What went well? EVERYTHING. I was a lonely dude just trying to start over. Saw a suggestion for…read moretraveling to Iowa and starting over. I got a steal on a big ass house, it was old, and a ton of work to modernize. I was determined to make the house ready for my future family. The folks at THE STANK ( what we locals call it) were very welcoming and kept me from quitting on my dreams many times. They also suggest maybe asking Jesus, and God. I did. I worshipped, I prayed. I danced. The snake thing was weird. met this cool woman that already had 6 kids, but my dream was 7. She's like, no problem. Life is good. Probably getting married. Job at the Post Office didn't work out. I'm a pet groomer now. Her kids are violent and rob stores across Iowa.

I was single in Aplington for a while. There just aren't many people here to choose from. I took a…read moreleap of faith and decided to go on a date with a guy from church. He had just moved to IA to take a job at the post office for $25/hr. That's more than most people make here! I wasn't sure about him but he took me to Stinky's bar and grill and I had a great time. Now we go once a year with our 7 kids on our anniversary. What a life!

The town is 31 people. Figure it out. Super clean, friendly owners, bar food plus. Owner stops by…read morefor conversation, had wings and tenderloins, plus cheese curds. Wow. This is real Iowa.

The food was really good. Kick The Pig was great and giant. We loved the garlic cheese curds.read more

Let me be honest. This is a local spot where Iowa Falls citizens meet for breakfast or coffee, with…read morean opportunity to catch up with friends. I stopped in very early one morning. My motel's breakfast left a lot to be desired so I was looking for alternatives. The Red Rooster was the only place, except for McDonald's that was open. When I entered, there was a table of locals enjoying their regular morning gathering. I was greeted by the hostess who was also the waitress, cook, and clean up staff. I need to say that I was well attended and the breakfast meal was good. It is a very comfortable place if you are acquainted with small town pleasantries. Cash is the only way to pay. But it is very affordable.

Friendly staff, good food, homey vibe, quick service. Cash is king, don't bring your stupid tap to…read morepay.

Now called Brad's Restaurant. Great steaks…read more Good food Excellent service!! Brad has been owner of several restaurants.

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

After being out for a hike at one of the parks nearby, I needed to find a place to replenish my…read moreenergy and took to Yelp to find a diner or something similar to get the job done. Sunrise Cafe immediately piqued my interest, and it was all I hoped for. The sign on the wall when I walked in stated "if you leave here hungry, it's your own fault" and based on my experience that's 100% true. I ordered the meat lovers skillet and the skillet was absolutely overflowing with hash brown, egg, and meaty deliciousness! If I'm in the area again, I know where I'll stop.

If you are reading this, I would guess that you are traveling across Iowa on Hwy 20, or even up…read moreI-35, and you're searching the Internet for fresh food, and this stretch of highway looks pretty bare for hometown restaurants...but, you are in luck! Just detour into Steamboat Rock (five minutes off Hwy 20), and find yourself in another world, possibly another century. Mama's Family Diner is in the downstairs lunchroom of the local schoolhouse (formerly called the Schoolhouse Diner). You'll find yourself feeling like a very lucky grade school student, where the lunch ladies serve fresh made tortillas for your Mexican fare, and Iowa favorites for the nostalgic. The day we visited, the lunch specials were either burrito, enchilada, meatloaf and mashed potatoes with dessert, or goulash with dessert. There is also a Mexican menu of soft tacos (ground beef, chicken or steak) and quesadillas, etc. There are none of the tired old bar food menu items, the American fare is limited to the specials, and the Mexican food is geared toward Iowa palates, but this may change as the restaurant gains popularity. Your food (plenty of it) is served on real restaurant china, by Mama herself. And the burrito was muy grande, as you can see from our picture. Do yourself a favor, drop off the beaten path, and, when you step out of your car onto the quiet, peaceful street, bordered by old growth trees, and walk down the sidewalk into this renovated schoolhouse, you'll remember the good times when school lunch was the best part do the school day! Three stars because the menu is very limited, but five for home town atmosphere...this is what Iowa small towns are really like, hence the four star average.

Best home cooked Mexican food ever! Every time we visit Steamboat Rock, we have to come here…read more Everything on the menu is delicious. Went here with a vegetarian friend and Mama made the best vegetarian burrito she's ever had! Definitely worth the short drive off the interstate for some authentic home cooked food.

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!!

Came here on company dinner and we had a great time. Food was decent and I enjoyed my carbonara,…read morehuge portion. The French onion soup was just ok but everyone enjoyed the peanut butter pie. Very good ambiance for group dining and the service was great.

I really wanted to love this place but it was a big let down…read more First, we were there on a Friday, just before what is likely a very busy time. We sat at the bar. The servers were there, obviously waiting for customers to start arriving, and they were all congregating at the end of the bar, chatting it up. It was super unprofessional and pretty annoying. We were glad when the food came out quickly so we could just eat and leave. To be honest, I don't recall what my husband ordered. I got the pork tenderloin. The tenderloin was very tough and had zero flavor. Like, I don't think they even put salt in the coating, let alone any other seasonings. This is Iowa, if you can't make anything else at all, you should at least have a decent pork tenderloin. This was our second time trying the place. Both instances were equally underwhelming. I wanted this to be our "go to" place but sadly we won't return.

Called ahead of time to watch the Iowa State game. They said they'd have it on with volume. We…read moreasked politely to have the music turned down to hear the game. They refused. I went to the bathroom and heard the dish boy/cook using foul language stating he wasn't going to accommodate the request. He was super rude and sarcastically clapping at the game to make a point. We planned to all have dinner but left to a more accommodating restaurant. Any restaurant in town would be more accommodating and respectful than this place. We'll never return or spend a dime here again.

Camping outside of Webster City, we always look for a local spot to try when we travel. Tonight,…read morelucky us, it was the Grid Iron. Be prepared to show a little grace, there were a lot of cars turning in there as we came up to it- from the food, I'm guessing they're always busy! My wife chose their mainline burger (no cheese) and house fries. Honestly, I think we could tell how good it was going to be when got out of the car and that awesome charbroil smell overwhelmed us. She loved it. I had the Chipotle Bacon cheeseburger on Texas toast, well done for me (they will prepare to your liking), which is charbroiled, then dunked in their home made bourbon sauce and served with Swiss cheese and jalapeños. The fries have some type of coating that makes them a little crispier and a little tastier. Even if you're cruising up I35, it's worth the detour into WC for a great meal. Plenty of tv's but even with a crowd, you can still have enjoyable conversation at your table. It's no wonder one whole wall is covered with "best of" awards. They deserve them. Bon Appetite!

We drove 45 miles to try the Sunday breakfast buffet and it did not disappoint. We enjoyed every…read moresingle bite and the customer service was fantastic. Our server was friendly and helpful, making sure we had everything we needed the entire time. The biscuits and gravy were a favorite! It's hard to find a good gravy but they nailed it. The options to choose from were great! You had everything from fruit to French toast to mashed potatoes and fried chicken. I can't say enough about the friend chicken! The skin was battered perfectly and it was incredibly crispy while the meat inside was still juicy and delicious. This is some of the best friend chicken we've ever had - hands down!! The only suggestions I would make is #1 get there early because it is a popular place and #2 A 'cook to order' option for the eggs in the buffet would push it over the top. We can't wait to go back!

I absolutely love the ice cream from this place. It is my treat for a cone after my Cardio…read morePulmonary Therapy at the Grundy Hospital on Fridays. The fact that they have a Drive-Thru window is a big benefit to those with physical and health issues that limit their mobility like myself. The staff is very welcoming, pleasant and helpful.

We drove through this little spot for ice cream. We ordered the Oreo freezer and the Brownie Bits…read morefreezer...all delicious. Went through the drive through for five freezers and they were done so quickly. Person at the window was nice and accommodating! If you love harder soft serve ice cream mixed with yummy goodness this is the place to go! Our niece lives here and recommended it--will definitely go again!