I’ll admit it.
When someone first suggested I visit Ottumwa, Iowa, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect.
What I found was a town full of stories that somehow all fit together.
Video game legends.
A fictional TV icon.
Legendary sandwiches.
Homemade ice cream.
And yes... somehow it all makes perfect sense.
Let’s start with the sandwiches: My friend Sara and I were indulging in Cateens.
If you’ve never had a loose meat sandwich, you’re missing one of the Midwest’s culinary treasures. At the Canteen Lunch in the Alley, they’ve been serving these simple-but-perfect sandwiches for generations. No fancy toppings. No towering burgers. Just perfectly seasoned loose ground beef on a soft bun that proves comfort food doesn’t need to be complicated.
As a chef, I love places like this. They don’t chase trends. They simply do one thing exceptionally well.
Then there’s dessert.
You know those stories that sound too good to be true?
An Ottumwa high school student started making ice cream to earn money for college. That little idea grew into one of the community’s favorite stops, proving that sometimes the sweetest success stories really do begin with a scoop and a dream.
But here’s where Ottumwa takes a turn toward wonderfully weird.
If someone tells you they’re headed to the Video Game Capital of the World, your first guess probably isn’t southeast Iowa.
Yet that’s exactly what Ottumwa proudly calls itself.
Long before esports filled arenas and gamers became celebrities, kids lined up with quarters in their pockets, hoping to put their initials on the high-score board. Today, those same champions—and plenty of newcomers—still gather to celebrate the golden age of arcade gaming.
It’s equal parts reunion, competition, and time machine.
You’ll see old rivals swapping stories, challenging each other to “just one more game,” and grabbing pizza between tournaments like no time has passed at all.
There’s something wonderfully nostalgic about watching people relive the excitement they felt decades ago with the same machines that started it all.
And then there’s Radar.
Yes... that Radar.
Fans of MASH* know Walter “Radar” O’Reilly as the lovable Iowa farm boy with incredible hearing and an even bigger heart. While Radar may have been fictional, Ottumwa proudly embraces the connection, giving fans another reason to smile as they explore the city.
That’s what I loved about Ottumwa.
It doesn’t try to be flashy.
It simply tells its stories honestly.
One block might celebrate America’s arcade history.
The next serves a sandwich that’s barely changed in a century.
Around another corner, you’ll find ice cream made with hometown pride.
It’s a reminder that the best road trips aren’t always about checking famous landmarks off a list.
Sometimes they’re about discovering the places that are unapologetically themselves.
Ottumwa may not be on everyone’s bucket list.
After visiting...
I think it should be.