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The Dandy Lion

4.5 (215 reviews)
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THE DANDY LION ATMOSPHERE

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Moderate noise
Hipster
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Casual

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Recommended Reviews - The Dandy Lion

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Chicken biscuits
Warren W.

Cute breakfast shop with good choices. The chicken biscuit was good. A bit fatty with the thigh meat but the breading was seasoned will. Biscuits and hash brown were good. Service was a nice as they checked in with us often.

Avocado Toast
Emily F.

Came here to say and checked it out for brunch. We put our name down and waited over an hr to be seated. Once we got seated we ordered right away, everyone was super friendly and great service, and food was delish. We tried the cinnamon roll, avocado toast, Benedict, chicken fried steak, and some drinks. The cinnamon roll was good, not too dry or overly sweet and good portion. Chicken fried steak was cooked great, loved the traditional sausage gravy but was also lucky enough to try their tomato gravy. It was also delicious and unique. The hash browns and toast were typical but good. I got a matcha latte slightly sweetened and was perfect. They also have alternative milk choices and a good variety of drinks. It's cute inside and have some merch for sale as well. Only wish the wait wasn't so long.

Anthony P.

Tony gave us outstanding service and spot-on recommendations. The French toast with coconut curd, whipped cream, and strawberries was a total winner! My dad comes here almost every weekend for the country fried steak pretty sure that's the name, so I joined him on Saturday and was impressed. I'll admit, my first visit a month or two ago wasn't great the avocado toast was just okay. I expected fresh avocado, but it came with a thin layer of avocado spread, and even the extra side of avocado was just more spread. This latest visit completely turned things around. Everything from the food to the friendly vibe was excellent, and the golden milk latte was delicious too. I'm so glad I gave this place another chance!

Fried Green Tomato BLT
Adrienne D.

The Dandy Lion has easily become one of my favorite places in Iowa City. I got recommended this restaurant by a medical student and he was spot on. I've come to The Dandy Lion whenever I roll into Iowa. FOOD: I ordered the Fried Green Tomatoes BLT with a side of fries. The fries are seasoned, crispy, and a good golden hue. You can tell that they use fresh oil on the fries too. Of note, the food comes out piping hot so give it a minute or two before biting into your meal. I definitely burned my mouth this time. To satisfy my sweet tooth, I ordered 4 cinnamon rolls (and yes, I did share). The cinnamon rolls are very well done. Baked all the way through so it's not all gooey in the middle of the roll. And, there's a refreshing citrus note since the rolls are topped with orange zest. SERVICE: The Dandy Lion wastes no time taking your order and getting it back to the kitchen. I think this is because parking in the area is only good for 1hour. However, they work efficiently & don't make you feel rushed. 10/10! Absolutely coming back.

Menu
Benjamin S.

Oh my! What a wonderful establishment. In addition to top notch food, this cute restaurant has a beautiful interior and decor and is filled with wonderful servers providing top-notch service. FOOD: I got my standard weekend lunch-- egg whites omelette, side salad, toast, and iced tea. Not only did they make everything perfect (even with my slightly annoying modifications) but the food was so well made in general. We also tried their apple cider donut and cinnamon roll. The apple cider donut was perfection with crisp and cinnamon-y exterior and a soft interior. The cinnamon roll itself was wonderfully doughy yet firm, though I have to say that the frosting was not the icing style of cinnamon roll topping I like the most. This was more of a buttercream. Not bad at all, just not my fav. But wow what wonderful food. MENU: a feat of cute puns, witty language, and concision. Don't let its size fool you-- this is a wide ranging menu. It's just so well worded and concise that it's deceivingly small. I'm all for it! SERVICE: oh wow. Not only did the service exceed expectations and was very friendly, but they are also just such a sweet community of people. As they began closing up and we were paying our bill and getting ready to leave, the staff was all eating lunch together and it just made me so happy. They clearly had a friendly rapport with each other and that's such a great community feel to have in a restaurant. This is the sort of small-business family I want to support! Also, when we had a question about the baked goods containing dairy, our server said he would ask the baker, who was right down the aisle. I love the small/close-nit feel of this place yet its expansive options. Such a fan! AMBIANCE: a well decorated restaurant with comfortable seating, and a great "solid" feel. We sat at the bar and that can sometimes be an uncomfortable experience, but not here! It was great and such a comfortable setup. PARKING: there's a nearby city parking ramp where parking is $2/hr (with first hour free) as of September 2024. Overall, I highly recommend stopping here if you find yourself nearby Iowa City. You won't be disappointed by the food, service, or ambiance... a true triple threat!

Menu 1
Will R.

Group of 4 ate here on Thursday morning. It was half full and they sat us immediately. Waitstaff was quick to get us menus and drinks. Nice to see a restaurant with plenty of staff. I ordered the standard and tried the impossible sausage. It was interesting. Tasted a little bit like sausage . I'd eat it again if "regular " sausage is unavailable. Avocado toast comes with eggs which I think makes the price justifiable. Bacon looked crispy but not burnt. We were able to get our check quickly and be on in our way. We could even take our coffee and pop to go. We really liked this place. I'm glad we didn't settle for Starbucks.

Salmon toast with poached eggs and hashbrowns
Mia B.

Service was incredible, all the workers know their stuff about the menu and the place they work at. The food was incredible and came out quickly. Best poached eggs I've had. I also got the Vietnamese iced coffee and was great.

breakfast burrito
Kyla C.

Favorite breakfast spot in Iowa City. Cute diner vibe with friendly staff and amazing food. Small place so typically there is a wait but it's 100% worth it. Tried the biscuits and gravy this time with half sausage and half tomato gravy which i highly recommend! Their eggs are always cooked to perfection and tasting Vietnamese coffee.

Coffee with house-made Irish cream (not too sweet!)
Jenni W.

I came to Iowa City to visit my sister-in-law over New Year's, and since their main weekend activity is going to brunch, they decided to take us to The Dandy Lion. We got here around 10:45 am without a reservation and only had to wait a few minutes before they were able to have a table ready for 4. Granted, it was quite cold this Saturday (I think the high was 9 degrees) so we were lucky that we didn't have a wait. We ordered the Irish coffee, brewed coffee, chicken and waffles (a special), blueberry pancakes, their chocolate black out cake, and I got what was basically a charcuterie plate in a sandwich form that was served with fries. I was worried that the Irish coffee would be too sweet but it was perfectly balanced and definitely not too sweet. The chicken and waffles were delicious as well as the blueberry pancakes. The pancakes were so fluffy and came with strawberry jam as well as syrup. DELICIOUS. The chocolate black out cake was also perfectly moist. My sandwich was okay--it was a little sour and the bread pieces were toasted and buttered, which I would prefer for it not to be. The service was amazing, we had a really friendly waitress who had really good recommendations. Whenever we come back to Iowa City, we will probably be back for brunch. Hopefully it won't be too long of a wait.

lodger special
Erin B.

Based off the reviews and wait times, I had high hopes for this restaurant. However, I feel like the food was not that great and my review reflects that. I got the lodger special, and it was ok. I asked if the sausage was undercooked since the inside was pink and the waitress said the sausage was homemade and that was what led to the pink tint of the interior, but I felt like it still didn't taste that great. Also, the top was covered in what tasted like vodka tomato sauce, I scraped most of that to the side as it didn't really add to the dish. I felt a big nauseous after eating, so I would most likely not go again. The dishes around me, of people who ordered more basic menu items, seemed to have better dishes. So if I went again I would stray away from any special dishes. We went twice. The first time we went we were quoted 45 minutes. After waiting 1 hour 15 minutes we gave up. We went back the next day and were quoted 25-30 and were sat at 30 minutes. If you want to get a seat it seems the earlier in the morning the less of a wait. The staff was nice. It seems like they are known for their desserts based on the framed awards on the walls.

Front entry with picnic tables
Ruth W.

Excellent friendly and lunch spot. The best I found in Iowa city when I'm visiting. I really like their poached eggs and they have many menu options. Nice atmosphere very welcoming.

Poached egg on salmon toast
Emin D.

My server was wonderful and the service at the bar was fantastic. Seating took awhile for a single patron but a wait is always expected on the weekends. The one thing I really can't come to terms with is how you would consider this a poached egg?.. to let this leave the kitchen is almost hard to imagine going unnoticed. For the price it would be alright but even the smoked salmon was very very dry. The environment is very pleasant and a classic/modern blend. I just wish they focused more on the dishes being dropped off proper. This unfortunately wasn't the first time they've dropped the ball on their food the last time their French toast was burnt when I stopped in for breakfast drinks with my friend. Speaking of the Parsol is a very delicious cocktail!

Cinnamon roll and chai

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6 months ago

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7 months ago

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9 months ago

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3 months ago

This is my favorite breakfast spot in town. The lodger special is the best, and the tomato gravy is next level.

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

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3 months ago

The owner is so genuine and kind. Servers are great. Food is delicious. We love coming here for the food and the vibes.

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2 years ago

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4 months ago

Best brunch place in Iowa City. It's close between it and Bluebird but if you're stuck between the 2 I'd lean here.

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11 months ago

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1 year ago

Chicken biscuit is incredible!!! I will definitely be coming back. Breakfast burrito was also delicious.

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4 years ago

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Ask the Community - The Dandy Lion

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If I could give more than 5 stars, I would. We ended up at Pullman Bar & Diner three mornings in a…read morerow during our trip, and honestly, it became one of the highlights of our weekend. Every single thing we ordered felt fresh, thoughtful, and just really well done. My kids were obsessed with the chocolate chip pancakes (which says a lot), and my dad and I worked our way through a few different dishes. The biscuits and gravy were comforting and rich without being too heavy, and even the simple eggs were cooked perfectly. But the standout? The breakfast tacos. They were insane. The pork was seasoned perfectly, super flavorful without being overwhelming, and everything just worked together so well. Also, do not skip the fresh squeezed orange juice or the local sourdough with homemade preserves. You can taste the difference. It's one of those places where you can tell they really care about the ingredients. Service was warm and easy, and the vibe just makes you want to sit and stay a while. We'll 100% be back if we're ever in Iowa City again!

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Hamburg Inn No 2

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In town for a couple of days, and a good friend said we absolutely positively had to eat at Hamburg…read moreInn No 2, because it's an institution in Iowa City. It was good, maybe not to the level she pushed it, but really good and we enjoyed our meal. The restaurant is pretty small, but we got there early on a Sunday. No wait, though I'd guess once the church crowd starts arriving it might be more crowded. The entire place is decorated with political memorabilia as it's a frequent stop for politicians getting in the race early in Iowa. It is a 'coffee bean' caucus location, and they're proud of that! I had the biscuits and gravy and added the fried chicken. I was worried it would be too much food and had visions of a giant fried chicken breast, and while it was substantial, it wasn't overwhelming. It was a great dish and I'd order it again. Wife had a basic breakfast omelette. She liked it. Daughter did it right and ordered the French toast, which came with a great blueberry sauce. Lucky for me, she didn't finish it so I did (I'm nice like that) and it was every bit as great as she said it was. An enjoyable breakfast, and I'd return. Service was prompt with coffee refills which is also important!

Good burgers! We came for dinner about 5 or 6pm, at prime dining time, on a Monday and had no wait…read more I jogged past this place earlier around breakfast time and people were lined up out the door with a wait. I started with a strawberry rhubarb pieshake (because I'm a firm believer that desserts should be on the appetizer menu). I liked the flavor. I ate way too much dairy, but that's on me. I should have had a little restraint and gotten the pie ala mode but I wanted to try the pieshake thing. It was fun. I got a double onion burger. I really should have gotten a single, but I took leftovers home. Loved the flavor of the grilled onions. My hubby got the double mushroom & Swiss. I ate one of the mushrooms and they are marinated. The shrooms were incredible. He loved the side of hashbrowns as well as his burger. When I ever get a chance to go back, I'm getting a single Mushroom & Swiss burger and a piece of pie.

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These aren't just pastries; they're the kind of baked goods you think about long after they're…read moregone. Absolute perfection.

Stopped in to grab a couple of coffees, a scone and a cinnamon roll. The Encounter Cafe is…read moreliterally across the street from our hotel, so this was a no-brainer if you're looking for an upgrade to the complimentary powdered eggs and overused waffle machine offered by the hotel that your staying at. The space itself is large and looks to be separated into two halves. I entered on the one side, ordered at the counter, just like you would at any coffee shop and waited. This place serves a full-service breakfast as well if you're looking for something more substantial (eggs, panini's, pancakes, etc..). I was just here picking up and bringing it back to our room. The coffees were fine, but there was only one gentleman working the counter, and he was a bit overwhelmed. He forewarned me that he had 4-5 drinks ahead of mine, so I ended up sitting there waiting for about 15 minutes for our two drinks. I wasn't pressed for time today, but if I was, this would've been an issue. I ordered a raspberry chocolate scone and a cinnamon roll. The scone was delicious. Not too sweet and was definitely made this morning. The cinnamon roll was delicious as well, but it was extremely sweet. To the point where it hurt your teeth. It would also have been better if it were warmed up. Lastly, they gave me this big cinnamon roll in a bag without any napkins or utensils?!? I had to stop at the free breakfast at our hotel to get a fork, knife and some napkins. So kind of a mixed-bag at the Encounter Cafe. I would give it another shot and try some other things, but it didn't blow me away.

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Chocolate croissant and a lavender-honey iced latte w almond milk
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The Dandy Lion - newamerican - Updated June 2026

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