Ate at Monica's for the very 1st time today during the Iowa game. Classy atmosphere! Server rocked. I ordered a popular menu item that came highly recommended. Chicken and shrimp ziti with a lobster sauce. Sooo good! I had a bite of my dates Tilapia. Excellent taste! 2 scoops of ice cream and a chocolate cupcake for dessert. I will definitely go back and try everything on the menu. read more

Monica's - My entree' of shrimp and chicken was soooo good! - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

Came in on Thursday of this last week after a baseball game with my son. He got the Buffalo chicken wrap and it was gone in the blink of an eye. I have no complaints about my food whatsoever. The only complaint was our waitress, Maddie or maddy I believe was very unpleasant to my son when he asked for a Shirley temple. Then again when she came around she was very short to the point where my 11 year old son noticed something. Service almost felt unacceptable, hopefully it was only a bad day. read more

Very poor service. Nine staff on floor for six customers and waited much too long for service. Had to ask for a coffee refill. Waited forever for check while wait staff sat at the counter looking at their phone. read more

I don't usually write reviews but I was passing through and just felt compelled to write this after this AMAZING gentleman cooked a DELICIOUS pizza for me. This man named, Vito, made a pizza so good I believe I literally saw God. I will definitely be back to try the other one of his beautiful creations. Thank you, Vito, for the great pizza artistry!! **i will say this old man with white hair that possibly worked there slapped my buttock and i was extremely disturbed but the food was still amazing from chef Vito so i have to give it 5 stars. read more

Please consider using something other than styrofoam for delivery. You seem to be doing a lot of business- lead the way! Please at least look into it as an option. read more

The peeps that had bad experiences here should try again - overall it was a good eveing. Livingsocial.com coupon made the meal really inexpensive and the food was very good. The baked Ziti was excellent, rich, but not too much so. Good beer selection as well. My wife had a chicken and peppers panini that was excellent and beer battered fries reminded us of Arby's curly fries! Never a bad thing. The ambiance was nice, but was torn between a diner, sports bar, and a nicer restaurant - it worked though. Nice cozy booths w/ good windows outside and TV's so I kept up on my ESPN without having to go to the phone for internet all evening! The garlic oil w/ the bread was excellent and the cinnamon sugar butter was something that I would bathe in if it was allowed. A good night and we got out for under $30 with drinks. Bottom line - good place for legit food, good beer selection and a better than olive garden experience that will cost you less. read more

Best restaurant in Iowa City area, hands down. I'm from Des Moines but go to Iowa games throughout the year. We found this place by accident when winning a gift card in a silent auction two years ago. Every time we go to Iowa City, we stop by Monica's. You are always served rolls with cinnamon butter and oil. So good. I usually get a salad to start. Homemade dressings are great. We have gotten burgers, pizza, rigatoni, and ziti over our several visits and they are incredible. Can't say enough about the great food. Never frozen ingredients and very fresh local food. Wait staff has always been great as well. If you go for dinner, the owner is usually there. Great place. Highly recommend. read more

Monica's - Half pound burger with fries. - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

See all

I ordered the meatloaf with mashed potatoes, Grandma's Meatloaf, and I would say it was very classic American food. I truly think someone's grandma may have invented the recipe. I would characterize it as comforting, with the ketchup-y meatloaf gravy and classic flavor profile and textures. The complimentary bread (2 types, white and wheat I believe) and olive oil dip was a nice way to start the meal. The owner (I think) came and checked in on our group a couple times during the meal and was very friendly. Everybody seemed happy with what they ordered. Monica's would probably be where I take my pickier friends out to eat if I want to make sure there is something they will like. So not an adventurous meal, but comforting, classic food in a nice sit down atmosphere. read more

Monica's - Grandmother's Meat Loaf - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

Monica's is an Italian comfort zone. Old school booths are great for getting together with a few friends or escaping with the family for a top notch meal in a low-key environment. Service is friendly and, though the prices are not cheap, they are fair for the high quality of food you will enjoy. These prices might be associated with a more sleek, upscale-appearing restaurant, but I give it 5 stars because we can come as we are and eat like it's a special night out. Sometimes you just need a little Monica's! read more

This review has nothing to do with the service because they were great. The food however, couldn't even stomach half of it. I got the eggplant parm and my boyfriend got chicken and angel hair pasta. I was really excited because I love eggplant dishes. Yet, both tasted like nothing. The eggplant tasted like crunchy air and my pasta was undercooked. Both our sauces were just sweet tomato water. I even doused my meal with salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese three times which had absolutely no effect. My boyfriend said " the best part of my dish was the burnt pieces of chicken because at least I could taste that." The best part of the meal was the bread and it was just a mediocre warmed-up Walmart baguette. You know how some memories you blackout because they're so unpleasant? I hope this is one of them. read more

What a great place. Such a great menu, the beef stroganoff is heavenly, the quiche is terrific, steaks are wonderful. Really enjoy this place a ton. When my mother comes to visit we exclusively eat here, she has food allergies and needs gluten free, Monica's is ALWAYS very accommodating, and will make you most anything you can think of, and it's always great food. The owner is a super cool guy to talk to, always has a funny story to tell, you can tell he takes pride in his work and the restaurant, very much so. One more thing, the menu is huge, it's more like two separate menus, each a large menu in their own right, a full Italian menu and a full tradition American. Neither style is skimped on, and the portions are very generous. read more

Monica's - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

Food and service good they was very busy and still no wait for table or food would go back

Huge menu Cheese Cake Factory style with gluten free as well. They have an italian and american style ofeerings, both have been good in my experience. I always get their wings, yummy. Pizza is done great, had a pasta dish can't recall the name but it was good, and sampled a few other items that didn't disapoint. The service will be great, the owner I think is usually in the front full of energy. Give this place a shot, I seen the bad ratings they have been consistant every time I have tried them. Things have changed for the better here. read more

Amazing pasta, pizza & Comfort foods. Love this place! I live 3 hours away but literally have to make a trip to Iowa City every few months to eat here!!!! read more

Crab cake Caesar salad is amazing!!! Great experience and awesome service. French onion soup is great too.

We got sat outside on the patio right away. 10 minutes go by... 20 minutes go by and no server in sight. We think maybe they're giving us ample time to review the vast menu they have so we wait another 10 minutes and still no server. We decide at this point if the service is like this we do not want to take part in the food so I hand the hostess my menu and we left. read more

Monicas is easily on top of my favorite places to eat. The owner is usually there to greet everyone. The pizza is great and so is the pasta. The salads are always creative and seasonal and good. I still prefer a little more veggies on it then more people but i have no problem asking for more lettuce or spinach. So if you want a dinner feel with huge italian and frank sinatra feel go here. read more

I've come here 2 nights in a row and both nights, the food was excellent! I am gluten free and they have the biggest gluten free menu I've ever seen! (I am from out of town). I will be back the rest of my stay. Totally recommend coming here! read more

Not only does this place have delicious food, but they also have tremendous service. We came in with a party of three on a Friday night when they were already booked with reservations but we were promised a seat within a few minutes and that promise was kept! It truly showed the family-owned, non-chain atmosphere they pride themselves on. The owner's mother and brother even came to eat while we were there!! Monica's also feature a huge menu: sandwiches, salads, pizza, American favorites, and classic Italian. Anyone could find something they liked here. Plus free delivery within 10 minutes for any order over $15 is perfect for college students. I highly recommend this place! read more

Monica's - Daily special pizza (personal size)-- bbq chicken, roasted red peppers, green peppers, and mozzarella cheese with a red sauce. Very tasty! - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

See all

This is the BEST Italian restaurant in Iowa City! The menu abounds with so many options. We had the calamari, bruschetta & lobster dip appetizers to start and our taste buds were overloaded with home cooked, gourmet Italian goodness. We loved the chicken & shrimp alfredo along with the salmon and fried chicken. I could taste the love and passion that went into making this food. The service was wonderful and the owner made his way over to our table to chat and ensure our meal was thoroughly enjoyed. I can tell he enjoys building relationships with his customers and understanding this is what brings people back. He helped to create a wonderful memory that we won't soon forget. We will be back! Can't wait to try the lasagna and the black fettuccini lobster. read more

Monica's - Pasta! Pasta! Pasta! - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

I'm a sucker for a good sauce and Monica's lobster sauce did not disappoint. I got the baked ziti with shrimp which their menu boasts as their best seller after the cupcakes. My friendly server also recommended the ziti. Overall very good. It must have been brought to me right out of the oven because it was a bit too hot, could have rested for a bit. The $3 extra charge for shrimp isn't worth the 3 medium overcooked shrimp they give. There was a ton of chicken and a decent amount of prosciutto. The complimentary breads were good, especially the whipped cinnamon sugar butter served with them. Not sure about the ambience and decor inside but patio was nice. read more

Monica's - Baked Ziti with shrimp and lobster sauce! - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

Food is wonderful more than you can eat service is excellent love to go there, Mac and cheeese is excellent

My friends and I stopped here for an appetizer. We had the baked bre that came with bread and apples, which was ok. We also tried their house made olive oil to dip our bread in, which was very good. But, the real star was the homemade cinnamon butter. OMG! This butter was so good and addicting. Our waitress was very nice and she even warned us that the butter was addicting. I'll have to come back and try some if their other dishes. read more

Nice and classy restaurant on the Coralville strip. I was pleasantly surprised to see how classy they became after their move/remodeling. I went in a t shirt and shorts and felt slightly under dressed. I saw a lot of family parties, and we were on a double date. The food was all pretty good! Some dishes better than others, but overall decent. Pretty pricey though, but I guess reasonable for their atmosphere/dishes. Monica's would be a safe choice for Italian in my opinion. read more

See all

Delicious place to have Italian or American food for a great price. I ordered the black fettuccine with lobster and tasted the rich lobster sauce with every bite. Next time I'm in Iowa city I'll be sure to stop by. As for the service, it was phenomenal! Never been iced by a server so I can definitely say when it happened here, I was surprised. read more

Review for take out. Nice family restaurant with plenty of american and Italian options! I enjoyed the black fettuccini Alfredo with lobsters. Very generous portion of lobster, which whole claws and lump meat. The price was very reasonable. Even with take out, complimentary bread (white and wheat) with cinnamon/sugar butter is provided. They'll ask if you want it when ordering. Menu is quite extensive, about 6-7 pages. For indecisive individuals, you've been warned! read more

Solid dinner option. I visited Monica's for the first time this week with friends and really enjoyed the fish and chips (which I switched out for perfectly cooked grilled asparagus). I felt like the serving sizes were reasonable, especially considering the never-ending supply of bread and (cinnamon!) butter to start. There were definitely a few menu items that were priced higher than what I would have expected, but I was happy with the amount I paid for what I got. I'm always hesitant when restaurants have huge menus, as this one did, but I think it was a good meal overall. read more

Pizza was excellent and a good value. Several pieces of bread were hard as a rock, how old was it or is it getting recycled? There was a hair on the bread plate. Wait staff is good, not overly attentive. Bathroom was not very clean, carpet is shabby, tables and walls have paint chips, scars and my cushion was loose, dirty, and dingy. I haven't been to Monica's in maybe 6 years. It looks the exactly the same but now tired, worn out. I'm disappointed. read more

Ordered panini sandwiches and Tuscan salad (my favorite!) and hot crab artichoke dip for delivery. Nice portion sizes, all very good. Pleased to see they included their bread and cinnamon butter. Well worth it. Always something good to eat Monicas. read more

I love Monica's! So good every time. Beautiful day for a patio, super awesome service, bread with cinnamon crack butter and my favorite spinach goat cheese salad with chicken. They never fail to deliver. Thank you for another great meal, Monica!! read more

Monica's - Spinach goat cheese salad! Yum! - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

Excellent food, service and atmosphere. Immediately greeted when we entered and quickly seated. Noticed that the restaurant must be a local favorite spot. Food was excellent along with warm fresh bread and a great wine list. When we are back in Iowa City, we will return. read more

A nice place to eat out with family and friends. My favorites: jambalaya and white chocolate bread pudding. Excellent service and staffing read more

I've lived in IC since August. I've noticed Monica's since getting here and I wanted to try it, but I was highly skeptical. My friend and I finally decided to go after we've put it off for a while. If you go in there with the right expectations, it's good. It's not wonderful. It's not the best Italian I've ever had, but it was good. In a perfect world, it would get 3.5 stars. First, the bread and butter. Um, we weren't expecting it so it was a nice surprise. The honey and cinnamon butter they give with the bread was the most unexpected surprise. It was delicious. Better than Texas Roadhouse butter and that's a big thing. My friend got a starter salad and loved the ranch. So that's a plus too. She got the meatball sub and enjoyed it. I got a pizza, the special with pepperoni, onion, mushroom, and feta. I added black olives and it was good. Some of the best pizza i've had in IC. It has a little too much sauce on it for my liking, but it was good. Proper amount of toppings and the crust was crisp. I wanted to try the creme brûlée but today wasn't the day. I'll definitely go back and try it. Wait staff was super friendly and attentive. I'll go back. Give it a try. read more

Ever since I've moved to Iowa City, everyone tells me Monica's is the place to try. Well after 3.5 years living here I finally tried it and let me tell you it was worth the hype! I went on one of the last warm days in November but the heaters were on outside so the temperature was still pleasant. The inside was very busy but considering Covid we wanted to eat outside still so we waited maybe 20 minutes for a table. The owner immediately greeted us and was so gracious our entire visit. He not only checked on all the tables throughout the evening but also remembered my name when we were walking out which was really nice. Now to the food. The bread with oil in the beginning was great (we ordered a second bowl of bread we liked it so much). The menu is quite large and this is maybe my only critique because generally large menu's don't always produce the best quality meal but from the two things we ordered the quality was definitely still there. I ordered the squid-ink pasta with lobster and my boyfriend ordered the Margherita pizza. Both were very delicious and the pasta was a very generous serving so I took half of it home as leftovers (even after both of us sharing it)! The pizza is a little expensive in my opinion, the medium size is like $18 so we got the small one and it is definitely small, don't get smaller than a medium if you're really hungry but it was so delicious the small is worth the splurge (I think around $11). I wish we had room for dessert but we were so full! Definitely will try here again! read more

Old fashioned family restaurant. The Italian part of their menu is very Americanized. Bolognese was overly creamy but buccatini with brocotini wasn't bad. Interior is a bit dated while outdoor seating seems quite nice. Service is average. Overall okay but not my cup of tea. read more

Great variety of food. Something for everyone. Very calming environment with great service. Gluten Free Menu too!

Just stay away. Not great. basic food with little flavor. Inconsistent menu. I don't know how it's voted the best restaurant in iowa city year after year. read more

I ordered Spaghetti with meatballs, THOSE MEATBALLS, so moist, full with flavor, they melt in your mouth!!! I totally love this dish. The restaurant it's self have 3 different seating areas, they have good size tables for big families, also small seating areas for couples, by the bar area they have multiple T.Vs playing different sport channel. I went during the weekend so I waited 15 minutes to get seated, the only thing that I didn't like is the tables are very close to each other, I was very careful not to disturb the person who was siting behind me. the waitress served us some bread, and olive oil, with herbs and Cinnamon butter on the side, to be honest I had better bread and olive oil dip in many Italian restaurant, so I didn't care much about it. Overall, good service, and I will be back for those MEATBALLS!! read more

Great food!!! And great service. Delicious Italian food. Exactly what I was looking for

After many months of driving past Monica's en route to other places on the strip, a friend and I decided to give it a try. First of all, let's throw out the concept of "authentic" Italian food (RE: negative points from other reviewers for Monica's decidedly inauthentic cuisine). Where do you people get authentic, al dente Italian pasta around here, anyways? I'm fairly confident it doesn't exist in a casual dining setting in eastern Iowa. Sure, the menu at Monica's has more in common with the Olive Garden than it does with Baroncini, but that's about right, since Monica's isn't competing on the same plane with a place like Baroncini. Anyways. I was pleasantly surprised when we walked in. Nice decor, somewhere between casual and upscale. Lots of booths and two-tops. The management and wait staff were incredibly kind and accommodating. It was a fairly busy Friday night and when we asked to be moved from our two-top to a bigger table to add extra people to our party, they promptly moved us to a booth without a tinge of hostility or irritation. The manager (or owner? Not sure what he was) came to our table and told us to sit wherever we wanted. A nice gesture. Our waitress was attentive and funny, which, although not a commonly sought trait in wait staff, was a plus for us. The menu at Monica's is extensive. They offer the pizzas, pastas and panins you would expect at an Italian place, plus an array of salads and comfort food (e.g. beef stroganoff, meat loaf and "What the help ate," the most questionably-named item on the menu). My friend ordered the chicken parmesan (thumbs up), and I ordered the spinach and goat cheese salad. Props for dumping an insane amount of cheese on the salad. The only real low point of our evening was when I found a piece of plastic wedged between two pieces of spinach. I've worked in restaurants, and the plastic was a lot less gross than finding a strand of hair, but I mentioned it to our waitress who immediately apologized and said I wouldn't be charged for the salad. A manager also came over, apologized and offered to send out a new salad. They handled the situation very well, and it certainly won't keep me from coming back again, because hey -- these things happen from time to time. Another plus: A glass of house red wine was $5. I'd imagine that price goes down even more during happy hour. Didn't try any cocktails, but they were all priced in the $5-$6 range. I noticed a few original cocktails and sangrias. I'll definitely go back to Monica's and would recommend it to others. If you're looking for something more "authentic," though, you're better off hopping a plane to Italy, because you probably won't find it around here. read more