What started years ago as a passion for smoking meats at Ehren Marks’ family farm has now blossomed into Butler County’s newest restaurant, the Iowa PrimeHouse in Shell Rock.
Ehren opened the new eatery on Cherry Street with his wife, Ashley, in January after months of preparation of the spacious restaurant that has a main dining room, fully renovated kitchen with new equipment and a cozy bar with a second dining room.
The couple - who now live in Waverly - are joined in the venture by partner-chef Daniel Humpal, who is the kitchen manager for the restaurant.
“It really just started out from…we were supplying to the Cedar Valley restaurants and private individuals our beef, and it branched out to wanting to take that to the (customer’s) plate and fully vertically integrate that,” Ehren said of his beginnings in the food service industry.
“So, we bought a big cooker, and we started doing RAGBRAI when it went through New Hartford. That was our first actual food-licensed event. And it kind of took off from there,” he added. “We would still consider this not fully open; we are still in the soft runs. This project took a lot longer than anticipated with the remodel.
That initial effort serving bicyclists on the cross-state journey then led to the opening of a food truck and a catering business, which in turn led to the eventual purchase of the space on Cherry Street in Shell Rock.
Over the months since acquiring the space, Ehren said he and his staff worked diligently to remodel, fully clean and install brand-new cooking and kitchen equipment. The result is a bright, open space with high ceilings adorned with the original tin imprints.
As customers nibbled and gobbled their meals on Friday night, Jan. 24, many said that the food at Iowa PrimeHouse was excellent, with one foursome proclaiming, “everything is mouth-watering.”
The menu changes week-to-week but focuses on locally source meats, vegetables and even craft beers and ciders, Ehren noted.
“(On Friday) We had a 12-ounce Rib Eye and then a bone-in Berkshire (pork) chop. Those chops, we source those in from Phenotypic Acres (in Ames). Our pigs are coming down from Ames,” he explained. “They’ve been raising hogs for 60-plus years. This is about highlighting people who are trying to bring great, local food to the table.”
Ehren said almost everything on the menu is uniquely crafted by him and his staff except the tater tots. All meats are sourced locally except for some seafood and are cut fresh and hand-prepared on site. The beef served at the restaurant comes from both his family farm as well as other local meat producers, he added.
The bar is also stocked with a robust bourbon selection as well as locally-sourced craft beers and ciders.
“I guess we have gone through multiple stints of sobriety, and through the process of sobriety, I could buy some bourbon, and it still made me feel like I was part of the (drinking alcohol) culture,” Ehren explained. “This whole collection started from just purchasing and making a collection. And then we got to bring that to the restaurant. I think one of the finer drinks you can enjoy is an Old Fashioned. I mean, it is like the quintessential drink to me. It started out as a hobby, and we’ve brought a nice selection of bourbons.”
Bartender Kelsi Gerholdt, who lives in Janesville and works at Iowa PrimeHouse part-time, said she loves the concept Ehren and Ashley have brought to Shell Rock, and she added that customers have relayed how much they’ve enjoyed the experience during the first few weeks of service.
“People are really loving it. Business has been good,” Gerholdt said. “(Ehren and Ashley) are friends of mine. I am here to help them out.”
In a Facebook post about the new restaurant, Ehren stated that many “long-time followers may previously know us as Marks Family Purebreds.”
“When we started the Black Angus beef business, or ‘Marks Meats’ when we added offerings of Heritage Berkshire pork as well as farm-fresh eggs,” he wrote in the post. “No matter the name, we’ve always believed in promoting as many local and real ingredients for a true ‘farm to fork’ experience.
Ehren also detailed how the couple wrestled with what name to bestow upon the new brick and mortar location, eventually deciding to move on from their prior monikers to the new Iowa PrimeHouse.
“We are thankful to those in the Cedar Valley that have supported any of our meat or cooking adventures to help us grow along the way and excited to have a permanent location to serve you all,” he concluded in the social media post.
The new restaurant is open only two days a week for the time being, as the couple works to hone their service process and also hire more staff to provide customers the best high-quality dining experience possible.
“Everything has been good,” Ehren said of the first few weeks of operations. “We are still doing a recommended reservation. It is just so we can work on all of our tables. We started out asking people their protein (order) ahead of time, so we knew what to have prepped. Now, we are transitioning to (customers) are picking it when they sit down.
“We are keeping the limited menu and reservations just so we can ensure the food going out is the highest quality possible,” he added. “Once we quit doing the reservations, we would hate for someone to not get a hold of us and drive a half-hour here and then not be able to get a table. While some people think it is a hindrance that we are not, quote-unquote, ‘open,’ there are some positives in it.”
The Iowa PrimeHouse is located at 202 S. Cherry St., Shell Rock. To inquire about menus for future dinners or make a reservation, customers can call (319) 415-9214. The restaurant opens at 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.