go for a little drive, which we appear to be doing more of lately! All for $75, plus $25 tip was an awesome meal for $100. Very affordable and top quality.

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    Iron Horse Neighborhood Grill - Burgers, Chicken, Dessert

    Burgers, Chicken, Dessert

    Iron Horse Neighborhood Grill - Pork tender sandwich with cottage cheese

    Pork tender sandwich with cottage cheese

    Iron Horse Neighborhood Grill - Sandwiches, Salad, Appetizers

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    Sandwiches, Salad, Appetizers

    Chuckwagon Restaurant - Tenderloin.

    Chuckwagon Restaurant

    4.5(124 reviews)
    67.1 mi
    $

    Love this place. Stopped by between Des Moines and Sioux City and had a deliciously disgusting…read moremeal. Everything was yummy and so unhealthy. Garlic cheese ball and tater tot poutine? Amazing. The tenderloin was massive. And the broccoli cheese soup was a star. Tried the peach pie as well which I thoroughly enjoyed. The wait staff was super friendly and the ambiance was exactly what I was hoping for, a quality local establishment. Throughly enjoyed it.

    The gf wanted to check out I-80 MetalArt and we found the Chuckwagon Restaurant right across the…read morestreet. We arrived pretty much at straight up noon on a Saturday. I fully expected the place to be packed as it appears to be pretty much the only show in town as far as a sit down restaurant. There was a please wait to be seated sign there as we walked in. We were greeted right away and seated in minutes. It's old school wood tables and chairs and I think there was a counter available. Ordering is done at the tables as well as settline your bill up with your server. Surprisingly the speed of service continued throughout the visit. After drinks we ordered the rodeo burger and fries, a tenderloin with chili cheese fries, and the garlic cheeseballs. The cheeseballs came with marinara and ranch. Fresh, hot, and fantastic! I've eaten a lot of tenderloins. Many that have been highlighted as Iowa Tenderloin Trail winners or participants... This is one of the better tenderloins I've had in the state! Obviously hand made, breaded, and fried. Not too thick and not too thin. Drained properly. Served with the essential condiments including the holy trinity (onions, dill pickles, and mustard). The gf liked her burger. It could have used more of the featured ranch and bbq sauce. The fries... Neither of us cared for them. Obviously hand made, but almost too thin and too greasy. We'd both opt for a different side next time. To each our own though. Almost every small town along this stretch of I-80 has a pub & grill. The menus vary a little, but are very similar in a lot of aspects. The quality of service and the cooks make the biggest differences. The Chuckwagon hit five stars in some aspects of both. Work on those fries and the flavor of the chili (horribly bland) and this review would have been five stars. I'm going to emphasize this again. Truly one of the best tenderloins I've had in the state! Keep doing what you are doing!

    Photos
    Chuckwagon Restaurant - Tenderloin and chili fries.

    Tenderloin and chili fries.

    Chuckwagon Restaurant
    Chuckwagon Restaurant - The urinal

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    The urinal

    Dinky Diner - diners - Updated May 2026

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