Just passing through town and needed to stop for dinner… wanted good olé american home cooking and couldnt find what i was looking for. Decided on Schera’s and wow, what a great surprise. Not sure what was better, the food or the service. Eric is a boss in the front of the house… he provides great service and a friendly presence. From the ranch dressing on the salad to the great appetizers, we were very pleased… the freaking Couscous was unbelievable. Thanks Eric and team for a great dinner.
Barbara K.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Saint Paul, MN
A unique place with great food. It is hard to find this kind of offering in small town Iowa so the fact that the food was excellent(I had samosas and Greek chicken salad) AND the location overlooking a tranquilly beautiful Turkey River makes this a wonderful place for locals or visitors.
Stephen S.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Evanston, IL
We went to Schera’s on New Year’s Eve 2012. They had two seatings and a pre fix dinner menu and price. We started with selections from a generous assortment of craft beers and enjoyed an hour of appetizers served buffet-style. Our dinner seating followed in a festive room with linen tablecloths and napkins. The soup course was spectacular, followed by a sumptuous seafood entrée. Desert was buffet style with a generous assortment of tortes, cakes and chocolates. The owner came to ask how we were enjoying the evening and offered interesting stories of the founding of the restaurant. It was truly a special evening. Don’t miss this gem in rural Iowa!
Jody G.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Manchester, IA
We tried this restaurant on New Years Eve. They had a set menu whicj offered good food and great beer! The beer menu offers a selection that is rare and unexpected. They have a great beverage menu that tells the story of each beer, which helps to choose what you might want to try. The service is mediocre. We have been to the restaurant twice and the servers could not pronounce menu items and the beers that were offered. Overall, we will be back and had a great time!
Scott S.
Rating des Ortes: 5 West Branch, IA
We stopped in here for lunch around April/May. Had a great gyro which was home made, not from the usual mass-produced loaf. The real secret is some of the beer on tap — one of the owners, Frederique, has started a beer distributorship with some very tasty Belgians and eclectic beers — my favorite was the Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza D’Oro. The building is beautiful with old stonework, and there is a great patio looking out on the river and a great stonework bridge. Fantastic place, highly recommended.
Patti I.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Saint Paul, MN
We discovered this place by accident on a trip to Iowa when we heard a feature about the restaurant and its owner on the radio. I checked out the location and realized we could route ourselves there for lunch. The meal started with the appetizer sampler, which included a sort of thyme-and-sumac pesto pizza with feta cheese, a couple of spinach samosas, and two meat-stuffed deep-fried phyllo rolls, one with beef and one with chicken. The Samosas tasted just like spanakopita to me, very good. My husband loved the pizza thing and I thought the chicken phyllo roll was the best item on the tray. I was disappointed to see that couscous was not offered until dinner time but asked our server – who turned out to be the owner – if it was possible to get it anyway. He accommodated the request cheerfully. My husband and I split the couscous and a salad topped with skewers of chicken and shrimp. The portions were generous but even though we were full, we ate everything on our plates because it was so delicious. We didn’t order dessert but the owner came by with a plate of homemade halvah which again, although we were too full to eat, we finished. The food would have been good at an urban restaurant, but to find this gem tucked in a small town in a valley in rural Iowa – amazing! Schera’s is worth another trip.
Joel w.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Corpus Christi, TX
This restaurant serves both Mediterranean dishes and standard American fare. We had lamb gyros for lunch that were superb; the meat was very tender and the seasonings were exceptionally tasty. We finished with a serving of halva, a sesame seed fudge. Our server was one of the owners and he was friendly and attentive. Since it was a beautiful summer day when we were there, we ate outside on a terrace that overlooks the river. The restaurant claims it always has at least 17 beers on tap and also offers a large selection of specialty drinks.
Austin B.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Austin, TX
I was here last October, but since there is only one other review I’ll give it a shot. I have one complaint about the place, but it is partly my fault. I made reservations that I hoped to use at the end of a day of sightseeing, but I went too long on the sightseeing and didn’t make it in time. I called and informed them and they said it would be fine, but when I got there I think their kitchen had been obliterated by a big rush that had just cleared out. We had to wait a while before they would give us a table, but this gave opportunity to walk around Elkader and try out their beer selection, which is absolutely phenomenal. I had the cous cous royale and my fiancé had the steak. I enjoyed the cous cous very much and my fiancé’s steak was huge and juicy. We also got an appetizer sampler that was delicious. The owner brought us some little desserts as well that were fun to try. The owner was a really nice guy and came around to talk to everybody, it felt really homey to me. For many, the question is whether or not it is worth the drive to Elkader to eat here. I say yes. You can spend a day coming here, stop in McGregor to get a beer, go see the overlook at Pikes Peak, and then come to Schera’s for dinner. It’s a lovely restaurant in a lovely part of the state, and I hope to head back soon to try their tenderloin while overlooking the Turkey River.
Dean K.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Saint Louis, MO
Elkader is a modest-sized town named for Abd el-Kader, an Algerian who led a 19th-century resistance movement against the occupying French forces. Fittingly enough, Elkader has an Algerian restaurant: Schera’s Restaurant and Bar where the food is delicious, affordable, and the owners are thoughtful enough to have burgers for those of you who are traveling with someone less adventurous than yourself. The menu offers a mix of Algerian dishes and standard Midwestern fare. You could make a meal by sampling the Algerian items on the appetizer menu.