Bringing a southern-inspired “comfort food” to the Heartland, this has been one of my go-to locations when “doing dinner” in Iowa’s capital city.
My first visit, I tried the BBQ Meatloaf, one of the comfort foods (the meatloaf, that is) from my childhood. This entree diverges from my home recipe by adding pork and bacon to the ground beef, and is capped by house-made barbecue sauce; the serving was large and juicy, and while the sauce was good, it was a bit overwhelming. If you go this route, ask them to “go light,” or send out the sauce on the side so you have more control. The included mixed veggies and garlic mashed potatoes make for a filling meal that doesn’t leave room for dessert!
The second visit, I started at the bar and shared the deviled eggs and crab cakes (both excellent, but a bit overpriced for the serving sizes, IMO) appetizers before diving into the chicken-fried steak. Like the meatloaf from the previous visit, it’s an enormous portion leaving little room for anything else if you attempt to be part of “the clean plate club,” so plan accordingly. In addition to being a tender steak that wasn’t tough to begin with, the country gravy added just the right touch to both the steak and potatoes.
Since then, I’ve mostly sampled from the daily specials, which range from variations on existing menu items to all-together different fare like “chef’s pot roast.” You can’t go wrong with a meal at Bubba’s.