Not being a sports fan hasn’t deterred us from hitting up sports bars. We like the camaraderie, the low prices and the simple food. Forget who is winning the game on TV — we’re there for the food. So, when Legends opened and teased us with a sports bar at tall heights, we couldn’t resist, but were looking at more than just the food.

Atmosphere:

KB: I thought, “high-rise restaurant, like there’s anything to see!” Well, I was wrong. The campus looked prettier than ever from seven stories up. The restaurant itself was nicer than average, with plasma TVs decking almost every wall, nice seating and big, heavy silverware — an indication the restaurant cares about looks.

KF: Ames may not be a sprawling metropolis, but seeing it from the top floor of a high building was pretty sweet. Pre-dinner conversation included naming campus buildings we could see, or, at least, trying to. The interior resembled a quasi-hotel sports bar, with plasma screen televisions everywhere — including the bathroom.

Service:

KB: So, the place just opened; it’s semi-OK that it took more than half an hour to get our meals. Also, they didn’t have the turkey burger I originally ordered, and I had to pick something else. That was a disappointment; why would you have something on the menu that was frozen and not ready to cook for customers? I’m sure more people would like a turkey burger. But I felt the waitress was nice enough in giving me my meal for free.

KF: Service was slow — sometimes forgivably, sometimes not. The place was pretty busy, and, being new, it was OK that our dinners took some time to get to us. But I wished our waitress would have checked on my drink glass a little more often. Yet again, when we finally needed to get going, a simple request to move things along faster was taken seriously.

Quantity/Value:

KB: This is where I was disappointed. Maybe I’ve spent too much time in delis, but when I think “reuben,” I think piled high with corned beef and sauerkraut — so high that I can barely get my mouth around it. I wanted a pile of fries falling over the edge of the plate. What I got was a sandwich with a few layers of corned beef and barely a speck of sauerkraut.

KF: I didn’t even try to finish my meal. The burger, which was bigger than my face, was kept company with a pile of fries. However, sandwiches were the only dinner entrees available for less than $10. This may be a little steep for some, but you are paying for food and a rooftop view of the city.

Quality/Taste:

KB: Even with the wimpy sandwich, it was sort of tasty. The sauce and cheese tasted pretty good, and the fries — well, I never liked waffle fries so much. They were seasoned, not salted, and that is rare. If only the sandwich had been fuller, then it would have been super tasty.

KF: My fries stole the show. They were waffle-cut and battered with the same stuff Arby’s puts on their curly fries. Pretty tasty. My Cajun burger could have been more Cajun-y, though. It took me a few bites to recognize the after-taste as being a little exciting.

Final Say:

KB: 3 of 5 forks

KF: 3.5 of 5 forks

Legends

119 Stanton Ave.

Hours: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday

11 a.m. – 2 a.m. Friday through Sunday

(515) 598-9300

Kim’s meal: Reuben, water

complimentary

(should have been about $8)

Kate’s meal: Cajun Burger, Sprite

$9.61