Food is always consistently great. Have had few bad meals here. Service is good depending on who's…read moreworking but I've never been treated poorly. The place is well kept and always decorated for whatever holiday they have coming up. All in all a decent place to get a good meal.

Christmas set up is magic! Great service and fun for kids. The food was awesome. I recommend trying…read morethis place out especially over Christmas

Impressive for a buffet! They had 2 tables of hot food, 2 of cold/salads and one of desserts…read more They had soft serve and hard ice cream. Everything we tried was very good. They came around for plates pretty frequently and checked on drink refills. The restaurant was rather smoky from the kitchen.

The waitress scooped my cup of ice, filled it with sprite and I saw black floaty things in it…read more Asked for a new one but when I saw her get the new one it had the same black floaty stuff, dirty ice or soda nozzle. If the soda is like that idk how clean the food is. I didn't each much. Left thirsty

Terrible food, do not recommend Ordered two burgers- they…read morewere ok. One had a plastic flavor French dip had a strong plastic flavor and was a chopped steak with little flavor Pick three app tasted like old grease Boneless wings were two flavors mixed together. Over cooked Overall, $100 in food and most went into the trash.

When I'm in Ames visiting my 95 year-old Dad, he loves road trips and dining out with his kids and…read moregrandkids. Boone is only 18 miles away, which isn't much of a drive, but there are some interesting places to eat here. One challenge though, is finding a place where Dad hasn't previously visited. So on my Brother's recommendation, we tried Roosters last week. It's just off Boone's main street and looks more like a corner bar from the outside. It's actually more like a sports bar that happens to serve breakfast in the morning. However, I don't think that their bar and breakfast hours run together. Or at least I didn't notice any local fixtures at the bar. As an aside, I know a friend that did that, which turned out to be beer and donuts at 5 AM. CONS - Relatively slow table service. +/- Folger's Plus type of coffee PROS - Easy street parking, which is basically true anywhere in Boone. - Nice Community vibe with a local "Men's Club" meeting at the next table. - Good Midwest comfort food in large portions. - A relatively inexpensive meal. -

This is a regular Tuesday spot that my husband and I frequently go to for breakfast. New owners…read morerevamped the menu and let me tell you they did their dang thing:)!!!! My husband gets the blueberry pancakes every time and switch between biscuits and gravy or country fried steak both are delicious:)!!!! The blueberry pancakes have so many fresh blueberries in them and the sausage gravy is full of flavor:)!!!! The servers know our drink order and have them waiting on the counter as soon as we arrive:)! That's great customer service:)!!!! It's just a nice relaxed breakfast/lunch spot:)!!!! When you walk in the door you feel like you're home:)!!!! I will continue to come here as long as I live in Boone:)!!!!

Unfortunately, we used to frequent the Whistle Stop Cafe on a very regular basis. We've been there…read moreonce since it changed hands. The menu changed almost completely & the food just isn't the same. The daily specials have changed (which many of them were a staple to people in the community & often they'd run out even before the lunch hour). Not having some of our old time favorites offered we just haven't been able to bring ourselves to going back. I wish them nothing but all the best wishes and know that many, many people are extremely satisfied with the changes but it just isn't for us anymore. Miss it for sure.

About an hour and a half drive but well worth the trip!…read moreSaturday early afternoon and it was packed...about a half hour wait for seating was the only downside. Service was outstanding and the staff seemed to be handling multiple aspects of the jobs and helping each other out...no one just did one thing and I think that really sped up the service. Katie was our primary server and was outstanding! We ordered up a two and a three meat deal and had Campground Beans, Creamy Coleslaw, Cheesy Potatoes,, and Mac & Cheese as sides as well as a slice of Texas Toast and Cornbread as sides....oh, and Golden Corn Nuggets as an appetizer. The Corn Nuggets were good and sweet and served up with honey and a ranch sauce for dipping. The meat choices were 3) Ribs, Pork Loin, and Turkey Breast....and 2) Pork Loin and Turkey Breast. The smoke on everything was amazing and just the right amount for excellent flavors..the ribs were very meaty. Some places ribs leave you wanting but not at Watcha Smoking! The Pork Loin and the Turkey Breast were both very good as well...still tender and not dried out. I liked the Neck of the Woods sauce the best (mild tomato based) as well as the Carolina Gold sauce...it had nice kick to it. The sides were all good but the only issue was the Cheesy Potatoes were a bit dry.....I'm thinking that it must've been towards the end of the batch and had been sitting around for a bit. Cornbread was excellent, Texas Toast tops, Coleslaw was a good shredded, wet slaw, the Mac and Cheese very good, and the Campground Beans were the preferred side as they had some good chunks of smoked meats mixed in. Fantastic place, great for small groups and large groups as well...great food and great service...Definitely worth the trip!

Really enjoyed the premier BBQ joint in the greater Des Moines area in my visit to Whatcha Smokin'…read morein the midst of a rural backdrop, this place was definitely worth the 45 minute trek from the state capital for delicious brisket, corn, slaw and sweet tea at a very affordable price. I appreciated the dual restaurant ambiance for a service side with waiters or a order at the register style. All BBQ restaurants have one or the other but not both. The meet was tender and juicy and as their name would suggest - smoked to perfection. I don't know if I'll find myself in Iowa ever again but if I do I will definitely make another pilgrimage to Whatcha smokin for the states best BBQ

Went here for lunch with the family, this place has a lovely charm - and was at one point a train…read moredepot. Our server was attentive, and it was quiet enough to have a pleasant conversation over lunch. Three of our table had the daily special - a ribeye sandwich with caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, their version of sweet and saucy steak sauce. Everyone enjoyed it - and I stole a few fries which were golden crisp and perfectly seasoned. I was assured their fries are consistently delicious. I had pork shoulder with two sides, i went with hallelujah potatoes (cheesy potato casserole) and cornbread pudding. The pork was melt in your mouth tender, perfect with the sweet and sassy bbq sauce. Each plate comes with some pickle slices and pickled onions, the onions were nice - i gave my pickles away as i am not a savory pickle girl. The hallelujah potatoes were cheesy, creamy and crunchy (topping) and the cornbread pudding tasty. The lemonade was recommended to me and it was well done - tart and sweet. Overall if I had more time in town I would definitely come back.

Just some suggestions for future guests. Please ask first if guests want to be seated on patio. We…read morewere taken outside on patio, granted the plastic sheets were down, but it was a cool, rainy day. We were told the heaters would be turned on. They weren't. We asked to be moved inside and a they moved us to the loudest part, next to bathrooms and opening to patio, so still cool. Waitress had no time for us, maybe because we were asked to be moved. Idk. Food was good. If the name of your restaurant is "cornbred" you would think your meat dish would come with a piece of cornbread. Instead you have to order it as an appetizer which are muffins. How about one little muffin person placed on the table. I would also maybe include a side with your meal (maybe less meat) to accommodate for the side. Just suggestions. It is a cute place though.

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!

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.

We always try to eat here when we are in town to visit family. The menu is quite good but the…read morespecials are usually even better. We had the Baja Shrimp Taco special last Wed and restaurant week started so we had the entire Thai tasting menu on Friday. It was fabulous - please check it out. It is Midwest hot, not Thai hot. Staff is always great. We almost always end with carrot cake - I had ZoeBakes carrot cake in the Twin Cities and it was not anywhere close to as tasty as The Cafe's version. I would agree with some other posts that the lighting in some areas makes it very hard to read the menus or see your food. Updated lighting would be helpful. We try to come early and get a spot near the windows so that we can see better.

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!

Like many other places in Boone, this restaurant is perfectly serviceable. Food and service…read moreexperience is consistent, and considering where you are, the offerings and food quality is pretty solid. My go to are the fajitas but I've seen tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas get ordered by others I'm with all without complaints. Food comes out pretty quick also so easy in and out for lunch.

Dad and I recently had supper here and choice La Carreta for 2 reasons:…read more 1. It was one of the few restaurants that he hadn't been. 2. The family of the Wife of a local Subaru service tech that I know owns the restaurant. That's not really a firm connection, and I didn't mention anything until we were about the leave. La Carreta is attached to the American Inn and currently has a few extra rooms that they're not using. When Dad and I were here, it was busy enough. Service (by the Wife's Uncle I think) was pleasant, welcoming, and helpful. We also had a nice comfortable booth, with warm chips provided. Dad had some sort of super burrito, while I picked a spicey grilled chicken dish (pollo loco) with tortillas.. We both enjoyed our big portion choices and I appreciated not having refried beans, and enjoying the meat for what it was. Our spice was about right, and there was no need for hot sauce. Mexican beers rounded out our meal, with the final check being very reasonable. Here's what my local Subaru service tech emailed afterwards: OMG!!! I'm glad you went Eric, what did you think of the food?