For many with an Ames connection, a trip to Great Plains Sauce & Dough Company is a pilgrimage. The cheese is thick enough for the gods and the crust so dense it's worth the wait. Read more.
DG’s pulls in great local and national names in jam, bluegrass and funk on a weekly basis. The sound of live music often fills the steep flight of stairs (the front door is west of Corner Pocket) Read more.
If a good game of pool is your ticket to a good time, The Corner Pocket is ready to print you a one-way pass. The large bar is filled with 15 pool tables and one snooker table. Read more.
There’s something about the thin bread at Downtown Deli that takes this tiny sandwich shop in a claustrophobic space next to a book store and elevates it to superior sandwich territory. Read more.
If Saturday night turned into Sunday morning a little too soon, The Grove Cafe can help ease your pounding head. The greasy spoon swells with hungry regulars each morning for breakfast and lunch. Read more.
The London Underground won’t let you down when you’re itching for a pint. A little slice of England in Ames, the long, narrow bar is dim and cozy, despite large windows looking onto Main Street. Read more.
Can’t go wrong with a sandwich and a cold Off KILTer Scottish Ale, a brew with a mild- hoppy, nice-malty flavor that’s one of Olde Main’s best. Read more.
Here, you’ll find patrons in their early 20s, guzzling domestic brews from bottles and cans while listening to loud music on the jukebox. Read more.
Try the pad ka prow, a flavorful mix of meat, strong basil, garlic and chilis that while relatively tame, imparts a perfect balance on the dish. Don’t forget that iced green tea latte. Read more.
Stop by Sunday morning for the $10 Bloody Mary bar and breakfast. From 10 a.m.-2 p.m., it gets you an omelet of your choosing, hash browns and a Bloody Mary. Read more.
Located in downtown Ames, off of Main Street, The Octagon Center for the Arts features artwork from local and national artists. Read more.
Stop by to sample and purchase award-winning wines made from organically-grown grapes, and take a stroll through the vineyard. Read more.
This busy cafe in north Ames features an ever-changing menu with options made from locally-grown and sourced ingredients. And save room for a slice of carrot cake — it’s out of this world. Read more.
Relive your college days in Campustown, lined with bars selling cheap drinks to ISU students. Try Welch Avenue Station, Stomping Grounds, Es Tas (all the shots you could ask for) and Jeff’s Pizza Read more.
Any night is a good night to go to Thumbs. The dive is off Campustown’s beaten path, so instead of club music and 21-year-olds, you get cheap drinks, and a game of pool or foosball. Read more.
Reiman Gardens is one of the largest public gardens in Iowa, and features indoor and outdoor gardens, a 2,500 square-foot butterfly wing, five greenhouses and more. Read more.
