We stopped in after being on the road for the day. We were just going to get a drink but special flatbread pizza sounded too good to pass up. It was delicious and we devoured it embarrassingly fast. There were a few others being served and the woman working the floor was busy but managed to stay on top of each table. I was impressed. The cocktails all had names referring to Madison county places and events, and the were all kinds of old photos and interesting things to look at. They have a large selection of mostly Iowa craft beers. We will definitely stop here the next time we are in town. read more

The Drift - Flatbread pizza and a beer - Bars Near Me - Winterset, Iowa

My wife and I just visited this place. Our experience at The Drift was that it had good atmosphere, and good food. However, the level of service we received was astonishingly poor. We were in shortly after noon on Sunday. There were perhaps a dozen, possibly 15 other patrons in the establishment. After choosing a booth to sit in we were greeted and given water. A few minutes later we placed our orders. Everything had been perfectly fine up to this point. We began waiting for our food to arrive. 20 minutes went by, then 25... then 30 minutes. Anyway, I begin looking around, trying to make eye contact with our server (who, mind you, has not stopped by one single time since taking our order over 30 minutes earlier). This is a very small restaurant, and all patrons are seated in a single room. It wasn't as though we were tucked away in some easy-to-overlook spot. Eventually, around the 35-40 minute mark, we saw our server look at us, then at her notepad, then at the POS. The expression on her face confirmed the obvious: she'd never sent our order to the kitchen. The thing to do in this instance would have been to immediately come to our table, apologize for the extremely long ticket time, explain what had happened, assure us that the kitchen has been made aware of our order, and promise that our food will be out very shortly. That would've completely solved the problem. However, that's not at all what our server did at all. Instead, she proceeded to make every possible effort to avoid all eye contact with us, and walked right by us (1 foot away) about 7 or 8 times without ever saying a single word. My wife even said "Excuse me..." during one of those passes, but of course she continued walking right by us. We were flabbergasted. From a customer service standpoint, what was happening was truly absurd. It's no exaggeration to say that we've dined in hundreds of restaurants over the last few years, all over the country. We've enjoyed meals at the greasiest diners, the finest steakhouses, and absolutely everything in between. It's also no exaggeration to say that the service we experienced at The Drift was, without question, The Worst that we've encountered. There were a couple/few other, lesser issues with the service as well, but this review is already plenty long. I wish them the best, because small towns need places like this with elevated creative menus, hip, updated vibes, etc. My suggestion would be train the servers! We really liked what the restaurant/tap house has going on in a few categories, and there's tons of potential for it to become an amazing place, but the service MUST improve. read more

The food is consistently great. They have different specials and the flat bread sweet corn is tasty. I have had their Reuben and the option of potato salad is a must. They have a great selection of Iowa craft brews and local distillery to make mixed drinks with. A favorite of mine on Sunday brunch is the biscuits and gravy and add eggs. It's very filling and great tasting. read more

This is a neat little place with a relaxing atmosphere. It did take awhile to get a server, but we stopped in during covered bridge days, so I'm sure it was a bit busier then normal. They also had a smaller menu, but im guessing possibly due to the event also. Even with the minor hiccups, the drinks were so yummy & nachos hit the spot for a quick bite while shopping. I'll definitely be stopping by again for a full review read more

The Drift - Nachos - Bars Near Me - Winterset, Iowa

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4.5* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 4* Service: 5* 10/05/2023 A great stop for a lively atmosphere, friendly small-town service, great food and a good tap beer selection just outside the Des Moines metro area. We got our chance for a return visit - and this time we did get to try one of their desserts! Our last visit was almost 2 years ago during the Bridge Festival and we enjoyed it enough to recommend it for dinner while in town with our neighbors. Lori took excellent care of us and had great recommendations - when you go, be sure to say 'Hi' to Lori from The Food and Drink Guy! We started off with a flight of beers (see picture) and a Strawberry Basil Smash (see picture) - which were both very enjoyable. For our dinner, my wife ordered the Grown-Up Grilled Cheese (see picture) and I ordered the Reuben (see picture) based on Lori's recommendation. Our neighbor ordered the Italian Sausage Flatbread (see picture). As is our regular custom, we shared tastes of each others orders so we could all experience multiple offerings. We found all of them to be very good and would highly recommend them. If you follow my posts, you know I LOVE desserts, so possibly the highlight of the meal was the German Apple Cake (see picture) that we ordered to share. It was very good - you probably don't want to leave without trying a piece yourself! read more

The Drift - Side Salad - Bars Near Me - Winterset, Iowa

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. read more

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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. read more

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We stopped in for some flatbreads and drinks and loved the charming atmosphere, excellent food, and exceptional service from Amanda and Megan. Great music on the playlist, fantastic selection of beers, can't wait to return whenever we're back in Winterset. read more

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

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! read more

The Drift - Outside seating was so inviting and the breeze coming through the alley was amazing. - Bars Near Me - Winterset, Iowa

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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. read more

The Drift - Bar and beer list. - Bars Near Me - Winterset, Iowa

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

We love the addition of The Drift to the Winterset square! There are several booths for seating, as well as a few high-top tables and seating available at the bar. The staff is friendly, gave us some great drink recommendations, and was available when we needed refills. The food menu is smaller, but has just the right amount of options from appetizers to sandwiches. There are often daily specials available as well as an occasional Sunday Brunch. During warmer weather, there is a patio area outside in the alley area. This is overall a really nice place to hang out, watch a game, listen to some music, and enjoy a nice meal. The drink menu features many Iowa craft beers, and the menu rotates just often enough to keep a great variety. They will fill crowlers to go - this has been a favorite thing for me to grab a few crowlers of new beer to enjoy at home on a weekend when watching football. read more

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

Lovely place in a small town stop. Right on the main square. Plan on doing some shopping and stop on in here. read more

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We drifted into "the drift " yesterday afternoon expecting three people and by the end of the evening we ended up with eight people on the patio. Amanda did a wonderful job taking care of us and we very much enjoyed the appetizers & the Mulberry mules! read more

We were at The Drift during their 9 to 2 brunch on a Sunday. The menu is limited and that's okay. However, that means they should be able to knock those food items out of the park. My patty sausage was cold and overcooked. The toast was cold and floppy, the eggs were cold and the fruit was wilted. My husband's French toast was dry and tasteless. They served it with a small container of melted butter and no syrup. His sausage was overcooked and cold, too. Their hasbrown "crowns" amount to out of the bag hash browns, undercooked, as well. Save your money. Cook breakfast at home - you can do better! read more

For Winterset is a good spot. Food is just ok, drinks where good and service was a flip of the coin. I give the place credit for bringing something different to town. read more

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

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

Exploring the downtown square we discovered The Drift. Very nice place with nice outdoor patio dining as well as indoor. We had the Scramble and waffles with sausage. They were both delicious, but the Scramble was amazing. Our server Tessa was outstanding and very attentive. Great job! read more

Great local joint. Nicely done. Good local iowa beers. Limited menu but good stuff. Pretzel bites and mulberries mules to start. The rest looks good too. read more

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