The Iconic American Drive In Restaurant - Iowa Edition - Bob’s Drive In!
There are few things more iconic than the various drive in restaurants that populate a lucky few towns and cities in this country. We all recognize popular fast food chains, but these small mom and pop operations are generally not household names to most folks except in the areas they are located. In many cases, they are a best kept secret of the locals. Let’s check out one of the “best kept secrets” around Iowa - Bob’s Drive In in LeMars, Iowa!
Bob’s Drive In - LeMars and Arnold’s Park
I guess you could say I’ve had my fair share of meals and treats from Bob’s Drive In! My family has eaten here occasionally and everything has always been great! My favorite is an Iowa food known as the tavern (or a loose meat sandwich). The meaty and saucy goodness of the ground beef on a bun is something I always had at church events and at parties, and sometimes for my own dinner at home. Now I find that Bob’s is often my go-to place to get one, as they are becoming harder to find with the availability of fast food chains. Bob’s hotdogs (called the Bob Dog) are also famous and keep folks coming back again and again. There are other types of sandwiches (and even other types of taverns) and sides to order in the last few years, but I keep ordering a tavern every time I go. I sometimes order the onion rings or cheese curds as a side and they are fantastic too.
My family loves the ice cream treats too. They have a wide variety of shakes and sundaes. Our family really likes the butterscotch shake. That flavor is sometimes a challenge to find elsewhere.
Bob’s started in 1949 and now has two locations - one in LeMars, Iowa and one in Arnold’s Park near West Lake Okoboji. You can easily walk to the Okoboji location from Arnold’s Park Amusement Park. Both locations have indoor seating and the restaurant in LeMars has an outdoor seating area on a deck and also in an area called Bob’s Patio. To place a to-go order you walk up to an outside window and place your order. You then pick it up from the same window. If you wish to eat indoors, there is an indoor register and counter area to place your order. The decor inside includes numerous photos and signs from when Bob’s first got started.
Menu
Please keep in mind, prices and menu options are always subject to change. These photos were taken a few months ago. Just dropping these here to show the variety of menu items Bob’s offers.
If you are in the LeMars area, I highly recommend giving Bob’s a try, particularly the tavern or famous Bob dog or an ice cream treat. There’s a reason they’ve been in business for 76 years!
