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    The Embers Restaurant and Lounge

    3.5 (36 reviews)
    ModerateNew American
    Open 6:30 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

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    Lunch boxes
    Bill M.

    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.

    This was supposed to cooked to medium. That was raw meat in the middle.

    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.

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    5 months ago

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    3 months ago

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    4 years ago

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

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    5 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    8 years ago

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

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    9 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    8 years ago

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

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    15 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    11 years ago

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

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    11 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    16 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    13 years ago

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

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    10 years ago

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    15 years ago

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

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    14 years ago

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

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    Review Highlights - The Embers Restaurant and Lounge

    The beets in the salad bar were excellent and the waitress said they were homemade with pickling spices.

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    Buck Snort - Honey knocker chicken sandwich on a regular bun rather than pretzel bun.

    Buck Snort

    4.7(101 reviews)
    15.0 mi
    $

    If you're traveling to or fro along I-80, this is a remarkably good stop…read more It's the very best of the Midwest--large portions, low prices, and friendly service. Its an unpretentious place in the middle of nowhere. We tried the burgers--which were awesome--but checked out other plates and I dont think there's a bad choice on the menu.

    Dad and I were on a road trip to see the UPRR Museum in Downtown Council Bluffs. We figured that…read morewe'd have lunch near there, but it was lunch time at Neola, and after a stop at the nearly Kum & Go, I found Buck Snort via a Yelp search. And after a short drive, we arrived at this cool little restaurant in small town Downtown Neola. As it turns out, this place is part of a local chain with other locations in 6 other local spots. CONS - None PROS 1. Easy access from I-80, especially if you know how to find this place. 2. Warm and inviting interior, with nice booth/table seating, at counter ordering, and friendly local clientele. 3. Buck Snort is a largely a burger and fries joynt with a number of interesting menu twists and unique names like the Boom Boom Pow! Burger. 4. Dad's choice was the "Brunch Burger", including egg, bacon and tots. He really enjoyed it. 5. I went more conventional with a cheese burger and tots. Outstanding. It's always a good thing to hit the road again on a relatively full stomach.

    Photos
    Buck Snort - Entrance off the Mean Streets of Neola Iowa

    Entrance off the Mean Streets of Neola Iowa

    Buck Snort - Fried cauliflower

    Fried cauliflower

    Buck Snort - Burger and Tots

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    Burger and Tots

    712 Eat + Drink - Fried tuna sushi

    712 Eat + Drink

    4.4(239 reviews)
    30.6 miCouncil Bluffs
    $$

    Decided to stop in for a quick lunch on a Monday. I've been here once before, but it was quite a…read morewhile ago, so I didn't really remember the quality of the food. We were seated right away, and it was a perfect day to sit outside. The hostess let us know they had workers outside, but we were totally okay with the noise, which ended up being very minimal. We didn't order any drinks, but for food, I decided to try the birria grilled cheese, which comes with one side, and I chose fries. Not only did it look so appetizing, but it tasted AMAZING. The bread had some sort of seasoning on it that added so much flavor to the sandwich. The fries were seasoned exceptionally well too. I'll definitely be back sometime soon to try more items. The food today was 10/10, and our waitress was very kind and attentive as well.

    We took the family to 712 Eat + Drink for lunch and overall had a good experience. The food had a…read morelot of promise, though a few dishes felt like they were just slightly off from being great. I had the Cubano sandwich, which was good overall, especially the smoky meat, but I think the coarse-ground mustard overpowered the flavours a bit and dulled the smokiness a bit. A plain yellow mustard might balance the sandwich better and let the smokiness shine through more. The sweet potato fries, however, were excellent. My wife Laura ordered Emily's Salad, which was pleasant and fresh, though we both thought it could have benefited from a little crunch--maybe some seeds or nuts added in. Our daughter Alex had the birria tacos and carne asada fries. The tacos were tasty, though a little on the small side, but the carne asada fries were fantastic. Umai! (I am a Rengoku fan; if you know, you know.) I highly recommend it. Our other daughter, Sam, ordered the birria grilled cheese and elote fries, and both were really good. Her cherryade was especially refreshing. The atmosphere was quiet and relaxed, though the dining area and patio felt a bit bare. A few plants outside and inside would really warm the place up and give it more character. The music was pretty good with indie hits in there. I also tried the Old Fashioned. It was definitely strong, which I appreciated, but it felt like it was missing a touch of sweetness or something to round it out. Overall, we enjoyed ourselves, and I'd absolutely go back and try more on the menu. Their waitstaff was top-notch and really were on their game. The restaurant has good ingredients and solid ideas--it just feels like a few flavour balances could be dialed in a little more.

    Photos
    712 Eat + Drink - The bar

    The bar

    712 Eat + Drink - Butchers Omelet and Breakfast Potatoes

    Butchers Omelet and Breakfast Potatoes

    712 Eat + Drink - Christmas Ale

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    Christmas Ale

    The Embers Restaurant and Lounge - newamerican - Updated July 2026

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