What an interesting place in the most interesting of locations. Located some 70 miles northwest of Dubuque off of Iowa 13, this town of less than 3,000 serves as a county seat. The narrow town has a small courthouse and the Turkey River running right through the center. Elkader was recently featured on NPR. Turns out the town's founders named the community after Algerian independence hero Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza'iri. The NPR story focused on a couple (one of whom is Algerian) who left the east coast to settle in Elkader to open an Algerian-American restaurant. I was hooked - I needed to try this place. Today I went.

First off, it was a long drive out. Spent some of the morning looking at the old churches in Freeport, followed by about 20 minutes in Galena. I also made a few pit stops (scenic overlooks, gas stations, coffee stops, etc). I was a little tired by the time I reached Elkader, so this might have some influence in this review.

It's a fairly large establishment. There's a nice room with a bar upon entry, and a large backroom. There's also a large patio area right on the river. There was one patron inside, but about seven on the patio. Though the thermometer read 70, there was a cool breeze. I did elect to sit on the patio, though.

My order was simple - the Algerian sampler and a Pepsi (from the fountain). The sampler had bourek (beef with seasoning and some egg wrapped in phyllo and deep fried), chicken b’stilla (similar to bourek), spinach samosa (think empanadas stuffed with spinach and Feta), and za’atar. Za'atar - kind of like pizza. Menu description: thyme, sumac and
sesame seeds, mixed with olive oil and spread on pita bread, topped with feta cheese, then baked.

Let me say this about the food: incredible. The za'atar was outstanding. The samosa had incredible flavor and I honestly would have taken another piece had it been offered. And the bourek was awesome. By the time I hit the b'stilla I was too full. Can't really give you a good opinion on this one. The bourek had better flavor, I think. But once again, I was tired and full at this point so maybe I'm not the best judge.

Looks like a nice, clean place. Too bad it is so far away. It was a nice drive, though, so if you're near Galena it would be worth the trip up. The menu offers both Algerian and traditional American fare: http://www.scheras.com/uploads/1/2/3/7/ ... u_2012.pdf . The plates that came out (salads, chicken, and I think a burger) all looked and smelled great. Huge portions, too.

Now, here are the problems:

1. The Pepsi tasted like it had too much syrup in it. This I'm sure of, as I grabbed a fountain Pepsi elsewhere on the way home (sorry Mayor Bloomberg).

2. The Algerian combo is listed in the menu for $10. I was charged $11. There's nothing in the menu saying an extra dollar will be charged or showing a price change.

3. The washroom was quite small. You couldn't have someone standing at the sink and have someone else squeeze by to get to the urinal.

4. Speaking of the washroom - that faucet only had cold water (warm handle seemed to be broken).

5. The waitress only brought the restaurant copy of the receipt out. The couple next to me had to ask for their copy. I promptly told her I needed mine, as well. Seems like bringing the customer copy should be SOP at all restaurants.

Overall, good experience. Great view on the patio. Enjoyable, and the Algerian food was great. There's room for improvement with the service, though. Like I said before, worth the trip if you're near Galena.

Photos of the food.

A couple more: