I don't expect a good Vietnamese restaurant in Ames but I was wrong! As a student from Vietnam and…read morelived in other big cities in California, I have to admit their food bringcback my childhood flavor which I did not have for more than 10 years. I order their beef pho. It was simple but when tasting the beef, I was surprised how good it is. It tastes like my childhood pho from my hometown. I also ordered the fried rice and this is the fried rice I want in a Vietnamese restaurant. It has smoke flavor similar when I ate in my hometown. Some Vietnamese restaurants in California does not have that flavor. It's hard to describe but I admit their food is authentic. Wish their business goes well for a long time

Ok, I gotta be honest... I had low expectations since I'm from San Jose, CA. BUT DANG! The beef pho…read morebroth here is better than some places back at home. Just keep in mind that the pho doesn't have the usual specialty cuts of meat like tendon, tripe, etc. which I totally understand considering the location. I'd come back to try other things!

My Windsor Heights Ocha location has been seeing a little less traffic lately... My guess is it's…read morebecause the choices for boba are increasing on the West side and in the metro in general. This will always by my go to spot! My daughter and I both prefer it to any of the others... New or old. Absolutely love Aom and Nick (the owners) and the staff is always great here! The Hokkaido with less ice, 50% sugar, and with coffee jelly is my standard order. It's so good I can't see that ever changing...and I sure hope I never have to change it up. Aom and Nick also own Eat Thai up on 22nd and an Ocha location in Ankeny! Check out their expanded dessert menu too!

It tasted like waffles with toppings, which are good, but it was mid and super over-priced…read more Wouldn't recommend

Shaking Boba takes the GOLD for boba! Been to so many local…read moreboba cafes in Des Moines but Shaking Boba does it the best. I appreciate the different milk options for the milk teas. Very accommodating and food allergy safe cafe. We love all their milk and fruit teas with boba. And they have NEVER run out of boba when we've visited. Even at the end of the night right before closing. That speaks VOLUMES of their management. They have even served us 10 minutes before closing with my phone order to cure my boba addiction. Service is always friendly. The owner, Paray, is there sometimes and she makes our visits so pleasant. Cafe is easy to find on University, plenty of parking, and shop is always clean. Super cute decor with egg seats and booths. Seasonal decorations make this cafe super fun to visit all year long. I love how Shaking Boba loves their community. Sometimes they host special events. Highly recommend!! Don't go anywhere but Shaking Boba!!

I've ordered here multiple times before I moved out of Iowa but it's so good. I usually order the…read moremango bubble tea. It has a yogurt mango taste but it's not too sour the way yogurt is. It's tart and flavorful. It may be too sweet for some but you can adjust the sweetness percentage! The atmosphere is like a candy shop when you walk in. You can't really see the workers because there's a massive wall blocking you from them but they have a self ordering station at that wall. So if you're an introvert or would prefer not to talk to anyone this is a good place to get boba!

Today I visited with my boyfriend and upon first walking in, I knew I wanted a matcha latte, but…read moresince it was cold outside I wanted it to be hot. I asked the server if he could add the extra cream topping to it and he was very accommodating. It's not typical for someone to order that so he made sure to let me know that he wanted to know how it tasted My boyfriend ordered the Red Dragon tea and we both bought pins (which you pull at random from a box for 3 bucks each) and he really enjoyed it! My hot matcha latte with crème brûlée cream was really good as well and incredibly sweet, I think I will order something similar to it when I come back. Overall, the service was great, the drinks were excellent, and the atmosphere was very relaxing. They have plenty of chairs with a decent amount of room between them and classical music playing over the speakers.

Lady was very rude. Been here 20 plus times and never had that. She also didn't give us boba in any…read moreof our drinks :/

1/19/26 5:00 p.m…read more Walk-in Food: The selection available here is outstanding! Between the drink options and the general store merchandise, there is so much to look at; so many new things to try. My go-to was an iced Thai milk tea with boba, but I recently tried the taro milk tea and now I'm hooked lol. This last visit, I had my daughter with me and she asked if they had a regular chocolate shake (they don't), but the employee that was taking our order was incredibly sweet and helped us pick out something that would work. She made a chocolate banana shake and just omitted the banana, as well as added frozen strawberries on top for my daughter; it was delicious. One of my favorite things to get as well is the matcha mochi; I'm so glad they carry them! Service: Every time we've been in, the employees are wonderful. We're greeted with a smile and positive attitude as well as patience. They are quick and efficient when preparing your order. This last visit, one incredibly sweet employee even came out to give my daughter quarters (from her own wallet) for the claw machine. She most definitely went above and beyond :) Ambiance: It's quaint and cozy inside. It's pretty well organized and kept very clean. There aren't too many tables to sit at, so it can get crowded if it's busy, but it never really seems to be an issue. The variety of items available is awesome as well as the large selection of freshly made-to-order drinks. They have frozen items that you're able to warm up and eat there as well. This is a great little spot for people that want to get some work done also; it's like a little coffee café, just better. The overall noise level can get a bit elevated, but headphones can easily cancel it out if you're sitting down inside.

Food is always excellent. Served with style and courtesy…read more Great place to go with adult friends and husband.. possibly a business lunch place though. I think they do have private rooms for private launches.

The only Vietnamese restaurant in town with Limited hours. The Pad Thai is little sour than what I…read moreused to.

Owner is nasty and mean to the customers. Food was not good. Owner doesn't care about her customersread more

I really enjoy going here when I can; the food and milk teas are great, the owner and staff are so…read morekind and it's just a really cute place to check out. :) Highly recommend

Great stop on our drive through Iowa! The salt and pepper shrimp and the chicken with vegetables…read morewere both fresh and flavorful, and the oolong boba tea was a perfect treat. A satisfying meal that fueled us well for the long drive ahead.

Cute boba tea shop with cute squirrel branding! The drinks are decent, but they aren't the most…read moreoptions and a lot of the ones they have are more fruity and less focused on the tea part of boba tea. Cute interior space, but most people when I was here were coming to pick up and/or take to go. Packaging was a bit lackluster and basically just clear cups with a paper sticker on them that dissolved in your hand as your cup became covered in condensation. But you can pay extra for their cuter designed reusable bottles, which ehhhh. I got one of their "Fijian" drinks with lychee jellies, which is like a full proper fruit drink since none of their milk tea options really excited me, and an Oreo smoothie for my boyfriend. We both liked ours and there's not a ton of other options in the area, so this'll do!

Fun tea varieties, and service is always great! Cute and cozy inside whether you're waiting to take…read moreyour tea to go, or staying awhile.

This is my "go to" Chinese Restaurant in Ames. They do many things well such as hot pot,…read moredry-braised, noodle soups and cold and hot appetizers. My all-time favorite is a sour fish noodle soup with pickled mustard cabbage. Try the cold, ox organ appetizer! The service is friendly, but not great. Sel-help is required when ordering and boxing up leftover food. The ambiance is acceptable, but not outstanding. I go there for a quick lunch so my expectations for service are nominal. I go there because I like the food so much.

Had the chicken with 3 pepper and it was absolutely excellent. It was recommended by the super…read morefriendly guy behind the counter who gave me advice on what to do in town as well. Whole place was vibes reminded me of flushing queens. No frills but great food and people.