What a special spot. Breakfast was amazing . Service by Sherri was outstanding. She clearly loves…read morewhat she is doing. I was at home here. Now the food. I had the breakfast sandwich which did not disappoint.. melted cheese, eggs and bacon on sourdough bun. Yummmmm. Husband had egg breakfast with toast and sausage and all was hot and delicious.

Sometimes the best breakfast spots aren't in the middle of downtown--they're tucked away waiting to…read morebe discovered. The Whistle Stop Café on the north side of Boone is one of those places. There's plenty of parking, and from the moment I walked in, I felt genuinely welcome. My waitress, who I suspect may have been the owner, greeted me with a smile, took my coffee order right away, and made sure I never needed to ask for a refill. Bonus points for serving it in a pretty cool coffee mug that added a little personality to the experience. The service was fast without feeling rushed, and the food was fresh, flavorful, and exactly what I was hoping for. More than anything, though, it was the hospitality that stood out. It's the kind of place where you're treated like a regular, even if it's your first visit. If you're looking for a welcoming local café with great food, friendly people, and a memorable small-town dining experience, the Whistle Stop Café is well worth making a stop.

We met a niece for a long lunch during the week. Comfortable and casual vibe, and a nice menu…read moreselection. Breakfast available, so one in our party went with that, and that was the right choice for the day we were there. My wife and I each got a salad - I got the California Chicken, and she got the Chicken Harvest Apple Salad. The menu says they are each spring mix lettuce, but there wasn't much spring in either of ours - pretty much iceberg with a touch of darker greens. The chicken was thin and tasted fine, but didn't have a lot of seasoning. The bread was good, and if the lettuce had been closer to what we thought we were getting it would have made a significant difference. We just chose poorly. The breakfast platter looked amazing, and we saw a couple of wraps and sandwiches pass by that looked really good. Service was very pleasant and efficient, and our food came out in good time. They cleared our table as well and even though it pretty much counter service, there was more service provided than you might expect. We will try again and just stick to the sandwiches or breakfast. The lettuce mix may have been a substitute or may be what locals prefer; just wasn't what we thought we would be getting.

I am not from the area and was looking for a place to work for the day. After purchasing a cup of…read morecoffee from another establishment (who did not have ideal seating), I visited Queen Beans and asked if I could bring my outside coffee in if I purchased breakfast there. The staff member assured me it was no problem at all, so I bought breakfast and worked for the day. The next day, I followed the same routine (since I actually really enjoyed the other places coffee and I was already told it was no problem if I bring in outside drinks). However this time, a different staff member informed me that outside beverages were not allowed, but said I could stay if I poured my coffee into one of their cups. I completely understood and complied without any issue. 30 minutes later, the owner approached my table in an aggressive manner and began berating me for not following their rules. Despite explaining that I had received information from two employees allowing me to stay, the manager continued to reprimand me, stating it was common sense not to bring outside drinks. While I always respect the rules of any establishment, the owners disrespectful tone and demeaning language were shockingly disgraceful. I would not recommend dining here if you expect courteous and professional ownership or management.

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!

Our favorite place to eat in town. Staff is always friendly. Everything on the menu is good no…read morematter what you choose

Went here on the recommendation of three locals after working a basketball game. I misheard them…read moreat first; I thought they said "Tempe" and we were looking for a Mexican restaurant. Anyhow, we arrived and elected to sit at the bar versus a booth. Took a couple minutes to get noticed and we were asked to sit at the other end of the bar due to some clutter... Prices are very reasonable at this establishment. A flight was $7.50...if you were in WDM or Waukee, you would probably be looking at double that. They also brew their own beer and cider here; I'm not sure why that's not advertised heavier. Its called the "Gamble Block Brewery". I had Fear the Beard, the Baja Lager, the Maple Pumpkin Ale, and a cinnamon apple cider. The Maple pumpkin ale was delicious--the maple definitely hit on the back end. I was not a fan of the cider--they used a rather tart apple. The Fear the Beard (comparable to Blue Moon) and the Baja lager were OK. For food, I had the chicken tender basket with a 1/2 order of Texas Fries. I actually thought the ranch seasoning detracted from this dish--the queso was quite good and the bacon was plentiful. The downside to getting "sampler" versions of items was none of the accompaniments were included. My friend who got a full order of the Texas Fries was given sour cream with his food--mine did not. Also, on the beer sampler fruit wedges are served with the full size versions but not on the flight. The chicken tenders were very good and had the right breading/chicken ratio. The buffalo sauce packed a punch but was not obnoxiously spicy. The ranch that came with it was very good and was clearly made in-house. More of a 3.5 star review.

Excellent food, great atmosphere but a little pricey. All around good place. I recommend it.read more

Great service, our waitress was attentive and adaptive to our needs. Food was tasty and well…read moreprepared.

I stole some of my colleagues food it was so delectable…read more Service with a smiley face and the day was perfect for the patio dining. Great experience all around!!

Well there's a reason everyone raves about this place. I've had bits of it at the state fair and…read morewhatnot but finally drove out to visit one recent Sunday. The food, service, and ambiance were all great! Don't sleep on the smoked turkey. Apparently that's like a Texas thing, but Iowa - don't knock it til you try it! The smoked turkey is so juicy and was heaven in their Sunday breakfast burrito special! We did the ribs and brisket and both were also really amazing! Like competition winning good. I thought we'd have leftovers. We did not. We crushed everything we ordered, including an Iowa Twinkie to start (highly recommend one of those to start)! It was pretty packed on a Sunday at 1pm but we did get seated super quickly. Highly recommend!

Very cute pub. I had the Shepards pie and the Brussel sprouts for my side. It was absolutely…read morefantastic. I have never had Brussel sprouts made that were perfection as they were here! The Irish soda bread was a definite must try also. We also had the crab cakes that came with enough greens that basically made it a salad. The crabs cakes were also very good. They had a huge selection of tap beers that would satisfy just about any palate. We were very satisfied with our experience. If we lived in the area this restaurant would be on my rotation of favorite regular places to go.

We stopped in for dinner before an event at Stevens auditorium. We were seated right away and got…read moreour orders in. It's a very relaxing Irish pub vibe with a variety of seating options and lots of TVs. Our drinks came out quickly and the food followed shortly thereafter. I got a martini and it was very well prepared. My wife got a glass of wine from their decent wine list. For dinner, I had the lamb burger, which was quite tasty. It was a good combination of flavors and the fries were hot and crisp. My wife got a naked burger with a side salad. The creamy Parmesan was very tasty and it was a nice bed of greens. A table next to us had some sort of a problem with one of the dinners and the server tried many many times to get the customer to order a replacement, but he said he was OK with what he got. When she brought the check to them she made sure to take that off since he did not eat it and would not accept a replacement. They seem shocked at this, but I wondered why they just didn't get a replacement! Great service by that server. She was also our server and did a fantastic job with us. We had very tasty food and great drinks , so I would definitely recommend it and would go back if I was in the area.

Never disappoints- great service and outstanding atmosphere- highly recommended. It has become our…read morefavorite place in Ames - God's Country!

I had the reuben and I tried the fish and chips. The sandwhich was good, the fish, disappointing…read more This place looks cool inside but I've been here a few times and honestly there's just something off about it.

I'm so glad we stumbled upon Hot Off The Presses while passing through on our way to…read moreMinneapolis--this place is an absolute gem. We were just here a few weeks ago and I am so bummed to see they permanently closed!! We came during lunch and took advantage of their weekday lunch combo (Tues-Fri, 11am-2pm), which includes soup and a half grilled cheese. You can choose from the OG, Kick in the Cheese, or Fancy grilled cheese, plus either tomato basil bisque or the soup of the day. Honestly? A dream setup. I ordered the tomato basil bisque with a half OG grilled cheese, and wow... just wow. The soup was rich, flavorful, and perfectly balanced, and the grilled cheese delivered that classic, beautiful cheese pull moment you hope for (and rarely actually get). The cheese had the perfect amount of sharpness and subtle bitterness, balancing everything out so well without being overwhelming.. I seriously could go for one right now! Every bite was comforting and delicious, and I immediately wished I had ordered a full OG sandwich because it was that good. The combo was mouth‑watering, satisfying, and wildly exceeded expectations for a quick lunch stop.

This is an awesome small sandwich joint! We stopped along the way on a roadtrip. The staff is super…read morefriendly and everything was made to order. The food came out hot and you could tell the ingredients were fresh. This is gourmet sandwiches on a budget! We got there right when they opened and stayed to eat our meal. There were at least 8 people who came in to order while we were there. I can tell it's a lunch favorite. We ordered Grilled Cheese of the Month Quesabirria and it was fantastic I would say it just needed more Consomé. We also ordered their Cuban sandwich and it was really good! This place is a classic hole in the wall but it was very clean!

What a great cozy place. Great menu. Drink menu is fun as well. Great options on appetizers. Had…read moresome ham/brie eggrolls!

It's been 3 years since I last reviewed here, but it's still one of our regular stops and doesn't…read moredissapoint! Intimate, dark atmosphere inside, and brighter (and often warmer!) out back on the patio. Meatloaf and Salmon entrees are regulars for us, but we've tried almost every sandwich and many of the other entrees, and they are always full of flavor and delicious. Salads are fresh and have very good quality lettuce and veggies. Dressings are good as well. Small bar with drop in seating, but it pays to get a reservation. They currently use Toast to take reservations and you'll get a reminder the day prior to your visit. Walk in's often find it challenging to squeeze in here! Service is always good and the bartenders make a good drink.