Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits - Ames #1

Store

3609 Lincoln Way
Ames, Iowa, 50014-7534
United States

(515) 292-0817 | map
hy-vee.com

Wine & Spirits location is located across the street from the main Hy-Vee store at 3800 Lincoln Way.
PLACE STATS
Average:
2.94
Reviews:
6
Ratings:
9
pDev:
26.19%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by schanker21:
Photo of schanker21
Reviewed by schanker21 from Illinois

3/5  rDev +2%
HyVee WIne & Spirits is located across the street from the west HyVee in Ames, making it sort of inconvenient when you're grocery shopping (though there is a limited selection inside HyVee as well).

Quality and selection are slightly better than an average grocery store. It has a little bit more than what you find inside HyVee or what you find in the coolers at Wal-Mart. One upside is that all the beer is in a cooler so you can take it straight home and enjoy it.

That being said, the selection is less than half that of Cyclone Liquors, and not nearly as varied. Imports are limited to things you can find anywhere. Franziskaner probably being at the high-end of their import selection.

Domestics include all of the regular Goose Island beers, including the seasonals (not the limited release ones). Big Sky, Anchor, Boulevard, etc. I was surprised to see Rogue Mocha Porter and Dead Guy Ale, though the damn recycling machines always give the "This Store Does Not Accept This Brand" message when I try to recycle them.

Service is friendly, but I've never needed to ask for help since I know what to expect from every beer there.

Prices seem to always be $.50 to $1.50 higher than Cyclone or Wal-Mart.

Basically the only reason why I shop here is because it's two blocks from my apartment and the drive down Lincoln Way just to go Cyclone would add up in Gas pretty quickly.
Aug 26, 2008
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 1.76 by Angerhaus from Rhode Island

Nov 25, 2015
 
Rated: 3.87 by Scott17Taylor from Iowa

May 01, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by timlyon from Arizona

Jun 18, 2014
Photo of mynie
Reviewed by mynie from Maryland

2.15/5  rDev -26.9%
I've gone on and on about the variability of HVW&S stores, but here's the gist of it: in some towns, these places are lifesavers. If the only other stores in town sell BMC/Inbev, then the selection here seems awesome and you don't mind paying a little more for better beers. Sometimes, if the managers are cool (like the guy in Cedar Falls), you actually get a pretty awesome selection of one-offs, Belgians, and bigger beers. You have to bear in mind that this is Iowa and that the selection is going to be limited until we change our moronic laws, but sometimes, in some places, these stores are godsends.

Other times, in other places, these stores are poorly run and mostly unnecessary. This is where the Ames store fits in. It's horribly located, too close to campus so it's always filled with undergrads loading up on Busch. (The parking lot is also a bitch to get out of). The atmosphere is much more dirty and run down than you'd expect from a Hy-Vee, since their stores are usually sparkling clean, but the staff is fairly friendly.

Here's the thing, though: this has got to be the worst, most expensive selection I have EVER seen at a Hy Vee. The choices are horribly limited and the prices run 2-3 bucks more per sixer than they do in Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, or even Des Moines. My only guess is that they're trying to gouge college kids, and while I can't blame them for exploiting the stupid I also don't want to shop there ever again/
Mar 07, 2009
Photo of happygnome
Reviewed by happygnome from Minnesota

2.85/5  rDev -3.1%
Like many other grocery stores that also have liqour stores...the selection isnt the best but there are a few good brews at a reasonable price. I picked up Bell's Porter, and a 6er of Fort Collins Rocky Mountain IPA, looks like ill be the first non colorado BA to rate, and since i didnt see this at the much better cyclone liqour, Im betting that this is a really good find, wish i would have picked up the FC choc stout and others. Overall for a grocery store liwour store not too bad but prolly not worth making a trip out just for
Jun 08, 2007
Photo of Graham21
Reviewed by Graham21 from Iowa

2/5  rDev -32%
What can i say about a grocery and liquor/ wine stores beer selection, they got rogue Imperial, and chocolate stout! That unfortunately is all though. If your going to this place your going there for one reason and one reason only; to pick up a big nasty case of american macro. Compared to other hyvee wine and spirits ive seen, for instance the one in fort dodge that has all of their belgian ales half price(chimays, duvals, westmalles, etc. (HALF PRICE!) The one in ames is not worth wasting the gas to drive there...
Apr 17, 2006
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

3.2/5  rDev +8.8%
Located about 1 mile west of the Iowa State University campus, Ames' Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits is pretty much identical to the one in Des Moines. This one is in a newer building with wider aisles, but the beer selection looks to be almost the same (as one would expect given the 'chain' nature of the store). I knocked it down 0.5 because I failed to locate Three Floyd's Alpha King and Robert The Bruce which is pretty much the only reason to go to this store's counterpart in Des Moines. Sam Adams, Shiner, Leinies, Flying Dog, Goose Island, Anchor, Sam Smith's, etc. No real surprises, although the small selection of Rogue offerings and the extremely limited number of Belgians is nice for those looking to be a bit adventurous. Nothing I can't get less than 5 minutes from my house though.

This would be my usual stop for beer if I was at ISU (and was of age), but isn't worth the trouble for those from out of town. I only stopped in to check it out because I was in the area stocking up at Cyclone Liquors.
Aug 30, 2004
Photo of Tballz420
Reviewed by Tballz420 from Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev +31%
This liquor store is across the street from the west hy vee in ames. All of their beer is in coolers, which is nice. The selection is pretty solid, they have numerous singles from breweries like ayinger, sam smith, fullers, etc. I would guess they have 8 belgian offerings. As for sixers, pretty good selection, they have all the current millstreams, a few goose islands, summits, shiners, flying dogs, boulavard, breckenridge, some of the more widely distributed german beers. You will be able to find something that you want to drink in this place.
Mar 31, 2004
Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits - Ames #1 in Ames, IA
Place rating: 2.94 out of 5 with 9 ratings