At Rube’s, Dinner Starts at the Charcoal Grill

At Rube’s in Montour, dinner begins at the meat case, not with an order disappearing into a kitchen. You look over the cuts, settle on the steak that suits your appetite, choose the rest of the meal, and then head for a bank of large indoor charcoal pits to cook it yourself.

It is a decidedly different rhythm from the usual steakhouse evening. The meal moves between booth or table and grill room, with a hot fire, a little friendly comparison of steaks, and the unmistakable aroma of charcoal following the action back into the dining room.

For a place in tiny rural central Iowa, Rube’s has a big, social idea: put the guest in charge of the steak and let the preparation become dinner’s main conversation.

The visual choice at the meat case is a useful pleasure. Instead of ordering a name from a menu and hoping it arrives as imagined, diners can look closely at the available cuts before deciding what goes on the grill.

Ribeye, New York strip, and filet are among the steakhouse standards on offer. Rube’s also serves its own grass-fed, corn-finished steaks and aged meat, giving the selection more depth than a simple list of familiar cuts.

A steak is not mandatory for everyone at the table. Shrimp, ahi tuna, ham, and chicken give mixed groups a few alternatives, which is handy when one person wants a serious ribeye and another would rather spend the evening with seafood.

Staff help explain how the evening works and can offer guidance on cuts, seasoning, and cooking. That takes some of the uncertainty out of a first visit, especially for diners who have not cooked a steak over a very hot communal charcoal grill before.

The grilling happens at shared indoor pits, not at tabletop burners. Diners season their own meat, find a place by the coals, and keep an eye on the steak as it cooks quickly over the heat.

Salt, pepper, garlic salt, garlic, butter, olive oil, and other seasonings are available for building the crust and flavor you want. A person who likes a straightforward salt-and-pepper steak can keep it simple; someone in a more experimental mood has room to work.

Doneness is in the diner’s hands. That is the appeal for people who enjoy tending a steak, though it also means attention matters. The grill is hot, the cooking moves fast, and someone who prefers a kitchen to handle every detail may find the format less relaxing.

The grill room has the pleasant bustle of a gathering rather than a line at a service counter. Friends and family stand near one another, talk through timing, inspect each other’s cuts, and often hold a drink while waiting for the next flip.

The steak price commonly covers more than the meat itself. A signature salad, bread, potatoes, and baked beans are recurring parts of the meal, making the format feel closer to an old-fashioned full supper than a steak bought strictly à la carte.

The salad has a following of its own and can be refilled. It is a nice counterpoint before the smoke and richness of the grill take over, especially when the table has ordered several hearty cuts.

Potatoes are kept ready near the grilling area, so baked or roasted potatoes can be warmed while the steak cooks. The arrangement lets diners put together a hot plate in stages rather than waiting for everything to arrive at once.

Baked beans are another regular companion, and they give the plate a classic steakhouse-meets-cookout note. Bread can be buttered and set on the grill for Texas toast or garlic toast, an especially satisfying use of a few spare inches of grate.

Other reported choices have included asparagus, stuffed peppers, grilled mushrooms, and corn with jalapeños. These are the items that make repeat visits easy to vary: one evening can be built around a filet and potatoes, another around shrimp, vegetables, grilled bread, and beans.

Rube’s occupies a rustic, lodge-like building with a century-old character mixed with a more contemporary lodge style. Inside, the dark, rustic setting gives the place an old supper-club mood, even as the indoor charcoal pits make the evening much more active than a conventional sit-down dinner.

The setting works for a couple’s night out, but it has enough built-in activity for families and larger parties too. A table of four can split up briefly at the grill and reconvene with stories about whose steak got the best sear.

Celebrations fit naturally into the format. Birthdays, anniversaries, and retirement gatherings have all found a home here, with touches that may include a personalized table note and small chef hats for children.

A wine selection gives the meal an appropriate supper-club companion, whether it is enjoyed at the table or carried into the social hum of the grill area. The setting does not ask diners to rush through the process; the meal has a natural pause while everyone cooks.

Dessert is a notable final stop after the steak, potatoes, toast, and beans. It is an easy indulgence after a meal already built as an occasion, rather than an ordinary stop for a quick weekday dinner.

Reservations are commonly recommended for weekends and other busy periods. Rube’s is a destination restaurant in a very small town, and its social, group-friendly setup can make popular dining times feel especially lively.

Parking has included free street spaces and a free lot, though the exact arrangement has varied. The restaurant offers indoor dining, with the important distinction that diners leave the table to prepare their meal in the separate grill area.

The charcoal pits create noticeable smoke and a pronounced grilled aroma in the dining areas. For diners who enjoy the smell of a live fire, it is a fitting backdrop to the meal; it is also worth knowing before choosing a favorite jacket for the evening.

Rube’s is priced as an occasion-oriented steak dinner, with the included salad, potatoes, and bread helping make the bill a fuller meal rather than simply the cost of a cut of meat.