We are in town for a graduation and BandFest 2022... staying at the HPI and stopped in for a…read morecocktail... great service and cold wine and beer... super friendly staff told us they are having live blues this weekend... great place to be... on the Plaza

We visited during Band Festival weekend and the Happy Donkey had definitely rebounded a bit from…read moreour last visit. This time the lime margaritas tasted like lime and we did enjoy them! The service was good and everyone enjoyed their meal.

When I stopped by the happy donkey, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of their tacos and…read moredrinks. Their house-made strawberry tequila was the highlight of my visit, and I appreciated the option to order drinks in ceramic vessels with unique flavors like lime, pineapple, and other tropical flavors. I ended up buying a few bottles to go, and I would definitely recommend this place to others. There is ample parking and the service was fantastic.

Sat for over 20 min without a drink...lazy staff...over priced....hard pass....save your money.read more

I went here with my boyfriend for a date night and we were not let down. It was my first time…read morevisiting so I wasn't sure what to expect and as soon as you come in to this speakeasy, you are immediately brought back in time to the prohibition time period with the decorating, the dim lights, and even the leather aprons that the bartenders wear. Besides aesthetic perfection, our bartender was really nice and he was very knowledgeable about every single bottle on the shelf and he very kindly answer all one hundred of my questions to help me pick a drink. I ended up picking the white linen cocktail that had cucumber in it and it was amazing. Next I tried one of their home made seltzers, and it tasted like a chocolate covered cherry, but in a seltzer, which was a very unique flavor that was pretty good. I would definitely recommend coming to here for a high quality cocktail spot. I also learned that they have seasonal menus so I will definitely make a flight back to Mason city to try their Christmas menu items!

First of all, Kay made me the best Old Fashioned I've ever had in 55 years. Wow! This woman…read moredeserves a medal for her hospitality and kindness. We spent July 4th (our 19th anniversary) at The Draftsman. It's in the basement of The Historic Park Inn. Not much in town was open on the holiday. So we hung out with Kay and played pool. We had beef tips and chicken satay. Certainly our least fancy anniversary dinner ever. But Kay made us feel like family and even bought us a round. What a sweetie! Thanks, Kay!!

Bartender was... NOT Friendly!…read moreNOT Welcoming Perma FROWN We waited nearly 10 minutes at bar to order food before kitchen closed. And when we were finally acknowledged, and ready to order after floor is, we were told kitchen closed at 9pm Visited July 5, 2025

In a town full of local Mexican restaurants Agave Azul was a disappointment. The good- the house…read moremargaritas were tasty and if I'd only had a cocktail- I'd feel better about the restaurant. Unfortunately, we had dinner. I had the birria tacos and it was just not good food. It said the shredded beef came with corn tortillas. What arrived were three filled corn tortillas that had been deep fried. It was greasy and not at all what I had expected. The beans were spread out on the plate in a really unappetizing look. Three entrees and 2 margaritas came to over $60. At $20 per diner I just expect better food. There were about three total dining parties when we were there- so it's relatively quiet. There was only one server I saw and she did well providing service to the three parties. I will definitely not be going back. There are just too many better or cheaper Mexican restaurants in town.

We were visiting from out of town and hungry for Mexican. We decided to try Agave Azul after…read morelooking through other reviews. The restaurant sits on a a corner so that is a good location. There is seating on the main floor but it looked like there was an upstairs. Service was prompt but we were the only ones in the restaurant at 5:30p on a Saturday. The restaurant was busier by the time we were done. We were greeted with a complimentary basket of chips and salsa, which was a nice touch. There was a good variety of options on the menu. The one downfall is the other couple we were with wanted the Carne Asada and they were told the restaurant was out of that. That was disappointing and other couple made a choice B and C, in case they were told again the restaurant was out of something. My husband got the chicken taquitos and I had the Birria tacos with rice and beans. The taquitos were a little different than anything we've had before, there was a sauce over the top so they were not as crispy as we are used too. The Birria tacos were decent. Not spicy, not overly flavorful though. The rice was really good (and I usually don't care for Mexican/Spanish rice) and the refried beans were ok. The other couple we were with really enjoyed their second choice for dinner. I can't remember what exactly they ordered but it was another steak dish. They were really happy with it. All in all, not a bad place to eat. I would go back but I would probably check out some of the other options in town before returning.

A fun place to have a meal or appetizer after visiting the Surf Ballroom and museum. Our server…read morewas awesome. Food was tasty. A bit pricey but can understand considering it's' location. Drink special was a Yellow Fever. I'm a Sidecar drinker but the Yellow Fever was tasty. You have to go to at least once but go when there isn't an event happening at the Surf Ballroom.

It was very busy because of an event at the surf. There was a bit of a wait, but you need to…read moreexpect that with a concert next door.

Small bar located just steps from the Mason City town square. Very friendly service, lots of…read morevariety. Try the local 173 bourbon - it's so smooth!

Very fun location- a great speak easy execution. Great menu, comfortable seating and great service.read more

We stopped in at Bitter and Pour after dinner nearby…read more We walked downstairs and had a little fun figuring out the "secret" entrance. We walked in and the place was buzzing as it was a Saturday night. We found a comfortable table for four next to the bar. The bar has low lighting, stone walls and wood floors. I liked the cozy atmosphere. There are a couple of other rooms with plenty of seating for both couples and larger parties. We were quickly greeted by a server. I will say she was not extremely friendly and seemed a bit impatient as we looked through the drink menu. Perhaps she was having a bad night. We wanted to try drinks off the menu to see what was interesting and different. The drinks arrived quickly and were good but felt they were expensive for the small serving. I wish I would have taken pictures of all the drinks. I think it is a cool concept. I liked the atmosphere. We may give it another try next time we are in town.

I have not personally had a bartender be rude to ME, but I have witnessed 2 different people be…read morekicked out of this bar on 2 separate occasions YEARS apart, by 2 different bartenders. Neither of these people were intoxicated or rude. I also witnessed a group of about 20 patrons come in at 1:00am on St Patrick's Day and the bartender told them to leave because they're "closed." Umm... there goes $$$ Clearly there is a problem with how the staff has been trained since this isn't just 1 bad apple. I don't want to be on the receiving end of someone's power trip, so I won't be going back.

Good place to start your night off. If the bartenders are not attentive to you just holler they…read morewill help you then.