I had to stay in Ames for an extended period due to a family member's medical issues, and knowing…read morethis epicenter of everything was walking distance from me for the ten days comforted me and proved incredibly helpful when situations consistently arose during my stay. From really good food options to snacks and drinks to toiletry needs, Kwik Star delivers, even on a holiday like Christmas. I'm grateful for their elite customer service and cleanliness.

I want to give a special shoutout to Amanda who works at Quick Star. She is always friendly and…read moresmiling every time I come in. On Monday at midnight, I had an issue at the station and Amanda went above and beyond to help me. This is not the first time I've seen her go out of her way to assist customers. She is truly an example of an outstanding employee. Thank you, Amanda!

Best deli meats I've ever experienced. Pickle loaf and roast turkey are my favorite. Very nice…read moreselection of other goods and produce. It is so refreshing to go into a business where you know the money you are paying is going to adults who care about what they are doing. And not disinterested kids who could care less.

Overall this market is awesome! They have an amazing meat counter/deli and have most things you'd…read moreneed! They are a tad over priced and in some cases I have found items that are over double the cost of big business. But it's privately owned so I understand to an extent. In the evening they have high school kids that work there which is amazing for small town kids. Sometimes the employees seem to be more involved with their phones than their job but they are kids. What do you expect? So after living in several small towns with markets i give it 4 out of 5!

I have never felt more embarrassed and disrespected at a business than I did at Fareway Ames. I…read morepresented my valid Hawaii state-issued ID and was told they "couldn't verify it." To avoid any issues, I then provided my U.S. passport,literally one of the most official forms of identification possible, and was AGAIN told they couldn't verify it. At that point, it stopped feeling like a misunderstanding and started feeling extremely targeted and discriminatory. Being told that BOTH forms of government-issued identification were somehow not acceptable was beyond unreasonable and honestly humiliating. The way this situation was handled lacked professionalism, respect, and basic human decency. I left feeling singled out and uncomfortable, and I genuinely believe the treatment I received could be perceived as racial profiling. Policies are one thing, but treating customers with dignity should be the bare minimum. I hope management seriously addresses this so nobody else has to experience what I did.

I'm a fan of their meat and locally produced products especially milk & apples. Recommended the…read morestore already to all my friends. Friendly employees, always offering to help with the cart. During COVID times, I prefer to bring my own bag. I just don't understand why they don't allow that. They say it prevents contamination but come on, at least 2 people touch my groceries while scanning and bagging them!?!

I've passed Cole's many times and just kind of shrugged it off. It looks like a state fair food…read morestand that sits along the road. We rolled by it on our way home from a little day trip North today and decided to give it a try. There is no inside dining room. Just a walk up window and a pseudo-patio with a few picnic tables. Parking is tight, but there are a few adjacent spaces that can catch overflow if needed. I didn't know a lot about Cole's. A few pieces of Star Wars memorabilia, loud colored signs, a veterans mural and large battle cross on the storefront caught my eye. Being a veteran myself I decided to dig in a little bit and try to figure out what was going on with this place. The first thing I found... We were first timers, but people LOVE this place. There was a line. We were rubbernecking and watching food come out the window while waiting to order. The locals were friendly. More than once we heard "We've never had anything bad here. It's ALL good." Second. Cole's basically burned to the ground last year. The owner with support of the community of Slater rebuilt it. The third thing... Even more humbling for me than the story surrounding the rebuild. And the one that gave me the answer I was looking for about the veteran related pieces... The owner of Cole's (David Sturdy) named his restaurant after his son Brandon Cole Sturdy. Brandon joined the Marines and was lost to hostile fire in the Afghanistan War at the age of 19 on May 4, 2004. From this former sailor... Semper Fortis Marine. The food. We ordered a Cole's Super Tenderloin. Hand pounded and perfectly cooked. Topped with brisket, onion rings, dill pickles, and BBQ sauce. The Super Tenderloin was comboed out with some of the best onion rings I've ever had. Large. Whole onion rings...not minced. And again perfectly fried. The mound of shredded cheese is covering a boat of chili and hand cut fries hot out of the fryer. That and one scoop of hard chocolate ice cream in a bowl came to $27.50... Service at the window went well. The portions are HUGE. We split everything and were both more than full. If a little bit of a wait pisses you off... If you're not okay eating at a picnic table, in your car, or at a nearby park... This might not be the place for you. If you like good fair style food and ice cream... Grinders, various types of hot dogs, burgers, tenderloins, chicken strips, etc. Cyclones, hard pack ice cream, soft serve, banana splits and more.... See their Facebook page for a full menu. If you enjoy something new. Enjoy a short day trip. Enjoy time outside with your family on a beautiful day. This is a great spot. About seven weeks ago the owner made a post on Facebook that almost sounded like the restaurant's days might be numbered. Under it was a comment that added more detail. Like it may only be open on weekends for now... I know it was open today. And I know it would be a damn shame to lose another small town Iowa treasure like this with everything going on right now...

Cole's American Tenderloin and Ice Cream Bar is one of those little places you drive by and think,…read more"bet the food is good there." Famous for its American Tenderloin, Cole's also offers old-fashioned shakes made with real ice cream, and huge tacos with a pound of meat. The tenderloin $12/tax) is the star, a hand-pounded piece of meat so juicy and tender it almost melts in your mouth. The French fries are fried in a special fat and covered with herbs. The flavor of Cole's fried food tastes outstanding and the portion sizes are easily enough for two people. This is traditional Americana roadside fried food at its finest. Inside dining is limited to just a few tables, most people probably pick up their ice cream treats outside "to go" in the summer. Not really much here for people with specific dietary needs. It's just not that kind of place but they often try new items for the menu. Today's new item was tater tots with beef, onions, sprinkled with cheese. Sometimes you're just really hungry for this kind of food.

Great place in town for emergency groceries. My boyfriend also gets a lot of our meat from here…read more The staff is always super friendly and approachable. They hire a lot of young people in town. I have heard rumors that they are not treated with the most respect, but I have no firsthand experience of whether that is true.

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.

When I am on business in the Hubbard-Radcliffe area I like to have my lunch at It's All Good. This…read moreis a unique concept. Restaurants in these small towns have a difficult time offering a full menu. It is hard to have a large offering with a relatively small customer base and have it be much more that food service food. The approach for IAG is to offer one daily homemade special with a selection of sides. The weekly menu is always in their window and at the bank and local convenience store. It's reminds me of growing up here and having "dinner" on the farm. We ate what Mom cooked that day. Even though they offer one thing each day, you can always get a hamburger and they also will make you just a larger tossed salad, which I get frequently when I don't want something heavy. This is a very nice little place with 4-5 tables and a counter. The family that runs the restaurant are all very nice and take good care of you. It is just a very pleasant place to relax for lunch. They also have very good ice cream and it is a popular place for that in the summer. You may find homemade pie in season. I enjoyed strawberry-rhubarb this past June. They have a selection of handmade candies. They also have an interesting selection of gift items from décor to food items. I count having been here over 30 times in the last two years. I will continue to come back for my lunches. I used to alternate with Zederbaum in Hubbard (now closed) and Los Altos in Story City. Now I am pretty much dedicated to coming here. Why not? It's all Good.

Great owners and a great addition to main street in town! Always great customer service.read more

Always had great meat and great service! We will definitely keep coming back! It is a hidden gem!read more

Didn't visit Golly ourselves but had their sausage in the gravy at Sweet Oaks Bakery and Bistro…read moreover in Collins. That was hands down, the best sausage gravy I have ever had. That sausage was so good. So shout out to Golly's and Sweet Oaks.