We will never go there again. We called in a 2 person togo order. The Lady was rude on the phone. We was told there was no to go orders during the weekend. Mind you it was earlier Friday evening. My husband explained the website showed to go. Again she was rude and said not on weekends. Absolutely horrible customer service. Do you make so much money that it's okay to be rude and not update the website. Although we are really close I will not ever get anything from there again. I would rather drive to Casey or Adair for better customer service. read more

They ignore you. They won't acknowledge your presence if they are busy. Apparently they don't care if they have your business or not. Food is decent but their lack of customer service spoils it. read more

Well, the Iowa's best Burger might be good, but you have to be able to serve them for people to know. We had a real hunger for a good burger last night, we know there recently was an Iowa's Burger contest, so we went on line to find out where the locations were. Low an behold the winner was just 20 miles down the road so we headed off. We arrive around 6:30-6:40 PM on a Saturday night. Place was pretty busy but we were seated immediately and there were still ~ 4-5 tables open. We ordered a drink and when the waitress returned with our drink we were informed that they were out of burgers,,,,,,"since winning the award, we've been slammed with burger orders". The award was announced a month prior. Maybe they only make so many a day, I don't know. The rest of the menu looked good, but our heart was set on burgers, so disappointed we asked to pay for the drinks and we left. What made it worse was the $5.00 Fat Tire Don't know if we'll make the 40 mile round trip drive again to "maybe" be able to have a burger. read more

The Rusty Duck first got on our radar after winning the Best Hamburger in Iowa contest a few years ago. Dexter is about a half hour or so west of Des Moines. It sits in a non-descript storefront on the main street, but you can tell where it is by all the cars parked in front of it. I think they take reservations, although we've never made them. The hostess (owner?) appears to know just about everyone who comes in, so there may be some preferred seating for the regulars. They do appear to seat a lot of large parties near the back. Sit near the front if you have a choice. Obviously try the hamburger, which is big and expertly seasoned, but everything is big here. We went on a Saturday night recently; I had a ground sirloin steak w/mushrooms (outstanding) and my wife had the fried chicken salad. She couldn't begin to eat half of it. We paid $50 for this meal, which included a couple of drinks each and a nice tip. Service is what you'd expect, not spectacular but certainly adequate. If they're busy, you wait for a table by the door. If the kitchen is behind they tell you they'll take your order when it calms down a bit. A small town joint, nothing special, but everyone is friendly and you'll have a relaxed and casual experience. read more

Never dissatisfied with a meal from here. Burgers are larger my gf and mom usually split one when we go here.

We stopped in on a Thursday evening around 7pm. There was a wait; only about 5 mins. They place is pretty small, so I can see it being quite a bit longer wait if you go during more prime supper hours. They do take reservations so it might not be a bad idea to call ahead. I stopped here with their famous burger in mind. Their burgers only come in one size... 1 pounders!! I got the bacon cheeseburger with fries. The burger was one of best burgers i've had! It had very good flavor and was very cheesy. There was a bit too much bacon on it. I know... that sounds crazy, but there had to have been about 12 strips piled on top. The fries were just ordinary; nothing special to them. My husband got the shoestring onion rings that he shared with me and they were better than the fries. They were very greasy, so don't eat too many! Overall, I would definitely come here again if in the area. read more

Got a recommendation to eat at this place so we were close and went. Dexter is a small town and this place is a bar and grill. Don't let that fool you as it is not the typical bar food. It is anything but typical. Wife got a hamburger and I got chicken fettuccine because I like Italian food. Big mistake! Her hamburger was at least half a pound and came with killer good fries. The taste of the hamburger was absolutely killer good. I admit my first look at the menu I thought it was pretty speedy but now, not so much. I think this is some of the best food I've had in a long time and us now on my list go back to places. I wish I had taken a picture as it was all incredibly good and generous portions. Very good and attentive wait staff that deserved a healthy tip. Try it but go early because this place was packed about ten minutes after it opened. read more

This place sucks... soooo disappointed!! Can't decide if the grisly undercooked and overpriced steaks or the rude and arrogant hostess is worse. Sat and watched the 7... yes 7 waitresses ignore people standing at the entrance... I could go on and on... here's a tip... avoid this place. read more

The Rusty Duck is one of these little awesome small town restaurants, Be hungry when you come here! The portions are huge! It's a meat n potatoes kind of place and there is a bar. On the weekends, in good weather, there is sometimes a wait (but that's what the bar and pool table are for! =) The service is decent. I have the feeling the owner/chef is a bit of a control freak (but that's most chefs anyway) I would recommend a looksie if you are ever somewhere in Dexter or near by. read more

I have been going to the Rusty Duck for years and have never had a bad meal! The bacon cheeseburger is out of this world! I always like to get onion rings as a side, add the homemade ranch. The salad is the best I've ever had, their homemade dressing is incomparable! I dream about eating here! read more

Rusty Duck - Bacon cheeseburger, onion rings, salad - American Near Me - Dexter, Iowa

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My mother had been raving about Rusty Duck for the past year since she moved to Panora and I must say, Mother knows best. First off, the previous posters and their recommendations of come hungry/water diet/don't eat for 2 days prior to coming here are absolutely 100% correct. The portions are HUGE. I got the ultimate burger and I'm fairly certain it came in at close to a pound of beef covered in cheese, mushrooms, peppers, onions and of course, bacon. It came with a side of fries that were slightly bland and needed salt, desperately. But the burger was awesome. It seems that their sides leave much to be desired, but their main entrees are amazing. Their food is slightly overpriced, but overall, not too shabby. I would expect these prices in a far larger town, not in tiny Dexter IA. Apparently on Thurs/Fri/Sat evenings, you can't get a table without a reservation. I would definitely drive this way for a meal. It's worth it. read more

Last night we had dinner with a party of four. One had chicken Alfredo, another Baked meatballs, and one a salmon salad. All of these were absolutely excellent. The last had fried chicken livers which were very good, but would've preferred having them sautéed. All the salads were served with signature house parmesan dressing, they were wonderful. Desserts were great, especially the strawberry layered cake. Service was excellent except for one time a wine refill was needed. A wonderful experience. read more

One of the worst experiences ever. We use to love going here to eat as the food was always great. But....tonight was a different story though. Ordered the $33 Steak Deburgo which has always been my favorite. Ordered it medium well, as that is how I like my steaks. After 30 minutes I got it, and it was bloody rare. So the extremely nice waitress said she would have them cook it more for me. 30 minutes later, it came back and was still extremely rare. Evidently the cook doesn't take it well when you send food back, based on the conversations you could hear coming from the kitchen. So she asked me if I wanted something else, and I told her a cheeseburger would be fine. 30 minutes later after everyone else was done and had their leftovers in their to go boxes, the waitress came over and said it would be a while before I got it. So evidently the cook was pissed and was going to show me by not getting me anymore food, so I left without eating. Pretty sad that you get asked how you want your meat cooked, but if it's not how the cook wants to cook it, you aren't getting it that way. Based on all their negative Facebook reviews, this happens a lot. Lot of choices when it comes to eating out, and nothing can ruin it more than an owner/cook that does things his way, regardless how you want it, and then throws a fit in an open kitchen where customers can hear..... read more

Very good food. Wasn't busy and we have was excellent extreme portion size. Be hungry when you go. Very quaint calming atmosphere.

Best. Burger. Ever. The only reason I am not giving a 5 star is because of a MAJOR issue we had with service. The management handled the problem the proper way, and for that we were grateful. Will certainly return. read more

Great burger! I mean GREAT BURGER! 14oz of perfectly cooked ground sirloin. It is fine dining meets country bar. It was magically pedestrian. Prepare to share or leave packing half of your dinner. read more

Rusty Duck - Happiness - American Near Me - Dexter, Iowa

Not worth your trip! My fiancé told me he was taking me out for a special dinner to a place where he had heard was fantastic but had never been before. I told all my coworker's about my special date and was looking forward to it all day , only to be completely disappointed. We aren't from Dexter and that was clear as to how we were treated. The hostess was completely rude and when we asked to sit at the bar that was empty at the time she said yes and walked off. Yes... walked off! I had to grab our menus as they were not offered. We sat down and another older couple ( regulars) walked up and sat at the bar and while we waited for our drinks they were served theirs and the bartender started talking with them. We waited while the bartender served several other people drinks and then finally she brought us our drinks. We were discussing leaving as we didn't feel welcome at all.... it was if we were inconveniencing them although without patrons like US who would they get their paycheck from? The steak was undercooked and chewy because it was all gristle . The food is WAY overpriced... the service was horrible. My fiancé sent his steak back only to have the bartender and waitresses talk about it amongst themselves like we couldn't hear... we wouldn't send it back if it were edible. We NEVER send food back!!! We will never return to this place. The food is overpriced, servers extremely rude and don't want to wait on the customers or even sit them. I will tell everyone I know to not go here! I wouldn't do that to my friends. read more

I've been here several times and I will say it is some of the slowest service I've ever had. That being said, it still gets 5 stars because the burger is that good. It is the best I've had....ever. Their fries are good, their onion rings are great, but the burger is the star. Be sure to make a reservation as it can be extremely busy even on weeknights. read more

No duck here, suggested it. Had chicken salad with grilled onions, and peppers last night. Excellent. Steak seems pricey for Iowa, but did' nt try. So may be worthy of price. read more

Food was awesome and portions were Hugh !!!!! Very friendly staff . My husband had the world famous burger and it was awesome..I had steak ... and it was awesome ... a bit of a wait but we went at 7:00 on a sat evening .. totally expected read more

Unbelievable! I live in Texas and visit Iowa 2-3 times per year. I will never *not* visit this place when I'm in Iowa.

Definitely worth the drive!!! The portions are huge and always delicious! I've been multiple times and the food and service have been fantastic. I would recommend getting the house dressing it's creamy Parmesan and is life changing. read more

It was a dark and foggy night (really) we were westbound on 80 & starving. Consulted the garmin and it said we were 3 miles from the Rusty duck. So off we went in the fog and mist to the quiet hamlet of Dexter. What a find! Great food great prices super service and clean. This is good as you will get in the Iowa country side. Perfectly cooked food prepared from scratch and to order. Full bar it was jumping on a Friday night although winding down when we strolled in at 8:00pm. Closes at 10:00. The only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is because there is nothing for the sweet tooth. But hey, you probably won't have room anyways. Do yourself a favor next time you are rolling east or west and are about 40 miles west of Des Moines stop in Dexter and eat lunch or dinner at the Rusty Duck! read more

I spent the weekend near Dexter, IA (The original 1 horse town, really) to meet the BF's extended family - what I won't do for love ; ) There aren't many choices for dining in Dexter, so it was an easy choice to check out the Rusty Duck, which was described to us as 'spendy' love that word and 'delicious' We honestly weren't expecting much, and we didn't get much with ambience, but the food was superb. The 'Duck's' leader is a trained chef that opened the spot to venture out on his own, and he's succeeded. The menu was traditional American, but extensive. There's daily specials, and the portions are ENORMOUS! I opted for the baked rigatoni special, the marinara was spiced just right and the noodles were perfectly al dente. The bf had the Italian Sausage sandwich which was butterflied and smothered in perfectly sauteed onions and peppers. If, for some reason, you EVER find yourself within 50 miles of Dexter, IA you better get yourself on over to the Rusty Duck. Oh and as far as it being 'spendy' we spent $30 for a few beers and 2 entrees - that's the good spendy in my book! read more

On a cross country trip, we found the rusty duck on google maps and decided to check it out. AWESOME!!! Kaitlin was super nice...the burger made me feel like America was still the best country in the world. I tried the man vs food thing, but could not finish. Took the rest for the road. I would like to fill a pillow case full of that meat and sleep on it or have someone beat me with it (I'm friggin serious!). Solid local Iowa experience! read more

I'm not impressed at all. Yes the inside of the place is about the nicest you will find around the area. Nice dark bar, good for a drink I guess. But I wasn't impressed with the menu or food. The burger was pretty good but that's about it. Nothing drives me more crazy than having the bathroom open up to people eating there food. You can smell and see right into the bathroom from the dining tables. When I opened the door it actually hit someone chair, glad I didn't take a dump! Besides being a bland menu the bathroom sealed the deal for me. read more

The Rusty Duck's Ultimate Burger was recently voted Iowa's best burger. I've eaten here half a dozen times, and each time I'm impressed. I'm convinced that the food here is so consistently delicious because the menu is relatively limited and the chef/owner oversees every plate of food that leaves the kitchen. My girlfriend and I went here this past Friday. We were seated about 15 minutes after our arrival at 6:30, which isn't bad given all the press this place has had recently. My girl ordered a Strawberry Daiquiri to start, but the blender was broken. Our server, who was great, even given the fact that the place was jam-packed, recommended a drink special instead (Strawberry Pizzaz, with champagne and fresh strawberries, $5). My girl just loved it, and we were off to a great start. We ordered the spinach artichoke dip ($9) to start. It was creamy, hot, chunky, cheesy, spreadable goodness. It's baked to order with cheese browned across the top. It's served with slices of grilled (w/ butter?) bread. We made the smart decision of eating just half the app (and taking the rest home), knowing that whatever entrees we ordered would be enormous. I ordered the Italian Ribeye, medium rare. I think I'd order it rare next time, because unlike most every other place that I've ordered a steak, they actually cooked it medium rare, not rare. The steak was served with a garlic butter sauce (swimming) and giant, fresh sauteed mushrooms. The meat was cooked consistently throughout, was very juicy, and tasted as if they'd cut it off a cow out back that afternoon. Just amazing. A giant, juicy, melt in you mouth steak for $22. Mmm. My girlfriend got the Ultimate Steak Sandwich, which is an incredible value hidden in plain sight on this joint's limited, protein-laden menu. It's a greet big cut of steak (a sirloin, I think) slapped on a giant toasted roll with peppers, mushrooms, and onions. The steak tasted nearly as good as my ribeye, and the sandwich ran $13. We each took 1/2 our entree home. Drinks, app, entrees ran $75 including the tip, and we have a full meal's worth of food left to eat. Highly recommended. Since moving to Iowa in 2009, the best meal I've had. Hands down. read more

When staying in Stuart, IA there's not a lot of places to go eat so I headed over to the Rusty Duck. I ordered the burger just below the Ultimate burger with onion rings. They definitely serve a good portion of onion rings, way too much. Sometimes it's intimidating to be over served. The burger was excellent...then came the bill. Cheeseburger and onion rings, 2 Miller beers. $23? They up charge $3.25 for onion rings most of which you can't eat. Little expensive for a needed to be remodeled restaurant. Ceiling panels ready to fall down, carpet that needs replacement. read more

Easily one of my top ten favorite places. Food is fresh, portions are very generous, service is quick and efficient, and ambience is very cosy. I'm always looking for a reason to go here. read more

I love the Duck. Been here 4 times. I've had the (crazy) burger twice and the creamy DeBurgo ribeye. Both were fantastic. On one visit, my friend ordered the prime rib special and it was outstanding! Reaaaaallly good. If we have 3 hours to kill for dinner, we go to the Duck. You? Go elsewhere... read more

Holy crap, HUGE portions... Stopped in on my cross country trip from California to New Jersey and had the breaded tenderloin sandwich. I ate half and it still looked like nothing was touched on my plate. Tasty too. Stop in for a break from highway fast food. Nice friendly atmosphere too. read more

The food better be outstanding, because the service is awful! Waited a half an hour at the door last night and not a single person greeted me. Told friends who have never been about it and was disappointed we had to leave. I'll try once again, but if I have the same experience, it's won't be worth the drive from DSM to Dexter! read more

I have heard about this place for a couple years now but since hamburgers aren't usually at the top of my list when I go out I hadn't made the short drive. I am glad I finally did. Let's start with the food. I would recommend a water diet two days before attempting to eat here. The portions are huge and you will need all the room you can get in your stomach. The hamburgers are all one pound and the ultimate and bacon cheeseburger contain an insane amount of additional toppings. Everyone at our table thought they were some of the best burgers they had ever had. One person at our table got the breaded chicken breast and after filling up she still had enough to make a medium size chicken. The fries, both the regular and homie were very good. The table shared an order of onion rings and everyone enjoyed them. The only downside for the food was the portion size, it would have been just as good if it was 30% smaller. There was a full bar. The atmosphere is small town bar. It is dated but you aren't going for here for the atmosphere. The place was very busy with a wait all evening. There were still people waiting at 9:00 when we left. We had a 6:45 reservation but didn't get to our table until 7:15. Our waitress was very good and attentive. She had a lot of tables but was able to give us the needed attention. It was worth the drive from Des Moines and I will go again. You should give it a try but do your cardiologist as favor and don't try it too often. read more

This is pretty okay, they have mediocre food and the thing I probably enjoyed the most was the garlic bread. If you are in or around Dexter, I would recommend, but don't drive a super far distance just for this place. There were flies everywhere and the staff were messing up a lot. Other than that it was just mediocre food and I enjoyed some. read more

A gem in a very small town i would not have stopped in otherwise! Make sure you're hungry, though

Even though they were completely full when arrived at 8pm on a Saturday we only had to wait a short time for a table. Service was quick, food was delicious & beer was cold & prices were reasonable (under $70 for 3 adults with 8 beers) One meal would easily feed 2 people. Definately making the 45 minute trip again. read more

This is also a hidden gem! And OMG so tasty!! The portions are enormous and just so yummy. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a fun night out. Also the bar tender is really good and made me some amazing frozen cocktail. Cannot say enough good things here... read more

This duck was not rusty at all! It was exactly what we expected. One burger could have been split four ways but clearly everyone got their own food. Two burgers, one huge tenderloin and a steak sandwich - all with sides of homie fries. Cheese curds and onion rings to start. The service was friendly and played along with our excitement of eating large amounts of food and answering all of our questions. So worth the drive. read more

It's unfortunate to have a great night planned with a date and then we both end up violently sick by eating the Rusty Duck's contaminated food. The service was terribly slow for a late evening dinner when most of the restaurant was cleared out. It was 20 minutes before our drinks were served. In fact, our appetizer came before any beverages. I ate onion rings, a salad, wild rice and fish (orange roughy). I became sick with food poisoning and spent most of the holiday weekend between my bed and bathroom. In addition to me being sick, my date became seriously ill with identical symptoms. The most disheartening part of the experience was when I called the owner, Brad Waldron to let him know so he could prevent food contamination to other patrons. He laughed at me and said there's no way his food got me sick. He took no responsibility for his establishment. He continued laughing and ask me if I'd been drinking. That's offensive to say to someone so sick. Nevermind the fact I'm a non-drinker, I still haven't been able to eat a full meal five days later. I understand contamination may happen, but when an owner insults his own customers to avoid responsibility I think you need to know about it. read more

Excellent steakhouse. Prime steaks charbroiled to perfection! Fantastic onion rings. Best burgers and tenderloins and the chicken livers are to die for! read more