The Flying Elbow
The Flying Elbow things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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This Restaurant makes the burger that was voted the #1 best burger in Iowa for 2022! I expected it to be a larger Restaurant than it was. It was first come first serve for a place to sit if you wanted to eat in. There was a small bar area with about 5 seats & there were about 6 or 7 tables and a counter with 4 - 5 stools for customer seating. So you either wait in a line or wherever you can find a place to stand & wait for an empty seat or get it to go. I had my 80 year old dad with me and he isn't able to stand for very long periods, so we got ours to go! They had several different burgers to choose from. I can't remember what the one we ordered was called? It was ? Sizzler I think? It was a 2 beef parties (good size) with bacon & peppers & jalapeños and I big scoop of a special sauce (their own mixture) kind of spicy hot, but not to hot i didn't think. We each got an order of fries (pretty soggy because they cooked to many in one basket is my guess)? Anyway, we had 2 orders and we should have just gotten 1 order & shared them. They were $3.00 per order & we threw most of them away because they were so soggy with grease! The burgers were pretty big but they put alot of their sauce on top and it was pretty messy to eat. It was really good though I thought. My dad said he couldn't say that he would come back for another one though. It was awkward trying to find a place to stand while we waited on our food to be ready. I think we waited around half an hour. There were a couple seats that opened up as we got our food so we sat for about a min & then decided it was too crowded & noisey with people talking and music playing too loud for the small restaurant. It cost us $30 for 2 sandwiches, 2 soggy orders of fries. It was a little expensive for what we got, but what isn't expensive these days!? If they are always as busy as it was when we were there, which was a Saturday, they should expand where they are or move to a bigger place. I think your best bet now is to call ahead and order for takeout.
Kathy LambKathy Lamb
20
This place....what a gift to the people of Marshalltown and all out of towners who visit! I'm a snobby Iowan from Iowa City with high expectations of food just to set the tone here for this review. Their burger won out in a contest for best burger in two states and perhaps the united states... it is very, very good. It's a smash style burger, which many people may not understand. Yes, this burger is greasy LOL! That is where the flavor is derived from. The bun is also a light airy sesame seed bun that absorbs the grease as you eat it, increasing the flavor, which means your bun almost dissolves as you are eating it. This is on purpose and adds to the flavor. People that don't understand this are rating this place a one star, ignore them if you are a foodie. This place is so west coast down to the animal style burger offerings. I am not a wrestling fan, just neutral, but the theme and decor is fun and tastefully done. I am SO happy they offer sour beers other than the same old Summer Jam that everyone else in Mtown offers. I recommend all the things we got, street corn salad, cheese curds, fries, and of course the award winning burgers. I hope this place does well. They deserve it! We'll be back and I need a tshirt! Update: To the person claiming that The Flying Elbow stole menu ideas from Lachele's Fine Foods in Des Moines, I had to look this up because if true that wouldn't sit well with me and.... what? Lachele's opened in 2021 and the Flying Elbow was established in 2017 as food truck who just recently went brick and mortar. If anything, Lachele's stole ideas from The Flying Elbow.
M RM R
10
What a cool place! Great Pulled Pork and Burger Combos! The Piper's Pit was an awesome burger with shaved ham, swiss cheese, chico bbq, pickled red onions, and dill pickle 😋 The Classic Pulled Pork was ordered "loaded" served over fries with bbq sauce and pickles. The 3:16 Chili was very good (could've been a bit more) and the Street Corn Salad was different...good but just different. Didn't realize it until afterwards that there is an option to get larger sized side dishes....next time it'll be a LARGE chili. 4-13-24 Awesome visit! The Onion Rings started off strong at the bell and the Vader Tots were a surprise out of nowhere like a chair to the back of the head! Potato and Cheesy goodness inside and a crunchy exterior...the ketchup served with them was mixed with a hint of bbq sauce mixed in. The Brisco Burger was very tasty with the Applewood Smoked Bacon adding its flavor to the mix but The Vinnie with it's two huge guns of meat with the 1001 Salad Dressing was too much!! What a great time and place you folks here in Marshalltown have to eat at! Third visit... A Double Brisco Burger for me and the Pulled Pork Loaded version for Terri. I'm going to go back and forth between the Vinnie and the Brisco Burger...they're both great burgers! The Vader Tots are the bomb and I ordered the Street Corn Salad again...I like it but next time down it'll be the 3:16 Chili again.
Gene HindersGene Hinders
00
Loaded menu of burgers, hotdogs & chicken sandwiches with unique toppings and buns/bread. Be careful about the buns though, if you have problems with sesame seeds (which my wife does). Some descriptions mention sesame seed buns. Some do not. It kind of ruined the experience for her…it’s amazing how many places still insist on using these buns, considering the health risks associated with diverticulitis. That said, the food is amazing and always busy. There is limited seating at the bar (& frequently filled by regulars who have seemingly sat there for hours). The bartender was fantastic and will cater to your cocktail needs behind the FS bar. They keep her busy though, making drinks for entire restaurant & trying to cater to a stream of conversations. As for vegetarian options, I thought I heard a customer ask bartender about this. Don’t recall what the answer was, but this place is really about MEAT options & plenty of it! There may be salads, but I’m not certain. Finally, one of the restrooms (both unisex, which may not please some women) was out of soap. I brought it to the attention of the cashier, who seemed too busy to care, so I let it go. The thing is though, if there’s no soap for customers, there’s no soap for employees either, for mandated hand washing!
Duane HogansDuane Hogans
00
The restaurant was nice and clean, they had wrestling on a couple of the TV's which was fun to see! I got the Patterson burger with a side of fries and a drink. It was a bit pricy at about $16 before tip, but it ended up being extremely worth it in the end! The burger was delicious, one of the best simple burgers I've had in a long time. They definitely make some really good smash style burgers and they know what they're doing with their seasonings! The fries were a bit oversalted for my taste (but I typically like low to no salt so that's my own fault) but they had other seasonings on them that made them addictive! On top of the great food, they made everything fresh and had it out to me very quickly! In the end, I loved their food and I think the higher price was justified. I will be going back next time I'm in town as I am dying to try their BBQ burgers and hot dogs at some point!
Justin P.Justin P.
00
We ate here the first evening we were at my Uncle and Aunt's house. They had seen it mentioned on TV and wanted to give them a try. IT WAS AMAZING!!! The staff was very friendly, courteous, and professional. They answered all my menu option questions. I settled on a glass of Red Velvet wine which was smooth and delicious. My meal selection was the Tombstone with a side of homemade mac and cheese. The Tombstone was sans bun (keto friendly) and drizzled with their Death Valley sauce. Let me throw in that this sauce is not for wimps! The burgers are made with a meat combination that includes wagyu beef. The mac and cheese was very creamy and tasty. THIS WAS THE MOST DELICIOUS BURGER MEAL!!!!! We will definitely be back on our next trip north. I HIGHLY recommend putting this on your eating out itinerary.
Alisa LancasterAlisa Lancaster
10