In Memoriam: Ames Business/Restaurants

[clonedude]

Is Thumbs Up different than Thumbs? I believe Thumbs is still there, just down from West Street Deli, right?

Back in 1990-91, I practically lived at Thumbs. Lived in an apartment nearby. We'd go play pool up there a lot. They had a couple sawed off pool sticks you had to use for certain shots because the table was so close to the wall.

 

[wing59]

I am going to show my age but;

What's Under
Tork's Pub
The Alibi
The Hallway at the mall
The Fillmore
Granddaddys

I was mistaken about Whiskey River, haven't been to Ames in awhile and heard through another person that it was not there. I am glad it is still around. I played a lot of pool and foosball there.

 

[Al_4_State]

Thumnbs is still there.

I was in 3 weeks ago. They have a special on Monday night where you can get a Hamm's and a pickled egg for $2.

It hasn't changed much, other than getting a fancy digital jukebox.

 

[baller21]

It seemed like a lot of people didn't like that place, but I'm with you. I loved those wings. We went up there to watch road basketball games a lot.

Yeah they were definitely better than B-dubbs.

Looking forward to Seneca’s Wing Stop opening next week.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

I remember Sambo's. Went there with my folks at orientation, I believe. But I thought it used to be at where some Chinese restaurant is now. ?????

415 Lincoln Way
Then: Sambo's
Now: The Mandarin

Yes, that's it!!! Thx

Yea, it's been a long time since Sambos. I was within a couple of blocks.

 

[IcSyU]

right below pizza pit.

Welch Avenue Station is there now?

West Cyde Wings - big tasty wings and beer

It seemed like a lot of people didn't like that place, but I'm with you. I loved those wings. We went up there to watch road basketball games a lot.

Yeah they were definitely better than B-dubbs.

I don't know when you guys were commenting WCW was good but it certainly wasn't around 2007-2008 (right before they closed). Their wings were awful and then BWW went in on Duff and put the final nail in the coffin. Rubbery chicken just doused in sauce. Half the time the wings came out submerged in sauce and therefore cold.

 

[Al_4_State]

Welch Avenue Station is there now?



I don't know when you guys were commenting WCW was good but it certainly wasn't around 2007-2008 (right before they closed). Their wings were awful and then BWW went in on Duff and put the final nail in the coffin. Rubbery chicken just doused in sauce. Half the time the wings came out submerged in sauce and therefore cold.

I went a lot in '05-'06. They would have deals where you could tons of wings for very little money. They might have delivered in that era too.

Didn't go much after that, when I left west Ames.

When I went it was always more meat for less money than BWW, with comparable sauces.

 

[JP4CY]

I don't know when you guys were commenting WCW was good but it certainly wasn't around 2007-2008 (right before they closed). Their wings were awful and then BWW went in on Duff and put the final nail in the coffin. Rubbery chicken just doused in sauce. Half the time the wings came out submerged in sauce and therefore cold.

I rarely had bad food at WCW, the service on the other had set the restaurant industry record for hit or miss.

 

[Farnsworth]

I miss the roller hockey rink as well. I played a lot of fun pickup games while it was around.

 

[Playboi Carti]

I havent been to Ames for about 8 years and possibly longer when thinking about the last time I was on Welch Ave.. so... is Welch Ave no longer where people go to wander from bar to bar in a drunken stupor? Does the Superdog guy still exist? I did a walking tour on Google Maps as well and I counted 4 or 5 bars pretty much in two brick buildings across from each other where there use to be at least 8 from scattered across the block.
Now there's a bead store and Hookah lounge and building that temporarily housed Dangerous Curves is boarded up? Luckily Cafe B survives!

Yep, superdog is still there, perfect drunk food. The hookah lounge is lame, never going back to that place.

 

[1100011CS]

I am going to show my age but;

What's Under
Whiskey River
Tork's Pub
The Alibi
The Hallway at the mall
The Fillmore

Whiskey River is gone? JFC, first Great Plains, now this. It's not like I wasn't in Ames last month.

 

[1100011CS]

Also, SIAP but I'm not going back through all 12 pages:

All the strip clubs that no longer exist.

 

[BCClone]

DaVincis
Rocky Rococos (had a bar upstairs for awhile)
Battles
Little Taipei (right next to rockys bar basically)
Worked at the old McDonald's on duff and we would trade food with the donut shop and taco johns right next door at night.
Palermos pizza, became hometown about 3-6 months later. Think 2 largess for 5 or 6 bucks. Only takeout, and one large box. Greaser than anything I ever had.

 

[JP4CY]

Also, SIAP but I'm not going back through all 12 pages:

All the strip clubs that no longer exist.

Was the silver hoop building on Duff a strip club or a toy store?

 

[JP4CY]

I miss the roller hockey rink as well. I played a lot of fun pickup games while it was around.

That got me thinking about the old Save-U-More on Duff. It was a Honda dealer, and then became an indoor go cart place. I remember a lot of posts in the building.
The old Save-U-More became the Lincoln Center Hyvee when Target was also at the Hobby Lobby.

 

[cycloner29]

Whiskey River is gone? JFC, first Great Plains, now this. It's not like I wasn't in Ames last month.

Funny how people say places are gone and they aren't!! Whiskey River is still there, frequent the place every couple of weeks. Good food that has a huge a huge tenderloin on the menu! I just wished they made their nachos the same before they changed the kitchen area. We would go their at least twice a week for their nachos supreme back in the mid-late '90s! Probably the best nachos I've ever had!!

 

[CRCy17]

There used to be a bar in Mothers that was owned by a grad student or prof. Pretty mellow atmosphere, candles on tables. Easy to get a drink at 19 years old.
I think they used to even have belly dancers, poetry slams, etc.

The Boheme! Went there a lot the summer after freshman year. Had a friend who lived in the apartments next door who knew the whole staff so it would be pregame at his place then head in to the 1 18+ place in town and continue to drink

I went a lot in '05-'06. They would have deals where you could tons of wings for very little money. They might have delivered in that era too.

Didn't go much after that, when I left west Ames.

When I went it was always more meat for less money than BWW, with comparable sauces.

We only went to WCW when they would do the "Free Keg Friday" deal. Everyone in the bar who is eating gets to drink from 1 keg until its gone. We heard about it in the pretty early days of the deal so sometimes we would be the only group in the place. After more people heard of it, it became impossible to get another beverage so wasn't worth it anymore.

 

[Bret44]

West Cyde Wings - big tasty wings and beer

Cafe Northwest- they made a good steak and long islands

Indigo Joes- big beers and chili fries

I used to love going to West Cyde. Before B-Dubs came to town that was the place to go. West Cyde had better wings, but B-Dubs has the brand name and the location.

 

[brianhos]

I am going to show my age but;

What's Under
Whiskey River
Tork's Pub
The Alibi
The Hallway at the mall
The Fillmore

Remember going to Whiskey River as a kid getting tenderloins in the side "dinner" area.

 

[jc4cy]

I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet: but Oddfellows by the mall was always good. Their Oddfellow burger (a burger with glazed donuts as a bun) was the weirdest most amazing burger ever. Plus mac n cheese as a side was awesome.

Also, Ames used to have a Long John Silvers on Lincoln Way by Taco Time that I'm sad closed.