Their food and restaurant is very underrated! My husband and I have been here twice and it has been fantastic each time! The wings, baked cheese, brown butter scallops and white chocolate macadamia nut & cherry skillet cookie are amazing! We brought our kids with us, and they do have a kids menu! The decor is so fun too, so many things to look at, they have clearly thought of everything down to tampons and mints in the adorable woman's restroom. We will come back again and again! read more

The place Marion needs. Very interesting menu, great service (Sarah is the best ever), great happy hours, great decor and ambiance, and a great bar. Love the burger. read more

Been here a few times for Happy Hour and have loved the 2 for 1 drinks. A few beers are premium so there is an additional charge, but it's still a great deal. Went today for lunch and had the egg and ham sandwich. It was great! Egg salad (without a ton of Mayo), prosciutto, radish, and herbs on toasted bread. I'd definitely recommend. My friend got the fried cheese pita and really enjoyed it. I'd suggest getting the house chips - warm potato chips with a seasoning salt. I could eat those all day. Sit in one of the barrel booths if they are open! read more

Fantastic service! The fries with a side of black garlic ranch was an outstanding unexpected delight!! It's now on my go to list for condiments. read more

Tried The Hip-Stir for the first time for dinner. Wow! The food and service was amazing! I had the Bigger Better Burger with a Gluten Free bun! Yes, they have gluten free buns AND a gluten free fryer if needed!! It was delicious! Oh, and the bougie fries! The meal did not disappoint! I need to also mention how awesome Abby was as our server... Run, don't walk to this restaurant! Great food AND service! read more

The Hip-Stir - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Marion, Iowa

I went with a friend to downtown Marion to visit: the hip-stir. What a great experience!! We were greeted and seated in the hallway because it was raining outside (where they have normally been seating people while still being not fully open and still under construction) and they are only open for reservations because they don't have their seating area all set yet. We started off with some of Caleb Scales' (the manager of the hip-stir) award winning cocktails. It was very cool for Caleb to come and greet us as well as chat with us about this new upcoming restaurant of his. From drinking a traditional Manhattan cocktail with the proper bitters and traditional rye whiskey, to drinking Caleb's award winning Hard Nutz Life cocktail, to drinking the H.B.F.S. cocktail, everything was absolutely amazing and delicious...and I'm not usually a big cocktail person, but I loved the hip-stir's cocktails. We then ordered the Mussels and Scallops with Big Bread appetizer which was also very very tasty. Dipping the big bread baguette into the delicious sauce with the mussels and scallops made this dish even more amazing. Finally, we each got an entree to share: the Brown Butter Scallops entree and the Yakitori Miso Udon entree. Both entrees made me feel like I was in an extremely fine dining establishment, as they both were absolutely delicious!! Our server kept our drinks full and was fun to talk to as well. The dim lighting was nice and the whole atmosphere and ambiance of the hip-stir was serene. The price of the whole meal was expensive but entirely worth every bite and sip. I just loved my whole experience at the hip-stir and I can't wait to return!! read more

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Great ambiance. I enjoy grabbing a drink with friends here when on this side of town, especially during happy hour, but the food is not great. The cauliflower shishito appetizer was inedible. There was water in the bottom of the dish which really makes me question how the cauliflower and other menu ingredients are truly prepared/stored. The other dishes we tried were lackluster and not worth the price. read more

I failed to take photos, for this I am sad. The food here was really exceptional. We had the oysters both raw and ceviche style. Just order a dozen of ceviche, they will blow your mind. We shared the pork belly buns. Omg! So good. We split the hot chicken sandwich and fries. The drinks are crafted cocktails and they were delicious. The server was busy running all over the place, but did a great job at coverage at every table. The ambiance is fun. There are huge barrels around each booth, giving a nice separation from each and lots of interesting stained glass panels and Tiffany style lamps hanging. It's eclectic, but fun. We don't know anything about the region, but Hip-Stir is in the middle of a downtown renaissance taking place now. There was a ton of construction, so I am looking forward to coming back again when it is complete. Someone has some serious vision for downtown Marion and they deserve a serious award for that. This restaurant and surrounding businesses will all benefit from this for years to come! We'll be back! read more

Great food, drink selection and great staff. Not the standard menu but all is really great.

Because home reno left us kitchen-less we ate at Hip-Stir twice this week. Our server at lunch was the most friendly, helpful engaging individual! I had the fish and chips, which were ample and superb, with subtle but unique and delicious seasonings in the batter. My husband had a Cajun shrimp pasta dish that was also excellent. Last night we returned for burgers and beer. We enjoy being seated in the big barrel booths, and love the cozy atmosphere in general. We each had the Le Smashburger -- and it was to die for! It must be something about the Demi glacé mingling with the tartar sauce and melted Velveeta (I *know*! But trust me.) Paired with ReUnion amber ale it was just delightful (good fries, too). Later, at home my husband said, "that was possibly the best burger I've ever had in my life!" I said, "Get outta my head!" because I was *just* thinking the same! Still thinking about today, cuz we each brought home a half and will love it for lunch! read more

Disappointed is all I can say, menu is lacking. We left after 20mins , looks like a good place for stuckup woke types

Unbelievable flavors. All dishes were good. We especially enjoyed the cold salad, the smash burger and the upside down pineapple cake. Decor is very well done. Tucked away corners and overall great vibe. We will be back ! read more

The Hip-Stir - a man sitting at a bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Marion, Iowa

Great food and always unique. But just as easy to get a regular burger. Great atmosphere with tv in bar and lots of great things around the bar to look at and discuss. Great service! Quick and helpful. read more

Came here tonight with our out of town friends. It was amazing. Food was so good and our server Tess was the best we've had! Great place. Will be back. read more

Great ambiance and food. Perfectly attentive server. Came here for the first time during restaurant week. Will be returning soon! read more

The Hip-Stir - Menu for restaurant week - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Marion, Iowa

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This place is probably my new fave on the CR area! I love the remodeling they have done - the interior is lavish and eccentric! We sat in a booth which looks like a big barrel - loved it as our conversation felt more intimate and the sound did not carry. I was little nervous about the food when first looking at the menu as this too is very eccentric. We started with the deviled eggs - beautiful presentation and phenomenal flavors - bbq, everything seasoning, and sweet potato chip. For dinner I went with the turkey burger which was topped with an apple slaw and blackberry ketchup. Flavor explosion!! My side of waffle fries were also amazing - they have a special seasoning - somewhat sweet, but it is good! Absolutely loved our experience and cannot wait to come back! read more

Amazing food and very fun atmosphere. Not someone who drinks but the have great mock tails.

I have brought many guests here when they visited. NEVER disappointed! The drink menu is amazing. The apps and meal choices are SO unique and good! Probably my current favorite restaurant in Marion. I have tried many things and NEVER been disappointed. Coming back this weekend! read more

Great service, fun drinks, amazing food :) you get discounted a tiny bit if you pay cash too

The ambiance is really the win here. Those barrel booths are super cool. Food was just ok for our whole large party. It was a little expensive to not make a bigger impression, we thought. Our server handed us every drink with her hand around the top of the glass. Then she brought us straws that weren't wrapped that were fisted in her bare hands. Not a great impression. Overall, I don't think we'll be back. read more

I was in a small group of people, some people in the group had food sensitivity. The were very helpful and knowledgeable about the menu. Everyone found something with a few subst read more

Be prepared for a very eclectic atmosphere. The food is very different. I shared the steak frite with loaded fries. The seating was very nice, we were a small group and got our own little seating area. Give it a try for something different. read more

Where should we begin? The entire experience is enchanting. The interior design and decor is assembled with such artistic grandeur it is like a Oscar winning movie that each time you see it you will catch another detail that will continue to impress you. We started with some craft cocktails and the pork belly steam buns appetizer, a little spice (Love it) and the pork belly was crisp and perfect. Dinner was the smash burger and a lobster and shrimp ramen served in a cheese broth.....I actually laughed the entire time I was eating it because it was, I kid you not so good that it just made me that happy. I was excited to see a couple options on the wine list from Orin Swift we chose a bottle and had desert to end the meal. Desert was house made donuts (check the menu for details) I just don't have the words. A linguistic talent the likes of Shakespeare is required to give a fair description of this masterpiece so I won't make a attempt I will leave you with this I left feeling lucky to have been there, happy I ate there and anxious to return. read more

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Was very humid inside. Food was ok. Nothing extraordinary. Drink menu was a bit limited on beers. Guy took for ever to check on us so we left after only one drink. read more

First visit during opening week. The inside decor is really neat with a very unique vibe. The place was pretty packed and there were only two servers so the service was very slow. Good drink menu and beer on tap. The menu has a very Asian gourmet flair and hard to decipher with the descriptions. Our food was good but not fantastic and did not justify the gourmet prices. Would be a good place to gather with friends for drinks but the menu needs work for prices charged. read more

Our favorite restaurant in Marion. Everything I've eaten there is great and the service is always fantastic.

Atmosphere and decor awesome. First round of drinks (a draught beer and a basic cocktail) took 15-20 minutes and was at 40-50% capacity so not terribly busy. Too long as got to point where contemplating leaving. Bad first service experience and it wasn't the waitress' fault as the bar was supposedly behind or just slow. Will go back for another try as the food was very good. read more

Went for dinner on a Wednesday at 6:00 PM. Not full but busy. Was told we had to wait 15 minutes and were shown to waiting area. Temp was probably 80* plus inside. Got our table and after waiting for server decided AC was obviously broken and left. read more

Love the food and atmosphere at this place. It's so funky and unique. The pork belly steam buns are AMAZING. I've eaten there many times and will be back many more. Love their cocktail menu, too! read more

The chicken and waffles is absolutely disgusting. The waffles come drenched in syrup and peanut butter. OMG why?? Peanut butter all over the fried egg and the chicken is a greasy mess. read more

Super fun ambience! Eclectic menu of fun things to try and share with a group. Good options for creative mixed drinks.

I went here despite the owners and the food and decor are great, the portions for some things are a little much while some others are skimpy. But the quality and the vision are worth 4 stars. read more

Love Hip Stir! We went there for a birthday. Everyone was happy with their food. We had burgers, the lobster ramen, and oysters. Fun decor. Lively environment. And we had great service. Highly recommended. :) read more

Lobster Ramon was mediocre. I think the the cheese broth was made with Velveeta. Lobster pieces were good. I think the price for what you get was too expensive. Pork bun was good. Could have been spicier. Did not taste any kimchi flavor. I liked the smoky salt on top. Donut was too dense, I would have liked a fluffier donut. Wine uncorked fee was $20. I think they should lower the price. Love the decor. read more

Oh my!!! This place is fantastic. We got to go to their soft opening. The decor is wonderful, staff is friendly, and the smash burger was absolutly incredible. A must visit for sure read more

They treat a cocktail as it should be a receipt. The bar tender was attentive and pleasant, but not intrusive. Atypical bar food a nice change of pace. read more

Some unique menu items. Interesting decor. Wait staff was efficient. Booths help lower the noise. Definitely will go back.

This is the real deal in terms of great flavors and service. The cocktail menu is very inventive. We like the basics like martinis and manhattans, but they have many interesting cocktails that challenge your pallet to identify all of the flavors. As far as appetizers go, we have had the buttered shrimp twice and the sauce is something that you can savor throughout the entire meal. The sandwiches (hotdog with kimchi, egg salad and turkey burger) are completely delicious with really bold flavors. We had the prime rib frites and the Raman lobster on another visit and were impressed. The soups are the best outside of our favorite place in New Orleans. That, honestly, is something that is very hard to do and is a huge draw for us. 7th Avenue in Marion isn't Royal Street in New Orleans, but this place is making a run for it. read more

First off, let me say the decor is gorgeous. Perfection. 5 stars for that. Just incredible. Service was ok. The food is......trying too hard to be hip. Way too hard. Everything had miso or star anise, or kimchi or just whatever sounded pretentious to the chef I guess. The end results were average. Not bad, not great, just blah. Would I go back to have cocktails, sure! It was a great atmosphere for an instagram post. For dinner, not so much. read more

We tried this place today. It was ok. The smashburger was better than the bigger better burger. It was cooked medium whereas then bigger better was cooked well done. The flavor on the smash burger was better. The boujee fries were great though. Great flavor. No caviar on the side portion which I was disappointed by, as it says it comes with on the menu. The decor and ambiance was really neat, besides the fire that took place in the restaurant while we were there. Marion Fire Department saved the day. The restaurant was a little smoky but didn't affect operations at all. Ratings are based purely on the food. I probably would go back once more but not for a while. read more