Camping outside of Webster City, we always look for a local spot to try when we travel. Tonight,…read morelucky us, it was the Grid Iron. Be prepared to show a little grace, there were a lot of cars turning in there as we came up to it- from the food, I'm guessing they're always busy! My wife chose their mainline burger (no cheese) and house fries. Honestly, I think we could tell how good it was going to be when got out of the car and that awesome charbroil smell overwhelmed us. She loved it. I had the Chipotle Bacon cheeseburger on Texas toast, well done for me (they will prepare to your liking), which is charbroiled, then dunked in their home made bourbon sauce and served with Swiss cheese and jalapeños. The fries have some type of coating that makes them a little crispier and a little tastier. Even if you're cruising up I35, it's worth the detour into WC for a great meal. Plenty of tv's but even with a crowd, you can still have enjoyable conversation at your table. It's no wonder one whole wall is covered with "best of" awards. They deserve them. Bon Appetite!

We drove 45 miles to try the Sunday breakfast buffet and it did not disappoint. We enjoyed every…read moresingle bite and the customer service was fantastic. Our server was friendly and helpful, making sure we had everything we needed the entire time. The biscuits and gravy were a favorite! It's hard to find a good gravy but they nailed it. The options to choose from were great! You had everything from fruit to French toast to mashed potatoes and fried chicken. I can't say enough about the friend chicken! The skin was battered perfectly and it was incredibly crispy while the meat inside was still juicy and delicious. This is some of the best friend chicken we've ever had - hands down!! The only suggestions I would make is #1 get there early because it is a popular place and #2 A 'cook to order' option for the eggs in the buffet would push it over the top. We can't wait to go back!

Pickles Pub is central Iowa gem. Hidden on blue Highway D 41 in Kamrar. The building is lovely with…read morea great hometown bar & grill vibe. Always bustling on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Fun Day, Pickles has a great staff of friendly, small-town folks. They hustle! Food comes out timely, and is good quality. We had a combo plate with fried mushrooms, pickles, and corn nuggets. It's all frozen stuff, but good quality. My wife had the French Dip sandwich and loved it (although she never dips her sandwich... wtf). I had the Patty Melt. It was cooked well on marble rye and was delicious. This is the ultimate roadside joint for a beer and bite. Nothing but positive energy for Pickles Pub!

I'd like to start out by saying; the experience exceeded any expectation I had!…read more My boyfriend and I visited on a Saturday evening. We had an app, 2 steak dinners & 2 drinks each for around $75. Great prices, good food, friendly staff. They weren't packed but as we sat there the place filled up very quickly! Classic American pub. I was not expecting my sirloin to be so well cooked & seasoned. It was the most perfectly cooked Medium steak. WORLDS better than the crap Texas Roadhouse puts out. I did ask for steak sauce or "A1" and one of the server's (not our server) looked at me like I had 5 heads & shook her head no. This dumbfounded me that she had no clue what steak sauce was. Our server grabbed the steak sauce so no harm no foul! We will be back to try the pizza which seemed quite popular there. This is also a great establishment if you have a larger party for dinner, they get the food cranked out pretty quickly.

My parents only live about 7 1/2 miles from Unkie's and they'd taken everyone in the family there…read more(multiple times)...but me. It became almost a running joke. They'd rave about the food. Remember how good that was at Unkie's? No. No I don't... Lol We were up there this weekend and it was a couple days before my 55th birthday and mom said... We should take Dan and Owen to Unkie's to my dad... I almost refused... Why ruin a good inside family joke? But I'm glad we went! Don't blink or you'll miss Thor! We arrived at about 430 PM on a Saturday. They open at 300 PM for drinks, seat for dinner at 430 PMish and take orders and start serving at 500PMish. It's seat yourself. The seating is a combination of booths and low top tables and chairs. There is also a small bar with seating at it as well... The place is old school. Mostly dark wood and a classic small town steakhouse vibe. Don't expect a five star atmosphere... The real magic is in the food and the customer service. Unkie's is cash only. They will take a local check. And there is an ATM on site. No card payments. Our server was fantastic. I think she is one of the owners... Took our drink orders first along with an appetizer. We ordered our entrees with her a few minutes later. She checked on us every now and then and our drinks never hit the bottom of the glass. My parents ordered the appetizer sampler (fried pepper rings, cauliflower, cheeseballs, jalapeño cheeseballs, mushrooms, pickles, and onion rings) that they shared with the table and they split a 10 oz fillet meal (medium) with sauteed mushrooms, a baked potato, and a side salad with ranch. Dad ordered three extra jumbo shrimp. The shrimp are $4.50 ea, but they are HUGE. The ranch that comes with the apps (or salad)... It's made in-house and is SO good! If you like ranch it's a must try here. My son ordered the 10 oz ribeye (medium) with fries and a side salad with french. I ordered the 10 oz fillet (medium-rare), the Jojo's potatoes (broasted potato wedges), three jumbo shrimp, and a side salad with blue cheese. We all ordered fountain drinks. All the meals came with Texas toast. Everything was cooked to perfection. Not one thing was not on point! The special the night we were there was two 5 oz lobster tails for $40 and there was a halibut special going on too. I glanced at the receipt. I think the total was $143 before tip... Dad was paying or I'd have been more attentive. Unkie's is a hidden gem of a small town steakhouse who certainly lived up to their reputation! Everything I'd heard was true. Is it worth an almost two hour drive from the Des Moines metro on a date night...? If you don't mind the drive... Yes. Yes it is! And it's most definitely worth the 7 1/2 mile drive from Goldfield to Thor...

Review of Unkie's Entertainment Restaurant & Lounge - Thor, Iowa…read more Unkie's is one of those small-town Iowa restaurants that feels like home the minute you walk in -- the kind of place where you can sit down, relax, and enjoy a good meal without any fuss. It's a real destination spot if you're from the area or just passing through north-central Iowa. I was there celebrating my birthday with my family, and we had a great evening. One thing to note -- they won't seat you until your whole party arrives, which keeps things moving smoothly for the staff and other guests. It's a busy place that draws folks from a wide area, and you can tell it's popular for good reason. The food was solid all around. I had the pork chop -- it was perfectly cooked and full of flavor. My wife ordered the chicken and said it was moist and well-seasoned. A few in our group went for steaks and steak-and-lobster combos. Most of the steaks are market-priced, and while they were just a touch overcooked, everyone agreed they had great flavor. Sides were a mixed bag -- my baked potato was a little overdone, and the hashbrowns leaned a bit greasy, but nothing that spoiled the meal. Between six adults and one child, with drinks, appetizers, entrées, desserts, and a couple of lobster add-ons, our total came out around $50 per person -- fair for the quality and portions. A quick heads-up for anyone planning a visit: Unkie's doesn't accept cards, so bring cash. They do have an ATM on-site if you forget, but it's easier to come prepared. All in all, Unkie's hits the mark for what it is -- a good, small-town Iowa restaurant serving hearty food in a friendly setting. It's one of the best we've found in the area, and we'll definitely be back to try their sandwiches next time

Had dinner here on a Tuesday evening while in town for a conference. I partnered up with another…read moreconference attendee and we came here for dinner. The menu had a diversity of options with both bistro and full size options. We both settled on the Main St. chicken dish on recommendation from the waitress along with swapping the rice for mashed potatoes. Great suggestion. My conference mate asked to have her mushrooms removed and I asked to have the tomatoes removed. Although we both ordered the same meal, the presentation looked different for each of us and hit the spot for our tastebuds. Mine seemed more like a chicken marsala while hers was a tomato sauce. Either way we both enjoyed our meals. We both also had dessert - I had the delicious chocolate cake with raspberry sauce. Honestly there was too much sauce but the cake was still delicious! My conference mate had the peanut pie and it was divine - imagine a Reese cup with an Oreo crust. If I'm ever back in Ames this will definitely be on my return list!!

Came here on company dinner and we had a great time. Food was decent and I enjoyed my carbonara,…read morehuge portion. The French onion soup was just ok but everyone enjoyed the peanut butter pie. Very good ambiance for group dining and the service was great.

Awesome place that really surprised. Clearly a farm to table concept with a varied but overwhelming…read moremenu. Came in on a weeknight with coworkers and received good service and fantastic food. Nice drink menu (I enjoyed their take on the old fashioned) with cocktails and a nice craft beer selection. Everyone loved their food, from the barley soup to the ravioli, burger, Brussels salad, and the salmon I got. Hidden gem perhaps was their incredible dessert selection. The cherry tart was a pleasant surprise and the salted caramel chocolate cake will def fix a choc craving. Would gladly come back.

Provisions Lot F in Ames…read more If you like fresh baked breads and bomb desserts, along with amazing food, head to Provisions if you're in the area. Pork Belly app: thick cut pork belly in lettuce cups, topped with sweet thai glaze, pickled carrots, onions, celery, mint, thai basil, cilantro, scallions and crushed peanuts. A tad sweet for me but overall this was a great app. Slice of Sourdough: delish. Chicken Japchae: since my mom has celiac disease, we were very excited to see this on their menu - dining out with her can be a challenge. Especially at a place specializing in breads! The only unfortunate part about this dish is (I think) they forgot they already salted the chicken and salted it again...and then again. I'm not one to say something is too salty, I love my sodium but this was mouth-puckering salty. Inedible, actually, but the noodle dish itself was SO GOOD that she set the chicken aside and ate the entree. NY Strip Steak: perfectly med-rare, served with a garlic-rosemary potato pavé (like a potato casserole of sorts), roasted broccolini and a house steak sauce that was similar to a demi glaze. Not a bite left - no leftovers with this one. I ate the whole dang thing. Myself. And I have zero regrets. Crème Brûlée: I also couldn't leave without ordering a crème brûlée because there are some really bad ones out there. This did not disappoint. I also took home a Dubai Chocolate tort, Raspberry Crumble and a Flourless Chocolate cake. ZERO regrets but if you love Dubai chocolate then you know there are some discusting renditions of this in the market. However, the Dubai chocolate tort at Provisions Lot F is . I can't even describe how delicious this was and is worth the drive to Ames just for this dessert. If you're north of DSM for a game or whatever, I highly recommend Provisions! I'm already scheming a way to get back there...soon!

About an hour and a half drive but well worth the trip!…read moreSaturday early afternoon and it was packed...about a half hour wait for seating was the only downside. Service was outstanding and the staff seemed to be handling multiple aspects of the jobs and helping each other out...no one just did one thing and I think that really sped up the service. Katie was our primary server and was outstanding! We ordered up a two and a three meat deal and had Campground Beans, Creamy Coleslaw, Cheesy Potatoes,, and Mac & Cheese as sides as well as a slice of Texas Toast and Cornbread as sides....oh, and Golden Corn Nuggets as an appetizer. The Corn Nuggets were good and sweet and served up with honey and a ranch sauce for dipping. The meat choices were 3) Ribs, Pork Loin, and Turkey Breast....and 2) Pork Loin and Turkey Breast. The smoke on everything was amazing and just the right amount for excellent flavors..the ribs were very meaty. Some places ribs leave you wanting but not at Watcha Smoking! The Pork Loin and the Turkey Breast were both very good as well...still tender and not dried out. I liked the Neck of the Woods sauce the best (mild tomato based) as well as the Carolina Gold sauce...it had nice kick to it. The sides were all good but the only issue was the Cheesy Potatoes were a bit dry.....I'm thinking that it must've been towards the end of the batch and had been sitting around for a bit. Cornbread was excellent, Texas Toast tops, Coleslaw was a good shredded, wet slaw, the Mac and Cheese very good, and the Campground Beans were the preferred side as they had some good chunks of smoked meats mixed in. Fantastic place, great for small groups and large groups as well...great food and great service...Definitely worth the trip!

Really enjoyed the premier BBQ joint in the greater Des Moines area in my visit to Whatcha Smokin'…read morein the midst of a rural backdrop, this place was definitely worth the 45 minute trek from the state capital for delicious brisket, corn, slaw and sweet tea at a very affordable price. I appreciated the dual restaurant ambiance for a service side with waiters or a order at the register style. All BBQ restaurants have one or the other but not both. The meet was tender and juicy and as their name would suggest - smoked to perfection. I don't know if I'll find myself in Iowa ever again but if I do I will definitely make another pilgrimage to Whatcha smokin for the states best BBQ

Nice stop on bike trail! Good music and food! Fish sandwich was very good! Glad I didn't follow…read morenegative reviews!

Went here a few times and every time has been awesome, the people are friendly and the food is…read moreamazing. Usually I don't think of getting bar food, but they have jalapeño poppers here and I can find those no where else, plus the added menu selections makes this place fantastic. Also they got the slot machines, I don't use em but hey

The Filling Station is a gas station, an extra stocked convenience store, a breakfast/lunch food…read morecounter, and a tables inside and out to enjoy your refreshments and the view. Gayle and I stopped in today after reading about it within some "48 hours in Ames" article. I ordered a brisket grilled cheese sandwich, while Gayle chose a similar one with blackberry flavoring. We split a can of Guinness off the convenience store fridge, and then sat outside for our street and car wash view. We had nice shade on a not too hot day and took the opportunity to hang out bit after we finished our meal. This was a tasty and pleasant experience of good value overall.

Was nearby for an early meeting and had a gap before my next one. Decided to grab breakfast and…read morerolled the dice and just went here for a quick bite. Wow, it is a lot more than a quick breakfast at a gas station! The kitchen was complete and had a full menu offered up. It was also a commercial bakery... multiple bakers working on cinnamon rolls that looked divine! I had a breakfast quesadilla. It had real flavor in it with candied jalapeños. It was a lot but judging from all the plates I saw come out of the kitchen everything there was solid in serving size. The chai latte was good too. And the folks were nice. They definitely have loyal fans locally, folks were ordering for tailgates!

My how I have missed my favorite restaurant in the Midwest! This was my first time at their new…read morelocation and it did not disappoint. Chef Lynn greeted me when I walked in and took time to chat with me. Everyone and everything here is fabulous and I will be back as often as possible. The food, service and ambiance are fabulous!

Colleagues and I were on our way to airport flying to Houston and one of them recommended this…read moreplace because he came during the last trip to des moine and was impressed. He was absolutely right! The food was really good and fresh! The interior decor was very nice and comfy and great service too! Will be back if we are in the area.