Iowa Beer Wine Shop - Altoona

We were seated at 8:11 PM, but by 8:53 PM, we had only received our appetizers and no other food. The noise from a rowdy table across from us was quite overwhelming. Initially, our waitress was cheerful, but her demeanor changed shortly after we were seated. Her attire reminded us more of a Hooters uniform than appropriate restaurant staff clothing. Additionally, they were out of many menu items. When we inquired about the status of our food, the waitress assured us it was coming, but five minutes later, she still avoided our table. After waiting nearly an hour without much communication and realizing they were about to close, we decided to leave. If I could give zero stars, I would! I highly recommend looking elsewhere instead of trying Claxons.

This restaurant provides exceptional service and incredibly tasty food. Having traveled widely throughout the United States, I can confidently place this establishment in the top 2% nationwide. Everything here is outstanding, but the prime rib is absolutely perfect—I've encountered only three restaurants in the Midwest that come close to this quality. Overall, this restaurant outshines everything I've experienced across the country. In my view, it truly stands out as the best in both food and service.

The food was outstanding, offering a broad selection of options. The burnt ends, brisket, and salmon were all superb! Our dishes came out quickly, and we were seated immediately.

Overall, I absolutely loved our server, Kat. She was attentive and contributed to making our first visit enjoyable. We truly enjoyed the food and will definitely return!

2) For my main course, I opted for the two-meat plate featuring brisket and pulled pork, accompanied by sautéed zucchini and fries. The fries were huge and pretty tasty, though they could have used a bit more time in the fryer. The zucchini was generously topped with parmesan. The brisket was definitely the highlight—tender with a nice crust, although it could have used a little more seasoning. Unfortunately, the pulled pork didn’t have the smoky flavor I was expecting and needed a lot of sauce to compensate. 3) I also tried the burnt ends with BBQ beans. The beans were quite good, especially with the side salad that had a delicious house-made blue cheese dressing. I often enjoy burnt ends, but they usually sell out quickly. Sadly, these were rather dry, which was disappointing since they’d typically been tender in my past experiences. Maybe it was just because we arrived for dinner? 4) The kids' menu is somewhat limited, offering only mac and cheese, a burger, corn dogs, dino nuggets, or chicken strips. It’s a pity there isn’t a BBQ option for kids, like smoked sausage or chicken legs. Would I return? Probably, especially when I’m in the area again, as the menu has plenty of options. I might give lunch a shot next time to see if the food is fresher.