Top Five Ames Restaurants (with a poll)
- Thread starter NewCoke
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For some reason this reminds me of a much more colorful quote from Mr. Blue in Reservoir Dogs.:biglaugh:
Where is Hickery Park? Is it a cheap knock off of an already cheap institution? Is it in Boone? Fort Dodge? Where?!
Three things
1. A lot of things being discussed now were already hashed out in the last thread. Just for everyone's reference. here it is.
2. I entirely agree that Hickery Park is overrated, I didn't want to put in on the list because it would skew the list. As I said last time we had this discussion, it is an Ames landmark and that is great but the food is not to die for as it is at some of these other places.
3. I was very happy to discover that Lawrence also has a Gumby's. In honor of this thread I am strongly considering ordering Pokey Sticks and Pepperoni rolls for dinner tonight.
1. A lot of things being discussed now were already hashed out in the last thread. Just for everyone's reference. here it is.
2. I entirely agree that Hickery Park is overrated, I didn't want to put in on the list because it would skew the list. As I said last time we had this discussion, it is an Ames landmark and that is great but the food is not to die for as it is at some of these other places.
3. I was very happy to discover that Lawrence also has a Gumby's. In honor of this thread I am strongly considering ordering Pokey Sticks and Pepperoni rolls for dinner tonight.
I agree. GPSD is good, but it's pizza. Wallaby's is a sports bar. The food is fine but nothing special. Oh well, to each their own. Most college kids aren't going to be eating at a place like Maudes or Shi very often.
Here is the thing about Hickory Park that I like - you get a huge volume of food for a very decent price. I love Chicken. Absolutely love it, and you can get the half chicken there for like 6 bucks and it's a ton of food.
IMO, Maudes and The Spice are okay. I definitely didn't feel like I was getting a lot for my money there. I've been to Maudes a few times with my wife when we were in college and I don't think I ever ate anything there that blew my hair back.
I like The Spice, but the only real thing I enjoy a lot when it comes to Asian food is curry, and their curry isn't great.
I've been graduated for a few years now and I'm blessed to have a job and some spending money. But the thing about eating out for me is that I want a good value. If I feel like I can make it better at home or if I feel like what I'm getting isn't worth it, I am likely to not go back. I've never felt like Aunt Maudes or The Spice was fantastic (and I've been both places several times) and so I have a hard time justifying it to myself to spend the money. I'd rather get a 6.00 plate of curry from Cocoast that I will enjoy just as much as a 12.00 plate of curry from the Spice. Sue me.
Also, eating out to me is more about the company than the food.
IMO, Maudes and The Spice are okay. I definitely didn't feel like I was getting a lot for my money there. I've been to Maudes a few times with my wife when we were in college and I don't think I ever ate anything there that blew my hair back.
I like The Spice, but the only real thing I enjoy a lot when it comes to Asian food is curry, and their curry isn't great.
I've been graduated for a few years now and I'm blessed to have a job and some spending money. But the thing about eating out for me is that I want a good value. If I feel like I can make it better at home or if I feel like what I'm getting isn't worth it, I am likely to not go back. I've never felt like Aunt Maudes or The Spice was fantastic (and I've been both places several times) and so I have a hard time justifying it to myself to spend the money. I'd rather get a 6.00 plate of curry from Cocoast that I will enjoy just as much as a 12.00 plate of curry from the Spice. Sue me.
Also, eating out to me is more about the company than the food.
I worked there for 5 years. Still love the buffet. They moved location a year after I left.
I know curry isn't the point of your post, but I thought I'd chime in. The curry I like at The Spice is the yellow curry, but it isn't great. (The thing to get there is the Pad Thai or the Pad Kra Tiem Prik Thai.) If you want some fantastic curry, try Cafe Shi next time you're in Ames. It's about $10 or so, and has tons of veggies and flavor.
Wahl, Hickery Park, is raht next to dah trayuler park we useta live in back befer we had dah dubble wahd moved next ter dah lanfill.
Hickory Park is an Ames mainstay that is usually mentioned for sentimental and minimum food quality reasons. Frankly, it is good food at a reasonable price. Most of the much ballyhooed barbeque places actually are barbeque "sauce" places, and the meat is a solid "ick". Try eating shoe leather, soaked in some really awesome BBQ sauce.
HP's meat is generally heads and shoulders above so-called "real" barbeque.
Greetings Folks...Long time reader, first time poster. 
This is slightly off-topic, but I need a little help remembering a restaurant name...I was at ISU from 1997 to 2001. When I was there, some co-workers and I used to go to a Serbian/Croatian restaurant up on Welch, right in that building where Paddy's and The Head Shop are located. The specific year was probably 1998 through 1999 when this was a regular activity for us.
The place I'm thinking of was up on the second floor, and was run by a very large Serb/Croat guy by the name of Bogdan, if I remember right. His wife and mother, and I think daughters too, did all the baking and cooking. I can't remember what the name of them was, but they had these bread rounds that were stuffed with some delicious meat and veggie concoction. They were so popular at the time that you had to go to lunch a little early or else you risked them running out of the daily fresh baked bread rounds they used.
I've been racking my brain on this...Can anyone help me out and remember what the heck the name of that place was? And bonus points if you can remember what those stuffed bread things were! :wink:
Thanks in advance, Everyone. The help is mucho appreciated. :smile:
This is slightly off-topic, but I need a little help remembering a restaurant name...I was at ISU from 1997 to 2001. When I was there, some co-workers and I used to go to a Serbian/Croatian restaurant up on Welch, right in that building where Paddy's and The Head Shop are located. The specific year was probably 1998 through 1999 when this was a regular activity for us.
The place I'm thinking of was up on the second floor, and was run by a very large Serb/Croat guy by the name of Bogdan, if I remember right. His wife and mother, and I think daughters too, did all the baking and cooking. I can't remember what the name of them was, but they had these bread rounds that were stuffed with some delicious meat and veggie concoction. They were so popular at the time that you had to go to lunch a little early or else you risked them running out of the daily fresh baked bread rounds they used.
I've been racking my brain on this...Can anyone help me out and remember what the heck the name of that place was? And bonus points if you can remember what those stuffed bread things were! :wink:
Thanks in advance, Everyone. The help is mucho appreciated. :smile: