Canteen Lunch in the Alley

Ellen Paullin

2023-11

So FUN!!!!Stumbled on this on a spontaneous trip through Ottumwa. What a treat.Seating for 16 all around a diner horseshoe shape bar. Food prepared in the middle.Loose meat sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, egg sandwiches, all served in a no fuss environment.Great food. I had a canteen with cheese and pickle- bf had egg sandwich with the works. Shared a piece of French silk pie and strawberry malt.Busy place! Lots of to go orders and people waiting for seats the whole time. Generous staff so service was prompt anyway.I think we paid around $20 before tip.Neat experience!!!

Small Town Plus Size

2023-11

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Shawnee Walton

2024-03

I plainly ordered 8 sandwiches. And I had enough money so not like I would have to lie about not getting 1. But called in that I was shorted one and was told that she counted and there was 8. 2 of the wrappers didn't say anything and 2 had numbers on it. But a couple had extra papers in it. But won't tolerate being called the way my husband and I took it, I was being called a liar. So can take my business elsewhere.

Kelly Carver

2023-05

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Ojas Gokhale

2023-05

A very authentic canteen, serving mostly loose meat sandwiches. The seating is very traditional and classic. Staff was very friendly.. makes you feel like you are visiting your relatives and friends and not a restaurant.Prices are very fair.Highly recommend this place if you are nearby or even driving to ottumwa just for this.. and check out the pelicans nearby in spring and summer.

Aj Sue

2023-05

OMG! Canteen Everything w Cheese!!! i’ve never had a loose meat burger… But I will again! They chop everything in they make it so fast! I love the pickle in the bottom when you bite into it! Wrapped in paper serves super hot it was spectacular! And the pies! All homemade local baker.… Deb recommended the chocolate it was to die for! and it was Friday today and apparently on Fridays they have 17 different kinds of pie. All homemade! This place has been around for 102 years… And I’m pretty sure it’s going to be around for another 102 years just spectacular!

deependablereviews

2022-05

This place is definitely worth the experience. The menu is small but they really deliver on the loose meat sandwiches. The coke machine has a nice mix. The place gets pretty busy during lunch and seating is limited but you can order really quickly if you want it to go or want to eat at the benches outside. The apple pie was also really good. Give this place a try if you are in the area!

Night Wind

2024-01

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Tony Greif

2023-05

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Shane Howard

2023-05

I'll be honest, we only stopped in for pie as we traveled through Ottumwa but everything looked & smelled great while we were there. They have a small menu with loose meat sandwiches being their big seller but they looked great. My wife & I each got a piece of their pie a'la mode & it was great! I also grabbed a classic glass bottle of Coke to wash it down. Service was quick & friendly too! We were in & out in less than 15 minutes. We definitely plan on going back to get the sandwiches in the near future.

Vinh Le

2023-05

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Lindsay Ferris Martin

2024-01

🥪Canteen Lunch in the Alley: A Sketchy Detour to Foodie Heaven!Alright, let's talk about Canteen Lunch in the Alley in Iowa. Here's the scoop: I let ChatGPT play travel guide and chef, and it sent us on a detour through what I swear was the sketchiest part of Iowa. I'm thinking, "Great, risking life just for the #foodgram of it all. This better be good." Spoiler: It was.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This place? Total hole-in-the-alley vibe, but in the best way possible.okay, it was actually very cute. Quiet camp l, if you ask me. It's like discovering a secret club where the password phrase is "Where am I...and I'm hungry"The Canteen sandwich here is a whole experience. It's like they brought in the street-meat cart from the alley and used that as their kitchen! The Canteen sandwich is what Dustin Martin chowed down on – not one, but two of them.The girls went classic with hot dogs and pie. Cherry for one, French silk for the other. Being a vegetarian i had one option: the fried egg sandwich. It's like breakfast for lunch, but with street ( I mean alley cred) cred.Everything is a la carte and fresh as it gets. – unfiltered, real, and oh-so-good. And the pie? Imagine your grandma's baking skills got an upgrade.The staff? Imagine the nicest people you've never met, then double it. They're the kind of folks who make you feel like a regular, even if it's your first time.Now, the bathroom – it's practically a backstage pass to the kitchen. You walk in there, and suddenly, you're part of the crew. Trust me, it's a whole experience.In a nutshell, Canteen Lunch in the Alley is less like a restaurant and more like a delicious adventure. So if ChatGPT ever suggests a place that seems a bit out there, just go with it. You might end up at a gem like this.Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Because sometimes the best eats are where you least expect them!Vegetarian options: Egg sandwich and pie

Cory Lamb

2024-02

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Mona Beth Flick

2020-05

From the moment I first arrived to Iowa on a work assignment the first week of April, 2019, many of my friends from Iowa or with family residing in Iowa advised me that I Just Had To go to Canteen Lunch in the Alley for a loose meat sandwich. Certainly worth the experience and the sandwich is pretty tasty too.

Julio De Paz

2018-05

You know... It really amazes me how a simple loose meat burger like the ones served here, the Canteen, can offer you a heart warming feeling... Something many of the town's restaurants, fancy or not, just don't come close to anymore. I've been in Ottumwa since '96 and I can honestly say without a doubt that this town has harbored quite a classic with the Canteen... One that will always be remembered. Just keep in mind though that this little nook is a tight squeeze to eat at... But it is all worth it and I wouldn't have it any other way.

ditto kiddo

2018-05

Cheese, mustard, pickles, & onions please!My first time in Ottumwa and found this gem on Google. I'm not native so no idea what a loose meat sandwich was. Delicious is what it is! The cook told me the secret to the flavor is the steam cooking of the meat. I love how the counter horseshoe ' s around the cook and everything happens right in front of your eyes. Very friendly, welcoming, and cozy.

James OHollearn

2024-04

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EMO girl

2020-05

This little place is a true gem. Their loose meat sandwhiches are awesome! Simple, yet tasty. If you have ever watched the show roseanne, than visiting the canteen will be just for you. Walk in, and you ARE in the "lanford lunchbox" as the canteen was the actual inspiration for the show, right down to thw curtains and even how they serve the food. If you are visiting town, this is a "must do"! You will NOT be disappointed!!!!

Dana McCracken

2023-10

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Sonny Dye

2024-02

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Kevin Jones

2020-05

I do a lot of traveling and found this to be my favourite so far. Nothing fancy, all done right here, and is good. Prices are reasonable and fair. For less than $10 you can have a sandwich and some fresh made pie! Fresh!Been in the same location since 1936 and when you go; you'll know why they're still there. Enjoy!

Doug Bailey

2020-05

One of those places that the local people tell you to try. My wife mentioned some time ago that she had never been there and wasn't even sure where to find it. I've eaten here a few times over the years and I was definitely ready to go again! Opened during the great depression 1936. Very simple menu and very good food. Loose meat sandwich (made-right or made-rite to most people). Homemade pie. Bag of chips. Lol, not trying to be mean but when you are asked if you want water to drink just say yes please. Iced tea seems to take a while to make. It was very good but I was done with the sandwich long before the drink made it to me. Room for maybe two dozen people at the U shaped lunch counter. Be prepared to not sit with everyone you come in with. Nice outside seating area but for the full experience try to get a seat inside! Highly recommend this place. It is located in an alley but parking is close by.

Travis “TJ” Mealey-motz

2023-09

1st time being there. Canteen sandwich was amazing! Apple pie was good. Crust was amazing ! Could of had a stronger apple flavor,in my opinion. Would definitely try it again Service was awesome felt like you were talking with family. Atmosphere is a little snug, not fat people friendly. Would sit with a stool between two bigger people. But the food and service makes up for it. We drove from Des Moines, IA about 1.5 hours away. Will definitely be going back on a regular basis. Highly recommend!Parking: Tight squeeze from road to under parking ramp for a 1st visitor.

Tori M.

2023-07

Been coming here since I was a kid 20+ yrs. Best loose meat sandwiches I've ever had. Absolute FIRE 🔥 Don't eat if you can't tolerate greasy food.Lovely simple shakes.Staff can be a bit impersonal and rude depending on the day, and it's a tiny place, so it can be crowded. But TRUST ME, it's worth it!We normally grab cherry limeades and tots from Sonic to go with it.*Chef's kiss*Parking: Parking is free on the lower level of the parking garage, and The Canteen is under the garage. Or you can park on the street and walk down the alley. Big green sign off the road to show you the way.

Cameron Benedict

2022-05

They are under a parking garage, been there for 85 years. Quaint. Good food. Try it

Nicole Brookhart

2023-12

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Buck Vincent

2023-12

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E M

2023-05

Love this place, and I miss it! We would come up from Missouri several times a year to see a friend in the area but now we live in AZ. The burgers taste so delicious and the pies oh my the pies, the chocolate cream etc. so amazing. if we can make it back to the area absolutely going to eat here again at least twice!

Todd Carlo

2023-11

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David Knaack

2023-05

This is an amazing little restaurant. It's been there so long they had to build the parking ramp around it....Parking: Parking ramp built around an existing structure, I.E. The Canteen