I noticed that this spot, which I've stopped at many times over the years, is lacking for attention…read moreon Yelp. Time to remedy that. Slim's is a pretty typical roadside fruit and vegetable market. More than a stand, less than a store. What you find, of course, depends on the time of year. This stop we enjoyed some Iowa grown tomatoes and Iowa baked Kringla. They also round out their offerings with some less than local produce, such as Georgia peaches. They also have a variety of, mostly local, jams and the like. It's not necessarily the cheapest place to shop, but quality is consistently good. It's located west of downtown Story City at the intersection with Highway 69. It's a two minute drive. If you're in town for the carousel, the Scandinavian thing... try Hwy 69 rather than I-35 for a change and enjoy some fruit and veggies.

This place is a hidden gem who deserves to shine! The quality of the fruits and veg is FAR superior…read moreto what I find at the grocery stores. The peaches are bigger than the palm of hand and the plums are probably winning records! The very kind lady working this afternoon helped a very clueless city girl select a watermelon, don't judge, I don't know how to pick 'em!

I purchased apples and one jam. I realized on the way home, I was charged for 2. I have called…read moretwice to get either a refund on my credit card or a check mailed to me. The first phone call, the guy said aren't you coming back? Then he said you can drive here and we will give you the cash. I said it will cost more to drive than the $8.00 dispute. He was going to try to figure out how to credit my card because he saw the transaction and if he couldn't he would call me back. Never received a credit or a phone call. I called again and he will send the check someday. What kind of business is this??? The apples were rotted even though I looked carefully at what I was picking. Stay away from this bad business.

Sun warmed fresh berries. Yes, Please!…read more We checked the website before hand. Blueberries, Cherries, gooseberries, currents and more were all ready for our choosing. You don't need a container cause they will supply you with a bucket. Keep in mind you are picking your own berries in bulk. We took the drive out from Ames and south of Nevada to check it out. They normally bring their berries to the Saturday morning Farmers Market but we were on an adventure. We stopped at the main little station and got the skinny on what to expect. The gentleman was blunt and straight up. We got a map, told where to go and what to do. This place is huge. Lots and lots of berries to be picked, but we were most excited about the blueberries. We had arrived in the perfect time as there were many to be had. It was a very warm early July day and the sun was high and berries ripped to be picked. My Mom and I parked and walked far out into the patch. We found some really decent sized berries and enjoyed the peace as we collected our bounty. I love that I know exactly where my food is coming from and I can even taste the product before committing to the plant. We made our way back to have our selection weighed and paid. There is also a little shop you can stop in and have a treat made from the berries on the property. I couldn't keep my hands out of my blueberries on the way home. I thought they tasted delicious. I would recommend this to anyone who is out for something a little different. The kids would really enjoy helping pick whatever you could desire. I thought it was interesting cause I will be honest and did not realize how a blueberry bush grew and learned something by visiting and taking on this new experience. Now I am just imaging all the different ways to eat my berries!

Van Hemert's Dutch Oven Bakery is a family-owned, full-line scratch bakery since 1983. This is a…read moregood check-off for visitors. We visited on a Friday afternoon around 2 pm and I was glad some of the baked goods were still available. I quickly picked up a few items: Dutch letters, almond horns, almond tarts, and blueberry filled Dutch windmills. The first three items have a strong but not overpowering almond flavor. I especially liked the almond horns which had a crunch but chewy and buttery texture. I also really liked the windmills and wished I had ordered the raspberry ones as well. It was buttery and flakey with just the right about of blueberry cream cheese filling.

What a great little place! As soon as you walk in, all of the staff that are available, turn their…read moreattention to you with a big smile and greet you warmly. It smells absolutely delicious in there and the endless variety that they offer is fantastic. Not only are there donuts and pastries, they have pies and do lunch as well. They also have coffee and tea, and the inside of this little bakery is so quaint and personable. This location is amazing and we highly recommend it.

This is one of my favorite places to buy gifts for my wife and is one of the strongest businesses…read moreon Ames' Main Street. Before there was a Wiliams Sonoma store in the state of Iowa Cooks Emporium has been selling high-quality cooking gear and offering classes in downtown Ames. While the location isn't huge you'll find the well-established brands (All-Clad, Le Creuset, Wusthof) that you trust right here. As someone who enjoys cooking, I can spend a lot of time browsing in here for kitchen gadgets. I do the majority of my business here around the holidays and they do a really nice job of wrapping gifts. They are very helpful in answering questions and guiding you toward the right purchase for your task or gift idea. As I write this review I can see many items that we've purchased from the Cooks Emporium. They are local, offer high-quality merchandise, and offer competitive prices on par with even online-retailers.

I love this store, but the employees are hit and miss…read more I am heavily tattooed (at least for Ames, Iowa) and sometimes there is a lady that is just rude and doesn't help me. I can tell it's because I'm young and tattooed by the look on the lady's face. Good thing she doesn't work on commission. If only she knew I graduated from culinary school four years ago and have been baking professionally since then, including wedding cakes. I'm not just some punk kid who can't afford your over-priced stuff. I usually buy my stuff on the internet - so much cheaper. But I love looking here and it's great for small buys (rubber scrapers) and "crap I need this right now and no one else in town is going to have it" impulse buys (mandoline). Great for seeing an item in person so you know what you want to order online.

Love the small town treasures! Support local!…read moreWe stopped on a week night . There are options in the window and some really unique flavors. Just a few blocks off the main road its the cutest little stop. Greeted friendly at the window. They took our orders and let us know that we would step around and get the ice cream at the other window. I got the Whiskey flavored ice cream and it was rather good. Hubby went for a small shake and it came out huge! You get your moneys worth. You don't go inside, you get to enjoy the tables out in the lot. Its open air dining. People walk up from all around. Everyone is cheerful and kind. Perfect little place on a hot summer day to enjoy a sweet treat. Enjoy the stop and have some ice cream.

A wonderful place to stop in for your ice cream fix! Conveniently located in downtown Madrid and…read morejust off the famous high trestle bike path. Voted one of the top ice cream parlors in the state of Iowa. You simply have to make time to stop. Open daily in the summer from one to 9 PM but check hours. Shop offers and abundance of outdoor seating and great service. Ice cream is just awesome! What more could you ask for in the heart of Iowa?

A quaint coffee shop over in West Ames. This place is my absolute favorite study spot. There are…read moreplenty of tables. My favorite spot is the high top tables that face the windows. They are a great spot to wire in and get work down and they have outlets. Their drinks have a large variety. They have smoothies for when you dont need the caffeine late at night. They also have a decent variety of pastries. The part that makes Milo unique is the community. I realize it sounds cheesy so let me explain myself. All the baristas are really friendly and nice. They welcome you and do all the standard stuff, however if they recognize you the visit is even better. I guess that what I'm trying to say is. Come to Milo to try it. Then come back again and again cause it only gets better.

Spacious & welcoming environment, clean bathrooms, welcoming staff. Drinks were almost as much as…read morethe food with my bill $13ish before tip for a smoothie that claims to be made from fresh fruit and is made from processed smoothie concentrate that is made with real fruit + a salty maple latte. The latte was too salty and too sweet and the espresso shots were weak while the milk wasn't frothed properly to be a real latte. I can't accept that just because I'm in a small town or a state like Iowa, quality needs to be compromised. There was not a design in my latte either and it definitely wasn't possible with the milk that was frothed.

Stam's not only delivers on quality chocolates but their espresso is an absolute treat every time I…read morego in! It is made perfect every time. You can customize your purchase entirely or browse for fun new flavors, service is always timely & friendly. I will continue to go to Stam's as long as it is around. Looking forward to see what they've got for Valentine's Day treats this weekend!

Amazing!! They have delicious chocolate and housemade Gelato. The dark chocolate Gelato uses their…read moreown chocolate and it is good! Service was kind. Got a Pitta iced tea. Yum!! They offer hot and iced tea from all their looseleaf choices. Cozy place. Bonus--You can also get coffee creams from Amsterdam!!

Good & Quick is exactly what it sounds like, a gas station with surprisingly fire chicken. I always…read morejoke to my friends you can get an oil change and eat some chicken while you wait and honestly better than most sit-down spots. It's a little weird walking into a gas station and coming out with a full fried chicken meal... but holy this chicken is GOOD. Crispy, hot, seasoned well, and cheap af like $10 got me this entire plate of 4 pieces, wedges, and a biscuit. Is it fancy? absolutely not. Is it weirdly iconic and better than it has any right to be? 100%

I'm easily amused at what I perceive as clever business names. This Good & Quick mini-mart is one,…read morewith the larger chain of similar "Kum and Go" stations is another. If they were across the street from each other, I wouldn't be sure which of them were the better Iowa "performer". It was last Sunday that I was driving my 93 year-old Dad down and around the Lincoln Highway. As we entered Ne-VAY-duh (Iowa), I was reminded that my current home is Genoa Ne-VAD-uh. It's actually easy to remember, once you're at either place. The Lincoln Highway sign at the Nevada (Iowa) city limits also tells the story. Anyway, this is a long winded review about filling up with gasoline at a convenient local gas station as father and son explore local downtowns, with a lot of farm land in-between, and usually either a gravel or paved road every mile across endless 640 acre sections. Also in Iowa and mainly due to corn ethanol subsides, premium grade is "cheaper". Our short self-serve trip was "Good & Quick". As other reviewers have noted, there's good mini-mart selections inside, in addition to the broasted chicken option.