The Food and Drink Guy

Category: Iowa_Outside DSM metro

  • Wilson’s Orchard & Cider House (Cumming, IA) Review

    Wilson’s Orchard & Cider House (Cumming, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.6* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely)

    Total check/person: $20

    06/12/2024 Wilson’s Orchard & Ciderhouse (515) 216-0027

    We were drawn by the opportunity to pick our own strawberries, given how disappointing the flavor of most purchased in the store are – and not only did we love the strawberries, the meatballs and strawberry sundae were also delicious!

    While we did have plans for dinner at another restaurant, we stopped in at the cider house to sample what they had and then also enjoyed an appetizer as well as topping it off with an early dessert! We started with a Cider Flight (see pictue) to sample several of their ciders and while neither my wife nor myself are big cider fans, we enjoyed several of them.

    For an appetizer, we had the House Meatballs (see picture) and while they seemed a bit on the salty side, we LOVED them. Lastly, and even though we were stopping elsewhere for dinner next, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to sample a strawberry sundae (see picture). While our trunk was loaded with strawberries to last us for months and we ate our fair share while picking them…the combination with soft serve ice cream was still delicious!

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    House Meatballs
    Strawberry Sunae
    Cider Flight

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  • Heyn’s Ice Cream (North Liberty, IA) Review

    Heyn’s Ice Cream (North Liberty, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.8* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 5*

    Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely)

    Total check/person: $5

    05/23/2024 Heyn’s Ice Cream (319) 665-2249

    Saw this place in a search while visiting the Amana Colonies earlier this year and looked forward to an opportunity to stop and give it a try. Got the opportunity while traveling from the Moline area to Waterloo with a little time to spare, so took advantage of the opportunity.

    The exterior was clean, modern and inviting – with a literal buzz of excitement, activity and energy surrounding the building. The interior was a little dated, but clean and inviting – drawing your attention to the product that we are all there to enjoy.

    Best of all, and the reason for stopping in the first place, was the delicious ice cream. We shared the hand-dipped Black Raspberry Truffle (see picture), as we had already eaten a large dinner – and thoroughly enjoyed every bite! If you are in the area and love ice cream – you will definitely want to stop at Heyn’s!

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  • AJ’s Steakhouse (Altoona, IA) Review

    AJ’s Steakhouse (Altoona, IA) Review

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    3.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 3*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    03/09/2024 AJ’s Steakhouse (515) 957-3535

    My wife and I had both heard good things about this place, so had been wanting to give it a try and check out the Casino. We had the opportunity when friends were in town and an 80’s group was playing in the Casino, so we decided to start the evening with dinner at AJ’s Steakhouse then attend the concert.

    While we had to walk around an escalator that was out of service, the entrance area of AJ’s and the initial impression was quite positive (see pictures). The place was clean, modern and lively – giving off a classy aura. Once we were seated at our table, we were a little disappointed with the wobbly table and the delay in receiving our drinks – but the drinks were solid. My wife had the Grande Margarita (see picture) and I went with the Smoked Old Fashion (see picture) – both of which were very good and the prices were reasonable.

    The food and service though is where AJ’s fell well short of my expectations for a place like this with so much promise. After waiting some time for our meals, our server stopped out to tell us that our meals would be delayed due to a large group ahead of us. This seemed a bit surprising, as we didn’t see any large groups in the restaurant, but what could we do? At one point after waiting over 30 minutes, I suggested to our server that “the manager will probably comp us a drink or dessert given the wait”…which received nothing more than a dismissive “maybe” and didn’t seem to be taken seriously.

    Once our food was finally delivered, we were again left disappointed. My wife ordered the Top Sirloin (see picture) and I ordered the Salmon (see picture). While she ordered medium rare, the initial cut into the Top Sirloin was medium well and dry. A manager did come around to ask how things were, so we were open about it being overdone (other cuts later were closer to rare, so it was very inconsistent relative to other steaks at other steakhouses). She offered to exchange it, but given how long we had waited for our meal and the concert starting soon, we declined the offer. Again, given this situation and the fact that it was shared with the manager, we assumed a minimum of a complimentary dessert or a coupon to return another day…but received nothing. As for the Salmon (see picture) it was cooked well – very soft and juicy…but almost zero flavor.

    A convenient stop at the casino with a classy first impression, but the food and service leave me unable to recommend AJ’s Steakhouse.

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    Top Sirloin
    Salmon
    Side Salad
    Smoked Old Fashion
    Grande Margarita

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  • Rusty Duck (Dexter, IA) Review

    Rusty Duck (Dexter, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 5*

    02/03/2024 Rusty Duck (515) 789-4142

    Our neighbors surprised us with a trip to the Rusty Duck on our last trip out for dinner. It was admittedly a bit of a drive to get there, but all things considered, not much longer in the car than a trip downtown and there wasn’t much traffic!

    I can’t say enough about the quality of the food here – if I could give it more than 5* for the delicious steaks, I would. The service and value were also well above average, justifying the 5* ratings in each area. The only thing that was average was the atmosphere / venue, as the tables were somewhat packed into the room, not leaving much room to get around and making it a bit challenging to navigate your way through to the rest rooms or the bar. With that said, that is exactly where I want a restaurant to excel – food 1st, then service and value…with atmosphere last on my priority list.

    A couple sitting beside me at the bar ordered the Artichoke Dip with Toasted Bread (see picture) and it looked so good, I asked to take a picture – and they confirmed that it tasted as good as it looked! Our neighbors opted for the Blackened Top Sirloin (see pictures – one showing the beautiful medium rare cook) and Open Face Ribeye (see picture). As the pictures imply, both of them were delicious – and at 16oz & 12oz respectively, there was plenty to bring home for breakfast the next day.

    My wife ordered the Ribeye Steak Deburgo with cream sauce (see picture) and I went with the Blackened Blue Ribeye (see pictures). As with our neighbors cuts – both of them were delicious and grilled to perfection…and at 16oz each, we had plenty to bring home with us also. The creamy parmesan dip was recommended to us for dipping the fries and I concur – you definitely want to order it with the fries. We found both the Homie (large, wedge cut) and French Fries to be very good, so it depends on your preference.

    It’s hard to beat the quality and quantity of the steaks – at a reasonable price. You’ll find it worth your while to take the short drive West from Des Moines on I-80 and give this place a try. Make sure to call ahead for reservations though, especially on the weekends. They have an early and a late seating…and the place fills up for both!

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    Blackened Blue Ribeye
    Blackened Blue Ribeye
    Ribeye Steak Deburgo
    Open Face Ribeye
    Blackened Top Sirloin
    Blackened Top Sirloin
    Onion Rings
    Dinner Salad
    Artichoke Dip with Toasted Bread

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  • Ronneburg Restaurant (Amana, IA) Review

    Ronneburg Restaurant (Amana, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 5*

    01/21/2024 Ronneburg Restaurant (319) 622-3641

    My wife found this place online and wanted to stop for a meal, so we ate brunch here on the way out of town after our weekend stay in Amana. It is inside an older traditional brick building and has a lot of character, actually reminding me of walking into a centuries-old restaurant in Europe. The basic colonial decor fits the character of the 19th century Colonies theme with a penchant for the color burgundy throughout the restaurant. I gave the atmosphere an average rating – clean and historic, yet also a bit aged.

    The service, quality and value of the food though is what stood out to me from our visit. Max W. was our server and he was very attentive, full of suggestions and made the experience quite enjoyable. My wife ordered the Ronneburg Melt with Fried Potatoes and I ordered the Schnitzel Sandwich with Pickled Beets (see picture below). I don’t have pictures of the meals and while I can’t seem to get it posted on the website, here is the link for the Reel on Instagram, showing food and the interior of the restaurant: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2X3ldoOvdA/ .

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  • The Indigo Room in the Hotel Millwright (Amana, IA) Review

    The Indigo Room in the Hotel Millwright (Amana, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 3*

    01/20/2024 The Indigo Room (319) 838-5015

    We have been wanting to visit the Amana Colonies for some time and finally got the chance when Yelp hosted an event there. We paid our own way for the room and reviewed meal and really enjoyed our stay at the Hotel Millwright. The Indigo Room is just past the front desk in the hotel and offers a bar as well as an eating area.

    The decor was great – a modern look in a converted factory building. It is honestly a very slow time of the year in Amana, so there is a scaled service crew and we had to go to the front desk to ask for a server when we arrived for a late breakfast. I was a little disappointed with the service, as she did everything we asked but wasn’t able to provide much insight on the menu items nor seemed willing to take the effort to answer a question about one of the desserts.

    Beyond that, we loved our brunch! The food was delicious and we found the coffee to be well above average for a restaurant. Although the pricing was maybe adjusted for the slow season, the menu pricing was a good value (see picture). Rather than write a separate review for the Buffalo Wings (see picture) and Caesar Salad (see picture) we had in the bar area the night before after our arrival, I included them in this review also. They were both very good and towards the upper end of my expectations for bar food.

    For our brunch, my wife ordered the Farmer’s Bowl (see picture – was recommended by the bartender the night before) and I ordered the Garden Omelete (see picture). As we always do, we both shared samples of each other’s food and really enjoyed both plates. The potatoes in particular were very good – a great crispy and delicious crust on the outside while warm, soft and moist inside.

    For those of you who follow my posts, you are already aware of my voracious sweet tooth. I had eyed a Persian Love Cake slice in the display case the night before and was intrigued. Since our waitress didn’t know what it was and didn’t offer to check into it, I looked it up on Google and found that it was a rose cake with pistachios – so had to give it a try (see picture). While the pistachios weren’t super fresh (were a little soft from setting in the icing in the case), the cake was still very good. If you like the flavor of rose or want to give it a try, you will like this light dessert.

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    Farmer’s Bowl
    Garden Omelete
    Persian Love Cake
    Caesar Salad
    Buffalo Wings

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  • Abelardo’s Mexican Fresh (Missouri Valley, IA) Review

    Abelardo’s Mexican Fresh (Missouri Valley, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    12/30/2023 Abelardo’s Mexican Fresh (712) 642-9041

    We saw this place while stopping for gas at a nearby gas station and thought it looked good enough to give it a try. While it is an order-at-the-counter type of fast food place, the decor and atmosphere overall is quite lively and energetic. Once you get past the plastic plates and bowls, the food was very good.

    My wife ordered the Texas Rice Bowl (see picture) and found it delicious. I ordered the Carne Asada & Carnitas Tacos (see picture) and was impressed with the double corn tortilla delivery and generous portions fillings, including the guacamole.

    If you are ok with the fast food type of delivery and plastic bowls, plates and silverware, you will find the food to be very good! We will definitely stop again the next time we stop here for gas.

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    Carne Asada & Carnitas Tacos
    Texas Rice Bowl

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  • Mission BBQ (Davenport, IA) Review

    Mission BBQ (Davenport, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    11/16/2023 Mission BBQ (563) 217-6822

    This place was recommended by a work colleague for my visit in Davenport. This place has hospitality down right. Employees were constantly greeting me, making me feel quite welcome and showing true appreciation that I was there to try some of their BBQ.

    For my meal, I ate quite light – opting for only the 8oz of Smoked Turkey with a side of cornbread (see picture). While the turkey was a little on the dry side, it was late in the evening, still tasted great and gave me the opportunity to try all of the hot sauces at the table (see pictures).

    Definitely a solid BBQ stop in Davenport…and I loved the support and appreciation that was shown to our military throughout the restaurant!

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  • The Drift (Winterset, IA) Review

    The Drift (Winterset, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    10/05/2023 The Drift (515) 462-1178

    A great stop for a lively atmosphere, friendly small-town service, great food and a good tap beer selection just outside the Des Moines metro area. We got our chance for a return visit – and this time we did get to try one of their desserts! Our last visit was almost 2 years ago during the Bridge Festival and we enjoyed it enough to recommend it for dinner while in town with our neighbors. Lori took excellent care of us and had great recommendations – when you go, be sure to say ‘Hi’ to Lori from The Food and Drink Guy!

    We started off with a flight of beers (see picture) and a Strawberry Basil Smash (see picture) – which were both very enjoyable. For our dinner, my wife ordered the Grown-Up Grilled Cheese (see picture) and I ordered the Reuben (see picture) based on Lori’s recommendation. Our neighbor ordered the Italian Sausage Flatbread (see picture). As is our regular custom, we shared tastes of each others orders so we could all experience multiple offerings. We found all of them to be very good and would highly recommend them.

    If you follow my posts, you know I LOVE desserts, so possibly the highlight of the meal was the German Apple Cake (see picture) that we ordered to share. It was very good – you probably don’t want to leave without trying a piece yourself!

    10/18/2021

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    Stopped for a beer during the Bridge Festival and then stopped for dinner before driving home.  The beer selection was great and we really enjoyed the food at the end of the day.  My wife ordered the Epic Nachos and I ordered the Reuben (see pictures of each) and both were very good.

    The desserts also looked delicious but we were so full, we had to defer for a future visit…

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    Strawberry Basil Smash
    Beer Flight
    Side Salad
    Reuben
    Grown-Up Grilled Cheese
    Italian Sausage Flatbread
    German Apple Cake

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  • Winterset Cidery (Winterset, IA) Review

    Winterset Cidery (Winterset, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    10/05/2023 Winterset Cidery (515) 493-9756

    While we aren’t big cider fans, we had driven by here several times and thought about stopping sometime. That sometime finally happened when our neighbors invited us to join them for a late afternoon visit on the patio to enjoy a great Fall day. Even if you aren’t a big cider fan, this place in rural Winterset along a paved road is a great stop for a selection of ciders for most anyone’s taste…and popcorn!

    As our neighbors told us, the cider was very good. I really like to sample a variety, so took advantage of the opportunity to try multiple flavors with their Flights (see pictures). I let our server ‘surprise’ me with flavors, with the only direction being that I didn’t want the super sweet options – and she did very well. My favorites would probably be the Lime Habanero and Gindy (which is a mix of Lime Habanero and Pineapple Orange). None of the flavors were overpowering though, all were subtle and refreshing – and I found these more dry options to be very good as compared to the sweet national brands.

    While we didn’t technically have a meal here…I LOVE popcorn and the help-yourself popcorn (see picture) was delicious, so I gave a 4* rating. In addition, there is an option to order a meat and cheese charcuterie board from a cooperating business if that is of interest to you.

    The interior is beautifully decorated – rustic, country and very unique. The rolling, open countryside view that includes their apple orchards from the patio is beautiful! The only thing that held me back from a full 5* rating was the exterior of the building – a little maintenance with updated stain on the wood and paint on the doors & frames would make this place really shine again.

    Lastly on the service – it was great and I really appreciated the interaction with our server Stacy, who provided great suggestions and insight for my flights. While there was a mix-up with our check when we were closing out, the manager Gina was very good about it and let us leave while she figured it out, then got back in touch with me once she got it corrected.

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  • Covered Bridges Winery (Winterset, IA) Review

    Covered Bridges Winery (Winterset, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    09/14/2023 Covered Bridges Winery (515) 729-9463

    Have been wanting to try this place for some time, but wasn’t sure what to expect and whether it was worth a drive just to visit. We had the opportunity while returning home from a Winterset trip to enabled our friends visiting from France to see some covered bridges and the John Wayne Museum.

    We each tried a Wine Flight (see picture) and also enjoyed a flight of different chocolate medallions from Chocolaterie Stam (see picture). The quality of the wines came as a bit of a surprise to me, as I wasn’t expecting a lot from a smaller community in the middle of Iowa.

    If you enjoy relaxing at a table with a great glass of wine, you will enjoy a stop at the Covered Bridges Winery in Winterset, Iowa.

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    Wine Flight
    Small Chocolate Plate

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  • Anything Sweet & More Cafe (Winterset, IA) Review

    Anything Sweet & More Cafe (Winterset, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 4*

    09/14/2023 Anything Sweet & More Cafe (515) 462-5986

    We had just finished a trip to Winterset to see a covered bridge and the John Wayne Museum with friends from France and were looking for a place to stop for a drink. The Drift wasn’t quite open (it was 10 minutes before 3:00), so we took a walk to kill some time – and then found this quaint little coffee and dessert shop.

    While the lady who greeted us was admittedly loud and borderline obnoxious, she was quite friendly and encouraged us to stay even though it was just a few minutes before closing time. We decided to have coffees here rather than alcoholic beverages at the Drift…and were quite pleased with the coffees that they served.

    My wife ordered the Cafe Au Lait (Milk Coffee – see picture) and I went with the Caramel Macchiato (see picture). My wife and I are admittedly a bit on the ‘coffee snob’ side, with an expensive fully automated espresso machine at home – and we both found these coffees to be very good. A solid, quality cup of coffee with great flavor and nice creme on the top – and at a reasonable price. I look forward to having something to eat here during a future visit to Winterset!

    For a quality ‘big city’ cup of coffee at small-town Iowa pricing, you’ll love a stop at Anything Sweet & More Cafe in Winterset!

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    Caramel Macchiato
    Cafe Au Lait (Milk Coffee)

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  • Double Dipped Ice Cream & Coffee Shoppe (Huxley, IA) Review

    Double Dipped Ice Cream & Coffee Shoppe (Huxley, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 4*

    08/08/2023 Double Dipped

    Admittedly, we were in town to try the Flight Bar and Grille’s award-winning burgers…but I couldn’t help but notice this beautiful ice cream shoppe on the other end of the building – and I DO like ice cream! This was such a cool place – I just loved the decor (see pictures) and really wish I lived closer to stop back some morning for coffee!

    My wife and I split a scoop of Ripe Raspberry Chocolate Chunk and Pirate’s Treasure (see picture) – both were delicious, but I really liked the Ripe Raspberry! If you like ice cream, you won’t go wrong with a stop here. The hand-dipped ice cream is delicious and the store is just beautiful!

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  • Goldie’s Ice Cream Shoppe (Prairie City, IA) Review

    Goldie’s Ice Cream Shoppe (Prairie City, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    5.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 5*

    08/06/2023 Goldie’s Ice Cream Shoppe

    We liked this place so much, we made an extra 20 minute drive the next day after a meal with our neighbors for some ice cream dessert! This time we shared a Banana Split (see picture) while our neighbors shared a Butterslinger (see picture). As expected, both of them were absolutely delicious (and plenty for us to eat).

    08/05/2023

    My wife loves buffalo and saw a Free Bison Day Family Festival at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge near Prairie City, IA so we took in the event. Coincidentally (and given my passion for all things ice cream…) I noticed an Ice Cream shoppe prominently showing in the middle of Prairie City, so had to stop and try it out on the way home. Boy, was it a find – I loved the open atmosphere, extremely friendly service from the moment you walked in the door and selection of delicious ice cream desserts!

    We decided to split the Peanut Butter Panic (see picture). Vanilla ice cream, peanut butter, peanut butter cups and Butterfinger – WOW was it delicious!! We were glad that we decided to share the medium…as that was plenty for the both of us to enjoy. Lastly, we saw the signs of them winning Iowa’s Best Breaded Tenderloin from the Iowa Pork Producers in 2009 – so now we need to plan another trip for a meal and give it a try.

    If you are in the area make sure you stop for delicious ice cream treats – there are so many great options including some with a piece of pie blended into the ice cream!

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    Banana Split
    Butterslinger

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  • Miss Phay Cafe (Davenport, IA) Review

    Miss Phay Cafe (Davenport, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    07/07/2023 Miss Phay Cafe

    We were in town for the John Deere Classic and a coworker highly recommended Miss Phay Cafe, so we gave it a try for dinner on our arrival. What a great place! While the outside facia was modern and professional (see pictures), the inside was breathtaking (see pictures). Absolutely beautiful decorating everywhere that you looked, with seemingly no detail left to chance – with fantastic musical ambiance to top it off!

    My wife started with a Cucumber Smash and I went with the Saigon Mojito (see picture) – both on our wonderful server Cara’s suggestions and both were absolutely delicious! For an appetizer, Cara suggested the Crab Cheese Puffs (see picture) and they were like a little taste of Heaven! So soft, creamy and rich inside the crispy pastry crust – and the included homemade dipping sauce is also amazing (I might have eaten the rest of it with a spoon after the Puffs were gone…).

    For our meal, my wife ordered the Suko Thai Noodles (see picture) and I went with the Lemongrass Beef Noodle (see picture). Both again on Cara’s suggestions – but not until after pointing out that the alternative I was thinking about was not spicey (and I wanted something spicey). I like her opinions and directness!

    I am so glad that this place was recommended to us and I highly recommend that you stop and give it a try. When you stop, make sure to say ‘Hi’ to Cara – she is a fantastic server who is full of great detailed recommendations and has just the perfect amount of sassiness to make for an enjoyable experience.

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    Lemongrass Beef Noodles
    Suko Thai Noodles
    Crab Cheese Puffs
    Saigon Mojito

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  • Copper Kettle (Dubuque, IA) Review

    Copper Kettle (Dubuque, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    06/26/2023 Copper Kettle

    Returned again on our next business trip to Dubuque and this time was able to enjoy a full meal and not just appetizers with a group from work.

    On our server’s recommendation, I ordered the Gyro (see picture) and others at the table ordered Fish Tacos (see picture) and the Black & Blue Burger (see picture). All of the meals were delicious and the portions were large, so you won’t go away hungry.

    Even with as full as I was…there is always room for at least a few tastes of dessert! Like the last visit, I suggested that we order cheesecake to share (Salted Caramel & Chocolate) – and again everyone at the table found them delicious. I even got one of the locals hooked enough to vow he would order it again every time that he came back! Like I said in the earlier review…do NOT go home without trying it!

    06/06/2023

    This place was highly recommended by a local (especially their White Truffle Parmesan Fries and Wisconsin Fried Cheese Curds), so our group stopped by to try them out before heading downtown. In addition to these, we also ordered the Steak Bites and unfortunately due to the group setting I wasn’t able to capture any photos of the food on this stop.

    As for my thoughts on the food, while the White Truffle Parmesan Fries and Wisconsin Fried Cheese Curds were both solid appetizers, I actually liked the Steak Bites best of all – and most of the group agreed.

    What really stole the show though was when I saw a sign for the fresh-made Salted Caramel Cheesecake (again, sorry – we dug into it so quickly that I don’t have a photo). We ordered a piece of it and a piece of the Chocolate Cheesecake (each delivered with a spray of whipped cream) so the group could sample some of each and compare. As good as the Chocolate Cheesecake was…it just couldn’t quite reach the exquisite taste and mouth-feel experience of the Salted Caramel. DO NOT leave without at least sharing a piece of the Salted Caramel Cheesecake – most at the table agreed that it was the best cheesecake they have ever had – so light and yet so good!!

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    Gyro
    Bacon Blue Cheese
    Fish Taco

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  • Maid-Rite (Lamoni, IA) Review

    Maid-Rite (Lamoni, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 4*

    06/09/2023 Maid-Rite (Lamoni, IA)

    Believe it or not, we’ve lived in Iowa for a year and a half now and this was our first stop at a Maid-Rite! We were traveling with friends to the Luke Combs concert in Kansas City and looking for a place to stop along the interstate. They recommended it based on their experiences with one in Illinois many years ago and we are so glad that we stopped.

    Although it is a technically a fast food restaurant where you order at the counter and they deliver your food to the table, the food was very good and the service was above average.

    Our group ordered a Tenderloin sandwich (see picture), several MEGA sandwiches (see picture), Sweet Potato Fries (see picture) and Fried Okra (see picture). Of course you have to have a MEGA when you stop, as it is what built the restaurant, but the Tenderloin and sweet potato fries as well as the okra were all very good. If you follow my posts, my sweet tooth is well documented…so I couldn’t leave this place without sampling a caramel shake – it was delicious and I highly recommend you finish your meal with one on your way out to the car.

    Yes, it is fast food, but this place is quite unique, is an Iowa institution and has a very nice attached Amish country store. Definitely worth a stop for lunch, dinner or one of their multiple sweets options!

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    MEGA
    Tenderloin
    Sweet Potato Fries
    Fried Okra

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  • Brazen Open Kitchen Bar (Dubuque, IA) Review

    Brazen Open Kitchen Bar (Dubuque, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    06/06/2023 Brazen Open Kitchen Bar

    We were determined to have a steak tonight while in town on business travel and several other places that we checked weren’t open on a Tuesday night. This place is quite an impressive venue – wide open atmosphere that highlights the chefs in the kitchen and their work. The only thing holding this place back from a full 5* in my book is the value…as the pricing was quite high – but when you come here, it is probably for a special occasion!

    Due to the fact that we had already stopped at another venue for appetizers, I ended up going light and splitting the Ribeye (see picture) with a fellow employee. As you might expect in a restaurant of this quality, it was fantastic and one of the better ribeyes that I’ve had.

    As long as you come prepared for your meal being quite expensive, you definitely will be happy with the food, atmosphere and service. I would highly recommend a stop here for your next special occasion – just don’t forget to make reservations, as they are VERY busy.

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  • 7 Hills Brewing Company Review (Dubuque, IA)

    7 Hills Brewing Company Review (Dubuque, IA)

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    3.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    06/05/2023 7 Hills Brewing Company

    I’ve been here a few times on business trips but just finally posting some pictures along with my review. I’ve enjoyed sampling different beers on each visit and have also had food on at least one other occasion.

    Our table started with Hangry Sprouts, Curb Your Enthusiasm cheese curds and Zeit Bites (pretzel bread bites) – all of which were above average bar food (sorry, no pictures of them). For my meal, I ordered the Carolina Burger (see picture) with Sweet Potato Fries. While it was above average overall (especially the fries), I found the pulled pork on the burger to be quite dry. Another person at the table ordered the Lobster Mac & Cheese (see picture) and thought it tasted good – had just hoped there would be more lobster in it.

    If you are stopping by to try their beers, this is definitely a great stop and if you decide to add food to your stop, you can expect better than average appetizers and entrees.

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    Carolina Burger w/ Sweet Potato Fries
    Lobster Mac & Cheese

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  • Cafe Beaudelaire (Ames, IA) Review

    Cafe Beaudelaire (Ames, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 5*

    05/25/2023 Cafe Beaudelaire

    This place was recommended by some locals while we were working at the Special Olympics in Ames, so stopped by to check it out at the end of the day before heading home. It is a very unique Brazilian-themed restaurant just across the street from the Iowa State campus with a good selection of beers and Brazilian-themed foods and mixed drinks.

    We started with drinks – a Pisco Sour and a Caipirinha (see picture). The locals highly recommended the Beaudelaire Bauru sandwich and while it looked delicious, we had already made plans with our wives after returning home, so weren’t able to sample it. The other item that was recommended though was the Brazilian Fries w/ mayo (see picture) and we were able to sample them. They were very good – crispy on the outside and warm and soft inside – with the mayo making a great dip pair.

    I can’t wait to return with my wife sometime and give the Beaudelaire Bauru a try. You definitely won’t regret stopping here for a bite to eat or a drink – good food, value, selection and service.

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    Brazilian Fries w/ Mayo
    Caipirinha
    Caipirinha

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