NDR: Anyone familiar with Ames, Iowa?

[thewop]

Friends of ours are moving there next month and wanted to get them a local gift card for a nice dinner and I was looking for recommendations. Anyone familiar with the area? I realize this is a shot in the dark but I thought I'd try.

TIA

[sierramist03]

If rickey was around she is the closet I know

[iajayhawk]

Hickory Park is one of their most known places. Awesome bbq. Des moines and Ankeny are not that far from Ames for more options.

[keepmovin11]

Lurker here, but I went to college in Ames. I think the nicest place I ever went for dinner was Olde Main. It's a local brewery with a great restaurant. I'd just tell your friends to avoid it on Wednesdays (if I remember correctly) as that is Dollar Pint night which was always an absolute zoo. DH and I went to a Valentine's dinner at Olde Main probably about 5 years ago and I remember the entrees being around $20 each, so for college students, that was really nice! They have a great atmosphere. Really good food. The restaurant area is upstairs from the "bar" area and separated pretty well so it's generally pretty relaxed.

I also loved Hickory Park, it is awesome! Definitely more on the casual side and always packed. Popular with everyone- students, seniors, families with young kids. Your friends HAVE to go there at some point.

Legends was another popular one when I was in school (around 5 years ago). The food isn't as good- along the lines of Applebee's maybe- but it's at the top of the tallest building in Ames and looks out over the (beautiful, scenic) campus of Iowa State University. So it is definitely a good place to check out just to get a feel of the town.

We always LOVED Great Plains pizza and it's the one place we make sure to go whenever we get a chance to go back to Ames. Casual, local and cozy. It has a nice atmosphere but definitely isn't fancy.

Let them know that they should try Stomping Grounds for coffee. There are always lots of students there but it's a really relaxed, intimate place. There is live music often.

Cafe Beaudelaire is another great place that has a calmer, more diverse following than the typical college bar in Ames. They do serve some pretty good food as well. They are famous for their Long Island iced teas- one of those is pretty much all you need for the night!

I'm sure there are more that I'm forgetting. I hope your friends love Ames! Let me know if I can answer any more questions.

[thewop]

Thank you so much!!!!!

[Deleted]

I agree w the pp. we live in des Moines and went To college in Ames. Olde main or hickory park for sure.

[Deleted]

If they like margaritas be sure to tell them about la Fuente on duff - h and I drive all the way there for monster margaritas. He's even won the challenge lol.

[thewop]

Kid friendly is good as they have 2 kids and might not have a baby sitter right away being in a new town
Thanks for the recs everyone! I'm going to pass this info along to them.

[perhapsprincess]

Not a gift card thing. But I recently read an awesome book about Ames you might want to point your friend at:
www.amazon.com/The-Girls-Ames-Forty-Year-Friendship/dp/1592404456 The Girls from Ames: A Story of Women and a Forty Year Friendship