Love the service and good is delicious! The ambiance is delightful. I highly recommended it!read more

If you love yourself, this is what you're going to do: you're going to go to The Dot on a…read moreWednesday, Thursday, or Friday. The menu changes depending on weekend/weekday status. You're going to order the broccoli reuben (not available on weekends). You're going to leave a changed person. The Dot is cozy! When my parents visited me up here, they requested multiple Dot trips. It's really that good. For some historical context for the curious, The Dot moved into the building formerly occupied by Daytime Diner. Daytime was one of my favorite places in Ames, but their pipes burst during the intense blizzard we had back in January of 2024. You can still see one of their stickers in the doorframe of the leopard bathroom. They reopened much later with weird hours and a flipped ordering system, and they were unable to stay afloat. I was devastated. But, The Dot has moved in to surpass what Daytime was able to achieve. Ames continues to have innovative and exciting food options!

For starters, the food is phenomenal! When we got our sandwiches, we were definitely not…read moreunderwhelmed. They were huge! We did get the large version, but we weren't expecting them to be so big lol. All of the ingredients were really fresh and full of flavor. The bread was perfect, too! Even the sandwich we got for our daughter was delicious; it was simple, but sue "inhaled" it lol. We also got the BbQ chicken chili which had great flavor, but it was more like a chili flavored soup. I dipped my leftover bread in it, so it worked out lol. When we ordered, we tried to do so online, but that was a pain. So, we called in and the customer service was excellent! The guy that took our order was very nice, patient, and informative, which was very appreciated since we had just had issues with the website lol. We ordered for pickup and our food was placed nicely in the bags and nothing was spilling or overflowing onto anything else. Overall, the inside of the restaurant was great, even though we didn't dine in. It looked quite clean and was pretty relaxing. Staff were really nice in person as well. 3*17*25

It was a dark and stormy afternoon…read more... I was wandering around Ames mid-day last week with a lot of time on my hands. At Lunch time, I didn't feel like a sit down waiter restaurant, nor did I want to go into HyVee and choose a pre-wrapped Sammy. So after a little Yelp searching, the West Street Deli came up. West Street Deli is just down the street from my Ames Barber (Troy) and just as close to Mother's Pub. The street is its own little business District, and feels far away from Lincoln Way. I ordered a Cajun Tuna Melt which was unlike any sandwich of this type that I had experienced. It was well prepared and was flavorful in many ways, including a little kick at the end. A beer would have gone well with this, but I stayed with water, while comfortably seated by a window within their dining room. A very pleasant experience and a for sure future visit.

This is my "go to" Chinese Restaurant in Ames. They do many things well such as hot pot,…read moredry-braised, noodle soups and cold and hot appetizers. My all-time favorite is a sour fish noodle soup with pickled mustard cabbage. Try the cold, ox organ appetizer! The service is friendly, but not great. Sel-help is required when ordering and boxing up leftover food. The ambiance is acceptable, but not outstanding. I go there for a quick lunch so my expectations for service are nominal. I go there because I like the food so much.

This was the first time here for my mom and I. Although they had signs up saying that due to being…read moreshort staffed, please order at the register, they must have been slow enough that a server did come to our table to take our order. We had several questions about the menu and she knew each item and was able to explain the ones we asked about. We were in a noodle mood and stuck with the basics. We started with an order of pork potstickers. They were pretty good and my mom really liked the dipping sauce they came with. It was good, but I prefer straight soy sauce - which the server brought us. We ordered Chicken Lo Mein, Pan-Fried Thick Rice Noodles with beef, and Pan-Fried Vermicelli with pork. Each dish had a good amount of meat which was great since each of the meats were the most tender pieces I have ever had from a Chinese/Tai/Asian place in Ames. Even the white meat chicken was so tender and not dry at all. Every piece of meat was so soft and flavorful! We cant' wait to go back and try some more adventurous dishes.

10/28/25 1:00 p.m…read more Walk-in/Take Out Food: Our food was delicious! Everything was so full of flavor, and the portion sizes were great for the price. It all tasted so fresh, and the baklava was absolutely to die for! My husband was unsure as to which one he should get, so the gentleman working recommended the selection of baklava that we got. I am so glad that he did because all of it was phenomenal. Service: The service was great. I definitely feel as if they went above what would be considered basic service and were all incredibly friendly and pleasant to interact with. They were quick and efficient and definitely knew what they were talking about. Ambiance: Being a smaller international-type grocery store, it was really pleasant and comfortable to be in. The selection can be overwhelming, but not in a bad way. There is just so much to choose from, and I feel like every time you go in, you will find something new that you didn't see before. The selection of items they have is incredible. It's not overly noisy either, and it smells amazing as soon as you walk in.

I wanted to guve this place 5 stars but it falls short on communication. The store staff is amazing…read moreand very helpful but I was never told that they kitchen closes at 3 and when I came back for the food I was told the kitchen is closed and I couldn't get my food. I drove 1 hour 15 mins just to come to this place. Other than that items are well stocked and there are alot of options. The prices are fine, some are a little high and some are less than other places.

Went here for lunch with the family, this place has a lovely charm - and was at one point a train…read moredepot. Our server was attentive, and it was quiet enough to have a pleasant conversation over lunch. Three of our table had the daily special - a ribeye sandwich with caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, their version of sweet and saucy steak sauce. Everyone enjoyed it - and I stole a few fries which were golden crisp and perfectly seasoned. I was assured their fries are consistently delicious. I had pork shoulder with two sides, i went with hallelujah potatoes (cheesy potato casserole) and cornbread pudding. The pork was melt in your mouth tender, perfect with the sweet and sassy bbq sauce. Each plate comes with some pickle slices and pickled onions, the onions were nice - i gave my pickles away as i am not a savory pickle girl. The hallelujah potatoes were cheesy, creamy and crunchy (topping) and the cornbread pudding tasty. The lemonade was recommended to me and it was well done - tart and sweet. Overall if I had more time in town I would definitely come back.

Just some suggestions for future guests. Please ask first if guests want to be seated on patio. We…read morewere taken outside on patio, granted the plastic sheets were down, but it was a cool, rainy day. We were told the heaters would be turned on. They weren't. We asked to be moved inside and a they moved us to the loudest part, next to bathrooms and opening to patio, so still cool. Waitress had no time for us, maybe because we were asked to be moved. Idk. Food was good. If the name of your restaurant is "cornbred" you would think your meat dish would come with a piece of cornbread. Instead you have to order it as an appetizer which are muffins. How about one little muffin person placed on the table. I would also maybe include a side with your meal (maybe less meat) to accommodate for the side. Just suggestions. It is a cute place though.

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!

Love the cozy atmosphere, and the food never disappoints. Service was great too, everyone is very…read morefriendly and accommodating! My favorite place to eat, and when my son is visiting from Oregon, it's his favorite as wellñ

Disappointed... I came here for restaurant week to try their Thai Menu. It looked good online and…read morethought I'd give them a try. The Cafe has been on my list for a while now. Disappointed to say the least, I came in the back door not realized there was a correct door and was rudely cut off by other patrons at the front desk. I had to wait several minutes to be waited on and the place had plenty of spots. Maybe because I was a party of 1... they didn't seem to care. After I shared what drink I wanted, I learned they were out... fine no problem. I asked about the Thai specials, the waitress was clueless. I had to ask for the restaurant week menu and ask about the specials. She said they looked good but couldn't describe them and hasn't tasted them. I got the salad on special, but get this... they were out of the main restaurant week special... such a let down. The ambiance was mixed, one corner was a cute date night the other corner was crying children. All dimly lit and outdated decor. The whole experience was off, I ended up leaving after my one drink and salad. I hope to give this place a second chance sometime but hope they aren't out of dishes and I can get a trained server. Maybe another night for sure!

Small place, had the volcano bowl as a take out meal. It was so fresh and delicious. You can…read moreask for brown or white rice and whatever topping you like. The bowl is rather large, so choose the medium bowlif you aren't famished. I didn't realize till I was heading out that they offer bobba tea as well. I will make sure to go back another time to try the bobba.

We were looking for something quick to eat at the playground while our toddler played before…read moredriving back to Des Moines. This came up on Yelp and our family loves poke so we went for it. First of all, just the 3 protein bowl is definitely big enough to split between two or maybe even three people. I selected shrimp, salmon, and spicy salmon with almost all the free veggie toppings, mixed rice, and spicy Mayo and eel. I do think they made a mistake and accidentally put the soy ginger sauce on it instead (?) as there was no eel sauce. However it was a small mistake and the food was still really delicious. I also ordered a jasmine mango tea. It was alright and the toppings were generous (lots of popping boba and mango slices) but the tea was super bitter like it had been oversteeped. Either way the poke was really delicious better than anything else we have tried in Des Moines. We will definitely try to order again if we come to the area in the future.

Lockwood Café in Ames, Iowa is refreshing little secret nestled in a corner neighborhood off of…read moreOntario Street. The building is a reclaimed grain and feed store originally built about 1870. It's kind of a self-serve place where you order at the counter, go pick up your own food, and bus your own table. With that said, the prices are extremely reasonable, and the food is excellent quality. The menu is a crêperie with a number of vegan offerings and no meat proteins on the menu, with the exception of eggs. I had the Fruit Parfait Sweet crêpe, my wife had the Apple Crisp crêpe, and my son had the Banana and Nutella crêpe. All three were fantastic, and the coffee was delicious! This is a super affordable little breakfast option that I would recommend to anybody who enjoys a good crêpe and a great cup of coffee.

This is one of my top five coffee shops in Ames! I always love the lattes I get from here - they…read moreare always delicious and hit the spot. They have a lot of very unique house made syrups which I would recommend if you're a little more adventurous but I always love a lavender or vanilla. They also serve crepes here which I've only tried a couple but they are also yummy. The location itself is super eccentric with mismatched furniture just a very unique vibe

Just came by for drinks and some chips and salsa. The house margarita was ok. Service was good. Sat…read moreat the bar and would look forward to trying more food.

Food was excellent-I had the fajita chimichanga. The chicken was good, veggies were fresh. Service…read morewas fast and friendly. Price was very reasonable.