Obviously you're a Baylor fan, but it sounds like you live in KC and you've been a member here since 2008 - why is this your first trip to Ames? You should come up for a basketball game sometime (so long as you don't mind watching Baylor get beat ;-)
Hickory Park isn't "BBQ" but it is good smoked meat. They don't do any kind of rub at all, and the sauces are served on the table and not on the food. But the meat and sides are very good, and the ice cream sundaes are amazing. And it is a little cheaper than the normal stuff you get at Applebees, BWW, etc.
There's a good place called Dublin Bay that's not too far from the stadium - Irish food and beer in a resteraunt/bar. I love Great Plains as others have mentioned. I don't understand everyone's fascination with chili at the Tip-Top. It's a total dive bar. From what I remember, just about every bar that students like are dive bars along Welch Ave. The times I've gone out I've felt much more hygenic in the Main Street bars (Main Street Brewery, London Underground).
Tailgating around Jack Trice really is great. There are tons of parking lots adjacent to the stadium and they are all full of great fans that share their food and beer. I'd say you could easily drive straight to the lots and spend the afternoon walking around and getting free food without having to stop anywhere. If you want to go to a resteraunt, make sure to leave yourself a couple extra hours for waiting for a table. Ames isn't that big so the popular places are in high demand.
Oh crap, totally forgot about The Cafe in north Ames. It is awesome. One of the chefs used to work for a major Vegas hotel (I forget which one, but I worked with his mom when I was an ISU student so I know that for a fact) and he decided to open a resteraunt in Ames to be close to family. I've also heard good things about The Spice though I've never been there.
Great stuff. A few housekeeping notes:
1.) I live in Austin. I've got a buddy that lives in KC, so I'm flying to KC and we're driving up.
2.) Appreciate your (and everyone else's) reco of tailgating. We definitely plan to do that. However -- and this makes me sound like a total ******* -- I have a flight out of KC early Sunday morning, so we have to get back to KC Saturday night. It's only about a 3-hour drive, but if we spend all day tailgating like we normally would, we'd be entirely too zapped to drive back to KC. So, we're trying to find a happy medium of hitting places we should hit, then we'll tailgate for a couple of hours before the game just to experience it, etc.
3.) Thanks for the recos. I like all of the different options.
All of Above = True
I live in KC and I'd say the best BBQ going lately is at the Woodyard BBQ. All the old time famous places aren't great anymore. Oklahoma Joe's is generally above average and the best restaurant style and side dishes are found at Jack Stack. Crown Ribs and lamb ribs are good there.
Oklahoma Joes sucks ***. If I wanted overcooked roast beef I'd go to Arby's. :twitcy:
Lamb ribs at JS are great. Too bad it's like a meal for ants if that's all you get. I typically get the Ultimate Rib dinner, just because I supremely enjoy hating myself after I eat.
Agree with what others are saying that you should come enjoy our tailgate scene. Hell you're welcome to come tailgate with us if you'd like. The more the merrier. Grab a case of beer, a bottle of night train and a couple bottled waters and you'll be set. As far as wanting to remember the game, that's overrated. With the upset we've got brewing, you're not going to want to remember the game. Seriously though, tailgate man. Beautiful women, people partying their ***** off and some great food. You cant go wrong!
Awesome! See above for my "concern" with tailgating, but we definitely plan to experience it!
Reb...I have traveled to Austin more than 20 times over the years on business. I would say the BBQ has improved some but has a ways to go to be legendary. J Mueller was good but wasn't it closed for a while? I would agree with Franklin near the top. Stiles and Mueller's seem very similar.
For what it's worth, Hickory Park would be similar to County Line BBQ in Austin. You will probably find better BBQ at the tailgate on Saturday.
The BBQ scene has really only exploded in the last 3-4 years. The emergence of Franklin, LA BBQ, Stiles, and many others has really changed the scene a ton.
You're thinking of Louie Mueller out in Taylor. It did close -- once due to Louie's health, another time because it burned. John Mueller (his son) hasn't closed that I know of.
I'm not a fan of County Line, but some love it. I consider it to be terribly overrated.
It depends how old you are. If you're still in your 20's and can drink Friday, I would recommend going straight to Campus Town for "FAC" which stands for Friday After Class. The bars serve food if you arrive early enough in the evening. Then you can transition from dinner and drinks to the nightlife drinking. All in the same bar(s).
Also, if you're still in your 20's I would just go hit the tailgates on Saturday before the game, Tip Top is cool but a bit a ways from campus and an older crowd.
But all in all, I would really question why you are leaving a weekend in Austin for Ames, Iowa.
LOL.
After this trip, I'll have been to every former and current Big 12 stadium except for Morgantown, where I might be going when we play there this year. There's no legitimate reason for it, I guess, but I just enjoy football and want to see all of the Big 12 stadiums. Plus, when you live in Austin year-round, you don't mind getting away for a little while!
