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Welch Ave Station

3.6 (58 reviews)
InexpensiveBars
Closed • 4:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

Welch Ave Station Photos

WELCH AVE STATION ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Happy hour specials
Good for groups

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Long Island - $4 on Friday
Sumita B.

Stopped by this bar before a show at Stephens. Kind of brings back memories of being at a bar on a college campus. There are daily specials for drinks and Pizza Pit located on top of their establishments. Lots of TVs and pool tables. Ample seating. I came on a Friday and got $4 long island. I sure do miss the college bars drink prices! Friendly staff and good service.

A sour beer with some Pizza Pit pizza!
Abe C.

Fuuuunnn! Coming to Welch ave you are bound to have a good time! You can come to Welch with either a big group or a small group, I however came here with just one of my friends. It was a Thursday night so it was not too busy there. There is not too much seating for big groups, but there is plenty of space to stand around and talk for big group. I decided on getting the special drink of the season and it ended up being a very sour beer. I still appreciated that they did do discounted special seasonal drinks. I believe the best parts of Welch ave are the pool tables and that you can order pizza from pizza pit and they'll bring it down for you. The staff was friendly and did frequently check in with us if we needed anything. My friend and I overall had a great time playing pool and drinking beer! I definitely recommend this place if you're looking for a non rowdy casual bar in Ames.

people sitting at the bar
Kasi T.

Went to this place last night. Tuesday's is free pool days. We were able to play 4 games of pool before it started to get busy (we went around 7pm). Pool tables are a bit close to each other so be careful not to disrupt anyone's game. -1 Star because I didn't know Mai Tais come with whipped cream. The Mai Tai that we got tasted more like a Pina Colada. Very pineapple-y and blended topped with whipped cream. (I thought Mai Tais are on the rocks with no whip not stirred) Although I could be wrong because I'm not a local.

Dmitriy N.

When I went to college here this was my favorite bar. My friends and I always had a blast here and to this day when I visit Ames I stop by this joint. It's an amazing little bar. They have pool tables, slot machines, buck hunter, foosball, darts, and a ton of TVs. The atmosphere is like a dive, but a nice dive. They kind of have everything. They have plenty of seating and it's always busy. Wish they had one in Des Moines. I would recommend this place to anyone. They have plenty of college kids of course but enough older crowd to make me comfortable. Plus they are connected to Pizza Pit so you can order awesome food here too. A+.

a bar filled with liquor bottles

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15 years ago

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14 years ago

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14 years ago

Only place in campus downtown that can be OK for non-undergraduate students.

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13 years ago

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10 years ago

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9 years ago

Very quick service. Nice atmosphere. $5 minimum on cards though FYI. Plenty of tvs and games for entertainment.

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Page 2 of 2

Ask the Community - Welch Ave Station

Review Highlights - Welch Ave Station

“Add in Pizza Pit pizza and it is a great way to chill with friends in a relaxed sports bar-style setting.”

Mentioned in 14 reviews

Read more highlights

One Night Stand

One Night Stand

3.3(4 reviews)
0.1 mi
•$$$

I have drove by this place a hundred times when it's been different bars over the years!…read more Recently it turned into a Country Rock Bar, and since I love the Flying Burrito Brother I thought I should probably stop in there and see if it was Sin City, or the Dark End of the Street type vibes! Naturally this isn't a Flying Burrito Bar, it's more of a modern country (songs I don't know bar) but they have a big Johny Cash wall mural by the pool table! The bartender was nice, and filled me in on their other locations in Ames, IA and in St. Petersburg, FL. So this is the 3rd One Night Stand... :) I think if you dig Country tunes, and Cheap beer you will dig this place! They also do Karaoke on Wednesday night! It's a step above Dive bar and I bet Gram Parsons would have no problem drinking some whiskey here!

It's well known this is the worst bar in Ames. The last time I was here, the bartenders decided to…read morestart a little "ice fight" with their bouncer Adam by throwing ice at him. Most of their ice throws missed and hit us, paying customers. I threw some ice back and then the bartenders started whining and said they'd kick us out. Jokes on them; we just left and took our business elsewhere. Short answer here: go to Paddies next door. You will have a better experience, better booze, definitely better bartenders. the bartenders here seem frankly incompetent.

Photos
One Night Stand
One Night Stand - Known for the vast amount of shots! Start your shot tour today!

Known for the vast amount of shots! Start your shot tour today!

One Night Stand

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AJ'S ULTRA LOUNGE

AJ'S ULTRA LOUNGE

1.3(3 reviews)
0.1 mi

The owner (Ben I think) is a scammer. They advertise $21 for 21 mugs everywhere. Went for a…read morefriend's birthday and was going to buy their mugs for the night. Get to the counter and Ben tells me it's $25. It's a $4 difference I know, but don't try to make a quick buck on unsuspecting college kids. Also incredibly dirty and grungy. They let in a ton of minors. Bouncers are overly aggressive. I'm honestly surprised they don't have any assault charges yet, or maybe they do, which is completely understandable.

The bouncers are definitely bad... good if you are underage I guess (haha) . But I came in with a…read morereal ID card at 22 almost 23 years of age. I'm also married and have a wedding ring and husband with me. They said my ID was a fake without even scanning. My husband had to convince them to let me in. We walk in and we are like the oldest people there. But don't get me wrong, we are 22 and 23 (not that old) and the legal drinking age is 21 so idk how we could be that old compared to everyone else. The ambiance is fun and lively, but def too loud to hold a conversation. Good if you are drunk and cannot hold one. In my opinion it does kinda seem like they lowkey want to gatekeep the bar and not have married couples there or something. Could've been a genuine misunderstanding but the situation was not handled well on the bouncer's end for sure. We have a good story to tell but would not go back though!

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AJ'S ULTRA LOUNGE
AJ'S ULTRA LOUNGE
AJ'S ULTRA LOUNGE

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Mother's Pub - Specials

Mother's Pub

4.3(17 reviews)
0.4 mi
•$$

One solid year I've been going to Mother's and I could name off every experience I've had. Mostly…read morebecause they've been full of great times and great beverages. They are always having deals as well, which make my pockets a little happier knowing I'm not losing a lot of change. The environment can be either quiet, kind of busy or so packed you can't get in. Most nights I'd say are fairly easy to get in and find a table. Its also a great place to take some birthday shots! Definitely recommend the green tea shots. I had a whiskey sour during their whiskey Wednesday and it was awesome! They have many options so you can't go wrong of what you choose. They also have pizza and chips options if you'd like a quick bite! The whole place is worth a try!

6/13/26 9:15 p.m…read more What a great little spot! When we arrived, it was almost completely empty except for 2 other customers, which we didn't mind lol. We were greeted by the bartenders with a smile and a "Welcome in!". The staff were really nice and even when the bar picked up a little later, they were attentive, efficient, and polite. They definitely didn't "crack under pressure" lol. Inside, the bar and tables were very clean and organized. There is a pool table, but only one :/ I do wish they had a few more because when the bar got busy, everyone wanted a turn. The prices are amazing and the specials are so fun! It's also nice that they're open during the summer, since most bars in Ames seem to close for summer vacation.

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Mother's Pub - Outside

Outside

Mother's Pub - Inside

Inside

Mother's Pub

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Time Out - Old school video game toys

Time Out

4.9(16 reviews)
1.9 mi

Are we having fun yet? You should be!…read more Stopped here again to get my helping of karaoke singers and pop culture. Street or lot parking. As you walk in, the bar is right in from of you. If you look right the small stage is where you can have the spotlight and sing your heart out. Get in your song choice cause it is hoppin tonight. There is a decent selection of drinks on tap. You can grab your drink and hang or you can make your way around to the other rooms where video games are a plenty. Take your quarters. Grab your drink. Play your hearts desire. Some fantastic old pinball to some more current games. They even have a small kitchen if you get the munchies. If you need to get a shipping fix. There is even a small store that sells unique gifts. The bartenders were on point tonight, and no one was ignored. We all had fun and I really like the place.

6/13/26 11:00 p.m…read more What a fun concept!!! I love all of the retro games! There are a ton to choose from, but only one pool table. The games are separate from the bar and karaoke area, which is nice when you're there for the games lol. Overall, it was clean inside and outside, and even the bathrooms were really well maintained. They provide a quarter machine in the game area for convenience. We didn't try the food, but it smelled good and came out for others pretty quickly. Drink prices aren't too high either. Only one of three bartenders paid is any kind though, even when the other two weren't with other people. The one bartender that did help us was pleasant and had a smile every time. One of the other bartenders looked like he didn't want to be there, and the third never even looked up at us. Outback, they have a smoking area, and it was a decent size. Unfortunately, it has no cover, so when it rains, all of the chairs get wet, so you can't sit down. All in all, this is a fun place with plenty of room to bring friends and have a good time.

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Time Out - A few of the games

A few of the games

Time Out - Old school video game items

Old school video game items

Time Out - Delicious food!!!

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Delicious food!!!

Welch Ave Station - bars - Updated October 2026

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