Archie’s Waeside

After our visit to the Browns Theater, my husband and I made our way over to Archie’s Waeside. Over the past several years living here in Sioux City, I have heard about Archie’s, but never enjoyed their food, until this week! In fact, while doing research into Archie’s I learned quite a lot about this small but influential steakhouse.

Making headlines

Claiming the number four spot on Rachael Ray’s list of America’s best steakhouses, Archie’s has earned a distinguished spot among many other much more famous establishments, such as California’s Wolfgang Puck and Brooklyn’s Peter Luger.

Archie Jackson, who the restaurant is name after, opened his own steakhouse here in Le Mars in 1949 after years of working in the stockyards. Learning how to butcher animals and successfully dry-age meat, Archie knew he could turn his talents into profit. And now after inheriting a third-generation small business, Archie’s grandson and current owner, Bob Rand is at the helm of this 70-year-old establishment.

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Before you go further, make sure you read Le Mars Sentinel’s article about Archie’s, and how they made national news with their name recognition on Rachael Ray’s infamous list of 64 best steakhouses in America. (https://www.lemarssentinel.com/story/1502603.html)

Keeping it real

What I love the most is that even though Archie’s has been nationally recognized, Bob works alongside his employees cutting every steak perfectly to order. And with the meat being dry-aged up to 60 days, I knew this was going to be one of the best steaks I’ve ever had, and I was not disappointed.

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I decided to order the filet and king crab legs, and my husband ordered the New York strip. Wheeling out our food on carts, instead of balancing the world on plexiglass trays, I couldn’t help but make my waitress pause while I snagged a quick photo. And once we got our meal, I could almost cut my filet with just my knife alone, it was so tender. However, now that I’ve heard multiple sources claim the porterhouse is one of their most popular cuts, I’ll have to go back and try that as well.

In addition, when I was telling my customers and co-workers that my husband and I were planning a visit to Archie’s, everyone told me to try their thousand island dressing. So, upon ordering our salads my husband, who naturally likes thousand island to begin with, order that on his salad, and I tried their bleu cheese. In fact, all their dressings are homemade, and all are the original Archie’s recipe crafted 70 years ago.

A village within a town

Staying true to Archie’s legacy, the staff and their loyal customers understand if something is working and not broken, don’t try to fix it. Nevertheless, they did agree to a minor remodel, removing the retro wood paneling from the walls, and replacing it with a fresh coat of white paint. The nostalgic miniature Christmas villages remain, however, and they line all the walls, and are the focal point in every diner nook.

In all, we enjoyed our visit, and I kinda like the Christmas villages. You don’t see a personal collection to this extent every day, so even though it may seem outdated to some, it adds a unique character to this establishment. And who cares what people think of the ambiance, it’s Bob’s business, and he can do with it what he wants. And afterall, we all know the reason we’re here, the food, and the amazing steaks!

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Plan your visit

So, before you make your way out to Archie’s, check out their website (https://www.archieswaeside.com/home) where you can read more about Archie’s story, view the menu, and even look over their extensive wine list! The day we went to Le Mars and ate at Archie’s, I was only thirsty for water, so I did not get my usual wine or martini with my meal, but that just means I’ll have to make another visit and sample one of their flavorful merlots.

712-546-7011
224 4^th Ave NE
Le Mars, Iowa 51031

Hours of Operation:
Mon – Tue: Closed
Wed – Thurs: 5pm to 8:30pm
Friday: 5pm to 9:30pm
Saturday: 4:30pm to 9:30pm
Sunday: Closed

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