2021 Iowa's Best Burger WInner

At first glance, Bambino’s appears to be a hole-in-the-wall, nestled between Decorah and West Union. Customers having visited the quaint Ossian establishment, before or after it had ranked among Iowa’s Best Burgers, would concur—there is more than meets the eye.

Ron Lienau, of Fredericksburg, IA, purchased the bar in 1982. Him and his girlfriend, Sue, decided to embark on this journey together, but “for a little while; not too long.” One year later, Ron and Sue wed. Soon after, the couple started their family, having four boys in five and a half years. "We were hoping to sell when our youngest was in Kindergarten,” Sue recalls. “Thirty-nine years later, and we’re still here.”

The Lienau’s raised all four boys, while managing the bar and growing their business. Sue’s bar shift offered flexible hours, allowing her to attend the boys’ sporting events. As they grew older, all four boys worked for the family-owned business. Sue is proud of her boys, as they gained both cooking and social skills from their food service experience. She is now teaching her grandsons how to wash glasses and assist customers.

Bambino’s, which mimics Ron’s college nickname, was “truly a bar,” at first. However, Sue says “food became a bigger demand over time.” When the restaurant in town closed, it left townsfolk without a place to dine. Bambino’s, which did not feature a service kitchen at the time, found a way to open early and serve breakfast. Sue cooked at home, then brought her breakfast items to the bar to serve. Eventually, a new restaurant opened and Bambino’s stopped its breakfast service, but continued with its noontime meal. “Throughout it all, we have had a good noon meal,” Sue says. “My meals are always made from scratch.”

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