Battle's Bar-B-Q

This was a small, but friendly place to go for a very good barbequed sandwich. The meat was tender, the sauce was spicy, the lemonade was fantastic, and the service was fast and friendly. The prices were also very fair. We will definitely eat here again.

This place is excellent. They have great lemonade that you help yourself to. Their prices did go up dramatically after being shut down for not paying taxes or whatever which is the only thing that disappointed me about this place. I have been eating here for 5 or so years. I only make it down maybe twice a year but if they lowered the prices I would be down a lot more often. The people use to be friendlier too, but since they don‘t do much more than bring your food out to you, I can handle it. It is a very small enviroment but holds a lot of memories for me! Their BBQ sauce is to die for!

I went to ISU from 1984-1990. This is a special place etched in my memory. I still remember the tangy BBQ sauce, the moist beef and the lemonade (served in a jar). The owner (George) was a kind man and we chatted a lot about Jazz and discussed the music. For someone coming from the Middle East, Jazz, BBQ and lemonade was an unsual - yet great combination.

I don‘t know how things are today - but I thought I‘d share this bit with you.

Cheers - and Go Cyclones.......

On par with Hickory Park, although a little more expensive. Excellent lemonade.

Perhaps it was just my unfortunate luck, but the pork sandwich was incredibly dry and tough. It also did not have much flavor and I ordered extra pork but could not tell if there was any actual extra. If there was that would mean that the regular sandwiches are pretty barren. I am also pretty sure that the lemonade was not fresh squeezed as advertised.

they have great food except for the prices...

%Pr

I have really enjoyed this restaurant since it has been under new management! Pork sandwich is great. I have tried everything at least once and the servings and quality of the food can‘t be beat!!
Say "HI" to the new manager, Chad!

They also have a vegan sandwich which rules! BBQ sause is vegan so enjoy enjoy!

If you are craving real barbeque, this is the only place in Iowa that feels/tastes authentic. The beef sandwich & the pork sandwich are awesome.... so are the Texas toast & the lemonade. The VERY BEST part, though, is the bbq sauce. I buy bottles of it to take home every time we visit! :)

Pork is very juicy, BUT the sauces are too vinegary based. I wish they would do a bit more southern style sweeter with molasses. Also the price increase to 5.95 for a small sandwich plus a substitute for $0.75 is really steep considering the small size of the meat slices.

Service has improved since the new owners took over. The pork has consistently been more juicy since they reopened. Besides that, the food is pretty much the same. Price is still very reasonable. I usually visit 2-3 times a month.

Texas toast, brisket, pork loin, ham, beans, potato salad, and don‘t forget the lemonade! Ribs aren‘t so good, but everything else is awesome!! Don‘t forget the lemonade!!

Just went yesterday afternoon. As good as I remember it when I was a student. They don‘t have bottled sauce prepped yet, but they have the same menu and the Texas Toast is as perfect a complement as it‘s ever been.
Fine work on re-opening. I haven‘t been back in a while, so I splurged with the sliced beef dinner and it was amazing. Cooked to perfection, smoked and crusted on the outside. A gem of a restaurant.
Cheers!

Has anyone been here since the new management took over?? This used to be one of my favorite places to eat before games. Seems things fell apart after the owner died. I‘ve got some friends meeting me for the Baylor game. I‘d like to try it again but not if the service is as bad as some posts state.

Grand opening this Saturday, September 26th! Be there! Under new management!

I have been going to Battle‘s at least twice a month since I started at ISU. The ham sandwich is AMAZING, and the lemonade is the best I‘ve ever tasted. I always recommend Battle‘s to my friends when they come to town.

Great sauce. Very simple food that‘s cheaply priced for college students and weekly lunch crowds. Try a slice of Texas toast and ask for a large sauce for large sandwiches.

Best BBQ in town, meat is always moist, not dried out like another popular place in town.
Plain and simple atmoshphere, as good BBQ should be.

To the last poster - yea right the college kids have good service!! They are the ones that forgot something each time I have gone. One time it‘s the chips, the next time it‘s the bbq sauce, and then once they forgot like 2 or 3 things!!!!

In addition to the staff forgetting stuff, the workers are RUDE and inconsiderate. And the wait is horrible, I‘ve waited literally like half an hour before for a damn sandwich and they don‘t even apologize for the wait.

I have defintitely stopped going to this place

Food is really good. The sauce is some of the best. However, the college kids are the only ones to get good service from. Beyond that, the service lacks quite a bit. Food may be worth the lack in good service but not an excuse for it.

The food is really great especially for its price. However the service is the worst I have ever experienced in my life(teenagers working at Mcdonalds have better manners than some of these guys). The younger people do a fine job but the older guys are incredibly rude and obviously don‘t care how their customers perceive them. Food isn‘t the only factor that goes into rating a restaurant and because of the horrible attitudes these guys show towards their customers I had to mark them as 2 stars instead of 4.

Best BBQ in Ames and arguably some of the best food in Ames. They may forget an item every so often - but show me a place that is mostly staffed with students that runs flawlessly. Delicious sandwiches, great sides, drinkable sauce & quick service.

The service is HORRIFIC. They always forget to put something in the bag for carryouts (usually chips or bbq sauce, but sometimes other stuff too).

I should NOT have to check to make sure everything is there for something I have already paid for.

Battle‘s is my favorite place to eat in Ames. I recommend it to evreyone who loves barbeque and after they go there they fall in love with it too

I love Battle‘s Bar BQ! The food and atmosphere are comforting. Mr. Battle (rest his soul) taught me about jazz and made me feel at home. Who would think someone could make Texas toast a menu item to look forward to ordering? Always order Texas toast, extra sauce and a LARGE lemonade! Your taste buds will thank you.

Excellent BBQ. I give this place 5 stars as it typically tastes better than Hickory Park, and the wait to get a table is much shorter. Their BBQ sauce is so good I could put it on my cereal!

Long waits. Plus, they always forget something - whether it be the Chips, BBQ Sauce, or something else. Simply Awful.

I like to order my beef sandwiches at Battle‘s BBQ. The meat is nice and the price is affordable. But these days it doesn‘t take phone order, I have to order there and wait to carry it out.

when i lived in Ames, i loved going to Battle‘s BBQ, he smoke roasted the meat and the lemonaid was to die for. The food was great and the food awsome!!!!
David Agar

Battles remains delicious, nothing has changed -- the roast beef is so tender, it melts in your mouth! The texas toast is HUGE and the lemonade is unlike any other... Battles BBQ = fantastic.

I use to go here all the time when George was alive but now his Wife runs it man oh man it sure went downhill.

I went to the battles in ames and it was very bad. Rude employees and the sauce was not good. Then, I went to the battles in Indianola and ohhh boy, You sure could tell its different ownership. It was the boommmbbbb! If you want good bbq go to Indianola. Even if you live far away its worth the drive. I didnt want to go but then I found it its not the same owners and you can tell. The best sauce ever

I really hope that the rumors aren‘t true and that Battles hasn‘t changed from when I went to school there. As little as two years ago, this was the best place for BBQ in town. Forget that other place over on Duff, this is where it‘s at.

Get the Lemonade, TX Toast, Pork Sandwich on Onion... Spicy Sauce. Done deal.

All of these fives and ones? Battles is definitely neither. It is alright, better than average for Iowa bar-b-q.

Reviewer of July 29th: You give 5 star and then you say you get old cuts if you are late, workers are laid back, orders are not checked, even wrong or missing sides. Do you know what 5 star means ??? Obviously not ! Battles was my favorite place when George was around. Since food quality and service have dropped big time. What a shame.

Horrible service, workers are rude and the place is too compact. Also, they forgot my damn bag of chips once.

Are you sure your going to battles? Best food I‘ve ever had

Battle‘s serves hot dogs? I think you are on the wrong review page. The Battle‘s in Ames does not serve hot dogs. It is BBQ only. I started going there 7 years go, and it was awesome from the start. Quality dipped a bit when George had his health problems, but his son has really stepped it up. But make no mistake, make sure you get there during or right before the lunch or dinner rush. I‘ve gone later and gotten the leftover cuts, which isn‘t as good. I learned this when I first started going there. The only negative is that they can get workers that are too laid back and don‘t check orders. About once out of every 5 trips my order is wrong or missing a side. If they fixed this it would be the best place to eat in Ames.

Just tried to eat a chicken breast from the Nevada location. It tasted old, stale. The BBQ sauce is not the same as George made, it tastes like something cheap out of a bottle. It is too bad that since George passed they have let the restuarants go to pot. The manager at the Nevada store is rude and slow. I won‘t go back. Many other past customers feel the same. Too bad, it was a great place with great food.

Id Dad would know whats going on he turn in his grave. Service and food quality has gone way down. The portions are getting smaller and smaller. Copy Dad he was a success !!!!

This place was awfull. Have you been to the BATTLES BBQ in Indianola? It rocks! Way way way way better than the other two locations. I heard it is owed by someone else. Maybe that is why..

The service there was awful. Everyone was rude and some were just plain cruel. This place used to be the best... but i heard they recently changed it from the father to the son running the place and it has gone completely downhill. The food that was to die for is now sloppy and they don‘t grill their hot dogs... they microwave them. It was the poorest service I‘ve ever endured and i couldn‘t wait to get out of there.

Growing up in Chicago I thought I knew good BBQ but after living in Ames Iowa for 4 years I realized I had it made when I moved back into the City. Even the best restaurants cannot compete against Battles BBQ Sauce and Meets. My favorite is the Large Beef on an Onion bun with a texas toast and extra Hot BBQ sauce. Every time I go to visit they are out of there BBQ sauce. Not sure how to get my hands on some... I would really like to bring some home so that I can start grilling with it at home.

OMG - I LOVE Battle‘s. Their spicy sauce is the absolute best. The new location doesn‘t have the same "hole in the wall" feel as it used to (which I miss), but it has more room for people (which I love). Wish they‘d throw a little garlic salt on the texas toast. The pickles ROCK! I‘m having it for lunch today! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

great with beer and a Cyclones Win! A must for anyone in the area.

This place is so AWESOME...
The food is great, the service is great, what more could you ask for. Oh yeah... and its cheap!!!!!! :)

I have been eating at Battle‘s for almost 8 years... recently moved to TEXAS.... NOTHING HERE IS AS GOOD AS BATTLES.

It is worth the money. The atmosphere is nice as well.

I miss it... :(

THE BEST BARBEQUE PLACE EVER.

it‘s a beautiful thing!

I have been going to Battle‘s for over five years. I traveled in the south looking for great BBQ and haven‘t found a place that matches the Battles BBQ sauce. Try the homemade lemonade as well, awesome. I have also tried other BBQ‘s all over Iowa and found nothing to be better than Battles. I have not tried the Battles in Des Moines, but one would think the recipe is the same. The battles in Ames and Nevada is still owned by the Battles family.

I just ate a beef sandwich for about $5.50....i got it to go and the guy threw in a bag of chips, pickle, the sauce in a little cup on the side and even a little wet nap thing....good service...i will go back there again

Great Q! This beckons to the road-side, hole in the wall BBQ stands down South. A limited but perfect menu and austere surroundings. Take a break from that family circus over at HP and try some of the real stuff at Battle‘s, it‘s delicious but a little expensive for what you get. I want the onion bun on the smaller sandwich!

It‘s good but not great. You can taste the liquid smoke, they need to actually smoke the meat. Best bbq in Ames, but there isn‘t any competition. They have good spicy sauce, and the prices are very reasonable.

If you want some real southern barbeque, head to Battle‘s. Best pork sandwich I‘ve ever had, same with the hot bbq sauce. I‘ve never had a problem with the wait or the staff, and I‘m always satisfied when I leave.

The best in Ames without doubt. But I will say that their Nevada location is better for quality.

Battle‘s is the best. The wait can be long sometimes, but very worth it. The meat is great, and the beans are the best I‘ve ever had. The ribs are hit and miss, but all other meat is the best in town.

Best BBQ around. Every time I go to the South I try to find BBQ better than Battle‘s. The best ones were close but Battle‘s is still numero UNO. I aspire to make meat and sauce half as good as George‘s. I always wanted to ask his secret and now I‘m kicking myself because its too late. Someone there must know though, because its almost as good as when George was running the smoker.

Terrific sandwiches and the best sauce I‘ve had! Don‘t forget to try their lemonade.

Battle‘s is the best restaurant in town. The food is good, the employees are spunky, and the atmosphere is second to none.

To the guy who thinks the sauce is bad:
You obviously grew up on cookies crappy all sweet no heat sauce and your bland buds can‘t handle it. Battle‘s has the most unique barbq sauce I have ever tasted, and conveniently the best I have ever tasted. The beef and pork are the way to go. Its the best Bar B Q evar!!!

Can‘t loose with their turnkey on onion bun...and hot BBQ sauce it‘s a slice of heaven! If you can get their sauce while it‘s still warm...BONUS!

I‘m sorry, but their sauce is terrible! i‘ve been to eat there once and never again!

I went to school ISU (the university that makes ames a viable community) and I first tried battles when I was a freshmen in college. If you want barbeque the first thing you‘re probably thinking is ribs. So I got a spare rack of ribs and I was let down like crazy. Dry, barely any meat, and tasted bad. So of course I swore off battles for years. Come my last semester at ISU some friends pulled me back to Battles kicking and screaming. They pleaded that the sandwiches were the way to go, so I gave it a whirl. I got a combo of turkey and pork on a bun. With Battles hot sauce this dish was d-lish. Stay away from the ribs and get the sandwich. Num Num in my tum tum.

I lived in Ames for 10 years before moving to California a few years ago. There is only one Ames restaurant that I still rave about to this day and it‘s Battle‘s. The best meat, the best sauce, the best Texas Toast and the best homemade lemonade are found at Battle‘s. I MISS MY BATTLE‘S BBQ!!

A wonderful place to get a sandwich or ribs. George Battle is the best!

My husband and I just returned from a trip to Kansas City for ribs. We stopped at Battle‘s on the way down, since the reviews seemed to indicate the food was pretty good. Don‘t believe it. They must have flash heated the meat before it was served, because it had a horrible taste of gas. I was still tasting the gas hours later in KC. Also, they use spare ribs intead of a decent cut. Come on, if I wanted spare ribs, I‘d eat Chinese. On the way home, we ate at Hickory Park....So much better. Service was poor at Battle‘s too, but great at Hickory Park.

Best BBQ-no doubt. I always order regular pork on wheat & sub baked beans instead of chips. Absolutely wonderful baked beans, just as the rest of the food.

I have lived in the South, and this is by far the best Southern BBQ I‘ve ever had.

I always order the regular turkey sandwich, Texas toast instead of chips, a pickle and lemonade. Oh and if you eat in, ask them to give you warm sauce in a little cup. It‘s way better than the cold stuff in the bottles on the table.

I like Hickory Park (if you can get in without waiting a long time) but the BBQ at Battles is much better - the meat is not dry, as it usually is at HP. The potato salad at Battles is the best I‘ve ever had. They haven‘t had the sweet potato or lemon chess pie for a long time, though, so if you want dessert, this isn‘t the place to go. Hope the quality stays the same now that George is gone.

Best BBQ in town, hands down. A little pricey, but worth every cent. Great meat, great sauce. Do you hear that? Its the sound of the BBQ war drums, and its time to go to battle(s)!

No disrespect to Hickory park (which is good in it‘s own right) but Battle‘s is the best BBQ in Ames, if not Central Iowa! Get the baked beans, too! Also, highly suggest the 1/2 chicken dinner special if you are lucky enough to be there when he has on the menu.

If you think Quality is better than Quantity... Battles is the place for you. I enjoyed this place when it was a little shop near Firststar bank... I‘ve since moved from Ames and often debate a 3+ hour drive just to get some great BBQ.

Great food every time!

Thank You Battles for bringing the wonderful smells to upper Welch. Love your food. I‘ll have the pickle please!!

Far better than Hickory Park!!!!!

I agree, very expensive. For 8.56$ I got a large combo sandwich on an onion roll, can of soda, potato salad and texas toast. It was fabulous, no doubt, but pricey as all hell. Try it out sometime. texas toast is 55 cents. Can‘t beat that.

awesome. the best BBQ in ames (way better than hickory park). friendly staff, the wait can be kind of a drag if they are busy, but its worth it.

In North Carolina people say if it‘s not pork it‘s not BBQ. Tell that to a man from TX! Geroge B‘s BBQ is 4 real. In Iowa it‘s hard to find folks who really understand BBQ, but George B does.

I love this place! The meat just melts in you mouth! The potato chips that you get with the sandwhiches are wonderful as well. I highly suggest the lemonade!!!

This place is not rivaled by Hickory Park. It is far superior than the dried out smoked wood chips they call ribs there. If you want BBQ, this is the only place to go in Ames.

Too expesive for way too litle food. Over $8 for anything that will fill you up.