We stopped by Herb N Lou's to try their pizza based on reviews, and it didn't disappoint. The building is divided into the pizza restaurant/kitchen up front with the bar and additional dining seating in the back, with a half wall and walk-through separating the two spaces. Luckily, it wasn't too busy, so the bartender leaned over the half wall and let us know how to order. It's all self-service and you actually have to walk up to the counter to place your order, pick up your utensils & plates, and clear your own table. We had the ultimate cheese bread with dipping sauces (both the Alfredo and marinara were delicious!) and also ordered a large Herb's Heaper pizza with olives on half only. Pizza order was accurate and came out quickly, had the perfect amount of sauce and toppings, and was loaded with cheese. A good solid 8/10 for both breadsticks and pizza. The only downside is that the bar and the pizza are on separate operating systems and the bar didn't take debit cards. I had to withdraw cash at the bar ATM to get a beer to go with my pizza, which was inconvenient. Now that we know the quirks, we'll bring cash for the bar and will know how to order next time. We will be back! read more

Herb N'lou's Pizza - Herb's Heaper (hold the olives on half!) - Pizza Near Me - West Branch, Iowa

Herb N'Lou's Pizza is a no-frills pizza joint that is a huge must-have for this small town. We were in town for Hoover Ball. It was a long day of games, in the heat. By the end we were famished! So we decided to pop down the street to this hole in the wall pizza spot. It was happenin'. There's no waitstaff. You order at the window and they hand you an old school ticket.... it takes a minute for your order to be made. Don't forget to listen for your number! They only yell it once or twice then just let it sit in the window, waiting for it to be claimed. We got the cheesy bread (A GOTTA-TRY) -- I am a breadstick snob, these were legit and the marinara was fab. The pizza is thin crust, and hit the spot. The cheese and pepperoni were piping hot. Seating is limited and large parties could be accommodated but it could take a minute to make a table large enough. We had 11 and were able to squeeze into two tables by the front window, luckily. (That being said it was an off time, so if it had been a peak 'dinner time' hour-- we would have been SOL.) Overall, bang for buck was good. Parking is a non-issue. This wouldn't necessarily be as successful of a spot in bigger cities, but for West Branch-- you can tell this is a local favorite both for the food and as a watering hole. (The bar area was jam packed.) read more

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The pizza here reminds me of chuck e cheese. Not in a bad way! But just the vibe. I feel like the ingredients are all separate, like it doesn't taste like a slice of pizza it tastes like bread, then sauce, then cheese, etc. It is layered, we got pepperoni pizza and it is under the cheese. The pepperoni tastes so good!! Felt like high quality pepperoni. The sauce to cheese proportion was well done. The cheese is not stringy, no big cheese pulls. The pepperoni pizza I would get again, but the cheese pizza was bleh. (I think it was a specialty pizza since it didn't have sauce, but I'm not sure what it was so calling it cheese pizza). We got to-go. read more

Herb N'lou's Pizza - cheese pizza - Pizza Near Me - West Branch, Iowa

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Great pizza, cold beer. What could be better? .................. 85 characters minimum. Blah blah

Eating eating here the other night I have to say this is in the league of Sam and Pagliais. The cheese is legit and even though it doesn't feel like an authentic pizza house, if you're talking about quality of pizza at a great bar this place is 10 out of 10 - the aesthetic ambience feels like out of a movie from the 1950s and at the end of the day it's good local old-school West branch County. read more

In the cutest little town in what felt like nowhere Iowa, we were starving. We stopped in here and knew the pizza would be awesome just by the look and feel of the place. The old fashioned register and quaint bar in the back shows the original character of the place hasn't wavered. You order at the counter and take a seat. There are tvs for games, darts, and pool in the back for while you wait. Would definitely stop in again. read more

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I have eaten at Herb and Lou's many and have had awesome pizza. Tonight was not very good. I ordered a bacon cheese burger pizza and it was terrible. I didn't even get an apology. read more

Awesome pizza! A true "hidden gem" in this old school bar and charming downtown area. There's no table service so don't expect it! Order food at the counter, drinks at the bar and enjoy the low-key atmosphere. read more

Herb N'lou's Pizza - Herb's Heaper - Pizza Near Me - West Branch, Iowa

It might be good good but unfortunately we stopped early 5pm it was a Friday night and was going to be an hour before we get food so we left. But it was a Friday night maybe they had a home football game and had a lot going on.....they did have cheap beer my son also said they have great lunch specials. read more

This is a great place to grab a quick sandwich the chicken bacon ranch sandwich very good.

Nope. Sorry. Not for me. Driving from Chicago to visit family in Omaha we always try to find somewhere to stop in a small town in Iowa along the way. We pulled off in West Branch, not really knowing what we'd find. Yelp reviews looked pretty good in general so we chose to try it. When you go in, you order at the counter. The have a very small menu. My son and I both ordered subs. My wife ordered pizza. The subs were not really great - the bread was soft and tasteless. The meat was okay. The vegetables were fresh. I think the chips came out of a bag. Oh - they are cash only. Noting the other reviews, it just may have been a bad day for them. Or, maybe they saw we were from Chicago and not from the town and didn't provide the service they normally do. Certainly, the other people there seemed to know the owners and obviously were enjoying themselves. But for me, Nope. read more

Herb N'lou's Pizza - "Hoagie" and chips - Pizza Near Me - West Branch, Iowa

The staff is amazing and kind,great food,great atmosphere, definitely recommend stopping by you will love it!!

Very tasty pizza- hand tossed crust that was crispy and chewy. We loved how they cut our Canadian bacon and pineapple toppings into small pieces so there were toppings in every bite. The breadsticks were also good and we liked that they cut them into bite sized pieces. Free refills on pop and they have free popcorn too! It's a casual place and seems popular for locals in the bar area and restaurant. Friendly woman at the counter too! read more

Pizzas were decent but not what they used to be in the past. Restaurant side was friendly. Bar side was more interested in social media. Could use a more upbeat atmosphere to keep me coming back. It will be a long time before we try it again, unfortunately. I was hoping for a great time with my family. read more

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After visiting the Herbert Hoover Library I stopped off in the main part of town looking for a place to eat and we ended up at this little pizza place. It's not what I would call particularly good pizza, but the beer was cold and the staff was very friendly. read more

Herb N'lou's Pizza - reflection in window - Pizza Near Me - West Branch, Iowa

Living in the Iowa City area, always looking for a good , friendly restaurant to find. We drove 8-9 miles because of the good reviews on Facebook. Upon entering we made our way to sit at table near the bar because the other area's were full. The girl behind bar never acknowledged us so after watching her stare at her phone we went up to bar and asked where we should order. She gave us menu and explained we had to order up front. The bar special was $2 bud tall boys but she was out. We settled for $5.50 bud light pitcher. We ordered an appetizer and pizza- half being BLT , delivered our cheese bread and forgot marinara... then delivered our pizza without lettuce mayo or tomatoes. Had to get up to ask if this was the correct pizza that was ordered and he explained his employee failed to finish pizza properly. He told me if I brought pizza back to window he'd top it appropriately. It was very good after that but after constant stares from a card table bunch of men, it was not comfortable or inviting. Bartender never asked if we needed refill, however was taking care of the card players drinks. Had to get back up to ask for a pizza box to take leftovers home. We wondered about clearing our dishes or if they provided this... again nobody communicated so on our way out we stopped and asked pizza area if we should clear our table, he said no, they'd take care of it and thanked us for coming. After the dirty looks given by patrons we assumed we were expected to clean table. I still don't even know- but our overall experience was below average and unenjoyable. If we didn't care we wouldn't write a review. Hoping the management will correct things. Its too bad because we love small towns and supporting them. read more

As a former radio news broadcaster (turned IT guy), I always like to help local businesses get the word out IF they are any good. Well, that mentality is still with me. Herb-n-Lou's is a small little pizza joint in the heart of West Branch, Iowa. What Herb-n-Lou's lacks in lighting and cookie-cutter appeal, they offer in Good Damn Food. My favorite, I must admit, is the Herb's Heaper with Jalapenos. Not for the faint of heart, as this monster will choke a horse, yet so good to the pallet. So, head over to Herb-n-Lou's in West Branch, the ladies will be glad to see you. read more

We got the BBQ chicken pizza and it was fantastic! It came out super hot. We will be returning!

I always find myself craving Herbs pizza over anywhere else. My favorites are sausage and green pepper or buffalo chicken but you seriously can't go wrong! This spot is a hometown favorite! read more

I was in town for several days doing work and needed local food rather than the McDonalds at the highway or the 20-mile trip out-and-back to Iowa City. The pizza joint is in front of but attached to the bar in the back. The pizza is certainly good. The menu choices are just fine for a local place making pizza, not seeking food nirvana. There were other options besides pizza--sandwiches and calzones, IIRC. I had a 10 inch two-topping pizza that was well done. Adequate topping coverage, suitably cheesy, and clearly fresh. You can see the dough machine from the counter. Perfect for a cool summer evening with a beer. It is cash only, so be prepared for that, and so is the bar in the back. You can order your pizza in front and then go sit in the back in the bar area; they'll bring it out to you. It is clearly a local place, but the folks are friendly and welcoming to out-of-towners. read more

Ordered a pizza and it came with wrong toppings. So, they agreed to remake. Still wrong. This place has been going downhill for sometime now. Either overcooked or wrong. read more

Food is lackluster at best. Service not very friendly and they do NOT take credit or debit. Cash/check only.

I had pizza here with a friend a couple weeks ago and I thought it was delicious! Our pizza had a super thin, crispy crust piled high with toppings. We had the "supreme" or whatever it's called there. The best part was that some of the cheese spread over the edge and became brown and crispy. read more

The pizza here is top notch! I've been here several times and I don't think I've had a complaint about it ever. Staff is friendly as well.

Decent pizza and friendly service. I recommend the taco pizza or bbq chicken pizza, but they are all acceptable (the crust is what makes good pizza, and they take some time to do it right). Sometimes they can get a little busy, but they'll allow you to call ahead and order and your food will be ready when you get there. Decent place to take children for lunch or go watch a game on the big screen tv in the bar area attached in the back. read more

Sat for an hour waiting for 2 Reuben's. They have a number system and we were skipped over for the pizza orders. All teenage kids working. , no adult in the kitchen. The kids were working but if Zi owned this place I would not leave the responsibility to 3 kids. Won't be back! read more

From Illinois, visiting Hoover Site. Found Herb N' Lou's. My husband and I actually did like this pizza. There was a slight Pizza King reminiscent flavor of spice for me which I love. The crust was thin, crackery and crisp. We had sausage and pepperoni. Not in the least greasy, which is always my fear. The toppings were fresh and really good. The cheese had some other kind mixed in with the mozzarella, some yellow - maybe light cheddar or Colby? It enhanced the cheese flavor. We were there in the middle of the afternoon, by ourselves, but the gal behind the counter was friendly as we were friendly to her. We had no bar experience. Just a good combination of what we personally like in a pizza! read more