If you are reading this, I would guess that you are traveling across Iowa on Hwy 20, or even up…read moreI-35, and you're searching the Internet for fresh food, and this stretch of highway looks pretty bare for hometown restaurants...but, you are in luck! Just detour into Steamboat Rock (five minutes off Hwy 20), and find yourself in another world, possibly another century. Mama's Family Diner is in the downstairs lunchroom of the local schoolhouse (formerly called the Schoolhouse Diner). You'll find yourself feeling like a very lucky grade school student, where the lunch ladies serve fresh made tortillas for your Mexican fare, and Iowa favorites for the nostalgic. The day we visited, the lunch specials were either burrito, enchilada, meatloaf and mashed potatoes with dessert, or goulash with dessert. There is also a Mexican menu of soft tacos (ground beef, chicken or steak) and quesadillas, etc. There are none of the tired old bar food menu items, the American fare is limited to the specials, and the Mexican food is geared toward Iowa palates, but this may change as the restaurant gains popularity. Your food (plenty of it) is served on real restaurant china, by Mama herself. And the burrito was muy grande, as you can see from our picture. Do yourself a favor, drop off the beaten path, and, when you step out of your car onto the quiet, peaceful street, bordered by old growth trees, and walk down the sidewalk into this renovated schoolhouse, you'll remember the good times when school lunch was the best part do the school day! Three stars because the menu is very limited, but five for home town atmosphere...this is what Iowa small towns are really like, hence the four star average.

Best home cooked Mexican food ever! Every time we visit Steamboat Rock, we have to come here…read more Everything on the menu is delicious. Went here with a vegetarian friend and Mama made the best vegetarian burrito she's ever had! Definitely worth the short drive off the interstate for some authentic home cooked food.

Ambiance! Circa 1950 with full length soda counter. Waiters with an attitude, step back in time…read morewith roast beef and mashed potatoes. Cool booths. Don't miss this place. Make sure you have a chocolate malt.

The ambiance of this long standing business is amazing. I knew walking in immediately it had been…read morean old soda/candy fountain. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. The chocolate malt was awesome. The malt really came through. We also had a walleye sandwich and a French dip. Solid home cooking in in this small town. We will definitely return on our next visit.

The stuffed burger was amazing. Great flavor! Tenderloin was enormous and very good! Will…read moredefinitely be stopping again!

Stopped into Willie's Food & Spirits in Hampton, Iowa around 8:15 on a Monday night. A couple folks…read morewere at the bar and a booth was finishing up dinner, but the place had that classic small-town bar atmosphere--very clean, well lit, and welcoming. The menu is simple in all the right ways: sandwiches, wings, salads, and a few other staples. I went with their award-winning tenderloin and onion rings. My wife had boneless wings and the deep-fried cauliflower. The food was excellent across the board. Portions were big, nothing was greasy, and everything was cooked exactly how it should be. The cauliflower was crisp and seasoned well, the wings were solid, and the tenderloin was spot-on--great flavor, not oily, and the onion rings were light and perfectly done. Our bartender/waitress, Jesse, was outstanding. She was friendly, checked on us several times, and made sure everything was right. All in all, a great stop. Good food, generous portions, and the kind of service you don't take for granted. We'll gladly make the 30-minute drive to come back.

We're currently working our way through the Iowa Tenderloin Trail, stopping at tour stops all…read moreacross our fine state. Today we visited Belmond to conquer the famous tenderloin from the Blemond Drive-In. This place was easy to find, right along US 69 on the south end of Belmond just north of Casey's. The setting is nice - a small dining room but the place is decked out with town spirit. On the walls you'll find Navy & Green Blemond-Klemme Broncos jerseys, photos, posters and even a bronco head and pennant at one end. Small-town Iowa is typically very proud of their local teams and the Belmond Drive-In displays the town's pride well. Nothing fancy here - a counter with a few stools and tables/booths elsewhere. It looks like they have a room in the back for larger groups. The restrooms were nice and clean and the restaurant itself was very nice, though weird because there isn't a sink in there - it's outside of it. Our waitress was really friendly and attentive. Since we were there for the tenderloin, we were expecting it to be one mean sandwich. After all, this sandwich was one of the Iowa Pork Producers' yearly award winners for Best Tenderloin. It arrived at the table and though it tasted good, I think the tenderloin itself was a tad on the small side. Great flavor, nice and juicy, but a tad small. Don't let that stop you from trying it. It's actually a good thing because then you can indulge on one of their great shakes or malts. I had a peach shake and wasn't disappointed. It had pieces of peach right in it. The menu is your typical small-town cafe menu - mostly sandwiches, salads and the like. They have a good hamburger according to some I have talked with. Overall, I enjoyed eating at the Belmond Drive-In. They make a good tenderloin and some great ice cream.

Okay... So did this place change hands since winning the Iowa Tenderloin Trail in 2015?…read more We stopped here after having to attend a funeral in Hampton while on our way back to the Des Moines metro. The place is quaint. It reminds me of a lot of small town stops. We were greeted upon entering and told to grab a seat anywhere. The kitchen help looked a little more mature, but the servers appeared to mostly be high school age. That in and of itself is fine...as long as they do the job. At first glance the menu looked promising. The prices seemed really good. Our server did an okay job to start, but lagged on refills (and it was about 230 PM in the afternoon...they weren't busy), and she kept disappearing. I'm not sure where she was going... The place isn't that big. We soon found out why the prices were so low... The portions are about 1/3 to 1/2 of what you would get anywhere else. We started with cheese curds and onion rings. We also ordered a tenderloin and a cheese burger. I'm a tenderloin junkie and have eaten them all over the Midwest. Knowing they'd picked up the 2015 title there was no doubt in my mind what I was going to order. The tenderloin was cooked well, but it was about the size you'd get at a fast food joint advertising "tenderloins". You could tell it was real meat v. out of a Sysco truck, but it was pretty unimpressive for having been voted such a prestigious title. Looking across the table I almost wished I'd ordered a cheese burger. And when we'd pretty much finished everything we added a couple orders of fries, etc. because we weren't full. The size of the fry orders were just as disappointing. Dropped over $30 before tip and we walked out hungry... The small portion sizes and sub-par service will probably keep me from retracing my path to this stop on the trail. Serve an adult portion, raise your prices to match the portion, and up your game. I really wanted to like this place as I grew up in this area of the state (in Dows). An epic fail.

We love this place. Stopped in recently when we were visiting Clarion. Had a great patty wagon…read moreburger and husband loved the brisket grilled cheese sandwich. Will definitely return next time we're in town. This restaurant is a gem.

Skip the food. Ok for drinks. Wont be back. Ordered app…read moredrinks and pizza, server was very sweet and attentive. Male owner was throwing a tantrum in the kitchen loudly behind us. Sad this is one of only a few places in town. Should have been much better. Was served cold pretzels and watery cheese and asked them to heat it up and they came back even colder.. asked them to take them back. Pizza has no flavor. Drinks were good at least! So maybe skip the food.

Closed. This place is closed. For sale. My review needs to be longer but there isn't much more to…read moresay than don't go here because it is closed.

They did the catering for my best friends wedding and the food was amazing!…read moreThey had a chicken with mushroom sauce, roast beef, pasta salad, beautiful fresh fruit, and a cheesy hash brown casserole that was to die for! The staff was very friendly and made sure that everything was boxed up at the end of the night and put into the event hall fridge. They were super courteous not to interrupt the reception, and we didn't even notice that they had packed up everything! I cannot wait when I come back to the area to visit the actual restaurant!

Stopped here for lunch during our drive home. It is a good, clean and modern restaurant with a…read moresmall town cafe feel. The food was good as well as the value. My wife ordered the Mushroom Burger (see picture) while I had the Chicken Noodle Soup (see picture). We thought that both tasted very good - the soup was not watered down and actually was fairly thick. Food: 3 Atmosphere: 3 Value: 5 Service: 3 If you found this review helpful, please click to show your support.

When traveling we like to eat at local family run restaurants. We had breakfast and it was very…read moregood. I had the meat platter breakfast with a pancake and my significant other had the biscuits n gravy I highly recommend them

Expecting the worst and we we were pleasantly surprised!!! My dad grew up in the area and he went…read morehere every other Sunday. The food has come a long way. We were at little leery after seeing the short limited menu which could easily all be premade and heat to eat food. To our surprise a good portion was home made! Chicken Salad and fries were great. Homemade croutons and salad dressings.