We are repeat offenders to this place. Every couple of months. The food and service is great…read more Employees go above and beyond to help. Even on busy days they get you thru the line in a timely manner and prices are in the right ballpark. Can't go wrong.

Great food, great price, great staff. An Ames classic. Always worth the wait -- the Saucy…read moreSoutherner is your best bet!

We knew we had to have Whatcha cater our son's grad party. Biggest problem was the hour between the…read moreBBQ and our party. They took care of us with careful packing for our coolers and providing warmers to keep us in business. Rave reviews from the 80+ guests on the grad packs and nutter butter banana pudding. Keep up the great work!

Watcha Smokin' Catering gave impeccable service at every step---from making the reservation to the…read morefinal clean up. We couldn't have asked for more. The food was delicious. Several of our guests commented that it was the best barbeque that they have ever tasted. To top it off, our venue lost air conditioning, and the kitchen was so hot, but the gentleman setting up was more than gracious and kind. He worked through it with such a positive attitude. The food was the best part of our celebration, and I wouldn't hesitate to book them again. (I highly recommend spending the extra money for the brisket-you won't be sorry!)

Another fantastic visit to Nite Hawk Bar & Grill! We pedaled up the High Trestle Trail and were…read morerewarded with delicious, reasonably priced cocktails on their inviting patio. Our server Sarah was attentive and friendly, making sure our drinks stayed cold and even refilling our bike water bottles before we headed back out. Even on a Tuesday afternoon, this place has great energy and makes for the perfect turnaround spot during our 32-mile ride. If you're cycling the trail or just looking for a welcoming spot with good drinks and service, Nite Hawk is definitely worth the stop!

Met some friends out here on a Friday evening and the place was packed. The boasted chicken was…read morefantastic and the service was excellent. It's a little out of the way for us to get there but there is no doubt in my mind that we will be heading back.

Burnt ends were delicious! Also service staff were all friendly and knowledgeable, would highly…read morerecommend!

The food was some of the best we've had in the Midwest! The pulled pork was sinful, the smoked…read moregarlic gravy was unbelievable... the list goes on and on. Ever dish is thoughtful and executed with perfection. Our server, Tom, went above and beyond at every turn and made the experience a memorable one. He is an incredible asset to establishment. We will be back!

Best bar around worth the drive out of Ankeny or Ames. Amazing food and great bartenders!read more

In warm months we go for breakfast on the patio. Weekend hours open at. 8 and I love the "loaded…read morehashbrowns". Often noisy inside, but the patio is great!

What an unexpected gem. Not a large space and very popular. There is a nice outdoor space and…read moresometimes live music! Cool imported sodas, beer, cider, mead.... Wow. And then there is the food. Solid. Delicious. Fish and chips, Shepard pie, some curry. So much more! The whole place is an homage to all things British. Service was attentive, friendly... all the servers, not just the one serving our table. Makes for great vibes.

The pub was pretty busy on a Saturday afternoon at 2pm. They have an outdoor seating area. The…read morepub is decorated with British signs and posters. The service was very good for how busy it was inside and out. The food was delicious! We had the cod & chips (added coleslaw) and the German platter (a bratwurst, weisswurst, pork schnitzel, mashed potatoes & gravy, red cabbage and sauerkraut). There were various other items we'd like to try, so we will have to come back! It seemed a little high priced, but it is Ames.

Tasted incredible and was surprised at the quality. DoorDash was great at delivering. Better than…read moreMcDonald's!!

So this place was a lucky find while messing around on Uber. My girls are huge MrBeast fans. If you…read moredon't know him he is a YouTube super star. He has hundreds of restaurants around the country that serve out of "ghosts kitchens". What is a ghost kitchen? Glad you asked. He contracts with existing restaurants to make and serve his food out of existing facilities with existing staff and they serve food exclusively via delivery apps (no store front). It is a brilliant business model and it saved hundreds of restaurants and restaurant employees from going out of business during the pandemic. It's a win win for them to keep their staff employees and kitchens making money. That said, I had heard about it but never came across one till traveling through Ames. We ordered what I assumed would be a novelty lunch that would entertain my daughters but was really impressed with the food. It was a fantastic burger, like a legit, wish this was around everywhere, I would eat this once a week, burger. The patties are those smashed and chard burgers that have all kinds of texture and are made for stacking. They were seasoned fantastically and the whole thing worked nicely. The fries were ok, but they never travel well in my experience with delivery drivers. But we got some beast style, which means covered in all kinds of toppings and that helped because they were good. I was very impressed.

Amazing. We are becoming regulars!! Got the hot honey burger and woof it was amazing. We usually…read moreget the wings but glad I switched it up. Can't go wrong with 85 Bar!!

Good Chicago-Themes food and drink. Met a friend for dinner and enjoyed a couple of drinks and some…read morefood She got the Monday Night special-burger and fries l, and I got the Chicago Italian Beef with onion rings. Interestingly, our server didn't ask for us to pick sides, but I got onion rings (very good), and my friend got fries (also, very good). The Italian Beef was very good, with hot Giardiniera that was great and tender meat. There are indoor tables and a bar and outdoor seating as well. Our server was excellent too.

Awesome place that really surprised. Clearly a farm to table concept with a varied but overwhelming…read moremenu. Came in on a weeknight with coworkers and received good service and fantastic food. Nice drink menu (I enjoyed their take on the old fashioned) with cocktails and a nice craft beer selection. Everyone loved their food, from the barley soup to the ravioli, burger, Brussels salad, and the salmon I got. Hidden gem perhaps was their incredible dessert selection. The cherry tart was a pleasant surprise and the salted caramel chocolate cake will def fix a choc craving. Would gladly come back.

Provisions Lot F in Ames…read more If you like fresh baked breads and bomb desserts, along with amazing food, head to Provisions if you're in the area. Pork Belly app: thick cut pork belly in lettuce cups, topped with sweet thai glaze, pickled carrots, onions, celery, mint, thai basil, cilantro, scallions and crushed peanuts. A tad sweet for me but overall this was a great app. Slice of Sourdough: delish. Chicken Japchae: since my mom has celiac disease, we were very excited to see this on their menu - dining out with her can be a challenge. Especially at a place specializing in breads! The only unfortunate part about this dish is (I think) they forgot they already salted the chicken and salted it again...and then again. I'm not one to say something is too salty, I love my sodium but this was mouth-puckering salty. Inedible, actually, but the noodle dish itself was SO GOOD that she set the chicken aside and ate the entree. NY Strip Steak: perfectly med-rare, served with a garlic-rosemary potato pavé (like a potato casserole of sorts), roasted broccolini and a house steak sauce that was similar to a demi glaze. Not a bite left - no leftovers with this one. I ate the whole dang thing. Myself. And I have zero regrets. Crème Brûlée: I also couldn't leave without ordering a crème brûlée because there are some really bad ones out there. This did not disappoint. I also took home a Dubai Chocolate tort, Raspberry Crumble and a Flourless Chocolate cake. ZERO regrets but if you love Dubai chocolate then you know there are some discusting renditions of this in the market. However, the Dubai chocolate tort at Provisions Lot F is . I can't even describe how delicious this was and is worth the drive to Ames just for this dessert. If you're north of DSM for a game or whatever, I highly recommend Provisions! I'm already scheming a way to get back there...soon!

Had dinner at the bar. Staff was personable, food was delish and drinks were great. Will be back…read moresoon.

Had dinner here on a Tuesday evening while in town for a conference. I partnered up with another…read moreconference attendee and we came here for dinner. The menu had a diversity of options with both bistro and full size options. We both settled on the Main St. chicken dish on recommendation from the waitress along with swapping the rice for mashed potatoes. Great suggestion. My conference mate asked to have her mushrooms removed and I asked to have the tomatoes removed. Although we both ordered the same meal, the presentation looked different for each of us and hit the spot for our tastebuds. Mine seemed more like a chicken marsala while hers was a tomato sauce. Either way we both enjoyed our meals. We both also had dessert - I had the delicious chocolate cake with raspberry sauce. Honestly there was too much sauce but the cake was still delicious! My conference mate had the peanut pie and it was divine - imagine a Reese cup with an Oreo crust. If I'm ever back in Ames this will definitely be on my return list!!