Dinner Options

Dinner in Iowa City—goodness, where to begin?! You should really plan to arrive a week or two early so that you’ll have time to sample more of our culinary offerings!

If you are staying in the Sheraton or the Vetro Hotels, you will have no trouble stumbling upon the many and varied restaurant options in the immediate downtown area, so this blog will emphasize eating places that are situated a few blocks beyond downtown, but still within easy walking distance.

Near North Side

Just three blocks north on Linn Street is Iowa City’s culinary paradise. There are countless fine options within a block of the corner of Linn and Market. Among them:

Devotay – 117 N. Linn St. My personal favorite. They use locally sourced ingredients, with a focus on tapas. The wine list is one of the best in Iowa, and the atmosphere is friendly and intimate.
El Banditos – 327 E. Market St. In my opinion, the best Mexican food in town. Not Tex-Mex, but rather the Perez family’s unique take on a variety of regional cuisines. My personal favorite is the carnitas burrito. They also serve a killer tres leches.
Bashu – 121 N. Linn St. For the truly adventurous, Bashu offers what is probably the most authentic Chinese cuisine in Iowa City. The emphasis is Szechuan. Warning—HOT HOT HOT!
Bluebird – 330 E. Market St. A slightly upscale diner, Bluebird offers an eclectic selection of comfort food. Many dishes have (sometimes unexpected) Cajun overtones.

Bluebird Diner Exterior, from Michaela Kendall, “Here are 11 Delicious Diners in Iowa,” Only in your State, http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/iowa/11-awesome-diners-in-ia/

Some less pricy North Side options:

Pagliai’s – 302 Bloomington St. An Iowa City classic. They serve pizza and only pizza—don’t expect to order a side salad or anything except pizza and drinks. It’s the classic thin-crust, considered by many to be the best in the area.
Hamburg Inn – 214 N. Linn St. The classic Iowa City diner, with lineage dating to the 1930s, this is popularly known as “The Burg.” All the standard diner fare and more. A standard stop for presidential candidates during the Iowa Caucus campaign season, the Hamburg Inn was featured in an episode of The West Wing. A favorite (unverified) rumor: when the New York Times ran a feature on “The Burg,” they singled out their “famous pie shakes”—a figment of the Times writer’s imagination which the cooks then had to invent to meet popular demand! After decades in this single location, Hamburg Inn is poised to become a worldwide chain, with a branch already planned in Shanghai.

Hamburg Inn No. 2 In Iowa City, Iowa (by Farragutful, Wikimedia Commons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburg_Inn_No._2#/media/File:Hamburg_Inn_No._2.JPG)

Oasis – 206 N. Linn St. Visiting writers from across the Middle East have praised their hummus and falafel.

South on or near Gilbert Street

Thai Flavors – 340 E. Burlington St. This “community restaurant” just two blocks from the Hotel Vetro is a favorite gathering spot for social activists.
Thai Spice – 1210 S. Gilbert St. A bit more of a walk (beyond the railway overpass), they have the best Thai food in town, IMHO.
Orchard Green – 521 S. Gilbert St. American-Mediterranean cuisine. I haven’t eaten there yet, but they look good!
Trumpet Blossom Cafe – 310 E. Prentiss St. Delicious organic vegetarian cuisine, pleasant atmosphere.

Trumpet Blossom Exterior, From “Trumpet Blossom-Iowa City, IA,” EverydayTastiness, http://www.everydaytastiness.com/2015/08/trumpet-blossomiowa-city-ia.html