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!

Cute brunch spot in Ames! Food was delicious and drinks were nice too! Decor is adorable here love…read morethe different salt and pepper shakers at each table. Service is very fast. However one complaint was that dine in was a bit awkward when I went, you order your food at the register, and if you see a spot open you just have to grab it. One more thing is you have to wait for a staff to clear it off before you can sit down. And theres a crowd of people awkwardly standing around by the register during their peak hours since it's not that big of a building. Feels like they should just encourage people to put away their dishes at a certain spot if customers can sit anywhere. Overall a really nice brunch spot and I will be back to try their other items. George says chomp chomp cho out of 3 chomps!

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.

Had the chicken with 3 pepper and it was absolutely excellent. It was recommended by the super…read morefriendly guy behind the counter who gave me advice on what to do in town as well. Whole place was vibes reminded me of flushing queens. No frills but great food and people.

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.

Best BBQ I've had in Iowa, it was busy in a Monday night but we got a table of 4 no reservation in…read more30 mins max. Service was great and the vibe of the place is awesome. Really nice and welcoming place. I got the Briskey Dip with the fries and aioli dip, so good.

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.

Food and decor, service was all amazing! Gluten free options were nice as well! Enjoyed all of it…read moreand will be back. Just wish the burnt ends weren't like $15 for 5 bites!

My wife and I went out for dinner last night and had THE Cafe's special entre. It was a fish dish…read morefeaturing many varieties including red snapper, and shrimp. It was an Italian soup style with incredible flavor. I hope they offer it many times again, as we loved it!

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.

Love this café! Great ambiance and such a cozy vibe. I especially loved the dog pictures on the…read morewall and all the political posters. The coffee was delicious--not too sweet or overly milky. I got the cardamom latte and loved that they make their syrups in-house; it really makes the coffee feel worth the price. We got the Shrute crepe and added an egg, and it was delicious and super fresh. For the sweet crepe, we tried the apple & brie. It wasn't my favorite--the brie wasn't as melty as I'd hoped--but I'll definitely try a different flavor next time!

One of my favorite stops in ames. Staff is kind and the vibe is very cool and relaxed…read more I've tried about every crepe on the menu and they are all great and range from classic flavors to unique combinations id never think to get in a crepe. First time getting the matcha here I usually get the lemonade it's very good but the matcha was surprisingly really good! I'm very picky about my matchas and struggle to find coffee shops that make good ones but this is probably one of the better options in Ames.

Been here twice now and both times it was amazing! Speedy service for both drinks and food…read more The portions are big for the prices too, definitely can share or have some for the next day. Coming here every Friday for margs and chicken fajitas since the service is sooooo good! It is such a traditional vibe in here and is so fun!

The food was delicious, prices were reasonable, service was great! The margaritas were some of the…read morebest I've ever had! Tried both frozen and on the rocks and both were great!