#iowadivebar Archives - The Iowa Roadie

General February 5, 2023

A Hiccup in the Road (or bar)…Destination: TC’s Pub (Marshalltown, Iowa)

I recently had my wisdom teeth out.Most people have them removed when they are young. I am 51.I would be lying if I said I had not been dreading the process. I remember my kids having their wisdom teeth extracted. To suppress the pain, they functioned in a semi-drug induced state for several days.Case in point… my oldest had her wisdom teeth pulled right before Christmas. The drugs caused her to burst out crying every time someone said “Baby Jesus.”You can only imagine the uncomfortable scenario that ensued at our church’s nativity pageant. Poor Joseph & Mary. The angel’s glad tidings could not be heard over our teenage daughter’s wails.And silent night…let’s just say, it was not so silent.Fast forward ten years to MY Oral Surgery Event. I was terrified.My only consolation was the drugs I knew I would get to quell the pain.Praise Baby Jesus.Instead…this is what happened.My surgery…

General January 28, 2023

The Blog about Nothing (except urine)

I enjoy a good gin and tonic. My husband disagrees. He equates my cocktail of choice to eating a pinecone. I equate his Coors Light to urine. Before I go any further, I would like to apologize to the Coors company. It is unfair of me to compare their malted beverage to urine when I have never actually consumed urine. Instead, it is an extremely aggressive metaphor expressing my dislike of ALL beers. Even Busch Light. I know. I know. With that one bold statement, I have provoked the entire beer drinking population of Iowa into a booze-infused rage. (Please don’t unfollow me yet.) But… I. Don’t. Like. Beer. I also don’t like well drinks. It’s a curse. Really. You Busch Latte fans will never understand. Happy Hour comes & you can buy $2 pints. You are able to drink all night on a $20 bill. Tangueray is NEVER discounted. …

#dive bar February 15, 2022

Dilly Dilly & Killer Cocktails…Destination: Ivan’s 90th Birthday Party at The Cottontail Lounge (Urbandale)

I should have been a traveling salesman.For alcohol.Forget encyclopedias or vacuum cleaners. Liquor peddled straight to your door. Now THERE’S a pyramid scheme I’d be happy to invest in. In the meantime, I’ll have to settle for recommending spirits to fellow supermarket customers who are stuck in a cocktail rut.For example…Take Joe and Tracy. A nice couple from Des Moines passing through Mason City last summer. They happened to be browsing HyVee’s rum selection at the same time as the Iowa Roadie. One hour later, they left with FOUR bottles of alcohol they had never heard of.(You’re welcome HyVee. I am still waiting for that commission check.)Now…in a normal situation, the Iowa Roadie’s random encounter with Joe & Tracy would have ended there. The couple would have left in agreement to NEVER talk to strangers again…while still enjoying the Little Beers I suggested.Take Away #1…Never underestimate the Iowa Roadie and…

General August 18, 2020

Farting Cars & Pickle Shots… Destination: Whiskey Junction (Denver, IA) & Wooden Foot Saloon (Waverly)

There are certain things in life that warrant a strong cocktail. Here are three: A bad day at workCar problemsMenards Not necessarily in that order. I realize that for many of you, there are a multitude of issues more disturbing…A family squabble, finances, the Redskins being renamed “The Washington Football Team.” (OK…you may have a point with that one.) Yet I maintain…a trip to Menards is as provoking as anything. Case in point: Caulk. There is nothing exciting about caulk. Or electrical tape. Or any of the other kazillion home improvement items you can buy there. So instead of the required masks, I propose that Menards hands out mini bottles of alcohol. Suddenly there’s a party in Aisle 2. Unfortunately Menards has yet to realize the benefit of intoxicated home improvement shopping. Which meant that the first stop for the Iowa Roadie & husband after buying a “self-adjusting rotating level,”…

General July 5, 2020

There’s Something About Tacos…Destination: Willow Run Lounge (Mason City)

There’s something about tacos. With ice cold beer. Or a margarita. Heck…tacos and ANY alcohol is a win. So when the Iowa Roadie and husband drove by the Willow Run Lounge in Mason City and saw a sign proclaiming “homemade tacos and ice cold beer all day & night,” there really was no decision to ponder. Homemade tacos and ice cold beer. All Day & Night. Seriously…which of you WOULDN’T brake for that? We pulled into the parking lot and found a spot between two vehicles bearing handicap license plates. I found this quite appropriate as the Iowa Roadie’s husband recently celebrated a milestone birthday and began receiving AARP invitations himself. (For the record, the Iowa Roadie’s husband is not pleased with this development. Mainly because this is proof that when someone asks for his ID, it is not to assess if he can legally drink, but instead to determine…

General June 10, 2020

Hit Me With Your Best Shot…Destination: Wooden Foot Saloon & Beach House (Waverly) with stops at The Outpost (Aredale) & Doc’s (Clarksville)

I miss the “good ol’ days.” You know…like three months ago. Three months ago, the only people wearing masks were either comic book characters, the Lone Ranger, or crazies from those Purge movies. Now, it seems, normal society shuns us if we aren’t wearing masks…and standing six feet apart…and armed with Lysol disinfectant spray. Thank goodness not everyone subscribes to the “new normal.” Thank goodness for bars. Before I begin, I want to be clear…This does NOT mean that Iowa bars and restaurants are ignoring the social distancing guidelines set forth by Governor Reynolds. In each of the bars recently visited by the Iowa Roadie, seating was limited to every other table. Yet, somehow, it felt like the “old normal.” A world in which problems are conquered by cheap alcohol and fried food. We begin our latest Iowa Roadie adventure with a quick stop at The Outpost in Aredale, population…

#dive bar May 4, 2020

Scotcheroos & Double Dog Dares… Destination: Lehigh & Anywhere Post Quarantine

I double dog dare you. That was the challenge issued by the Iowa Roadie’s husband when I told him I was not only going to write a new blog…but make scotcheroos as well. Whoa! A blog AND scotcheroos? In hindsight, that DOES sound a bit ambitious…particularly when I didn’t even know if we had rice krispies in the house. (This is because cereal has sugar and carbohydrates, and we are supposed to be “eating healthy”…no thanks to a “mildly obese” ruling at last year’s Iowa Roadie physical. ) However that diagnosis was far from my mind when I made such a bold claim. What I WAS thinking about was how tasty the Captain Morgan and root beer cocktails were that I had just consumed. All while sitting on the sunny patio of Lehigh’s Riverside Tavern after two months of quarantine drinking at home. TWO MONTHS of Aldi’s wine on my…

#dive bar March 29, 2020

Spreading Some Dive Bar Love… Destination: Nowhere

Forget water. I recently stocked up on alcohol. I figure if I get quarantined with my family, I need more than water to help me survive. I recently purchased two bottles of Crown Peach…which may be Very Important Currency if I need to trade for toilet paper. I also purchased some “Cheap Ass Beer” (manufactured in Minnesota) for my husband, as well as cucumber vodka for $10.99 (I may never drink it, but I saved $15!) and Hy Vee’s “customer choice” Amsterdam coconut vodka. (Impulse buy.) In all honesty, I tend to go a little bonkers in the liquor store. I have BOTTLES of alcohol that sit unopened on a shelf in our basement. (That is because I drink leftover $4 Aldi’s Christmas wine, and my husband drinks “Cheap Ass Beer.”) We rarely make mixed drinks at home, because that’s what Iowa Roadie adventures are for. It’s far more fun…