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    Whistle Stop Cafe

    4.3 (51 reviews)
    InexpensiveBreakfast & Brunch
    Closed Closed

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    WHISTLE STOP CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Whistle Stop Cafe

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    Outside
    Eric B.

    The Whistle Stop Cafe is located not far from the Union Pacific mainline, and certainly fits with Boone's cred as a railroad-infused town. It's also where Mamie Eisenhower was born. The restaurant is a modest establishment, with tight and welcoming seating, and a bathroom that requires a trip through the kitchen and prep areas. My Dad and I came here from breakfast last Monday. Service was down home friendly, and half the fun was observing the various locals and their small town interactions (which is how I grew up here in Iowa). Dad chose corn beef hash and eggs, while I opted for a more common over easy, toast, and potatoes combination. My choice was delicious, while Dad was not as impressed, especially concerning the coffee. And we had a nice time together and very much enjoyed the experience.

    Kids meal #6 I think  Hot dog and smiley fries
    Aja L.

    This is a tiny little diner that serves a fair amount of food for a fair price, but by no means is serving high-quality. The Whistle Stop Cafe is a Boone tradition serving standard Midwestern American favorites. I believe they get most of their ingredients from Walmart using the generic brand and they don't add much flavor or seasoning other than a pat of butter to some of the sweet items. If you like your food plain and standard, as most Iowans do, then you'll love it here.

    #7 2 sausage, 2 eggs, 2 pancakes

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    2 months ago

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    20 days ago

    Amazing food, service was great, good pricing for the portion and nostalgic atmosphere 100/10 recommend.

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    1 month ago

    Wonderful place to go eat! The service was great and the food was very fresh and filling. I hope to go back soon!

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    23 days ago

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Everything was perfect in every way. Hoping to visit again soon. I took home a piece of cherry pie. Best I ever had

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    2 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Fantastic place! Food and service was great! I doubt I will ever be in Boone, Iowa again but if I am, I will definitely try it again.

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    2 years ago

    Very nice local diner in Boone. Good selection of breakfast options (what we ordered). Reasonably priced.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Whistle Stop Cafe

    Review Highlights - Whistle Stop Cafe

    My wife ordered the cinnamon roll french toast on the first visit but was disappointed that they had run out of cinnamon rolls.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    The Filling Station

    The Filling Station

    4.7(65 reviews)
    13.2 mi

    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.

    Was nearby for an early meeting and had a gap before my next one. Decided to grab breakfast and…read morerolled the dice and just went here for a quick bite. Wow, it is a lot more than a quick breakfast at a gas station! The kitchen was complete and had a full menu offered up. It was also a commercial bakery... multiple bakers working on cinnamon rolls that looked divine! I had a breakfast quesadilla. It had real flavor in it with candied jalapeños. It was a lot but judging from all the plates I saw come out of the kitchen everything there was solid in serving size. The chai latte was good too. And the folks were nice. They definitely have loyal fans locally, folks were ordering for tailgates!

    Photos
    The Filling Station - The cafe area

    The cafe area

    The Filling Station - Breakfast quesadilla

    Breakfast quesadilla

    The Filling Station - View from our Lunch Table.

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    View from our Lunch Table.

    The Cafe - Pina colada cheesecake

    The Cafe

    4.4(576 reviews)
    12.2 mi
    $$

    My wife and I went out for dinner last night and had THE Cafe's special entre. It was a fish dish…read morefeaturing many varieties including red snapper, and shrimp. It was an Italian soup style with incredible flavor. I hope they offer it many times again, as we loved it!

    Disappointed... I came here for restaurant week to try their Thai Menu. It looked good online and…read morethought I'd give them a try. The Cafe has been on my list for a while now. Disappointed to say the least, I came in the back door not realized there was a correct door and was rudely cut off by other patrons at the front desk. I had to wait several minutes to be waited on and the place had plenty of spots. Maybe because I was a party of 1... they didn't seem to care. After I shared what drink I wanted, I learned they were out... fine no problem. I asked about the Thai specials, the waitress was clueless. I had to ask for the restaurant week menu and ask about the specials. She said they looked good but couldn't describe them and hasn't tasted them. I got the salad on special, but get this... they were out of the main restaurant week special... such a let down. The ambiance was mixed, one corner was a cute date night the other corner was crying children. All dimly lit and outdated decor. The whole experience was off, I ended up leaving after my one drink and salad. I hope to give this place a second chance sometime but hope they aren't out of dishes and I can get a trained server. Maybe another night for sure!

    Photos
    The Cafe - Menu and lamp inside

    Menu and lamp inside

    The Cafe - Cobb salad

    Cobb salad

    The Cafe - Vegan Grain Bowl Salmon add

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    Vegan Grain Bowl Salmon add

    Mullets

    Mullets

    2.6(59 reviews)
    11.0 mi

    Mullets opened up awhile back at the site of the old West Towne Pub. Reviews have invited…read morecomparison with the Des Moines Mullets and perhaps some rough early service and concerns. If my Dad were writing reviews, he might have agreed with those comments as I had to talk him into coming here for breakfast this morning, after he'd already been here couple times previously. I thought our breakfast was a decent 4 star experience in that it was better than OK, but with no real "Oh Wow" moments. Observations: - I didn't see much difference in the interior layout of Mullets compared to the old West Towne Pub. Maybe the walls had different things, but everything else seemed to be in a familiar place, including the multiple screens for sports. - The menu is certainly more expansive than the old place and at least for breakfast a little hard to navigate around all the specialty offerings. Hashbrowns seem to be one of their things, and finding a straight order of bacon and eggs required a little digging. - Service was just fine: friendly and prompt in both order taking, food delivery, and the check. - Prices seemed Ames reasonable. But it is an Iowa thing to complain about prices. - My breakfast sliders (on with bacon the other sausage) were very good and just the right amount of food, considering how many times Dad, David, and I have been out to eat over the last couple days. - My 96 year-old Dad still has quite an appetite as he went "whole hog" with eggs, ham, and a full stack of pancakes. He must have liked it as he almost cleaned his plate. - David only ordered hash browns and orange juice, of which he enjoyed. When we finished, I asked Dad if he'd come back, with the answer being yes. I guess things had improved here in his eyes. The place as also busy enough including some folks that he hadn't seen for awhile. I look forward to this Mullet's being around when I'm back in Ames around late March.

    Went on a non-game-day Saturday in mid-October around 9am. Not very crowded, staff were friendly…read moreand available, very pleasant and low-key atmosphere. The menu was a game-day limited menu but the breakfast food choices available were more than enough. Would highly recommend The Morning Mullet and their standard Breakfast Tacos. Portions were exactly perfect, not too little and no need to take-away. The gravy they use on their biscuits and gravy is the authentic sawmill type, which I haven't had much outside of the South, and it was fantastic. The Loaded Bloody Mary is also recommended, though their standard coffee was also plentiful and good. Overall great choice and an asset among breakfast-out options in Ames, we will definitely go back soon for a similar repeat visit.

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    Mullets
    Mullets
    Mullets

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    The Dot Cafe

    The Dot Cafe

    4.6(10 reviews)
    11.1 mi

    If you love yourself, this is what you're going to do: you're going to go to The Dot on a…read moreWednesday, Thursday, or Friday. The menu changes depending on weekend/weekday status. You're going to order the broccoli reuben (not available on weekends). You're going to leave a changed person. The Dot is cozy! When my parents visited me up here, they requested multiple Dot trips. It's really that good. For some historical context for the curious, The Dot moved into the building formerly occupied by Daytime Diner. Daytime was one of my favorite places in Ames, but their pipes burst during the intense blizzard we had back in January of 2024. You can still see one of their stickers in the doorframe of the leopard bathroom. They reopened much later with weird hours and a flipped ordering system, and they were unable to stay afloat. I was devastated. But, The Dot has moved in to surpass what Daytime was able to achieve. Ames continues to have innovative and exciting food options!

    Cute brunch spot in Ames! Food was delicious and drinks were nice too! Decor is adorable here love…read morethe different salt and pepper shakers at each table. Service is very fast. However one complaint was that dine in was a bit awkward when I went, you order your food at the register, and if you see a spot open you just have to grab it. One more thing is you have to wait for a staff to clear it off before you can sit down. And theres a crowd of people awkwardly standing around by the register during their peak hours since it's not that big of a building. Feels like they should just encourage people to put away their dishes at a certain spot if customers can sit anywhere. Overall a really nice brunch spot and I will be back to try their other items. George says chomp chomp cho out of 3 chomps!

    Photos
    The Dot Cafe
    The Dot Cafe
    The Dot Cafe - Wonderful experience! Love the vibe!

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    Wonderful experience! Love the vibe!

    Whistle Stop Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated September 2026

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