Very good dinner,We like the food and the service is great. They have one of the best patty melts…read moreI've had. I give it 5 stars.

Who doesn't love a small town diner? It appears this place has been here a long time. The plexi…read moreprotection still hangs in place between the booths. The chairs have all but given up on the patting for your backside. You come in a double door and walk right past the kitchen. I actually like this cause you can see all the hard work going on. One gentleman is working the kitchen as another gets us seated. The menu is full of fine options. It is early in the day so the breakfast is what I am after. I go for the Mexican skillet and the waiter gives me the heads up it's spicy. My husband orders the chicken fried steak. Side of pancakes. You better be hungry cause the portions are no joke. Food took the appropriate time considering one cook for our four top. The restaurant that was quiet started to pick up. You can tell most were loyal locals by the cut chat with the waiter and cook when they came in. My skillet was hot and I enjoyed our. My husband stole me my side of pancakes and ate his big meal too. Good overall experience. I love small town places like this.

In town for some personal business and had time to kill so we decided to find a local place for…read morelunch. Per my usual when it comes to deciding factors, the name drew us in to The Flying Elbow. Super cute place - simple. Very clean. Straightforward. The menu is on the wall, above the same counter where you order. Staff was helpful and friendly. My husband got a burger - The Patterson. The gentleman taking his order was kind enough to switch out the bread since my hubs isn't a fan of jalapeño. He recommended Texas toast, which the hubs was grateful for and he LOVED it. It was just the right amount of messy, juicy, and YUM. I got the all-beef hotdog with chili, cheese, and green onions. It was delicious. My only recommendation would be putting the cheese under the chili so that it melts (or run it under the broiler for a sec) and gets super gooey. Otherwise, the chili was awesome and tasted great with the dog. I'd definitely get it again. BUT, the kicker of the whole meal, the absolute "must go back" item was the tots. HO. LY. COW. We got one order to share and just figured we were getting regular old tator tots. But NO. The order was six tots that were each about the size of a ping pong ball and they were the MOST epic little flavor bombs. I know they had potato, cheese, and bacon in them ... not sure what else they add to create that little ball-o-flavor but MAN. If you're in the area, this place should be on your list of "must try." If you're not, those tots are worth the trip.

We had the pork belly special sandwich. It was phenomenal. We also had the hash brown cheese balls…read moredeep fried. They were great.

What a great stop! Someone in our party had a gluten allergy. She has been here before and loved…read morethat the entire menu was catered for gluten free. Street parking right outside and we walked in and was greeted warmly. Main street almost hides this little gem. The name of the restaurant illuminated on the floor. We grabbed a great seat and got a full run down of the menu and specials. Table of 4 and we were treated like royalty. The ambiance is warm here. The chef is an artist. They are super careful that all the foods don't come into contact with gluten. I have to say that if you walked in and ordered not knowing anything I mentioned above, you would never know that the entire menu is gluten free. It was a brunch for us. I was very excited with the menu options. It was selective and well described. My mom was super excited about the chocolate chip pancakes and the waitress talked up the cinnamon roll. The Slap Jack meal was three chocolate chip pancakes. How can a pancake by fluffy and plump at the same time? You get the meat of your choice on top of that. I picked the sausage and it was full of flavor. The other two at the table got The Early bird Shakedown. A very generous helping of hash browns, slow cooked brisket, cheese, white gravy, and eggs. The brisket on breakfast is divine. I stole a few bites from the hubby and it was savory and melted in my mouth. The waitress was friendly and attentive. Although it was a little quiet, people started feed in. It's a great restaurant and I hope it gets the traffic it deserves. We about rolled out of there full and happy.

Great location that's easy to find. We were created as soon as we walked in for Sunday brunch. I…read morehad the special which was a breakfast bowl with my favorite addition, BRISKET. Came out quick and was absolutely the best tasting breakfast I've had in a long time. 10/10 recommend this place I was full and very happy when I left.

Nestled in a set of businesses halfway between Ames and Ankeny, Flight nailed my first visit with a…read moreterrific meal and great customer service. Plenty of parking and a comfortable interior, they enable diners to have a positive visit without being cramped or rushed. Noise isn't an issue. Opened with a sensational Onion Haystack, a unique dish that was aided by a pair of sauces, Chipotle ranch and buttermilk ranch. My burger was outstanding, The Classic, perfectly cooked and served on a delicious bun. I snagged some tasty sweet potato fries from my Way Better Half too! Coke products a plus too! Server Brooklyn was excellent, providing great guidance with a kind nature.

We've never had better appetizers than we've had here. The burgers are amazing. We will forever…read moremiss the jalapeno popper egg rolls

Is this absolutely MY best (aka favorite) burger...? Is it the best burger I've personally had in…read moreIowa...? Probably not. BUT it is the best burger I've ever had out of a gas station in Iowa...! Actually... I'm not exactly sure which way this place actually goes... Is this a gas station that sells food... Or a restaurant that sells gas? Potato...potatoe! Lol And it IS a very good burger overall too...! But not only do they serve burgers... They have other menu selections... Mostly all deep fried and grill options... And ice cream! I've seen signs for Iowa's Best Burger Cafe for years while running back and forth on I-80 from the Des Moines metro... Kellogg is about halfway between Newton and Grinnell. We've never stopped here until this past weekend when we were on our way home from the What Cheer IA flea market... Iowa's Best Burger Cafe is just off the highway... The first thing I noticed as the GPS said our route was about to end... It looked like it ended at an Amoco gas station... Huh? And then I noticed the signage for the Iowa's Best Burger Cafe on the building... Oh... So we're here...? Not exactly what I expected..., but I eat at food trucks too so it wasn't going to stop me. I did glance at my girlfriend to see if I could tell whether she was feeling it or not... I think she was just really hungry at that point and didn't really care. Lol There's ample parking. As you enter the building it kind of looks like a standard gas station convenience store...until you turn and look to your Right. Red plastic booth seating. There are two counters and a case that sit adjacent to one another. The counter you order at also displays the ice cream. There's a case displaying some ready to eat options. The register is on a shorter counter closest to the entrance. It's an open kitchen. There is also another small room of seating further to the left as you face the counters. The tables are kind of faux marble. Napkins, salt, pepper, ketchup, and mustard are available in each booth. We were greeted as we walked and I let them know it was our first time there and we didn't know the drill. They let us know you order standing there at the counter. Take a seat. They bring the food out to you when it's ready. You pay at the register when you are done. Cash or card...and there is an ATM on site. They bus your table. There are a couple of menu placards on the counter where you place your order... The 16 flavors of ice cream selection are plainly labeled. The two ladies behind the counter were very helpful and were both personable! We ordered: 2x half pound burger combos (one with cheese, bacon, onions and pickles and one with cheese, onions, pickles, mayo, and lettuce) 1x upgraded side to garlic mushrooms 1x upgraded side to onion rings 2x fountain drinks (Coke products...comes with combo) 1x mozarella sticks 1x two scoop bowl of ice cream 1x single cone of ice cream The wait for food wasn't long. Everything was served hot and fresh! They'd asked us if we wanted ranch... My girlfriend always wants ranch! Not only did they bring us ranch... They brought us a HUGE squeeze bottle of ranch! This is how every restaurant should bring you ranch! While we dined in (as did a couple of other customers) most of the business appeared to be take out. One pro tip... The standard half pound burger comes with two patties. I heard a customer ask a guy, at the booth next to her, how many patties he had on his burger... Huh? He had four patties on his burger... A full pounder! So there has to be a way to add an additonal patty (or patties) too... If you want a bigger burger... Ask...! The bathrooms...not horrible. The food was all great. Good service. No complaints. I wouldn't hesitate to stop in here again! And I know what to expect next time...!

Super cute pit stop when passing through. Highly recommend. Friendly staff, good food and hefty…read moresnack selections!

Great service! Great food options! Cool atmosphere and clean…read more Will return when back in town!

Checks ALL the boxes - friendly staff…read more- outstanding food - best hamburger in Des Moines Love this place

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!

Nice place with friendly staff. But did it live up to my expectations after all of the rave 5-star…read morereviews? Maybe not... We sampled our way through the Reuben & Gobbler panini sandwiches with sides of chips and baked beans. Both were good, but neither was amazing. Typically I'd expect a panini to be oh so warm, melty, soothing (in a sandwich way). These were more what I'd title as toasty sandwiches... bread sizes were vastly different, which resulted in different portions. And on the Reuben specifically, where's the meat? The kids meals (and everything else) were very reasonably priced. But I was a little disappointed that the "treat" was a pack of fruit snacks at a place apparently known for their baked goods. Our toddler was unsurprisingly very pleased with the fruit snacks. I wanted to love it, but didn't. Ultimately it was an entirely adequate dinner. Good. Sadly not exceptional.

CLOSED PERMANENTLY as of last Friday according to sign on door…read more Had yesterday off so did the wife I decided we should drive up to Story Chitty and check this place out for lunch. 1215 pull up front sign on door states closed. I just looked at their website at the menu & hours would have been awesome of the owner to put something on the site about NOT BEING OPEN ANYMORE...

What an unexpected gem. Not a large space and very popular. There is a nice outdoor space and…read moresometimes live music! Cool imported sodas, beer, cider, mead.... Wow. And then there is the food. Solid. Delicious. Fish and chips, Shepard pie, some curry. So much more! The whole place is an homage to all things British. Service was attentive, friendly... all the servers, not just the one serving our table. Makes for great vibes.

The pub was pretty busy on a Saturday afternoon at 2pm. They have an outdoor seating area. The…read morepub is decorated with British signs and posters. The service was very good for how busy it was inside and out. The food was delicious! We had the cod & chips (added coleslaw) and the German platter (a bratwurst, weisswurst, pork schnitzel, mashed potatoes & gravy, red cabbage and sauerkraut). There were various other items we'd like to try, so we will have to come back! It seemed a little high priced, but it is Ames.

This would definitely be a place I would frequent if I lived in this area…read more Good burgers, fast service, and a really cool atmosphere. Very popular local hangout. 11:30 AM on Saturday morning and already filling up with patrons. The local is know where to go.

Looking for a place for a burger. Review said doesn't look like much on the outside but you'll love…read morethe inside. Spot on. Loved the inside so Out of morbid curiosity I ordered the recommended Studabaker burger. It was awesome! Wife had the pork tenderloin, and in spite of growing up Iowa, she said it was one of the best she ever had. Only needed Bougies mustard from the quad cities. All in all, a great place to stop, and don't be afraid to try something different. Great people too!