Restaurants in Ames.

We've been Open Flame twice and have been underwhelmed both times. Maybe we just picked the wrong night both times but grill your own wasn't an option either.

Not sure if its new owners but they can't keep a chef. I can't imagine they could pay much for a good one. Last time I went was burger night and it was not good.
 
Not a huge fan, sometimes its great and the next time it sucks.
Yeah, we don't typically go there. The last time I went was for a fundraiser that my kid's school had. It's not that it's bad. It's just average in most boring way possible. We honestly don't ever go out for steak, anymore. I won't claim that I can grill a steak better than a high end steakhouse, but I can do it as well or better than a place like Texas Roadhouse or Outback. If we're going to go out for a decently priced meal, it's going to be for something that I can't make myself or can't make nearly as well.
 
Cornbred has a good Ribeye special on Friday nights. They reverse sear the steak and the sides that come with are usually very good and sometimes pretty creative.
 
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Yeah, we don't typically go there. The last time I went was for a fundraiser that my kid's school had. It's not that it's bad. It's just average in most boring way possible. We honestly don't ever go out for steak, anymore. I won't claim that I can grill a steak better than a high end steakhouse, but I can do it as well or better than a place like Texas Roadhouse or Outback. If we're going to go out for a decently priced meal, it's going to be for something that I can't make myself or can't make nearly as well.
We're kinda similar.
We want to go out for sushi, fancy Italian, etc.
 
We're kinda similar.
We want to go out for sushi, fancy Italian, etc.
exactly. I'm not searing sea scallops at home. I probably could make them edible, but they'd be nowhere as good as I could get at a place like Splash. I just don't have the opportunity to cook them very often. But when it comes to steak, I've got a lot more practice, and unless I'm getting dry aged, my Weber grill can produce something that's at least on par with the chain steak places, or close enough to it that it's not worth spending the extra money.

With that said, if I'm at a work function and a vendor offers to take me out to 801 Chophouse or Ruth's Chris, I'm definitely not turning it down.
 
exactly. I'm not searing sea scallops at home. I probably could make them edible, but they'd be nowhere as good as I could get at a place like Splash. I just don't have the opportunity to cook them very often. But when it comes to steak, I've got a lot more practice, and unless I'm getting dry aged, my Weber grill can produce something that's at least on par with the chain steak places, or close enough to it that it's not worth spending the extra money.

With that said, if I'm at a work function and a vendor offers to take me out to 801 Chophouse or Ruth's Chris, I'm definitely not turning it down.
Went to Ruth's WDM a couple weeks ago.
First time to that one. They had a prix fix on a Friday night for $57 (Soup or salad, 6oz filet in a few options, and a side). For $10 more you could go up to 8oz. Instead of doing that we ordered shrimp app.
For the namesake it was affordable.
The space is huge if you combine it with the upstairs. It wasn't too busy though.
 
Ames is missing a good steakhouse. Not like a fancy chophouse with $25 cocktails, I’m fine traveling to Des Moines for that, but a place that focuses on beef where you can get away with wearing jeans and a polo.
Maybe Cytown will have one
 
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Whenever red lobster goes down, there’s good opportunity in that lot with the recent city renovations