Pazzesco Chophouse

The food was far from any kind of Italian cuisine. I ordered a specialty dish and it took forever for my meal to be served. The dish also tasted bland, salty and too creamy at the same time.
The atmosphere was poorly lite, and had light coming in the wrong areas making it uncomfortable to even look up.
This might be passable in a small town in the middle of nowhere but this would not be okay anywhere else

In the year since I originally wrote my review, some changes have been made. The Sunday brunch menu was replaced by the regular dinner menu (a very good idea– the Sunday menu was OK but sort of limited), but then over the summer the Sunday brunch was discontinued. I’m hoping it will return in the fall. In my original review I said I was hoping to try the restaurant for dinner; I have since done so, many times, and never been disappointed. I almost always order the veal parmagiana, which is always great (and a large enough portion that I invariably take half home). One of these days I’ll try the steak with the special brown garlic sauce (which I assume is like steak DeBurgo) but whenever I think of doing so the veal just beckons me. My wife invariably gets some kind of chicken, often the marsala, which she likes a lot. We have had the garlic bread on occasion, but the regular bread and herbed olive oil is so good that we generally find an extra order of garlic bread unnecessary. I see that some other reviewers have experienced poor service; perhaps I’ve just been lucky, but every time we’ve been there we’ve had no complaints in that regard. I think this is by far the best Italian restaurant in Ames (of course, the bar really isn’t set all that high) and is in the same league as Yanni’s in Ankeny (and much closer).

Another couple joined us to celebrate our anniversary and the Pazzesco Chophouse was our choice. In short, the service was subpar and inefficient. The glass of Pinot Noir served was $ 9.00 when an entire bottle usually costs about $ 12.00 at your local liquor store. The entrée’s were within expectations but the overall impression was that this will be our first and last visit; however, the bread and herbed olive oil were nice.

Poor service, out of the jar tasting pasta sauces, overpriced. I had the eggplant parm, and I cannot STAND places that slice their eggplant paper thin, so all you can taste in the breading coating it and not the actual eggplant. Gross, gross, gross. Waitress seemed very snooty like she was too good for a restaurant job even though she was in her teens. Get a grip on reality sweetie. We got here when it was dead but were seated at the smallest table for two near the very front window where it was way too bright. Didn’t feel like bothering them to be moved to a nicer spot even though there were plenty of bigger, empty tables.
Best thing here was the bread, oil, and vinegar.

Ames is lacking in decent Italian non-​pizza options, so I was excited to try this place on a recent trip back home. My parents are fans and go regularly, and the three of us had dinner here while I was home. Their bread is fantastic, and the olive oil it comes with is nicely seasoned with herbs and spices. That was definitely one of the highlights of the meal for me. My mom’s chicken marsala was fabulous as well — juicy, flavorful chicken, angel hair pasta and mushrooms in a creamy Marsala wine sauce. I will definitely make sure to order some kind of marsala next time we go here. My dad’s veal parmigania was also great. I think my meal (pappardelle pesto) was the worst of the three, but it wasn’t bad, just a little on the bland side & a fairly small portion. In retrospect, I probably should have ordered some protein on it. Prices are quite reasonable, with pastas around $ 10 and entrees mostly between $ 10 and $ 20. This is a great addition to the Ames restaurant scene and I definitely look forward to going back on future trips home!

I didn’t realize this place existed until today when I went for someone’s birthday.
Overall, it’s a nice atmosphere. There’s plenty of space between tables, the walls aren’t overcrowded with useless junk, and they managed to hit the right balance in light between too dim and too bright. The waitstaff is friendly and helpful, and very quick considering the size of our party.
As for the food, I was both surprised and disappointed.
The first thing they have is of course bread and olive oil. The bread is I think an odd form of foccacia. It looks more like sliced sandwich bread at first, but it was deceptively springy and resilient.
I really enjoyed their appetizers. Their fried calamari is not the usual rings of squid tossed into a deep fryer. Instead these are thick slabs of calimari, with a delightfully crispy exterior hiding tender innards. The sauce was nothing amazing, but it didn’t really need it anyway.
The antipasti plate was nice too, with prosciutto, salami, some other form of ham, hard and soft cheese, and some nice tomatoes and olives.
Perhaps the best were their fried risotto balls. Delicately fried on the outside with a creamy flavorful center. I was surprised that they didn’t have risotto on the regular menu.
As for the main course, I was a little disappointed. Granted, I didn’t have their steaks, so I can’t speak for those, but the pasta wasn’t particularly amazing.
The spaghetti was a little soggy. Not quite public school cafeteria soggy, but far from al dente. That’s somewhat to be expected though considering how many people were in our party. The sauce was a little plain again and the veal parmigiana was oddly drowned in the breading. Although I applaud their attempt at ingenuity by using panko bread crumbs, it didn’t really work out that well. Panko, when fried right can be a light, microscopically crunchy experience. This turned out so greasy that it just slipped off of the veal in soggy lumps.
I think the most disappointing thing was I expected them to have freshly grated parmesan. Considering they had all the signs of a nice sit down Italian American restaurant I was miffed when I saw that all they had were the pizza shakers filled with parmesan dust.
Still, it’s a nice restaurant. The atmosphere, more than anything is why I like this place. There’s something about the amount of space, the fact that they don’t blare music constantly, and the waitstaff that make you feel comfortable.

For a small town, it’s an OK restaurant. I feel like the lasagna is under seasoned and skimps on cheese (see photo I posted). Add some noticeable Italian spices and fresh mozzarella and broil it.
My Chicken Piccata was also OK, but was too much cream and not enough lemony/​caper goodness.

I really like this restaurant and it is a great addition for the Ames restaurant scene. The dark and cozy atmosphere is super chill and lends itself well to big groups and dinner for 2. They have a nice patio out back also.
Food – complimentary herb oil with bread ROCKS! I think they should use the herb oil on everything! Or sell it by the pint/​quart. Addictive!
I had the eggplant parm which was delicious and a house salad. Other items at the table were a filet, lasagna and chicken marsala. Everything I tasted was great and portions seem huge IMO.
We split the cheesecake and panna cotta with caramel sauce and both were excellent. The panna cotta was more up my alley as I was stuffed and it is not too rich (sans the caramel sauce). Really smooth texture.
I like this place. The people here seem honestly interested in offering great food. Good job!

This Italian eatery is the only place in Iowa that has successfully created the experience of the great mom and pop eateries in the neighborhood dominated by Italians known as «The Hill» in St. Louis.
The ambiance and food quality is spot on with a feel of a locally owned restaurant with recipes that taste like they’ve handed down to family for generations. They’ve got the ubiquitous black and white photos of the old country throughout the establishment.
The red sauce is reminiscent of the stuff I’ve craved in St. Louis. I haven’t sought classic Italian food in the Ames area for years. This is a triumph that will bring the wholesome and satisfying Italian favorites back in to our dining repertoire.
Enjoy fresh bread with herbed oil. Make sure to try the piccole palle. These donut hole like risotto balls are among the area’s finest appetizers. The veal masala was fork tender and creamy white in color. Perfect.
Had a miscue with our server recommending pasta with my entrée. I ended up getting meat on pasta served with a side of pasta. My meal was also slightly cooler than preferable. The canoli was the culmination of a highly pleasurable evening of dining.
Take a short drive west on Lincolnway. This place has a very bright future.