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Ames and Des Moines


Surlymermaid

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This is a no-shit answer. Fong’s Chinese Pizza in downtown Des Moines. Order the Crab Rangoon pizza and thank me later. Google it, it’s a thing and it’s legit.  I spend a significant part of my professional life searching out good food in shitty places and Fong’s is one of my favorites. 

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Aunt Maude’s is excellent fine dining on old Main Street (downtown).

Cornbred is a quasi BBQ place in downtown.  Awesome setting in an old railroad depot, really good meat, top notch sides and drinks.  If you can just put aside the Texas ‘cue snobbery thing, you’ll likely enjoy a meal here, but I’m sure it’s not the best barbecue you’ve ever had.

Sweet Caroline’s is a fun place downtown. I’d call it elevated bar food.  Huge space, tons of TVs, great drinks.

I’be only had hungover breakfast sandwiches from the aforementioned Filling Station but they slam.

If I had one meal to eat in Ames, I’m going to Welch Ave Station in Campustown, and I’m getting Inferno Wings.  WAS is old.  My dad drank there in the 70’s and delivered pizza from Pizza Pit upstairs (also still there).  They’re a quintessential ISU bar with tons of old memorabilia.  Great beer selection, awesome mixed drinks.  I recommend the Bloody Mary’s, and the Pissed Off Japanese Minnow Farmer.

Cafe Beaudelaire in Campustown is an excellent Brazilian restaurant.  Not a Brazilian steakhouse, but made to order Brazilian fare.  Awesome drinks.  They won best burger in Iowa a few years back, and are deserving.

Es Tas is another Campustown haunt near and dear to my heart.  They have kick ass fluffy hard shell tacos, and then a straight bar food menu.  They have another Midwest classic, deep friend cheese curds, and a ton of beer on tap.

West Street Deli is a great lunch stop just west of Campus.  Fresh baked bread, fresh sliced meats.  Nothing fancy, just fucking delicious.

Wallaby’s way up in North Ames is an Ames staple that moved to a fancier locale.  It was Brent Musburger’s favorite stop in town, and Eustachy was a regular in its original location.

I’m probably missing a lot, but these are the places I hit up when I’m back in town.

Edited by Al_4_ISU
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13 hours ago, Your Mom said:

This is a no-shit answer. Fong’s Chinese Pizza in downtown Des Moines. Order the Crab Rangoon pizza and thank me later. Google it, it’s a thing and it’s legit.  I spend a significant part of my professional life searching out good food in shitty places and Fong’s is one of my favorites. 

Des Moines ain’t exactly shitty though.

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In Des Moines ( haven’t been up since 13?when I left a DSM based company but…)

801 . If it’s still the same then I consider my favorite steakhouse I’ve ever eaten at. Killer prime Iowa beef and pork, excellent seafood and oysters. It was my perfect place and I got to eat there a lot. Hope it’s the same.

Ted’s Coney Island. Great little independent like a Chicago Greek town joint. Italian beef, dogs, gyros, burgers. I’d kill for one in Ft Worth. Get a pork tenderloin sandwich.

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On 7/24/2023 at 6:31 PM, Al_4_ISU said:

Cornbred is a quasi BBQ place in downtown.  Awesome setting in an old railroad depot, really good meat, top notch sides and drinks.  If you can just put aside the Texas ‘cue snobbery thing, you’ll likely enjoy a meal here, but I’m sure it’s not the best barbecue you’ve ever had.

The pit master (aggy, btw) came over to my table and talked to me for a good bit. His said he has tried to convince the owner to let customers choose no sauce on the meat, but they insist on slathering it on. I still enjoyed it. They have some good twists on their sides.

Edited by ImissWallyPryor
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Just now, ImissWallyPryor said:

The pit master (aggy, btw) came over to my table and talked to me for a good bit. His said he has tried to convince the owners to let customers request no sauce on the meat, but they insist on slathering it on. I still enjoyed it. They have some good twists on their sides.

I'm pretty sure they put sauce on the side nowadays.  Not sure how long ago you've been.

The sides and setting all take it up a notch.  I do like the meat, but it's a "whole experience" type of place for me.

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On 7/24/2023 at 4:02 PM, Your Mom said:

This is a no-shit answer. Fong’s Chinese Pizza in downtown Des Moines. Order the Crab Rangoon pizza and thank me later. Google it, it’s a thing and it’s legit.  I spend a significant part of my professional life searching out good food in shitty places and Fong’s is one of my favorites. 

There is a place called Skakiri Sushi Lounge on Ingersol that has a crab Rangoon dip appetizer, it was really damn good. Some king of fried pita bread or naan with a baked cream cheese crab Rangoon dip. The rest of the food was good, but it stood out for how good it was and different take on a crab Rangoon.

 

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On 7/25/2023 at 8:41 AM, Texzilla58 said:

Ted’s Coney Island. Great little independent like a Chicago Greek town joint. Italian beef, dogs, gyros, burgers. I’d kill for one in Ft Worth. Get a pork tenderloin sandwich.


This. Get a gyro and a pork tenderloin, make only one a basket (half onion rings/half fries, coleslaw). Share between two people.

Edited by Covri
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48 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

The 801 Steakhouse is very good, I'm a big fan of Jesse's Embers as well, and I like drinking at El Bait Shop and The High Life Lounge.

I know 801 is a chain, but the steaks are some of the best around... at least the ones in this area. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
I know 801 is a chain, but the steaks are some of the best around... at least the ones in this area. 

I’ve eaten at practically every top steakhouse thru the years and worked for a company in Des Moines from 07 thru 12, and ate at 801 probably 20 times, so unlike most steakhouses I was able to really explore the menu. Back then they only had the second one in Omaha, so I’m not sure about them now that they have a bunch of Midwest locations.

That being said, it might not have been the best steakhouse I ever ate at, but it’s up there, and it’s certainly my favorite. The best oysters Rockefeller I ever had, incredible corn fed prime beef, old timey high end fatty pork, and surprisingly good seafood. They did a blackened prime rib, which was like a reverse seared steak, which took their remarkable prime rib, then seasoned it and blackened it and served like a steak. And a Tuscan ribeye that was killer. A steak with a platter of fried shrimp was a great dinner. And it’s a casual place, not all uppity.
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