Ames Restaurants
- Thread starter Vinniemac
- Start date
The new Wallaby's in Somerset is outstanding. The sports stuff around the place is fantastic. And they run the place very well. Its my #1 right now.
Oh ****. I meant Mickeys. Good Hot Dogs.
My daughter is now 18, but I was thinking back to what she might like when she was 10 and playing AAU. I would say Wallaby's is a good choice for a nicer restaurant. I would also recommend one of the spots on Lincoln Way right across from campus. Places like Jeff's Pizza or Fuzzy's Tacos or Freddy's if it is open now. They are cheaper eats plus they put you right in campustown. I would think she might enjoy that. She might also like checking out Campus Barefoot Outfitter which is close for a Iowa State T-shirt or Sweatshirt.
Really? I live on the west side and really wish that Wallaby's had rebuilt on the same location. So while I liked the old location and it had a "homey charm" (complete with occasional musty smells), the new Wallaby's is so much nicer. And the things on display are incredible. I could walk around there for a few hours.
So, what makes you prefer the old Wallaby's?
I think I just liked the "homey charm" better in the old one. It had a better sports bar vibe, maybe it's just nostalgia because my wife and I went there all the time when we lived on the West side back when I was in college. The new one is all polished and nice looking but the Wallaby's I remember wasn't that. We still go there, but not as much as we used to.
Makes sense. Two great places, but only one had history. I like the new place, but I can see why someone wouldn't like it as a "replacement" of the old place.
I've been there and picked up brisket and pulled pork to go. they were pretty good, sides were baked beans really good (not as good as LC's in KC, but good) an something else but I've forgotten so it must have been ok but not memorable. The unusual thing is when I went thru in Nov. they were only doing ribs one night a week, and I was there on the wrong nite. If your looking for something a little different and don't mind out of town I'd say stop and give it a try. I'm planning on going back just haven't made it yet.
I have been there twice and thought it was good with the first time being on the night of their soft opening so got to sample everything. I am not hard to please when it comes to smoked meat/BBQ. I like them all including a few I tried in Memphis a few weeks ago. My go to is Smokey D's burnt ends and I would compare Whatcha Smokin to them.
To expand on this, the manager also said that they'd had several new people start yesterday, and what it seemed like to me is that maybe they just hadn't worked out the timing of getting a whole table's worth of food up at the same time. Nothing would come out of the kitchen for fifteen minutes, and then two tables at 6 - 8 people/each would come out all together. We went to the Boulder Taphouse up in Mason City and enjoyed the food well enough, so we'll give it another shot - I just might give it a bit for the dust to settle. However - OP had asked for no chains, and Boulder Taphouse is technically a chain.
Some of the best restaurants in Ames, a few of the well-known suggestions and a few not-so-well-known:
- Gyros - Pammel Grocery or Flame & Skewer
- Thai - The Spice
- Chinese - House of Chen (not as good as under previous owner, but still best in town)
- Lunch sandwiches - Downtown Deli (get the chef salad)
- Breakfast - Grove Cafe
- Burgers - bunch of options - Provisions, Brick City Grill, Dublin Bay (although I think their menu is not what it used to be)
- Ice cream - get the Jamocha shake at Burgie's in the gas station down by Lowe's
- Pizza - drive to Nevada and get Old George's
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
Translation: "I'm old, and new things are bad."
Come on, man, embrace your old man destiny.
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
We're also in the market for a new Gyro place, may have to try them out but they don't sound too authentic.
El Basha in Omaha is hard to beat.
The names are very misleading, to be sure!
Pammel Grocery is an international grocer over in west Ames. They have halal and baba ghanouj and stuff. The grocery store itself is just fun to roam around, and it's run by a family from the middle east. Here is their menu: LINK I think the owner told me that they switched to either all-beef or partially-beef gyros recently, but they're still tasty - and their hot peppers are amazing.
Flame & Skewer is run by a Greek family - I'm not sure how long Mo has run the place, but he did when I worked for the mall probably 16 years ago. By and large, they serve a lot of standard diner fare - but their Greek stuff is really good. The gyro is probably even better, IMO, than at Pammel: LINK
