That Place in Conrad, Iowa Restaurant Review

Our local restaurant called That Place has been serving the people of the surrounding area for many years and it still attracts new people all of the time because of word of mouth. To see it you would not really think to stop and eat there because it definitely does not have an appealing appearance, inside or out. But the food is outstanding, the service is great, and the cooks and waiters/waitresses are very friendly and efficient.

This restaurant started out as a place where they had peanuts in the shell on all tables and you threw the shells on the floor. I am not sure why they stopped doing that. It might have been a sanitation problem, or the peanuts might have become too costly. People do miss them and still talk about the "good old days" when you could throw peanut shells on the floor and hear them "crunch" as you walked around.

One of the favorite nights at That Place is Tuesday as that is "rib night." The Veterans Home in Marshalltown, Iowa brings a busload of their people up on Tuesdays almost every week. Another specialty of the house is "black dirt pie." The slogan for the town of Conrad is "Black Dirt Capital of the World" thus the name of the pie. Prime rib is a special on Friday and Saturday nights, as is honey mustard chicken. Every item on their menu has a special appeal, and the prices are about average for the area--possibly a little less than the neighboring towns for the same amount of food. Their side salads are especially delicious.

Conrad is a town of about 1000 residents, located 12 miles north of Marshalltown; 40 miles southwest of Waterloo; and 70 miles northeast of Des Moines, Iowa. The restaurant is located one and one-half miles west of Conrad on State Highway 14. The interior of the restaurant contains a lounge area, two dining areas and a kitchen. The walls and ceiling of the dining areas are decorated with agricultural antiques, and lots of old license plates. Anybody who has a business card can put it on the wall and there are hundreds of cards displayed there. There is not a huge parking area, so on busy nights you will find cars parked along the side of the roads.

That Place is open Tuesday through Saturday, evenings only. Reservations are not required but are strongly recommended, especially on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday nights. The address is 33030 G Avenue, Conrad, Iowa 50621, and their phone number is 641-366-2911. You will never be disappointed when you are traveling through Grundy County, Iowa on Highway 14, if you stop in for a bite to eat.