Five stars for good food, good service, ample seating, ample parking and a great bar area. This is…read morenot haute cuisine - but it's very good. Drove by Rafters for many years because the timing wasn't right for a meal stop on our travels to and from northeast Iowa. Finally in 2022 we have been passing by on days they are open and our stomachs were ready for a meal. We have enjoyed a lunch of the Lena Brewing Company chicken sandwich and a BBQ Brisket sandwich with fries. I really liked the chicken - the breading was flavorful and not too heavy. The accompanying sauce complemented the chicken in just the right way. Rick deemed the brisket sandwich a winner - and those steakhouse fries can't be beat. Most recently we stopped in for dinner. I had the barbecue smoked ribs - with baked French onion soup, baked potato and sautéed squash. LOTS of melted cheese on the soup - which I appreciate. For my taste I could have used a little more broth and onion and a little less bread. Still - I practically licked the bowl clean. The ribs - what a treat! Generous portion of fall off the bone meat. Tender, juicy and thick. Some places serve you ribs that are so thin you have to really gnaw on them to get any flavor. Not at Rafters - these ribs were very meaty. I had my supper - and still had two more lunches worth of rib meat leftover. The baked potato was a nice medium sized potato served with butter and sour cream. I enjoy a baked potato - but don't really need one as big as my head. This was just right. And the sautéed squash was not overdone. I think they cooked the squash with the ribs - as opposed to pre cooking it and letting it sit in a warming tray where squash usually turns to a soggy mess. Rick had the Brisket Platter - that came with enough cheesy-oniony potatoes to last for three meals. The brisket was tender - served a little drier than we usually like - but the dish comes with some barbecue sauce on the side and an option for more if requested. Cole slaw was fine - not too creamy - not filled with lettuce. Next time we stop - I need to make sure my driving shift is done - so I can enjoy a nice draft beer with my meal.

MY coworker was hungry and didnt have the patience to look for other options…read more Pointed to this place and said: Lets go!. Service: Nothing good, the bare minimum to get an order placed and food dropped off. Food: AWFUL. The "Dont Risk It" Platter: The brisket was dry and not edible, so that stayed on the plate after one bite. The pulled pork was good, until later in the day when I didnt feel that well. Fries were the best part of the meal. The Cole slaw was definitely from a food service container and had that distinct mayo flavor. The picture you see posted is what was left on the plate. So it's cheap for what you pay, but not worth at any price. Overall: Not sure what they do well, but we're not coming back to try.

Very unique restaurant with good service and great food. By the Capitol and the lake Unusual in…read morethat they ask you to pick up a menu and order before you sit down.

My girlfriend found this place on her exploration of her new town. One afternoon she told me we had…read moreto go here for lunch so I could check it out. She had been raving about the food and knew I was missing out. We got there on a Saturday afternoon just after the lunch rush. We were able to get seated almost immediately. It has a quant atmosphere of a distressed store/office. The waitress we had was attentive and quick to take drink orders. She was also very thorough going over the menu and specials. Speaking of the specials, that's what I sounded good to me. It was difficult to choose, but I went with the Meatloaf and mashed potatoes. I can't say a lot about the presentation... but honestly I don't care what it looks like because I'm going to eat it. It was real mashed potatoes, with two thick slices of a delicious meatloaf. It was absolutely delicious. My girlfriend had the Black & Bleu salad. She was very please with it. For desert we got the deep fried Oreo Cookies. Okay, yes they are a carbilicious, deep fried sugar bomb... but they where so very good. The nice thing is that they are just the right size to satisfy the sweet tooth, but not so much as to make you regret it... too much. If you're in the Freeport area and looking for a nice meal in a casual setting. This is it...

I paid for 180 people to eat at my wedding and only 160 showed. He told me at the tasting he makes…read moremore than enough food per person. I did have a change in people from 300 to 180, which would mean he would owe me money. In response to that he told me about a month prior to my wedding that the price per plate goes up if that many people decline (this was never in any of the contracts or emails). I let it go as about a month before my wedding, I had bigger fish to fry. Day of my wedding the food tasted great, he told me at the end "they cleared me out! There are no leftovers. I usually make a quarter pound of meat per person but I made half a pound for yours." That was it, I was excited and told him I would send a tip to him post-wedding. Fast forward to the day after my wedding and was informed by family that the last two tables of my wedding got absolutely no meat and just beans and coleslaw left. Mind you we had 3 meats and 5 sides, buffet style. One of my cousins asked the owner where more food was as he began stating that men were piling food high. To which she pointed out there were no serving restrictions or servers serving to stop this from occurring. I was embarrassed and tried emailing to the owner to rectify the situation as 20 people of the 160 who showed didn't get fed. And I paid for 180. The owner has not responded at all. It has been over 2 months since my wedding. Definitely would not cater through them again.

I've had the occasion to hit up this bbq food truck a couple of times. This afternoon they were at…read moreKrape Park in Freeport so we grabbed a couple brisket sandwiches. I LOVE brisket done to perfection and these guys didn't disappoint! I'm guessing there was at least 1/2 lb of meat on that bun! It was exquisite alone without sauce, tender and not chewy. My husband and I could've easily split one but I'm glad we didn't! I'll definitely be watching their location schedule more closely! Thanks, 3HM, for an outstanding lunch today!

The Catfish was delicious and the service was fast and friendly. The only reason for three stars…read moreis the floor was really sticky wherever we walked.

Great food and great service. Offering classic lunch & dinner dishes. Some of the best bbq brisket…read morein town or surrounding. As you know not many options in town. Juniors comes through every time I bet for everyone. You can tell they are determined as a team to grow their business as every employee is responsible and respectful. Quality service and quality food. What more do you want?

Decent beer selection near me?! This is my kind of place. I haven't felt rich enough to try the…read moregolf yet, but the atmosphere is nicer and less slot-oriented than other places nearby! Recommended if you have no car like me.

Man I love this bar! You can gamble and golf in the same room! Cheap beer, and the pizza tastes…read morelike something you'd get in downtown Chicago.

I don't know why I haven't frequented 312 before but I will definitely be back! My group had a mix…read moreof sausages, Italian Beef, wings, cheese curds, and fries. Everything was delicious! Service was great and the food came out pretty quick.

Just another day that they forget 1/4 of the order all good though head to McDonald to get better…read morefries anyways. Thanks but no thanks

Very reasonably priced. Great atmosphere - family friendly. Salad bar was fresh. Our server was…read moreamazing - very attentive.

Was cruising down Route 20 and saw this place appear upon the horizon and I was starving so I…read morefigured what the heck! Rolled on in and was surprised and delighted everyone was so friendly and the burger was excellent and the beer was frosty Definitely will be coming back on my future adventures!

Checked out this local brewery in Lena of course. It certainly is one of the highlights around…read morehere. Lena Brewing Company has beers but also food to fatten people up. A pretty busy place with locals and people from other areas. There's about what's expected on the menu it seems. Before even coming in there's a smell of barbecue. It's got a pretty full menu. There's a bar in the middle surrounded by plenty of tables. Beers are the main thing of course. It's about $7 a pint. Best one we had of these was the Coldstream Lager. This is a full bodied Bavarian style. A lot of the food is meaty. Brisket and that kind of stuff. Among the appetizers is the Cowboy Caviar. One of the few vegetarian options. This is a mixture of beans, cilantro, corn, jalapeños, red onions, and tomatoes. It's about $16 for the Tex-Mex Bowl. This has avocado, cilantro rice, Cowboy Caviar, marinated cucumbers, pico de gallo, and Thai sauce. Of course an option is to get it with meats added. There's plenty more things including burgers and pork belly tacos among the livestock based foods. For around here it's one of the better places for big crowds. It's got beers and barbecue along with some healthier options. They're closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Just missed. The pulled pork was delicious (but a touch fatty). Brisket, not so much. No flavor…read morefrom the smoker. The Cole slaw needs dressing (Marie Calendars, hint hint). My wife's beer was good. Root Beer was excellent (I'm driving)! Bread pudding was just ok. Order at the bad, served at the table. Service was quick and friendly. LOUD!!!