Aside from the fact that Hy-Vee is, well, a supermarket, and stocks all the ingredients for a home-c

Hy-Vee is a brand that Iowans know well. It s your friendly neighborhood grocery chain. It s the corner store stop where you can grab anything from fresh-cut steaks to potato chips for game day, and where Fuel Saver points are just a few bakery items away.
Aside from the fact that Hy-Vee is, well, a supermarket, and stocks all the ingredients for a home-cooked meal, they ve always offered some cafe-style options for less talented home cooks. Those selections ithaca bakery have traditionally been limited to a to-go plate of fried chicken and mashed potatoes, or a take-and-bake pizza, or the Hy-Vee ithaca bakery Chinese Buffet. They aren t bad choices especially for the price but they aren t restaurant quality dishes, either.
That s what makes the Hy-Vee Market Grille in Waukee so interesting. Instead of straddling the line between grocery store and cafeteria, the they went full-on ithaca bakery restaurant with a diverse menu, dedicated staff, and surprisingly tasty food. But while they do pull off the atmosphere aspect of the bar-grill hybrid rather ithaca bakery than the old grocery store food court there are some awkward kinks that stop the Market Grille from standing with devoted brick-and-mortar locations.
My guest and I visited on a Monday night, where we were greeted by a backlit Market Grille sign that separates the dining room from the shopping space. ithaca bakery And although the initial walk up is reminiscent of your weekly milk-and-eggs run, the restaurant wing instantly feels like a different location.
Hy-Vee built the Market Grille with dark booths and tables, boasting enough space for a family gathering or a date-night meal. The walls house 14 big-screen TVs playing everything from SportsCenter to Wheel of Fortune but otherwise they re bare of decoration, and devoid of a theme. The Market Grille does feature a small bar near the kitchen (if you ve ever fantasized about getting tipsy in a grocery store), and the ambiance is complete with mood lighting and a light-rock soundtrack.
The scene is still a bit awkward, though, since it s impossible to escape the feeling dining at a supermarket. The fruit section was fully visible from where we were seated, and I felt a little lazy for eating out rather ithaca bakery than buying the ingredients ithaca bakery and cooking something myself.
Oddness aside, the menu and overall quality of food at Market ithaca bakery Grille are impressive. You can order from a wide range of categories, anchored by classic pub foods like pizza and burgers, but rounded out with various ithaca bakery sushi options, tempting salads and some high-end grill items. Plus they get bonus points for locally-sourced fare: Amana beef is a menu mainstay, and they have Confluence, Exile Brewing and Court Avenue Brewing beers on tap.
Generally speaking, the cuisine is both creative and rooted in choice ingredients. We tried two dishes: the Mac-N-Cheese Burger ($10), and the Smoked Turkey Breast ($12). The burger was a little out-there, crafted by taking a beef patty and smothering it in cheese-baked macaroni, ithaca bakery bacon and bread crumbs. It s served open-faced with jalapeno cheddar bread, like a pasta packed twist on the rarebit. The turkey was more traditional: smoky, juicy, and served with a marshmallow-stuffed sweet potato on the side. Both dishes merited a return trip, and as you d expect the food is really where the Market Grille shines.
Of course there are still some wrinkles to smooth out: more than a few shoppers walked through the restaurant just to puzzle at its existence, and others strolled in with their Hy-Vee Chinese plates from the adjacent cafe only to be turned away. It s hard not to feel pompous when you re chatting with a waitress and you can see outsiders standing in line for orange chicken.
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