Dinners by Dawn

Super great place! No spray pick your own fruits, veggies and berries! Highly recommend!read more

From the owner: We specialize in pick - your - own berries, fruits, and vegetables as well as home made jams and…read moreorganic resale of grains, beans, and other food products.

Los Altos Mexican Restaurant

4.0(30 reviews)

1.0 mi

We enjoyed the taco salad, which was basically a gigantic taco shell, full with meat, cheese,…read moretomatoes, lettuce, and sour cream, and guacamole. This thing was big enough for three people to enjoy. I was only able to finish a quarter of it. The chips and salsa they bring out beforehand or made fresh and tasted delicious. My husband enjoyed the fajitas.

We were driving home to MN and stopped off the highway to eat here…read more Started with homemade chips and homemade salsa for free. They even put the salsa in a tiny carafe and don't skimp on tiny bowls of salsa. Even got a refill of chips. Entree: chose canitas and beef Barrio street tacos with no onions. Really yummy and filling. No prices on the menus. Ordered fried ice-cream but then this huge church crowd arrived. We skipped it and left to pay. Super good, authentic Mexican food. Review 88 in 2023.

Birria tacos

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Beef Barrio and carnitas Street Tacos with beans.

KaffeGeita

4.7(34 reviews)

1.0 mi

While visiting a loved one's nursing home, I visited this wonderful shop to help out a family…read moremember. I am so glad I did because it was an oasis of kindness and smiles. I'm not a coffee drinker, yet KaffeGeita had such a good vibe. I bought a roasted iced coffee for my partner and browsed this place. It's less than a mile west of the 35 and equipped with a drive-thru option. There are lots of pastries and sandwiches, WiFi for interior seating, and super cool T-shirts. There are many nursing homes and elderly people living in Story City, and if you need a place loaded with kindness to get away for a little bit, this is the place.

Yumbo Macadamia nut latte with honey, cute decor, and good service. I also got some whole bean…read morecoffee and she offered to grind it for me, which I appreciated.

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Dzo Korean BBQ

3.7(60 reviews)

41.6 mi

This place failed to deliver. In waiting for the only waitress to take care of everyone and the…read moresloooooow grill and small portions you could sense the strategy to delay and slow down the process to avoid people actually all you came at eating. I was annoyed just waiting for the grill and the second round took forever to come and in the entire meal I was just over it. This place fails to meet the all you can eat standards. The single waitress struggles to keep up and is kind and patient but patrons pay the ultimate price for this model. The meat menu is limited. The place does not have sugar for tea, and the experience itself was just frustrating because we were a table of 4 and hungry.

We walked in and greeted with smiles. We were helped instantly. We went during their soft opening…read moreand they did a good job and at making it seem like they've been open for forever. The ambiance was good with clean interior and good music being played. Very nice restaurant and can't wait to see them succeed!

Adorable, Mini Bar

Bulgogi

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Flip’N Jacks

4.4(126 reviews)

12.3 mi

Stopped in for breakfast and was very happy we did. The spinach and feta omelet was delicious,…read morepacked with spinach and topped with plenty of feta, and the fresh strawberries were a great side. And the chai latte? Creamy, perfectly foamy, and exactly what I needed to start the day. Everything was fresh, the portions were generous, and it was a great breakfast experience. Definitely a spot I'd come back to!

So this was a less than average breakfast experience. We had to be on a waitlist with about of a…read morethird of the tables being empty. I get that if you're short staffed, but having to then give out a phone number to be texted seemed like overkill. And they made the 80 year old after us do the same thing, I got the byo omelet. It was tough and over cooked. I like mine on the slightly browned country style more than a runny French style, but it was bordering burnt. My partner had even worse experience with the farmers omelet cause of the gravy tasting just bad with a glue like texture. The breakfast potatoes had a great seasoning, but were both wet and burnt. On the plus side, the coffee was fantastic. And our server was good.

Tripoli Omelet

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The Filling Station

4.7(65 reviews)

13.0 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!

The cafe area

Breakfast quesadilla

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View from our Lunch Table.

Sunrise Cafe

4.3(42 reviews)

43.4 mi

A greasy spoon with classic diner items and comfort food…read more Breakfast was good. Portions are huge at this diner. The service took longer than expected after we ordered. They certainly have their regular customers.

I wanted bacon, eggs, toast and hashbrowns, but it is not on the menu as such to order so I told…read morethe waitress that's what I wanted. It was not great and when I received the bill I was charged separately for the toast and hashbrowns so my total breakfast order came to $15!! The total bill for my friend and I was around $27.50 and we didn't even have coffee. Earlier in the week we had breakfast a Hy-Vee which included coffee for both of us and it was not only better but $5 cheaper with the coffee. I would never go back. Also, there is zero ambiance here.

Classic breakfast

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Pork Tenderloin Sandwich and Fries

Graziano Brothers

4.8(82 reviews)

42.2 mi

The Graziano Bros. Sausage Mobile food trailer pulled up to where I work at the Crescent building…read morein Urbandale. If you are familiar with the Des Moines metro the Graziano Bros name should be one you already know. Established in 1912 they are a fixture here when it comes to Italian sausage. The ordering process was smooth and the menu was displayed well. The wait wasn't long. I ordered the fried ravioli (beef filled) with marinara and an Italian Chop sandwich. The Italian Chop is almost exactly what it sounds like. It's served cold. Chopped mortadella, pepperoni, capicola, salami, provolone, tomato, onion, pepper rings, and lettuce. Tossed in a creamy Italian dressing. Served on a hoagie roll. The ravoli was served terrifyingly hot. Lol It's a bold tangy marinara. The sandwich is perfect for what it is. Service was excellent for a truck and typical of when there's a line. Busy. Not much time to small talk. I'll definitely be watching our food vendor schedule and trying out more items from the Graziano Bros. Sausage Mobile food trailer. https://www.facebook.com/p/Graziano-Bros-Sausage-Mobile-61572883362883/

3.9 A great old traditional Italian deli/ grocery. Not…read moreChicago, not Detroit level but we love most of it. Great Job!

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Alluvial Brewing

4.5(48 reviews)

8.3 mi

Good root beer, good musical entertainment. Bring back Lojo Russo often! Very nice location &…read moreoutdoor seating. I don't drink alcohol but those with me who did enjoyed their drinks.

Loved this place! Great beers, fun vibe, great music. Service was on point and the bar was…read moreattentive and quick. Definitely recommend!

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Brewing tanks in back room

Cornbred

4.4(329 reviews)

11.3 mi

Best BBQ I've had in Iowa, it was busy in a Monday night but we got a table of 4 no reservation in…read more30 mins max. Service was great and the vibe of the place is awesome. Really nice and welcoming place. I got the Briskey Dip with the fries and aioli dip, so good.

Just some suggestions for future guests. Please ask first if guests want to be seated on patio. We…read morewere taken outside on patio, granted the plastic sheets were down, but it was a cool, rainy day. We were told the heaters would be turned on. They weren't. We asked to be moved inside and a they moved us to the loudest part, next to bathrooms and opening to patio, so still cool. Waitress had no time for us, maybe because we were asked to be moved. Idk. Food was good. If the name of your restaurant is "cornbred" you would think your meat dish would come with a piece of cornbread. Instead you have to order it as an appetizer which are muffins. How about one little muffin person placed on the table. I would also maybe include a side with your meal (maybe less meat) to accommodate for the side. Just suggestions. It is a cute place though.

Make Ames Weird

Pork ribs and baked beans

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Rochelle E.

13 years ago

Dinners By Dawn is a fantastic restaurant! The food is good, the service is fantastic, and Dawn, the owner herself, comes out and checks with me about my meal almost every time I eat there. My favorite dish is their pepperoni panini and the Rachel burger, but you can't go wrong with anything on their menu. This restaurant is a must if you ever find yourself hungry in Story City! read more

Alex R.

115

13 years ago

This little restaurant really is the best it gets!! They have amazing service with a visit from Dawn herself about every time we visit!! We love going there not only for the amazing food but for the fun atmosphere! The paninis here are the best i have ever had! They will accommodate you as much as they can! I love eating here and highly recommend it! read more

Judy M.

10 years ago

a very nice place to eat.and very good and quick service. we were in a group of 18 to 20 people didn' t have to wait long for our food..ample amounts and very good will go back again. read more

Carol J.

15 years ago

Dinners By Dawn The food is Excellent and the Staff is friendly . The have very reasonable prices.

Angie W.

13 years ago

I love Dinner's By Dawn come and check us out and get a Awesome meal.The Best in Town!!!

Jeffrey B.

9 years ago

Outstanding flavor and service. Recommend Bourbon Chicken.

Sarah C.

117

11 years ago

Great food - friendly service - worth checking out!

Dinners by Dawn - gourmet - Updated September 2026

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5.0

(1 review)

Stopped for lunch at The Traveling Pig, a new food truck that is making the rounds in Ames. They…read morehave great porchetta sandwiches based on flavors from around the world. I had the BBQ and it did not disappoint. The sauce was amazing and the slaw on top put it over the edge. The "truck made" chips were also fantastic. I know the truck makes the rounds around Ames and if you follow them on Facebook, you can find out where they are. I'm hoping to visit them frequently this summer.

Comfort Food Catering of Huxley

5.0

(4 reviews)

We got a smoked turkey from here for our Thanksgiving and it was delicious! The pecan pie was out…read moreof this world. Great customer service and fantastic food. Job well done!!

Our neighborhood was very pleased with Comfort Food Huxley when they attended our neighborhood…read moreblock party. They were able to keep up with a large crowd and had many options to choose from including kids meals!

Town & Country Market

4.7

(6 reviews)

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!

Frozen In Time Ice Cream

4.0

(1 review)

We found Frozen in Time Ice Cream Co. at Pizza Pie Looza in Nevada IA…read more Along with some cheese curds from Double M Concessions we grabbed a small cup of chocolate ice cream from Frozen in Time. The ice cream is obviously homemade and has that unmistakeable light texture that comes along with homemade ice cream. It sure melts pretty quick under the sun on a nice day... The staff at the truck was friendly, service was quick, and the ice cream was good. Can't ask for much better than that.

Ames Asian Market

3.7

(11 reviews)

I honestly do not make too many foreign types of food, but a friend and I were looking for a rare…read moretype of decaffeinated black tea, and we were hoping that we'd find some at some of the Asian stores in town. Sadly to say, we didn't what we were looking for. It was interesting to look through a bunch of new types of Asian cuisine that I hadn't known about though. This, and Uni-Mart, seem to have some of the best Asian item selections in Ames. It's not a huge store, though. There are about 4 aisles of items including tons of bulk-bag rice, tea, chocolate treats, soybeans, types of grains, and more. Lots of soy sauce varieties, too. There are also freezers with frozen food. Most of the food doesn't have English written on the packaging, but some of the packaging does have English to give you a general idea of what the item is. The interior isn't particularly modern, but it is clean. Some interior decorating would probably go a long way, but it's very functional. Some items didn't have prices marked on them, so if I was looking to purchase those items, I'd probably be pretty frustrated. Judging by the price tags, it looks like they may offer a discount if you pay with cash instead of credit cards. Some of the odder items I found included duck eggs, neat Cheetos packaging, and lots of varieties of rice that I've never seen before. It's definitely neat. They didn't have the tea that we wanted. In fact, I was a little disappointed by the tea selection; there are definitely much, much larger tea selections at all of the local grocery stores. I ended up purchasing some treats. The cashier wasn't particularly friendly, but she was very proficient and wasn't rude at all. Final thoughts: Definitely a neat store, and I'm glad that Ames has some Asian food stores to get some of the harder-to-find items in-town. It isn't the most modern-looking store, and it doesn't have a huge selection, but if you have a favorite foreign food brand and can't find it in the regular grocery stores, you might be able to find it here.

This place is smaller than some that I've been to but they had EVERYTHING you could want! They had…read moregreen tea Kit Kats which are hard to find. I was so exited for find kimchi, endless types of dumplings and ramen, plus everything I needed to make pho from scratch! So excited I found this place and get creative with dinners.

TE Alderman's

4.1

(11 reviews)

What a great stop! Someone in our party had a gluten allergy. She has been here before and loved…read morethat the entire menu was catered for gluten free. Street parking right outside and we walked in and was greeted warmly. Main street almost hides this little gem. The name of the restaurant illuminated on the floor. We grabbed a great seat and got a full run down of the menu and specials. Table of 4 and we were treated like royalty. The ambiance is warm here. The chef is an artist. They are super careful that all the foods don't come into contact with gluten. I have to say that if you walked in and ordered not knowing anything I mentioned above, you would never know that the entire menu is gluten free. It was a brunch for us. I was very excited with the menu options. It was selective and well described. My mom was super excited about the chocolate chip pancakes and the waitress talked up the cinnamon roll. The Slap Jack meal was three chocolate chip pancakes. How can a pancake by fluffy and plump at the same time? You get the meat of your choice on top of that. I picked the sausage and it was full of flavor. The other two at the table got The Early bird Shakedown. A very generous helping of hash browns, slow cooked brisket, cheese, white gravy, and eggs. The brisket on breakfast is divine. I stole a few bites from the hubby and it was savory and melted in my mouth. The waitress was friendly and attentive. Although it was a little quiet, people started feed in. It's a great restaurant and I hope it gets the traffic it deserves. We about rolled out of there full and happy.

Great location that's easy to find. We were created as soon as we walked in for Sunday brunch. I…read morehad the special which was a breakfast bowl with my favorite addition, BRISKET. Came out quick and was absolutely the best tasting breakfast I've had in a long time. 10/10 recommend this place I was full and very happy when I left.

The Recipe

5.0

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5/5 experience. I attended a 4 course (5 if you include the wedge salad) Italian style menu/demo…read more This reminded me of a supper club I attended years ago in south Florida. This concept was slightly different as the pasta portion was hands on. I really enjoyed that because I learned a good bit about pasta & Ive made it in the past but it was so dense. Food was delicious throughout. They also have a bar & have some seasonable cocktails so that was a nice touch. I enjoyed that it was interactive & open. The space itself is designed well & the kitchen is what I dream of having in my own home one day! Haha. They offer so many different events all with different price points.

you really can't go wrong with the entry level class where you are serve, ask questions, taste…read moretest, and bring home a recipe. it's a curated but chill environment with no such thing as a stupid question.

Cole's Ice Cream

3.5

(27 reviews)

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.

Bricktown Bakery

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So nice to have little cafes in our smaller towns. Took a break from the bustle of Ames to stop in…read morefor a pastry and coffee and was pleasantly surprised by the cozy atmosphere here! Very clean inside, kind staff, and quick service. 10/10 recommend!

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