Food & Drink in Waterloo

Southern Smoke Shack's culinary artisans cake fresh cuts of quality meat with dry rubs concocted from family recipes, slowly smoking the porcine and bovine delicacies that appear on the menu over select wood pairings and slathering the creations with house-made sauces upon request. Cherry-smoked bourbon baby-back ribs seal in their succulent flavor with a rub, as well as a delicate glaze of 4 Brothers bourbon normally reserved for adult-back ribs, decorating tables for dinner (half rack, $9.99; full rack, $18.99) or lunch (lunch rack, $5.99). The smoky sweetness of mesquite radiates from the texas brisket sandwich ($5.99–$8.99), and the pork of the smokestack sandwich arrives buried beneath strata of roasted peppers, jack cheese, and diablo sauce ($5.99–$8.99).

Now in its 40th year, Medicap Pharmacy stocks its shelves with an array of healthcare products, specializing in a neighborhood-friendly atmosphere staffed by personable pharmacists. Guests are invited to peruse Medicap Pharmacy's thoroughfares lined with medicinal home goods, or stop by the pharmacy counter to fill a prescription or ask about seasonal flu shots. Customers can tenderly tend to wounded ankles with an ankle brace ($29.90), reward immune systems with reinforcing cold medicine ($1.59–$11.49), or keep the body stocked with the vital nutrients by picking up women’s vitamins ($8.90). Medicap Pharmacy also keeps customers in tip-top shape by offering preventative health screenings as well as at-home delivery.

Midwest Black Angus beef, free of hormones or antibiotics, joins with creative ingredients such as A.1. sauce and chipotle aioli to create more than 15 unique burgers at Legends American Grill. These burgers embody a variety and thirst for excitement that radiates throughout each of the grill's central-Iowa locations. There, nestled amid deep-umber booths or brick walls, diners watch sports flicker across flat-screen televisions, rooting on their team and showing disdain for the ref’s decision to wear white pants after Labor Day. But if the score is disheartening, fans can dig into the menu to cheer themselves up. Hand-cut Creekstone Farms steaks offset surf entrees such as salmon in béarnaise sauce or grilled mahi-mahi in a sweet-and-spicy thai sauce. Comfort-food favorites such as meatloaf and fried chicken also make an appearance, pairing with cocktails and beers served by the bottle and pint.

When Craig and Lea Culver created the first Culver’s restaurant in 1984, they wanted to serve homemade burgers like Craig’s mom used to make. These burgers—now known as the ButterBurgers—are made with fresh, Midwest beef patties, and served on a toasty, buttered bun. The burgers are also what helped put Culver’s on the map—there are now more than 500 locations scattered across 19 states. At each restaurant, patties are cooked right on the grill. The other main hallmark of Culver’s menu is its rich, creamy frozen custard, which you can have drizzled with hot fudge or use as a foundation for a signature Concrete Mixer and have it decorated with Oreos and Butterfingers.

The chefs at Sam's Pizza spend 60 minutes with each Chicago-style pie. They stuff its double crust with mozzarella, fresh toppings, and good intentions before baking it to a golden brown. Toppings for the Chicago-style and thin-crust pies range from the traditional (sausage or mushrooms) to the novel (gyro meat or nacho chips). The chefs at Sam's Pizza also concoct their own marinara sauce, ladling it onto calzones and platefuls of spaghetti.:m]]The chefs at Sam's Pizza spend 60 minutes with each Chicago-style pie. They stuff its double crust with mozzarella, fresh toppings, and good intentions before baking it to a golden brown. Toppings for the Chicago-style and thin-crust pies range from the traditional (sausage or mushrooms) to the novel (gyro meat or nacho chips). The chefs at Sam's Pizza also concoct their own marinara sauce, ladling it onto calzones and platefuls of spaghetti.:m]]

With more than 20 specialty pies on their menu, it's clear there's very little the cooks at Cranky Hank's haven't tried putting on their pizzas. Said specialty pizzas host everything from seasoned gyro beef and ranch dressing to reuben sandwich fixings, whereas personalized pies often sport more traditional toppings, including artichoke hearts. The rest of Cranky Hank's menu spotlights other pizzeria favorites, from customizable calzones to wings tossed in roasted-garlic barbecue sauce.

To complement feasts, bartenders whip up mixed drinks and serve craft beer by the bottle, pint, pitcher, and trough. As adults enjoy their grownup beverages, youngsters can play video games in Cranky Hank's game room. Family karaoke, meanwhile, raises the roof each Sunday. The bar also entertains patrons with 12 televisions broadcasting major sporting events and every flower-arranging competition.