Ames restaurant you miss most?

[Angie]

What old Ames restaurants that have since been closed do you miss most?

I'm going to guess we'll get a lot of Davinci's in here - their chicken phillies were awesome.

I also really liked that place that used to be across the street to the south from Aunt Maude's, probably 15 years ago - I just don't remember the name. I want to say it was called Garden Cafe, or Market Garden, or Salad Garden, or something like that? Does anyone else remember it?

 

[JP4CY]

Definitely not Ruttles, maybe O'Malleys? I liked its character.

 

[saf]

O'Malley McGee's by a mile. *sigh*

...then DaVinci's.

 

[SSFPrincess]

Definitely O'Malley's - best place for atmosphere.:yes:

Ang - for some reason a restaurant named "salad garden" cracked me up! I don't think that was the name but could be wrong...

 

[brianhos]

Omallys and it is not even close.

Davinci's would be a distant distant second.

 

[Farnsworth]

Hometeam Pizza and the Truckstop. and battles at its old location.

 

[MoreCowbell]

What old Ames restaurants that have since been closed do you miss most?

I'm going to guess we'll get a lot of Davinci's in here - their chicken phillies were awesome.

I also really liked that place that used to be across the street to the south from Aunt Maude's, probably 15 years ago - I just don't remember the name. I want to say it was called Garden Cafe, or Market Garden, or Salad Garden, or something like that? Does anyone else remember it?

Garden Cafe. It was a nice place to take your parents for a Sunday Brunch. Always packed. Huge muffins (insert Betty White SNL joke here).

I miss Ruttles only for the memories I have of going there after wrestling meets when growing up. The food was nothing special, but the atmosphere was cool when you were 7.

 

[Angie]

Definitely O'Malley's - best place for atmosphere.:yes:

Ang - for some reason a restaurant named "salad garden" cracked me up! I don't think that was the name but could be wrong...

I can't even believe I forgot O'Malley's. :no: That place was awesome - campechangas were great. What ever happened to them reopening in DSM?

LOL - I was pretty sure that wasn't the name of it, either, but I started grasping at straws at that point. I truly can't remember the name of it - I really want to say it had "Garden" in the title...?

I also miss the Indian restaurant that was on Lincoln Way in Campustown (I think it was called "Indian Restaurant") - it closed, didn't it?

 

[aforstate]

I will forever miss the scalloped potatoes and ham lunch special at Tradewinds.

 

[Angie]

Garden Cafe. It was a nice place to take your parents for a Sunday Brunch. Always packed. Huge muffins (insert Betty White SNL joke here).

I miss Ruttles only for the memories I have of going there after wrestling meets when growing up. The food was nothing special, but the atmosphere was cool when you were 7.

You are awesome. Thank you - it seemed like it was something like that. I agree, it was a good Sunday place. It was always packed when we went there, so I wonder what happened?

We used to do the Ruttles trips as a family, too. My grandpa loved their toppings bar for burgers - does Hardees still do those?

 

[WhatMeWorry]

Man, the cheesesteak at Divinci's was so good. if I had a nickel for every one of those I ate in my 6 years, I would have a **** load of nickels.

 

[BenEClone]

Tony's Little Italy - it may predate most of those named so far, but, very good Italian. It was a special treat for my new bride and I as students. As for Garden Cafe, it came along after we left, but we enjoyed the one in Lincoln. I don't know what happened to that company - perhaps they closed them all? It was excellent food and commonly crowded. There was a place west Lincolnway called the Broiler. The building is still there, but, I probably with different name and ownership.

 

[Angie]

Tony's Little Italy - it may predate most of those named so far, but, very good Italian. It was a special treat for my new bride and I as students. As for Garden Cafe, it came along after we left, but we enjoyed the one in Lincoln. I don't know what happened to that company - perhaps they closed them all? It was excellent food and commonly crowded. There was a place west Lincolnway called the Broiler. The building is still there, but, I probably with different name and ownership.

I've never heard of Tony's Little Italy - Ames does have a lack of good Italian restaurants. I didn't know that Garden Cafe was a chain!

The Broiler is still there - I'm not sure if the ownership is the same, though. I'm assuming that they are in the original building, but I'm not sure - a one-story cream-colored building?

 

[Kitkat]

I can't even believe I forgot O'Malley's. :no: That place was awesome - campechangas were great. What ever happened to them reopening in DSM?

LOL - I was pretty sure that wasn't the name of it, either, but I started grasping at straws at that point. I truly can't remember the name of it - I really want to say it had "Garden" in the title...?

I also miss the Indian restaurant that was on Lincoln Way in Campustown (I think it was called "Indian Restaurant") - it closed, didn't it?

Agree, that was a very good Indian place for the price; I ate lunch there often. You had a choice of about five or six dishes and I think you got to select two or three of those. The bread was not real nan, but overall the food was good. It did close, and I don't know where the guy went. He had a place in WDM before opening in Ames, but I am pretty sure he did not go back there. A rumor at the time he closed put him in KC. If you like Indian food, you might try the India Palace at 120 Hayward if you get back to Ames.

 

[Angie]

Agree, that was a very good Indian place for the price; I ate lunch there often. You had a choice of about five or six dishes and I think you got to select two or three of those. The bread was not real nan, but overall the food was good. It did close, and I don't know where the guy went. He had a place in WDM before opening in Ames, but I am pretty sure he did not go back there. A rumor at the time he closed put him in KC. If you like Indian food, you might try the India Palace at 120 Hayward if you get back to Ames.

I've been really curious about the India Palace, but hadn't ever heard from anyone who had eaten there (so I kept putting off trying it). Thanks for the recommendation - I'll give it a try now!

 

[isufan1000]

quiznos for sure....bring it back

 

[Kitkat]

O'Malley McGee's by a mile. *sigh*

...then DaVinci's.

These were both good places, and I am sorry they closed. No one seems to know why DaVinci's closed; one guy I knew who worked there said the closure happened overnight, and the staff never learned much about the cause or causes. With McGee's, it was due to the constant flooding the restaurant suffered over the years. Newer places surrounding the restaurant built up the land on which they constructed their buildings, which caused even more water in flood times to run into DaVinci's. I think the owner is or was also part owner of the Cafe, probably in my view the best restaurant in Ames today, all things considered.

 

[Cyismybird]

J-4 rollerrink had some pretty good snacks. And what can beat the moonlight skate.

 

[mapnerd]

I liked Home Team Pizza. Large 4 topping for $4.44. Good times!

 

[deadeyededric]

West Street Deli. Not really a restaurant though.