Great Place to eat new to area and loved the food and service received! Go to the Other Place and see for yourselves!

I don't often leave reviews, but I decided that this was the right time for another. I lived in the Clear Lake/Mason City area of Iowa from 1994 to 1998, Does anyone remember Clear Lake Computers? I left Iowa in 1998, but when I did live here, when ever I had the hunger for pizza, it was ALWALYS the Chicken Alfrado pizza at the Other Place. There was just nothing better. Now, I haven'y been in Iowa for some time, but recent events brought me back, and I found myself in Clear Lake. A lot has changed. I drive down Main St and see all the changes. Does anyone remember Jerry Krause, who used to own the old truck stop that was called "Milepost 194" who eventually sold it, and then bought the Town Pump bar on Main? Anyway, back to the Other Place. It's been 28 years since I had their Chicken Alfrado pizza, and I knew that being back in town that I just had to have one again. I have to say. The one I got served Friday, was NOT like I remembered. It was dry. I couldn't even tell there was alfredo sauce on the pizza? it seemed like crust, chicken and cheese. Granted, there was plenty of cheese and chicken, but the lack of sauce was dissapointing. I don't know if the alfredo sauce is made in house, or if it's brought in. maybe their destributor changed over the years, and they can't get the same sauce that they used 28 years ago. Maybe the business changed ownership and changes were made. I don't know. What I can tell you is that back in 1998, the Alfredo Chicken pizza was AMAZING. It was my go to. It was best thing on the menu. It was what I recommended to everyone I knew. The pizza I had during my recent visit was just.... Meh... read more

First time eating here. It was a perfect experience. The service was great and the food was awesome. We had pizza and a burger. The prices were reasonable. Enough to take home. I will go back! read more

The Other Place - Taco pizza ! - Pizza Near Me - Clear Lake, Iowa

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We had thin crust double decker pepperoni with extra cheese. The pizza was very greasy but good. Soaked the grease up with napkins. Service was very good. The room was kinda nasty. Damaged ceiling tiles looking like they're going to fall. Ceiling really dirty. Men's rest room was filthy. Didn't visit the women's. read more

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Very popular Iowa chain, located mostly in college towns. Sport-themed, with over a dozen big TVs on all the time. Pizza, burgers and sandwiches dominate the menu. Good food, great service. read more

Classmates dream lunch. Good food the server was working hard and the ambience was perfect. I will always comeback each year!!!

They were not busy. I inquired about the wrap, it sounded delicious. The waitress said "our wraps are very dry" so I ordered the tenderloin instead. It was very good but the bun was really dry. SW ranch also good. I ordered Sprite Zero. Hubby got iced tea. She brought a Diet Coke & Sprite Zero. We told her & she brought him ice tea. I drank the Diet Coke as the sprite tasted like chlorine. He got a glass of water as the tea was not good. Waitress was nice. read more

We asked to change one of the TV's to espn to watch a PGA golf tournament, they said they would change it, and we asked a couple of times and were ignored after that. My wife had a Coors light bottle with a glass. I usually have a 22 oz Blue Moon draw, but since we had places to go, i went smaller to the supposed 16 oz. Our glasses were identical and her 12 oz bottle pretty much filled the glass. As our glasses were the same size I asked the waitress how mine could be 16 oz. She had no idea. I jokingly asked her what she was going to deliver the other 4 oz in. All in all, we were disappointed and now they should know that 16 oz doesnt fit in a 12 oz glass. I want my other 4 oz. read more

Please disregard any bad reviews ever written about this place. It is amazing. It's a cozy sports bar with a home here for a very long time. The owner is super nice and the employees are great. The service is quick, accommodating, and always super kind. If there's a wait, it's because it's SO worth it. We go to Clear Lake once a year and always make time to eat here and say hi to everybody. The pizza is to die for! I also really like their chicken fingers basket because it's really crispy, light, and has various options for sauces. The pizza is handmade in the kitchen and the Alfredo and taco pizzas, you can't go wrong! As you can tell from the photos, I didn't even think about taking a picture before diving in! They also have an entire back patio with a different menu! Everything there is also delicious and a little bit more on the healthy/fancy side. AND you can still order food from the indoors menu if you like! I'll always be back for more read more

The Other Place - Taco pizza - Pizza Near Me - Clear Lake, Iowa

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Food was amazing and the service was top notch, if you spend the day out on the lake highly recommend you stop in and give it a go. Mushrooms are excellent our favorite, pizza is prepared neat and done all the way no under cooked dough. read more

Had dinner with another couple on Friday May 12th prior to a concert at the Surf Ballroom. Please folks ... this is a very busy place so plan accordingly, especially on concert eve's., and during the tourist season. We arrived at about 6:15pm and were very fortunate to grab one of the last tables in the place. Malarie R. was our server, and she was ready to take our orders right away. I chose the Chicken Sandwich with Cole Slaw, as did one other person in our party. Another got a Tenderloin, and the 4th got the Philly Cheesesteak. She also asked the the onions and peppers be held off the sandwich. While we were waiting for our orders, I had a chance to watch our server take on new tables and deal with those she already had. Damn, she was a pro. When our meals came, we found them all to be EXCELLENT, and even the Philly Cheesesteak came w/o the condiments! As I was ready to pay (Malarie brought a portable card reader to the table) we all commented that she did well, running around the way she was. I asked her if while paying, has anyone ever hit the "No Tip" button, and she replied: "Well, not yet ... it's my 1st night alone on the floor." BAM. Huge tip for Malarie R., and I hope management sees this review. read more

The Other Place - Grilled Chicken Sandwich - Pizza Near Me - Clear Lake, Iowa

The venerable OP chain, but especially Clear Lake, continue to circle the drain.....after avoiding the place for a long time, I went there tonight with my wife....the pizza we ordered was not what we received. When I brought it to the waitstaff's attention, she referred me to the "manager"....one of Brian's daughters....who choose to argue with me....fact is fact and she was wrong....then she recruited some others sitting near to argue her case....TOTAL nonsense and bad/rude/stupid behavior for any "manager" of a hospitality business..... Ownership:....time to cut your losses and sell to a competent hospitality group. read more

The pandemic seems to have hit these guys hard and I feel really bad. All of the servers seemed very slammed and overwhelmed. Because of that, service was fairly slow but again, I attribute that more to needing to get people trained. Ordered one of their Firehouse Burgers (I think that's what it was called...) and it was good. Nothing amazing but decent enough. read more

The Other Place - a parking lot with cars parked in it - Pizza Near Me - Clear Lake, Iowa

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4 months ago they changed the prices. Which I understand. They didn't change the menu price however when we got the bill it was $2.00 higher then normal. The we came tonight to try it again and order water with wings. Then menu says 10 wings. I received my water without ice. Instead of 10 like the menu said I got 8. When I asked the waitress she said they haven't change the menu because its to expensive. When I order an item I expect to pay and recieve what the menu says. When my bill is higher and I get less food I really start to question the restaurant. read more

The Other Place - a glass of red wine - Pizza Near Me - Clear Lake, Iowa

Got food for pickup which was a smooth and quick process. The food was warm and tasted amazing! Love their onion rings with their chipotle ranch! read more

The Other Place - Country Fried Tenderloin - Pizza Near Me - Clear Lake, Iowa

Service was great. Pizza delicious first time eating here. Would definitely go back

We ordered a chicken Alfredo pizza. It was not tasty and it was expensive. Good customer service. Will not return. read more

On the day after the election, my wife, daughter, and I had lunch in the Other Place. We were in Clear Lake for the visitation and funeral services for my wife's mother. A woman with her family sat in a booth diagonally from us. She was wearing a sweatshirt with the image of a smiling Trump while holding up both hands with the middle finger "salute" in open view. We all found that offensive. My daughter, who was grieving for her grandmother, became distraught by seeing this offensive sweatshirt. Her emotions were raw and discretely returned the gesture to this woman. This woman complained to the management and our waitress told us we had to stop, or we would have to leave. Her husband, out of the blue, stood up near our table and proclaimed in a loud voice that he works, and he is rich! The waitress again told us we had leave the restaurant. We hurriedly finished our meal and left. Rather than to tell us to leave, the OP staff should not have allowed this woman in the restaurant wearing a sweatshirt with an obscenity. This encounter disturbed my family, but I was also worried about the impact this woman's vulgar sweatshirt had on the children in the OP. This was entirely inappropriate. We will never return to the OP. read more

Went with a large group and found the service great. Our food was as expected and on point. I did notice that people who had the soup didn't finish that but I also didn't ask why. Will be back. We had the house special pizza and took most of it home as it was more then we could eat. Was good even the next day. read more

The menu is very deceptive. Our family ordered a 16 inch taco pizza and a 16 inch pepperoni pizza, and were each $16.75. It was assumed that the toppings were included in both the pepperoni and taco pizzas. However, once we got the bill it was clear to us that we had to pay separately for the toppings, and the bowl of diced tomatoes we received was $10.25. You heard me right... 10 dollars and 25 cents for a bowl of tomatoes that were implied to be on the taco pizza. The owner of this franchise should definitely make it more clear on the menu what the cost of everything is instead of baiting customers into buying over 15 dollars extra in toppings without knowledge of doing so. Shame on you Clear Lake OP read more

The Other Place - a menu for a restaurant - Pizza Near Me - Clear Lake, Iowa

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Daughter & I stop here every time we are staying at Clear Lake. Always great service & great food! read more

The Other Place - Pepperoni pizza - Pizza Near Me - Clear Lake, Iowa

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This was my family's go-to place when we visited Clear Lake during my childhood. So of course this is where we went tonight for our weekend trip to Clear Lake and what a disappointment. We arrived early (4:40) and seated immediately. And we watched as tables that arrived and ordered after us received their food before us. When our food arrived it was cold and missing a few things. The server was far more interested in other tables and we never did receive refills. My daughter ended up with a stomach ache after eating only half of her burger and onion rings (her tray was covered in grease from the onion rings) and a few other items weren't as described on the menu. We suggest avoiding the Philly sandwich and the Other sub unless you like low quality, stringy roast beef that tasted straight out of the grocery store deli case. The pizza looked decent but I'm not willing to drop another $100 here in hopes that it's better. We won't be back. read more

I love the OP!! They have the best pizza and onion rings!! If you like thin crispy onion rings this is your place.

The Other place is a small chain of Iowa themed sports bars. Except for two locations in Johnson County, Kansas, the chain is based in Iowa. The Clear Lake location opened in 1981 and, while renovated in the early 2000s, does show its age (aka 'has some character'.). It's a very spacious sports bar. The bar is in the center with booths on the far wall, and several tables & pool tables in-between. Service was quick and friendly. Our bartender mentioned that she was from Mason City. We were planning to head over there later in the day so we asked her what would be some good bars to visit while we were there." "Oh, I have no idea," she said, "I'm not 21 yet. This is the only bar I've ever been in." Making this the first bar (that I'm aware of anyway) where I was served by a bartender who could not drink. read more

The Other Place - Pizza Near Me - Clear Lake, Iowa

Good pie... the best pizza in the area. I had the new Ruben sandwich last night and I was very happy with the quality and the taste. The place seems to be busy but the service was very good. There was a minor mix up with my wife's order but it was corrected quickly and professionally. Lots of Tv's to watch sports on, fun atmosphere. read more

Great atmosphere - we sat in the patio/deck area which was nice especially during covid19. I was disappointed to see that only a select few staff were wearing masks. Our waitress did not. Menus also did not appear to be wiped down between customers. I also saw a kitchen runner carrying open lettuce from one kitchen to another bare handed - carrying it among crowds of people.... really hope they wash it well.besides the health concerns the food was decent. The pizza had a great crust - cheesy and loaded with Canadian bacon. The pineapple unfortunately tasted like can pineapple... not fresh as we were hoping for. Overall nice pizza place. read more

We have been enjoying the OP for over 20 years. Warming!! Do not ever order food to go. If you do, you better check every detail of your order. Unfortunately I ordered to go tonight thinking it wasn't a holiday weekend and they would get it right. No surprise the order was messed up. Ordered two orders of chicken fingers dipped with garlic and extra sides of garlic and got chicken fingers with no sauce, not dipped , no extra side but I got fries I didn't want. Called the manager when my kids brought it home and his response was " well we didn't charge you for the garlic and you got free fries!" Scott, you need to learn to take care of your customers ! This is restaurant 101! read more

Something needs to be done about the flys in that place. Absolutely ridiculous. Whatever you do DO NOT drink the water!!! It's god awful, it taste like paint! The service was wonderful, everyone there had a smile and seemed very happy. Seems as though the owner needs to do some pest control in his part. read more

At the suggestion of family, we went to check out The "OP". Service was good, but food was just ok. Wasn't bad by any means, but the pizza sauce was "bland" and the crust was nothing special. My wife had the pork tenderloin sandwich, which being in Iowa we were expecting to be "wowed" and it was not good. Breading had NO FLAVOR, and the pork was just "eh". read more

The Other Place - Pizza Near Me - Clear Lake, Iowa

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The pizza was okay - but not up to a 4+ star standard that others have rated. The toppings were plentiful, sauce was okay - crust - dry food service. I'm sure after a busy day on the water - just about anything tastes great with a beer. We plan to pass next time we are in town. read more

This place is a classic OP, and it is a favorite local joint of the Clear Lake community. You will always find this place hopping! I love the pizza. I wouldn't get anything but the pizza. We tend to get the House Special with no onion. And it always comes out perfect with so much cheese! You know in commercial when the cheese stretches into strings? That happens here with their pizza. I've been here many times and have always had a good experience. I love when their outdoor seating is open during the summer. It's lovely to sit out there. I would recommend a stop if you're in town! read more

Warning.. the meal portions are huge! Yum yum yum! We were a party of 4 on a Saturday night.. walked in .. waited a few minutes and bang we had a table ..(don't let the full parking lot fool you).. very good service.. lots of menu choices for all tastes., it's why we all like to eat out...Delicious Food! read more

This place is huge and when we stopped on a Sunday for lunch is was packed. The food was all good but I wouldn't say it was anything special. However the mozzarella sticks are in almost a wonton wrapper and then fried and the sauce was dang good. That itself got an extra star for me. Good bar atmosphere if you want to watch a game or have drinks. read more

Covid-19 0-The other place 5* Delivered to hotel room. The grinder pizza was awesome. I definitely will visit when this is over

Fast - Friendly - Delicious - During a busy time Front parking was full - Rear parking was near full - Yet when we got in there, we were seated right away - Staff were all very friendly - Food was delicious - I would definitely recommend the OP for anyone - We will be back read more

Wow!!! Plenty of room, quesadilla was HUGE and the grinder pizza is a must try!!!! Wait staff was attentive and I couldn't find a negative thing to say even if I tried!!! read more

The Other Place - Pizza Near Me - Clear Lake, Iowa

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Ordered the taco pizza tonite. Pizza came out without the usual dorito taco chips. They were out but didn't tell us when we ordered. Had tasteless tortilla strips on it. Was also missing the tomatoes. We received a bowl of raw tomatoes when I said something about it. One of our two plates handed to us to eat the pizza on had a dead big on it. Several employees who worked here and were probably off the clock were sitting at the bar drinking but then walking back and forth from there into the kitchen. Not very sanitary. read more

Not Impressed. I've been to the OP several times over the past fifteen years. Every experience can be summed up like this: great atmosphere, decent food (very hit or miss - don't bother with salads, veggies, or pasta - stick to sandwiches, pizza, and beer) and TERRIBLE service. I can't express how terrible the service is at the OP. I was a waitress for ten years. I know how busy a sports bar can get, how deep in the weeds the kitchen staff can be, and how annoying customers are. But, that doesn't give you (as a employee) the excuse to lose your damn mind and manners. Our last waitress shouted/barked at us the whole time, acted like we were an extreme inconvenience at all times, literally threw down our food (had to wipe some of it off the table) and practically ran away, never brought drinks or silverware, took 25 minutes to get our check, and only acted pleasant when the check was delivered. Although this scenario was pretty extreme, I've never had a trip to the OP where the waitstaff impressed me. Why keep going back? Meh, it's decent food and one of the only "little bit of everything" resturants in Clear Lake. read more

Usually we have good food and good service here at the Op in Clear Lake, Iowa. Tonight was a totally different experience. Our waitress was pulled to a large group, so our service was very slow once we got an alternative waitress and then finally our original waitress. One of our party's food did not arrive at the same time as the rest which is unacceptable. Then, during our meal the wait staff decided to start vacuuming near our table. We askef that they stop. They thought that meant it was okay to go and vacuum behind us. Again, asked them to stop. They decided it was okay to vacuum in third area of the restaurant. Wondered what they didn't understand? Asked for boxes for the remainder of our food. Ended up having to go to the bar and get them ourselves. Not feeling good about going back to the OP. read more

Our group unanimously voted 1-star for this place having quite possibly the worst pizza we've ever put in our mouths. Absolutely no taste. Well, OK. Maybe it tasted like year-old frozen bread dough. Ordered a vegetarian pizza. The "cooks" forgot to put most of the veggies on the cardboard pizza so they gave us several bowls of the missing stuff to sprinkle on top after they delivered it to our table. Waitress was a robot. She didn't like her job and it showed. read more