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.

We always try to eat here when we are in town to visit family. The menu is quite good but the…read morespecials are usually even better. We had the Baja Shrimp Taco special last Wed and restaurant week started so we had the entire Thai tasting menu on Friday. It was fabulous - please check it out. It is Midwest hot, not Thai hot. Staff is always great. We almost always end with carrot cake - I had ZoeBakes carrot cake in the Twin Cities and it was not anywhere close to as tasty as The Cafe's version. I would agree with some other posts that the lighting in some areas makes it very hard to read the menus or see your food. Updated lighting would be helpful. We try to come early and get a spot near the windows so that we can see better.

We are from out of town and met friends from out of state in Ames for a wedding for early Sunday…read morebreakfast. The menu was "brunch"-- had some al a cart items but everything was about $17. They had a larger menu starting at 10 AM-- opened at 7:00. Good coffee, good food, (pepper bacon was'superb') great service, pleasant atmosphere. Good choice.

Had the mini beer shot, just like the the ones in Cancun. Crab Rangoon with chicken is a great…read morepizza to try.

Food awesome. service nice. Very loud!!!! Be prepared to shout your order lol still worth it.read more

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

The never ending fries are the best. Service is great, the wait staff are cheery and really nice…read more The food is great. Always a good place to eat.

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!!

About an hour and a half drive but well worth the trip!…read moreSaturday early afternoon and it was packed...about a half hour wait for seating was the only downside. Service was outstanding and the staff seemed to be handling multiple aspects of the jobs and helping each other out...no one just did one thing and I think that really sped up the service. Katie was our primary server and was outstanding! We ordered up a two and a three meat deal and had Campground Beans, Creamy Coleslaw, Cheesy Potatoes,, and Mac & Cheese as sides as well as a slice of Texas Toast and Cornbread as sides....oh, and Golden Corn Nuggets as an appetizer. The Corn Nuggets were good and sweet and served up with honey and a ranch sauce for dipping. The meat choices were 3) Ribs, Pork Loin, and Turkey Breast....and 2) Pork Loin and Turkey Breast. The smoke on everything was amazing and just the right amount for excellent flavors..the ribs were very meaty. Some places ribs leave you wanting but not at Watcha Smoking! The Pork Loin and the Turkey Breast were both very good as well...still tender and not dried out. I liked the Neck of the Woods sauce the best (mild tomato based) as well as the Carolina Gold sauce...it had nice kick to it. The sides were all good but the only issue was the Cheesy Potatoes were a bit dry.....I'm thinking that it must've been towards the end of the batch and had been sitting around for a bit. Cornbread was excellent, Texas Toast tops, Coleslaw was a good shredded, wet slaw, the Mac and Cheese very good, and the Campground Beans were the preferred side as they had some good chunks of smoked meats mixed in. Fantastic place, great for small groups and large groups as well...great food and great service...Definitely worth the trip!

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.

Packed house on Summer Friday night at 8:30 but still able to find a seat quickly! Stephanie…read morebrought us some menus and told us about the restaurant. We ordered the Bangers N Mash and the Fish and Chips and we loved both! The tartar sauce was the best I've ever tried!!!! Also tried the Orange push pop and a cider that we liked. Good vibes. Good chatter. Great foood. Would def be back while passing through town again! Wish there was a bit more AC!

The pub was pretty busy on a Saturday afternoon at 2pm. They have an outdoor seating area. The…read morepub is decorated with British signs and posters. The service was very good for how busy it was inside and out. The food was delicious! We had the cod & chips (added coleslaw) and the German platter (a bratwurst, weisswurst, pork schnitzel, mashed potatoes & gravy, red cabbage and sauerkraut). There were various other items we'd like to try, so we will have to come back! It seemed a little high priced, but it is Ames.

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!

It's lunch and now you find yourself driving toward that icon spot of Cooper's on 5th in Valley…read moreJunction to savor that delicious Cajun Meatloaf Meltdown Sandwich- Simply Delicious. My only issue is food temperature---while served eye appealing it was just warm -- work on food temperature control -- the sweet potato fries were awesome and the egg rolls with barbecue sauce and sausage were solid. Jeffrey -- my wait staffer-- bar mixologist-- made me a Lavender Lemonade Mocktail and it was every bit as good as a "Mr Pibbs." The soft music cascading in the background provided the serene feeling to allow me to play message catch up by iPhone and a tab, or utilize the quiet spot to socialize with great company. This space gives you a choice for fun socialization.

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.