Moving to Ankeny

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psychlone99

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Apr 6, 2006
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Any Ankeny residents or natives out there who want to give me the scoop? Anything and everything. I'm all ears.

Is there a good local sports bar to catch a game at? Where can I find a reputable mechanic? Does Dahl's or HyVee have better prices? Are there any "hidden gem" restaurants in town? What places should I avoid? Etc, etc...

Thanks in advance!!
 

Cy Hard

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Jan 5, 2008
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Traditional restaurant in Ankeny is Bear's, also grab a drink next door at the Yankee Clipper. Waterfront once it's open for seafood. Tonic on the northside for a drink. Hy-Vee is better.
 

BryceC

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Fareway has better prices than both, but I really like the grapes at HyVee.

Rookies isn't a a bad sportsbar but it's smokey as crap in there. Buffalo Wild Wings is opening like a block from my house though in a few months.

I like Chips, El Charro for Mexican, Leaning Tower of Pizza has some good pizza. Most of the other restaurants in Ankeny are chains.

The only mechanic I've used has been the guys at the BP on the corner of Blvd and 1st. Good guys and it wasn't too expensive.

Edit - I love Bears, good spaghetti, but it's also pretty smokey in there.
 

mj4cy

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Noodle Zoo is great. There are lots of good trails by the sports complex for biking, running ect. Old Chicago is pretty cool although I like the one in Ames better.
 

wartknight

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I am a once-a-week stopper and Benchwarmers. Games are always on and the beer is always cold. Food is average. Always smoky but that may be changing with the new law going through.
HyVee is much better than Dahls as far as prices go, but there's no such thing as a quick trip inside. If you need something fast, Hit up one of the Fareways. If you are going for meat, go there as well. HyVee is recently renovated and is one of the nicest I've been in.
The Casey's off I35 on Oralabor has about anything a guy could ever want.
If you ever go to WalMart, plan on taking a shower afterward.
I go to Heartland Tire on 69 on the North side. They've treated me pretty well. I have used Graham Tire before with no complaints.
Bears is good.
Chips is overrated.
Briarwood is a great golfcourse if you can get a tee time.
Ranallos in uptown is a nice restaurant, but not a place that you would go to every weekend.
Oh, and if you ever feel like there's a dead spot in the conversation with an Ankenesian, just ask about the football team for next year.
Football, and Marching Band, are king in Ankeny.
 

hiltonisheaven

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I agree exactly w/ what the others have said about Rookies being too smoky, El Charro is the best Mexican, Leaning tower has the best pizza. Hy Vee is best.

My "hidden gem" restaurant is Ranallo's on 3rd st. It is a nice place (white table cloths, dim lighting) w/ good food and drinks.
 

mj4cy

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If you ever have to go to Wal Mart AND Target, go to Wal Mart first because if you go to Target first, you won't be able to handle the shock of how filthy you feel.

Learn quickly that sports is life to most parents in the town. Ankeny could use a couple more coffee shops in my opinion. Buy your meat from Fareway.

I personally didn't think Rookie's was that smokey. My only beef was prices are average at best. Kohl's provides all the clothes I ever need to buy.
 

mj4cy

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Heritage Park has a nice frisbee golf course.....but for me I'd rather go up to Gateway in Ames or to the Saylorville Lake course.
 

RTBIO

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Apr 11, 2006
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Welcome, I've only been here since last May so all I've learned is Fareway, either store.

All sportsbars suck. They are full of smokers and hawkeye fans. We might get half of that fixed soon.

I've lived in the Omaha, Iowa City-Cedar Rapids and Peoria, IL areas in the last 10 years and Ankeny is a pretty nice place to be.
 
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wartknight

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Oh yeah. Don't even attempt to speed in town. You will get caught no matter how little over the speed limit you go.
I have an uncle who is a cop in NE Iowa and he tells me that Ankeny cops are well known around the state for being sticklers to the speed limit.
 

hiltonisheaven

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All sportsbars suck. They are full of smokers and hawkeye fans. We might get half of that fixed soon.
quote]


I propose that we Cyclones take over Buffalo Wild Wings when it opens and let those icky, smoking hawkeyes have the other places in town.