best places to eat in iowa city

best places to eat in iowa city

The best places to eat in Iowa City are a lot easier to find than you might think. The food scene in this small town is flourishing, with outdoor patios full of people enjoying their meals as they stroll along a nearby park or walk through the downtown area. The choices continue to grow as more independent restaurants open up and take advantage of Iowa City’s booming growth. Here are three of the best places to eat around town. It’s a well-known fact that every city has its own unique character. Iowa City isn’t any different. The city has a lot to offer in terms of culture, food and events. This article is going to outline some of the best places to eat in Iowa City along with some fun facts about the city itself.

There are so many amazing restaurants in Iowa City, but it can be hard to decide where to eat. Here are our top picks:

Terrace on the Park: This restaurant is located right on the University of Iowa campus, and it’s known for high-quality food and excellent service. The menu has a variety of options for every kind of palate—from burgers and flatbreads to more traditional fare like steak, chicken, and pasta. It’s also a great place for large parties; they have an outdoor patio where you can enjoy your meal while enjoying the view of downtown Iowa City.

Cafe Grumpy: Cafe Grumpy is another great neighborhood restaurant, with a menu full of classic diner dishes like burgers and fries as well as some new twists on old favorites like chicken fried steak. They also have some fantastic desserts (try their homemade ice cream!) that should not be missed!

The Owl Cafe: This is another good choice if you want something quick and easy—they serve breakfast all day long at this location near downtown Iowa City! Their breakfast menu includes everything from pancakes

If you’re looking for some of the best food in Iowa City, look no further than [restaurant name]. We have a wide-ranging menu that includes everything from burgers to steaks to seafood, and we’re ready to serve it up to you.

Our menu includes everything from burgers to steaks to seafood, and we’re ready to serve it up to you. And don’t worry about being vegetarian or vegan—we’ve got plenty of options for those as well!

If you’ve never been here before, stop by today and see what all the fuss is about. You won’t regret it!

best restaurants in iowa

Backpocket Brewing

Backpocket Brewing is a microbrewery and restaurant providing Iowans with German inspired, hand crafted beer. The front of the building houses the restaurant, with a simple but comprehensive menu including soups, pies, salads, grills, flatbreads and brick oven pizzas. All of the beer on offer is brewed on site, and the highly knowledgeable staff are more than happy to give beer recommendations to accompany your meal. You can also venture outside for patio seating and enjoy sitting by the outdoor fire pit. The back of the building is home to the brewery, which runs popular tours throughout the week.


Breitbach’s Country Dining

First opened in 1852, Breitbach’s Country Dining is Iowa’s oldest restaurant and bar. The great, great grandfather of the current owner bought the restaurant in 1862 and it has remained in the family ever since. Having recovered from fires in 2007 and 2008, Breitbach’s reopened in 2009 to great acclaim, with diners having travelled from across the state to support this Iowa institution. The restaurant serves traditional American breakfast, lunch and dinner and all dishes are made from scratch on the premises. Outside, there a views of the Mississippi, fields and river valleys, giving one of the finest dining vantage points in the state.

Canteen Lunch In The Alley

Restaurant, Sandwich Shop, American

A real slice of Americana, Canteen Lunch In The Alley specializes in loose meat sandwiches and homemade pies, a lunchtime favorite for the citizens of Ottumwa. The original restaurant was first opened in 1927 before moving to its current site in 1936. It is a very small restaurant, with only 16 stools for diners surrounding a horseshoe shaped counter top, and the quality of the food means that it is generally full during lunchtime. The restaurant has also gained pop culture status by being the model for the ‘Lanford Lunch Box’ restaurant in the sitcom Roseanne.

Clinton Street Social Club

Iowa City’s one true gastropub and speakeasy, Clinton Street Social Club serves fine, locally inspired cuisine including a strong selection of sandwiches, meats and seafood. They also proudly list all of their food sources on the back of the menu, as well as interesting facts about their cooking processes and sourcing of some of the interior features of the restaurants. Did you know that the lights are made from repurposed chicken feeders? The interior décor is very much that of a traditional speakeasy, with a lauded selection of alcohol and cocktails to boot, and if you look outside, you will be able to see some of the best views of the Pentacrest in the city.

best places to eat in iowa city coralville

Short’s Burger and Shine

With the University of Iowa student population based just across the road, Short’s Burger and Shine is more often than not packed to the brim with its regular patrons. This is particularly true around lunchtime. Its popularity is well-deserved, as the menu contains an unrivaled quality and variety of burgers. This includes 20 differently topped corn-fed black Angus beef burgers, 12 chicken sandwiches, and five varieties of vegetarian bean burger. The meat is sourced from a local farm and processed by a butcher in Riverside. Each of the dishes is named after a small town in Iowa State. This makes for a dining experience that is a comprehensive cultural tour of the small-town American Heartland.

The Hamburg Inn No. 2

As an award-winning small American diner, the Hamburg Inn No. 2 has created a legacy far greater than itself. It has welcomed presidential candidates including Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan, after whom one of their booths is now named. The famed ‘greasy spoon’ has even had a part to play in fictional political events. It can be spotted in an episode of The West Wing series. The decor has changed little since the 1950s, save for the addition of historic photographs of the place on the walls. These only add to the charm of this traditional venue. Known affectionately as the ‘Burg, the diner serves simple but hearty plates. It is particularly renowned for delicious omelets. For those seeking pudding in a glass, the signature ‘Pie-Shake’ – pie mixed into a milkshake – will surely hit the spot.

Backpocket Brewing
Having outgrown its origins at Old Man River Brewing Company in McGregor, Iowa, Backpocket Brewing found a new home in Coralville. Coralville is an Iowa City suburb still on the banks of the evocative Iowa River. The main attraction here is, of course, the beer on tap, hand-crafted within the state and inspired by German lagers. Brewmaster Jake has a background in microbiology and a passion for experimenting. He creates new brews in the onsite laboratory to offer as part of the promotional ‘Lab Series’. For beer enthusiasts, the beer-and-cheese paired sample tray is a must-try. All visitors can enjoy the brick oven pizzas and signature pies. In the summertime, be sure to grab a table on the Riverside Landing patio and soak up the peaceful view. This perfectly complements your refreshing brew, savored over the course of a long, warm evening just outside of the city.

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