Cafe Northwest

The food was absolutely delicious! Their main dishes are amazing and the baklava is to die for!

They‘ve got good fried pickles (which is odd for there), but I find all of their other food mediocre at best. Granted I‘ve only been there twice, but it hasn‘t lured me in enough to keep coming back. I like the atmosphere and the service has always been good, but I find the food not very memorable.

Having eaten there for lunch for many years, they have absolutely the best roast beef dinner anywhere. For 4.95 you will never get a lunch so filling and so good anywhere. Service was exceptional and was in and out in less than 30 minutes.

I usually don‘t comment on these sites, because people can really get nasty and there is nothing you can really do about it. My experience at Cafe Northwest has always been good. I realize there are times when service is not always going to be the best, expecially when they are busy. The food has always been top notch and would recommend this place to anyone. People that complain like the one below, usually have a problem with most places they eat at. I suggest these people stay home and order delivery Pizza. By the way, the place never smelled to me. Maybe they need to smell themselves first before entering the restaurant.

First of all, I am not an ex-employee of this dump of a restaurant, just a resident of Ames. This place has the worst food in Ames, including their supposedly "high quality" steaks. Their cooks suck and the service is horrible. The restaurant does smell and I am sure the kitchen has to be unsanitary. Has the food/restaurant inspector ever visited this dive? Do not eat here and save your money for some other mediocre restaurant in town.

I had the "pleasure" of eating the 10oz Fillet here on Sunday 7/11. I was the only guest at 6:30pm and as a previous poster said the Restaurant smells. I asked the server if they had Filet Mignon as the Menu said "best cut of the tenderloin". She did not know and went to ask the kitchen. She returned and told me, that this is a Mignon cut. I ordered it rare. When the food arrived there was juice all over the plate which is a sign of not being rare! I cut in and the Steak was very grizzly. I told the waitress who just responded: " I am sorry Sir" and walked off. I paid $28.85 for this piece of s... and needless to say I wont be returning!

Cafe Northwest has always had the best steaks in town. They were voted number 1 like 20 X in a row (since I‘ve been around). My daughter loves the dolmathes there. They make it with a lemon sauce and every time she comes home that is where we head. We went to Greece two years ago, but couldn‘t find dolmathes like theirs!

as an ex employee I can truly say that the place really has good food. Service is not always the best but if you complain they usually give you a discout or something. I think the negative comments you usually recieve are from an employee that either got fired or quit before they were going to get fired.

Before we had kids we used to go to their previous location and enjoyed great steaks and a romantic atmosphere. This year for our anniversary we decided to go to their new location. What a change. The dining area reeked of bleach, it took forever to get our food (and there was only one other table, occupied by an old lady and a man hustling her). They‘ve definitely removed the romantic element, and the steak was so-so. We will not be returning. So disappointed.

This place has gone down hill big time! We were seated in the bar when we were obviously on a date night. Even though it was not busy, it took 45 minutes to get our salads and bread, and another 40 for our meals following. When our meals did arrive, one order was completely wrong and the three others (steaks and chicken) were COLD.

I later that week said something to two of the employees I knew worked for the same people and their response was a lack of surprise and that they wouldn‘t recommend eating there due to the condition of the kitchen and lack of sanitation. Employees wouldn‘t even eat at the place!

Needless to say, none of us will be returning, and we will be spreading the word.

Kind of an odd place, but the food and service is generally pretty good.

Darn good steaks! I can‘t eat there very often since we‘ve moved. Used to have hot waiter and waitresses back in 2003-04. Sometimes service sucks in rush hours, but if you wanna eat good steaks, I would definetly say "Cafe Northwest".

Don‘t plan on getting a job here if you actually want to get paid.

Best Steak i‘ve ever had. If you get a chance you need to try a Filet with greek spaghetti and a greek salad.I will beback!

One of the most worst ever. took 2 hours to get our food with only 2 tables in the whole place. I been here before and was satisfied, this time is just the one time that I will NEVER go back. The cooks were high, the wait staff could care less. The order was wrong, the vegetable were old, I know how to cook. This is the worst experience in any place in ames EVER.

I was at cafe northwest lastnite and i just want to say thank you the waitress that waited on me she was such a sweethart.

Love the greek menu you need to try the spanokopita and greek spagetti and a greek salad. Awesome food.

I"m so glad they reopened i miss the food when they were closed they have the best steaks.

Great steaks! Awesome gyros! Great service! I‘ll beback.

This is for the person below me.I have worked for george for many years and he does not treat his employes like crap he as always been there for his employes and i‘m not the only one that would say that. And are food is awesome and best steaks in town. Just because you got fired you dont need to be bitter.

This place is horrible!!! The owner is shady, he pays people under the table and treats his employees like crap. The food is a rip off, oh yeah, and his new location use to be a used clothing store, nestled beside a seedy bar, the city gargage dump and the city power plant. Real classy!!

Last time i was at Cafe Northwest i had the best time at the bar cheap drinks and the bartender was so funny
. I love going there.

Today was my first time being at the new cafe NW. They cut the menu back a little but they had the same awesome steaks and i will beback soon.

Best Steak in town, cant compare with anyone else in the area. Since they move the place is clean, and very well oriented, staff is friendly and charming. I will be back and tell all my friends to go there. Great place to take a date.

Best gyro‘s i ever had. I go ever wednesday for $3 gyro‘s.

I‘ve been going to cafe northest ever since i moved to ames i always get the filet and greek spagetti.

When we first started eating at Cafe Northwest, we loved the gyros and the service was friendly. The last time I was there, the waitress actually called me a B---. I was shocked, and of course, have not returned.

This place is going downhill fast. The table was sticky, service was TERRIBLE and the air conditioner must have been broken because it was hot and humid in restaurant. Our waitress took our order and then didn‘t come back with our drinks or to refill our water for 25 minutes. When she did come back, she didn‘t bring our drinks that we had ordered 25 minutes earlier. We left without eating and won‘t be going back.

The food was not good, salads were warm, chicken dish was cold, the table was dirty, the floors were filthy. This used to be a really good restaurant, having excellent steaks. I won‘t bother going there again.

We dont go anywhere else in this town to have steak. Service needs to be worked on.... Dont forget they deliver!!!!

Have been going here since they were located way out on Lincoln Way 20 years ago. The best steak in Ames and way beyond. I always get the filet and it is always great.

The only steak I have ever had that was close was at the Majestic Steak House in downtown Kansas City, Mo. If you get the chance their food is great and the Jazz is even greater.

This place is a great place to eat. All of the greek dishes are delicious as well as all of the steaks. Try the baklava also. Good service and a nice dining experience.

If your looking for a steak best steak in town. My waitress was on top of of it. I will be back again.

i also work @ cafe northwest and as with any restaurant we have our troubled times. But i can assure everyone that the food is not picked up off the floor and that we use the highest quality beef u can get n ames. I am not saying that we don‘t need to change some things including the service i agree 100 percent. But do not listen to the reviews of people that either didn‘t show up for work or simply couldn‘t handle the atmosphere of a busy restaurant. Come in and i guarantee if we do not meet your needs we will make it well worth the trip to come out. And good luck finding such quality food at a cheaper price.

Best steak in town, excellent variety and Greek food. Dessert menu is the only weak spot, but you‘ll be full from the delicious dinner. Their prices are way lower than what you get in quality, taste, and amount compared to fine steakhouses. It is sit-down but casual dining.

This was one of the worst dining experiences of my life. Staff was rude, unaccommodating & never around. Food was horrible, the salad was straight out of bag (brown & gross). Under no circumstances should any waitress ever be so worthless & impatient. Took forever to get dinner & when it came out it wasn‘t worth the wait. Bad overall experience!

This is an awesome place to eat! My husband and I have been here many times and have never had bad service or food. Try this place and you won‘t regret it. The classic Gyros and Greek spaghetti are amazing not to mention the baklava.

Cafe Northwest is awsome food. George the owner of Cafe Northwest will see to it that your satisfied with the food and service while your visiting Cafe Northwest.

Todd Nordin
Ames,Iowa

Excellent food and service. My husband and I come in at least 3 times a week. Once they were out of something we ordered and the owner went to the store to get it for us! Great place!

My husband and I as well as our 11 year old daughter loves Cafe‘ Northwest. There is not a better steak in town. We don‘t dare get a steak anywhere else because it just doesn‘t compare. I would recommend Cafe‘ Norhtwest to everyone!

We made the mistake of choosing this place for our anniversary meal. After being seated in the bar area (no idea why) we ordered onion rings - which were brought cold & all stuck together. Had to ask for silverware & napkins. The salad had something unknown in it (kind of purple, couldn‘t tell as it was too dark to see clearly), but did not appear to be edible. The potatoes were cold, the meat was cooked, but served cold. The service stunk. The waitress never came back to check on us, only to serve the food. Never once were we asked if things were "okay." We had eaten there in years prior, but will not be going back. Terrible wate of time & money.

Best steaks in town. And great service too.

I work at cafe northwest. I eat there almost every day and i love the food.I would tell everybody that hasn‘t been to are new location you need to give us a try. We have the same great food and good service. And for those people that tried us when we first open and had bad service it‘s always hard when you first open and you should give us another try are servers now have been here a while and are very good and you don‘t want to miss out on are great food.

Seems like everyone reviewing also worked at Cafe. Don‘t waste your money! They are right - food gets picked up off the floor, the shrimp really is just sitting in the sinks rotting and that‘s just the tip of the iceberg! A bad case of food poisoning just waiting to happen...

Thank You!
For coming back, we haven‘t find a good place to eat since you close. We have been to the new location, and it‘s been amazing since you open. Thank You for your great food and service, Augie and George are very, very hard working men and they deserve this business. Good luck for your new projects and ideas for your bright future. Also, Fridays Latino Night are hot...it‘s a must try! I haven‘t dance in a long time like i did that night. Thanks again!

I used to work there too...and yes George is a pain lol! Augie is great...a real sweetie:) The food was awesome and I miss it so now as I live 2 hrs away and rarely get to Ames to eat at Cafe‘. I do cook greek steak and spaghetti for my family and friends and they love it. I have perfected the recipe as best I can since I do not have George‘s secret Homemade greek seasoning recipe:(

Ya really gotta treat yourself to the greek staek and spag...or the chicken gyro with lots of Satziki sauce! It is definately NOT a lowfat meal...but worth every calorie in flavor and enjoyment:) Hugs to all at Cafe‘ (You will need it if you have to put up with George lol). Carmencita @~~~>~~

i used to work here and this place is absolutely disgusting! they pick steaks up off the floor and clean shrimp in the dish pit. they are terrible to their staff, and i don‘t know that they pay any taxes. this place is evil. gross gross gross.

Unique menu - combines many types of cuisines. Been there four times and the food and service are consistently good. Despite the casual setting and modest prices, I‘d put this in the same league as Aunt Maudes, at least based on the food.

Great food, nice atmosphere. Waitresses are hot.