Nice quiet place to stop for dinner. I had steak and eggs. I am going to say something I rarely say. The steak was perfect. I am very picky when it comes to my meat. The place was clean. And smells clean. The waitress was very nice.. Now the only thing I seen was instead of just standing behind the register, she needed to be straighting the chairs. Yes the place was clean but even if the chairs are misaligned it makes the place look trashy. I will gladly go back and eat there again. That is another plus for miss picky me. read more

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The broccoli cheese soup tasted like it didn't have any cheese in it. When I told the waitress she was rude and said that other people like it. The meatloaf tasted like there was no meat in it! My taste is fine; my husband agreed with my opinions. We won't be back. read more

I was in town for work and stopped by for lunch on my way out of town. My tenderloin was a little over cooked but still tasty and I liked the app sampler option. It was a little more on the spendy side for the area but still tasty. Seemed to be a popular spot for locals! read more

West Side Family Restaurant - Pork tenderloin sandwich - American Near Me - Grinnell, Iowa

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Another good trip here. it's about half way from des moines to North liberty. I had the turkey club again. the bacon was perfection. Upgraded to a half order of cauliflower. All was tasty. service was good. read more

West Side Family Restaurant - turkey club with half order of cauliflower. - American Near Me - Grinnell, Iowa

First time here, just passing through. Our brunch meal was awesome, I had breakfast, Linda had lunch. Our meals were cooked to perfection. Our waitress was the greatest. The atmosphere was cozy and quaint, beautifully decorated cafe. read more

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I love Westside...my GoTo for Breakfast whenever I am in town to watch the Grinnell College Pioneers play Football ! Terrific Coffee, Raisin Toast with your Omelet and Crispy Hash Browns. Service is great... friendly and affordable ! read more

I returned the chef salad due to poor quality meat, thinly sliced deli turkey and ham. I expected real turkey and ham steak meat. The cook/chef, came out and chastised me for not asking in advance the type of meat, stated he had to throw a way a perfectly good salad (I am sure the staff ate it), and still charged me for it. What happened to the customer is always right. Never again will I step foot in that place. Disappointing food; Rude cook/chef/manager/owner read more

Excellent. This place is one of those little inconspicuous go-to joints that most travelers would miss. The place is clean. The staff is very friendly. The food was perfect. The soup was good. Loved the chicken fried steak. It was an actual steak, not a lump of chopped meat. Lots of gravy. The best part is that they are not overly expensive. A place worthwhile eating at. read more

West Side Family Restaurant - Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup - American Near Me - Grinnell, Iowa

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Road tripping through Iowa and stopped in Grinnell at West Side Family Restaurant for a job interview. The interview went great! I got the job! But I'm writing to share about the marvelous pork tenderloin sandwich. Iowan's take their pork tenderloin sandwiches very seriously and there is a statewide, friendly competition to pick the best sandwich in the Tall Corn State. Not being much of an expert in the finer points of pork tenderloin sandwiches, I will say that West Side hand-breads the tenderloins and serves them fresh and crispy on a brioche bun. The tenderloin was just a little bit bigger than the bun, so it was manageable as a sandwich. Served with the usual pickles, fresh onion and lettuce. The only let down is that the mayo is served in a foil packet. Otherwise a fine execution of Iowa's favorite sandwich. read more

West Side Family Restaurant - This isn't the bun my sandwich was served with, hopefully West Side continues with the brioche version! - American Near Me - Grinnell, Iowa

We just had breakfast here for the first time and think we have found a new favorite to add to our list of Grinnell gems. I do love that you can seat yourself, but we were also greeted promptly and warmly. There was plenty of space and the atmosphere is clean, bright, and nicely done. My wife got the Crabcakes Benedict, and I got the Iowa's Breakfast and both were outstanding! My wife can't stand bell peppers, which we didn't know were in the crabcakes, but she said the dish was so delicious she didn't even care! I was a bit surprised at first, seeing how small the ham steak was in the Iowa's Breakfast. However, it turned out to be super thick and super juicy and was really just the perfect portion size! We both can't wait to return for lunch or even dinner since they have a full bar and quite a long list of great cocktails that seemed to be very reasonably priced. We will be back soon for sure. read more

The Reuben was delicious. I really enjoyed the sweet potato fries, they were not overcooked and seasoned just right. The service by Jess was excellent. The pecan pie was good, but I wouldn't call this tiny bit a slice of pie. The prices are fair, except for the "mini" bit of pie. read more

West Side Family Restaurant - American Near Me - Grinnell, Iowa

My traditional breakfast order eggs/bacon/toast/hashbrowns/coffee was AWESOME! For over 40 years this has been my usual breakfast order and I always ask for hash browns and bacon to be prepared EXTRA CRISP! It is indeed rare when both come back that way. West Side Family Restaurant checked ALL the boxes and served THE BEST CRISPY HASHBROWNS I HAVE EVER HAD! I told the cashier to please convey my thanks to the cook! read more

Are good was good, our waiter was very nice, they have amazing food I recommend their raisin cream pie and their cowboy burger! The food was perfectly cooked. They were also very quiet and didn't seem too loud which was nice.I would say that if you need to stop somewhere for a sweet treat like pie or if you want a meal and you need to stop in grinnell I recommend the west side dinner. read more

Always friendly waiters and waitresses. Always clean and the food is good! Take time out of your weekend schedule or weekly schedules to go see the place for itself. read more

Well-executed basic American small town food. No folderol. Welcoming staff. Lots of photos and other decor that reflect the local family history of the place. read more

Excellent family restaurant with friendly service and wholesome food. The pork tenderloin sandwich is AMAZING!! We also had great sandwiches and pie! read more

Good food and service. Had gluten free bread that was yummy! Service was friendly. Would definitely go there again!

Have had breakfast foods and dinner foods. With the pandemic we have ordered "Togo" staff js always nice, food is ready with silverware and napkins. We do wish they offered sausage gravy for breakfast later in the day (only until 11am) maybe on the weekends they could consider it ?? Still a nice local restaurant, with good menu choices, quick service, fair prices, and a hometown feel ! read more

I'm always slightly apprehensive about being a stranger in a small town and hitting up the local establishment. Sometimes I fear being made unwelcome. That definitely wasn't an issue when I walked in around 7PM on a Friday evening. I was promptly greeted and seated. I ordered a hot tea and they offered a very nice spread of five or six different teas--far better than the cheap Sysco bag many other places offer. I ordered the sirloin for approximately $14. It comes with a potato option and their homemade salad bar. I went with the baked potato and it came with a packet of sour cream like you get at Wendy's. That may have been the only downside, though I've been in another steakhouse nearby that does the same thing. The salads were delicious--potato salad, three bean, a Mexican-inspired salad with corn, along with necessary accompaniments to make your own tossed salad. I only noticed two types of dressing--ranch and French. The steak could have used some seasoning (no flavor otherwise), but seemed to be a reasonable cut of meat. The server checked back in on me at least twice which I appreciate. There's a full case of pies at the front that appear to change regularly. As a bonus, they sold me two of their mugs for $5/each and the person in charge ran to the basement to get new ones. Fantastic service. Food is serviceable. I wouldn't recommend against West Side and will probably return, but I wouldn't insist on getting off I-80 if you were traveling through either. read more

Recommendation: Super clean and friendly, the food was just okay. I might come back! Service: The service at West Side is well suited for its type and size of dining establishment. Our food came out quickly and our server checked in on us throughout the meal to make sure we were happy. She did seem a bit stressed and hurried, but of course that doesn't speak for other servers or other dining experiences. Our ticket was given to us with our dessert, so when we finished we were able to quickly pay at the counter and leave. Ambience: I was really impressed with West Side's interior. It was bright and airy and felt quite inviting when we first came through the door. The frosted glass between booths was nice. The walls were freshly painted and clean and modern accents adorned the walls, salad bar and bathrooms. I was disappointed that there was no background music of any kind (a common gripe of mine) even though it was packed with enthusiastically loud diners. When compared to the more run-down restaurants in town like A&M, Frontier and Chuong Garden, I really have to appreciate the pride the owners take in keeping West Side presentable and appealing. Food: For our first visit to West Side, we wanted to try an appetizer. Thankfully an appetizer sampler is offered, which allowed us to choose three of the eight options. We opted for jalapeño potato cheese bites, corn nuggets and pickle chips. The corn nuggets were by far the standout portion of the sampler. A single bite blends the crispy texture of the golden brown batter shell with its creamy, semi-sweet contents. While this was my first time trying corn nuggets, I can't imagine a better execution. In comparison, the jalapeño potato cheese bites were a little underwhelming. The cheese and potatoes were fine, but the levels of flavor and kick we expected just weren't there. The pickle chips were not too bad! I recall Dari Barn's rendition to contain slightly thicker dill pickle slices that gives each piece more substance, but West Side's version was passable. Our server suggested the half-order would be sufficient for two, and after seeing the appetizer we were definitely satisfied with the quantity. In fact, we still had a few bites left when our food came out! I ordered a pulled chicken melt as my entrée and my dining partner ordered the clam strips. The chicken melt consists of smoked pulled chicken and melted pepper jack cheese encased by generously thick slices of Texas toast. It came out piping hot, with lettuce, pickles, onions and barbecue sauce on the side. Some regions of the bread were slightly soggy, which unfortunately voided any crunchy texture when I bit into those areas. More cheese would have also been appreciated, but the sandwich was pretty good way it was. Meanwhile, the clam strip entree left much to be desired. It came with a potato side (we chose hash browns) and a free trip to the salad bar, but even with that added value over the melt it failed to meet expectations. The "clam" resembled rubber more than an edible, delectable seafood. It was dry, tough and tasteless, with the breading packing more of a punch than the clam it contained. The hash browns were thankfully slightly better, but still were somewhat tragic. Rather than having a nicely browned top and bottom, the potatoes were roasted brown-black, well past the point of retaining flavor or moisture. That being said, the center of the hash brown was unaffected by the incinerator in the kitchen and were perfectly done. It's too bad that only a third of the potatoes were palatable, though. We finished off our lunch at West Side with a delicious strawberry shortcake dessert to share. A generous dollop of whipped cream perched on delightfully fluffy, flakey biscuits drenched in strawberries and their juices. The strawberries were a little mushy and almost definitely were frozen and the juice probably came out of the same freezer bag, but they nonetheless delivered just the right amount of sweetness to the dish. Price: The amount and quality of food doesn't particularly justify the price, in my opinion. An 8-dollar sandwich should come with a side and a 12-dollar entrée (the cheapest of the seafood options) should be edible, even in landlocked Iowa. However, the appetizer and dessert, 8 and 3 dollars respectively, were well worth the price. A 40-dollar meal at most of the other restaurants in town would at least result in a small box of leftovers, where this left us none. Recommendation: If you like bright and clean restaurants serving decent American food, West Side is the place for you. It isn't worth the 1+ mile walk from campus, but if you have a ride, the corn nuggets, melts and other menu items are worth trying. read more

This place is located off Highway 6 and not close to I80, but decided to stop for brunch on Sunday on the way home. I was disappointed with the menu, there was very little breakfast choices. Like three. I decided on the tenderloin with fries. The tenderloin was just OK, good price. The food was just diner food quick and simple. My squeeze got the chicken strips and wasn't impressed either. The service was not great, and seamed to be catered to the locals as a place to hang out when you are not doing anything, but if you are traveling you kind of want to move along. If you are not in a hurry and want some plain diner food this is the place to stop, but don't plan on breakfast. read more

Breakfast was good. Didn't wait at all for a table. Lots of families seem to like it.

We have always had great food and service here. My husband loves their tenderloin and I love their chef salad!

The food isn't fancy, but it's good, and they have an extensive menu. So, go in with the right expectations and you won't be disappointed. Our waiter was very busy, but was able to give us good enough service to take care of business in a friendly manner. read more

Lunch was pretty good, a tenderloin for my wife and a chili burger for me, but the highlight was Laura's pies- butterscotch for her and blueberry for me. Totally down home mom food if your mom makes Grade AA pie! read more

I've gone to Westside before and have always had questionable service. However, this last I went was the worst dining experience I've ever had in my life. I went for breakfast with my family, the place was nearly empty (only three other patrons). There were four servers milling around and whom I presumed to be the owner of the restaurant. We had to find one of the servers, all who were chatting it up in the back of the restaurant, to seat us after waiting for five minutes, which was way too long of a wait. We ordered our food and drinks, but not until we were told that they were out of several items and had a broken coffee machine. The silverware we were given still had hardened food specks on them. The food was not good at all. My omelet was undercooked. The hash browns were dry. The waitress never came back to see how we were doing or how our food was. I would have returned the food if she had come back to check on us. Anyway, I left still hungry since I couldn't stomach eating my entire breakfast. I will never go here again. A&M Cafe is so much better. read more

BEST Country Fried Steak I have ever had!!! I love these little places in the middle of no where. That's not very hard being that everywhere is no where in Iowa. Just a cute little family restaurant next to a two lane highway in the middle of corn/pork/what ever else...middle of the bread basket of America. The country fried steak was out of this world. What else is there to say...it was just perfect completely covered in white gravy. And the mash potatoes in brown gravy completely over the top. I was in gravy heaven. I would also recommend the dill potato salad. Everything just taste so so very home cooked, and just delicious. read more

Stayed over in Grinnelle Iowa and was recommended to go to West Side family restaurant actually by another family staying at our hotel. Grilled pork sandwich was good, pulled pork sandwich was good, onion rings are good and crunchy and a big order, they are the small onion rings. I had the chicken tenders, although the taste was good and they were hand breaded, the chicken was tough which was disappointing . The staff is very friendly and you get great service. Maybe my chicken tenders was just an off night, but my two other people that got the pork sandwiches said they were great. So I do recommend this restaurant. read more

Stopped here on our cross country road trip. Great customer service. My husband and son shared the full rack of baby back ribs. They both devoured it. My favorite was the salad bar lots to choose from everything was yummy. My daughter enjoyed her breakfast meal. Great atmosphere for hungry travelers. We also got dessert, chocolate lava cake and strawberry short cake. Everything was delicious. There is a lot of options which is great. read more

We always go there as a family and their food is amazing.Always done right and always leaves you filled.would recommend to everyone as a good place to eat. read more

We got 6 miles off the highwai on our way back to chicago to get to this restaurant but it was worth it Good food and nice staff and prices are fair I've had a nasroom swiss and my fiance had omlett it was really good Thanks. .. read more

Stopped to visit family and we all went here. I don't want to slam a small family owned(?) place but a couple of issues. I ordered their famous chicken salad sandwich. The chicken salad was pleasant but let me tell you, that was the only thing in the plate! Not a chip, a pickle spear or sprig of parsley in sight. The children's meals were served almost immediately and so they were left to watch the adults eat as our meals came well After the children had finished theirs. Not sure where that timing makes sense. Sorry, Westside. read more

Good standard food with excellent service. The place is owned and operated by a family so it's absolutely family-friendly.

We have eaten at Westside Family Restaurant often since we moved to town 5 years ago. Very friendly staff and the food is always perfect. Westside is a nice family establishment and the owners are usually there so you know you will be taken care of. Food is always great and the price is middle of the road. Not too high not to low but right at what you would expect to pay for a small town restaurant with great service to boot. read more

Stopped here on our way to Des Moines & we were a little hesitant when we saw the outside of the restaurant but boy were we wrong! Hubby had their smoked wings & he's had wings all over the country - said they were the BEST EVER!! I had chicken tenders & fries - delicious too. For dessert? Rhubarb pie that was to die for! GO HERE EVERYONE!!! read more

A great lunch spot. The food is reasonably priced and while not a standout does what it should. What is a standout are the pies and the large beverage list, offering both coke and Pepsi and a huge assortment of coffees from all over Central and South America. read more

A reliable spot for Midwest comfort food-- a salad bar with a rotation of various homey salads, a standard assortment of sandwiches (burgers, tenderloin, etc.) and some hot plate specials like steak, walleye, etc. with mashed potatoes and bread. I usually go for the grilled walleye, which is tender and nicely seasoned. The pies range from decent to great (though sometimes a bit too sweet for me) read more

Good. size portions, fast service, reasonable prices and delicious food. We are breakfast there and would est there again. It's a couple miles off I-80, but provides good food at reasonable prices. read more

Love having breakfast here! Great prices and great food! They also have an amazing lunch and supper menu. Great service all around and its locally owned! read more

Great place a few miles off the interstate. Had the cheeseburger and fries. Fries seemed homemade, not frozen. Clean, great service, and cheap! read more