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    The Drift

    4.6 (21 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    The Drift Photos

    THE DRIFT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Intimate
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - The Drift

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    Reviews With Photos

    Restaurant frontage
    Monty D.

    What a nice upscale restaurant/bar on the peaceful Square. We went there for an early dinner. The staff was very pleasant, and the service was quick and attentive. The décor with its earth tones and colors, makes for a very homey and comforting vibe, see my pic. Our food order came out promptly. I provided pics of their current menu (which varied from their online menu), while limited, still offered something for everyone. We shared their Meatball Parm Hero. The meat balls are made in house: mildly seasoned, had more meat and less filler than most balls, and were light in texture. Thus making a filling, yet not overly stuffed sandwich. The meatball size was appropriate for the sandwich (I didn't have to battle a super-sized meat ball for each bite.). As you can see from my pic, there was ample marinara sauce (and more on the side) plus ample flavorful cheese. The hoagie style bun was very light, yet held up incredibly well with the sauce. My Cole Slaw side had the mayo based dressing, which was lightly tossed (ie not drowning in mayo sauce). We also shared the Greek Salad with added grilled chicken, see pic. All the greens and veggies were crisp and fresh. The chicken was mildly seasoned, cooked appropriately and, as you can see, was plentiful. The Mediterranean dressing was fairly mild, yet good. This was a very pleasant hangout spot and we were quite comfortable with great service.

    Cornbread
    Kathleen R.

    Nice stop in the super cute town of winterset, we happen to arrive on the John Wayne weekend. The John Wayne chili came with big chunks of beef like stew with mashed potatoes. The greek flatbread was nice and crispy. Centrally located in the town square with lots of street parking.

    Outside seating was so inviting and the breeze coming through the alley was amazing.
    Lisa G.

    We were camping nearby and wanted to try a local brewery. We decided on The Drift primarily because it was one of the only breweries open on a Wednesday and I'm so glad we did. The food, beer, and Amanda, our server, were all great. I had The Drift salad and it was one of the best salads I've had in quite sometime. My husband had the chicken tortilla wrap which he stated was also very good. My only criticism of the outside seating is that it should be dog friendly as we always travel with our Golden Retriever and prefer dog friendly places. I would definitely eat here again!

    Bar and beer list.
    Michael W.

    The Drift is a nice little sandwich place. It fills part of the gap that The North Side left. Great beer, wine and cocktail selection, and a small food menu. I had the Italian sausage sandwich. It was large, stuffed full of meet and had some jalapeños and marinara on the side. Marinara was a little on the plain side, but fresh and bright.The sausage had just a hint of spice to it, but just didn't have a great Italian flavor and seemed a little dry. Had a side salad and if I was nitpicking the ranch dressing was watery and had no flavor. Service was good, but not necessarily friendly, but I am here to eat and as long as the food comes and drinks are refilled I am happy. Hope this place stays around and would love to see them expand their menu to make it a place to have dinner and a drink with the family.

    Wines

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    6 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    6 months ago

    Great place to eat, they offer a great selection of meal choices not found at most restaurants.

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    2 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Great beer and food. It's a very nice relaxing environment. Great place to meet friends or coworkers for a beer.

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Limited menu but everything is delicious. Great atmosphere and wonderful staff. Highly recommend!

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Wonderful little Bistro with outside dining, good food and a great selection of wine and beer.

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    3 years ago

    We love date nights at the Drift! It's cozy inside and the food is delicious. It's also kid friendly.

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    5 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Delicious food, friendly staff, a great variety of Iowa craft beers. Exactly what I was looking for!

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    Ask the Community - The Drift

    Review Highlights - The Drift

    They have a great selection of Iowa craft brews and local distillery to make mixed drinks with.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Westside Bar & Grille - Philly steak sandwich and fries

    Westside Bar & Grille

    (10 reviews)

    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.

    The Drift - bars - Updated May 2026

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