I travel a lot for work and pretty much let Yelp decide where I eat, so this review feels like a…read moreneeded public service announcement. This week took me to Spencer, Iowa. A coworker selected this place for lunch, and honestly, if I'd read the older reviews, I would have suggested we skip it.
First visit, I ordered the buffalo chicken wrap. The sauce has this little sweetness along with the usual spicy tang, and I was absolutely loved it. It was good enough that on day three I found myself back in the same booth at lunchtime. Round two, I went with the Reuben. I'm a Reuben person--I order them a lot, and I know when one is just pretending. This one wasn't and I could not have been more pleased.
On my last night in town, I came back yet again and tried the taco salad. Because the word salad makes me nervous and I'm mostly a proud "meatatarian," I asked for extra ground beef. They did not hold back. It was a few extra bucks, but worth every penny. Coming from San Diego, the prices here just make me smile.
The vibe is exactly what you'd expect from a sports bar in the best way: a good-sized central bar, booths and tables all around, plenty of screens, and zero pretense. Every staff member I dealt with was friendly, on the ball, and made the repeat visits an easy choice.
Bottom line: this place is exactly what it says it is--a solid sports grill and bar. If you want cheap and instant, go to a drive thru. If you're in the mood for a martini, wine and a slab of beef, go find the prime rib place in town. If you just want good food, fair prices, and a relaxed sports bar atmosphere, you'll be very happy here. I had several great experiences and I'll be back the next time work sends me to Spencer.