The Garage bar is a local hang out in Indianola, I have met many good folks going here on a regular…read morebasis now for 3-4 years. The owner Deb is a fantastic bar tender ! The best prices in the area featuring 2 for 1 every Tuesday! Sundays $2 domestic beers, you cannot beat that! They do have the Heggie's frozen pizza they cook as we order, and provide parm cheese and crushed pepper condiments. See ya soon at the Garage bar :)

Madison is amazing. She is friendly and on top of her shit. Love her and this place. She is…read morewelcoming and even though it's mostly regulars, everyone and the bartender are welcoming. Ten ten recommend.

We stopped in after being on the road for the day. We were just going to get a drink but special…read moreflatbread pizza sounded too good to pass up. It was delicious and we devoured it embarrassingly fast. There were a few others being served and the woman working the floor was busy but managed to stay on top of each table. I was impressed. The cocktails all had names referring to Madison county places and events, and the were all kinds of old photos and interesting things to look at. They have a large selection of mostly Iowa craft beers. We will definitely stop here the next time we are in town.

The food is consistently great. They have different specials and the flat bread sweet corn is…read moretasty. I have had their Reuben and the option of potato salad is a must. They have a great selection of Iowa craft brews and local distillery to make mixed drinks with. A favorite of mine on Sunday brunch is the biscuits and gravy and add eggs. It's very filling and great tasting.

Service was outstanding. Ordered carryout food while attending the Leon Rodeo and the staff were so…read morefriendly and accommodating.

A pretty standard small-town dive with the typical games and amenities. It's very dark on the…read moreinside. Our bartender was a nice older lady who gave us good tips on other places to visit in the area. Though it's very dark on the inside, it looks nicer than you'd expect given the nondescript exterior. One humorous aspect of the bar is that a ceiling fan had been modified into a makeshift roulette wheel.

Yep - cold beer, typical yummy bar and fried food - small town happiness - I would come back again…read morefor easy sitting and casual talking for a lazy Saturday lunch

Good drinks! Great food! Small town location, but big flavors! Wednesday is my favorite night…read morebecause it's taco night! These tacos are similar to tasty tacos much so much better!!!

Located right on the square, Bert's Pub & Grub occupies a former Gamble's department store. With…read morewood floors and high ceilings, Bert's showcases its ornate, leather-wrapped bar proudly. We had just settled in with our bottles of Bud Light and Miller Lite when the bartender offered to show us around the place. The most striking feature of the main bar area is its antique elevator. Originally used by the department store, it is still used today for bring in cases of beer and taking out the trash. This unique elevator is hand-operated, using an intricate system of pulleys to allow the operator to raise and lower themselves and a heavy load of merchandise with ease by simply pulling a rope. Our bartender demonstrated how simple it was to use. As we toured the bar we were surprised to find a dance room in back, complete with setups for pole dancing and cage dancing. (The camera we had with us on this visit had no flash, hence the "night vision" photo below.) The owner had the stage and dance area constructed in 2004 and had plans to bring in exotic dancers from time to time to "bring a little life" to town. But City Hall got wind of the idea and put a stop to it before it ever took off. Nonetheless is still makes a good stage for local and touring bands.

Came back for Simpson's homecoming (Class of '08). It's been 10 years since I've been here but it…read moreessentially looks and feels the same. The Zoo is still the motherland of all dive bars for me since it was my college bar. Glad to see it's still going strong and even got to get my groove on a bit. Side note: You never realize as a college kid how weird it is to have two toilets right next to each other with no separation. Just part of the charm now!

In my travels to hundreds of bars throughout the Great Plains I have discovered several fundamental…read morelaws of bar nature. One of these laws is that any bar named "Zoo" is awesome. This particular Zoo is no exception. We had a kick-ass bartender who welcomed us out-of-towners with free shots ("FMS", apparently the bar's staple) as we settled in for our visit. We had a lot of fun chatting with him throughout our stay. Upon entry you find yourself in the middle of a stairwell. Go up and you find the main bar, with lots of seating and a handful of bar games. Downstairs is foosball and a pair of vividly purple pool tables. If I lived in Indianola, this would be my hangout. If you're just visiting, it's well worth stopping in.

Small town bar with good food. It is loud and busy as it should be. Our favorite is the fried…read morepickles. We drive to town just for them. Everything else we have tried has been tasty also. They do get busy so service is sometimes a little slow but just order a beer, kick back and relax. You deserve it.

The Talk Shop is an amazing place. Great people, fun atmosphere, awesome quality food that is…read moredescribed as elevated bar food, and a staff that is downhome and extremely friendly. They are famous for their Italian dishes, burgers, and they are creating one of the most exciting menus in America. I am a celebrity Chef with a presence in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and soon to be Des Moines / St. Charles because I fell in love with this place, the people, and of course ... the food. Jason and Renatta epitomize family owned and operated.

Visiting friends in the area. A small crowd outside on the porch made us think this must be the…read moreplace to be. If you enjoy a neighborhood dive bar this is as good as it gets. The bartender happened to be the granddaughter of the owner and great granddaughter of Patty her self. Everyone, staff and costumers were friendly and made us feel welcome. We didn't try the pizza but they looked pretty good. If you like a little bit of shit with your coffee it's one of their specialties. I highly recommend the Australian Rubber Nuts. They're not on the menu you have to ask for them. Enjoy

When you roam the road of Iowa, you encounter a lot of interesting sights and people. My wife and…read moreI always enjoy stopping by a local bar because you never know what to expect. Patty's Back Door in Grand River IA is one example of what I am talking about. The owners of Patty's are incredibly easy going and welcoming. This is a straight-forward, nothing fancy bar with a single pool table and standard American beers (Bud, Coors, Miller, etc.). They have an incredible jukebox with anything and everything on it (which I loved!!). I cannot speak to the food (we did not eat), just the cheap beers and down to earth conversations with other guests and staff. As a bar, this establishment (we were told) has been around since the 1940s and with hospitality and simple small town charm like this, it is no wonder. Patty's made Grand River IA a memorable place to stop.

Support your local small town places. I had forgotten to post my review but wanted to give you my…read morethoughts. We were out for a little road trip in March which put us in Earlham. We didn't know what to expect but the street parking outside was misleading. We walked into the bar door and it was busy. The place was hopping and there was multiple tables eating around . The waitress came to check on us right away. We checked out the menu and were in the mood to try the fried tenderloin. The waitress said she really liked it and told us it was a good choice. Hubby got the Philly steak sandwich and fries. The longer we stayed the louder it got. More and more people kept coming in the door and heading back further into a park of the building we couldn't see from our seats. It made it hard to talk at our table of 4. I think this is the place to be for Earlham and the locals. It had a great atmosphere and good food. The staff knew about everyone who walked in. The waitress was one of the things that made the experience good. She was happy to talk with us and tell us what she thought of certain food items. I liked my tenderloin and fries. I would suggest to anyone to go and check this place out.

What a nice find in a small town. I love these local places that server good food and have great…read morestaff working. Our food came out fast hot and most importantly, TASTY! Other members of my party had the recommended pork tenderloin and they all said how good it was. I had the Philly steak sandwich, I was very happy I did. Great bun and flavor from that sandwich and the whole meal/experience left me happy to leave an extra large tip. It seemed after 6 it got louder and made it harder to have a conversation. If you stop in earlier you will have a quite experience. If you stop in later in the evening it seems you will have a party like atmosphere. It's nice that you can get both in the same place.