The Wild Carrot Restaurant

Thursday, November 12, 2015

After my interview with Kathleen Franck, we all went out for lunch at the Wild Carrot, in Waverly, Iowa, at Kathleen's recommendation.  We sat in a very nice dining room in the back, and the waitress brought us our menus.  My mother remarked that the decor/aura was reminiscent of the Peppercorn Pantry in Aplington, and I would have to agree.
I ordered a Hot Beef Sandwich, as did my sister.  My mother and Kathleen went for crab sandwiches, and Mr. Franck ordered a teriyaki chicken sandwich.  The crab and chicken sandwiches came with a side of potato salad and bag of chips in a basket neatly lined with paper designed to look like newsprint.  Each meal was $8.95.  Water was served in pint canning jars, and since it was the owner's birthday, we each received a complimentary slice of carrot cake.  

I thought the Hot Beef Sandwich was fabulous!  I do not eat much meat because most isn't as tender as I'd prefer, but this beef was perfectly tender.  The bread was very tasty, and the gravy and potatoes added the finishing touches.  

My mother commented that the crab sandwich was good, but a little spicy.  It was a very special treat that complimentary carrot cake was served, and I would like to thank the owner and staff.  That said, I would not order it myself.  I was quite filled after the sandwich, and the frosting was a little too sweet for me.  
 The front room had an area for dining, as well as a gift shop complete with truffles and candies.  I'm glad we stopped at the Wild Carrot, and I'd go back anyday for a hot beef sandwich like the delicious one I was served.  The Wild Carrot has a very pleasant environment and friendly service.

52 comments:

  1. Hello Bethany, nice review of the Wild Carrot. I like that name. Your hot Beef Sandwich and the cake looks yummy. Happy Thursday, enjoy your day!

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    1. The sandwich was completely awesome! Have a great weekend, Eileen!

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  2. Looks like such a neat place with a charming gift shop. I love crab, so I probably would have ordered that. And each meal was only $8.95? That is such a great price for all that food. And complimentary cake on top of all that because it was the owner's birthday. Sounds like you picked the perfect day to eat there!

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    1. Indeed! It was awesome to be able to try their cake...for free! That was a real treat! I would say the price for the meal was about average around here...the International Buffet, another restaurant I like, is $8 a meal, and I think the Pizza Ranch buffet is the same. There are expensive restaurants that make the Wild Carrot and all the others look good at 8 or 9 dollars, but I generally try to avoid those places!

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  3. I really like the decor. It looks like a pleasant and CLEAN place. That's so important!

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    1. Ah yes, I recall from a recent restaurant review how important cleanliness in a restaurant is to you, and I agree!

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  4. Beautiful carrot cakes, yummy yummy.

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  5. What fun you had socializing with Mrs. Franck and her husband, and I love the name of the restaurant. The cake looks really good, too. Have a great weekend!

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    1. Indeed, it was a wonderful time. You have a great weekend as well!

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  6. The Wild Carrot - what a fun name. :) It looks like a cozy place. How pleasant that you go to enjoy a nice, tender hot beef sandwich. I doubt I would have much room for carrot cake either, but would definitely have to try a bite!

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    1. Yes, it would have been very hard to resist trying the cake!

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  7. sounds like a nice little restaurant

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  8. How fun is that, that you got free carrot cake because it was the owners birthday. Very neat. Looks like a fun place, too.

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    1. Yes, that was awesome! I think it would have been hard to pick a better day to have stopped by the Wild Carrot.

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    2. I agree, and what a great name for a place. Love it.

      PS: Never tried chocolate covered bugs. Part of me is curious and the other part, not so much. Though, it took me forever to try wild line-caught sardines and now I love them. So I'll never say never because trying new foods is fun.

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    3. Ha! Well, if you're hungry enough, you never know. I love "grasshopper ice cream"--no grasshoppers, but that's what we call mint chip ice cream.

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  9. I love the name of the restaurant. Looks like a nice place.

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  10. Sweet little restaurant with good food! That's hard to beat! Very nice to spread some birthday cheer too!

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    1. I'd enjoy going back sometime if I'm ever in the area and hungry!

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  11. Your restaurants are different from European ones

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    1. We have a wide variety of restaurants, so I would not be surprised if you could find a restaurant in the area somewhere that offers a dining experience more similar to that offered by restaurants in Europe.

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  12. Oh- A hot beef sandwich sounds heavenly. I have not had one in years. Love places like that..and I love the name of the restaurant, too. xo Diana

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    1. Hot beef sandwiches are good! This is the second one I've had this year I believe. Hope you find one to enjoy soon! Take care! ;)

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  13. The hot beef sandwich looks delicious. All the meals look generously portioned for the price range. I think it was nice that the owner gave out free cake on his birthday.

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    1. Yes!! Free cake was awesome! And the meal was very good.

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  14. Looks like a neat place and the food sounds yummy! I like spicy. :-) ~Lisa

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    1. You probably would have loved the crab sandwiches then! :)

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  15. What a fun name for a restaurant!. It looks like a nice place to go.

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    1. Kathleen gets the credit for finding this one, but I do love stopping at diners and cafes here and there! A lot of them have much more character than you would find at a chain restaurant.

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  17. I would love a tender hot beef sandwich!

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  18. That hot beef looked incredible Bethany! It made me think of my hubby as hot turkey sandwiches are his favorite!! Such a cute place and a fun name. Lol
    xo

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    1. I don't think I've heard of hot turkey sandwiches prepared like hot beef sandwiches, but I'm sure they'd be delicious. We certainly end up with a lot of extra turkey after every Thanksgiving. Ahh...I love turkey with mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberries! I'm looking forward to Thursday the 26th!

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  19. Great post, and this looks like a fine place to enjoy a lovely meal, Bethany! I love to see stores and restaurants (facades, too) in other parts of the world!

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    1. So do I! Seeing how people live, eat, and shop around the world is one of the awesome things about blogging!

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  20. I love the name of the place...and the food and atmosphere looked good, too :)

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  21. "A AMIZADE VERDADEIRA SORRI NA ALEGRIA,
    CONSOLA NA TRISTEZA,
    ALIVIA NA DOR E
    SE ETERNIZA EM DEUS"(J.Calvet)
    UM GRANDE ABRAÇO, MARIE.

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    1. Hi Bethany,

      Sorry to comment under the previous blogger's 'reply' but I could not access your comment box!

      You always write such interesting reviews of the most charming restaurants and eateries and this one is no exception! The Wild Carrot's menu sounds mouth watering. I can understand what you said about the icing on the carrot cake; I don't like very sweet frosting, either. Thanks for a great read!

      Poppy

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    2. Good quote, Marie, thanks for visiting!

      I've had a couple people mention that problem Poppy, and I'm trying to find what is causing the problem. It may be browser-related. (I wonder if commenting from another browser--say Firefox--would work?) Thank you for finding a way to comment in spite of the problem!

      I frequently have to take at least some of the frosting off my piece of cake. I love sweets, but sometimes it can just be too much. But yes, the hot beef sandwich was mouth-watering!

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  22. There are really nice restaurants in Iowa and the food should taste delicious. It seems to be a very pleasant bistro.

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    1. Iowa does have some great cooks! Thank you for stopping by and commenting, Enrique!

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  23. Hi Bethany, Just a few days away from blogging while I had cataract surgery and I missed a lot on a couple of my favorite blogs, one of them being Liberty or Death. :-) I will try to catch up with commenting. The Wild Carrot does sound quite nice. I would absolutely want to try the hot beef sandwich. Wow, there is a lot of gravy on there! :-) I am OK with the sweet carrot cake but here is the funny part: I like my dessert with the main entrée. There is just something about combining the sweet with the not sweet that makes it all the more delicious!

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    1. Hi John, I hope your surgery went well! That is neat that you eat your dessert with the main dish. I've never had anything against eating dessert first (life is short), so maybe I should try that sometime.

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