Ames makes it easy to move between college-town staples and a more considered night out. A downtown barbecue kitchen, a long-running pizza shop, and neighborhood sandwich counters sit alongside seasonal restaurants where Iowa ingredients take several different forms. Campustown adds Italian cooking, while the south side offers everything from British pub food to a hotel dining room with Midwestern touches. These 15 restaurants stay within Ames and cover a range of occasions, from a substantial lunch between errands to a dinner worth reserving an evening for.
The countdown runs from #15 to #1. Dishes and wines illustrate each restaurant’s cooking and selection; menus change, so check availability when booking.
Price guide: Approximate meal cost per person, including mandatory charges but excluding drinks, tax, and voluntary tip. Shared-plate estimates reflect a full shared meal; daytime cafes reflect breakfast or lunch:
- $ – under $25
- $$ – $25–$49
- $$$ – $50–$99
- $$$$ – $100+
#15 Potter’s Shoppe & Eatery
Cuisine: Cafe breakfasts and sandwiches
Neighborhood: Downtown / Fifth Street
Price: $
Best For: Lunch paired with a little browsing
Must Order: Chicken salad on a croissant
Why It Made the List:
Potter’s gives a downtown breakfast or lunch several ways to move beyond a basic sandwich. Its Mediterranean quiche combines feta, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes, while a vegetable sandwich layers hummus, avocado, and feta on wheat bread. Many dishes include a side, leaving room to choose a complete meal before browsing the shop.
Known For:
- Chicken salad on a croissant with Dijon, celery, relish, and dill
- A breakfast burrito with bacon, sausage, eggs, potatoes, cheddar, and pico de gallo
- Grilled chicken and pesto flatbread with mozzarella and balsamic glaze
#14 The IowaStater Restaurant
Cuisine: Contemporary American
Neighborhood: Southwest Ames / Green Hills Drive
Price: $$
Best For: An accessible dinner near the university
Must Order: Pan-seared salmon
Why It Made the List:
The IowaStater, inside Gateway Hotel and Conference Center, pairs its Iowa State-themed dining room with views of walking trails through large windows. The menu adds local character through Prairie Breeze cheese on its signature burger and fries, while a gallery hallway offers a look at the university and Ames before or after a meal.
Known For:
- Pan-seared salmon with creamy risotto and lemon-dill whip
- Potato gnocchi with sun-dried tomato pesto and burrata
- Bacon-wrapped pork steak with blackberry-whiskey demi
#13 Wallaby’s Bar & Grille
Cuisine: American sports-bar cooking
Neighborhood: North Ames / Stange Road
Price: $
Best For: A game-day meal with a broad menu
Must Order: Wally Dip
Why It Made the List:
Wallaby’s combines Cyclones game-day viewing with a rooftop patio in Somerset Village. Its kitchen gives lighter meals distinctive details, from a jerk-chicken bowl with pineapple chimichurri to seared tuna over cilantro-lime rice and hoisin-dressed slaw. House-made sauces and dressings add another reason to explore the menu beyond its burgers.
Known For:
- Wally Dip with roast beef, Swiss, au jus, and a side
- Brisket mac and cheese with Gouda and toasted breadcrumbs
- Jalapeno burger with pepper jack and raspberry spread
#12 West Street Deli
Cuisine: Deli sandwiches
Neighborhood: West Campustown / West Street
Price: $
Best For: A substantial sandwich with flexible fillings
Must Order: Sweet and Spicy Pork Melt
Why It Made the List:
West Street Deli stands out by treating the sandwich as a complete choice of bread, filling, sauce, and texture. The specialty combinations make a first visit simple, while tofu and falafel options give non-meat eaters more to work with than removing the main ingredient from someone else’s lunch.
Known For:
- Sweet and Spicy Pork Melt with smoked pork loin, honey mustard, and two cheeses
- Reuben Fu with blackened tofu, Swiss, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing
- House-smoked turkey and a broad build-your-own selection
#11 Dublin Bay Irish Pub & Grill
Cuisine: Irish pub cooking
Neighborhood: South Ames / South 16th Street
Price: $
Best For: Boxty and a relaxed pub meal
Must Order: Guinness beef boxty
Why It Made the List:
Dublin Bay builds its comfort-food menu around hearty preparations such as lamb stew over garlic mashed potatoes and sausages with onion gravy and buttered peas. Dessert carries the same generous approach: bread pudding combines apples and golden raisins with ice cream and whiskey-caramel sauce. These dishes give a leisurely pub meal a clear beginning-to-end character.
Known For:
- Guinness beef boxty with gorgonzola cream sauce
- Corned beef boxty in a potato pancake
- House-baked Irish soda bread with honey butter
#10 Wasabi Ames
Cuisine: Japanese and Asian fusion
Neighborhood: South Ames / South 16th Street
Price: $$
Best For: Sushi alongside substantial cooked dishes
Must Order: I Love Ames roll
Why It Made the List:
Wasabi brings contrasting textures to its smaller plates, pairing crisp wonton tacos with seared tuna, avocado, and spicy wasabi aioli. Brussels sprouts take mint and lemon-soy sauce, while shrimp tempura comes with sweet-potato fries and gochujang aioli. These starters make a shared opening course an appealing part of a sushi dinner.
Known For:
- I Love Ames roll with spicy crab, mango, seared salmon, and jalapeno
- Black tonkotsu ramen with char siu pork and black garlic oil
- Crispy pork katsu with Japanese barbecue sauce
#9 The Mucky Duck Pub
Cuisine: British pub cooking
Neighborhood: South Duff Avenue
Price: $$
Best For: A British comfort-food dinner
Must Order: Cod and chips
Why It Made the List:
The Mucky Duck pairs a substantial British pub menu with an outdoor patio for a leisurely meal. Chicken tikka masala, pork vindaloo, and bangers and mash expand the choices beyond fried fish, giving a group several directions to explore at one table.
Known For:
- North Atlantic cod and thick-cut chips
- House-made savory pasty with a choice of side
- Sticky toffee pudding with ice cream
#8 Hickory Park
Cuisine: Barbecue and American comfort food
Neighborhood: South Duff Avenue
Price: $
Best For: A classic barbecue-and-ice-cream outing
Must Order: Barbecue dinner platter
Why It Made the List:
Serving Ames since 1970, Hickory Park connects a visit to one of the city’s longstanding barbecue traditions. The range from modest sandwich meals to larger combination dinners makes it particularly useful for a table with different appetites and budgets.
Known For:
- Sliced smoked beef, pork, and turkey dinner platter with two sides
- Saucy Southerner sandwich with chopped pork, turkey, and beef
- Ice cream sundaes
#7 The Great Plains Sauce & Dough Company
Cuisine: Pizza
Neighborhood: Downtown / Main Street
Price: $
Best For: A pizza night built around distinctive crusts
Must Order: Prairie Special on Denver-style crust
Why It Made the List:
Great Plains makes its dough in-house and offers six crust styles, giving the base of each pizza as much attention as the toppings. The alternatives include a slightly sweet oat crust and a softer potato-flour version, alongside a classic thin white crust. That range makes it a rewarding stop for pizza lovers who like comparing textures rather than simply changing toppings.
Known For:
- Denver-style rolled-edge whole-wheat crust
- Prairie Special with pepperoni, house pork sausage, onions, and peppers
- Taco pizza finished with lettuce, tortilla chips, cheese, and tomatoes
#6 The Spice Thai Cuisine
Cuisine: Thai
Neighborhood: Downtown / Main Street
Price: $
Best For: A curry dinner with several distinct directions
Must Order: Brad’s Panang
Why It Made the List:
The Spice gives diners a broad introduction to Thai cooking through familiar noodles and a particularly varied curry selection. Its Main Street location makes it a convenient downtown dinner stop, with rice dishes and duck preparations offering alternatives to the curry specialties.
Known For:
- Brad’s Panang with chicken, coconut milk, herbs, and roasted peanuts
- Christmas Curry combining green and red curry with chicken and vegetables
- Spring rolls filled with glass noodles and vegetables
#5 Bar La Tosca
Cuisine: Italian
Neighborhood: Campustown / Welch Avenue
Price: $$
Best For: Pasta and shared small plates
Must Order: Ricotta gnocchi
Why It Made the List:
Bar La Tosca gives vegetables and accompaniments a distinctive role in an Italian dinner. Grilled broccolini comes with goat-cheese vinaigrette and hazelnuts, while salmon is paired with braised greens, caramelized leeks, and creamy orzo. Wood-oven pizza offers a more casual route through the same menu, making the restaurant useful for both a shared supper and individual courses.
Known For:
- Ricotta gnocchi with tomato, basil, and fresh mozzarella
- Mushroom toast with herbed goat cheese
- Rigatoni with slow-cooked beef and pork ragu
#4 Cornbred Barbecue
Cuisine: Wood-fired barbecue
Neighborhood: Downtown / Main Street
Price: $
Best For: A barbecue meal with memorable sides
Must Order: Smoked beef brisket
Why It Made the List:
Cornbred makes barbecue a full meal rather than leaving the supporting dishes as an afterthought. A half-pound meat order lets diners focus on the smoke, while composed sandwiches and playful brunch combinations give the same kitchen several different roles in a weekend visit.
Known For:
- Smoked brisket sold by the half-pound
- Brisket and Chill with jalapeno corn pudding and brisket chili
- Cornbread mini muffins soaked in cinnamon honey
#3 Provisions Lot F
Cuisine: Seasonal contemporary American
Neighborhood: South Ames / ISU Research Park
Price: $$
Best For: A dinner with inventive vegetable and meat options
Must Order: Lasagna chicken Bolognese
Why It Made the List:
Provisions Lot F builds its bread around a slow fermentation with wild yeast. Its pain d’epi comes with whipped cottage cheese and everything spice, while a beet and burrata salad pairs pistachios with black-pepper honey gastrique. Those contrasting accompaniments reward a meal that starts with bread and a shared salad.
Known For:
- Lasagna with fennel-chicken sausage, mushrooms, spinach, and lemon ricotta
- Mushroom tostada with chickpeas, avocado, and tofu queso fresco
- Beef short rib egg rolls with tart cherry sweet-and-sour sauce
#2 Aunt Maude’s
Cuisine: Contemporary American
Neighborhood: Downtown / Main Street
Price: $$
Best For: A relaxed special-occasion dinner
Must Order: Main St. Chicken
Why It Made the List:
Aunt Maude’s balances the familiarity of an established dinner destination with dishes that give returning diners something new to consider. The menu separates smaller bistro portions from full entrees for several classics, which makes it easier to choose the scale of a meal without abandoning the restaurant’s signature cooking.
Known For:
- Main St. Chicken with garlic, tomatoes, mushrooms, and basmati rice
- Bulgogi tri-tip with vegetable sambal rice and pickled ginger
- Root beer-braised pork belly with tomato jam and pickled fennel
#1 The Cafe
Cuisine: Seasonal contemporary American
Neighborhood: Somerset / Northridge Parkway
Price: $$
Best For: A seasonal dinner with a strong bakery tradition
Must Order: Cider-braised pork shank
Why It Made the List:
The Cafe pairs seasonal American cooking with an in-house bakery, giving bread and dessert a meaningful place alongside the main course. That combination makes it a useful choice for diners who want a full evening meal with the care of a bakery-cafe carried through to the finish.
Known For:
- Cider-braised pork shank with white-cheddar mashed potatoes and apple-fennel slaw
- Sweet corn alla gricia with guanciale and rigatoni
- Chili-lime salmon with sweet corn, bacon, and poblano hash
How we chose
We selected these restaurants for distinctive cooking, a clear sense of place, and a dining experience worth seeking out. Our editorial review considered current menus, official restaurant information, and local dining coverage, with attention to both special occasions and everyday meals. The ranking reflects editorial judgment rather than a numerical score.
Planning your next meal
Menus and seasonal preparations change; use the restaurant links to check the latest offerings and make reservations where available.
More dining advice
For help choosing a bottle with dinner, read our guide to ordering wine at a restaurant.
