The Mucky Duck Pub

Reviews 6

KA

Kat Reis

Whenever my parents take me out to eat, I take a deep breath and prepare to deal with Applebees esque pre-heated dinner style food. Even when they suggested the greatest place in DSM for Fish and Chips I was skeptical. Sure, my mother is British, but her palate is about as stereotypically British as you can get. So imagine my delight when I came in here and it was an honest to goodness pub! Felt just like one i had been to when I visited England. Theres an extensive amount of English candies and grocery behind the counter. Enough to make it hard to concentrate on what to get to eat. (I mean, is there truly shame in eating a bevy of British sweets instead of a real dinner?!) Its nice and cozy, at least to me, and theres even a dart board. Sadly, candy for dinner even at my age, is still frowned on by your parents. So I ordered the curry. My mother ordered the fish and chips and my father got the special of corned beef and cabbage. So, again, theres a part of me expecting bland British food. Just like Mom used to make... because thats often the places my parents enjoy. However, when we got our food I was not only amazed by how good it looked but also how it tasted. I will warn you, the curry is spicy if youre a complete wuss like me! I had to get a glass of chocolate milk to calm things down but boy was it good. I had a bite of my Fathers and it was pretty amazing too. Lots of flavor. And you know a place is good when watching other food come out becomes slightly torturous (even though we had ours). The scotch eggs looked phenomenal, as did the Guinness pie. I cannot say I had the Fish n Chips, but will default to my mother (again shes British I feel thats important) who claims theyre the best shes had so far in the Midwest. She says its a good quality fish and it she finished all of hers so it had to taste good. Oh and beers, they have beers. So many beers and some other great looking drinks. If I hadnt been with my parents (theyre not sticklers just over worriers) I would have tried their moscow mule and perhaps a hard cider. The service was great, its fairly affordable (about 10 bucks a meal) and you can buy all the imported candy you can manage. So if youre in Ames and suddenly craving some good British comfort foods, definitely stop in its very much worth your time.

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JU

Justin Lee

We spent $40 to look at dead bugs and dust while we ate microwaved food that made us feel sick. I took my girlfriend on a Friday night because we heard from a friend that they really liked the place. We get in and take a seat by the window. The window seal was extremely dirty. Tons of dust and dead bugs were just sitting in the window bay like it hadnt been cleaned in Id guess weeks. We should have just left then, but we decided to give the food a try. We then wait for 20 minutes before we even got service, and ordered the bangers and mash and a chicken pasty. My girlfriend asked for no onions on the pasty, but we were told it was already pre-made and the chief wouldnt be able to accommodate it because I assume they get it frozen and just throw it in a microwave. We finally get our food which is a very small portion for being $10 a plate and it tastes very bland and a little off. We legitimately struggled to even eat half of our meal. After we leave we both felt sick like we were going to puke. I should have asked for my money back but after spending so much time in that disgusting place I just wanted to leave. I am by no means a picky eater, but the food there sucked. I honestly feel ripped off and will never go back.

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JO

Joshua Clements

The Mucky Duck Pub is an English Pub meets U.S. Roadside Diner. Just about everything on the menu is authentic English pub fare- even the owner was born and raised in the UK. I dined with a party of 7 colleagues. I went with the Fish & Chips at the suggestion of the server, and it did not disappoint. The Cod was buttery, flavorful, fall-apart tender with the perfect crisp medium-bodied batter. This was probably an 8 to 10 ounce fillet, pre-fry weight. I also sampled my colleagues curry, which was surprisingly good. Mild heat, with rich signature curry flavor, somewhat sweet. The beer selection is okay, 8 on tap if I remember correctly, mostly British, Irish, and Scottish style brews, a mix of UK and Domestic. Also available is a range of bottled British beers and soft drinks. The Mucky Duck also has a small store with a variety of imported UK fare, from curry pastes and chutney to sauces, wide assortment of premium teas, candies and chocolates, apparel, and more. Most of my colleagues had to get some chutney or tea. Overall it was an enjoyable meal and would recommend The Mucky Duck if youre looking for a fun, informal dinner or drink with a UK accent.

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MI

Michael Lokken

Went their with the guy I am dating on Saturday night (10/15/2016) for Dinner , sat down at an open table right in front of the bar where we could easily be seen, waited for 10 minutes, with both bar and restaurant employees passing by us without asking if we have been served or needed a menu. Got up, grabbed menus for both of us myself and then waited another 15 minutes, while employees frankly ignored us as we sat and waited for anyone to notice we would like to order and get some service. Nothing. I have been to the Mucky Duck before with friends and had great service. I talked up how nice the Mucky Duck is to this guy, an open, comfortable place with good British food and friendly staff. We had staff look directly at us and then completely ignore us as they walked by to serve other people. He is now convinced that we didnt receive service either because we are an interracial couple or because we are a gay couple. And I cant disagree with him because we finally left to go eat someplace else where we could actually receive service. I doubt I will ever patronize the Mucky Duck again, I am so disappointed by the experience.

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SC

Scarlet Fire

I will begin by saying that the concept and the menu is a great in theory. I have eaten here many times and the quality is in-consistant depending upon who is making it. I will say there are some employees who do their job, but I cant say how many times I have waited for a refill, or for the waitress to even acknowledge that I need something. It seems very disorganized. Ive sat at a table trying to enjoy my meal when a server attempted to bring me other tables entrees or appetizers not once but three times in a sitting. If there is system in place, it seems chaotic. The owner seems hands-on and nice enough, but has horrible body odor. A stench so bad it may over-power your meal. I generally like the food, it is slightly over-priced, but it is worth a try if you are willing to possibly endure bad customer service.

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ST

Steven Hatter

Found this place trying to turn around and get back to the freeway. Stopped at two other places, one was a BBQ place that had people sitting like cattle waiting for a table then numbers came over a loudspeaker like a livestock auction. We left. The Mucky Duck was a breathe of fresh air. Great food, awesome service, and love the decor. Super beer and spirit selection. The prices were reasonable and well definitely be back with friends. If you would like to step into the tardis and go back in time to an English pub this is the place for you.

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