Open Flame Steak & Lounge

I have been going to the Open Flame since I was a little boy and my Grandfather and Father would take the family out for «Buck Burgers». The food and atmosphere were great then, almost two decades now, and they remain excellent! Easily one of the best steaks and burgers in the Ames area and hands-​down the best onion strings and potato skins. They also have a full bar with craft beers as well. If you have never been take the short drive to Gilbert and check it out OR if it has been a while rediscover The Open Flame.

Great Service Great Value. Small town good.

Love the «cook your own» option. Onion rings are very tasty and the prime rib is outstanding. Full bar, small town charm and excellent service. Highly recommend.

If you love your steak made just the way you like it then Open Flame is the best place for you. The quality of steak was the best I have ever had. The wait staff was personable but not overly and the pricing was great. They had a salad bar that was small, but had everything you could really want and the bar made great drinks. If you have never tried their onion rings then be sure to get an order of those they are to die for and their ranch is delicious. Highly recommend Open Flame to anyone coming into the area you won’t regret going.

the only exciting thing i did while i was in iowa was to check out great restaurants. because to be honest there is really nothing to do in iowa. but I visited this place and loved the idea that i was able to grill my own steak. and since i arrived around 11am the grill wasn’t open but asked the waitress if we can use the grill and to my surprise the waitress asked the manager and let us use the grill. loved the idea of picking my own mean out of the refrigerator, seasoning my own meat, and cooking my meat. wish i could have gone there at night to see how the night life was like. but we were just passing through. but i would highly recommend it if you are in iowa check this place out.

I did not go in with high expectations, but I left pleasantly surprised. I was not to keen on grilling my own steak at first. The fact that I had the best cooked steak I’ve ever had at a restaurant is probably because I cooked it.
I also love the old church pews used as booth seating at some of the tables. My wife noticed the little communion cup holders and the pockets for hymnals almost immediately.
All in all this was a fun night. It would be good to time the steaks so everyone is back at the table at the same time. I figure this will come with practice.

The Open Flame is a good grill-​your-​own steakhouse located in downtown Gilbert. If it qualifies as a downtown.
My parents live on the west coast, and they lament the fact that they can’t get good, corn-​fed beef in their area. A visit to the Open Flame is always a high priority request when they return to Iowa.
I would say that the Open Flame is more of a place that caters to locals and families. This is not a place that you’ll need to wear slacks. It’s not elegant or formal. It’s a come-​as-​you-​are steakhouse. Their meat in my experience has been very good, and it’s always fun grilling it myself with the wide selection of treatments that can flavor my steaks. They have a Top Sirloin, filet, ribeyes and kabobs for beef, and chicken breasts and bacon wrapped chicken for poultry. The salad bar can be a little sketchy. It gets busy on Fridays and weekends, and the service may require a little patience on your part. There are better steak places if you are willing to drive, but for the price this is a great place to visit.
Fair prices for good steaks in a laid back atmosphere. It’s easy to see why the Open Flame is well known in the area.