L and I went to Aunt Maude's for her birthday, on a Wednesday. We did not know ahead of time that…read morethe third Wednesday of the month features the Patio Burger. I went in planning to order salmon, but when our server explained the Patio Burger special, we both chose that. The Patio Burger comprises two patties, totaling 8 oz with cheese, garlic aioli, lettuce and tomato on a brioche bun. I must say that this is one of the best burgers I have had in a long, long time. Toppings aside, the reason I say this is that the patties had a very flavorful grill crust and was well seasoned. This was seriously good. The chefs/cooks here know what they are doing, at least they did on this particular night. Burgers like this have become expensive in recent years but this one is comparatively reasonable at $15. Kudos to Aunt Maude's, always a great place to eat. As an aside, my brother and I had a burger and beer at The Boulder Tap House, three months earlier. That burger was a disappointment at the other end of the spectrum. Skip BTH and go to Aunt Maude's for a great burger.

We stopped in here along our road trip and we're pleasantly surprised. We split a house salad and…read morethe pasta dish to save room for their peanut butter pie. Wow! Everything from the service to the food and the ambience was wonderful. This is definitely one of our favorite restaurants in the area and we plan to come again on our next trip through.

Service was excellent as was the food. Food quality really stood out. Very fresh. Location is…read moregreat. The old restored building was very nicely appointed. The only negative reviews I saw were about the cost. I thought the prices were reasonable for this quality of food in this very rural location. Most entrees are around $15.

Our favorite place to eat in town. Staff is always friendly. Everything on the menu is good no…read morematter what you choose

Food and decor, service was all amazing! Gluten free options were nice as well! Enjoyed all of it…read moreand will be back. Just wish the burnt ends weren't like $15 for 5 bites!

Awesome place that really surprised. Clearly a farm to table concept with a varied but overwhelming…read moremenu. Came in on a weeknight with coworkers and received good service and fantastic food. Nice drink menu (I enjoyed their take on the old fashioned) with cocktails and a nice craft beer selection. Everyone loved their food, from the barley soup to the ravioli, burger, Brussels salad, and the salmon I got. Hidden gem perhaps was their incredible dessert selection. The cherry tart was a pleasant surprise and the salted caramel chocolate cake will def fix a choc craving. Would gladly come back.

Great place if you need a quick, grab and go breakfast. The biscuit sandwiches are amazing. The…read morehomemade biscuits are to die for! Sit down breakfast is available, too. You can't leave without trying the fresh, homemade scones.

The Filling Station is a gas station, an extra stocked convenience store, a breakfast/lunch food…read morecounter, and a tables inside and out to enjoy your refreshments and the view. Gayle and I stopped in today after reading about it within some "48 hours in Ames" article. I ordered a brisket grilled cheese sandwich, while Gayle chose a similar one with blackberry flavoring. We split a can of Guinness off the convenience store fridge, and then sat outside for our street and car wash view. We had nice shade on a not too hot day and took the opportunity to hang out bit after we finished our meal. This was a tasty and pleasant experience of good value overall.

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!!

Barbecue for breakfast is a beautiful idea. Smoke, fat, biscuits, gravy, the kind of meal that…read moregives you a reason to put on pants and leave the house on a Saturday. I'd spent spring, summer, and most of fall trying to catch Whatcha Smokin' at the Des Moines Farmers Market. When I showed up, they didn't. When they showed up, I couldn't. Months of missed connections, all building toward the final market of the season. Today, finally, there they were. I ordered the Briscuits and Gravy. Brisket meets biscuits and gravy. With Halloween around the corner, I was ready to applaud this particular experiment in reanimation. Some things deserve to be brought together in a laboratory. Then I took a bite. The biscuits were cold and hard, apparently awaiting identification at the county morgue. The brisket was dry enough to suggest whatever had killed it had happened some time ago. And the gravy was sweet, thick, pasty, and had the texture of something you'd use to hang wallpaper in a funeral home. I kept eating, looking for the bite that would explain the line, the anticipation, the months I'd spent wanting this. A little smoke. A tender piece of beef. Any sign of life. Nothing. There's a particular sadness in a bad meal you've looked forward to. You've already imagined how good it's going to be. Then you're standing there in the October air, holding a plate of evidence that you were wrong. Mary Shelley gave her monster a chance. Mine cost $14 and came with gravy. Scary.

A trail head treat. If you are going to hit the trail this…read morewas a treat to find. I started in Ankeny and pushed to the end. It was a treat to hear live music coming from the bar on a Sunday afternoon. I made my way over and a small lunch crowd had started. They have a nice patio where you can pull up a stool and sit at the bar. They had a full bar available outside. I asked for a menu and they had food that I could order and specials on the grill that day. I first ordered a root beer. The root beer was from a local Brewery so it cost a little bit more. I looked over the menu and looks like they had some really good choices. However with the bike ride I wasn't terribly hungry at the time so I did not end up ordering any food. As I sat there and there was a gentleman that was playing live music by the entrance way. He was rather good he had CDs and shirts out for sale and it was a very nice Ambience for the bar. I sat there for quite a while the TVs above the bar showed us the most current hurricane that was going on in Florida and any other news that was happening. I sat for quite a while the bartenders were very attentive asking me if I needed anything and were accommodating. They were happy to give me some ice for my water bottle and we're not put out when I decided I wasn't going to order any food. So I decided to go ahead ahead and pay my tab and head off. It was a very nice stop before jumping back on the trail. I think you should give the whistling donkey and try and maybe get the honor of trying their food. Hopefully next time I make it all the way up I'll be hungry and want to try some food. I will admit it was a perfect day to sit outside and enjoy the free entertainment and I would recommend this stop to anyone on the trail.

Nice stop on bike trail! Good music and food! Fish sandwich was very good! Glad I didn't follow…read morenegative reviews!

We celebrated our wedding anniversary here, and it was an excellent choice. The calamari came with…read morea sauce that was wonderful. Our entrees arrived quickly and we both enjoyed our choices. We had a top notch waiter that was very helpful.

We had a good experience! The restaurant was busy when we visited, but the staff handled everything…read morewith a positive attitude. Even with a full dining room, everyone was friendly and worked hard to make sure we were taken care of. However, we spent more time there than we originally planned waiting. The food was good. You could tell the kitchen and staff were doing their best to keep up with the crowd without sacrificing quality.

Such great homemade Mexican food! You can't go wrong with anything on the menu! And the salsa -try…read morethem both!

The guy who runs this place is magic! Delicious food and friendly service. He also does catering,…read moreso be sure to call first. Nothing bad on the menu.

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.

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.