The Grove Cafe
| Address: | 124 Main St, Ames, IA 50010, USA |
| Phone: | +1 515-232-9784 |
| Site: | grovecafe.com |
| Rating: | 4.1 |
| Working: | 6AM–2PM 6AM–2PM 6AM–2PM 6AM–2PM 6AM–2PM 6AM–12PM 7AM–12PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 11
ST
Stephanie S.
We will never go back. When we arrived, we waited about 15 minutes(not bad) for a large booth next to the window, as we were having 3 other people join us. When the people that were sitting there got up, we waited for the server to clear the table. As we were getting ready to sit down, the manager(an older man), ran over to us, this was our conversation: Manager, "Um, do you guys have more people joining you?" Me, "Yes, we have a few other people showing up, they should be here shortly." Manager, "Well, you can only sit here if they are going to be here within 5minutes. I had a table of people sit here a few days ago for 20 minutes before their friends showed up, and I got burned because I could have had a larger group there in that time." Me, "I understand, they are just parking there car right now, and will be coming in." Manager, "Well, who is it? Your mother?" Me, "No sir, people from our church." Manager, "Ok, but if they arent here in 5 minutes, Ill ask, you to leave." (he walks away. We order our meals, and get our food(it was decent, but nothing special). As the server was clearing our plates and bringing us more coffee and hot tea, the manager walks over to our table and ASKS US TO LEAVE! He stated that he saw we were done eating, and he had a 5 top waiting to sit, so if we could "hurry up and slam our teas and coffees it would be appreciated".... UMM HELLO?!?!? We will NEVER go back there ever again... how rude! I can see how the regulars at this place may like the small town feel it has, but apparently you have to be friends with the staff to be treated with respect. They will never get our business again, and we will never recommend the place to anyone looking for a cafe place in town. They really need to rethink about the way they treat people... I felt bullied and unwelcomed. Ide rather go to Perkins or Village Inn.
MA
Mary jones
Hash browns are simply smashed cooked potatoes thrown on a grill and undercooked. Dont label them as has browns. Pancake is not a typical pancake and syrup is their own homemade. For your regular customers this place might be great but for out of town customers or new customers you need to have a menu that states things, you have your special pancake but it is not a traditional pancake and not just because of the color! The taste is nothing like A pancake! Tell people about it on the menu. I dont need the owner to come over to my table and question me about why I dont want celery in my omelette and why I didnt like my pancake and if I put syrup on the pancake and tell me it was voted best pancake in 2011! APOLOGIZE, take the pancake of my bill and thank us for coming! Clearly this restaurant has its regular customers but for newcomers you need a menu that describes menu items clearly.
LE
Levi Jensen
Came to eat a bomb breakfast because EVERYONE recommended this place, and ended leaving very unsatisfied! The place was a little dirty, there was a giant stack of papers and other articles of trash right by our table. Observed the cook mess up on a pancake and broke it almost in half as he was trying to flip it and one of the waitresses asked him why he didnt salvage it!! I dont know about her, but Im not eating a folded in pancake! We ordered one pancake, two eggs, hash browns, sausage, and toast. Not even a joke, they put our toast down before the pancake was even on the flat-top!! When we got our food, it was pretty mediocre to say the least!
EM
Emma Gallegos
Its a very quaint little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that has great food! Larry knows how to make a pancake! The catchphrase "Just like home, you dont always get what you want." Is funny, but if there is something wrong with your order, they will fix it for you! This place is currently CASH ONLY, but it is worth every penny! The food is very affordable and you have to try the pancake. Yes, singular. Just 1 pancake! Its as large as the plate and guaranteed to leave you feeling full and satisfied! The Raspberry Rhubarb topping is really good and most times I go just for that! Give it a try! You wont be disappointed!
JE
Jeffrey Sterling
The absolute worst breakfast I have ever had. The food was awful. I cant adequately describe how bad the "omelette" was that I ordered. The meat (chicken) that was supposed to be in the omelette was obviously canned and the hash browns were little more than boiled potatoes, slightly mashed and then put the grill. The inside of the restaurant looked like no health inspector has ever set foot in it. Every time Ive visited Ames, theres a line out the door, and I really dont understand why. You deserve better.
LO
Logan Butler
The Grove Cafe has an excellent small diner atmosphere, mostly because it is a very small diner, but also the employees give it that feel. I havent tried much of their lunch foods, but they really shine on their breakfasts. The pancakes are some the largest Ive ever seen, and coupled with their homemade syrup, you cannot go wrong. Ive got a fairly large appetite, but one of those cakes and 2 eggs will put me out hard. I highly recommend eating here when you can.
K.
K.W. Buck
The Grove cafe is a long time fixture in Ames. It needs some new seat cushions and a paint job. The air conditioning can barely keep up in the summer and the owner can be surly. And I never eat breakfast any place else. I love the food and atmosphere. If you like pancakes you have to try a Grove pancake. What is that magic ingredient? If you are not a "greasy spoon" kind of person, Id go to Village Inn or Perkins. Both very good restaurants!
A
A Private User
One pancake is more than enough--delicious! Ask about their special pancakes; depending on the time of year/availability they have raspberry rhubarb, peach, pumpkin, and my personal favorite--banana nut. Family owned, great service, very friendly, strong local following. A little bit outdated and worn interior but that just adds to the charm of the place. Truly is Ames best kept secret. Overall amazing place.
RO
Robert McCauley
Average/slightly below average cafe food, average prices, exceedingly crowded when I went, service slower than I generally expect at a cafe, run down hole-in-the-wall feel but without either the extra low prices or how is this food so good feel. Theres nothing wrong with it per se, but theres also no reason Id ever go back.
HE
Heather Spaulding
I ordered two eggs with toast and hash browns. After eating the first piece of toast, I noticed the rest had blue mold growing on them. I was done eating by the time I got someones attention. The waitress was apathetic and they didnt knock anything off my bill. $8 well spent because now I know to never eat there again.
AM
Amy Benton
The only "Mom and Pop" type diner Ive found that serves breakfast all day in Ames. Its hard to mess up eggs and bacon, so that was pretty good. The prices are high. The place needs a little remodeling and a good scrub. And the service was ok. Overall, I was hoping for more, but Id be willing to give it another try.
