The Cottage on Broad

This is a great place for a celebration. Food is great and service friendly. Prices fit the food but make sure to get there early or you may have a wait on your hands.

One of the best restaurants in Central Iowa!

Unlike other restaurants in central Iowa, these portions are reasonable. I want to be satisfied when I complete a meal, not uncomfortable. The spinach and artichoke dip is a MUST!

Very expensive and small portions. Service is slow. We sat for 10 minutes before someone even gave us water and the menus. Paid $70 for 2 with wine.

Excellent restaurant! One of the best hidden secrets around. If you have not tried there Sunday brunch on Easter or Mother‘s Day........you must! Fabulous! Fabulous!

We ate at the Cottage on New Years and it was Awesome! Chef Chris of course dazzled us with another fabulous featured menu. I had the Steak Gorgonzola and my husband had the Cowboy Cut Ribeye with Lobster Mashed Potatoes. ( The potatoes were great! ) The band playing in the dining room was a special treat, and fun to listen to. All the staff did an exceptional job that night for how busy it was. We felt very appreciated throughout the evening. Story City is so lucky to have a restaurant like this.....we in Ames are jealous!

The Cottage is a wonderful place to dine!! My husband and I have been going there for over 13 years. Never a bad meal. The food is always of the best quality. The staff is friendly but professional. We enjoy sitting on their outdoor patio and listening to the live music on the weekends. The Steak Deburgo is the BEST you will find anywhere!

We dined at the Cottage recently and had one of the most fantastic dining experiences of our life. The attention to detail on our plates and from the staff was above and beyond excellence. We were treated with respect the entire night. It was very relaxing! I want to mention the sign that was hanging behind the front desk.........it said: "The Cottage on Broad and each one of us commit to EXCELLENCE, INTEGRITY, SERVICE- understanding that happiness comes not from wealth, recognition, nor achievement, but from fulfillment of Gods purpose. " This statement pretty much summed up the Quality and Standard that they represent as a business.

Best place to find fresh seafood- A few weeks ago they had a feature on Wild Sockeye Salmon.....AWESOME!

We are snow birds from Minnesota and have stopped and ate at the Cottage for several years on our way to and from Arizona. We love the the whole dining experience! They do a great job and we always recommend the Cottage to our friends.

One of the finest dining experinces you will find in Iowa. A few years ago we dicovered the Cottage when we read about their Raspberry Pork Tederloin in the Des Moines Register. It was one of the top 100 foods to eat in Iowa before you die. Since then we have been their several times and we love it! We think they have one of the most beautiful outdoor patios around, featuring live music on the weekends during the summer months.

This was our family‘s first visit to The Cottage on Broad. Wow, the food was great. What a wonderful experience. The kids loved the food also.

To the reader earlier. This is not McDonalds or a fast food restraurant. Be patient as the food is wonderful! You don‘t always have to be in a hurry. Chef Chris cooks his food fresh and beleive me it is worth every penny! Excellent servers! Wonderful wait staff! Not one bad word for this restraurant.

Chef Chris is the greatest. He comes through no matter what, even on the shortest notice. He has never failed us. His food and culinary experience is one of a kind. The best!
He runs the most elegant restraunt that I have been to. Will return many times to come. We have walked in there in t-shirts and jeans and still felt very comfortable and accepted. Chris and his staff have the best personalities. They are very prompt and courteous.

The Cottage is such a enjoyable and relaxing place to eat. The food is wonderful! The staff is very pleasant and accommodating. You feel very welcomed. We will be back many more time.

Myself and my friends from work are looking forward to this summer when we can sit out on the patio and enjoy the wonderful food, wine and music.

I love to eat at The Cottage on my Birthday! Free Dessert.....Yummy!

Way too slow service. Food is ok, but nothing out of the ordinary and too expensive.

The Cottage on Broad is a great place for lunch and dinner. I take clients there all the time for meetings and they always are impressed by the great service and the amazing food. Recently, a group, with varying preferences, were there and we each found a great entree that suited us. From Beef Tenderloin to Iowa Chop to Fresh Seafood, there was something on the menu that satisfied each person. Both the service and the food has been very consistent every time I have been there, either alone or in a party of 40. The Cottage is one of the best restaurants in Central Iowa!

Only good thing about this restaurant is the prime rib. Service is horrible, decor is tragic and management is incompetent. Normally I give places a second chance as everyone can have a bad day once in a while. Not this place, I will never go back, ever.

GREAT PLACE! I love to take my wife here- it impresses her everytime!

We spent Valentine‘s Day at the Cottage as well, but our experience was much different then the user before us. Our server was fantastic- we were a little demanding and particular about our drinks and she took care of all our special requests. Our entrees we ordered were the rack of lamb that was presented beautifully and we also had the salmon dish that had crab meat and a champagne sauce that was to die for. We were impressed with everything and we will be back soon!

I created the Cottage‘s listing on here over a year ago on AmesBeat to help support locally owned restaurants particularly in Story City.

My girlfriend and I spent Valentine‘s Day evening at the Cottage and were really heartbroken. We were not angry but really saddened. At one point in time this was the place we chose to mark important moments in our life together and we were really disappointed with our last visit We had difficulty getting seated promptly even with reservations, we were ignored by our server for the better part of half an hour. The help was saccharine and ephemeral. For $30 we received an entree we got the equivalent in quality and presentation to that of what one could expect at a convention banquet.

Dear Cottage: Check yourself. We love you, but please give us a reason to drop $100 for our special occasions. We want the bright & inspired entrees back, the premium quality and personal attention to detail.

The Best Pork I‘ve ever had! They buy it locally from Iowa Farm Families in Hubbard, Iowa. We love to dine in their fireside room- very quaint!

A little bit stuffy for my tastes, but the food and service are phenominal. If only you could get that quality of food in a bar and grill atmosphere..........

This is my first time visiting Ames Beat and found my most favorite restaurant....... that is not even in Ames on the list. The Cottage is very special to me and my husband. He proposed to me there, we had our rehearsal dinner there, and have celebrated evey Valentine‘s dinner there except for one in the past 5 years. My favorite entrees on the menu are all the differnt steaks and they do have fabulous seafood as well!

Great Restaurant! Chef Chris always has nightly features that are truly amazing. We love to dine there during cajun month which is in February. The waitstaff is always professional and knowledgeable about the food and wine.

I love this restaurant up in Story Ciity! It was great to get out of Ames yesterday after the ISU football game. GO STATE! It only took us 15 minutes to get there and the drive was beautiful especially on a nice fall day! There were a lot of other ISU fans in the dining room, so it was fun to see all the cheer around us. I had the Steak Deburgo and my husband had the Blackened Red Snapper. Both plates tasted and were presented like a trained CIA Chef had prepared them. Beautiful decor as well!

I just wanted to take a quick minute to thank you so much for being in Story City! For the past 4 years, I have met my closest friend in Story City as it‘s half-way between our homes. We came across your restaurant and it has become a tradition we look forward to each year. We especially LOVE your butternut squash ravioli and chocolate martinis! :-) Thank you again for being such a special place. S. Dow

Great Restaurant! Some of the best Prime Rib I‘ve had!

The last person who commented on the The Cottage and The Spice needs to find a new hobby than being a restaurant critic. " I mean, c‘mon!" Both of these restaurants are a great addition to Central Iowa! Both are locally owned and operated and feature Iowa products within their business. We have ate at both restaurants many times and would HIGHLY recommend them to anyone looking for great food and service. I hope people don‘t read comments like the one from the "I mean c‘mon" guy/gal and not try both of these fantastic restaurants.

Way too overrated! The food is average and the place is stuffy. Go to Des Moines for better food at the same price. I mean, c‘mon.

This restaurant is Great! The atmosphere and the food are both very unique and good. The food is different, though, so if you are a picky eater you may not find more than one or two things that sound good. The desserts, though, would please even the pickiest palate! Sometimes in the fall they do wine tasting dinners- we‘ve been to a few of them and they are wonderful!!

Waiting time is just too long at lunch times. With no traffic and a limited lunch menu, we should not be waiting 45 minutes for food.

They have a wonderful ice cream drink called a "Cottage Milkshake", and the best Spinach and Artichoke Dip ANYWHERE! You people are the BEST! .....Brooke

We went here for dinner when my parents were in town. We arrived about 15 minutes after they opened, and all the waiters/waitresses were sitting around the front area, writing their specials down. That seemed odd to me - I felt like we were interrupting something! We ordered appetizers - the bruschetta and some kind of pita pizza. They were delicious and we were excited to taste the entrees but the actual meals weren‘t anything special. I ordered a pasta dish that just didn‘t seem fresh - like the pasta had been sitting under a heat lamp for too long. It was also too salty. And my husband said his prime rib wasn‘t that good, and we both thought it looked pretty bland - no color whatsoever! We were disappointed and next time we won‘t bother leaving Ames for a good meal!

Another great restaurant up in Story City! We have always had problems with bad service in Ames, so we enjoy coming here! The service is great everytime, and the food is always delicious. One of my favorite entrees is the Duck Breast- best I have had anywhere!

Great place to eat lunch- they do a new menu everyday, so there is always something different to choose from. All the lunch options are priced very reasonable. They have the best soups- everything made from scratch! I always recommend the grilled pork loin sandwich or the pork curry if they are serving it that day.

OH! The Cottage-tini sooooo GOOD! Matag bleu cheese stuffed olives. mmmm!

Has one of the most beautiful outdoor patio‘s around! We were up this weekend for our first time this and were blown away about this restaurant. What a hidden secret! This is definitly our new "favorite" restaurant. Hannah was our server and she was perfect. Some of the best scallops we had ever had. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

We tried out the Cottage in Story City last weekend and it was very nice! We sat out on their patio and listened to "Taz" thier musican Friday night. What a great place- it was nice to get out of Ames, not have to fight the crowds of people waiting to get a table. I had Copper River Sockeye salmon and my wife had Blackened Beef Tenderloin Pasta. So Good! We had a reservation and we showed up about ten minutes early and they were ready for us. I think they can seat about 70 people out on their patio it is huge! Great place to take your date.

This was one of the biggest surprises I had when exploring the "Culinary Landscape" of Central Iowa. Don‘t let it‘s diminutive exterior fool you, this is the classiest restaurant outside of Des Moines. The standard menu doesn‘t change much, but the daily specials are truly "special" and the ingredients are procured locally. The pork dishes are particularly noteworthy, and local. Enthusiastic praise and only one wish: to get out of there with a bill under a C-note. Make sure to try the "Cottagetini."

This place is one of are all time favorites- just make sure if you want to dine out on their patio you call ahead for a reservation, because it fills up fast. They have the best spinach and artichoke dip!

We dined for the first time at the Cottage on Broad for their Mother‘s Day Brunch. By far the best Sunday brunch we have been to for a long time- WOW did they put on a spread of desserts, carving station, omlette station, smoked salmon, eggs benedict, and fresh friut displays. It was really good! I have heard though they only do brunches on Easter and Mother‘s Day. We will for sure be back to this hidden secret in Story City. Central Iowa is so lucky to have a restaurant like this.

I have dined at The Cottage a number of times and the food and service are consistently excellent. Very few restaurants understand what it means to provide good, quality service with a pleasant attitude and smiling face. The Cottage has achieved this. The steaks are always prepared to perfection, and the prime rib is the best around. Our luncheon entrees are always hot and flavorful and the drinks are refreshed on a timely basis. The desserts are fantastic and presented beautifully. It is truly a relaxing, refreshing dining experience that I would not trade for any other. Thank you Chef Chris and Sue Ernest for your attention to detail and exquisite dining experiences.

I had my ISU graduation dinner here this past weekend and everything was awesome! I had the Mahi Mahi- very good! There was 10 people in our group and they gave us our own private dining room. Great restaurant!

We have hired chef Chris and his wife Alexson to come down to our home in Ames and cook/serve a meal for our guests. They are great! We recently went up to Story City and had the best steak. We love that everything is fresh and local. There Iowa chop is to die for and desserts are fantastic.

This restaurant is top notch! We love to go and sit out on there tree shaded patio (best outdoor patio in central iowa) and listen to live music, drink wine, and eat great food. The service at the Cottage is the EXCELLENT! Good job wait staff! Chef/Owner Chris is always ther to make sure we are well taken care of. Keep up the good work!

The atmosphere is great. Great food. In summer time there are live music that you can enjoy with your wonderful food.

My experience may be tainted. I once ate here as part of a "Company Christmas Party". I worked for a terrible company that combined the Christmas Party with a regular work meeting. I can‘t say that a single thing about the dining experience was good. Although I think this was intentional because there was some animosity between the owner of The Cottage and the owner of the dreadful company for which I worked. For the record I would side with the owner of The Cottage. She was right to give us terrible food.

Fantastic sea bass! I love the little loaves of bread that they serve and the "Cottage-tini" with the cheese stuffed olives.