Okoboji Grill

Good food. Slow service. Stopped in for lunch on the way to Des Moines. Took forever. Said they had a big party, yet the place was empty.

We stopped on our way from DSM to CR. My wife had the Alfredo penne with chicken. The pasta was overlooked and mostly tasteless. I had the patty melt, which in the description was to have been piled with grilled onions. The patty was over-​cooked, the rye bread was toasted to a crunchy mess, and there were barely any onions. Not a nice meal or experience. The waitress reeked of cigarette smoke. We will not stop here again.

Great food and awesome service. I don’t normally fill these out, but the staff is incredible and the food was very good.

This restaurant is my go-​to when I am traveling by Newton. The food itself is about 3.5 stars but the service makes it a 4 star. The hostess and servers are very friendly and VERY fast. I am always seated right away, and the food is prepared quickly. They also have a wide range of salads instead of the overplayed Cobb and Caesar, which is great if you want something light.
So, if you are traveling on I-​80 and want a fast healthier food option than fast food, Okoboji Grill is the place for you.

Perfect spot to stop! Driving out to California with my mom and we stopped in Newton for the night. Great atmosphere! Bartender/​manager was very friendly and personable! Made us feel comfortable and right at home! Huge portion sizes and large menu! Food was decent.

Walked in and nobody came to help us. We seated ourselves after waiting for a long time and then sat at the table waiting for even longer. Eventually we left without ever being helped. How are places like this in business?

Stopped in on a Saturday afternoon, first time there. Extensive kids menu. Good atmosphere. Really enjoyed the fish tacos, excellent seasoned fries. Definitely worth the stop!!!

Okay, the ambiance sucks. I’ve been to pizza huts with better atmoshpere. The sevice was decent. But the food was aweful. Super salty, brown lettuce on the salads and a bad burger. never been to a place that could screw up a burger.
There are a few other restaurants nearby. Better bet is any of them.

Really, who can’t do wings? This place, that’s who. My son, who can and does eat anything, was grossed out by his wings doing the breast stroke in a pool of grease on his plate. They lacked flavor to boot. My grilled salmon was adequate though the baked potato looked as though it had sat under a heat lamp for quite a while. We knew better than order the chocolate lava cake but did anyway. It was huge and came with plenty of ice cream, fudge sauce and whipped cream to disguise the fact that it wasn’t a true lava cake. Local beer was good and cheap. Bar area was lively but our dining room was too brightly lit, underpopulated and depressing. Good thing we were just passing through; the same could be said for those greasy wings.

The restaurant was very clean. We ordered three different sandwiches and all were fresh and pretty good. I got the Romano Griller and it was warm and filling. I ordered my sandwich with a side of kettle chips. I wish I had gotten a different side. The kettle chips were just spicy bagged chips. All and all we were satisfied with the food and the waitress was attentive.

big portions, friendly servers, well seasoned food… comfortable atmosphere… solid place.

Stopped in while traveling. The Cajun shrimp pasta was excellent. Heavy amount of cheese (which I liked). Food was fresh and the restaurant was clean and fun. The breadsticks that came with the meal were outrageous in a good way. Staff was friendly and welcoming to an out of town traveler. Beer prices were excellent (although I didn’t not have one).

Good food great service!

Beer was good, food was terrible! Will never stop there again. Hate to pay for food that’s not edible!

The food was tolerable but the service was less than desired. My wife and I were to meet my brother and his wife at 6:00. We arrived at 5:55 and were told that nobody was there by the name we gave. We waited until 6:33 and were on our way out when my sister-​in-​law came out of the restaurant and stated that they had been there waiting for us since 5:30. Waitress was very good at the table, but the overall expereince was very lacking in customer service.

Very good service. The food, so-​so. My husband loved his Reuben Sandwich. I ordered the Walleye with steamed vegetables. The vegetables were perfect. The fish was undercooked. They took it back and cooked the same piece of fish until it was rubbery. It also had bones in it. They took my meal off the ticket. The house salad I ordered was not fresh.
I would definitely go back. I would just not order the fish. The atmosphere was good and the service was great.

Some food here is good some is terrible

Bartender makes an absolutely killer dirty martini.

We stopped here with my stepbrother and his family and were pretty impressed. Newton is a really small town but seems to be developing fast, and this regional chain is one of the more positive additions.
Pros: Friendly service, clean «Cheers-​like» atmosphere, beers aplenty on tap and cheap ($ 3.25 for a 22oz Fat Tire!), rather good food served hot and fresh. I liked their seasoned «Boji fries» with homemade ranch dressing. Very America’s Heartland. My mom loved her salad and sandwich and dieting stepdad enjoyed his wrap. The kids loved their meals and all the personal attention from the bubbly waitstaff.
The bar area and dining room are festooned with flat-​screen televisions, including mini-​screens at each table. Iowa friggin’ loves football and the grill’s franchisees seem well aware of this. I saw bits of about five different games during my meal here.
Cons: I don’t like football, and my sandwich should have been hotter.