Iowa Beer Wine Shop - Altoona

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.

We absolutely devoured the food—it was like we were ravenous cavemen! The baked beans had a wonderful smoky flavor, the burnt ends were delightfully caramelized, and the potato salad was light and refreshing. The meats were melt-in-your-mouth tender! We had pork, turkey, sausages—I could keep going! The chili cheese fries were not what I expected. They were made with thick-cut, lightly battered and fried potato wedges topped with what appeared to be homemade chili and Gehl's cheese. In my humble opinion, as someone who loves all kinds of cheese—including nacho cheese—this is by far the best cheese I've tasted. Now, two days later, I'm down to my last few leftovers. Every evening, I've been savoring Claxon's to-go box, heating up some meat in the microwave with their amazing BBQ sauce, and enjoying a delightful bedtime feast!

The food is excellent! However, the atmosphere can be quite loud because of the building's acoustics. It might not be the ideal spot for a romantic date night, but it's a great place to catch up with friends.

We also ordered the sirloin steak, which came with green beans and zucchini, plus a Caesar salad and coleslaw. Despite a few hiccups during our visit, the service and food quality were outstanding. I also had a strawberry margarita with salt, and it was absolutely fantastic after a long day! Unfortunately, I didn’t snap any photos of the main dishes—I was just too hungry!

The food and service were exceptional! I had a margarita, a smoked turkey sandwich, mashed potatoes, and a house salad.