Does Blue Ribbon Bar and Eatery live up to its name? Sneak peak into the new Iowa State Fair eatery that replaced Steer ‘N’ Stein

Date:2025-08-09 01:25:03 Category:US Views:2 Comment:0

DES MOINES, Iowa — One of the newest attractions at the Iowa State Fair is the Blue Ribbon Bar and Eatery, and it comes from a long fair legacy.

One of the owners is Joni Bell, who has made her mark on the Iowa State Fair with her other two eateries, “The Rib Shack” and “What’s Your Cheez?”. She won best new food a record-setting three times with these two stands. Now, Bell and her sister, Dianna Marquardt, are drawing crowds to the Blue Ribbon Eatery.

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General Manager, Toby Kruse, said the restaurant had a soft opening on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday ahead of the Fair.

“It looked like a slow fair day. [There were people] from the back patio area out to the sidewalk, taking in the food, the drinks, the atmosphere,” he said.

Another draw is live music. Kruse said they have two bands scheduled every day.

They also open at 7 a.m. with their breakfast menu that goes until 10 a.m. Some fair workers come as early as 6:20 a.m. to place their orders in advance.

The eatery is hard to miss as it is all blue and located on the Grand Concourse, inside the former Steer ‘N’ Stein location.

Last year, the fair opted not to welcome back the former ownership group, as Michael Krantz is accused of not paying several Steer ‘N’ Stein employees after the 2024 fair.

The Iowa State Fair Board held a special meeting earlier this year where they decided who would take over the location. After 27 proposals, the Blue Ribbon Bar and Eatery was chosen.

This year, around ten former employees at Steer ‘N’ Stein returned to work at the Blue Ribbon Bar and Eatery. The new restaurant is making some humorous nods to the former establishment. The new bar now has a couple signs that say “26.9 is the new 27” and another sign that says “Our beer is still cold,” as Steer ‘N’ Stein was known for its 27-degree beer. One of the shirts employees are wearing also says “Cold Beer and Paid Employees” on the back.

Erich Hayes is one of the former Steer ‘N’ Stein employees who now works for the Blue Ribbon Bar and Eatery. He said he’s happy to be back at the fair for another year.

The Blue Ribbon Bar and Eatery is open daily from 7 a.m. Through 8 p.m.