Ottumwa
Second Street Cafe

Second Street Cafe

107 E 2nd St, Ottumwa I-52501-2926, United States

Coffee • Brunch • American • Breakfast


"My server, Nick, seemed to be in charge of the dining area and provided quick and attentive service. I was impressed that my Reuben sandwich arrived at my table just seven minutes after I placed my order. In less than ten minutes from when I walked in, I was enjoying my meal. The Reuben itself predominantly tasted of beef and bread. The deli-style corned beef slices were quite tasty, complemented by a mixture of Thousand Island dressing and sauerkraut that added a nice punch to the meat. However, a little more sauerkraut and dressing would have helped balance the flavors. The marbled rye was said to be grilled, but it seemed more like it had been toasted; the texture was consistent throughout each slice rather than just crispy on the outside. The sandwich was not overly messy, aside from a few drips of the somewhat runny Thousand Island dressing, which could have been thicker to better hold the ingredients in place. I also ordered the potato chips, which tasted homemade and were very enjoyable. They were beautifully crispy along the edges, with the occasional softer center that I found delightful. Overall, this was a solid place for a quick dinner. I was in and out in under 30 minutes, which was perfect considering my need for efficiency. While the sandwich wasn’t extraordinary, it certainly won’t disappoint if you find yourself in Ottumwa and are craving a Reuben."

Mike's Pizza Steakhouse

Mike's Pizza Steakhouse

2517 Northgate St, Ottumwa, IA 52501, United States

Pizza • Salad • Cheese • French


"The food is reliably good. The pizza dough is fresh, the pizza sauce is tasty, and they have many pizza ingredient options. The appetizers are mostly fried options you 'd expect at a bar. They taste okay for what they are, but overall disappointing. Would be great to see bruschetta or hummus with pita/veggies... anything with fresh ingredients that isn 't fried. The few Greek options are nice, but seem like a tease would love to see more Greek items the next time they rework their menu. After trying everything on their menu, we tend to stick to their pizza it 's their best on menu. If you want something fresh, the Greek salad is okay, but it 's mostly iceberg. The servers are usually friendly, even when they 're short staffed and really busy (a common finding when eating out anymore it seems). Wait times for food are quite variable, even when it appears slow in the restaurant... reportedly due to takeout orders. We only eat in the restaurant when we have a lot of time to spare. When we can 't afford a long wait, we order take out. They do a nice job of keeping food hot while awaiting pickup. Sadly, they don 't currently offer delivery through storefront nor any of the delivery services now available in Ottumwa. We would definitely patronize this restaurant much more often if they offered delivery. We avoid eating in the restaurant within 90 minutes prior to closing because we 've run into recurrent unpleasant issues relating to their nightly cleaning routine. A very loud vacuum is used for a long while, making it very difficult to hear your family/friends right next to you. Cleaner is sprayed/used on empty tables that is so strong you can taste it; it 's nauseating and takes your appetite away. They 've also not had any coffee available due to the 'coffee machine being serviced ' repeatedly, at least two times, with over an hour left before closing time. I realize they want to go home ASAP, but these issues negatively impact the dining experience, so I hope they reconsider their nightly routine. FYI would never mention the above if they were one time occurrences, but that 's not the case. Overall, this is a good place to eat. Like the rest of us, they 're not perfect...and to be clear, the positive features definitely outweigh the negative ones."