Great food and great service. The best wings in Cedar…read moreRapids. They have great moisture and are a perfect level of crispy. Always a great experience to eat here. Only complaint is to make those Aperol Spritz a little more Aperol!

I chose this restaurant to dine at with my family on the way back from a vacation, and I'm happy…read morethat I did! The chicken sandwich I had was, and I seldom use this word, 'LITERALLY', the BEST CHICKEN SANDWICH I HAVE EVER HAD. The breading was flavorful and the recipe was superb. There was home made Cole slaw on one side, and fresh cucumber cubes on the other side of the sandwich. I cannot stress how amazing this sandwich was! It has ruined all other chicken sandwiches for me, quite possibly forever. The French fries were also home made, and were curled in such a way I've never seen. These were not spiral cut. I cannot even describe them, other than to say they were prepared to perfection. Others had burgers and enjoyed them. Service from the male server was friendly and attentive. You couldn't ask for more--he was great! If you're in the neighborhood of this local Cedar Rapids favorite, take the opportunity to sample some out-of-this-world food!

We went to Emil's last weekend. They were busy, but the staff did a great job getting us seated…read more Their Rueben is the best! The Nachos were also good! We had Danielle has a waitress and she was attentive, prompt and friendly. The atmosphere is great and they flow people through at a good pace! Definitely coming back!

This is one of our go to spots. We've tried a good chunk of the menu, and have yet to find an…read moreappetizer or main we haven't liked. The variety of appetizers is solid and we almost always get at least two because it's so hard to decide. The pork belly burnt ends and cheese bread are regular favorites for us. The barbecue strangely enough is solid for a place that doesn't do it regularly. I usually get some type of chicken sandwich and the chicken is always moist and above average. The only "cons" I have. Sometimes the service can be a touch slow. This isn't super common, but has happened once or twice for us. Second: the kids chicken tenders just do not look appealing and my son isn't impressed by them. They're dry and honestly they'd be better off getting premade frozen ones cause these ones aren't great. The fries however make up for this ten fold as my son is obsessed with their fries. Otherwise, this place is solid. We recommend it to friends and family regularly and it's a great spot if you're wanting to try something unique.

Met some buddies for lunch. Parking lot was packed but staff squared us away with a table. Enjoyed…read morean F3Both. Amazing. Great place. Will absolutely return.

Saturday night and we didn't feel like cooking. My husband wanted a good burger because he had one…read morethe night before and it was lackluster. We arrived around 545 and Tornado's was FULL! Even with everyone standing around the doorway (there is not much in the way of a waiting area), I was spotted right away and they took my name and said it would be a 30-40 minute wait. Turns out it was only about 20 minutes and we were seated in a comfy booth. The servers were super efficient given how busy it was. We ordered the cheese curds and they were nice and hot. I especially liked them because I prefer breading over beer battered. I ordered the F-3 with sweet potato fries and marshmallow. The sweet potato fries were a little soft/soggy even though they looked burnt, and the burger was a little more red than pink, but that's just a personal preference. It was still a solid burger. My husband ordered the F-3 Both, which looked delicious, and the cheese and jalapeno macaroni salad is always a win. My son ordered the F-4 with FF. He's loves a good burger, and wanted to eat it all, but the portion was large enough that he just couldn't. It was loud and energetic, and we had to talk a little louder, but overall it was a nice dinner out with good food!

Our go-to place for pre-show meal and drinks for any event at the Paramount. Short walk to the…read morevenue. Still very affordable and great service. Mike the bartender was great!

I came here as I thought there was going to a trivia night, but my information was incorrect. I…read moredecided to stay and had a club sandwich and fries. The fries were fresh and hot. They hit the spot! The sandwich was fine, the bread was fresh but the meat was too thick and had more fat on it than I would like. The server was very nice and prompt with refills and the place felt clean. I just felt like the experience was 'okay' and I don't know that I would head back there anytime soon when there is a lot more to explore downtown Cedar Rapids.

Small place with a full bar and amazing food. Great service and a lot to choose from! Will be back!read more

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!

This is the second NYE we have spent at The Hip Stir. The service is great, ambiance is great and…read morethe food is unique a d great as well. We had a party of 10 and we all ordered different things. My husband and I got the cheese curds. The honey Lemon aioli was a legit surprise and was SO good. My husband got salmon and loved the vinegrette salad dressing. I got the chicken marsala gnocchi. It was rich and salty and delicious. I've never had anything quite like it. I also enjoyed being able to enjoy the Tinsel pop up decorations as well.

Very good food. The weekly ramen is a family favorite. Love the smashburger and the bao buns…read more The Tiki summer was fun. The crab Rangoon ramen should be a permanent fixture.

Great local and college bar.. great burgers and good prices on the 16oz beers. Plus the poles on…read morethe bar are fun for people to dance with. Guys and girls!!! Fun place but it does start late.

Typical sports bar. Football on TV, horrible beer selection- every horrible watered-down light…read morebeer you can imagine, along with a Leinie's on top that tastes like piss. Literally.

I recently went back to the Star and I liked it. Good drinks very nice service and a comfortable…read moreatmosphere (except a couple locals at the bar gave us outsiders a curious stare which was a little uncomfortable). We ordered a basket of fries as a snack while we had our drinks and we received a good size basket. If we get the chance we will be back for a larger meal.

First time stopping at the Star. My oh my was it noisy. But…read morewe were told that it's usually quieter. The service was very punctual without feeling rushed. I ordered a burger and my partner had the patty melt, which looked nicer than mine. The burger roll was fairly generic which makes a difference in my mind. Next time I will try something else. Good fries. Clean restrooms, easy parking. Will go again. 3 1/2 stars.