Diners at the Grove Cafe shouldn't be surprised if they find a crowd − the iconic Ames restaurant has maintained its popularity for almost 80 years.
Located at 124 Main Street, the eatery has been a community favorite since its opening as the Grove Cafe in 1948. It has gained an impressive reputation in the decades since. The Grove's breakfast offerings have even sparked the interest of the Food Network Magazine more than once.
About 42 people can fit inside the small, cozy Main Street property. Restaurant owner Larry Goodale said it's not uncommon for a small line to form at random times throughout the week.
"On football weekends, usually there’s a line out the door," Goodale said. "There might be 20 or 30 people standing out there."
The Grove Cafe gets a lot of regulars, Goodale said, with some customers returning multiple times a month. He's noticed a lot of community members have a certain day of the week they set aside to get their comfort food from the local restaurant.
Open from breakfast to lunch with several options
The Grove Cafe is open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch.
For breakfast, the cafe offers omelets and other egg varieties, breakfast specials, pancakes and fresh toast. Sides include cereal, bacon, sausage patties or links, ham, hashbrowns, toast and English muffins.
A variety of sandwiches are available for lunch, including hamburgers, patti melt, roast beef, B.L.T., meat loaf, pork tenderloin, chicken fillet and ham. Hot sandwiches come with whipped potatoes and gravy. Lunch sides are french fries, onion rings, chili, salad and the soup of the day.
A few sweet treats can be ordered at the Grove Cafe, like malts, shakes, pie and one scoop of ice cream or a sundae.
Famous pancakes
The Grove Cafe's most popular dish is undoubtedly the pancakes.
Cooked until golden and about one inch thick, the pancakes are so large they take almost the entire plate, Goodale said.
"(The pancakes) are just what a lot of people come for," Goodale said.
Different specialty pancakes are available at the cafe throughout the year.
Food Network Magazine picked the pancakes as the best breakfast in Iowa in 2011. The magazine then held a best pancake competition for every state in 2018, and The Grove Cafe emerged victorious once again.
How the Grove was born
The Grove Cafe's building was originally occupied by the Iowa Cafe starting in 1912. J.B. Wilson purchased the Iowa Cafe in 1916, and via a naming contest, it became the Bungalow Cafe.
The building transitioned through various restaurants until 1948 when Jim and Gay Stone purchased the property. The restaurant quickly became the Grove Cafe and has been a local breakfast and lunch staple ever since.
Goodale worked in other restaurants in town before the Grove Cafe was sold in 1997. He said a friend encouraged him to take over the cafe.
"(A) friend of mine brought me down (to the restaurant) and said I should buy it," Goodale said. "A month later, I did."
Fostering community relations
Goodale said the cafe's food and overall look have remained the same over the years.
The eatery is managed by a small staff, with only two people running the operation Monday through Wednesday. On busy days like Saturdays, five staff members work − two cooks, two waiters, and one dishwasher.
The Grove’s cooking and food-prep stations are located right across from the counters where customers sit, which helps the workers establish strong relationships.
Chatting with customers − both regular and new − is Goodale's favorite part of the job.
"I like that I get to cook out in front of everybody," Goodale said. "You don’t get to chat with them as much in the back. I get to interact with the customers and make food most of the time."
Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.
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