Came back for Simpson's homecoming (Class of '08). It's been 10 years since I've been here but it…read moreessentially looks and feels the same. The Zoo is still the motherland of all dive bars for me since it was my college bar. Glad to see it's still going strong and even got to get my groove on a bit. Side note: You never realize as a college kid how weird it is to have two toilets right next to each other with no separation. Just part of the charm now!

In my travels to hundreds of bars throughout the Great Plains I have discovered several fundamental…read morelaws of bar nature. One of these laws is that any bar named "Zoo" is awesome. This particular Zoo is no exception. We had a kick-ass bartender who welcomed us out-of-towners with free shots ("FMS", apparently the bar's staple) as we settled in for our visit. We had a lot of fun chatting with him throughout our stay. Upon entry you find yourself in the middle of a stairwell. Go up and you find the main bar, with lots of seating and a handful of bar games. Downstairs is foosball and a pair of vividly purple pool tables. If I lived in Indianola, this would be my hangout. If you're just visiting, it's well worth stopping in.

Visiting this town for a couple of days, and saw The Hide Out review on Yelp…read more Legit dive bar, but in a neighborhood way. Wish they had draught beer, but the bottles and shots are cheap. Cheerful service as well.

Great atmosphere friendly staff and patrons. Happy hour was dirt cheap and the drink were well made.read more

The Groggy Dog has a way of making you feel like family the moment you walk through the door. Bob…read moreFox, the owner, puts an incredible amount of time and effort into making sure the food is always above and beyond what you would expect. What really stands out is that he genuinely listens to his customers. If something isn't quite right or you have a suggestion, Mr. Fox takes the time to hear you out and looks for ways to make things better. The Groggy Dog also does a great job keeping things interesting with its beer selection. The beers on tap are always changing, giving you a chance to try something different each time you visit. Whether you have a favorite or want to branch out and try something new, there's usually something worth checking out. I really appreciate that they don't just stick with the same lineup--they keep things fresh and give customers a reason to come back and see what's new. Between the great food, rotating beer selection, and the way Bob genuinely cares about his customers and his business, The Groggy Dog is the kind of place that feels less like a restaurant and more like a local gathering spot. You can tell there's a lot of pride and hard work behind what they do, and it shows.

Really nice downtown barn Indianola with a British vibe, oh nice but then if I get more, you can…read morestill add to it if need be all right thanks for serving poutine, Guinness beer and a bunch of similar stuff. The Irish eggrolls with corned beef were pretty darn good and the local beer that was a lager from Des Moines hit the spot, but I don't remember the name.

Went today sat down and no one came up to wait on us. I went to the back and asked for menus and…read morethe gentleman asked where we were sitting? We sat there for 10 minute. Then I ordered a spicy marg and it was awful. I also ordered the Cajun chicken Alfredo it tasted like pasty Mac and cheese. Never before have I ever had such bad service or food. I was very disappointed.

I recall coming here earlier in the year and thinking this place was pretty good. Either I have…read moreamnesia or this visit was awful. Food wise: If you like salt, this is the place for you. The seasoned fries were far too seasoned, the au jus was far saltier than au jus should be. They did add onions to the French dip as requested, but the bread was cold and obviously came out of a bag without any additional prep. The chocolate martini was supposed to come with whipped cream and sprinkles; obviously from the picture this was forgotten as well. The chips/dip had queso that had been sitting in a warmer for a long time, as a film had developed on top. Our server was friendly, but flighty. "Are you guys ready for your checks"? "No, I'll probably have more to drink". "Here's your checks, no hurry". Asked for extra napkins, she forgot those too.

Small town and good food. There is nothing better! Pizza was great with ham chunks and graziano…read moresausage. I would like the cheese a little more bubbly but I still thought it was a great pizza. The burger was nominated in 2024 for one of the best burgers in Iowa. I have had the 2024 best burger a week ago and this burger is better by far. This burger has great flavor, thick and cooked perfectly. The bun had a crisp to it and didn't get too mushy. Onions rings were good but not the best I have ever had. I would still order them again because they were crispy and not overly greasy. The ranch wasn't Hidden Valley. Service was great. Ambience is a nice, clean, small town bar.

If you find yourself in this very small Iowa town, you won't go hungry! Houston's is a quaint…read morediner/pool hall/ bar that serves it up right. Very casual, come as you are. They have boothes, multiple pool tables several tv screens , sit down bar. Service is great and cheerful. The menu is extensive with tons of varied options! All our meals were well presented and enjoyed. Nothing fancy, just real good! Recommend.

I'm originally from Oskaloosa so I know this place, but I brought my boyfriend from Florida and the…read moremoment we walked in we was going on about how cool this place is, how unique and outgoing it is ! And then we have our amazing bartender who was the best to talk to and was all about helping us find the best drinks . The vibe of this place is just a GO TO. I went ahead and tried the Best dressed Bloody Mary and let me tell you...WE HAVE TRAVELED ALL OVER AND THIS ! THIS ONE IS THEEEE ONE TO TRY! Should win the best bloody nation wide! My boyfriend hates Bloody Marys and he tried to drink all of mine here I highly recommend this place , always forever will be our go to when coming back to visit family and friends !

Great environment and staff. They make really good drinks and food. Stop by if you're in the area!read more

I have been to this place twice and been disrespected by either the owner or the bartender for no…read morereason at all both times. The owner called me "big" and the bartender last night, Luke, was simply the worst. Not welcoming, not friendly, would just play darts with his friends the entire time and play shitty music. Just an overall like, HOSTILE vibe for no reason we weren't loud and drunk or obnoxious at all. Just chillin. I gave it a second chance but Luke was such a DICK and wanted to close at midnight while money spending customers so badly that when we walked in he put his hands up and said he was closed. Then a half hour later we wanted to play darts and rudely just told my friend "are you serious? No" like we weren't even the only ones still IN the bar but we weren't one of HIS friends so he told us he wanted to close early. I looked up the Google information. They close at two. Guess the owner doesn't want to make any money on slow nights! Never again. Do NOT GO HERE IT SUCKS.

New owners kick ass and can get busy on the weekends. But what Bar don't right! Always good timesread more

As I travel I cannot help but love the fun local watering holes, bars, cocktail lounges along the…read moreway and Pour Bastards Pub is just one of those places! The beer is cold, barkeep is friendly and my kinda music on the jukebox. I recommend it!

A friendly dive bar. Cheap drinks and no attitude from staff or customers. Great music on the…read morejukebox. What's not to like ?

What a cute little place! I love small town charm and this…read moreis a perfect example. On the main square this little place holds it own. It has a cute little patio out front. We didn't go inside as our friend wanted the fresh air. We met on a hot July evening. There are a couple tables with umbrellas but with the sun setting on the horizon it was hard to get shade from them. This is of no fault of anyone on this beautiful summer afternoon. The waitress was on par. She had already brought out drinks for my friend and was right there when I sat down to get my drink order. When our friends arrived our waitress was right back out there to help us. She handled our drinks well and kept the water flowing on this hot day. I asked her what her favorite item was. She asked me a couple questions to help me aim for what I was craving and let me know that she loves their flatbread but told me about a chicken sandwich that she really likes. I told her it sounds a little heavy and she said she sometimes puts it on greens and its good. It told her that sounded perfect! It was perfect. The rest of the table ordered flatbread and an order of dolma savored every bite of my angry chicken. I wish I had taken a picture of the menu because my memory is not serving me the best remembering what exactly it was called, but so good. You can get your choice of drinks on tap or bottle, but the heat was having me enjoying the water tonight. I tried dolma, but it wasn't doing it for me and the flavor was in my chicken. My other friend had the chickpea side salad. Everyone was able to have something they wanted and our meatless eater also had lots of options. I suggested if you are a local you already know this place, but if you haven't, please do. Very tasty and worth the stop. I would go again.

Wonderful & locally owned. Encourage you to drop in for Saturday bottomless mimosas. For $20 you…read moreget a Meat & Cheese or fruit n yogurt platter to accompany your mimosas. Great deal... amazing taste

This was an interesting experience. 5/5 unique…read more4.7/5 personal 1/5 niceness - stole me candy 4/5 covid safe - Bartender mighta had it but ya neva know 5/5 nice 1/3 roommates there 6/5 respeck for this place 10/10 would recommend Thank you. Goodnight.