Taco Tuesday is ok, not good. Service sub par at best, STOP assuming everyone that walks in the door is a lifer and knows that just because the locals know it's Taco Tuesday that it means no point in the menu, except it doesn't. I had no idea if there was meat choices (there isn't) or toppings or sides (there are sides like fries) I'm glad I asked for the menu, as I almost thought about the nachos. Which I would have not known about if I hadn't seen a menu. We did not appreciate the rudeness when she asked if we were ready to order and I replied how would we know we haven't seen a menu. Just for her to roll her eyes and come back and toss them on the table. That attitude made me not want to spend my money there and my tip absolutely reflected her poor behavior. She could have earned 20 from me alone out of our group, instead of what was left over from the change. I work in the service industry and I appreciate both good food and service and it also would have been nice if our checks were correct but I have learned to pick and chose my battles but that also helped contribute to her not super tip. To the taco loved the shell it's like fry bread and one taco is the entire basket you have been warned. Sadly it wasn't really warm my fries were not even close to warm and definitely floppy. Really the stinker of the show was the server, so don't expect much. read more

Visited and really enjoyed the food. Service was good. A definite classic establishment.

The Clipper's cook knocked a patty melt and cheeseburger "Outta the Park"! Give that lady a raise! Lauren serving the entire place is a Superhero! Beer is Always ice cold here! read more

Always one of my favorite places to go to in Ankeny. Friendly people and a great atmosphere. Great time for a night out for sure.

Filthy bathroom, below average bar food, and a pass from now on. Memories of the past don't compensate for the bad service and so so food. Maybe the bartenders can learn what that hand washing station is for. read more

I ordered chicken wings and a side order of fries. I asked for blue cheese and was given tartar sauce...? I was severely disappointed by the quality and quantities. I mentioned it to the waitress and she said she would ask the kitchen....she never actually returned until she took our plates away. Usually the yankee clipper is more on point. Today was not a good day. I hate to post bad reviews but I also think if a business wants to stay competitive in Ankeny they better take notice. read more

See all

Pretty much only come for Taco Tuesdays when i'm visiting but it never disappoints. Great to see that they are expanding on Taco Tuesday a bit with the ham & cheese option. I'd love to try that sometime but can't take any chances when i know that delicious taco is waiting for me. Prices are fair and staff generally does well dealing with the Tuesday traffic. Onion Straws were really good as well. Someday i'll try other items on the menu. Lol read more

Even suburbs need dive bars -- and I was so happy to find this one in Ankeny! When we first moved to Ankeny I was so sad because it didn't seem that there were many dive bars in town -- but then I found The Clipper! Great prices for beer - always has the games on - and a friendly crowd. I'm quite confident that this is where you will find the genuinely cool people of Ankeny. No one in this bar has their nose held too high and everyone is here to have fun. The bartenders are great -- easy going and laid back and will get your beer with no fuss. Everyone needs a bar that is their last stop for the night close to home - a place you can just pop in your favorite sweatshirt and leggings and watch the game. This is that place! Love Yankee Clipper! read more

Love this dive....especially on Taco Tuesdays with frybread tacos. Highly recommend!

Great bar food. Don't have a bad thing to say about the food at all. Have been there several times for lunch. On this particular day, I went there to grab a bite and to watch a game. No one came to my table to take my order. I had to go to the bar. And I had to go to the bar to get my check too. One thing that really bothered me, and this was not the establishments fault at all, but instead these rude patrons who stood right in front of the tv by my booth. They were standing instead of sitting and kept blocking my view. Had they been sitting it would of been fine. They knew I was trying to watch the game too but they did not seem to care. I really dislike rude entitled people. read more

A few of us stopped in here for lunch the other day to see what they had to offer at this bar and grill establishment. We had once attempted to come here for their Taco Tuesday night, but it was so PACKED there was almost no way to get in, so we just left and went somewhere else that night. For lunch, this place was not busy at all, there were still plenty customers, but plenty of seats for our group to choose from. You enter and seat yourself anywhere you'd like and check out the menu. The atmosphere gives off a local bar feel, which it is, so I suppose the atmosphere is appropriate. We lunch we had the Fried Shrimp Basket with onion tanglers, Fish Fillet Basket with cottage fries, and their special which was Beef pieces over mash potatoes and gravy over Texas Toast. (I don't believe they had a name for the dish, so I just described it) The baskets of fried stuff tasted okay, just you're standard fried shrimp and fish. I was not a fan of the sides, the onion tanglers and cottage fries (flat fries) were not my favorite. The special however was on a whole 'nother level, we about ditched our dishes and just ate the special. The flavors and texture of the special was great! I feel like it would have been a better choice to go with a burger/sandwich dish in this establishment. Now I know to either do that or try their special! I hope I can return on their Taco Tuesday and get a table this time! read more

See all

First time there. Ordered a double cheeseburger and was amazed on how big it was. Prices are good, drinks are cheap, and staff was great. Going back for sure. read more

Tacos are huge! I ordered two and it was a little much. But in a good way. Shells remind me of tasty tacos but larger. Hole in the wall bar but that was just fine with me. Been heading there since the late 80s. read more

Yankee Clipper - American Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

Fantastic service everytime and good vibes!! My favorite little small town neighborhood bar. Moved back to town recently and not a thing has changed about The ol Clipper. Perfect service, good drinks, good hustle from the staff, and no bad vibes. read more

I had heard about 'Taco Tuesday' once I started working in Ankeny so I knew I wanted to try it out sometime. This is a no frills place that offers two things to eat for lunch on Tuesdays. An 'American Taco' and the 'Mexican Taco.' The American has ham and cheese while the Mexican has the seasoned ground beef, cheese, etc. Either way, they have been deep fried and are huge. I was so full after just one. Really, I probably did not need a full one. They were definitely tasty and I would not mind going back. read more

Yankee Clipper - Taco Tuesday - American Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

A personal favorite, must go to at some point during your night out. Friendly "Cheers" atmosphere, lots of regulars that welcome everyone. Great patio for sitting outside with friends, two sections inside allows both roomy booth seating and high top tables. Darts can be enjoyed in the lower section, plenty of TVs around if that's your thing, music, and a few table games, a variety of thing going on to entertain you. Drinks are reasonably priced, and you get that bang for your buck! Great food, all type of things available with a late night limited menu, especially "Taco Tuesday" (homemade fry bread tacos) followed by trivia with prizes! Kids are fine up to a certain point (I'd say not past 8). A long time favorite for all the locals, and most nights you will find one, if not both owners present and enjoying their guests! read more

This place is classic! Great place to meet up with friends and talk about the old days. 10 times better than the LA Clippers

Awesome bar in Ankeny. You have to make it for taco Tuesday if you can. The staff and patrons are friendly. The drinks are good and fairly priced. I wish I could make it over there more often than I do. read more

The other reviews pretty much say it all. This is a great little bar in the older part of Ankeny, and the tacos on Tuesday are the highlight. If you decide to give the taco a try (which you should), get there for an early lunch because they sometimes run out on the busier days. The seating isn't all that plentiful on Tuesdays, but tables and bar seats open up frequently enough that you're not stuck standing around for too long. I think they have some outdoor seating available now? Tacos are, I think, $5. This may sound like a lot for one taco, but keep in mind one taco usually makes for a whole meal. And it's delicious. Best way to have the taco: get it with sour cream and use plenty of the taco sauce instead of the salsa. An important note: There are always the Tasty Tacos snobs who refuse to admit the deliciousness of the Clipper tacos, but being a connoisseur of both, I can tell you that it's unfair to try to compare them since they're both quite a bit different from each other. Both have the always-good fried, puffy shell, but that's about the only thing you'll taste in common. Give them both a try and I think you'll agree that both establishments deserve their places as having the best taco (of their kind) in central Iowa. read more

This is one of my favorites in town. Nothing fancy but who needs fancy when the people are so friendly? Everyone in the area must try taco Tuesday at LEAST once. They have better tacos than tasty tacos. Wonderful patio to sit on as well as plenty of room inside. Food always comes out quick and the wait staff is great. It's one of those "everybody knows everybody" places and they make the new faces feel right at home. 5 stars! You guys rock. read more

Met some college friends for a quick drink. I loved that the basketball game was on and the place was not packed. Service was good and quick and the bartenders were friendly. Drinks were cheap. I don't know if it was the place we were standing by the bar or if there was a draft coming from somewhere but there were multiple smells that were unpleasant that would wave through every so often. read more

This is a fun little spot. Drinks are priced right and the crowd is friendly. I'll stop here again.

The Yankee Clipper is a solid neighbhorhood tavern located in the heart of the "Old Town" area of Ankeny, Iowa. This is a good distance away from the big box stores and chain restaurants that most people associate with Ankeny. It's a comfortable place to stop in and watch a ball game. They've got a nice selection of domestic beers, including the independent Boulevard out of Kansas City. What really makes the Yankee Clipper exceptional and their regional claim to fame is is the Tuesday night special featuring the "Yankee Clipper Taco." It is a very large piece of what was referred back in Colorado as Indian Fry Bread stuffed with taco meat and toppings. It's one of the best tacos in central Iowa and is served at a low-low price. One of the best aspects of the Yankee Clipper is it's proximity to the Ankeny terminus of the Ankeny 2 Woodward trail. My last visit was after a ride down from Story County and I was pleasantly surprised that the Yankee Clipper was less than a block from the end of this amazing regional multi-purpose trail. If you're biking to or from Ankeny, stop in to the Yankee Clipper. It's close, affordable and friendly. read more

The Clipper has some really good tacos on Taco Tuesday's. They're simple, but the deep fried shell makes them above the rest, get sour cream on it too. We also get the round cottage fries, good too. The place is usually quite busy with everyday locals. All the food and drinks here are decently priced, so it's a great deal in Ankeny. It may get a bit loud and rowdy at times but it's a pretty laid back bar. Sometime I will come here on another day of the week besides Tuesday and try some of the other foods. But yet again I do love those tacos! read more

See all

Not fancy but food was really good. I had the grinder, spicy sausage, melty cheese on a toasted bun. Tasty. My wife had the Italian beef sandwich and it was good as well, beef was delicious and super tender. Highly recommend for an old school, no yuppie, bar and grill spot. read more

I like to pop in here once and a while after work. Nice help, usually a good conversation to be had, and a couple of TV's for the big game or jeopardy! Good prices and some pretty good food items too, though I need to explore the menu more again. I like this area of Ankeny as well. Cool shops around. Two local beers on tap which is cool to support since Firetrucker is down the street and they sell their beer plus Exile from Des Moines. Not too big but outside seating for the summer. Not far from a bike trail too! read more

Coworker looped me in on the amazingness that is "Taco Tuesday". Holy cow- the shell is made from scratch and absolutely delicious. Now hands down my favorite taco place. Have to call early though as the secret is out & the place gets very busy. Overall the place is a dive-like but the service, people, and drinks are great.. so just go & enjoy yourself. read more

Second time I've been here and missed the tacos by a matter of an hour or two!!!!! My fault I guess and I'll just have to keep trying. The service is great and the beer is cold. Settled on cheese curds and onion rings to soak up the alcohol and wasn't disappointed. Played some darts and made some new friends that were out on their bikes. Great little local place that definitely has something good going for them for how long they've been open! read more

Went in on a Sunday for a cold one expecting the usual and was very disappointed. Service was non existent, only saw one working and she never even looked in our direction. Maybe 15-20 people there and most were very loud. Waited maybe 10 minutes or more for someone to ask what we wanted-nothing. So we left. read more

Best tacos in Central Iowa. Generous portions, reasonable prices and a friendly atmosphere are hallmarks of thus local pub. Try their Bloody Mary. It's from scratch and can be customized to your preferred level of spiciness. Expect a wait on Taco Tuesdays. Come early, as they are known to run out on occasion. read more

Local bar to hang out, low key. They take great care of both their regulars and their newbies! Say hi to B, and he'll make sure to pour you a perfect drink. :) read more

Very laid back atmosphere!! Feels like a small town bar. The staff is very friendly! Perfect place to sit down and have a few beer. Noise level is very low. read more

Best tacos in Iowa for sure probably regional winner too. All other food is amazing and delicious just need some kind of desserts (alcoholic or non-alcoholic). The staff are very well educated professionals that specializes in customer experience and satisfaction of any needs you'd have in Yankee Clipper... read more

Don't expect fancy, but I've tried at least 8 menu items and each one is outstanding! Fast service and they remember our drink orders. My in-laws LOVE the tall gin & tonics -- $3!! read more

In my humble opinion, the tacos on tuesdays are NOT the highlight. While they are quite tasty, the clipper doesn't mess around with their mixed drinks. Good prices, burnt drinks, and great staff. read more

This is a great place for a drink or meal. The food is great small town bar food. After work crowd is older, younger crowd at night. Drinks are poured to order, not weak. Try the margarita and Bloody Mary. For food try the patty melt, clipper sub, or grinder. Side salads are a meal in itself! read more

Yankee Clipper - Clipper - American Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

I would only come here on Tuesday for the tacos. The other nights they don't serve the whole menu. The atmosphere is relaxing. A small town bar feel & has a nice patio. read more

I tried to order 2 tacos today at 10:45 to pick up at 11:30 & they stated they couldn't do. WTF? I called Tasty tacos & ordered 4 tacos instead & they were ready in 15 minutes. How can you run a business while turning customers away? Tasty Tacos is cheaper & tastier anyway. read more

Never go on a wednesday night or if there is a blonda bartender working poor service bad drinks bad attiude. Stay clear

Clipper is great food..."cheers" type atmosphere...amazing sized drinks cheaper than anywhere else. All that is great but the best thing about the clipper is the owner and the bartenders. Great times at the clipper!!! read more