Olde Main Brewing Co

Address:	316 Main St, Ames, IA 50010, USA
Phone:	+1 515-232-0553
Site:	oldemainbrewing.com
Rating:	3.7
Working:	11AM–2AM 11AM–2AM 11AM–2AM 11AM–2AM 11AM–2AM 11AM–2AM 10AM–2AM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 12

Annie Allbee

We used Olde Main for our alcohol vendor for our wedding and I have never had a more terrible experience. First of all, they didnt give us a contract to sign. Everything was word of mouth and our deals were written down on a post-it note in my planner which is not going to stand up in any sort of circumstance. Secondly, they did not honor our wishes as far as tapping any other kegs or offering other alcohol. We okayed tapping one keg, and they took that as "hand out all of the extra wine and champagne we brought for emergencies". People literally left our reception with FULL BOTTLES OF UNOPENED WINE. Not okay. Our bill was huge and not what we had agreed upon and I felt terrible for my parents having to pay that. This happened two years ago and Im still upset. I refuse to set foot in this place. Terrible customer service.

Anonymous User

I find it difficult to give this place even 1 star. Living in Ames, with few restaurant choices, I was willing to give Olde Main a try. Every single time I went I was disappointed. The waiter dumped my entire meal in my lap one time. The food is just terrible. Another waiter upon asking how the duck was replied "Not too bad, but not the greatest". At least they were honest. The duck as it turns out is served cold. Not room temperature, actually cold. On purpose. I got a salad one time. All that came out on the plate was a bed of lettuce. Nothing else. My husband got the lasagna once. It was still frozen on the inside. Their beer is horrible. I have tasted and brewed a lot of beer and I cant seem to understand why they cant get their act together. Run screaming.

Kayla Klukow

Product was great. Service was not. First bartender was attentive and friendly. Shift change happened and it was like pulling teeth trying to get our bill, even though it was not swamped. Bartender ran 3 separate cards of ours saying they were all declined. All accounts had ample money to cover our $6 tab. She left to talk to another co-worker and asked for one of the cards back to "try to force it through". We said, forget it and handed her a $100 bill. She had to go to another area of the building again so that she wouldnt have to pay us change in $1s and $5s. Eventually a manager got us change. We had to wait so long that as a result we had a parking ticket on our truck when got back to it. The ticket will cost more than our tab. Thanks for that.

Afton Stout

This review only applies to those trying to get Olde Main to cater your event. My fiance and I have contacted them no less than seven times in the last month and a half and have never received a return call of any sort. I even spoke directly to the manager, gave him all of my information, and was told to expect a call within the week to set up an appointment. That was two and a half weeks ago. Weve been trying for the last six weeks. I dont know if Anns answering machine is broken or if shes too busy to return calls, but it really sucks because they were our first choice. The food is great, but Im really put off by their inability to even just tell us theyre too busy to cater our wedding. Their gluten free menu is decent and worth trying.

Adam and Megan Hill

We havent been to Olde Main for a few years, and jumped at the opportunity to meet family there on our way through town. Needless to say, we probably wont be back. We ordered drinks and appetizers to share while we caught up. There restaurant was not full at the time, but had a few larger groups. So we understood that it might take some time to get food, etc. However, when our food was either cold or barely cooked. To add to the experience, our server seemed like he really was not pleased to have customers in his section. Even to the point he was rude/snarky when asked questions about an item on the menu. I would have given one star, but we thought the beer was decent.

Maria Howe

I hate to leave a bad review, because Olde Maine is one of the few independent restaurants in Ames and we used to love this place. However, our party just had terrible service. We waited over an hour and a half, when told our wait would be just 30 minutes. Instead of apologizing, the hostesses just lied. When we asked to talk to a manager, none could be found. The beer has been sub-par for years, but now the service is atrocious. Spare yourself and go elsewhere. Even Culvers would be a better choice!

Eduardo Boro

Enjoyable atmosphere. A tentative server. Manager went out of way to stop at table to see how things were going. 1/2 price apps were good - their was a salt on the onion rings that really popped the flavor. Loved the pretzel rolls that came with meals.I ate my own and stole my sons. Fries were small but tasteful. A little disappointed in the portion sizes for some of the more expensive ($16+) meals. Had a tenderloin that was good. Want to try the meatloaf and at some point the Sunday Bunch.

Wendy Herzberg

My husband and I ate dinner there last night and the food was fantastic! We shared all the specials starting with the shrimp and tempura vegetables kabobs...amazing! We then had a bowl of their potato cheddar soup and topped it off with the pan seared monchong entree served with roma tomatoes, rice pilaf, green beans and a plantain chip! Seriously some of the best food weve had and prices were very reasonable. We will be back!

Anonymous User

Some of the staff is very nice, while other servers and bartenders are rude, sometimes acting as if youre bothering them when you try to order. The foods not bad, but its pretty expensive for relatively casual dining. The beer is inconsistent: sometimes very good, sometimes almost undrinkable (though the latter doesnt happen that often). They seem understaffed, which would explain why the service is sometimes so slow.

Anonymous User

I go to micro-breweries a lot, preferring micro-brews to either major US or European beers. Beers at Olde Main are biphasic: a couple are pretty good; most would be nothing special. Too bad - central Iowa needs some good beers. Have eaten at Olde Main several times, cause its nearby. Dont go for the food. If you can find a beer you like, go to the bar.

Nilloc Eel

I went here for my 20th bday and as soon as i walked in, i was seated and automatically helped by a waiter. The food was great, i enjoyed it, and ill be coming back. I got the first burger on their list, i cant recall what it was but it was good and then i got fries. I couldnt even finish it all. I had to take the fries home. Great place.

Anonymous User

Long wait on the food (50 min.) When we finally got the food it was cold. After speaking with the manager he blamed it on inexperienced wait staff- Great you have identified the problem, college students that dont care working as your wait staff, next step is fixing it. On the plus side- the beer is pretty good.