Nice quiet place to stop for dinner. I had steak and eggs. I am going to say something I rarely…read moresay. The steak was perfect. I am very picky when it comes to my meat. The place was clean. And smells clean. The waitress was very nice.. Now the only thing I seen was instead of just standing behind the register, she needed to be straighting the chairs. Yes the place was clean but even if the chairs are misaligned it makes the place look trashy. I will gladly go back and eat there again. That is another plus for miss picky me.

The broccoli cheese soup tasted like it didn't have any cheese in it. When I told the waitress she…read morewas rude and said that other people like it. The meatloaf tasted like there was no meat in it! My taste is fine; my husband agreed with my opinions. We won't be back.

Came to El Cascabel as a family member of the owner recommended it being close to Grinnell (we'd…read morebeen in Marshalltown and were looking for Mexican here) and were excited at how close it is! The location is pretty cool - outside is very pretty to walk by and see and inside, and outside really, you see the trains go by directly next to it! That in itself already gave a cool ambiance. They played great music upon walking - Spanish station perhaps, but we loved it and as soon as we walked in were greeted with big smiles. It's a pretty big restaurant with a lot of room! An extensive menu also, we ended up with enchiladas, cheese crisp, and a chicken dish. They brought out some chips and salsa ahead of our meal, for the table, and that was lovely. Chips were warm but didn't seem super fresh although were still great. The salsa was quite mild but wouldn't expect different in the heartland. The service was wonderful and our server was attentive. As for the flavor of enchiladas - very good. Cheesy and delicious. The chicken was good, but being so close to Mexico coming from southern AZ we have pretty authentic close to native flavors. The seasoning was ok and the rice and beans that it came with were also alright. We were largely impressed with the service and structure more than anything. I was really happy with the michelada - such a staple for my meals when having Mexican so it was perfect!! We enjoyed overall and recommend. We may have to try others to have a better fair ranking of Mexican in Grinnell. But it's worth a try!

From the warm welcome at the door to the best bacon wrapped shrimp and basic margaritas - what a…read moreplace! There are at least 10 more items on the menu I want to try but alas this my last night in town. Kinda glad it was the only game in town on a Monday. You can bet if I ever find myself back in Grinnell i will head back to the El Cascabel! Keep up the great work and great food!

Yay! Restaraunt attached to gas station is a gem! Homemade pies and down home comfort food are…read morefound in this humble spot. I was a little worried that I would have to do McDs but was spared with this discovery. I tried the Iowa Bowl, a special. It was a bowl, it was Zion's, and it was soecial! True midwestern comfort food. Place had many locals and I was treated lik

Tried to dine in but stood in the entry for nearly 5 minutes before we left. I have worked in the…read morerestaurant industry, and I know they work very hard. While we waited, I watched the same 2 people walk by many times through the kitchen area and just look at us. All it would have taken is a " I will be right with you".

This place is just wonderful. It has a calm and cozy atmosphere and vibe when you walk in. The…read morestaff are warm and welcoming, ready to help. Now, I love a good breakfast and brunch place, especially when it isn't a crowded chain place. This place fits that bill. It is a local place with two locations. The menu is brilliantly "evil" making it extremely difficult to choose just one dish to try. They all look amazing and delicious, so of course, you will need to visit more than once to enjoy all that they have to offer. During my visit, I tried their cinnamon roll pancakes with eggs and bacon. Oh boy are they incredible! The pancakes just melt in your mouth, full of flavor. The eggs were a classic standard of scrambled eggs and the bacon I ordered crispy as I like a good crunch. My companion ordered the Hobo Scramble and just loved it. She made sure to take some home to enjoy for a second time. All in all, I enjoyed my experience and look forward to my next visit and delicious meal.

Had to be in Ames and wanted breakfast before heading home. They quoted us a 25 min wait, we…read morewaited about 40...no big deal because it was a Sunday after church. Menu is expansive and everything looked good. I chose the mile high omelet and a smoreo pancake as an upgrade. Omelet was ok...pancake was good, very rich. Two breakfast with an upgrade and our bill was just under $50. Server was great and offered her suggestions. May try the Ankeny location in the future, but not something I left thinking "that was so good"

Always the same folks serving and preparing your food. Friendly , spotless and delicious. It's more…read moreFamily than crew. 5 Star!

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.

Best Cappuccino! Breakfast was also very good - when I visit a new area that is not familiar to me…read moreI try local places. I thought this was a regular restaurant and when I stopped it's also a gas station. But they have great food! Yummy!

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.

I have been here two times and everything is so good! The first time I went for lunch and had a…read morebreaded pork tenderloin sandwich that is made with their own delicious bread. Today I had Egg Plant Parmesan and it was the best! It came with a salad and tasty garlic bread. They have homemade desserts and pastries and treats. Great place to eat in this little town!

It didn't last . Closed up - vacant - been gone long time 2.3/4 of a year . Elvis has left the…read morebuilding .

The atmosphere was good. The service started out poor. They seem to ignore us at first. My…read moreboyfriend said his food was terrible. Mine was good.

It was ok, nothing special. We were just passing through, and were starving. English seemed tough…read morefor them, wife had to explain how she wanted her margarita.

Not open today. Closed until the 8th. I was looking…read moreforward to the danishes and a good breakfast. Maybe next time?

We ordered cupcakes and decorated sugar cookies for our baby shower. The cupcakes were great. We…read moregot so many compliments about how cute onesie and animals cookies were, plus they are probably the best decorated sugar cookies we've ever had. We liked them so much, we ordered more to have a special treat for the long days and nights with a newborn.

The food is so tasty- great combinations and flavors. The ambiance is lovely and you can actually…read morehear people talk at the table!

What a wonderful experience. We stumbled upon this gem while traveling through the area. We were…read moreearly for our reservation and invited to visit the Speakeasy in the basement. That was a treat. The service and food were wonderful. The restaurant's simple decor is clean and crisp. Thanks for a great nite.