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.

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

This meal was life changing. Get the $2 bacon as a side and you…read morewill not regret a thing. The service was incredible and the food is some of the best I've had in my whole life. 10/10 will return again!!!

Great menu, food was outstanding, portions were dare I say too big but so tasty!! Service was…read moreattentive even on a busy Saturday afternoon.

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.

I brought 25 people to Hickory Park. The service was great, and the food was delicious. I highly…read morerecommend.

Busy concert night. The "Add yourself to the Waitlist" is a great addition!! In and out quickly and…read morevery nice server.

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!

Had a family event there. Staff was very accommodating! Had lots of great comments on how good the…read morefood was. And great comments on having our event at Pickles. Highly recommend!

Pickles Pub is central Iowa gem. Hidden on blue Highway D 41 in Kamrar. The building is lovely with…read morea great hometown bar & grill vibe. Always bustling on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Fun Day, Pickles has a great staff of friendly, small-town folks. They hustle! Food comes out timely, and is good quality. We had a combo plate with fried mushrooms, pickles, and corn nuggets. It's all frozen stuff, but good quality. My wife had the French Dip sandwich and loved it (although she never dips her sandwich... wtf). I had the Patty Melt. It was cooked well on marble rye and was delicious. This is the ultimate roadside joint for a beer and bite. Nothing but positive energy for Pickles Pub!

Stinky's has been one of my favorite places to eat since childhood and continues to be a place I…read morevisit regularly. This is typically where me and my boyfriend will go out to eat for virtually every occasion, which is more than okay cause this place is awesome. The waitresses are nice and get to you as soon as possible. The Food is always thoroughly cooked an tasting amazing. Somewhat costly, but honestly worth it. Everything is portioned sizably. I almost always end up with too much on my plate to finish. I would personally recommend their sirloin steak as they serve what can easily be called one of the best steaks I've had. Their corn nuggets from the appetizer section of the menu are AMAZING along with the breaded pickle spears. My boyfriend also enjoys their all you can eat walleye dinner on Fridays and the pea salad. You will not regret stopping here.

What went well? EVERYTHING. I was a lonely dude just trying to start over. Saw a suggestion for…read moretraveling to Iowa and starting over. I got a steal on a big ass house, it was old, and a ton of work to modernize. I was determined to make the house ready for my future family. The folks at THE STANK ( what we locals call it) were very welcoming and kept me from quitting on my dreams many times. They also suggest maybe asking Jesus, and God. I did. I worshipped, I prayed. I danced. The snake thing was weird. met this cool woman that already had 6 kids, but my dream was 7. She's like, no problem. Life is good. Probably getting married. Job at the Post Office didn't work out. I'm a pet groomer now. Her kids are violent and rob stores across Iowa.

Always the same folks serving and preparing your food. Friendly , spotless and delicious. It's more…read moreFamily than crew. 5 Star!

A greasy spoon with classic diner items and comfort food…read more Breakfast was good. Portions are huge at this diner. The service took longer than expected after we ordered. They certainly have their regular customers.

I really wanted to love this place but it was a big let down…read more First, we were there on a Friday, just before what is likely a very busy time. We sat at the bar. The servers were there, obviously waiting for customers to start arriving, and they were all congregating at the end of the bar, chatting it up. It was super unprofessional and pretty annoying. We were glad when the food came out quickly so we could just eat and leave. To be honest, I don't recall what my husband ordered. I got the pork tenderloin. The tenderloin was very tough and had zero flavor. Like, I don't think they even put salt in the coating, let alone any other seasonings. This is Iowa, if you can't make anything else at all, you should at least have a decent pork tenderloin. This was our second time trying the place. Both instances were equally underwhelming. I wanted this to be our "go to" place but sadly we won't return.

The food was sub par with being a limited menu during the day. Also pay with cash or you will be…read morepaying more for using card. Burger tasted like it was frozen from box. Fries were amazing

We love eating here. There is a wide variety of food in the buffet and it's kept quite fresh. All…read moreof the staff is wonderful and they provide excellent service. The overall aesthetic is really relaxing as well. Definitely a new favorite for an Asian buffet! They even brought a slice of pie (on the house) for my daughter's birthday and did a fun happy birthday song.

Great buffet, the whole family of 7 loved it. Very fresh, great variety, and a big ice cream bar…read moretopped it off really nicely. We tried everything from the fresh Mongolian, to the sushi, to the Chinese food, to the desserts. Seven satisfied customers, aged 6 through 80.