Most steakhouses keep the cooking behind closed kitchen doors, but this Iowa spot takes a much more hands-on approach. Instead of simply choosing from a menu, you get to pick your own cut, season it the way you like, and cook it yourself over a real grill.
Set in the small town of Montour, this is the kind of restaurant that turns dinner into part meal, part experience, and part confidence test with tongs. The smoke, the heat, and the sizzling steak are all right there in front of you, which makes every bite feel a little more personal.
It may sound like a backyard cookout with better sides, but the nearly thousand reviews and 4.7-star rating make one thing clear: plenty of people are happy to do a little grilling for their supper.
The Restaurant That Rewrites the Rules
Montour, Iowa is the kind of small town you might pass through without expecting dinner to turn into a full story. Then Rube’s Steakhouse & Lounge shows up and casually flips the usual steakhouse script.
From the outside, the building looks plain and unassuming, with no flashy entrance trying to convince you something memorable is waiting inside.
That makes the first step through the door even better, because the rustic, wood-heavy dining rooms open up around large grills that immediately tell you this meal works differently.
The smell hits fast in the best possible way: smoke, seared beef, warm toast, and all the little signals that dinner is about to require tongs. Instead of simply ordering a steak and waiting, you get to take part in the process, which makes the whole experience feel more personal and a lot more fun.
Reservations are a smart idea, especially on Friday and Saturday nights when the rooms fill quickly and the grills stay busy. You can find Rube’s Steakhouse & Lounge at 118 E Elm St, Montour, IA 50173.
How the Whole Thing Works
The concept is straightforward once someone walks you through it, and the staff do exactly that before you sit down. You are guided to a refrigerated display case where cuts of beef are laid out and clearly labeled.
Ribeyes, New York strips, filets, and a steakhouse-cut ribeye are among the options, and there is also seafood available for anyone not feeling the beef that night.
After selecting your cut, you choose between baked or skillet potatoes, while the entrée itself includes Rube’s signature sides: a supperclub wedge salad, potatoes, baked beans, Texas toast, and everything you need to grill your meal.
Additional skillets, skewers, and specialty sides are available separately for anyone who wants to build out the meal further.
Once everything is selected, a server walks you to the grill station, where seasonings and grilling essentials are ready to help you cook your entrée properly. The open-hearth grills run hot, so the cook time on a good ribeye moves faster than most people expect.
The server stays nearby to answer questions and check on the table throughout the meal.
Picking Your Cut at the Meat Case
Standing in front of that meat case is the moment the whole evening clicks into focus. The cuts are generously portioned and visibly well-marbled, especially the ribeyes, which show thick ribbons of fat running through the muscle that will render down beautifully over charcoal heat.
The filets are trimmed tight and compact, which makes them easier to manage on the grill for anyone who does not cook beef at home often.
The steakhouse-cut ribeye is the thickest option and requires a bit more patience on the grill, but the payoff is a crust on the outside and a pink, juicy center that holds its heat all the way back to the table.
Selecting your own cut matters more than it might seem. You are not leaving that choice to someone else in a kitchen you cannot see.
You pick the piece that looks right to you, which adds a layer of investment to the meal that changes how you think about what lands on your plate. The least expensive steak starts at around $35, and the full meal for two typically runs close to $100.
Open-Hearth Heat and Why It Matters
Rube’s officially describes its setup as open-hearth grilling, which is the detail that matters most once you step up with tongs in hand.
Older visitors have mentioned both charcoal and gas grill setups, so if that choice matters to you, it is worth asking the staff what grill stations are available when you arrive.
The open-hearth setup produces serious heat, and that heat level means the exterior of a ribeye can develop a proper sear in just a few minutes, locking in the juices before you flip.
That intensity is also why timing matters, especially if you choose a thicker cut or load the grill with toast and sides at the same time.
One thing worth knowing before you step up to the grill: the temperature is serious. The grill runs hot enough that bread can catch quickly if left unattended, so the Texas toast needs a watchful eye.
Seasonings and grilling essentials are available right at the station, so you are not improvising with nothing.
The Salad and Sides Worth Knowing About
The supperclub wedge salad at Rube’s is worth paying attention to, especially because it comes included with the entrée rather than feeling like an afterthought.
It is not the kind of iceberg wedge that exists purely to fill space on the plate before the main event.
The potato choice is part of the meal, too, with baked potatoes and skillet potatoes both listed on the current menu. The skillet version brings that warmer, grill-friendly side-dish energy that fits the whole experience.
Rube’s secret recipe baked beans are also included with entrées, which makes the plate feel more complete before you even start considering extras.
For add-on sides, the creamy jalapeño corn skillet has developed a following among repeat visitors, and the crab-stuffed mushroom skillet is worth the extra cost. Asparagus skewers are another popular addition.
The a la carte pricing on extras does add up, so it helps to decide before you reach the grill what you actually want rather than adding items on impulse.
Texas Toast on the Grill
Texas toast at Rube’s is not an afterthought. The thick-cut slices go directly onto the grill grate alongside your steak, and the butter soaks into the bread as it warms, creating a crust on the outside while the inside stays soft and slightly doughy.
The char marks add a faint bitterness that balances the richness of the beef.
You are responsible for timing the toast yourself, which means keeping one eye on it while managing your steak. The bread moves fast on a hot charcoal grill, so setting it near the cooler edge of the grate buys you a little more control.
Black garlic butter is available as an upgrade at the grill station, and spreading it onto the toast while it is still hot off the grill is one of the better decisions you can make that evening.
It might sound like a small detail in the context of a $35-plus steak dinner, but the toast is one of those supporting elements that rounds out the meal in a way that feels complete rather than assembled. It is the kind of bread that disappears before the steak is half finished.
The Atmosphere Inside the Dining Room
The building is divided into several separate rooms, each with its own large open grill at the center. That layout means the dining room never feels like one massive, loud hall.
Groups and couples are naturally separated by the room divisions, which keeps the noise level manageable even when the restaurant is fully booked.
The decor is unapologetically rustic. Wood panels, no windows, and a warm amber light that makes the whole room feel a bit like a hunting lodge that someone decided to run a steakhouse out of.
The smoke from the grills circulates through the dining areas, which is an inevitable part of the concept and adds to the atmosphere rather than detracting from it, though people who are sensitive to smoke should factor that in.
The room fills up quickly on weekend nights, and the energy shifts noticeably as more grills light up and more tables get into the rhythm of cooking.
The sound of searing beef and the low murmur of conversation across the grill makes the whole thing feel social in a way that a conventional sit-down steakhouse in Iowa simply does not replicate.
Who This Place Is Built For
Rube’s draws a wide range of people, and the dining room on any given night reflects that. Anniversary couples, birthday groups, and road-trippers who stumbled across the restaurant online all tend to show up at the same time on a Friday or Saturday.
The interactive format works particularly well for groups celebrating something. The act of choosing your own cut, cooking it yourself, and managing the grill together gives the table something to do beyond just waiting for food to arrive.
It creates a natural rhythm of conversation and activity that makes a two-hour dinner feel engaging rather than slow.
Families with older kids who are comfortable around an open grill will find the setup enjoyable. Younger children may find the heat and activity level at the grill station more overwhelming than fun, so it is worth thinking through before booking.
The restaurant does offer seafood options, including shrimp and ahi tuna steak, which gives non-beef eaters a reason to show up without feeling like an afterthought.
The service throughout is attentive without being intrusive, which keeps the pacing comfortable for groups of all sizes.
Planning Your Visit the Right Way
Rube’s regular grilling hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 9 PM and Sunday from 5 to 8 PM. Mondays are reserved for private parties only, so regular dinner plans should be made for another night.
Those hours are worth double-checking on the website at rubessteakhouse-montour.com before making the drive, since Montour is not exactly a town with a backup dinner plan if the restaurant is unexpectedly unavailable.
Reservations are the smarter move, especially on Friday and Saturday nights when the dining room fills up well before 7 PM. Walk-ins are possible on slower nights, but showing up on a weekend without a reservation and expecting a quick table is optimistic.
Thursday evenings tend to be a bit more relaxed, which gives you more time at the grill without the pressure of a packed room around you.
The pricing sits firmly in the higher range for Iowa dining. Expect to spend around $100 for two people with a steak each and a couple of add-on sides.
The restaurant charges a sharing fee per person for those who plan to split a meal rather than order individually, so factor that in if your group is thinking about going that route. The phone number is (641) 492-6222 if you prefer to call for a reservation.
The Service and How It Shapes the Meal
The server’s job at Rube’s is more involved than at most restaurants. Before you sit down, they explain the full process: how the meat case works, what the grill options are, how to manage the sides, and what to watch for when your steak is close to done.
That walkthrough happens at the beginning of every meal, and it is delivered without condescension even for first-timers who have clearly never held tongs near a charcoal grill before.
Throughout the meal, the server checks back regularly to answer questions, suggest timing adjustments, and make sure the table has what it needs.
The rhythm of service at Rube’s is naturally slower than a conventional restaurant because the cooking happens at the table, not in a kitchen, so the staff paces the evening accordingly.
What stands out most is that the service feels genuinely engaged rather than scripted. Servers know the menu thoroughly, including which sides pair well with which cuts and how to get the most out of the grill station.
That knowledge makes a real difference for first-time visitors who are trying to navigate an unfamiliar format while also not overcooking a $40 ribeye in front of their anniversary date.
What Repeat Visitors Keep Coming Back For
The jalapeno creamed corn has become one of those dishes that people specifically mention when talking about Rube’s. It is rich and slightly spicy, with a texture that sits somewhere between a thick chowder and a creamy side dish.
The corn itself stays tender rather than mushy, and the heat from the jalapeno builds gradually rather than hitting all at once.
The wedge salad also holds up as a consistent highlight across visits. The creamy parmesan dressing is applied generously without drowning the lettuce, and the wedge stays cold and crisp even by the time you finish the steak.
For the steak itself, the ribeye is the cut that generates the most enthusiasm from people who have visited more than once. The marbling on the steakhouse-cut ribeye in particular produces a rich, beefy flavor when cooked over charcoal, with a slightly smoky edge from the grill that a gas flame does not quite replicate.
The filet, by contrast, is cleaner and more delicate in flavor, which makes it a strong choice for anyone who prefers a leaner cut. Both are available every night the restaurant is open, and both tend to disappear from the case quickly on busy evenings.
Why This Iowa Steakhouse Is Worth the Drive
Rube’s Steakhouse is not trying to be a fine dining destination, and it is not trying to be a casual chain restaurant either.
The concept sits in its own category: a full-service sit-down restaurant where the cooking happens at your table over a real grill, and the quality of the beef is high enough to make that arrangement feel worthwhile rather than gimmicky.
The drive to Montour requires some commitment, especially if you are coming from Des Moines or another larger Iowa city. The town is small and the restaurant is essentially the main reason to stop.
But that isolation is part of what makes the evening feel like an event rather than just dinner out.
The combination of choosing your own cut, cooking it yourself over charcoal, and eating it alongside a cold wedge salad and crispy roasted potatoes produces a meal that feels earned in a way that a server-delivered plate simply does not.
Iowa has plenty of steakhouses, but very few of them hand you the tongs and trust you to handle it.
Rube’s does, and that single detail changes the entire nature of the meal from start to finish.