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    One Twenty Six

    3.5 (112 reviews)
    ModerateNew American
    Open 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

    One Twenty Six Photos

    Business Info

    ONE TWENTY SIX ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - One Twenty Six

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    Steak Sandwich Lunch
    Marianne H.

    Stopped in for an early lunch on a random Tuesday. We were seated promptly by the windows where the sun was streaming in beautifully. We ordered and enjoyed the atmosphere. Service was great but the food was even better we will be back!

    Chocolate torte. Lemon poppyseed cake.

    OMG. This foodie was impressed! Gourmet? Yes. Delicious. Yes. Locally sourced. Yes. Organic? Uh huh. Service? Wonderful. Ambiance? Pleasant and friendly. Best food/dining experience we had in Iowa City this trip.

    Smoked salmon tartine with cauliflower curry soup
    Bridget L.

    I think 126 needs a reality check. If they would just realize their errors and make some simple changes, they would be set. The place was recommended by a friend, but they clearly haven't been in a long time. Everything about this place was just pretentious, down to the name (what does 126 even mean?). We walked in for lunch and were seated right away. A couple other tables there but pretty empty. Classic decorations, quite nice. The menu is where the problems start. Way too many options spanning many types of cuisine, probably meaning none are great. Get a focus and stick to it. I'm not gonna order Cajun food at the same place I'm getting pizza. Everything was also WAY overpriced. They think they're good enough to charge that much, but--sorry to say--they just aren't. A sandwich with a tiny crab cake for $16? Nope. I had the salmon tartine with a side of cauliflower curry soup. It was served quickly. The food was actually quite refreshing and tasty. Very few pieces of smoked salmon though. However, when we were brought the bill, we saw that we were charged $2 extra for the soup, though the menu said it was included. The waitress tried to argue with us and even had to take a look at menu. She saw that we were correct but refused to correct the mistake. What the actual heck?! There went my $2 and any chance of me returning.

    Family dinner special
    Jasmine R.

    I've always loved this place but since COVID it's been hard to find good takeout. Now that has changed! One Twenty Six has an amazing family meal which is a great deal!! The portion size is more than enough for the stated 3 people and the food was delicious. We got the beet salad, a Mediterranean dip with bread, and shrimp linguini. We also got a Mediterranean flat bread (they now do pizza on fridays). We also have to say that the owner is so kind and thoughtful. He genuinely cares about his guests and that really shows. Whether you are dining in or taking out, you will not be disappointed!!

    Danielle G.

    The boyfriend and I decided to try out the 5 course NYE dinner menu. Boy were we not disappointed, everything tasted amazing, and then to top it off they had a wine pairing for each course. We sat up stairs which was a bit chilling on this negative degree weather day, but I'm sure most places were chilling next to the windows as well. After we got settled in we started off our meal with a glass of sparkling rose, and the drinks and food just got better from there. Both of our favorites was the bass over shiitake mushrooms, could have ordered that over and over again. Finished off the meal with a chocolate tort paired with a port. This may have been our first visit, but it most certainly will not be our last. Such a great way to ring in the new year with the one you love.

    Cheese sandwich would be more accurate

    So many things wrong in what should have been a simple lunch order... After seeing the menu at One Twenty Six I was excited to try a personal favorite before taking my family there for a dinner this weekend. I ordered my lunch online via One Twenty Six's website (directly) in about 40 minutes in advance of my selected pickup time. When I arrived 5 minutes early they seemed not to have started yet, so I was made to wait another 15 minutes. I appreciate that quality can take time, and cold food would be a bad experience, so I was amiable and took a seat. I was not offered water or anything else as staff were loudly joking around in the main area of the restaurant. There was no ambience - no music or TV. Not great, but I'll live. My food was presented to me by the manager in a comically giant brown grocery-style bag. I had ordered a po boy and a side of fries (because for whatever reason in this establishment burgers and sandwiches are served a la carte with no mention of this on the menu) to the tune of $21 - slightly pricey for a simple lunch but if it was quality I would be happy and certainly bound to return to explore more offerings on their eclectic menu. Still seated, I finished an email before opening the bag to check my food, and the crinkle of its cardboard paper immediately drew the manager's attention. One Twenty Six's important leader informed me that I could not eat takeout food in the restaurant - yes, I could not eat their food in their empty establishment. I informed the manager that since the restaurant only had two other patrons I thought it could be ok to sneak a few fries before leaving, and between condescending smiles he offered the consolation of a different table - 3 whole feet away. I guess in his universe issuance of this traffic control is of immense value, but I logically did not expect a marching band of customers to appear in the 5 minutes so my lonely occupation of a table for 8 would be without dire operational consequence to One Twenty Six and its future. Being an agreeable human being, I moved to his suggested table, ate 10 disappointing fries, and left. I'm sure he was proud of his strange power flex and certainly made a mental note to share his triumph with his family on the twilight of this glorious day. Despite the manager's abrasive traffic control I am proud to report that the food matches the restaurant experience perfectly. The menu read as an eclectic and extensive array of dishes, boasting what seemed to be high end ingredients assembled in inspired combinations; but honestly, everything was a pretentious joke. I ordered a $13 shrimp po boy that was a pointed diversion from any po boy that has ever existed on this planet before this day. Served on a slider bun, the shrimp was greasy and pan cooked in butter (not fried like every other po boy since the beginning of time because apparently that's too pedestrian). Everything was completely unseasoned, the sandwich was topped with double the amount of pepper jack cheese than its protein (maybe this was lifted from a ragebait YouTube recipe?), and everything was garnished with soggy red cabbage. The menu's mentioned aioli stayed home from this round apparently. The sandwich was not at all dry despite its lack of condiments, however, thanks to the oils from four servings of melted cheese. Sigh. My poor excuse for a po boy (One Twenty Six, you can use that name free and clear if you want it) missed ALL marks and is an insult to all po boys. Some Popeye's shrimp on Wonder Bread would run laps around this trash and cost 1/3 the price. The fries were complete trash - even $7 fries couldn't be done well. In typical One Twenty Six fashion, they were unseasoned and not presented with ketchup or any condiment. One Twenty Six is a place that needs to be walked past and forgotten. The menu reads like an extremely interesting array of high end offerings but it is fanciful fiction. Go if you wish to subject yourself to the same experience, but don't you dare eat their food on their tables!

    Pork Cuban with homage chips lunch portion
    Amy A.

    We arrived for lunch. It was a beautiful day so my party of 3 chose to sit outside. We were greeted by a nice waitress named Raina. She made small talk as she got our drinks and our order. She was a ray of sunshine. The lunch menu is paired down to smaller portions with lower prices. The menu is small but there are several choices of sandwiches, salad and entrees. The lunch menu ranges from $11 to $18. It took around 45 minutes to get our food after we ordered. This would not be a good choice for a quick meal. We were fortunate that there was a live blues band playing outside at another restaurant a couple doors down so we got to enjoy the music. In the meantime the waitress kept our drinks full. I ordered the pork Cuban sandwich with homage chips $12. Another in my party ordered the gnocchi with mushrooms, and the other was a sausage and shrimp stew like item with rice. I can't remember the name. The food was an A+. And it was a perfect portion. Besides the wait for our food the only other downside was it was windy outside. And the table we sat at was very small and flimsy and had a shade umbrella going through the middle. When we sat down the table was tilted because the umbrella had pretty much called over and was resting against the railing. We had to upright the table when we sat. As the wind continues to blow we had to literally hold down the table out of fear it would topple again and our food would go everywhere. We walked to the restaurant from the university. Parking in this area is metered and hard to come by.

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    2 years ago

    Fabulous!! Love this place! Highly suggest eating at 126!! The food is amazing! The chicken is delicious !!

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    6 years ago

    Got the steak sandwich and it was DELICIOUS. Definitely coming back, plus the owner is super friendly. You won't regret it.

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    401 Oak

    401 Oak

    3.4
    (12 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$$

    Set in a large, contemporary space, 401 Oak is just upscale enough to separate it from the…read moresurrounding college pubs and bars. It's only been open since 9/25, and it was recommended to us from the hotel where my wife and I were staying. We dined there on a Friday night around 7pm, and the place was probably 3/4 full. Like we often do when we travel, we bellied up to the bar and had dinner there. Most times the bartender will fill you in on the history of the place, make menu recommendations, etc... so it's a good place to gain intel when you know you're going to write a review. The bartenders there worked in tandem, but they were both friendly and more than competent, so we waited for nothing. My wife ordered the M&M Burger with a side of the Parmesan Truffle fries (a slight up charge). She ordered it medium rare, but it came out well done.. however, it was so damn good, we didn't end up sending it back. The fries were delicious as well. I ordered the Butternut Squash Ravioli, and it was also delicious. The menu description said it was served with a Brown Butter Sage sauce, but it was definitely more of a cream sauce. Again, it wound up being good, but it was what I expected. I would definitely recommend 401 Oak if you're in town and in the mood for something a bit more upscale and different.

    The absolute worst service I've had in many years. The place was virtually empty, yet we had to…read moreask twice to have our water glasses filled, took 29 minutes to get our cocktails, and over an hour to get our lukewarm food! Two hours total when we were alone in the place? No management here to oversee the group of part time college students! I won't be back!!

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    One Twenty Six - newamerican - Updated June 2026

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