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!!

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!

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!

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.

Dublin Bay is an Ames long time favorite. Locally owned and operated Dublin Bay has a great bar…read morearea and quieter restaurant section. I love their food including Ruben, fish and chips, shepherds pie and Club Sandwich. I highly recommend Dublin Bay.

We stopped in for dinner before an event at Stevens auditorium. We were seated right away and got…read moreour orders in. It's a very relaxing Irish pub vibe with a variety of seating options and lots of TVs. Our drinks came out quickly and the food followed shortly thereafter. I got a martini and it was very well prepared. My wife got a glass of wine from their decent wine list. For dinner, I had the lamb burger, which was quite tasty. It was a good combination of flavors and the fries were hot and crisp. My wife got a naked burger with a side salad. The creamy Parmesan was very tasty and it was a nice bed of greens. A table next to us had some sort of a problem with one of the dinners and the server tried many many times to get the customer to order a replacement, but he said he was OK with what he got. When she brought the check to them she made sure to take that off since he did not eat it and would not accept a replacement. They seem shocked at this, but I wondered why they just didn't get a replacement! Great service by that server. She was also our server and did a fantastic job with us. We had very tasty food and great drinks , so I would definitely recommend it and would go back if I was in the area.

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!

Disappointed... I came here for restaurant week to try their Thai Menu. It looked good online and…read morethought I'd give them a try. The Cafe has been on my list for a while now. Disappointed to say the least, I came in the back door not realized there was a correct door and was rudely cut off by other patrons at the front desk. I had to wait several minutes to be waited on and the place had plenty of spots. Maybe because I was a party of 1... they didn't seem to care. After I shared what drink I wanted, I learned they were out... fine no problem. I asked about the Thai specials, the waitress was clueless. I had to ask for the restaurant week menu and ask about the specials. She said they looked good but couldn't describe them and hasn't tasted them. I got the salad on special, but get this... they were out of the main restaurant week special... such a let down. The ambiance was mixed, one corner was a cute date night the other corner was crying children. All dimly lit and outdated decor. The whole experience was off, I ended up leaving after my one drink and salad. I hope to give this place a second chance sometime but hope they aren't out of dishes and I can get a trained server. Maybe another night for sure!

Visited on 11/07/25. The Cafe is an absolute gem! Every…read morevisit feels like a new culinary adventure thanks to their ever-changing menu. The chefs clearly love experimenting, offering a creative fusion of flavors that blend different cuisines beautifully. Whether it's a twist on a classic dish or something completely unexpected, everything is prepared with care and a true sense of innovation. Me and my significant other both ordered the Feta Cheese w/ Honey, Herbs, and Pistachios + Bread as our appetizer and for main dish we ordered Korean Steak & Egg that consist of soy/ginger marinated hanger steak with kimchi fried rice, and arugula with sweet chili aioli, and sunny side egg on top. The only thing I was a bit disappointed was that the kimchi didn't have the actual kick and true kimchi flavor but it was still good! Beyond the food, what really sets The Cafe apart is the warm and attentive customer service. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable, and always happy to make recommendations or accommodate special requests. You can tell they genuinely care about creating a great dining experience for every guest. If you're looking for a place that combines delicious, inventive food with top-notch hospitality, The Cafe is a must-visit. It's one of those rare spots where you'll leave satisfied, and already planning your next visit to see what's new on the menu!

Always a great place for traditional American fare. Don't expect escargot, but good comfort food…read moreis plentiful. Their holiday buffets are very well done and well attended. Come for the hotel rooms . . . stay for the drinks in the bar !! Bowl . . . downstairs , . . but only after the cocktails so as offset the curves of the lanes.

Paulina and Daniel were absolutely delightful. The service here is fabulous and efficient…read more Definitely a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community. Iced Chai latte.. to die for!!!

We stopped here for lunch when in Ames for a concert. It came recommended by a coworker and our…read morewhole group enjoyed our experience. Amongst our group we ordered the Long Island ice tea, nerds flavored Long Island ice tea, bloody marry and some martinis. We also ordered lunch and everyone seemed really pleased with their food. They were super busy but did a great job accommodating our group of 8. Glad we popped in during our time in Ames.

5 trips to Brazil were amazing so it was great to be at this bar for lunch and dinner. In Ames this…read moreis the # 1 place to be by far. Soccer. World Cup. Academia. Global travelers. Great staff. Feijoada is needed. I look forward to returning.