Iconic live music bar. Legends of all genres, near and far, have all played this unsuspecting dive…read moretucked into downtown Iowa City. Two levels and a courtyard. Come early and stake out a spot front and center for your favorite band. Cool, intimate experience buuut that means it also gets crowded quick. Haven't had a problem with sound or service. Great spot to catch a killer show at an affordable price.

Who doesn't love Gabe's?…read more Reasons to go to Gabe's: 1. Uh, live music. Duh. (Peep their website for an up to date calendar.) 2. Staff is pleasant. 3. Beer garden. 4. Multiple bars (upstairs & downstairs) with cheap drinks. 5. It's fun. (And they get some good bands to play there!) Reasons Gabe's probably isn't for everyone? It's dank and dirty. The bathrooms are kind of gross. They sell cheap beer (hi, Hamms and PBR)-- you're not getting a craft cocktail here. But like, when you're going to see Smile Empty Soul or a Lil Peep Cover Band-- do you want your music venue any other way? I came Saturday to a concert. I danced my butt off. No complaints or regrets here! Love that Gabe's lives in IC-- stop by for a Pabst or a show.

Small place with a full bar and amazing food. Great service and a lot to choose from! Will be back!read more

Went on a hopping Friday night. Given all the customers, service was good. Almost every table was…read morefull the entire time we were there. This is a sleeper of a Mexican restaurant. What I mean by that is, it does not look like a Mexican restaurant. But it EXCELS at Mexican cuisine. I highly recommend ordering anything you'd see at a Mexican restaurant. The drinks: The Blueberry Fields drink was good but pricey given the size and wasn't "blueberry" enough for my husband. I liked it, but I'd want it by the mason jar, and that would be super expensive. I had the hibiscus margarita and it was *very* enjoyable. The food: My husband had the Des Moines Po' Boy. I wish he would have realized that he was basically getting a sub. He liked the soft bread. Overall though, he wasn't impressed. He said it was kind of bland. But he loved the fries and ranch. I had the puerco en salsa verde--this dish is incredible! Really tender chunks of pork in a rich tomatillo salsa verde with beans and rice. The only thing that could be better is if there were 3 fresh corn tortillas instead of 2. There is so much rich, delicious, saucy pork to eat, that you need 3 to enjoy it all. The tortillas are fresh made too. So yummy! In summary: Go here and enjoy all the Mexican dishes!

The Englert Theatre is an Iowa City treasure…read more I had the pleasure of attending the Nutcracker with my family this past weekend and The Englert Theatre did not disappoint. The theatre is well maintained; it's a cozy space and there isn't a bad seat in the house. Additionally, the staff is passionate and insanely helpful. The Theatre was opened over 100 years ago (1912) by a husband and wife (the Englerts) -- it actually used to be a stable. Mr. Englert passed away in 1920 and it changed ownership (of which ended up running the theatre for 80 years before selling). It almost burned down in 1926 but after a huge amount of fundraising, was rebuilt to its 1920s glory and charm. Eventually, the City of Iowa City was persuaded to purchase the theater and hold it in trust until funds could be raised for a newly formed nonprofit to purchase and renovate the space. In 2004, after an immense amount of fundraising, the Englert returned to the community with its first live performance in over 40 years. Truly, a Downtown Iowa City, gem. The Englert has two huge festivals each year -- Mission Creek and Witching Hour. Beside that you can catch a plethora of different shows throughout the year-- all of which seem to be priced accordingly. I'd probably give this closer to a 4.5 rating, vs 5. I only say that because in my nearly 30 years as an Iowa City resident, I can't say many of the shows have attracted me to attend. Additionally, concessions are limited. I must note: my mother-in-law wasn't insanely thrilled with how handicapped accessible the bathrooms were. (Though there is an elevator and there are wheelchair accessible seating areas on both floors.) Iowa City has a parking problem, so it's not the Englert's fault. I'd recommend the Dubuque Street Parking Ramp. But all in all, how lucky are we to have The Englert live and thrive in Iowa City?

I finally got an inside look at the Englert Theatre while attending the Social Brand Forum and what…read morea regal event space this is! The antique qualities of the building have been well-restored and there's a level of nostalgia to the space that makes me eager to return for future performances. There are certain details that could use updating (like the elevator, oh lordie), but considering this theatre was rescued from becoming condemned and is now run by a community-involved non-profit, it's definitely a space that I look forward to revisiting soon.

Tried this place for the first time and the food did not disappoint! It was authentic and…read moredelicious! The restaurant vibe was hip and fun, the walls were designed with colorful graffiti art and they had a karaoke corner. Our group ordered Kimchi fried rice, jjajangmyun and Korean style bibimbap. All dishes were tasty! The jjajangmyun noodles were perfectly chewy just how I like it. And the bibimbap was served in the traditional clay pot, it was a little on the spicier side but it was so good I finished the entire bowl. The only thing I was missing was the banchan (Korean side dishes). Understandable since we ordered a la carte whereas if we ordered kbbq or the meat combinations it would be included. We definitely plan to come back and try more dishes! Highly recommend!

One of the best places in town to get Korean food. When friends want to try Korean food for the…read morefirst time I usually take them here since there is a fun vibe and the food is reasonably authentic. They also have great cocktails and plenty of soju.

How do you field about this place? I'll tell you how I feeled…read more We had a lot of fun at the Fieldhouse. But who wouldn't? Definitely one of the coolest places in Iowa City to hang out with all the college kids and wild partying folks. The one problem that we had with the Fieldhouse was violence! There were some absolute punks trying to make trouble because there was the beauty queen of the century dressed like a glamour model (swoon swoon swoon), and she was with a guy that looked like a short Latin Prizefighter (as in, a mismatch to superficial types, she was a foot taller than him) and these very aggressive tall punks apparently thought she was too good for him so they tried to start a fight by touching her and making inappropriate comments and insulting her boyfriend. So I had to come in between them and I got smacked for my trouble. I helped to prevent a really bad fight and then the police showed up and they tried to arrest both the punks and the boyfriend and the hot girlfriend. So I had to explain to the police that I had no relation to any of the people in the fight and that there were really only one set of instigators and the other ones were just trying to defend themselves. And that she was molested. In the end I managed to talk everyone down with the help of my good friend the police officer and nobody got arrested but it was some really messed up stuff. The cop was either going to arrest everyone, or nobody. So it was better for everybody that nobody get arrested. You're welcome, cutie and cutie's bf. Call me. But yeah, the crowd in here - insane. Wall to wall, sea of people, like sardines. Loud and crazy. Sometimes even playing good music. Sometimes.

On holiday from the UK but got good old American racism. Female security guard on Thursday accused…read moremy friend of harassing her and threatened to call the police because he to get in the club. He left his ID at home but had proof on his phone (several clubs let him with his ID on his phone on the same night) but not physically, he asked to teoce get in a polite and calm manner but yet she somehow, she was accusing of him of "harassing" her and threatened and to call the police for absolutely no reason. He then went home to get his ID to returned to the club, I came out to speak to him and I got kicked out for no clear reason aside from speaking to him. I had my ID, I was sober and did absolutely nothing wrong, they couldn't even justify or explain why they kicked me out. And to Make matters worse, there was this racist message In The bathroom. Living in the UK, you hear a lot about racism in the US but it's sad see it's really as racist as they say.

Great cheeseburgers!! A fantastic place to go before a Hawkeyes game. Service is stellar. Love…read morethe "wash your hands, wash'em real good" signage.

Still great. Divy, fun regular type of bar. $2 bur oak beers are the best deal. The cheeseburger…read more has doubled in price over the years. It's a damn good burger but almost $8 now !!

I hadn't been to Hancher Auditorium since it was rebuilt-- having been destroyed in the 2008 flood…read moreand reopening in 2016. Well, I can say I finally got to see and experience this updated IC gem this weekend and it does not disappoint. My kiddos got me Mean Girl tickets for Mother's Day last year and alas, it was finally here! The show was dynamite, the venue was gorgeous, acoustics were great and staff were lovely. We got there insanely early, so parking wasn't an issue though I hear closer to showtime it can be! Tickets were priced as you'd expect. Even bathroom lines weren't horrendous, you got in and out no problem. Hancher offers many types of shows, and honestly many don't appeal to me but I appreciate the wide variety they showcase and all of the art they bring to Iowa City! When their new schedule comes out each year I am always sure to take a look, in hopes something catches my eye. I can't wait for my next time enjoying a show at Hancher!

Sierra Ferrell was my first experience at Hancher, but it was a great first impression. I arrived…read morereally early (2pm lol) not knowing what to expect, had an easy enough time parking in Lot 55, and headed inside to get my free shirt from the box office staff. Then headed out to the green, got official tour merch, and chatted with Greg, a veteran UIowa event staffer holding it down on the lawn. (He was fantastic, big shoutout Greg!) After sound check, we staked out a great spot for our group, but plenty of people had gotten there well ahead of us and some had even put blankets at the rail! The crowd was pretty navigable, even as it filled in and got dark. I think they could've had the sound louder, but it sounded good. We did spend entirely too long in the food truck line for them to run out. This happened truck by truck leaving many unsatisfied and jumping ship even before trucks closed. And only 5 portapotties were provided for an anticipated crowd of 5000-7000 folks? I ran back inside instead. As with any venue, we waited in the parking lot at least an hour before attempting to even back out of our spots because of the traffic getting out of the lot. Overall a good experience though they seemed unprepared for the impressive crowd.

Stupid expensive !!! Just had drinks ... 32$ for one cocktail....view is good but not great. Folks…read morethere are very nice and service is great. ...

I know I've had a better food experience in the past and I'd like to think that the next time I…read morecome to Vue, I'll have that again. This particular visit, not so great. My first choice off the menu ended up not being available as one of ingredients was out. So, my second choice, a chicken sandwich was just okay. While the chicken was tender, it was very salty - too salty. It needed more flavor and less salt. The fries were okay, nothing memorable and a little soggy. Our server was great and she's what made the experience enjoyable. She was really on top of it and made sure to keep our drinks full and that we had what we needed. The ambiance is pretty good at Vue; it is fun to be on the top of the hotel and see Iowa City and the University of Iowa campus down below.

Studio/Alleycat is my favorite place to haunt the nightlife. Good vibes, good drinks, good staff-…read morenot to mention the experience of trying to out pinball your friend who got ONE really lucky run but refuses to acknowledge any score lower than that one. I'll beat you one of these days.

Unfortunately, this place is becoming less and less known for safety and consent due to one manager…read morethat the owner refuses to hold accountable. I have photos I will upload about how this manager is being warned about on social media to incoming students at the university on yik yak. Both anonymous STAFF!? and customers AND prior roomates saying she is creepy on yik yak threads that when shes drunk, she can verbally abusive,. A group of three claiming to have watched it happen and left because of it at Tequila Cowgirl last fall. Even someone claiming to be her roommate responded to the thread saying she was a thief. This has been going on for two semesters now and Jason refuses to uphold the concept that studio is a safe place where violence, walking on eggshells, and feeling unsafe is not allowed. This will continue to get worse.

My daughter recommended this place out in Coralville. We arrived on a Friday in the summer and…read moreasked to sit outside. We had to wait 10 minutes. Not bad. The outside is calmer than inside where it is lively. Menu has a bunch of nice items on it. 3 of us ate here. Waitstaff was pretty quick. I asked the waitress for a suggestion and she confirmed the poke bowl is popular. I had that. It was a good as advertised. Given I ate poke every day for a week in Hawaii the previous month, I had a good baseline to compare. Portion sizes were decent. It's a really cool area to shop. I want to go back and try something else on the menu.

.... 39 Hop is Savannah's favorite restaurant...wangs are good…read more yes, this is the same Constance but I got a divorce so Constance plus middle name. Even though now people have shown me there is a statue and a bund of other goodies from my past accomplishments...I am happy. I didn't let the setback be Mai get back. I graduated from the University of Iowa.... University of Iowa: -rotc -softball -basketball -track and field -swim team -triathlon team -marathoner -ballerina -dancer -crew -stair climber -clothing designer -weight lifting opposite Coach Cherry, Hahn and Kokolus -KR UI sports reporter and live cast on Hawkeye game days -Hawkeye News sports reporter opposite Liz Mathiz (KCRG tv) -KGAN videographer opposite Andy Garman and Tiffany O'Donnell -freelance writer at the Iowa Writers Workshop under professer and wrote opposite the late Professor Holstein and Ernest Hemingway -student video productions opposite Kembrew McCloud -clown opposite Gene Wilder known for his role in Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory Augusta State University -masters in special education opposite Major Lee and math opposite Takiwi Milton -freelance writer opposite the late James Brown and Al Green. Life Experiences: model CLown umpire cashier camp counselor cookie designer yo yo modeler news and sports reporter writer gardener concert and activity prompter Sspecial Ed Teacher math teacher realtor home designer influencer dj photographer videographer sports analyst song writer sports recruiter:) warrior dash pickle ball coloring star freelance writer opposite the late dr. seuss inventor of the hashtag #32 #4Eva #yougoboi inventor of texting In the words of Elle Woods, "I did it".... I did wake up one day decided not to let you get to Mai head.... Savannah is heading into year 3 and Adrian 6th and I love being a part of their story. They have a home that stalks them and guides them all while letting go too, they have sports and their sports families(Honorable mentions to Kate W., and Olivia F. And Willa and Isla), they have their childhood groups S has Davis & PJ and A has Cora,Margaret (Lucy when they think she won't annoy them, and Andy and Big Lucy too cuz she still knows it's fun. ....Dis I mention we have the best neighbors on boff sides? Shout out Andy's Mom and Dad who throw the best parties and Lucy's Mom and Dad who always want to be disco dancing....and that goes straight over Mai head.:)....Thanka to ya 4 fo always lookn' out and wonder what concoctions is in Mai Taco Bell order at 10 pm....Boff Mai Taco Bell's do me right and get all excited and wonda how many ingredients I ask dum to put in dat small dish....and thanks for making me mai 7 layer burritos homemade:). I vote for tostados back on the menu..,,that was on Mai kid Taco Bell order growing up: tostado Gordita or two soft tacos nacho supreme Da 7 laya cam win da college days, Nat Dawg! I am proud to be their Mom and Mai struggles have strengthened me....God is your judge and I created my legacy from grit. Grit=BrokenRock! #oh hell yeah Editor's Note* Mai neighborhood squad; Corinne and Kristy Mai HS peeps; Shan, Amanda, Michelle, Sarah, Jackie R and Maria; Sports; Jenny W., Bry, Katie, Nikki,and Tammy...