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    Shakespeare's

    4.3 (78 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Shakespeare's Photos

    Business Info

    SHAKESPEARE'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Shakespeare's

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    Taco Tuesday hard or soft shell.  Beef / veggie
    Bobby C.

    From their taco Tuesdays, karaoke and other live music as well as the great food and drinks. This bar is an Iowa City staple that's serving gourmet bar, food, and great ambience. Daily food specials.

    Quesadilla
    Megan W.

    Solid pub! For as long as I've lived in Iowa City, I have never made it to Shakespeare's and I wish I had before this visit. Very friendly servers and a large (but not too large) menu for both food and drink. I enjoyed my quesadilla (lots of flavor) and it was very filling. This place is family friendly and on a Friday night, the place was packed! This is obviously a casual place and anyone that comes in should feel comfortable.

    Tenderloin*
    Devin B.

    Went on a hunt while visiting to try and find the best tenderloin sandwich in the area and after numerous searches through various sites and apps, Shakespeare's was the winner. Stopped in and was able to be seated right away and we hit the perfect time because within 5-10 mins the pace was full and had a waitlist. The staff was super friendly and the energy was very family friendly. We started with a basket of tots and onion rings. Both hit the spot and were gone in minutes guess we were hungry. They were cooked perfectly crispy and paired well with the ranch dressing. I ordered the tenderloin sandwich fully dressed with a cup of the soup of the day. Whoever made it knows how to season food it was packed full of flavor! Since I did a hunt for the tenderloin sandwich this wasn't the biggest I've seen but man it was so good! Juicy, flavorful and fit well with the most amazing moist bun! All in all a phenomenal meal!!

    Paul V.

    Shakespeare's is a classic in Iowa City, and has all the ingredients of a solid place to hang out with friends (or family, or strangers, or by yourself!). Their food menu is large and diverse enough to have something for everyone, they have a solid drink menu, and the overall atmosphere is cozy and welcoming. It gets busy, which is a sign that they are doing things right.

    Choose any 2 Half Baskets Above--Onion Rings and Breaded Cauliflower
    Mark O.

    Don't let the wood paneling from the 80s detract you from going. Had a very nice experience during NFL Kickoff. Speaking of which, they have the ticket here and all games appeared to be on at least one TV. Our server was effective and checked in regularly. Classic bar food options--none of the high end options some places are gravitating towards. They also have a late night menu with bites available until 1 AM--wish we had some of this in DSM. I had the "Pick two" combo basket with breaded cauliflower and battered onion rings. Both of these were fried to perfection. I also had the ultimate grilled cheese on sourdough. I elected potato salad as the side and that was the only disappointment--didn't taste much better than the cheap stuff in the deli case at Walmart. I look forward to my next visit.

    Tenderloin and poppers  Tenderloin breading made me think of long john silvers fish ... Was still good
    Mark A.

    Tenderloin breading reminded me of long john silvers breading But was still good Service was good as well...place was busy

    Signage from 1st Ave Entrance
    Audrey C.

    Part restaurant part neighborhood bar, this is my favorite place to eat in Iowa City easy. Been stopping by for the last 20 years when in town and it holds up. Want friendly service? Yep. Want a solid menu? They got that. Want to feel like you are walking into a place where everybody knows your name? You know it. Want an outdoor patio you can relax when a cold beer and your dog (with its own dog menu)? Oh they got that too. Great food. Great ambiance. Plenty of parking, outdoor dining space, weekly specials, locally owned, Shakespeare's checks all the boxes. Highly recommend.

    French Dip

    We went for a late-night dinner and received quick, friendly service. The cocktails were delicious, especially the blueberry mule and blueberry cosmo! All the food was really good for pub fare, but the tenderloin was a bit of a letdown. It was breaded in a way that reminded me of fish and chips, which wasn't what I expected but wasn't terrible.

    Carlyn H.

    This place is a staple of Iowa City. The staff are approachable, professional and good at what they do. Their rotating beer list is always phenomenal, new and exciting. Their food doesn't miss-- from weekly specials to classics (my favorite is their Reuben with side salad for entre, cheese curds for app) they've got the best bar food in Iowa City HANDS DOWN.

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    Suzi S.

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    1 year ago

    The food is very good. Service is amazing. The atmosphere is great if you're a sports fan.

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    Suzi S.

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    3 years ago

    Excellent Tenderloins! Great service & nice atmosphere. I would definitely go here again.

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    2 years ago

    Love this place. Always good good service and food. The breaded tenderloin is my favorite.

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    3 years ago

    Great food, nice beer selection, with patio seating. Service was excellent; ask for John! Parking was limited on site.

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    3 years ago

    We went here on a Friday night with a large RAGBRAI group and the food, service, and drinks were all gracefully delivered and great.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Nice bar and grill, great for breakfast! Food is excellent and the atmosphere is old school.

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    3 years ago

    Food is always good, fun atmosphere. Has a lot of different specials throughout the year

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    3 years ago

    Always great service and good food, taco Tuesday was great. Nice selection of beers on tap

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Shakespeare's

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    Service was great, but the place was basically empty except for a handful of college kids playing…read morepool and drinking. The wife and I are in town to attend an event at the University of Iowa and we just needed a place to grab a quick dinner on the way back to the hotel after a long day of traveling. We sat at the bar, and as mentioned, the bartender was friendly and attentive. We ordered cheddar bacon fries as an appetizer and a small thin crust Lola Pizza - which had spinach, garlic, red onions and pepperoncini peppers. The cheddar bacon fries probably sat in the window because they were delivered with the pizza. Not a huge deal, but they weren't very flavorful. The pizza was better.. crispy crust, good sauce to toppings ratio, but sadly it really didn't stand out enough for me to recommend Sam's. There are just too many better options downtown for better food.

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    Oh man, where to start on this place! I came over Memorial Day with some friends for a girls trip…read more We stayed at the Gehlen House Inn which is owned by the same couple as the barn brewery. I can't rate that in Yelp but just know it was a great stay, we met so many cool people staying there too, and you should stay there if you come up to check out the barn. Onto the barn! This place has a rich history and I'm so impressed with the way they've maintained the original charm of the barn and grounds while also renovating with modern conveniences. There was a lot of time and effort put into this place! They have a substantial craft beer list, the top ones for me were the pina colada and the deeamsicle, but my friends had many others they enjoyed too. There are beers for sale to take home, and lots of merch and swag. They serve pizza if you want to nosh on something with your beer. We got a Reuben pizza to split and it was great! The owners and employees were caring, kind, and took time to explain the beers and make sure we were well taken care of. Our group couldn't say enough good things about this place!

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    Entryway all stine and beautifully restored

    Shakespeare's - tradamerican - Updated September 2026

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