Delicious Food on Wheels
Steak’d & Caked opened its doors—well, technically, its tent—on July 4th, 2025, in the small town of Otho, Iowa. The excitement was real, but so was the heat. It wasn’t just hot; it was the kind of heat that makes the air feel heavy and your heartbeat echo in your ears. By noon, I, Rod, had nearly passed out—not once, but three different times.
Meanwhile, my wife, Cindy, held everything together with the help of our son, Adam. They kept the orders moving, kept customers happy, and kept the dream alive while I tried to keep myself upright. Watching from the sidelines, I felt like I had let her down on the very first day of our new venture.
But the truth is, the struggle didn’t start at the event—it started the night before. We spent hours loading a 10' x 20' pop-up shelter, coolers, equipment, ingredients, tables, and every other piece of gear into a U-Haul trailer. By the time we finished, it felt like we had already worked an event.
The next morning, setup felt like running a marathon in slow motion. Every panel, every table, every cable took longer than expected. And when the day was done—sunburnt, dehydrated, and exhausted—we still had to tear everything down. That part? Even longer.
When we finally finished, Cindy said something that hit me hard. She looked at the trailer, then at me, and said she felt like she had watched a dream dying that day. And in that moment, I understood exactly what she meant. At our age, we couldn’t keep pushing our bodies through this much prep, this much labor, this much heat—not if we wanted Steak’d & Caked to survive.
Something had to change. Something had to give.
But that day, as tough as it was, didn’t kill our dream. Instead, it reshaped it. It pushed us to streamline our operation, to work smarter instead of harder, and to build a business we could sustain—not just survive.
Because dreams don’t die in the heat. They adapt. And so did we.
290+
15
Taste the Difference
Food Lovers
A Hot Start: The Story of Steak’d & Caked’s First Day
Customer Reviews
See what our customers are saying about our delicious offerings!
Wonderful people! Wonderful food!!
Mike Altman
Alta, Iowa
If you are getting out and about today when it warms up, go get some delicious lunch from Cindy and Rod at Steak'd & Caked !!! Who doesn't love a good Chili dog??!!!
Julie Ball
Moorland, Iowa
★★★★★
★★★★★
I had the chance to try a Philly Cheesesteak from Steak’d & Caked at the Boone Fall Festival — it was absolutely delicious! Highly recommend checking them out if you get the chance!
Priscilla Merriam
Des Moines, Iowa
Steak'd & Caked makes THE BEST funnel cakes and fries! Go see them when they’re in the area!
Des Moines, Iowa
★★★★★
★★★★★
