The inside of this place has been updated. The food portions are huge and hot and fresh. No dirty grill taste. Service was pretty fast and waiting staff was very nice and accommodating. Would eat there again. read more

Stopped here after meeting up with our daughter. She ordered the walleye platter with coleslaw. My husband ordered the chili cheddar burger and cottage cheese. Ithe onion burger with a loaded baked potato. Food was decent. The onion burger was the best. My daughter enjoyed her fish. The waitress was super sweet. Big cafe but we were the only family in that section. read more

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Called Sue's Kitchen Unsure how to start this review because there's nothing else in the area or even within a short drive to eat for breakfast so we ended up here. Place was busy so we thought it'll be fine. One person doing table service for 20+ tables. The entire place. One server. 30+ minute wait for simple breakfast items. Most likely one cook. Place was very warm. Poor ventilation. Smokey/steamy from the kitchen. Bathrooms were cooler than the dining room. The floors were so filthy dirty our shoes were sticking to them. Once the food arrived it was fine, but overpriced. read more

The Embers Restaurant and Lounge - Eggs and toast, omelette, two pancake orders. $60+ - New American Near Me - Avoca, Iowa

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Breakfasts here are good, lunch is OK, but the dinner portions and food quality isn't what it used to be.

Clean inviting space. Staff of super friendly and accommodating. We got the hot beef special. The beef was cold, gravy warmish. It was good. Just wish it was hot. read more

There was a sweet older lady who greeted me here, and they had wonderful Also great root

If I were you I would just keep on driving by. This place was awful. We waited for everything far too long. Our food was undercooked taken back to the kitchen and microwaved... INSTEAD of being recooked‍‍ who even does that???? Then it took 10 minutes for them to find the manager and then they couldn't even find them. When we told our waitress we weren't paying for it they seemed perturbed. It was chicken livers holy crap!! How easy was that to cook‍ I won't be back!! read more

Mixed results tonight at our late dinner. Based on other comments, we went with the fried chicken, which is pressure-cooked ( AKA Broasted). Soup and salad bar was adequate with some good items and some not so good. The chicken was very good; cooked to order, hot and crispy and tasty tater tots; what a combo!! Garlic toast was too salty. The dining room has older tables and plastic chairs. One odd concern: there was an odor in the bathroom and (less noticeable) in the dining room. read more

Don't order the fish unless you really like salt. Everything is greasy including the floor. Ok coffee. Pie is good. Sandwiches are the best. Breakfast is great & you guessed it greasy. Service is slow but friendly. It's decorated like a 50's diner. Lots of memorabilia. read more

Stopped on our way back home. We were too hungry to wait till we got there, and this place sounded interesting on Yelp. I got the small appetite shrimp platter. We just wanted something quick, so I got this instead of the full dinner. I wasn't aware that I had a small appetite, but this was more than enough for a full meal. The shrimp were very good. Nice and crisp and juicy. I had the tater tots with them, and they were tasty too. The funny thing was that they were hard to tell apart. When the plate first came out I couldn't tell if I had a plate full of taters or shrimp. My wife ordered the catfish and the salad bar. Ooops - out of catfish and the salad bar was already closed, even though it was 90 minutes before closing. She ended up getting a burger with a side salad instead. She was extremely happy with the burger and fries, but the salad was just so-so. On a whim I got a chocolate shake. I should act on my whims more often. Look at the picture - it tasted even better. The staff were friendly, but our waters never got refilled even though we were the only ones there. And for a really good buy, it would be hard to beat. read more

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Love love love this restaurant. The owner, Roseanne is as nice as the day is long! Her food is absolutely delicious. My husband has been coming here since 1995, me since 2005. Things haven't changed, well they now take credit cards. The service is always great and the restaurant is always very busy. The walleye dinner is my husband's favorite. I like the broiled salmon. When we come thru we try to make a point and atop. It's my husband's favorite fishing hole! If you ever get the chance, atop in and have some great walleye. Just don't stay next door at the Acova Inn. read more

This is your typical small town restaurant with sandwiches, burgers, chicken, and fish. We go there often because it is easy and close to home. The food is decent and fair priced. The inside and exterior are dated. read more

Staff was great, food we ordered not so much. The deep fried walleye was pretty good but the broiled version was terrible, it was mushy, almost like it had been boiled. Which it was in a plate of butter, than put in the broiler. But can't judge a place on these two dishes and to be fair the server offered to replace my dish. Broad menu, fair prices. So give it a try and avoid that broiled walleye! read more

Your boy took a gamble on this dingebucket because the only other options were either culturally bereft or your standard gas station slopglop. What a tragic salad web they weaved--watery and straight from a bag with dressing on the side and in its original store-bought bottle (y'all gotta at least provide the illusion of some sauce sorcery lest I realize I could get this trash at the Dollar General). The burger was plane Jane and so mundane, void of any garnish and about as robust as a Wonder-bunned dust bunny. I should've saved my money for your boy Des Moines, sheeeeeeeeeeeaaa read more

Want a killer breakfast for super cheap? This is your place. Close to I-80. Just don't bother with the coffee unless you are desperate -- it tastes like burnt popcorn. I had two eggs, toast, hash browns and three strips of bacon for $5.95. Can't beat that! The hash browns and bacon didn't blow me away, but the eggs and toast were excellent. Not much room to complain at that price. Waitresses were very nice and we didn't wait long. Oh, and they had slices of pie in the fridge! This one might be more like a 3.5 stars, but its better than a 3. If the prices hadn't been dirt cheap, I would have been more critical. read more

Have you ever stumbled across a small-town restaurant and realized you'd found a true hidden gem, a best-kept local secret just begging to be discovered by some food critic who would marvel that such a great restaurant could thrive outside a big city? Well, The Embers is not that place. BUT, I'll give it this: it's a good place for basic steakhouse-style fare. Came in to The Embers off the interstate on a Sunday night to numerous stares from the clientele, most of whom appeared to at least 70 years old. We definitely felt like the outsiders we were. But the staff was super nice. Broad menu, unless you're a vegetarian. Salad bar was pretty limited. I ordered one of the smaller steak dinners with baked potato and thought it was a good meal for the money. They have several pie & crisp choices for dessert, and these were delicious. read more

Very good food, friendly, clean, worth the stop! Slaw, burgers, baked pork tenderloin, all excellent. read more

The Embers Restaurant and Lounge - New American Near Me - Avoca, Iowa

Stopped here about 9pm and my husband and I ordered the 6oz steak. The salad bar was already closed, but they accommodated my request for a side salad. It was very wet and watered down my dressing which I ordered on the side. The sreak came out and they were generous portions. My husband had ordered medium well and I ordered medium. Both were cooked to medium rare when we cut into them. His went back for more time on the grill. Eating slowly, I wadhalfway done before his food came back out. Now it was cooked to medium. As, I got to the othe side of my piece of meat, I realized that side was rare. I did not finish it. Not sure if it was an inexperienced cook or an uneven heating source. Awesome pieces of meat, seasoned well that were ruined by inadequate cooking. Their mashed potatoes were good and the server was average. read more

The Embers Restaurant and Lounge - This was supposed to cooked to medium. That was raw meat in the middle. - New American Near Me - Avoca, Iowa

I had the daily special. Homemade meatloaf and mashed potatoes obviously made by someone's Grandma. Good comfort food.

Hands down the best fried chicken I've ever had. I travel a lot across the US and have been to highly rated fried chicken places! It was just perfect! Crispy on the outside & juicy inside! Wow! I mean WOW!! My mom's cheeseburger was very good too. Her onion rings were great! I also got the salad bar, which is small but very fresh and tasty. I'm so glad that this was our place to stop for the night & we went there! Can't wait to go again! read more

I opted for the special for a late night meal on the road. Chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and toast plus a trip through the salad bar. Salads were fresh and homemade which was a very nice surprise. The salad bar was a bit small but adequate for me. My meal was good. Homemade mashed etc. The place obviously has a great past. It was probably a rocking supper club back in the day. It's a bit confused now. Part supper club, part cafe, part soda fountain. I found it quirky and fun. And the kitchen is giving good effort. I'd recommend giving it a try. read more

Chicken was great and enjoyed salad bar. Nice service. It is located close to interstate. Atmosphere was relaxed.

We have stopped here several times. Each time we are totally happy with our meal. Last time we stopped, I had the best chicken philly I have ever had! My husband had the hot beef and he also said that it was the best he had ever had. It is a bummer that they don't take cards, but there is a sign on the door that states that. We will continue to eat here when we are in the area. read more

Very quaint, kind, and comfortable place. Walked in and felt at home. Loved the lunch box collection and vintage board games on display. Had the salad bar and soup. Satisfied. Ordered the fried Carp. Fish was good, but the breading was strangely limp. No crunch. Wonder if it was heated up after it had been previously fried? Had tater tots instead of fries. DIVINE! Wish I Could get those all the time instead of fries. We also had the cheeseburger. DELISH! I'd stop here again. Service is so friendly! read more

Great meat! Great prices! A little rough around the edges. Passing through on a cross country trip and would stop here again if I was local. Hot roast beef was delicious. read more

We had the Sunday buffet. All was satisfactory except the fried chicken which was over the moon perfect. Best fried chicken on the planet

Excellent food. Excellent service. Excellent price. Yelp says they take credit cards... they do not. There is a gas station with an ATM nearby so make sure you hit it before you get there. read more

This is a hidden gem! I had the hot roast beef sandwich and felt like I was a kid again.... in Council Bluffs! The atmosphere was perfect and the folks were friendly and service was perfectly timed! I highly recommend this gem! And we arrived after 7 pm! read more

Seriously, you can't go wrong for breakfast here. Food is cheap and good. Everything was cooked well and with pride. They even turned on the fryer so one our guys could have mozzarella sticks read more

Probably the best place in Avoca and really cheap but slow service if you have a group. I'm not a local though.....this place would probably get a 2 from me if it were in Dallas. read more

This place was great! Home style cooking and friendly waitstaff. I'm gluten-free, and they were happy to answer my questions about ingredients. The beets in the salad bar were excellent and the waitress said they were homemade with pickling spices. I had broiled walleye that was yummy and my boyfriend had chicken parm. We really enjoyed this stop for dinner on our way to Des Moines. Right off the highway and lots of parking. read more

Been here quite a few times over the years and this place always seems to stay the same, and I love it for that. I always leave happy and with a full belly. The prices are a bit high on some dishes but over all it is quite easily affordable. The food has always been good for me, that being said I usually get burgers or the special for the day. read more

Nearly EVERYTHING is breaded and deep fried. I opted for cottage cheese with fresh fruit. It was--- fruit cocktail fresh out of the can. Atmosphere was truck stop-like. I would stay away----especially if you're looking for anything healthy. read more

Small town food at its finest! Prices are good and the food is really good!! Definitely worth stopping here!

My boyfriend is here to work for a couple weeks so we stay at the motel 6 and have gone in to eat at this place and have called in for a breakfast to go order and both times the women that work here are unfriendly. The salad bar is pitiful and the food is okay nothing special. Slow service. read more

Extremely slow service. Hash browns over cooked. Eggs tasted like fry egg not scrambled. Omelet had sliced ham stacked in one area, not chopped ham. A bad experience. read more

The salad bar was acceptable. Good amount of fresh veggies, beets, kraut, radish, carrots,very good cucumbers in sauce, croutons, fresh onions. Service good. I enjoyed the baked cod, and baked potato both done perfectly. Toast too salty, lighten up. Rhubarb crisp warmed up was OK, more like oatmeal and rhubarb with walnuts, to mushy for me. Most of the foods were home-made, that is a treat. You can find several meals without deep frying foods. read more

Good stop when passing through Avoca (just off I-80). Inexpensive, good food. Friendly staff. Americana food and decor.

Food is OK. Decor is older. Staff is friendly, but slow. Do not accept credit/debit cards.