Talking prep football and big pancakes, too

Football playoffs and a look at Ames' Grove Cafe

Remember going to a family diner and picking up a shared newspaper to read while you’re sipping coffee?

To some, it may seem like a moment of the past. But the past lives at the Grove Cafe in downtown Ames — an old school restaurant that still has a pay phone just inside the front door.

The Des Moines Register’s Sports section beckoned, and I read it. (More about that later.) But let’s consider the large pancakes.

The Grove Cafe has an old school charm, serving breakfast and lunch dishes on Ames’ Main Street. (Photo by John Naughton.)

The Grove opened in 1948 and had a reputation of serving some of Iowa’s best and largest pancakes.

The golden discs have a bit of an orange hue. I recall years ago that they were the size of giant dinner plates; on my visit Friday, they didn’t seem quite that big… or is my memory at fault?

At any rate, they’re still delicious.

The plate-sized pancakes at the Grove Cafe in Ames. (Photo by John Naughton.)

Bring cash, because this place doesn’t take credit cards. Like its Southern Iowa cousin, The Dinky Diner in Decatur City, the inconvenience doesn’t scare away hungry folks.

The menu lists “Our Famous Pancake” for $5.50. But there are lots of other items to try.

A fine short order breakfast is joined by lunch fare like burgers, a pork tenderloin and hot beef sandwich.

Arrive early, since the Grove opens at 6 a.m. six days a week (at 7 a.m. Sunday) and closes at 2 p.m. weekdays (noon weekends).

Several newspapers are shared. (Photo by John Naughton.)

But let’s discuss prep football, too. The first full round of the playoffs (smaller schools played first games Friday) are always an exciting time of year.

Pairings for the Round of 16 were announced by the Iowa High School Athletic Association today.

Games will be played at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27.

Here’s a quick look at the top seeds: