The Fort Diner - Fort Madison

We absolutely love The Fort! The food is fresh and made to order. The burgers are incredible—truly one of the best I've ever tasted! Just a heads up: they only accept cash or checks, so no credit cards.

This is the ideal dining spot in the city. The atmosphere is local and regional, with friendly staff and an open kitchen that creates an inviting ambiance. The food is straightforward and unpretentious, which we appreciated. Our visit to Ft. Madison was greatly enhanced by dining here. We ordered the Walt's Mass and the Half Wally Burger (the whole burger is a pound of beef, and we definitely should have opted for that, as it looked more appealing than the half portion when it was served), along with some onion rings. The other customers were also great; we had enjoyable conversations with several of them at the counter while we ate.

Wallyburger was fantastic, and we were not let down by the experience. In addition to the delicious food, our server, Kennedy, was incredibly sweet and attentive. We traveled all the way from St. Louis to try what a food magazine claimed to be the best burger in Iowa, and they were absolutely right. It was superb! The BBQ they served, freshly taken from the smoker, also looked amazing.

Seriously, did some last minute Christmas shopping and asked a nice shop owner where we find a nice place to eat. She proposed this diner, and OH MY GOSH was a treat. People were on earth, homemade people, the most fantastic chicken strips I've ever had in my whole life, and it just felt so old-fashioned. I loved it. Small place, but I really recommend trying

The staff were super friendly the food was great. The prices have increased but I don't think it would be fair to blame the diner for that. Would definitely go back