What a delightful accidental find! We opted for the mojito, as we were advised there was some super…read morefresh mint to be had & were pleasantly surprised by the crisp, clean flavors. I went with the daily specials all the way through (smoky pork panini & Mexican street corn soup). Everything was tasty and temps were correct. They offer gluten-free options as well. The hubs is a sucker for key lime pie, so, he ordered - he was disappointed to see it was a frozen pie slice but he still liked it. Loved the seating options - large booths, cozy tables for 2. The gent who helped us out was, I'm guessing, the owner. There was a lot of pride showing in the establishment, food, decor & even the town itself. He was also highly attentive. We greatly enjoyed our visit & would definitely go back.

Food. Is. Good. It's a panini bar but, it's legit!!!! Trust me. Keep your eye on the specials…read more Best bathrooms in town...no lie.

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.

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?

It's our holiday tradition to have a nice dinner and see the Nutcracker. We had a wonderful time…read morelast night. It was a beautiful night and the Englert sign lights up so nice. The theater has plenty of seating and we always choose to sit on the balcony. They have a variety of refreshments for before and during the show. It was a great show and we are already looking forward to next year!

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!

A warm and inviting space, with quick service and delicious food…read more It was early in the night so we had our choice of table and the attention of our server. If you are familiar with an old Iowa City bar called the mill, there are pieces of there here The food was plentiful and tasted great. I had the brisket po boy tender cooked brisket and a tasty BBQ sauce The totally was under 40 for two of us.

The bartenders were friendly enough but their charm doesn't distract you from the dirty bathrooms,…read morebad music, and odd setup of this establishment. There was some extremely trashy/weird art on the wall and the clientele seems to match. The outdated techno coming from the "DJ" was a fitting backdrop to a giant screen that seemed to be projecting someone's Internet search. I opted to sit far away from that mess, right next to a giant fan that was off until I went returned from the bathroom and it had been turned on full blast and stood in place of my chair. Good incentive for dancing perhaps, but I took it as a hint to get some fresh air...far away from this bar. Might be better on a slower, more mellow night.

I've played here, gone to live shows here and sometimes just go to meet new people and hangout I've…read morerarely seen unfriendly people. Sometimes i run into a bartender having a bad night. They offer pool that's away from the music and also sometimes they'll have food carts. I noticed the one bad reviewer seems to have rated alot of local places with 1 or 2 stars which tells me everything i need to know. I've played live music in this town for about 17 years, this is by far one of the best venues for music or to meet friendly local people. I've had my personal issue's but that doesn't take away from the fact that this place is locally legendary for us musicians. It also sports local artwork all over all the art inside was done by artist from right here in town.

What a delightful dining experience! We dined in the outdoor patio, and the weather was equally…read moredelightful. Our waitress was attentive, pleasant, and fun. I ordered the rack of lamb, it was amazing! Literally like butter, no knife needed, cooked to perfection, the most tender lamb ever! The owners came by the table to greet and welcome us. Made us feel very special. Don't let the pricey menu deter your visit; it is well worth it. And the desserts, leave room! Full liquor bar and an amazing wine list for your choice. This is a gem for downtown Kalona!

This was a charming restaurant with excellent service and excellent food. We had two of the pasta…read moredishes and they were phenomenal. There were only two issues I had concerns with. The first one is the entrance. That is definitely a hazard for both staff and customers. Customers are walking directly in the path of the staff coming out with dishes. Bad design there. You can see the main entrance was ultimately closed in order to accommodate more seating. The other issue is the noise level. That was quite bad as well due to the close proximity of the tables and overall size of the restaurant. I'm sure in the summer this might not be as bad due to the patio portion of the restaurant. Neither will hinder me returning. The food is amazing!

Sunday drive with family, heading south to Coralville, Iowa. 20 minutes got us to a restaurant my…read moreDaughter recommended. Right on the square in Washington Iowa. Beautifully decorated place. Authentic Italian food, the owner is from Italy. We had brunch selections and all were great. We finished with the owner's Mom's Tiramisu WOW! About $25 each plus a good tip but well worth it.

I went to this restaurant twice while I was in the area. It seems to be a popular spot for locals…read more I had the lobster ravioli and meatballs the first time and it was very good. I was with a friend who had that bruschetta and another pasta dish, which she really enjoyed. I also ordered the Kahlúa cake, which was very rich and very good. The next time I went, I ordered the spaghetti carbonara and was disappointed. It didn't come with a carbonara sauce. It came with a lemon sauce that tasted like lemon. It didn't come with a spoon to twirl the spaghetti so I used my coffee spoon.

Amazing Venue with a great atmosphere and awesome talent that gets booked! Went to a few concerts…read moreand had a great time!

It's been a while, but Monday nights at Rascals used to be a solid time. The jukebox had a good…read moreselection, pool tables were open, and of course, dollar drafts. Including Guinness. Living in Chicago now, a Guinness runs me $4-6. Paying a buck for a Guinness is a treat; paying ten bucks for ten of them is sublime. The Russian judge deducted a star for the bartender's failing to remember us. Carding your regulars might explain why there's no one there to begin with, ma'am.

What an awesome, fun concert to go to! :-) I've been to this venue several times and it's always…read morebeen a blast! You park in a cow pasture/field where they have a tractor ride that takes you down to the Codfish Hollow venue. And the tractor runs all night, so you can always get a ride back to your car. Very fun!! There used to be so many trails to explore at Codfish Hollow but they blocked them off, which I was the only thing that I was disappointed about. There were excellent food trucks at this event and a long lawn of mowed grass to sit on with fold up chairs. And also inside the barn was good music and lights which was amazing and awesome! :-) Great place to go and listen to good music and to go and drink and enjoy yourself! I can't wait to go back!

This place has been on my list to visit for a long time. Loved that there were lots of firerings…read moredispersed around the pasture plus free, dry firewood. Not sure if it's typical but there was only 1 porto potty (it was October so most campers were in RVs so it didn't matter). My only complaint is I'm starting to turn into an old lady and don't want to stay up and party after the show so was annoyed by how loud it was and for how long after hours. The barn area was amazing and so pretty. Definitely a unique concert experience. Ticket prices are reasonable but can go quickly.