Highest-rated restaurants with outdoor seating in Ames by diners

The average person spends over 74 minutes eating and drinking on any given weekday. On weekends and holidays, that goes up to over 81 minutes. Where is a better place to spend that time than a restaurant?

Consumers agree. The National Restaurant Association states that 9 in 10 adults enjoy eating out at restaurants, which give people access to a world of great-tasting food that's often difficult to reproduce at home.

People choose restaurants to scope out the latest food trends, including deeper dives into Southeast Asian cuisines from Korea, Vietnam, and the Philippines, without trying to master these complex dishes at home. Chefs also have the resources to experiment with ingredients and bring new favorites like hot honey, spicy maple, matcha, and pickled foods to the table.

Dining out also offers unique, hyperlocal experiences featuring local farmers, food producers, brewers, winemakers, and distillers in a way that connects diners to the area.

When the weather's nice, diners flock to al fresco seating. At least 2 in 5 diners like eating outdoors and look for great ambience like skyline views, rooftop settings, and waterfront seating to enhance their dining experience.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in the Ames area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 4, 2025. Only businesses marked as having outdoor seating on the Yelp website were included. Yelp's ranking system calculates an adjusted rating value that considers the number of ratings and the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews within a 10-kilometer radius of Ames were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 10 locations nationally, based on our Yelp data, were not included. Read on to see if your favorite spot made the list.

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Perfect Games

1 / 26

#26. Perfect Games

- Rating: 2.6/5 (36 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1320 Dickinson Ave. Ames, Iowa
- Categories: Pizza, Bowling, Arcades
- Read more on Yelp

Whiskey River

2 / 26

#25. Whiskey River

- Rating: 3.1/5 (50 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 134 Main St. Ames, Iowa
- Categories: Sports Bars, American
- Read more on Yelp

Wallaby's Bar & Grille

3 / 26

#24. Wallaby's Bar & Grille

- Rating: 3.1/5 (120 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2733 Stange Road Ames, Iowa
- Categories: Sports Bars, American, Wraps
- Read more on Yelp

B-Bop's

4 / 26

#23. B-Bop's

- Rating: 3.5/5 (36 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1112 South Duff Ave. Ames, Iowa
- Categories: Burgers, American
- Read more on Yelp

Open Flame Steak & Lounge

5 / 26

#22. Open Flame Steak & Lounge

- Rating: 3.7/5 (29 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 225 Main St. Gilbert, Iowa
- Categories: Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp

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Stomping Grounds

6 / 26

#21. Stomping Grounds

- Rating: 3.7/5 (162 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 303 Welch Ave. Ste 105 Ames, Iowa
- Categories: Bars, Modern European, Creperies
- Read more on Yelp

Bar La Tosca

7 / 26

#20. Bar La Tosca

- Rating: 3.9/5 (75 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 303 Welch Ave. Ames, Iowa
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

Flame & Skewer

8 / 26

#19. Flame & Skewer

- Rating: 4.0/5 (34 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2801 Grand Ave. Ste 1125 Ames, Iowa
- Categories: American, Greek
- Read more on Yelp

Wheatsfield Cooperative

9 / 26

#18. Wheatsfield Cooperative

- Rating: 4.0/5 (55 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 413 Northwestern Ave. Ames, Iowa
- Categories: Grocery, Delis, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

El Azteca

10 / 26

#17. El Azteca

- Rating: 4.1/5 (118 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2727 Stange Road Ames, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Flight Bar and Grill

11 / 26

#16. Flight Bar and Grill

- Rating: 4.1/5 (49 reviews)
- Address: 931 North US Hwy 69 Huxley, Iowa
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Dublin Bay Irish Pub & Grill

12 / 26

#15. Dublin Bay Irish Pub & Grill

- Rating: 4.2/5 (228 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 320 South 16th St. Ames, Iowa
- Categories: American, Irish Pub, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp

Blaze Pizza

13 / 26

#14. Blaze Pizza

- Rating: 4.2/5 (77 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2320 Lincoln Way Ames, Iowa
- Categories: Salad, fast food, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Cafe Beaudelaire

14 / 26

#13. Cafe Beaudelaire

- Rating: 4.2/5 (199 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2504 Lincoln Way Ames, Iowa
- Categories: Brazilian, Cafes, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

India Palace

15 / 26

#12. India Palace

- Rating: 4.2/5 (80 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 120 Hayward Ave. Ames, Iowa
- Categories: Indian
- Read more on Yelp

Great Harvest Bakery & Cafe

16 / 26

#11. Great Harvest Bakery & Cafe

- Rating: 4.3/5 (25 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 502 Burnett Ave. Ames, Iowa
- Categories: Cafes, Bakeries, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Aunt Maude's

17 / 26

#10. Aunt Maude's

- Rating: 4.3/5 (177 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 547 Main St. Ames, Iowa
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp

WASABI AMES

18 / 26

#9. WASABI AMES

- Rating: 4.3/5 (71 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 926 South 16th St. Ames, Iowa
- Categories: Asian Fusion, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp

West Street Deli

19 / 26

#8. West Street Deli

- Rating: 4.4/5 (105 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2810 West St. Ames, Iowa
- Categories: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free
- Read more on Yelp

Cornbred

20 / 26

#7. Cornbred

- Rating: 4.4/5 (294 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 526 Main St. Ste 106 Ames, Iowa
- Categories: Barbecue, Beer Bar, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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The Cafe

21 / 26

#6. The Cafe

- Rating: 4.4/5 (555 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2616 Northridge Pkwy Ames, Iowa
- Categories: Bakeries, Breakfast & Brunch, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

Provisions Lot F

22 / 26

#5. Provisions Lot F

- Rating: 4.5/5 (317 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2400 North Loop Drive Ames, Iowa
- Categories: New American, Breakfast & Brunch, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

The Mucky Duck Pub

23 / 26

#4. The Mucky Duck Pub

- Rating: 4.6/5 (247 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3100 South Duff Ave. Ames, Iowa
- Categories: British, Pubs, Caterers
- Read more on Yelp

Carlos Quesadillas

24 / 26

#3. Carlos Quesadillas

- Rating: 4.7/5 (24 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 806 Stange Road Ames, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican, Food Trucks, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

Lockwood Cafe

25 / 26

#2. Lockwood Cafe

- Rating: 4.7/5 (55 reviews)
- Address: 4625 Reliable St. Ste 3713 Ames, Iowa
- Categories: Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

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Rico's Tacos

26 / 26

#1. Rico's Tacos

- Rating: 4.8/5 (46 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 624 East Lincoln Way Ames, Iowa
- Categories: Food Trucks, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 327 metros.