Iowa City, Iowa Question

[Poppinsme]

OK Iowa City, Iowa folks can you give me some info.?
I will be coming there in May for a conference from New Orleans.
Can you tell me about some good Iowa restaurants. Steak, loose meat, butter burgers, good pork tenderloins? I don't want ANY chains and want real Iowa style food. Since I eat French, Thai, Viet, Italian, Indian etc. here I don't want that there.
Its been 30 years since I have been to Iowa City.
Thanks for your help.

 

[iwrbnd]

I used to live there but it was almost 20 years ago! Great town but it's changed so much I have no idea what's out there! I'm subbing in though because we're going back this summer for a wedding!

 

[eatsleepdisney]

Hamburg Inn - lots of good breakfast foods and, though I don't eat them, good hamburgers apparently hence the name, and they have VERY good pie shakes, especially red velvet. The Vine is a good 'local' restaurant, and I don't eat steak but I know that people like Joseph's Stakehouse, and it's a little more expensive then the average meal. Pagliai's is downtown right by hamburg and their pizza is good and very popular. Though I haven't been there yet I've heard that Blue Sky Diner is good as well. Hope you enjoy your time in IC

 

[golfgal]

OK Iowa City, Iowa folks can you give me some info.?
I will be coming there in May for a conference from New Orleans.
Can you tell me about some good Iowa restaurants. Steak, loose meat, butter burgers, good pork tenderloins? I don't want ANY chains and want real Iowa style food. Since I eat French, Thai, Viet, Italian, Indian etc. here I don't want that there.
Its been 30 years since I have been to Iowa City.
Thanks for your help.

For that you need to find a church dinner and eat hot dishes (casseroles) . I am not totally sure there is such a thing as "Iowa Style" food. As far as a chain steakhouse, I think you will find that even at the chains you will get a better steak then you can find pretty much anywhere in NOLA.

 

[DWGal210]

Have fun on your trip!! I live in Cedar Falls (about 1.5hrs north) & the Hamburg & Pagliai's are great!!! I lived in a crappy college house next to Pagliai's and we always enjoyed eating there!

 

[Allison]

Hamburg Inn

 

[AshleyW]

Well if you want the best pork tenderloins, you'll have to head to Joensy's in Solon. I don't know where you're staying, but it's about a 20 minute drive from the UI campus. The address is:
101 West Main Street
Solon, IA 52333-9500
It's a bar-like atmosphere, but that's pretty much to be expected if you're looking for tenderloins, haha.

If you'd prefer to stay in Iowa City, The Mill is pretty good. (http://www.icmill.com/menu/index.shtml) They've got pretty much anything on the menu from pulled pork sandwiches to pizza and pasta. It's right by the Sheraton in Iowa City (off Burlington St and Dubuque St).

A PP mentioned Pagliai's, they've got really good pizza. I think they have other stuff on the menu, I've just never tried it.

Have fun!

 

[taterules]

I don't know about food, but you should go to the Deadwood to have a couple drinks and play some pinball. There are so few places to go out and play pinball these days, and this is a fun one.

 

[Poppinsme]

Great!!!! I love all your suggestions. Hamburg is a must. My co-worker has never been to Iowa and thinks we are going to the country, hick ville! I will take her out for drinks and pinball! I love Iowa and have thought long and hard about retiring back to the Midwest. Cant wait to go!
Thanks again.

 

[AshleyW]

Great!!!! I love all your suggestions. Hamburg is a must. My co-worker has never been to Iowa and thinks we are going to the country, hick ville!:lmao: I will take her out for drinks and pinball! I love Iowa and have thought long and hard about retiring back to the Midwest. Cant wait to go!
Thanks again.

I would normally agree with her.. but Iowa City isn't that bad. It's just the rest of the state you have to watch out for.

 

[threecrazykids]

I second Jonesy's if you want the "famous Iowa Tenderloin" but-
there is also a Joensy's in Center Point which I've heard is (believe it or not) even better than the Joensy's in Solon. I have friends who live in Solon and they come to the one in Center Point and say it's 10x's better.

Either way the tenderloins are HUGE!

Well if you want the best pork tenderloins, you'll have to head to Joensy's in Solon. I don't know where you're staying, but it's about a 20 minute drive from the UI campus. The address is:
101 West Main Street
Solon, IA 52333-9500
It's a bar-like atmosphere, but that's pretty much to be expected if you're looking for tenderloins, haha.


Have fun!

 

[iwrbnd]

Iowa is a great place to live! I just couldn't hack the winters!

 

[AshleyW]

I second Jonesy's if you want the "famous Iowa Tenderloin" but-
there is also a Joensy's in Center Point which I've heard is (believe it or not) even better than the Joensy's in Solon. I have friends who live in Solon and they come to the one in Center Point and say it's 10x's better.

Either way the tenderloins are HUGE!

Yeah, the one is Center Point is really good, but that's pretty far from Iowa City, haha. They built another one in Cedar Rapids, and it's pretty good food there, too.

Iowa is a great place to live! I just couldn't hack the winters!

My parents couldn't either - they moved to Florida last year. I don't mind the winters though, it makes March-October that much better!

 

[geffric]

say hi to my son when you are there... he loves Iowa..

 

[Deb in IA]

OK Iowa City, Iowa folks can you give me some info.?
I will be coming there in May for a conference from New Orleans.
Can you tell me about some good Iowa restaurants. Steak, loose meat, butter burgers, good pork tenderloins? I don't want ANY chains and want real Iowa style food. Since I eat French, Thai, Viet, Italian, Indian etc. here I don't want that there.
Its been 30 years since I have been to Iowa City.
Thanks for your help.

OK, this is right up my alley. As you see, I am in Iowa City, the jewel of the Midwest, AND I am a huge "foodie".

If it has been 30 years since you've been here, you've waited too long. The dining scene here as gotten a lot better than the days when the Iowa River Power Company restaurant was the only nice place in town.

Best steak in town: Joseph's. Pricey, but the BEST.

Best upscale local fare: Linn Street Cafe. Plus, cool book covers from many faculty/students of the famous Iowa Writer's Workshop are displayed on the back wall.

Best mid-range Iowa fare: 126, or its adjoining restaurant, Hearth. (126 is where the Great Midwestern Ice Cream used to be.)

Best diner local fare: Bluebird Diner. Close second is the Motley Cow Cafe - you HAVE to go there, for the funky atmoshere!

Best tapas style restaurant: Share Restaurant at the Sheraton.



As for Joensey's in Solon, I would be very cautious about that place. It was shut down by the Health Department a couple of years ago for unsanitary conditions. When the inspector was there, the place was crawling with cockroaches, garbage was in open containers, and grease was 1 1/2 inches thick on the grills. When the roaches were pointed out to Mike Joens, the owner he reportedly smashed them with his hand and replied, "Roaches? What roaches? I don't see any roaches . . . "

 

[AshleyW]

OK, this is right up my alley. As you see, I am in Iowa City, the jewel of the Midwest, AND I am a huge "foodie".

If it has been 30 years since you've been here, you've waited too long. The dining scene here as gotten a lot better than the days when the Iowa River Power Company restaurant was the only nice place in town.

Best steak in town: Joseph's. Pricey, but the BEST.

Best upscale local fare: Linn Street Cafe. Plus, cool book covers from many faculty/students of the famous Iowa Writer's Workshop are displayed on the back wall.

Best mid-range Iowa fare: 126, or its adjoining restaurant, Hearth. (126 is where the Great Midwestern Ice Cream used to be.)

Best diner local fare: Bluebird Diner. Close second is the Motley Cow Cafe - you HAVE to go there, for the funky atmoshere!

Best tapas style restaurant: Share Restaurant at the Sheraton.



As for Joensey's in Solon, I would be very cautious about that place. It was shut down by the Health Department a couple of years ago for unsanitary conditions. When the inspector was there, the place was crawling with cockroaches, garbage was in open containers, and grease was 1 1/2 inches thick on the grills. When the roaches were pointed out to Mike Joens, the owner he reportedly smashed them with his hand and replied, "Roaches? What roaches? I don't see any roaches . . . "

Pfft.. who minds a few roaches? Actually, it used to be pretty gross, but it's not too bad now. They've done a pretty good job of cleaning up... or at least hiding the mess.

I forgot all about 126, their pork cuban is delicious.. and the empanadas at Hearth.. I wish we had a drooling smiley. So good. I'll put in another vote for them!

 

[Deb in IA]

Pfft.. who minds a few roaches? Actually, it used to be pretty gross, but it's not too bad now. They've done a pretty good job of cleaning up... or at least hiding the mess.

Glad to hear they've cleaned up - actully, I heard that from some other folks as well - but I still haven't gotten brave enough to go back.

Another one of our favorites was Redhead in Solon - lots of local fare here too. But sadly, they've closed and a Mexican place is in its place.


Two other places I've heard good things about, but haven't had the chance to try them yet, are The Chef's Table downtown by the Englert Theater, and Cafe Dodici in Washington.

 

[Deb in IA]

Some more recommendations:

Best Italian restaurant: Giovanni's.

Best shushi: Takanami.

Best bagels: Breugger's.

Best coffee shop: Java House.

 

[Deb in IA]

Great!!!! I love all your suggestions. My co-worker has never been to Iowa and thinks we are going to the country, hick ville! I will take her out for drinks and pinball!

Then you will have to take her to Prairie Lights bookstore. I know, it's not a restaurant, BUT it is a world-famous independent bookstore. While you are there, you may also be able to sit in on a reading from a best-selling author. Being home to the Iowa Writer's Workshop, we get a lot of authors who come here for a reading.

It is also the place that President Obama stopped at during his recent visit her last month, after the health care reform bill passed. He picked up two books for Sasha and Malia.

 

[Poppinsme]

Then you will have to take her to Prairie Lights bookstore. I know, it's not a restaurant, BUT it is a world-famous independent bookstore. While you are there, you may also be able to sit in on a reading from a best-selling author. Being home to the Iowa Writer's Workshop, we get a lot of authors who come here for a reading.

It is also the place that President Obama stopped at during his recent visit her last month, after the health care reform bill passed. He picked up two books for Sasha and Malia.

Thanks Deb!!!!!
I wrote everything down and will try to hit as many as I can. Of course I can make time for a bookstore. Everything sounds wonderful! Thanks again. Bluebird diner. Me loves Diner food.