Your guide to Main Street Ames

For many with an Ames connection, a trip to Great Plains Sauce Dough Company is a pilgrimage. Whether it’s after an Iowa State basketball game, a night before a dorm meeting or catching a pizza with your friends, scarfing down the hearty pizza is nothing short of an event.

It’s just a stair climb from The Corner Pocket, but DG’s Tap House offers a whole different vibe for bargoers. As the only downtown Ames music venue, DG’s pulls in great local and national names in jam, bluegrass and funk on a weekly basis. Most nights, the sound of live music fills the steep flight of stairs (the front door is west of Corner Pocket) you have to climb to get to the bar. At the top, a cozy space with tapestry-covered walls, a stage and a dance floor beckon you to put on your dancing shoes and boogie until last call. Then you’ll see the bar. A large, glorious bar stocked with dozens of beers — 56 on tap and more than 100 in bottles. Take your time while deciding — there are laminated lists on the bar to make it easier. After you have your beer (or mixed drink, as DG’s has a full bar as well), make your way to the crowded dance floor and let your inner hippie out. Between sets, play pool, foosball, darts, pinball or other games. There is usually a cover, typically $5 unless there is a regional or national band. DG’s Tap House DG’s Tap House Find it: 127 Main St., second floor, Ames Hours: 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday Info: (515) 233-5084; dgstaphouse.com What you’re drinking: There are so many beers available (including seasonal choices) that there isn’t just one favorite, but Olde Main and Peace Tree are popular brews. Next few shows: Half Past Dawn 9 p.m. Thursday, Elephant Revival 8 p.m. Saturday, Mountain Sprout 8 p.m. Sunday

If a good game of pool is your ticket to a good time, The Corner Pocket is ready to print you a one-way pass. The large bar, filled with 15 pool tables and one snooker table (a large European table that measures 12-by-6 feet), fills with seasoned pool sharks and novices alike each night of the week. A low-key spot — jeans and a T-shirt seems to be the dress code — The Corner Pocket is a friendly spot with an equally friendly staff. If you don’t want to play pool, the large bar has plenty of room for bellying up, and a few scattered tables allow you to enjoy your drink without getting in the way of someone’s game. A wide range of beers is sold, with more than 15 on tap and dozens in bottles, including many craft and unique brews from local breweries. If mixed drinks are your thing, there’s also a full bar. You’ll be able to snag a pool table just about any night of the week, except for Wednesdays from 7 to 10 p.m. during the in-house league night. Stop in early for happy hour (2-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon-6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and all day Sunday), which includes $2.50 wells and domestic bottles. If you’re really pinching pennies, pool is free on Sundays. The Corner Pocket Find it: 125 Main St., Ames Hours: 2 p.m.- close Monday through Thurs- day; noon-close Friday through Sunday Info: (515) 232-1528 What you’re drinking: An Olde Main draw. The local brewery is located down the street, and its beers are a popular choice among locals. From the Dinkey Wheat to the Long Face Amber Ale, Corner Pocket serves them all.

There’s something about the thin bread at Downtown Deli that takes this tiny sandwich shop in a claustrophobic space next to a book store and elevates it to superior sandwich territory. The width is about half that of a Jimmy John’s loaf, a third of a Subway loaf.

If Saturday night turned into Sunday morning a little too soon, The Grove Cafe can help ease your pounding head. The greasy spoon swells with hungry regulars each morning for breakfast and lunch — most of whom the owner knows by name.

The London Underground won’t let you down when you’re itching for a pint. A little slice of England in Ames, the long, narrow bar is dim and cozy, despite large windows looking onto Main Street. Inside, a long bar encompasses row upon row of big- bodied, bottled beers from England, Scotland, Belgium and Germany. On tap, more brews from across the pond are top sellers, like Stella, Newcastle, Boddingtons and of course, Guinness. Under the bar and out of sight are a few domestic choices, but we don’t recommend ordering one — you’ll likely be the only bloke who does. Bring drinking mates or belly up for a chat with a friendly bartender, but don’t come expecting to watch the big game. London Underground has no TVs, so you’ll have to entertain yourself by playing darts, pinball or foosball. London Underground London Underground Find it: 212 Main St., Ames Hours: 4 p.m.-close Monday through Thursday; 3 p.m.-close Friday through Sunday Info: (515) 233-8500 What you’re drinking: Come during happy hour (4-7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 3-7 p.m. Friday through Sunday) and get $1 off all draws and wells. Stella Artois is a customer favorite. If you’re more into harder booze, drink $4 martinis (the bar offers a long list of options) every Wednesday.

Des Moines is home to four brewpubs, and Olde Main has brought Ames into the brewpub fold, too. In doing so it ushered in a beer drinking sophistication to the college town, while also helping to revive Main Street as a go-to entertainment hub. The restaurant is a slick mix of brick and wood and light, split into several sections. Everything is large: the space itself, the beer options, the food menu. The food can be hit or miss, but the real draw is the beer, about a half- dozen yearlong brews, a seasonal (often the best of the bunch) and the delicious Red Monkey root beer. Try the $16.95 Sunday brunch, a large (continuing the theme) buffet that features everything from pastries to omelets to carving stations. Olde Main Brewing Company & Restaurant Olde Main Brewing Company & Restaurant Find it: 316 Main St., Ames Hours: Lunch: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Saturday; Dinner: 5-10 p.m. daily; Brunch: 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday; (Bar open 11 a.m.-2 a.m. daily) Info: (515) 232-0553; oldemainbrewing.com What you’re ordering: Can’t go wrong with a sandwich and a cold Off KILTer Scottish Ale, a brew with a mild- hoppy, nice-malty flavor that’s one of Olde Main’s best.

This borderline dive appeals to the blue-collar working crowd in the early afternoon, but you’ll find a younger generation as the sun starts to set. Sportsman’s Lounge, called “Sporty’s” by the local folk, acts as a stepping stone from Campustown to downtown. Here, you’ll find patrons in their early 20s, guzzling domestic brews from bottles and cans while listening to loud music on the jukebox. They’ve graduated from college, but aren’t quite ready to simply enjoy a drink or two with comrades. There’s plenty to do — from pool to foosball to shuffleboard — to keep the Sporty’s crowd entertained, and people seem to constantly be flitting from bar to table to booth to jukebox. This bar has a lot of energy, so if you’re looking to toss back a few and get a little rowdy, Sporty’s is the place. Sportsman’s Lounge Sportsman’s Lounge Find it: 123 Main St., Ames Hours: Noon-2 a.m. daily Info: (515) 233-6320 What you’re drinking: A Bud Light. There are no draft beers at Sporty’s, so your favorite domestic beers will be available in bottle or can only. Don’t leave without trying a Bull Shot, the bar’s signature shot (really more of a small drink), made with vodka and a homemade, secret recipe for a spicy tomato juice. Don’t get the Bull Shot confused with an innocent Bloody Mary — like an angry bull, this concoction can sneak up on you.

There are no $6 quick meal deals at The Spice. You’re going to pay into the double digits for everything, including lunch. So maybe it’s not the best spot for a college kid to grab a to-go meal, but it is a welcoming spot for an authentic Thai meal.

Less than a half a year ago, long-standing Main Street watering hole Whiskey River reopened following a face-lift of dramatic proportions. A snappy neon sign out front teases the updates and upgrades inside, which pay a modernized tribute to the dive from the olden days. The century-old floor and part brick/part green painted walls remain, only now the room that surrounds them features fun and random elements such as copper ceiling fans, a classy chandelier, vintage bar stools with gold rivets, a moose bust on the wall and a general mixture of decor that can best be described as grunge meets vintage meets rock ’n’ roll meets modern, with some viking horns, flamingos and lady mannequin legs thrown in the mix. This is the rare Ames bar that would thrive and make perfect sense on Fourth Street in downtown Des Moines. Whiskey River Whiskey River Find it: 132 Main St., Ames Hours: 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m.-2 a.m. Sunday Info: (515) 612-4949 What you’re ordering: Stop by Sunday morning for the $10 Bloody Mary bar and breakfast. From 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 10 bills gets you an omelet of your choosing, hash browns and a Bloody Mary from an impressive buffet of condiments and toppings. (An extra trip through the Bloody Mary buffet costs $5.)