Interesting shopping, sites, and history. Lovely restaurants with great food. We made reservations but there were walk-in customers. Beautiful flower areas in front of cute gift stores. The lady at the Visitor Center was very thorough explaining the history of Amana. Plenty of parking.

In August 2025, we visited the Amana Colonies Visitor's Center in Amana, Iowa. The Amana Colonies are a collection of 7 Colonies of German Heritage in Central Iowa, and they are not Amish. There are many quaint shops and buildings, and they are clean and well-maintained. Apparently, the Amana Colonies draws the highest number of visitors of any tourist attraction in Iowa. We greatly enjoyed visiting the Amana Colonies Visitor's Center.

We stopped through here on a road trip. Very pretty, it's great if you want to shop but it's mainly only shopping and eating. But a very cute little place.

We had a great visit at the Amana colonies. There were some great shops and places to eat in town. It's fun learning about the interesting history. Highly recommended.

It’s a nice historic town with nice shops to explore. We had a nice German dinner and visited the local brewery with really good beers!

This was a great overnight destination for us. We found good food, lots of history, and walkable shops. Our accommodations at the Millcreek Inn were excellent.

Amaña Colonies, stop here first to have a brief and well summarized history about the colonies. The ladies there was extremely helpful and friendly. I also loved the vibe in the entire colony

Very well presented video presentation at the museum $10. & other interesting items & videos at middle Amana. After the attractions the rest is a lot of tourist for sale stuff. Nice camping area on the edge of town. Flat not many trees but reasonable.

A very comprehensive museum on the life and times of the people of the Amana Colony. They have a large collection of artifacts, photos, documents, and stories of the people who lived and worked there. Stop and see this historic village.

The interesting history of this area of IA added another level of history that you may not know about the settlers of the region. There are several houses along the street with shops of different interests for all to enjoy. General store being the largest with Christmas connected. The heritage museum has a nice video start to give you basic understanding of the early settlers. Then on to house with two levels of further exploring and interest. Even the radar range that grandparents may have had from the 60's!! Enjoy your walk along both sides of the street, park in middle or ends to enjoy your time here.

Great place to visit spent about 3 hours walking around all the shops in the area

Entrance fee of $10/ adult seemed high until we saw everything. Started with the video about the history. It was comprehensive but it could have explained more about how the community navigated " the big change" when they stopped being a communal living situation. It would be interesting to hear more about the shift from individuals. Unfortunately, I am guessing the adults are all dead by now. It is worth your time and $$ to experience this.

Amana Heritage Society- Amazing complex. 4 museums for $10. Well worth it! ❤️

Excellent history not only to watch on a movie screen. But to walk and take in the true meaning of the Amana people and there hard but rewarding lives.

Went to listen to music on my wife's birthday. The music and beer were great. Had our littles with us and they never even gave a hint that they were a bother. Great visit will be back again.

Fantastic beers. Live music on weekends. Shaded areas under the trees to sit and listen to live music. Covered patio area near hop vines. Relaxing atmosphere.

Small brewery inside for seating, but extremely diverse list of beers here . Something for everybody! Small amount of merch for sale . The beers that we had all met the mark; excellent . Looking forward to a winter excursion and spending a weekend in Amana .

My dad and I unexpectedly happened upon the Millstream Brewing Co while touring around Amana and stopped in for a quick beer and root beer. We ended up buying some to take home with us to continue to enjoy throughout the summer. I ended up enjoying it so much I made a trip back during the winter holidays to restock! The varieties of beers are inventive and creative. My favorite so far is Adult Nap Time. They seem to have a regular rotation of artists that perform at the brewery too! Definitely a good idea to check this place out for a relaxing moment.

Large variety of styles including a couple of tasty sours. Not my first microbrewery visit. Friendly knowledgeable staff free tasters. Bought cans of unicorn fight club - raspberry sour and Havana Ooh Nah-Nah strawberry mojito sour. Bow- chicka- WowWow and tasty Carmel brew. We als bought a six pack of root beer. We had a pint of the 40th anniversary barrel aged porter and Cinco-dedrinko a Mexican lager and 1924 Kolsch. All very good - a tip you cans buy a generous 4oz pour for $3&$4.

A nice place to stop in and get a beer from a local brewery. They have a couple of tvs so that you can watch the games. There is live music on Saturday nights starting at 6pm. Wide selection of beers with a board that lists the beers from the lighest to the darkest. They also offer a wide selection of root beer is you don't want an alcoholic drink Note that they don't serve food they do have some light snacks such as pretzels and popcorn on a rack that you can purchase. Seating for about 40 people with plenty of free parking in back or nearby

Great brewery. Interesting brews with great flavor and great staff & customers for a memorable visit and good conversation. Add it to your list!

Friendly service for our large group at the Ox Yoke Inn. Traditional Germanic food. Delicious, but definitely not easy for those wanting lower calorie meals. Especially when they tempt you with Death by Chocolate for dessert! Our drinks were kept filled constantly. Menu questions were answered clearly. Dishes can be served plates, or family style. But for family style your entire table must order family style. I tried the chicken schnitzel sandwich. Schnitzel means that it’s dredged in cracker meal and fried. So a light fried batter.

Food: We had the Sunday brunch, and the servers kept the plates and choices filled to the brim. For the price, the food was definitely above par. Service: Staff was professional, fast service, always had drinks filled, plated filled, ensured we were happy and comfortable. Atmosphere: a beautiful old world style dine in type restaurant, but the place can get pretty noisy. Overall, comfortable. Overall, I would highly recommend trying this place out, my family and I had a great time eating here and we all left happy and full.

Drank here once, beer was good. The Sunday October fest schedule on the Amana Colonies website said %50 off drinks "Happiest Hour" was 2-4. Front door said %50 off drinks "Happiest Hour" was 2-4. Show up a 4 and told by the manager that they close at 3 and "Happiest Hour" is 1-3 and it's only stated on their Facebook.

The food was an odd mixture of seasoned well and under seasoned, mixed with a delightful surprise. I got the pork schnitzel, and it came with multiple side choices. I chose the green beans, and the waitress recommended cheesy spaetzle. The schnitzel and spaetzle were seasoned well and pretty tasty, green beans were rubbery and bland. I also got a piece of coconut cream pie to go. The filling was delicious, although, the crust was different than other pie I’ve had. Alll-in-all if you’re in Amana it’s good for what it is, but non necessarily worth the trip alone.

I recently visited the Ox Yoke Inn and was truly impressed by the level of service. The staff was attentive, friendly, and went out of their way to make us feel welcome from the moment we arrived. It's clear that hospitality is a top priority here. That said, the food itself didn't quite live up to expectations. Given the prices, I expected more in terms of taste. Should have paid extra for family meal style given the sides were the best part of the food served. Overall, it's a charming spot with exceptional service. Great for the experience, but not quite for the food.

I'm honestly shocked to see this place has a 4.5. I was tempted to give some 1-stars in certain areas, but I think a 1 is reserved for actual malice towards a customer. The brief summary is that the food was average or overcooked, not authentic, and WAY overpriced. Staff we interacted with were not friendly, and the only real German Atmosphere was in the waiting room. More details below if you care to see some details. Food: Wife ordered a series of apps including the German potato salad, German potato dumplings, and sauerkraut. The potato salad was like a level 1 potato salad that I'm pretty sure came from a can. If it didn't, they should be disappointed in whatever that was, because it wasn't anything German or authentic about it if you've had real German cuisine. The sauerkraut was clearly from a jar and simply heated up. Nothing special. No apple, no bacon/ham, and no caraway seeds, just vinegar & cabbage heated up. Dumplings were okay, and definitely the best app of the three, however not authentic or traditional as they didn't have semmelknodel (toasted bread crumbs) in them. For the quality, it was overpriced at $13.25. I ordered the 4-piece fried chicken. Breading was average, but the chicken was WAY overcooked and inedible. I ate two bites (tried white and dark with a bite each) and took the rest home to mix into a buffalo chicken dip where it could be hidden. Came with potatoes and gravy, and green beans. Potatoes were diner potatoes with bottled or canned gravy. Green beans were clearly from a can and were simply heated up. Tremendously overpriced at $19.75 plated. Mother-in-law ordered the chicken cordon bleu... Whoever thinks that slapping deli ham and swiss on top of a Mornay sauce soaked breaded chicken patty is chicken cordon bleu needs a big wake-up call. That is NOT chicken cordon bleu. Flavors were there slightly, but definitely a huge soggy disappointment. Same disappointing sides as mine. She also got what they called Spatzle, but it was oddly textured like it was overcooked. WAY overpriced for the $22.75 plate. Service: Our waitress was an older lady, maybe mid to late 60s with a short haircut. Don't know her name because I guess she didn't think we needed it. The only time she was mildly friendly was when the check came and it was time to get a tip. Otherwise, she was annoyed that we had questions and gave me an incredulous look when I asked for a wine sample based on their sign that said we should ask for a sample. She made the bare-minimum of appearances, and brought her stormy presence each time. Never asked us about the food, and shocked she didn't say anything when I basically boxed up my entire meal. This was where I considered dropping the 1-star. Atmosphere: The lobby looked good, but was basically a small store for German themed merch. Nothing wrong with that but I definitely didn't get a lot of German vibes. Slapping oversized bier steins on a fireplace mantle doesn't really qualify. It was basically a packed and over-crowded diner with uncomfortable chairs and some German merch and old-timey photos slapped on the walls. Overall I would say to avoid and save your money. Food is overpriced and not that good, service was lacking for us, and the atmosphere that is adding 100% cost to your check is not worth it. Go to the Millstream Brau Haus instead. Their food was amazing, and the beer was delicious!

We made it for the October Fest Sunday brunch and it didn't disappoint! The food was excellent! The service was outstanding (our glasses never got below half full and plates were taken immediately upon completion)! We will be back for the brunch again sometime in the future!

We've been coming to the Amana Meat Shop longer than our kids have been alive. You walk in and you can smell the smoke from the smoked meats and sausages they are so well known for. The staff are helpful and we enjoy visiting.

I'm in Cedar Rapids Iowa and I will travel to Amana to get our meats because this place is phenomenally awesome! The meat here is a lot different than the stores and I'm pretty confident it's a hell of a lot fresher than the stores. Yes fairway used to be my go-to place but not anymore this is my new go to place 100% because it tastes better, Cooks better and does not give me that gut bomb like it's been out for a while

Excellent historic meat shop. The products and atmosphere are awesome. You need to check out the old smoke room. It's not in use any longer but it's really interesting. The smells are fantastic.

Our family have ordered here before. Our order didn’t arrive on time and we were blamed for putting in the wrong address!! Really! Take accountability. Our dog Cassie enjoyed everything because the items were hot in the cooler by the time the order arrived. Thanks Laurie for your unpleasant attitude. Just take accountability! It’s not about the money!! Don’t worry about us, we won’t be ordering ever again!!

Love this place. So many fine cuts of meat are available. The beef jerky is crazy good. Many German items. Love the sausage and wurst selection. Jellies, jams, horseradish, and mustards. Slabs of pork belly, ribeyes and sirloin and more. I always spend way more than I planned when I come to town. A must if you are in the Amanas

With all due respect to Arby's, Amana Meat Shop & Smokehouse has the meats! Sausage, wurst, brars, bacon, ham, steak, jerky.. all excellent. Then there are the cheeses, jellies,etc. All top quality. Service is super friendly. Definitely worth stopping by.

I've always been one to support local businesses,I found out about this Smokehouse because my mother inlaw won a gift certificate from here. I was under the impression they made their Brats and Smoked meats here,but when I got home,my wife was looking at the labels,she told me they were made elsewhere,I'm not saying I didn't enjoy what we bought,I did enjoy it a lot,and I will go back,I personally like it when it's made locally,that's why I gave a 3 star rating,again,EVERYTHING I bought was delicious 😋 I will go back!

Friendly service for our large group at the Ox Yoke Inn. Traditional Germanic food. Delicious, but definitely not easy for those wanting lower calorie meals. Especially when they tempt you with Death by Chocolate for dessert! Our drinks were kept filled constantly. Menu questions were answered clearly. Dishes can be served plates, or family style. But for family style your entire table must order family style. I tried the chicken schnitzel sandwich. Schnitzel means that it’s dredged in cracker meal and fried. So a light fried batter.

Food: We had the Sunday brunch, and the servers kept the plates and choices filled to the brim. For the price, the food was definitely above par. Service: Staff was professional, fast service, always had drinks filled, plated filled, ensured we were happy and comfortable. Atmosphere: a beautiful old world style dine in type restaurant, but the place can get pretty noisy. Overall, comfortable. Overall, I would highly recommend trying this place out, my family and I had a great time eating here and we all left happy and full.

Drank here once, beer was good. The Sunday October fest schedule on the Amana Colonies website said %50 off drinks "Happiest Hour" was 2-4. Front door said %50 off drinks "Happiest Hour" was 2-4. Show up a 4 and told by the manager that they close at 3 and "Happiest Hour" is 1-3 and it's only stated on their Facebook.

The food was an odd mixture of seasoned well and under seasoned, mixed with a delightful surprise. I got the pork schnitzel, and it came with multiple side choices. I chose the green beans, and the waitress recommended cheesy spaetzle. The schnitzel and spaetzle were seasoned well and pretty tasty, green beans were rubbery and bland. I also got a piece of coconut cream pie to go. The filling was delicious, although, the crust was different than other pie I’ve had. Alll-in-all if you’re in Amana it’s good for what it is, but non necessarily worth the trip alone.

I recently visited the Ox Yoke Inn and was truly impressed by the level of service. The staff was attentive, friendly, and went out of their way to make us feel welcome from the moment we arrived. It's clear that hospitality is a top priority here. That said, the food itself didn't quite live up to expectations. Given the prices, I expected more in terms of taste. Should have paid extra for family meal style given the sides were the best part of the food served. Overall, it's a charming spot with exceptional service. Great for the experience, but not quite for the food.

I'm honestly shocked to see this place has a 4.5. I was tempted to give some 1-stars in certain areas, but I think a 1 is reserved for actual malice towards a customer. The brief summary is that the food was average or overcooked, not authentic, and WAY overpriced. Staff we interacted with were not friendly, and the only real German Atmosphere was in the waiting room. More details below if you care to see some details. Food: Wife ordered a series of apps including the German potato salad, German potato dumplings, and sauerkraut. The potato salad was like a level 1 potato salad that I'm pretty sure came from a can. If it didn't, they should be disappointed in whatever that was, because it wasn't anything German or authentic about it if you've had real German cuisine. The sauerkraut was clearly from a jar and simply heated up. Nothing special. No apple, no bacon/ham, and no caraway seeds, just vinegar & cabbage heated up. Dumplings were okay, and definitely the best app of the three, however not authentic or traditional as they didn't have semmelknodel (toasted bread crumbs) in them. For the quality, it was overpriced at $13.25. I ordered the 4-piece fried chicken. Breading was average, but the chicken was WAY overcooked and inedible. I ate two bites (tried white and dark with a bite each) and took the rest home to mix into a buffalo chicken dip where it could be hidden. Came with potatoes and gravy, and green beans. Potatoes were diner potatoes with bottled or canned gravy. Green beans were clearly from a can and were simply heated up. Tremendously overpriced at $19.75 plated. Mother-in-law ordered the chicken cordon bleu... Whoever thinks that slapping deli ham and swiss on top of a Mornay sauce soaked breaded chicken patty is chicken cordon bleu needs a big wake-up call. That is NOT chicken cordon bleu. Flavors were there slightly, but definitely a huge soggy disappointment. Same disappointing sides as mine. She also got what they called Spatzle, but it was oddly textured like it was overcooked. WAY overpriced for the $22.75 plate. Service: Our waitress was an older lady, maybe mid to late 60s with a short haircut. Don't know her name because I guess she didn't think we needed it. The only time she was mildly friendly was when the check came and it was time to get a tip. Otherwise, she was annoyed that we had questions and gave me an incredulous look when I asked for a wine sample based on their sign that said we should ask for a sample. She made the bare-minimum of appearances, and brought her stormy presence each time. Never asked us about the food, and shocked she didn't say anything when I basically boxed up my entire meal. This was where I considered dropping the 1-star. Atmosphere: The lobby looked good, but was basically a small store for German themed merch. Nothing wrong with that but I definitely didn't get a lot of German vibes. Slapping oversized bier steins on a fireplace mantle doesn't really qualify. It was basically a packed and over-crowded diner with uncomfortable chairs and some German merch and old-timey photos slapped on the walls. Overall I would say to avoid and save your money. Food is overpriced and not that good, service was lacking for us, and the atmosphere that is adding 100% cost to your check is not worth it. Go to the Millstream Brau Haus instead. Their food was amazing, and the beer was delicious!

We made it for the October Fest Sunday brunch and it didn't disappoint! The food was excellent! The service was outstanding (our glasses never got below half full and plates were taken immediately upon completion)! We will be back for the brunch again sometime in the future!

Very nice place large shaded deck for outdoor dining and beverages. Large open indoor dining area with bar. Nice variety of Ales, Lager, stout and a Raspberry Sour along with cocktails and Root beer on the drink Menu. Food menu has many options including Appetizers. Gift shop has drink-ware, T shirts, beers for sale.

It was good! Glad we came here for lunch! Felt like there were lots of options. I didn’t love the giant pretzel. It was a different kind of dough than standard. And my husband’s been to Germany times. Everything else was great! The food, the atmosphere. You can sit inside or out. There were lots of TVs if you were wanting to catch a game.

This is a really fun place on the main street in Homestead. We were looking for a different place than the usual we visit when here and we saw the outside patio which was the attraction. Although the patio was packed and no outside seats were available, we still really enjoyed our food and our server was so fun. It was a family reunion and she really “ got us” and our sense of humor.

Friendly service, large portions, crispy hash browns. Unlimited coffee. Affordable prices. Can't go wrong after a full prior day of golf!

Great selection to choose from. Not one complaint about the food from anyone. Everything appeared clean and roomy. Plenty of parking as well.

Dana helped us on Saturday. She was our bartender. She was absolutely amazing! Highly recommend. They have amazing food.

This is a great beer hall to stop at. The beer and craft sodas are excellent. The place has a beautiful atmosphere. I saw several people enjoying very good meals. There's plenty of parking in the area. The bar even has a shuffleboard table and a pool table.

Amazing meal as always. We’ve been coming to Amana for around 20 years. No visit here is complete without a meal at one of the family-style dinner restaurants here (there are around 3 of them). We favor the Ronneburg. Tonight (Friday), they were busy but we got seated right away. Our server was Annette and she took great care of us. We started out with a couple of Iced Teas and water. As we knew what we wanted for dinner, we gave our order to Annette right away. We shared the following family style meals: - Bavarian Chicken (served with Spatzle) - Broasted Chicken (served with Spatzle) - Cold family style dishes served before dinner: whole pickled beets, coleslaw, cottage cheese with chives, bread and butter - Hot family styled dishes served with the main dinner entree: sauerkraut, green beans, fried potatoes and brown gravy The cold dishes were all excellent. The green beans were surprisingly good with onion and bacon, the fried potatoes were excellent. We ate about 1/3 of our meals, ordered a slice of coconut cream pie to go and boxed up all the leftovers (mains and sides). We’ll eat on all of this for two days! Thank you Annette and thank you Ronneburg for another great experience.

Just a decent comfort food place for the different varieties of schnitzel, sausage, green beans, coleslaw and etc. it is on the more expensive side but it has all you can eat sides which does make sense when you get the family style

We had a wonderful time here and the food was delicious. There was hardly anyone in the restaurant when we went, so there was no wait on the food.

My wife and I ordered two different sandwiches, a schnitzel and a brat. When they came we couldn't really tell the difference in them. They were covered with lots of carmelized onions, which we do like but this was a lot. Lots of cheese on both sandwiches and when combined with silk of the onions, made the sandwiches difficult to eat because they kept falling apart from all of the liquid from the melted cheese and onions. We were surprised at how bland they were also. I ordered the fried potatoes which although very tasty were just the opposite of the sandwiches, very dry. Although our waiter was very nice the on duty host was not very personable.

Not only is Amana a destination when in Iowa but this restaurant is is a destination when in Amana. From the cheese curds to the pickled ham which is my favorite!! The flavors are undeniable. Not only is the atmosphere and food amazing the service was 5star Vegas approved!! Our server Annette was amazing, knowledgeable, attentive, friendly and hands down one of the best servers I’ve had overall anywhere. Thank you Annette and thank you Ronnenburg for making my Amana trip a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Family style dining. Food was as delicious asi remember. The server, Max, was amazing. Party if 20 handled so well. And topped off with incredible pie - had the strawberry rhubarb, WOW ‼️‼️‼️

This was our first time eating here and their amana poutine is to die for! It is a large order and perfect for sharing or taking home as left overs! I would get this everytime!

Fantastic chocolates, ice-cream and customer service! This was our first visit to the area and we were very impressed. The Bearclaws, Truffles and Fudge are so decadent...some of the best chocolates I can remember getting anywhere!

Always like to stop here and pick up a sweet treat while visiting Amana. You can buy individual chocolates, fudge and truffles or pick up a premade box or bag of chocolates. There are also unusual treats as well (pickle flavored candy?!). If you like the chocolate some can be ordered online. Staff was friendly and helpful.

Lots of chocolate to try! Bought some fudge, truffles, and bear claws along with trying the ice cream which was delicious. Very friendly people. They were very busy. If you are a coffee lover they have iced coffee and roasting beans too.

Went to all the little shops there in Amana with my mom for my birthday today & picked up a few items. The fudge is so good here. I was given a chocolate ball for free for my birthday and is was so smooth and creamy. Great little shop.

I love this place! Every time I go it always smells so great and they have the best goodies! The caramels are a MUST BUY!! Staff is friendly and welcoming!

Chocolate Haus has AMAZING coffee and even better service! I needed to order coffees for my bridal party the morning of my wedding and she came in early to make sure we got what we needed! All drinks were labeled with the person's name and we even had some delicious caramels as well :) Everyone loved their drinks!!

The made from scratch fudge and caramel is amazing! I also recommend subscribing to their monthly subscription box so you can get it shipped to your door every month 🤩

We stayed at the hotel and had breakfast there. A great selection with fresh ingredients Our server was excellent and made our coffee to how we wanted it!! Definitely was great

Had a very nice lunch at the Hotel today. Look forward to a dinner some evening at there restaurant ( The Indigo). Even though the place was completely remodeled, they did a very nice job of keeping history alive and well. Yes, I'd go back again.

We stopped in for a snack and cocktails and were pleasantly surprised. The cocktails were top notch as the bar tender TJ was truly amazing and definitely knew her stuff. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms that were delicious !!!! This is a must stop when in the area !!!

Great contemporary restaurant inside the hotel of Amana Colony. Server provided wonderful service. The kitchen prepared delicious Reuben Sandwich and Fish and chips for our table. All was good eating and our plates were left empty by the end. Quick service and comfortable tables. Great fries and onion rings too.

Ordered Turkish bun and coffee. Sadly, the place was understaffed, thus it was hard for servers to keep up. Because our group exceeded 6 (about 10), a 22% gratuity was automatically assessed. I wouldn't mind so much but it was 18% service. And we were an easy group - no substitutions or complaining. Service very slow. Took over 20 minutes to get coffee. We were there for over an hour. A mistake was made on our order and corrected with brought to attention. Food ok. Skimpy with the cream. Ambience nice and historic. I might go again and allow for more time, and review the menu before arrival to place an order upon being seated. I like to support rural businesses and I can imagine managing them is not easy.

Had the Red snapper dinner. Loved how the bread was placed in the dish to soak up the sauce. For dessert we had the Kuchen Cake - FANTASTIC!!

Awesome atmosphere. It’s small and quaint. Food was amazing. I had the warm spinach artichoke dip served in a warm bread bowl. The pork medallion dish is one of the best I’ve had. Portions were very generous. TJ did an awesome job serving. I definitely recommend this place. I can’t wait to come back!