The Smoky Dough opened in 2022 by a super-friendly husband and wife team. Every review you read…read morementions the friendly customer. You will not have any trouble striking up a conversation with them. Our first visit was a smashing success. Between the two of us, we had smoked brisket, broasted chicken, coleslaw, and smashed potatoes. I wish I could visit today and try the oven-fired pizza. The food was mouth-watering. Pro tip: Save room for ice cream which we didn't. They offer so many options. The building was completely remodeled by the owners and it is such a relaxing environment. It is a great place to hang out.

Had the brick style pizza and was delicious. Would definitely return when back in the area.read more

This was not very good and I'm not happy with the new owner. Different hours everyday and it's not…read morein a good spot at all.

The pulled chicken, pulled pork and slaw are FANTASTIC. They were out of brisket the night we went…read morethere, so no report on that. There is no dining room, just an order window for to-go orders, which was fine with us. The prices are exactly what you'd expect; not cheap, but not outrageous either.

Visited here for lunch, and got the special of the day- turkey BBQ sandwich and a side. The price…read morewas right, $10, but I felt like the quality of the food was so-so. The turkey was less than tender and lacked flavor, the green beans were stringy and over-cooked. I'm willing to try this place again- maybe their beef, chicken, or pork is of better quality and flavor, and maybe their other sides are better, but their turkey and green beans didn't sit with me too well. Final note- the atmosphere of the place and counter service was fine, so plusses on that. Three stars for mediocre food quality- I expect better from a barbeque joint, especially located in the Midwest.

Full disclosure: I came here because I wanted a pork tenderloin and the place I was going to try…read morewas closed. The service was weird. The kid at the front acted so off. I thought I was giving him grace because they got a new POS system, yet he didn't know some simple menu questions I asked him. And he was just super odd, not rude, not friendly, just odd. Both tables I tried to sit at were dirty. The Mac & cheese is creamy and bland. The creamy coleslaw was better than decent. I'd take a quart of that! Their BBQ sauces are tasty, there's just not a huge difference between the three. It's subtle. The tenderloin IS very good. It could stand for some finishing salt, but excellent without. I bet their other meats are excellent, there were just some things that were really off putting with the service.

So I joined a bike ride across Iowa (RAGBRAI) again this year when I found out one of the overnight…read morestops was in Oelwein! I could meet Thyron Matthew of BBQ fame and BBQ Brawl competition!! They were set up in their outside setting and food truck TnT in the center of all the excitement host towns bring to the RAGBRAI experience! He was so sweet to meet and I had the best ribs I've ever tasted!!! The service was quick and they were so kind. I hope to come back and visit soon!

Best burger ever ,baked beans awesome ,burnt ends WOW…read more Thanks for stopping in mason city

Brisket is pot roast style: Sandwich - 3…read moreTacos - 4+ (dry slaw) Also had Mac and cheese: generous helping - 3.5 for taste; 5 for portion. Brisket is $30/lb but sandwich is $12 and 1/3 lb. Pork is $20/lb, $10 sandwich 1/3 lb. You do the math. Great service.

This was the worst BBQ I had in my entire life or even The fries were old and tasted microwaved or…read morecooked in old oil not sure . The bbq sauces were terrible. Best way describe them if you take an okay sauce and make it old and delude it with water and make old bbq water you will get the idea of what it tastes like. The brisket was lukewarm , old, not seasoned, bland and dry, no smoke ring. It was like all the flavour was sucked out of the meat. Bun was okay not stale at least. Cheese curds had gross batter and some were still frozen inside . We ate it because we were traveling and had no other choice but I'm helping next person out passing by to make their choices wisely. I wouldn't not recommend this place. As far as atmosphere, not friendly towards us but seems more friendly to table next us so probably picks and chooses his " politeness " and it was hotter than the sun in there . We had to wait for a while for our food, they were not very busy.

The food was meh, the garlic bread was delicious. It wasn't bad just not what I was wanting and…read moredecently priced. The service was okay it took a minute to be seated but there was just one guy working the bar and waiting the tables he was doing great for being the only person out front. The decor was fun.

We stopped in for a quick lunch and a couple drinks and were not disappointed. The waiter was…read morefriendly and they had a nice selection of beers from Iowa to choose from. The entire restaurant was very clean and the food came out hot and tasty.

The food and services were amazing. We went on Saturday night for the prime rib and we weren't…read moredisappointed.

Food is amazing. Highly recommend the scallops. Eaten here several times and enjoyed dish I've had.read more

After the Spam Museum, where do you go? Across the street to…read morePiggy Blues! I had Spam Fries. I heard the Spam sandwich is also good. The food was good. I enjoyed finding Waldo. Many of the signs along the walls were awesome!

Piggy Blues Bar B Que was a pretty big letdown overall. The atmosphere and decor are actually nice…read moreand give the place some charm, but that's about where the positives end for me. The food really lacked flavor across the board. Everything we tried was pretty bland and didn't live up to expectations, especially for a BBQ spot. While the setting is decent, I couldn't ignore a lingering, wafting odor that smelled like urine at times, which really took away from the experience. The staff was also just kind of average--nothing particularly friendly or memorable, just very "mid" service overall.

This is the coolest bar I've ever been to in Iowa, if not one of the coolest bars I've ever been…read moreto- PERIOD! The Sanity Room takes "theme" bar to a whole new level. There is a state mental facility outside of Independence, Iowa, and hence the theme of the Sanity Room. But don't think it's cold and creepy. No. The owners have gone to great lengths to make this an inviting place complete with the unique chairs, private small booths, and kitschy motto signs surrounding the place (one of my faves: "I can only please one person per day. Today I choose me."). They serve shots in pill bottles and syringes, and the staff will even make you don a patient gown, sit in the old hospital bed (vintage and they claim it came from the state hospital), and then administer the shots while wearing a doctor's coat. Genius! After you are vaccinated, you get a sticker. As if the booze wasn't awesome enough! And let's talk about the booze. This is a full bar that also features some great craft and local beers, as well as a local wine. Iowa wine, you ask? It was by far the best I sampled and I bought a bottle. Yeah, you can buy their stock too, if they have enough. As for specialty cocktails? Look no further than the bloody mary made with Chardonnay. That's right, I said the bloody mary is made with wine. And it's delicious. Since wine doesn't have as much alcohol as vodka, you might have to drink a lot to get the same effect, but with a taste like this you won't mind. The Sanity Room does seem to be a work in progress as they only have one unisex bathroom but they are working on more accommodations. Still, it's small so you can't imagine there would ever be a long line. It also sits in the back of an antique store, so blink and you might miss it. I know we did the first time we walked by, but the second time we took a chance and walked in and I am so glad we did! There's even a back patio area that overlooks the Wapsipinican River. The only bad thing would be that there are no TVs in the Sanity Room. I question if this would change the integrity of the bar, as it might compromise the theme and inviting nature. But I am a sports nut and there would be nothing better than belly up at the bar, drinking a glass of La T Da & watching the game! Seriously, if you're ever in Independence and you don't stop in here, you're missing out. I can't wait to get back and get my dose of Sanity!

Such a great name for the town that includes the mental hospital. Eclectic, fun decor and the…read moreowner/managers obviously love their work! A deck in the back gives a nice view of the Wapsie River, and an antique shop with all sorts of fun things, from tools to quilts. Thanks for the hospitality!