♪♪ [KOHLSDORF] Archie's Waeside is an Iowa dining destination seven decades in the making.

[BOB RAND] My grandfather came to this country from Russia during the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917.

His family all settled in the stockyards area.

That's why they were here to work in the yards.

And probably in the late 40s, looking for a little something different, he was big in the beef business and found this location here in Le Mars and bought it, and it was called The Waeside.

So then he named it Archie's Waeside.

He told me that he wanted people to know that there was a new person at The Waeside.

[KOHLSDORF] Established in 1949, the Chophouse is famous for its high quality beef aged and cut in-house.

[BOB RAND] The beef is our draw and a lot of people are always on the hunt for the best steak they've ever had.

That's our goal, is to fulfill that need.

[KOHLSDORF] The salad dressings and seasoning blends are family recipes refined over the years by Archie and his daughter, Valerie.

Each generation of ownership has brought something new to Archie's.

For his grandson, Bob, that's wine.

[BOB RAND] Now we're actually up to about six labels at the same time.

I didn't see that coming, but people have really enjoyed the entire Archie's experience when they come there.

Having all of our beef, our wines.

So just kind of everything Archie's that night.

[KOHLSDORF] Through every new addition, the Waeside has remained an institution among Midwestern steakhouses.

[BOB RAND] I've been here for 45 years now, and when this place is humming, there's no greater feeling in the world.

When it's just really clicking and everybody's having a good time you can hear it, you can see it, but you can hear it.

♪♪ [BOB RAND] How does this work in Le Mars, Iowa, with 9000 people?

It works because it doesn't matter if you just finished mowing the yard.

It's your anniversary.

Your friends are in town.

Your family's in town.

It doesn't matter what the occasion.

It works for everybody.

If it was a special occasion restaurant only, we wouldn't have the population to do it.

[KOHLSDORF] Archie's fame extends far beyond Iowa.

In 2015, the restaurant was honored by the James Beard Foundation as an American Classic.

This award recognizes time tested, locally owned establishments that have become cornerstones of their community.

[BOB RAND] You have to have some reason why you're successful.

It's not an accident.

And with us, it's the aging, the cutting, and the cooking of our beef that is the main deal for us.

[KOHLSDORF] 75 years in, Archie's Waeside remains a family run steakhouse with enduring appeal.

I would give just about anything I could to have my grandpa come back for one day and watch what we do here now and what he started and how much it's changed.

But yet it hasn't changed.

That would be my dream.

I think that he would absolutely love to see that it's still going and in our family, I think he'd be proud of our entire family and all the people that work here.

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