Minerva’s

Minerva’s is a restaurant located on Hamilton Blvd in Sioux City.  It is easy to find since it is right next to the Hy Vee on Hamilton.  The restaurant is pretty big and classy.  It looked like a nicer place to eat and I was very anxious to try their food.  When you walk in there is a very long bar at the front of their restaurant.  I immediately went to the bar and ordered one of their many tap beers.  I got a Summer Shandy while I was waiting for the other people to get there.  We got seated and they had plenty of room for a big group like use, so if you are looking for a good place for a kid’s birthday party Minerva’s would be a good place for that.

Once we sat down I began to look over the menu.  The only thing I had heard about this place was that they had seafood mac and cheese.  I decided to go with the cheeseburger because that sounded pretty good to me at the time.  I also got the bruscetta as an appetizer.  That sounded very good.  I also tried some more of their beers while I was waiting for my food.

The bruscetta came out first and was very good.  It had really hit the spot.  I had everyone try it and they all liked it too.  Then the cheeseburger came out.  It was very good and not overdone which was a good thing.  It came with french fries too.  They had good seasoning to them and were very delicious.  The prices on the food were not too expensive either and seemed to be very reasonable.  The waiting staff was very nice and helpful.  The always made sure that my drink was filled in front of me.

Minerva’s was a very good restaurant and I really enjoyed going there.  The food was very delicious and looked like a classy place that you could take a girl on a date to.  The atmosphere was really good.  Not too quiet, but no too loud either.  The restaurant was very clean too.  It was very easy to find and get to.  I really enjoyed my time at that restaurant and I will definitely be going back there for another meal and seeing what other options that they have that looked very appetizing.

Bev’s on the River

Bev’s on the River is right of interstate 29 connected to the Hilton Garden Inn.  It overlooks the Missouri River.  I had heard of the restaurant before, but had never been there.  I had heard nothing but positive things about the restaurant.  I had no idea what they served or what the place looked like.  When I walked in I noticed that it was a classier place.  It looked very clean and was well lit.  They also had a very big bar that I saw when I walked in.  The dining area was very big and kind of fancy.  It looked like a good place for a date.  The dining area also overlooked the river.  They had big windows which made for a very scenic meal.  They also had a patio with seating outside, so if it is nice outside and you want to be closer to the river you could eat out there.

I sat down and started looking over the menu.  The prices were very reasonable.  I looked at the appetizers and decided to get the fried calamari and the spinach artichoke dip.  I am a huge fan of artichoke dip.  When the appetizers came out I was anxious to try them.  The calamari was okay, but not my favorite.  The artichoke dip was very good.  They served it with hot bread and it just melted in my mouth.

I then started looking at what I was going to get for my main meal.  I saw the ribeye steak sandwich and decided to get that.  I got it medium rare because I hate when the flavor gets burnt out of my steak.  I also got the steak fries to go with the steak sandwich.  As I waited for my meal I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant.  It was quiet and relaxing with the view overlooking the river.  My meal came out and they cooked my steak just the way I wanted.  I threw some barbeque sauce on it and began chowing down.  The steak was excellent.  I liked the seasoning of the fries too.  They gave me enough food that I needed a box to take the rest of it home.

Now it was time for dessert.  I was full, but they had so many good options that I just had to get a dessert.  I chose the carrot cake because I have always been a fan of carrot cake, but had not had it forever.  The cake came out and it was one of the best pieces of cake that I have ever had.  It was a big piece and it did not take me long to eat all of it.  The people I was with had a bite and also thought it was very delicious.

I would recommend Bev’s on the River for anyone that is looking for nice, quiet dinner.  I would like to check out their dinner menu and see what it has to offer.  It is a great place for a date if you are looking to take someone to a classier place.  I will be going back to Bev’s on the River very soon.

El Tapitio

El Tapitio is a Mexican restaurant located on Gordon Drive in Sioux City.  I had driven by this place numerous times, but had never been in there.  I was anxious to eat there because I am a big fan of Mexican restaurants. When we walked in it looked like a typical Mexican restaurant with Mexican themed paintings and wallpaper. It looked like a family run business and I found out that it was.

The first thing I like to judge Mexican restaurants on is probably my favorite thing which is their salsa.  If the salsa is bad then to me my meal is ruined.  Rarely is the salsa bad, but good salsa already draws me into a restaurant. The salsa came out right away as expected.  I liked the restaurant immediately because the salsa was very good.  It had a little spice to it which I like a lot in a salsa.  They also made sure that our salsa stayed full too which was also another good thing about El Tapitio.  I also ordered the queso dip because let’s face it if you make a bad queso dip then you probably should not have a Mexican restaurant.  That came out and was also good that we had to order another order of it.  It was a great appetizer if you are looking for something tasty before your meal besides the salsa.

While I was looking through the menu I saw a lot of things that I thought would be delicious for a good lunch.  I wanted an enchilada, burrito, and a taco.  Those are usually the main things that a Mexican restaurant has to be good at.  They offered a combo that had all three, so I was pumped.  As I waited for my food to get out there, I kept chowing down on the bottomless salsa that they offer.  The food got out there in reasonable time.  The taco was very good, but I wish I would have ordered the soft shell instead of the hard shell.  The burrito was good.  I really enjoyed the enchilada the most.  It had plenty inside of it and the sauce on the outside made it very appetizing.  I wish I would have tried to put their salsa on my taco and burrito to give them a little more taste and spice.  I think that would have helped them out a lot.  I still enjoyed the burrito and taco though.  They were still very tasty and I am glad that I ordered them.

El Tapitio is a nice place if you are looking for a good Mexican meal.  They usually have some pretty cheap drink deals, so if you are looking to go have a few margaritas or a cold beer El Tapitio would be a good place to go.  I could have sat there and ate salsa and had a cold beer instead of eating and I would have still been satisfied. I will definitely go back to El Tapitio.

Indigo Palette

Indigo Palette is a restaurant and an art gallery located on the historic 4th street in downtown Sioux City.  I had never heard of this place before and did not realize it was a restaurant.  I had spent a lot of time next door at Tom Foolery’s but had no idea that the art gallery next door served food.  I was anxious to see what the menu had to offer and to check out the beautiful art that they had hanging on their walls.

When you walk in you can see a lot of good pieces of art work.  However, I was not there to check out the art even though it was good scenery for the restaurant.  It had a very laid back feel to it. It seemed like a good place to go have a cup of coffee.  That was the first thing I did as I waited for the rest of our group to show up.  The cup of coffee was delicious and it was a very relaxing atmosphere to enjoy some coffee.  The next thing I wanted to do was order an appetizer, but those can’t be ordered until after 4 p.m.

When I looked at the menu, I saw a lot of amazing things that looked very good.  I wanted to go with their half pound burger because they put the cheese inside the burger not on top like every other burger I have ever had.  You could pick the type of cheese that you wanted.  I asked the waitress what she would prefer and she told me the cheddar was the best.  She was a lot of help and that was the one that I chose.  I am very happy that I did.  I also ordered french fries for my side.  When you order the half pound burger you have to give them 15 to 20 minutes to cook it.  I will tell you that it is worth the wait.  While I waited for my food I enjoyed a nice Blue Moon and just relaxed.  I thought the restaurant was very relaxing and the art work was very cool to look at even though I am not a very artistic person.  Once my food got there I couldn’t wait to bite into this half pound piece of meat sitting in front of me.  It was one of the best burgers I have ever had.  It melted in your mouth.  The cheese on the inside was the most amazing thing ever.  Their fries were also good and the right seasoning on them.  I was too full for dessert.  The burger was worth the 20 minute wait.

I would recommend this restaurant for anyone that is looking to either go relax for a nice cup of coffee in the morning, or someone looking to eat a good burger.  The place is small so there is a chance of it being too full to find a seat, but that was not the case when I was there.  The restaurant offered a good variety of food and I will definitely be going back.

Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar

The next place we went to was Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar. It is located on Southern Hills Drive in Sioux City. I was anxious to try this place because I have never been to a Japanese steakhouse before and I have never had them cook my food right in front of me. I thought it would be a good experience.

The restaurant was spread out with plenty of room. It was very nice and clean on the inside. The waiting staff was very good and entertaining. Our chef had a good sense of humor and made the experience even better with the jokes he would play on us while he was cooking our food.

I did not know what to order on their menu. They had plenty of options and combos that seemed really good. I wanted the salmon because I had tried it once and I thought I tasted very good. I also saw the ribeye and wanted a steak to go along with the salmon. I also ordered the chicken tempura as an appetizer.

The chicken tempura was very delicious and I recommend it to anyone that is looking for an appetizer that is not too extreme. The salmon was also very good. The ribeye was cooked perfectly. The chef did not burn the flavor out of it, which is very nice because I like my steaks a little pink. Overall the food was very good.

The Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar was very delicious and entertaining. The chef that we had was a good performer and made my first experience of having my food cooked in front of me a good one. The food that he served us was amazing and very appetizing. The whole staff was very good. The restaurant was quiet and not very crowded. I would recommend this restaurant for anyone that is in the Sioux City area that wants some entertainment and a good Japanese meal.

Trattoria Fresca

The restaurant we ate at today was an Italian place called Trattoria Fresca.  It is located in downtown Sioux City.  I was very excited to go to an Italian restaurant because I am a huge fan of lasagna and bruschetta.  I knew bruschetta was always a solid appetizer at every Italian place I had been to.  Lasagna is pretty basic and I knew if they got that wrong then they were not a good Italian restaurant.

The restaurant is hard to find if you do not know the exact address.  I drove by the place a few times before I actually found it.  The place is very nice on the inside.  It is classy and looked like a good place if you were looking for a good place to go on a date.  The menu had some good options and they were not overly pricey.

The bruschetta came out first and it was delicious!  I strongly recommend that you order this if you are thinking about visiting this place.  then the lasagna came out.  They give you plenty to eat.  The piece of lasagna was huge and very delicious.  I would also recommend the lasagna because the price was reasonable for the amount that you get.  I think I would try the ravioli next time I was there because I also heard that was very good.

Trattoria Fresca was very good and I strongly recommend it if you are looking for a good Italian restaurant in Sioux City.  The waiting staff was not the best that I have ever seen, but that is besides the point for how good the food was.  The waiting staff should not take away from a good meal and a good restaurant.  If you are in the Sioux City are and like Italian, go to Trattoria Fresca.

House of Q

House of Q is a barbeque restaurant located on Transit Avenue in Sioux City. I have heard of this restaurant before, but I did not know exactly what to expect going into the place. I had heard that they had over 100 beers, so that caught my eye instantly. Their menu had numerous items and I did not know what I was going to eat. I wanted a few wings, so I could compare them to the wings at Bob Roe’s Pointe After. I am also a barbeque fan so I wanted to see if their barbeque was what it was hyped up to be.

The restaurant was pretty open. There were not a ton of tables, but it was very spacious so I did not feel crowded. The staff was very friendly and appreciative that our class had chosen their restaurant for our tour of restaurants around the Sioux City area.

I decided to order 6 wings, which were very good. I did not think they were the best wings that I had ever had, but they were still appetizing. I also ordered the half pound pulled pork sandwich with French fries. That was very good and I recommend that to anyone that likes a good barbeque sandwich. They also had numerous sauces to put on the sandwich. I went with the spicy one because I like spicy foods.

I would go to this restaurant again because it had a great atmosphere with great food. The staff was very helpful letting me know what their specialties were and what tasted good. They were friendly and had our meal out to us pretty quickly considering the large group that I was associated with. House of Q is a good restaurant if you are looking to throw a kid’s birthday party or are just looking to have a good barbeque meal.

Red Bones

Red Bones is a soul restaurant located on 7th Street in Sioux City.  The place is what I like to call a “hole in the wall”.  It is located in an are of Sioux City that I am not very familiar with.  It is very small inside and if you do not get there at the right time, you might struggle to find a seat.  The restaurant seems to draw in a lot of locals.  Everyone in there including the staff were very friendly.

Red Bones is known for their catfish.  It is supposedly the best catfish in town.  I cannot attest to this because I did not order the catfish.  I do like catfish, but the southern chicken sandwich really caught my eye.  I ordered that with a side order of fries.  The meal took a while to get ready, but i feel like this was because of the large group that I was associated with.  I was anxious for the sandwich because I wanted to know whether or not it was just like a pork tenderloin that i have had numerous times in my life.  Once I got my meal, I noticed that it appeared to look like a tenderloin.  It also tasted just like one.  It tasted very good and I was very pleased that I ordered it.  The fries were also seasoned very well and tasted really good.

Another thing that people go to Red Bones for is their peach cobbler.  I did not order it because I was already filled up from my meal.  Some of the people I was with did order it, however.  They said it was very delicious and advise others to order it to polish off their meal at Red Bones.

Overall I think that Red Bones is a very good restaurant.  I know from the outside it does not look like much.  Like I said earlier it is a “hole in the wall”, but the food is great and it has a great atmosphere.  Locals were talking to us and helping us feel welcome.  I would recommend this place to anyone that is looking for a good meal during their lunch hour.

Rebos

Today we ate at Rebos which is located in downtown Sioux City on the historic 4th Street.  It is a Mexican restaurant with a lot of space. The atmosphere was crowded during the lunch hour, but not overly crowded.  The help was fantastic!  The restaurant has a very big bar if you are going there for a few margaritas or other drinks after a long day at work.  The first thing I ordered was chips and salsa as an appetizer.  I was really hoping to get a salsa with a lot of spice and good flavor and that is exactly what i got.  My main entree was the stacked enchiladas.  I thought they were very delicious.  There was plenty of food to fill me up.  I strongly recommend this place if you are looking for a nice Mexican meal.

Bob Roe’s

For the next few weeks King’s Korner is going to be traveling around Sioux City experiencing different restaurants, their food, and the atmosphere of the restaurant.  The first place I stopped at was Bob Roe’s Point After which is located on 2320 Transit Ave. When I came to Morningside Bob Roe’s was the first place I was told that I needed to try because they had the best wings in town.  Right from the start I knew it was a local restaurant where people from close to the area go for a good meal.  I had high expectations because buffalo wings are my favorite food.  I did not want to be let down.

When I walked in I noticed jerseys and pictures on the wall.  The jerseys were of local players that played at the next level or local high school team jerseys.  It appeared to be a place where people could go after a game and celebrate.  There was a big bar where I saw a bunch of old men sitting around enjoying a beer.  I am guessing they had been going to that bar for years.  The restaurant was very big and looked like it could seat a lot of people.  The menu had numerous items, but I knew the pizza and wings were their specialties.  The prices were not bad, but Wednesday is the day to go if you are a broke college kid myself.  They have half-priced wings on Wednesdays.  It is the best wing deal in the Sioux City area.  The pizza is phenomenal!  They put the right amount of sauce, cheese and toppings on their pizza.  The beer I ordered was also very good.  They like to keep their beer very cold which is just the way I like it.

Overall, Bob Roe’s is a great bar and grill.  You can go in there with your friends on any given night or you can go with your whole team after a game.  You can go in there if you just want to sit down and enjoy a cold one or if you want to have a delicious meal.  The staff is very friendly and usually has your meal out to you quickly.  They are good at handling big crowds and Bob Roe’s is barely ever too crowded for you to find a seat quickly.