The relish tray isn't what it used to be, and most of the steaks taste the same regardless how different they should taste.

We recently visited to celebrate my parent's 45th wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, our experience was quite poor and honestly rather upsetting. We were a small table of 4, seated upon arrival and it was immediately apparent that they were short-staffed. It took over 20 mins to meet our waitress and get menus (we actually didn't mind the wait, as we were happy to chat, celebrating our special occasion). We both ordered the Tenderloin for Two, normally ordering our steak "Medium Rare." Our waitress stated that because of the cut, we should order our steak more cooked. (Not sure why; shouldn't the chef of a steakhouse know how to cook steaks to our preference, regardless of cut?). She stated that if we wanted "Medium Rare", we should then order "Medium" to "Medium Well". After a few mins of confirmation, we agreed to go with her recommendation. Our steaks arrived and were carved table side. The steak was cooked extremely rare, or daresay "Blue." We asked them to be sent back (a steak no-no!) to cook a little longer. I think this is where our over-worked waitress then forgot our original preference was "Medium Rare." The steaks were returned a second time as "well-done." Since the meat had been already cut (I assume before it was given the full time to rest) and recooked, they were dry and tough. Obviously, not good. Other blunders of the evening: We requested bread upon meeting our waitress and receiving our water and was told it would be served with our appetizers. We had to remind our waitress 3x and finally received bread with our meals. The celery tray (carrots, celery, pickles & velveeta cheese) arrived and the celery had dirt on it. Literally DIRT. We ordered onion rings to come with our meal. Without regard to one person's gluten-allergy, the rings were pre-split amongst all the diners plates (not what we wanted); delivered with the 'blue' steaks but were missing when the re-cooked steaks were delivered. We had to remind our waitress that we were still missing the onion rings. The side dishes to our meals were delivered with the original steaks but were too cold by the time the steaks were redelivered (over 20mins later). Meager side of fries, HALF of a baked potato (not even a full baked potato with a $65 steak?). We had also called and asked if we could bring a special bottle of wine for our celebration (we offered happily to pay a corkage fee) and was told no, they don't allow outside bottles of wine. However, while eating we saw other people walking into the back party room with their own wine. I guess this answer is based on who you know here. Only so many things can go wrong at a meal, before you call it a night. My steak was so dry, I couldn't even eat it. I tried to speak to our waitress about how things weren't going so well for us and she was pretty dismissive, stating that she would talk to the manager. Let's just say the night quickly went further downhill from here. Definitely not the way anyone should be treated at a place of business, let alone on your 45th wedding anniversary. Our evening could have been saved, but it was more important for the manager to practically yell at us. She didn't even take the time to listen to what went wrong, assuming that the waitress had accurately shared. ... Very poor. read more

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The best filet tenderloin I have ever eaten in my life!! I wish they opened at 4:30 for us out of towers. The bar could be open for a nice pre-dinner drink. You will not be disappointed with their beef! Real Iowa beef. read more

Everything about this place is perfection......including the wood paneling. I hope they never change that, since its either the same or close to same as when I first started going here 35 years ago. The dinner salads are very fresh and tasty. When I go its usually with a group of 5-7, so when normally get the appetizer sampler. It's good and works for that size group. And, the Mexican cheese ball appetizer is usually added. Wow...these are special. The steaks are really amazing. I usually order mine with extra seasoning. The service is great as well. If you are in the area definitely plug this one into the GPS. This could be my all time #1 spot. read more

Night didn't start best as we checked in they said they just seated us. Well that wasn't true as we were standing waiting to be seated. After they realized they gave our table to someone else they said wait in bar and they would give us next opening. After sitting in bar for 20 minutes and not even having someone get us drinks we were finally seated. Explained what happened to waitress and she said she'd take care of us. She did a great job. I ordered prime ribeye. It had a great taste but steak knife was like a flimsy $1 knife. The meat was so tender you could cut with a fork but ribeyes do have fat that knife would cut. Overall good food but sure disappointed on how the service started so it gets 3 stars. read more

They're ok but I'm not sure about the best. Honestly, their steaks don't stand out above any others. I've definitely had better cuts, and quality elsewhere. Restaurant could use an update seems kind of outdated and small. read more

Very, Very disappointed. We were mislead into believing the hype about Archie's Waeside. We made multiple attempts to call ahead to book a table. The calls were not answered, and using their archaic phone answering system ultimately leads you to a booking online system? Really? When we finally got there, I walked in and I asked how long it would be for a table for two. I was informed a minimum of 30 minutes. When the hostess mentioned that, I sort of glanced at all the empty tables around the restaurant, to which I said 'okay then'. I think she could sense my displeasure as she then suggested they had a table open immediately in a high traffic area. Whatever. After being seated, we were giving paper disposable menus to look at and told that they were to double as placemats. The menu was very bland and unimaginative. We ordered the $31 ribeye and the shrimp and scallop plate. Before the main course we were served a plate of oddly cut chunks of cheese, squared off carrots, celery and pickles. With no dipping sauce of any kind. Also, they did not serve any sort of bread. The salads that came were absolutely the most boring house salads ever, there was no garnishment of any kind. Unfortunately, things only got worse with the main course. The ribeye steak, which they claimed on the menu to have good marbling was absolutely layered in fat. It was one of the worst looking cooked piece of meat I've ever seen. It literally was bloated and had a gray hue and there was an oily/watery discharge all around the plate. Not only was it a poor cut of meat, there was little to no flavor or taste to the steak. The shrimp and scallops plate was par to a fish sandwich at McDonald's. The batter was soggy with deep fat fryer grease and the taste I would compare to a fish that I could catch myself in any lake. The drive and effort to get there and have this meal was without a doubt not worth it. Overall recommendation, look for somewhere else to eat. Thanks Janet! read more

There's a reason Archie's is one of the top Steak Houses in the country! Never a bad meal!

Having grown up in NW Iowa and traveled the world, I appreciate traditional good steak houses. After reading the outstanding reviews of Archie's, I was thrilled during a recent visit to have an opportunity to have a meal with friends at Archie'. We arrived around 7:30 PM on a week night. They had a large group in the back dining room and the restaurant was busy. We waited about 45 minutes to be seated. From that time forward, I find little to report of any good. After being seated, we waited at least 15 minutes for someone to stop by and place eating utensils and ask if we wanted a drink. Another 15 minutes passed before a waitress arrived to take our order. So the total time from being seated to ordering was 30 minutes. The waitresses work hard in that they bus and wait tables. However, our waitress seemed to have more of an interest in customers at another table. Our orders consisted of onion rings for an appetizer and steak orders of porterhouse, Archie's special thick, tenderloin and ribeye. The relish plate was nothing special consisting of celery, carrots, pickles from a commercial food company, and what tasted to be cubes of velveta cheese! The buns were brown rolls from a commercial bakery...cheap tasting and a pure commodity. Our group of four either had baked potatoes or hash browns. My hash browns had barely met the flat top grill and were raw in the middle. The baked potatoes were cooked properly. The steaks were ordered as either medium or well done. The medium steaks were done to raw in the middle and the well done to pink. However, the most disappointing aspect of the meal was the meat. The dry aging process could be tasted in the steaks. But of all the varieties ordered only the sirloin was a "good" quality. Both the tenderloin and porterhouse had large pieces of grizzle and were extremely tough. My porter house had at least a 3/4 inch area of fat and at least an eighth of the steak was not edible due to the large amount of grizzle and tendons in the meat. I will be uploading photos on the meat and potatoes. The prices were reasonable. However, I am so disappointed in this steakhouse that there are no plans to ever return. Other members of our family from out of state were awaiting our reviews before stopping, My thoughts are that this is a old style steak house that has lost their "prime". They are living on a legend and catering those with memories of a time gone by. Archie's no longer deserves any recognition as a must stop in Iowa let alone being one of the best in the country. read more

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The best in old school steakhouse/supper clubs. Hunks of charred beef in a big room that hasn't been updated since the Eisenhower days - but who cares? The place to go after a round at the neighboring golf course. Oh yeah, they don't take reservations either, so factor that in to your visit. read more

GREAT STEAKS! That's all you come for. Good atmosphere but outdated which is fine because the dry aged steaks are the best in NW Iowa!

Iowa steak perfectly prepared. What's not to like? The parking lot capacity tells you all you need to know. Thank me later.

Amazing Steaks!! The atmosphere is kind of "Old School" but the food makes up for it. You may have to wait to get a seat but the food makes up for the wait. read more

Ranked in "Everyday with Rachael Ray" Magazine among the top four best steakhouses in America, you can't pass up Archie's Waeside. As far as I'm concerned, Gene and Georgetti's Steakhouse Chicago can say "Forgetaboutit", because at Archie's Waeside, Northwest Iowa eats better steak than the entire Chicago mafia. At less than $25 for a succulent T-Bone, and the best center-cut Tenderloin since God invented Iowa Corn Fed Beef, owner Bob Rand isn't breaking any kneecaps either. He and his staff are just making customers very, very happy. A "Must Eat" in Le Mars and Northwest Iowa. read more

I challenge you to find a better steak. This is one of the greatest kept secrets in Iowa. The "old school" ambiance of a support club sets the perfect mood for a first-class meal. You can't go wrong with any cut, by my go-to is the ribeye and it must be "peppered". The variety of wines on their menu pair great with your meal. Be sure to say hi to Molly in the bar, she's great! All the sides are great, but we always have the corn fritters. If you don't finish them at the table, thy make for a great breakfast reheated the next day. Be sure to get here, whether you're in the area or have to travel hours. read more

Archie's Waeside - Peppered ribeye - American Near Me - Le Mars, Iowa

NW Iowans probably don't use Yelp very often, but some of you out of towners might be driving through looking for a great place to eat. Archie's is a gustatory and cultural landmark in LeMars. Bottom line--the steaks are fantastic. Forget the big city steakhouses that charge premium prices. You get the same quality in this restaurant at a fraction of the cost. This is one place where the "too good to be true" really is true. Now, that said, don't go for the decor. It's kitschy wood paneling and model house miniatures are laughably out of date. The place is dark and has an old diner vibe. Many of the waitresses are older, which makes me assume that they've worked there for years--which speaks well of the restaurant. I love it that they push stainless steel catering carts to bring orders to the tables. No collapsible stands and trays to be seen. The sides and salads are good, but not exceptional. The one recommendation that I would make is the Russian salad. This homemade dressing is very tasty. If you're in the area, take a detour off of I-90 or I-29 and head over to LeMars for a great stake and a little Midwestern Americana. You won't be disappointed. read more

Rustic restaurant that is definitely not your chain restaurant. Very nice staff and atmosphere. The food was really good and they cater to special allergens. read more

Great steaks! Great shrimp! Great prices! Great service! Really enjoyed this throwback restaurant in small town IOWA.

What. A. Night. Not only was our meal DIVINE but our waitress went out of her way to welcome us. Not to be missed.

How anyone can give this place less than 5 stars is remarkable. It's the best $75 Filet on earth for $20 bucks I have eaten at the very best steak restaraunts all around the world and U.S....... Mortons Hong Kong/ Chicago/Orlando, Smith & Wollensky, Ruths Chris, III Forks, Cut, Peter Lugers, Charley's Orlando, Manny's, Gene & Georgetti..... and many more....loved them all. But the absolute best filet mignon on earth is at Archies Waeside in little old Lemars, Iowa. Order the filet (or the giant Benny Weicker - sp?) and have the owner pick a wine from one of the best wine selections you've never heard of...... The place is a diamond in the rough. Anybody rating it less than 5...(is there a 7 star rating?) or anyone quibbling is a moron. Go eat at Golden Corral if you want to quibble. If you want the finest filet on earth...... its at Archies. It's its the finest filet on earth...how the hell can it be less than 5 stars!! read more

This place is just plain wonderful. The décor certainly hasn't been updated since it opened and it feels like you're eating in your Grandma's rec room - I mean that in the most charming way possible. The service is excellent and the (James Beard Award winning) steak is delicious. The salad is nothing special so I would skip it to save more room for the main course. They have a nice bar and usually have a few good craft beers on tap. Get after it if you find yourself in Le Mars. If you go, you must order the steak and mushrooms! read more

Archie's Waeside - Sirloin steak and shrimp - American Near Me - Le Mars, Iowa

I was disappointed in my last visit. Seams like every time there is a little something less. First they took corned beef off the relish tray years ago. Now the latest menu takes away th Archie's special for two. Our meals came with a mediocre undersized baked potato. They no longer serve bread with the meal. The stakes were still excellent. But I don't think it's any longer worth the 40 mile round trip. read more

Finally got to try Archie's and left thinking that was it??? First, you have to put your name on list and wait. There are plenty of open booths in the bar area and multple spots at the bar......HOWEVER, you cannot eat at the bar. So we got a few drinks and onion rings. The onion rings came recommended.....they also came under seasoned and were very unremarkable. We waited probably 30-40 minutes and our table was surrouned by small lit up houses - very unorthadox for a steakhouse. I got a porterhouse and my gf got crab legs. It was an old school dinner - plain and simple. Salad was lettuce and dressing - nothing else. You got a plate of pickles, celery, carrots and commodity cheese. The steak was flavorfull beef but a good bit of gristle and lack of seasoning made it pedestrian at best. Crab legs were bountiful and fresh. The price is fair but the unconventional practice that admittedly makes the place quiet unique also presents an annoyance. The meat just wasn't good enough to make me a repeat customer. read more

I really love this T-born steak. I have no idea how many times I visited for eating steak. read more

Steak and salads was awesome!!I think their steaks are really the best in US!! Friendly stuff...But the restaurant looks like the one I saw in Uganda village...Old, smelly, very uncomfortable building with old furniture and dirty toilets ... read more

Had an excellent Angus beef ribeye! Quite a bit more $ than your average diner steak, but this was many times better than diner fare. The side comprised of fresh carrot sticks, celery sticks, cheese squares and pickle spears was a refreshing change to the usual travel diet. Nice, polite service. Very good overall for small town dining. read more

Archie's Wayside has a long standing reputation for good food and good service. We went there when I was a kid over 40 yrs ago, and we really enjoyed it. I have friends that rave about the food and service, and I had gone back a few years ago. It's a good restaurant. Restuarnt businesses by and large is a very competitive business, new ones are always opening up. Some last a long time, and have a loyal patronage. That would sum up Archie's Wayside. For me, it's just not a compelling restaurant to return to. The last time I was there was over 3 yrs ago. The food was good, & the service adequate. But I'm looking for restaurants that are unique in their cuisine, where the food and service is above ordinary. Archies is just ordinary. Archie's Wayside is a good every day restaurant, and has been in business for many well deserved years. Check it out for yourself. I'm sure it will be good enough, if ordinary is what you're looking for. read more

I can't believe this place only has 23 reviews... the line was literally two hours long. It was insane, I didn't think it could be worth the wait. It absolutely was. The most amazing steak I have had in so long. This place has been around since 1949... & nothing has changed since then. So refreshing. It's definitely a locals spot so I felt like I was spying on their little slice of heaven. Incredible. They probably don't even look at their yelp reviews it is so old school and authentic! Ps. They serve jello a la carte... and I wore jeans and a tee shirt to have the best food ever! read more

Not worth a special trip ... I d heard reviews about Archies on National TV as one of the top steak houses in the nation, so we all drove from Sioux City there while in the area ok a weekend last spring... Wait was 90 min.... Long but we had no other plans... A local said that Archies isn't nearly as good as it was even 5 years ago... And it isn't... Im not really fussy, but when the quality of food isn't fresh,it shows.. The lettuce salad was old enough to have wilt and rust on edges... The bread had sat out and was dried out, and my iced tea had an off taste room being in the refrigerator too long... I could have overlooked that, had the steak and potato been hot when they were served... The flavor was good, but would have been much BETTER had it not sat on the kitchen counter too long... And THAT is the waitresses fault... I know they'd been busy earlier, but they had slowed by the time we were seated... I know the staff probably works hard, but they cater to the regulars over new patrons.... We were served food with no table ware or. Butter for the potatoes... A regular gave us their extra butter... The wait staff never checked in on us at all until we finished, and then only to leave the ticket... Had she stopped back even once, and attempted to help us even a little, I tip a normal 20%...she would have made $30 tip had she ever put in an effort.. Not even the cashier asked if everything was ok... I grew up in a small town, ave have never been snubbed by anyone in a small town restaurant before... I left very disappointed... Save your time and money...to go the Uptown bar to eat... read more

Age steaks and a great bar this is your classic Iowa Steakhouse. Get the surf and turf. It's great.

Best. Steak. Ever. Also, get a Manhattan from the bar. You'll leave in a wheelbarrow.

Obscenely large steaks that are as thick as a Webster's and require twice as many superlatives to describe their deliciousness. The restaurant itself was kinda kitschy in a '70s wood-paneling style that thinks a bajillion lighted miniature ceramic houses, churches, and shops a la Christmas miniature villages is the height of sophistication. However, forget that and concentrate on the important stuff, people. Seriously, Iowa knows its beef. And seriously, a restaurant charging $20 for a solid ridiculous piece of meat is unheard of. And TRIPLY seriously, if this place can stay afloat (and, if the locals are to be believed, truly thrive and prosper) when it's only open five days a week for dinner and only four hours each day for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, then they have GOT to be doing something right. So, seriously, come here for some serious don't-mess-around meat. read more

I hadn't had an aged steak since I lived in Chicago and was really looking forward to this meal. I don't know if it's because it's Iowa, but that was not an aged steak. I had a ribeye, and while it was a perfect medium rare, it was tough and gristly. No aged steak should ever be tough. A huge disappointment. read more

I feel compelled to disclose that I am originally from LeMars so I have some bias, but I have eaten at my fair share of steakhouses around the country, and all the "best" in Atlanta, and there simply is no comparison. Forget about the price/value of these cuts. (I don't want to ruin it for my hometown peeps, but these steaks in any major city would go for $60 - $80, easily $100+ in NYC). Needless to say, you'll get your money's worth at $20-$25. Believe it or not, the sides are included. Nothing fancy about the sides, but that's not why you're there. The non-steak dishes are pretty decent as well. The fried shrimp is probably the best non-steak dish. They're not the little guys either. They're good-sized prawns, batter-fried, and quite flavorful. However, unless you are opposed to beef, don't miss this opportunity to have one of the best cuts of meat you'll ever have. I usually try to measure steakhouses by how they prepare the strip, and Archie's can do a strip with anyone. However, get the tenderloin (med-rare, of course). It is ridiculous. The picture on their website is accurate. I've seen them as big as softballs. The cuts are (unadvertised) dry-aged, which makes them very dense and flavorful. Very little seasoning is applied, and not needed. As some of the previous reviews commented, the decor is tacky and old, however, it is part of what makes Archie's special. If they remodeled or redecorated, it just wouldn't be Archie's. The staff and locals that frequent Archie's are also what make this place special. Won't find nicer people. I don't know what prompted only 4 stars from the reviews below, but this place is 5 stars, no doubt about it. read more

I'd like to offer some constructive criticism. Sure, the steak was good, but a good steak isn't that hard to find. I asked for a baked potato "Loaded" and it came with just butter. When I asked for cheese for said potato, they brought me an individually wrapped slice of processed cheese. No bacon, no chives. The bread can be found at any grocery store, including WalMart. Sometimes being stuck in the 70's is a bad thing. I will gladly give them another chance, but it is 2013, time to modernize. read more

As a visitor to town, I was told that I shouldn't leave without a steak at Archie's. Yeah, it isn't just hype! Look for the place without a sign, just a mob of cars in the lot. Who needs a sign when you're serving nationally renowned steaks? Just go, and enjoy! read more

You might find this with GPS, or you might not. Keep looking, because the aged steaks are worth the drive. Friendly, knowledgeable service, menu not too large to encompass good choices. read more

Awesome steaks in a totally 1970s retro environment. They dry age their steaks on site. Worth the drive!

These people are amazing! They made my parent's anniversary very special. They went above and beyond to help me. I felt appreciated, and treated like a guest visiting someone's home. Bravo! I will forever remember your awesomeness! read more

I love steak and given the reviews of Archie's, I knew I couldn't miss stopping in before I left Le Mars. I went in with pretty high expectations (maybe too high) and came away satisfied with the experience. Is it the best steak I've ever had - no, it's not. I'd definitely eat there again, but I'd have more reasonable expectations going in. I thought about giving Archie's 3 stars but what saved it was the price for the given quality. I've had more tender steaks and better seasoned steaks, but they were all at much higher priced steak joints. I also concede that I am not a steak purest that feels steak should have little to no seasoning or adornment. So I recognize that Archie's preparation is mid-west true and can't be faulted for that. read more