Mo is phenomenal and we love his chicken and rice. Food is always outstanding. Steaks are the best kept secret in ames.

3/9/26 6:15 p.m. Dine-in Food: Our order was - Mushroom appetizer, Cheeseballs appetizer, Garlic Citrus Shrimp, Fish Sandwich w/fries & mayo, BBQ Swiss Burger, and a kids menu Mac & Cheese. Everything was delicious! Yes, the fries may be the frozen kind, but I feel like a lot of places use premade fries like that; it didn't take away from how good everything was. The Mushroom appetizer is SO good! Savory, crunchy, and cooked to perfection. Their ranch is also really yummy; it's the good ranch ;) The size of the mushrooms was surprising as well. Most places use small, white mushroom caps for their deep-fried mushrooms, but these were slices of large portobellos (I think lol). We also really enjoyed the cheeseballs. They were crispy with the perfect melted cheesy inside. The shrimp was plump, full of flavor, they were much bigger than I was expecting, and there were a lot more of them as well. Not to mention the vegetables that came with it (there is a lot more under the toast in the photo) were really good! My husband really enjoyed the BBQ Swiss burger. Our daughter tried a bite as well and said she should've ordered that instead of Mac & Cheese lol. The burger was juicy and had great flavor. My daughter loves Mac & Cheese, so of course she devoured her serving lol. The Fish Sandwich was big, cooked perfectly, not overly greasy, and very filling. Service: As we arrived, there was a sign out front that said "Please seat yourselves", so we did. We were greeted with smiles as we walked in and were brought menus pretty quickly. We were served in a timely manner and everyone we interacted with was pleasant and easy to talk to. They were really welcoming and made us feel comfortable while we were dining, even engaging in small conversations instead of the normal quick dash by that other places tend to do. I had asked about the seasoning on the veggies (because it's absolutely delicious) and they gave me a whole bottle of it to take home! I was shocked and incredibly thankful for their generosity! As we were checking out, they even offered my daughter a ring pop, since we had forgotten to order dessert :) They're incredibly nice and seem to really care about their customers. Ambiance: As you walk in, it smells fantastic! It's quite casual and welcoming. You feel comfortable, which is always a great feeling while you're out enjoying a meal. There is a TV, but it was off, which, in my opinion, was kind of refreshing lol. Overall, the noise level wasn't very high. It was just low, casual conversational chatter throughout the restaurant with the occasional kitchen sounds. The decor isn't overdone; it's homey feeling, which adds to the relaxed nature of the place. All in all, we will definitely be dining here again! We really enjoyed our experience and can't wait to try more menu items :) read more

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The food was ok. The mushrooms are fantastic. The service is rude. She walked away several times took a long time to bring water did not ask about coffee or soda . She walked away from several customers mid sentence. Won't probably be back. There are to many to choose from with great food and great service. And better prices . I saw one family get up and leave after she went to their table . read more

Have been going here for decades and will continue at the new place. Great food and staff!

Great food and reasonable prices. I would especially reccomend the Gyros Plater. These sole proprietership restaurants are becomming rare. This place deserves your support. The food, the service, always excellent and consistent. My favorite restaurant in Ames. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in all of Ames. The food is absolutely amazing. You can tell that everything is made with care and love. Truly. The gyro is by far the best in town, and the desserts are right there with it. I have had and love almost everything on the menu. I try and visit once a week. The staff is so friendly and treats me like family.6 stars! read more

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Food was delicious particularly for a mall restaurant. To go took some time but was worth the wait. It felt like a place very used to regulars. Ambiance was very friendly. read more

the place has potential........ The steak was nicely cooked but the shrimp was not. They covered my steak with a piece of toast and I have gluten sensitivity. They nickel and dime you for everything. Our server got some things wrong, but the other server made up for it. We think my mom got sick the next day from the Reuben sandwich which she said was flavorless. read more

Great food for a decent price. Not much atmosphere but clean and well-lit. Great staff. Convenient location.

Food is fantastic. The servers and owner are friendly and helpful if you don't know what to order. Prices are very reasonable and even when its busy service is fast. You get a wide variety of different foods from other ethnicities. My favorite foods are either the Gyro, the Prime Rib or taco salad. The soups are homemade. You can't go wrong with the desserts either. Baklava is sooo delicious. Definitely worth a try. read more

Been there many times the people are great and the food is pretty good and affordable good place to eat.

I have been going to The Flame since I was a kid. We love the food and staff! 10/10 would recommend to anyone in Ames!

This place has been my wife and I's favorite restaurant for well over 20 years. While the food isn't trendy, or fancy, it is ALWAYS fantastic. Not only is Flame and Skewer the friendliest restaurant in Ames, it is the best, as far as I'm concerned. read more

Food was pretty good, and the service was amazing and fast! The staff are so incredibly friendly and the whole place has a cute vibe to it. A great place to see friends or family for a cup of coffee or tea. There was one woman in particular who deserves recognition, as she ran all the way out to the parking lot to give my boyfriend his card that he forgot! Will definitely be giving my business to this place on the regular!! read more

Best place to eat in the mall! Fast service and made to order dishes. The deep fried mushrooms are a great appetizer. They have chicken strips and macNCheese for children! More soon. read more

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Flame & Skewer is a small, nice Greek family steakhouse located with the North Grand Mall, about a short ten minute drive from where our apartments are located. A few of my friends and I headed out to go see a movie, and before the movie, made a stop by Flame & Skewer to grab a quick dinner. I ordered the Mo's salad, which consists of salad greens topped with gyro strips, Greek olives, tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers and feta cheese. The gyro was pretty good, though I will have to say I'm not a huge fan of salads that consist of just lettuce as their main greens (iceberg lettuce is kind of hard to finish off by itself). My friend got Mo's on Rice, with rice topped with grilled chicken, tomatoes, onions and cucumbers, tossed in Italian dressing. It also came with a slice of Texas toast. Mo's on Rice is one of their speciality items; I tried a little bit, and I do think it was quite tasty! The other three from our group ordered the gyro dinner (strips of blended lam and beef served with pita bread). All in all, Flame & Skewers was a nice sit-down restaurant with reasonably priced food for the quality, and the service was quite nice and timely. read more

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Flame & Skewer is a small restaurant located in North Grand Mall in Ames. It's nothing fancy but it's clean and well-kept. The service was fast and friendly and the prices are very reasonable. I ordered the gyro with a side of fried mushrooms and it was good - nothing spectacular but well worth the price. The mushrooms were much better than the frozen ones you get at most places. Overall, I think this is a great place for a quick, fairly priced lunch and I would probably go back again. read more

I've been going to Flame since the late -70's ad can honestly say I have never had a bad experience or meal! The gyros especially are fabulous; the staff are friendly and efficient - can't go wrong with this choice! read more

Had a great dinner with 8 family members. Prime rib was excellent. The gyro dinner was more than I could eat. The Reuben sandwiches were also gone in no time. Wait staff was very polite & efficient. Great family restaurant. Can't wait to go back & we definitely will. read more

I am a big fan of the Flame & Skewer. Mo opened this business the day North Grand Mall opened and it has been going ever since. I love the gyro sandwich. Stop in for a good meal. Located just inside the main entrance to the mall on the south side. (right) read more

Flame & Skewer - Entry inside North Grand Mall - American Near Me - Ames, Iowa

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A long time fave of since the days of hanging out in the mall as a teenager! Today we enjoyed Mo's on Rice and Mo's Salad. Delicious as always!! And if you like a good gyro...try one here!! Yum!! Now quick, go try it!! read more

Flame & Skewer - Top is Mo's on Rice and bottom is Mo's salad! - American Near Me - Ames, Iowa

I tell them every time I come in..."THEY MAKE THE BEST GYROS IN THE STATE! " I've tried a few other dishes as well...but I come back for the GYROS. read more

I don't know how the name relates to the cuisine or the decor... I think it's a prediction/description of the sort of reviews that they hope to and will elicit. As in, "Isiah sure flamed the hell out of that restaurant," or "man, Sherryl sure as hell skewered their french fries." My 8 month old daughter banged her head on the table during lunch and cried for five minutes. And that was the highlight of the meal. The french fries were of the rectangular wavy freeze-and-bake variety that says to the customer, "we're not even interested in whether you enjoy the food or not." (snap). read more

You'd be surprised at just how many people don't know that this place even exists. Right there. In the mall. In plain sight. I think it'd be a safe bet that the majority of Ames residents have walked right past this place. Sure it's tucked off to the right side of the North Grand Mall's main east entrance. The entrance deceives ones' eye at just how big it is. This is one of the best options in the mall and in north Ames for some home-made and healthier meal options. The menu is limited but punctuated with some Greek specialties like gyros and souvlaki. Not extraordinary but on par with something you could whip up at home and served in a calm and easy atmosphere. You'll find a respite here from shopping and a wholesome appropriately priced meal. read more

I have been to this restaurant many times and almost always order Gyros dinner. I have ordered a few other items on the menu, but I'm not impressed with anything other that the gyro dinner. If you are looking for a great gyro, or haven't ever had one, this is the go-to place in ames. They are so delicious. read more

The restaurant area is definitely in need of some updating/maintenance but the food does not disappoint. When you're in the mood for Greek head there and order the souvlaki. read more

Super friendly and attentive staff. Definitely will be back when we visit Ames. Mo's place was recommended by a friend and we're glad we tried it. read more

Definitely one of my long time favorites in Ames. Best gyro in town. I have never had a bad meal here. Good attentive service. Recommend.

My favorite restaurant in Ames! Their gyros are amazing and chicken is always perfect.

Stopped by and had the Mo's chicken with a rice pilaf. The roasted chicken strips were seasoned and made a great combination with the tomato/cucumber/rice pilaf. The seasoning was just right, making the dish a well balanced assembly of ingredients. read more

About as mediocre as you can get. I don't think that I'm part of their intended demographic, but I was still underwhelmed. Nothing bad about the food but I wouldn't call it that great either. I had the cheesesteak hoagie and it was good enough for some food after a late night out. The service was great, though. Kind waitress and not too long of a wait after ordering. read more

Food is amazing! Very fast, friendly, and delicious! Prices are good. Went there tonight and ordered the ribeye steak. Oh man! Was it amazing! The homemade soups are delicious! I try to eat here every time I'm at the mall. Absolutely love this place. read more

I love the gyro sandwich here. Maybe it's just because it was the first gyro I ever had when I was a kid (and I've had dozens and dozens of times since then), but I think the meat is perfectly seasoned and their Tzatziki really good. It's the gyro I measure every other one against. Other than that, and maybe a few of the other greek items, don't expect much. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in town. Their prime rib is fantastic! I have never found any other prime rib that can compare to theirs. They have the best steaks around . They have a lot of delicious other food also. A few other great foods are gyros, reubens, salmon and chicken strips. The service is great and the staff are friendly. The owner Mo does catering and the food he makes when catering is delicious. read more

Service is always excellent. The gyros are the hottest item there. If you like gyros probably best in Ames area (- DSM Metro?). I do also love the rice for some reason. If you like cheese balls I would check those out too. the best side is the Fries. I will say I enjoy the fries at Flame & Skewer more than anywhere else. There was a child and woman when I was there and the little boy left to look at the candy machine. The mother/care giver followed. A worker thought they were done and bused the table. On the duos return the the server apologized profusely. Mo, the owner personally apologized and comped the meal. He is almost always present and I have seen on more than one occasion go above and beyond to making a dining experience enjoyable. If you have a stigma about eating at a mall, don't. I would put on par if not above any other casual dining spot in Ames. read more

Plain Jane restaurant the steak is Blaine and seemed small both times my steak wasn't cooked correctly the waiter service is just horrible they hide out in the back and rarely come out I don't think I was ever asked how my food was or if I needed a refill be prepared to walk up to the cash register and pay because its highly unlikely that the waiter will even bring you your ticket I seen a female employee eating in the back it about made me sick.. read more

I work at Northgrand mall and I eat here pretty often the service isn't too great but the food is awesome!

I love this place! Everytime I go visit my grandparents in Ames. I love the food and they have one of the brst gyros I have ever had!

I thought the food was really good but the service wasn't great. I have recently found out that I am allergic to gluten and I asked our waitress about gluten free options on their menu. She didn't know and put no effort into finding out. My friend is lactose intolerant and asked for no butter on her bun and her bun ended up have butter on it. Our waitress was also not friendly, it seemed like she didn't want us there and that she didn't care about us. Overall I think this is a good restaurant if you don't have any allergies to worry about. But I would not recommend this to anyone who wants to have a pleasant time or has an allergy. read more

Maybe it was that we came in on the night of the recent snow storm but we found this place not even worth the 3 stars. The décor is stark. We ordered chicken cordon bleu and chicken kiev. They came with salads that were very ordinary if that. One slice of cucumber and maybe a quarter of a tomato. The entrees were obviously prepackaged frozen. Reminded of the off brand kind you can get at any Walmart freezer section. However, the cowboy corn bites were a great appetizer. Again, we were in Ames for a special event, the weather was bad but we would not come again if in town. read more