Siouxland Families

UPDATE: The Ranch KC closed in spring 2026. I am leaving my review up for now in case people are still curious about what it was like. You can check out more of my KC faves here. On a recent trip to Kansas City, I had the opportunity to visit a new restaurant, The Ranch KC, and I was so impressed I wanted to share about it with all of you! My former hometown of Kansas City is one of my favorite travel destinations, not just because I love seeing my family and friends there, but also because there are great places to play, shop, eat, and explore. And The Ranch KC is definitely going on my list of great little places to eat in the KC area for future trips too! The Ranch KC is at its heart a barbeque restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere and lots of kid-friendly options, so I definitely recommend it as a great way to get some KC BBQ, especially if you're visiting the area with kids.  Where is The Ranch KC? The Ranch KC is located at 17207 S US Hwy 71 in Belton, ...

The best hot dogs in Siouxland come from a historic, family-owned diner named after another Midwest city: Milwaukee Wiener House. For more than a century, Milwaukee Wiener House has been serving up delicious hot dogs in downtown Sioux City. I'm a huge fan of this local treasure and included it in my book 100 Things to do in Sioux City & Siouxland Before You Die because it truly is a must-visit. Whether you're a local or a visitor to Siouxland, stop by Milwaukee Wiener House sometime for vintage charm and great food. Here's my full guide to Milwaukee Wiener House: Where is Milwaukee Wiener House? Milwaukee Wiener House is located at 301 Douglas Street in downtown Sioux City. There is free parking in their lot, which is connected to the Hard Rock Casino parking lots, and there is additional street parking nearby and throughout downtown, including metered street parking and a limited amount of free parking at the Sioux City Art Center....

It's apple season! Whether you like them sweet or tart, baked into a pie or freshly sliced, apples are one of the quintessential fall flavors. And there's just something extra special about picking your own apples. Luckily, there are several lovely places near Sioux City and Siouxland where you can do just that. So, here's my guide to where to pick apples within 2 hours of Sioux City:  Apple Orchards in Sioux City Autumn Grove Apple Orchard 1658 180th Street, Sioux City, IA Currently Autumn Grove Apple Orchard is the only you-pick apple orchard I am aware of within Sioux City itself. There is no admission charge to Autumn Grove Apple Orchard, and the apples are sold by volume, so just buy your bag and pick what you want as long as it fits! Their opening day for 2025 is Sunday, September 7th from noon to 4pm but they stated they may not be open every Sunday (basically, it depends on the weather and which trees are ready which days,) so watch their Facebook page for updates! ...

I love Scooter's Coffee and people seemed to enjoy the full review of the full Scooter's Coffee kids' menu that  we posted earlier this year . So, when I heard they were doing a cute "Candyland" inspired holiday menu for Christmas 2024, I thought it might be fun to try them out and share our thoughts on that too! In case you're new here, I'm a mom of four kids from toddler to teen, and my kids and I love reviewing food and drinks together. We especially love a good kids' menu, so the Scooter's Coffee Kids' Combos and other kid-friendly treats are totally in our wheelhouse. So, without further ado, here's my review of the Scooter's Coffee 2024 holiday menu: What's on the 2024 Candyland Holiday Menu at Scooter's Coffee? Starting in November 2024, Scooter's Coffee is offering a limited menu of holiday treats inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, Candyland. These drinks and desserts will be available through the app or for ...

When I heard that Taco John's was testing out a new menu item in just three cities and that one of them is Sioux City, I immediately wanted to try it out! So, we headed to Taco John's to try their brand new "walking taco" style dish, which they are calling the Fritos Taco Mixers. Based on that trip and trying them with my tween, here's my full review: What is the Taco John's Frito Taco Mixer? The Taco John's Fritos Taco Mixer is a brand-new dish available only in three test markets (Sioux City, Iowa; Paducah, Kentucky; and Evansville, Indiana) as of Mid-November 2024. The Taco Mixers come in two varieties: regular and double beef. Both options are walking-taco style entrees consisting of Fritos corn chips, ground beef, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and some of Taco John's iconic Potato Oles.  Our thoughts on the Taco John's Frito Taco Mixers I ordered one of each variety of the Taco John's Fritos Taco Mixers from a Sioux City Taco John...

As a mom of four, I love a good kids meal, and I'm trying to review as many of them as I can! Once I get a few more done, I'm going to create a post to easily find them all and link from there. But today, I'm excited to kick off this brand-new post series by telling you all about the kids menu options at Scooter's Coffee. The fun kids menu at this coffee chain includes options like "smoothies" (which I'd call milkshakes), berry lemonade, cookies, and pretzel bites. And just for fun (and because I have four kids to split all this between,) we also tried the very-kid-friendly $1 donut bites. Here's my full review of the Scooter's Coffee Kids Menu as of August 2024: Scooter's Coffee is a drive through coffeehouse chain that started in Omaha and has since expanded to hundreds of locations across the US. Along with their adult menu of coffee, tea, and other delicious drinks and snacks, they also have a nice kids menu.  So my...

To be honest, I had never previously wondered what Buffalo Bill ate. But once I heard about the concept for Galloping Gourmet , I knew I needed to know more about the culinary adventures of the wild west's greatest showman. And I definitely wasn't disappointed, as this book provides a fascinating look at the food encountered by Buffalo Bill and his performers. Here's what readers should know about Galloping Gourmet: Eating and Drinking with Buffalo Bill . Thank you to the University of Nebraska Press for sending a free copy of the book for review purposes.  Who wrote Galloping Gourmet: Eating and Drinking with Buffalo Bill ? Steve Friesen wrote Galloping Gourmet and is the retired director of the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave site in Golden, Colorado. He is also the author of two other books, Lakota Performers in Europe: Their Culture and the Artifacts They Left Behind and Buffalo Bill: Scout, Showman, Visionary and is a contributing editor of True West magazine What's...