Stopped back with friends to have Armadillo Eggs (see picture) and Pretzel Crusted Sauerkraut Balls (see picture) and while they were still good, both were over-cooked and fried to a crispy dark brown color. As such, I reduced the food rating to 4*. This time we also enjoyed the Rouladen Rolls (see picture) and found them to also be very good. A solid stop for appetizers and a great selection of German beers.
06/16/2023
We have stopped here for biers and appetizers several times while downtown and this most recent stop added another item to the ‘must try’ appetizer list. They have an extensive tap and bottled bier selection – many of which are from Germany, so are pretty unique for the area.
We have had the Armadillo Eggs (see picture) appetizer several times and have really enjoyed it every time. How can you go wrong with jalapeno poppers inside a chicken breast – and wrapped in bacon! On this visit, we also tried the Pretzel Crusted Sauerkraut Balls (see picture) and also found them to be excellent – and the dipping sauce is a great complement.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
We used to live in Fargo and this place was one of our favorite burger joints while we were there due to their unique burgers, fresh cut potato chips or fries with dipping sauces and selection of tap beers. When we got back to town, we had to stop for dinner.
Along with the pre-requisite cold tap beers, tonight my wife ordered the Wham Bam Bacon Jam burger (see picture) and I opted for the Classic Chicken (see picture). As per what we’ve become accustomed to expecting at JL Beers, both of them were delicious. Those fresh cut potato chips and delicious dipping sauces just can’t be beat.
After eating tonight, our friends shared with us that they had gotten there early, so had their favorite appetizer – a large pretzel with homemade peanut butter. They had a little of the peanut butter left, so we tried it – and were hooked! We asked and found out that all they used for ingredients were honey roasted peanuts – so you know they were on our doorstop in Des Moines shortly after we returned home – and were ground into peanut butter that night! You definitely want to give it a try!
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
When we are staying in Hankinson during the summer months, we are always on the lookout for great restaurants to try in the area. We had heard about a Mexican restaurant that recently opened and my parents suggested we give it a try so we joined them – and boy, is it ever a small town gem!
My wife and I started off with a Mango Jalapeno Margarita (see picture) and Lime Margarita (see picture). They didn’t have the Mango Jalapeno Margarita on the menu but my wife likes them so asked if they could make one and they agreed. He asked her how spicy she wanted it and while she answered ‘fairly’, he must have assumed that she was a mild American…as she ended up muddling some of the jalapeno pepper delivered on the rim of the glass into the drink to spice it up a bit more! Both drinks were delicious though – and served nice, large, heavy margarita glasses.
We started eating with some chips and salsa (see picture), which was quite good – fresh and tasty. For our meals, my wife chose the Steak California Burrito (see picture) and I went with the Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos (see picture). We really enjoyed both meals (as we always sample each others order) and would highly recommend both of them. The Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos were the special for the night and while I’m biased – I highly recommend getting them with corn tortillas.
As we started eating, the husband of the owner stopped by our table to ask about where we were visiting from and asked if we had tried their macaroni and cheese dishes. We hadn’t, so he offered to bring us a sample (see picture) and after tasting it, we realized why he was so proud of it. My Dad said that is going to be his go-to dish on his next visit.
This place is a real gem in small town Lidgerwood, ND and well worth a drive to give it a try. It is well lit and quite roomy inside, with decor, food quality and margarita selection that would make you think you were in a much larger city. The prices are a little higher than you might expect in a small town, but the quality is quite good.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
My wife and I decided to give Pally’s another try, as we have been there before and enjoyed their food and live music on the weekends. This place has solid food, good service and friendly owners who interact with the patrons. Tonight my wife ordered the Cheeseburger (see picture) and I went with the Kickin chicken Sandwich (see picture). We each tried each others meals and liked both options, so would recommend them along with the delicious extra Dirty Martinis!
02/01/2024
I stopped in here doing some research for my Happy Hour site (www.happyhourdesmoines.com) several months ago and have been wanting to get back to try their food ever since. The opportunity presented itself when a friend and I met after work – deciding to give Pally’s a try.
We started with a round of drinks while deciding on food – ordering the daily special Margarita (see picture) and White Russian (see picture). Both were very tasty and a great value given their size and price (albeit the daily specials).
For our meals, my friend ordered the Frisco Burger (see picture) and I opted for the Torpedo Burger (see picture), given a strong positive recommendation from our server (who was also great – excellent service and covering the whole, packed bar by herself). We both really liked our burgers! The pictures don’t do them enough justice – they were both prepared perfectly, as per our requested level and both very flavorful. Definitely a place I’ll want to bring my wife and neighbors back to sometime in the future.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
Decided late in the afternoon to go out for Mexican on Cinco de Mayo, so chose the place closest to our home as we have enjoyed previous visits. They were absolutely slammed with business…several delivery drivers waiting at the door said they had been waiting for well over an hour. Once we got past the delivery drivers, we were seated relatively quickly but the service was slow due to how busy they were.
The Jalapeno Cucumber and Mango margaritas (see pictures) were served in plastic glasses – again, likely due to how busy they were. While they tasted great, the presentation wasn’t quite as nice as the heavy glass goblets they usually serve. We always enjoy the chips and salsa (see picture) here – the chips are fresh and the salsa is thick and hearty.
Lastly, for our meals tonight we again ordered the Ceviche Mixto (see picture) that we enjoyed previously and while it again tasted great, it wasn’t served with any crackers (we used our table chips) and the price seemed a bit high at $24. Both my wife and I agreed that the highlight of the meal though was the Orden Shrimp Tacos (see picture) – with both of us commenting that they just might have been the best shrimp tacos we have ever eaten!
02/17/2023
This is fairly close to our home, so we stopped here last night on the way home from checking out a Happy Hour for HappyHourDesMoines.com. It was a Friday night around 6:30 and the place was packed. They took our name and we went to the bar to wait for our table (which took about 15-20 minutes). The servers were hustling around the restaurant the entire time – so it wasn’t for a lack of effort, but we did have to make an effort to catch someone when we needed something.
We started with a Mango Jalapeno Margarita (see picture) which was delicious – just be forewarned that it does have a fairly strong bite of jalapeno pepper if you don’t like if being spicy. It was a large serving and had plenty of additional Tajin seasoning (which we love).
For our dinner, we ordered the Ceviche Mixto (see picture) which is not on the menu, but we’ve had it before and enjoyed it. At our server’s urging, we added the octopus to it and not sure if that was the reason…but we were charged $25.99 for the plate, so be aware if you want to try it. Like other times, it tasted great – I just probably wouldn’t order the octopus again (pretty firm and not much taste).
The other item we ordered for dinner was the Orden Tacos De Charolita (see picture), again on our server’s recommendation. Be aware of 2 things with this dish: 1.) it is very greasy / messy (you will need a few napkins) and 2.) it was extremely salty – to the point that it seemed that all you could taste was salt.
While we have always enjoyed our drinks here as well as the ceviche, we were disappointed with how salty the taco plate was. I would definitely recommend a stop to try their drinks!
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
Imagine my delight when my wife chose Whatcha Smokin as her venue of choice on Mother’s Day! While smoked meat is not a cheap meal, Whatcha Smokin is one of my favorites – so I couldn’t wait to get in the car. While you leave with your wallet a little lighter, it is hard to beat their quality smoked meat.
We started off our meal with an Iowa Twinkie (see picture) and boy is that ever something that you HAVE to try! They aren’t always on the menu, so get one when you can. How can you go wrong with bacon, jalapeno, pulled pork, cream cheese & ranch…and then smoked on top of that?
For our meal, we decided to go with a Family Platter with both fatty & lean brisket (see picture), but wanted some extra meat to bring home so we added a 1/4 rack of Baby Back Ribs. For our sides we went with Jalapeno Cream Corn and Cheesy Potatoes (see picture) – and believe me, they were delicious.
Even though we were full and had some meat to bring home, we couldn’t pass up the Nutter Butter Nanna Puddin (see picture) and Coconut Cream Pie (see picture). We said we were going to bring them home for later…but couldn’t leave without trying a few bites of each. As stated in my original review…you will definitely want to take your dessert of choice at the table or bring it home – they are SO good!
I’ve been waiting quite a while to try this place as I had heard and read multiple stories about how good their smoked meats are – and finally got the opportunity to go with some co-workers tonight. Boy what a treat it was, with the BBQ meat being some of the best I’ve had and the service from Abby nothing short of exceptional – friendly, energetic, knowledgeable & not afraid to share her opinions! While I couldn’t go 5* across the board given the plastic eating utensils, Styrofoam containers for sides and $8+ tap beers, this is truly a gem with some great character just a short drive north of Des Moines that is also set up very well for take-out.
We started with a round of drinks – the tap selection was more than expected for a smaller community outside of the Des Moines metro (see pictures). For dinner, Abby was kind enough to recommend the Brisket (fatty) and Ribs (see picture) paired with Jalapeno Cream Corn (see picture) and Potato Salad (see picture). The fun little ‘treat’ at the bottom of the Jalapeno Cream Corn container was a few Fritos corn chips – which made a nice crunchy complement to the corn. My co-workers ordered Brisket (lean – see picture) and Brisket (lean) with Pulled Pork (see picture). Even though the meat didn’t need any sauce, I enjoyed the Wildfire BBQ Sauce to not only add it to my meat and cornbread, but also bought a bottle to bring home (see picture).
All of the smoked meat was delicious, with the fatty Brisket being extremely moist and flavorful (as might be expected from its name). I sampled some of the Fries and also thought they were very good – excellent flavor without the extremely high saltiness. I really enjoyed the roadhouse feel and decor throughout the building (see pictures) along with the pin board showing where their customers lived (see picture).
Lastly, don’t leave without sampling at least one of their Sweet Treats. Abby recommended the Oatmeal Cream Pie (see picture) as one of their originals and favorites as well as the Nutter Butter Nanna Puddin (see picture). While both are pre-packaged as per the pictures, both of them tasted fantastic and I highly recommend them both.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
We have stopped here a few times since the last review, including a Trivia Night with a great taco value (unfortunately, we ate before the last minute invite to join a team there) – but hadn’t taken the time to update my review.
We stopped for their Tuesday night Burger Special…which left me wondering why we weren’t going there every Tuesday night for burgers! I ordered a Burger (of course – see picture) and was thoroughly impressed with it! Usually when you ask for a medium rare burger, it is brought out medium well to well done. Not only was the burger excellent (a little beyond medium rare, but at least some heavy pink in the middle), but the bun and the lattice fry sides were all delicious!
Unfortunately, I gave up alcohol for Lent…so didn’t have a beer with the burger – but you can bet that I’ll be back for both after Easter!
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
Finally got the chance to stop by again after some new friends suggested it as the place to meet after Mass last night. They suggested that we go outside and the patio experience was fantastic – perfect weather for the evening and a little quieter than inside, so a great place to enjoy some conversation.
We started with a couple of beers…because why else would you go to an Irish Pub, right? The banter started with our server, Erika – which added to the great experience. If you follow my reviews, you know that I appreciate servers with menu opinions that they aren’t afraid to share…and just a little bit of a sassy attitude (and she had just the right amount of both).
For our meals, my wife ordered the Southwest Salad (see picture) per Erika’s suggestion and I ordered the Naked Chicken Wings (see picture) with Mango Habanero sauce. As is our norm, we shared samples of each other’s order and we found both of them to be very good – so would recommend them.
If you are looking for a fun Irish Pub experience, you will enjoy a stop at Mickey’s. If you stop and are up for a little friendly banter, ask for Erika and be sure to tell her ‘Hi’ from The Food and Drink Guy!
06/05/2021 update:
Stopped for a free pour of beer from a coupon in the mail and enjoyed a pint of Guinness (see picture) followed by an order of portabella mushroom fries (see picture) per the server’s recommendation. The mushroom fries along with the Ranch and special horseradish sauce that was served with them were delicious and I would highly recommend them – light, crisp breading and a tasty mushroom inside.
02/2021
Stopped for brunch and ordered from their breakfast menu. The food and drinks were all good, but my favorite was the Top of the Morning Irish Coffee (see picture) – I definitely recommend it.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
We were in the area for a cousin’s wedding and her Aunt set up a group lunch at this place for interested family members. It was a favorite place of my late and Great Uncle Tom’s, so was a fitting place for the family to get together before his Granddaughter’s wedding.
Both the restaurant and the wine cellar have maintained an old European type of feel. This was obvious from when you first drive up – seeing the red brick patio in front of the stone wall facade, swiss chalet-like roofline and heavy wooden antique door and hinges. The feeling of stepping back in time continued as you stepped through the front door, with heavy timber structure visible throughout and tables of similar aged heavy wood.
The theme continued with the menu. Being next door to a wine cellar, we started with a round of wine – enjoying the BTL Sangria to keep it light for the afternoon.
For our meal, my wife ordered the Beef Stroganoff (see picture) and I opted for the Swiss Sausage Platter with Bratwurst & Smoked Sausage (see picture). As we always do, we shared tastes of each other’s order and really enjoyed both plates. A meal just isn’t complete though without dessert, so we ordered Chocolate Ganache (see picture) along with a Swiss Apple Dumpling with ice cream (see picture). Boy, were they both ever delicious…don’t leave without trying one or both!
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
Tonight was my wife’s turn to pick our destination after Mass and she chose Hana Ramen Sushi again (we were there last October and she really enjoyed her ramen).
Tonight was another good stop that we both enjoyed. The food was once again fantastic (details in the following paragraph) – and that is the main criteria when selecting a restaurant. While communicating with our waiter was easier this time, the food delivery was quite slow to our standards – on the order of 20-30 minutes for each course after it was ordered.
Tonight, we started off with a Cucumber Martini (with Jalapeno) and a Salted Caramel Milk Tea (I gave up alcohol for Lent). The Jalapeno in the Cucumber Martini was a pretty strong kick and my wife enjoyed it. And yes, the Salted Caramel Milk Tea was quite delicious and yet was pretty light – didn’t come across as thick, syrupy or overly sweet.
We started by sharing a Pork Gyozo Soup (see picture) that was very good, then decided to add on a Hana Pizza (see picture). That Hana Pizza was definitely the highlight of my experience – a very light crust, a peanut based sauce with some fresh sushi and veggies to top it off! My wife ordered the Combo Yaki Soba (see picture) for her meal and I opted for the Chicken Pineapple Fried Rice (see picture). We really liked both dishes and would highly recommend them.
10/12/2024
We have wanted to stop here several times and finally took the opportunity to do so tonight after a 4 year gap. The exterior was modern, clean and inviting and the interior continued that vibe. Just like the “this place must be authentic” feeling you get in a good Mexican restaurant (when the wait staff struggles a bit with the English language), you immediately pick up on that here…but with Japanese instead of Spanish as the core language.
We started by enjoying a Lucky Buddha beer and Raspberry Mule (see picture), followed by a delicious Ginger Salad (see picture). My wife then opted for Spicy Chicken Ramen (see picture) for her meal and I ordered a Spicy Scallop Roll (see picture) and Tuna Avocado Roll (see picture). We really enjoyed all of the food!
The service was average…partially due to the wait time and partially due to the challenge of communicating with our waitress – it needed to repeat things several times in different ways to assure understanding. The value was above average – $31/person with everything mentioned (including tax).
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
While still one of our favorite places to go when we visit our son in Tampa, we honestly thought that the quality of the food has slipped a little since our last few visits. Several in our party of 5 commented about the temperature of their food being a little on the cool side.
Our table ordered a variety of dishes (all pictures below): Water Works Meatloaf, SEafood Risotto, Aji Amarillo Ceviche, Barbacoa Shrimp, Water Works Wedge and Fire Roasted Chicken. With the exception of the Ceviche, all of the plates were really liked by each with the caveat as mentioned above (several were barely warm).
I’ll just say beware of the Ceviche, as it is not your typical ceviche – I’ve eaten a lot of ceviche and everything about this is different (texture, flavor, sauce vs. juice, etc.). It likely is a different style that I’m just not familiar with, but make sure you know what you are getting before you order it, as it was something that I will definitely never order again.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
1/12/2023
Our son lives in Tampa and recommended this place for dinner during our visit – and boy is it ever a gem! It is situated almost right next to the Armature Works on the river in North Tampa and is such a beautiful area to see before you even go inside. Once seated, Shelby our server introduced herself and she was awesome – great recommendations and information on all of our questions.
I started with a Honeymoon Strawberry Heffe (see picture) and it was great. For an appetizer, we ordered the Gator Tail (see picture) and while we enjoyed trying gator, we found it a bit tough to our liking.
For our main course, we ordered Water Works Meatloaf (see picture), 8oz Flank Steak (see picture) and Seafood Risotto (see picture). We found all of them very good – with the Seafood Risotto being the favorite and the green beans being very good as a side. Most importantly was our dessert…if you go you HAVE to finish with a bowl of Espresso Chocolate Swirl ice cream (see picture). It is SO good – everyone at the table loved it!
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
This is the 3rd Columbian Restaurant that we’ve been to now on various visits to our son, with our first being the Riverwalk and the next Clearwater. We had been looking forward to this location as we heard that it was the original location and boy was it impressive! Our waiter shared with us that there are a total of 13 different dining rooms.
We decided to start the experience with a Mojito Pitcher (see waiter making it by our table), as we’ve had it before and really enjoyed it – and this time was no different! Similarly, we then shared a large 1905 Salad (also made by the table – see picture), as you haven’t really been at Columbia if you didn’t have the 1905 Salad!
For our meals, my wife ordered Paella a La Valenciana (see picture) and I ordered the Fideua Mariscos (see picture) on the server’s recommendation. We both really enjoyed our dishes as well as the samples that we had of each others – so will highly recommend them both. The Fideua Mariscos did indeed have a good kick with the spicy sauce it was served in – making it just perfect to eat!
And when you have 4 or more at the table, it is nearly impossible to pass up a dessert to share – after all, you each only have to have a couple of bites, right? Staying true to my sweet tooth, we shared an order of Pound Cake with ice cream (see picture)…and of course, it was delicious!
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
We were visiting our son in Riverview and it was a Friday night during Lent…so seemed like the perfect place to eat dinner! The exterior definitely catches your eye as you drive up…even if it was just a bit over the top. The interior was a similar vibe – bit of a rough-sawn lumber, fresh off the wharf feel with license plates from many States as well as other countries all over the walls.
My wife started with a Yuengling, since for whatever reason, we can’t buy them in an Iowa liquor store. Followed by 6 raw Oysters on the Half Shell (see picture). For our dinner, we ordered the S2 Just a Pinch combination boil (see picture). While we enjoyed the combination, we struggled a bit with the crawfish, so would probably order our own combination without crawfish next time.
Overall, we enjoyed our dinner and the experience. Everything was solid and above average, yet nothing stood out in particular as being outstanding other than maybe the Value, thus justifying the 5* rating for it.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
Our friends took us here several years ago and we really enjoyed the experience…finally getting the chance to return and found it just as impressive.
We started with drinks, including a Bloody Mary with Mezcal (see picture) and an After Midnight – both quite tasty. We then ordered Collective Wings (see picture) as an appetizer and found them so delicious that we were tempted to order more of them for our meal.
For our dinner, my wife ordered the Cubano (see picture) and I opted for the Squash Risotto (see picture). As we always do, we shared tastes of each both of us thought that both meals were good enough to order again and recommend.
A great place to eat towards the north end of the Valley Junction ‘Strip’ with an amazing atmosphere, excellent presentations and fantastic service.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
It had been a few years since we have been at Eatery A, mostly due to being new in the area and exploring new venues rather than repeating at a known location. Once again, we were extremely pleased with this stop as in the end, I gave it one of the few full 5* ratings that I have ever given. This place truly has it all – unique and tasty food, a great atmosphere, friendly service and value that is above average for the downtown! If you have the treat of being served by Vee – tell her ‘Hi’ from The Food and Drink Guy, as she is a gem!
Tonight, we celebrated my wife’s Birthday – exploring the menu beyond the pizza’s we had on previous visits to the other Mediterranean delights as recommended by our server, Vee. Tonight we truly shared everything – starting with the Two for Delicacies: Bacon Wrapped Dates & Meatballs (see pictures). We followed that up with a Three for $35 Skewer: Swordfish, Chicken Shawarma & Sirloin Tip (see picture). All of them were delicious and highly recommended, but our favorite was the Bacon Wrapped Dates!
Lastly, if you follow my posts, you know how hard it is for me to leave a restaurant without having some type of sweets. Tonight was no different, although it was free for my wife’s Birthday. We opted for the Salted Caramel Budino (see picture) and while we have had it before – we truly relished every spoonful. It was sweet, rich and awesome – especially given the smaller portion size that didn’t leave us feeling too guilty!
You will love a stop here for your next meal out…and if you want to sample a few things at a bargain price, they have one of the best true 1/2 price Happy Hours in the area!
July 2021
We stopped here for dinner on our anniversary based on an online rating and really liked it. It is very clean, modern and ‘chic’.
I highly recommend stopping between 3 and 6 to take advantage of the Happy Hour (we did). We sampled several beers and a delicious wood fire pizza – all at 1/2 price!
On the waitress’ recommendation we ordered the #10 pizza (…meat & hot honey). As the name implied it was a perfect combination of pepperoni and spicy Italian sausage along with just a tinge of sweetness from the honey. It was just perfect for the 2 of us to share. On a subsequent visit with our son, we tried the Gyro (#5). Their beer tap wasn’t working on that trip, so we had to ‘settle’ for wine with our pizzas instead.
Lastly don’t leave without trying one of the desserts. Again based on the waitress’ recommendation we went with the Salted Caramel Budino. It wasn’t quite what we expected but oh, it was so good! It was a delicious pudding/tapioca (chantilly cream) with some sprinkles of dark chocolate on the top and a dollop of salted caramel. Dessert Bliss!!
This is definitely a place you’ll want to try!
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. To receive Tweets of the latest Reviews, follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy
Finally got the chance to return with my wife after our neighbors asked us to join them for dinner here. We both enjoyed the atmosphere, drinks and food during our visit. We started with a Mojito (see picture) and Old Fashioned (see picture) – both very good drinks.
For our dinner, my wife opted for the Asian Peanut Butter & Jelly Burger (see picture), our neighbor had the Boursin Burger (see picture) and I went with the AG Burger (see picture). All of them were delicious, as were the french fries and tater tots. This place is definitely worth a stop and next time we’ll try to go again on a Tuesday and remember their Burger & Pint special.
11/2022
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
4.25* (out of 5)
Food: 5*
Atmosphere: 5*
Value: 4*
Service: 4*
Stopped here to try it out when in the area for a meeting, as it shows 1st alphabetically at HappyHourDesDoines.com. I was a little leary about going in upon seeing the very small parking lot in a near-residential area, but was glad that I did.
Stewart was my waiter and he took great care of me – there at the right times without being overbearing. There was a decent selection of tap beers (see picture) and the special of the day was Lasagna (see picture), which was also his recommendation.
The dinner salad (see picture) was fresh and crisp…although the pieces of lettuce were quite large and needed to be cut before eating. The Lasagna was a pleasant surprise – good-sized portion, nice presentation (see picture) and very tasty.
Being the great waiter he was, Stewart offered dessert…and while it sounded delicious, I was feeling pretty full and decided against the additional calories and $10. I would definitely recommend this place and plan on stopping by again sometime with my wife.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
We have had discounts from kid’s athletics fundraising cards to try this place for several years and finally got over to try it this summer. While the exterior on the East side didn’t look like much, the front (North) side looked much more inviting and lively – with tables and a modern look. Unfortunately, we arrived from the South and didn’t see the front side until leaving (see pictures of each side below). I did like the corrugated metal and rustic wood decor – giving it a bit of a old farm building feel inside.
We started with a Salty Chick and an Orilla Sunset (see picture) drink – and really enjoyed both of them. For our meal we ordered a Nashville Hot Dinner (see picture) and a Chicken Strip Meal (see picture). The chicken was good and we really liked the fries – hearty, crispy on the outside & soft and hot on the inside. Best of all was the Carolina Mustard and Bang Bang sauces on the side – we loved both of them!
While this is a bit out of the way for us since we live up in Urbandale and don’t get this far south very often, we did enjoy our stop for dinner and would recommend it if you are in the area.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
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!
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
We had heard of Fiesta Jalapeno’s before, but actually ended up here a little by accident today, as we planned lunch at the Best Burger in Iowa restaurant next door, but it was inexplicably closed for the day. The weather was great and the patio looked inviting so we optioned for Mexican instead.
The menu options were good and our group ended up sampling quite a few of them as the pictures will show. You will see pictures for each of the following below: Carnitas Tacos, Lobster Relleno, Spicy Grilled Burrito, Burrito Bowl Grilled Chicken & Steak, Chimichangas Supremas, Lobster Chimichanga and Chips & Salsa.
We found all of the food to be solid and above average with the exception of the chips, which weren’t my favorite. While not having any alcoholic drinks contributed, the value is quite good…as we only spent $16 per person before the tip. I loved the lively, open atmosphere and would likely return if in the area again in the future.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
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!
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
My Dad was up for pizza for dinner, so we looked around the Riverview area and chose Cappy’s Pizza. The exterior of the building was a clean, modern brick facade with decking on the upper levels giving it a bit of a European / New Orleans feel. The interior was full of classic agricultural and automotive signs from yesteryear and was well-lit.
To start our meal, we ordered a large Greek Salad (see picture) to share and we were not disappointed – it was delicious! We ordered 3 pizzas to share (see pictures) – 2 NY Customs and a NY Cappy. We enjoy thinner crusts and found all of these options to be very good – wood-fired edges with plenty of sauce and toppings.
A rock-solid pizza shop that I would recommend and look forward to a return.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
