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.

I was single in Aplington for a while. There just aren't many people here to choose from. I took a…read moreleap of faith and decided to go on a date with a guy from church. He had just moved to IA to take a job at the post office for $25/hr. That's more than most people make here! I wasn't sure about him but he took me to Stinky's bar and grill and I had a great time. Now we go once a year with our 7 kids on our anniversary. What a life!

We called in for dinner while passing through town. The food here is to die for. The calamari was…read moremelt in your mouth fresh (so good we had to order a second round), salmon with mango salsa, jambalaya pasta and rib eye steak were all flavourful and delicious. Great service too. Can't wait to go back!

We stopped here on the way home during a road trip for lunch. Online It looked like a casual…read moresports bar, but it's actually a pretty upscale place with a fancy bar. They had a lot of fun entree options, but It was lunch, so we just decided to split a few appetizers. We got the beef nachos and breaded mushrooms. The breaded mushrooms were actually really good, good quality of mushrooms (portobello), big, and homemade breading. The nachos were plentiful, but just okay. The chips were definitely not homemade and the beef was just a bit dry, I've definitely had better, but it was loaded with a nice amount of toppings and the salsa was good. Both were tons of food for us to split and be full to continue our journey home. Our server was attentive and even offered to accommodate my friends' light diet request despite us not going that route.

The salad bar is very well stocked with fresh lettuce, salads, fruit, pudding, soup, and crackers…read more It is a great meal and delicious. The service is efficient and the branding iron decor is vintage but tidy. They just celebrated a huge milestone for being open and serving. We can see why!

For many years whenever I visited family in Mason City or Forest City this was the place for Prime…read moreRib. Great service and the prime rib is unbeatable. Large portion perfectly cooked and add a lobster tail to make it a surf and turf. Place hasn't changed in all these years and I love this fact. Keep up the good work!

Hidden Gem!!! Small towns always have the best bar and grills! I have visited this certain Bar &…read moreGrill several times and have been pleased every single time! Food is great! I have yet to try their Pork Chops(because I'm not a huge pork fan) but everyone who has had them, says they are AMAZING! Staff is so kind and friendly! They have daily specials that are always a wonderful. I would recommend this place to anyone that lives around the area....the little drive is well worth the trip!

Friendly staff. Didn't try the food (except for the microwave popcorn) but as far as I could tell…read morethe locals drinks were stiff and won't break the bank. We had tap beers. Interesting decor with old beer relics on the walls. Fun place to swing by for a drink.

Decided to stop in some place we hadn't been before. Husband got the chicken gizzard and…read morecheesesteak, and I got the pretzel bites and hot beef. My husband said his meal and appetizer were excellent! My food was very good too. Prices are very reasonable and the staff is very welcoming and friendly. It's definitely a place we would come eat again.

Great night staff. Good food. Just need to have kitchen open past 10pm. Or have chips or popcorn or…read morejust appetizers.

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

From the minute we walked in it felt like we were regulars. We sat in the dining area and it was…read morefull except for two tables. The smells from the kitchen were wonderful. We were greeted by a friendly and kind server. She was waiting on the entire room(7-8 tables). The menu was explained to us and we ordered fried pickles for an appetizer. For our main dish we both ordered the fried fish. Food was great, and service was wonderful. Homemade blue cheese dressing and tartar sauce were both excellent. Even a holiday pour for my wine! We would definitely stop here again!

Battered and fried green bell peppers? I had to order them with my sandwich simply because I've…read morenever had them anywhere. I'm glad I did. They were delicious. It's very similar to the flavor of a jalapeño popper (without the bacon, cream cheese, or the heat). They have a modest sized parking lot that is a one-way. We sat at the bar and both had sandwiches. I ordered a burger but subbed out the beef patty for a chicken breast. The chicken breast was seasoned and juicy, but it actually made the American cheese on my sandwich a little too slippery. Better than the alternative, though! I would eat here again, but I might try something different next time. The menu wasn't super large, but they had enough apps, sandwiches, and burgers to choose from.

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!

Had an absolute blast over the holidays doing karaoke here with friends. We didn't have any food…read morebut the drinks we had were good. It wasn't super busy but we had a good time

Last place in the world I would have thought I would have liked. Yes, college kids a sure bet. But…read moreme, at 50 something? I felt like a kid the whole time. Played a one on one Pac-Man game, the legendary Skee ball, won a silly stuffed toy and finished by very very badly singing karaoke. The whole time we felt welcomed and laughed like crazy. If you need a fun night out to remind yourself you are still young check out Time Out. If you're the younger generation enjoy and forgive us old folks stopping by every once in awhile.