DOWNTOWN IOWA CITY
Hamburg Inn No. 2
214 N Linn St, Iowa City
319-337-5512, hamburginn2.com
A popular breakfast eatery for nearly 90 years, Hamburg Inn No. 2 found new life in 2023 when new owners saved it from certain death. Nothing about Hamburg is fussy, not even their pride in being a stop for presidential candidates. What you do at Hamburg is exactly what the massive block letters on their back wall say to do: EAT. Blueberry pancakes or the straightforward Presidential Special prove filling. Hamburg Inn also gets retro with blue plate specials. If you have the room after breakfast, consider a pie shake.
Baroncini Ristorante Italiano
104 S Linn St, Iowa City
319-337-2048, baroncinirestaurant.com
Baroncini has spent 13 years downtown, a stone’s throw from the historic Englert Theatre and beloved, enduring shops like the Record Collector and Daydreams Comics. Decorative glass and wine bottles decorate the restaurant’s dark wood walls, and romantic lighting and rich hues set the tone for diners. Italian native Chef Gianluca Baroncini makes everything fresh, including the pasta. Traditionalists can enjoy a classic spaghetti and meatballs, while seafood lovers can pick from a bevy of choices. Pay close attention to the daily specials, especially if it’s gnocchi!
Crêpes De Luxe Café
309 E College St, Iowa City
319-887-2233, crepes-de-luxe.com
Crepes are an art, and Crêpes De Luxe Café proves it. The colorful walls, playful chalk menu board and mosaic-inspired counter give the eatery inviting energy. Menu choices include savory breakfast and lunch crepes, but sweet crepes are plentiful and enticing. The classic De Luxe with Grand Marnier, butter and sugar as well as the trendy La Belle with blueberries and bright lemon will satisfy a sweet tooth, morning, noon or night.
Szechuan House
320 E Burlington St, Iowa City
319-338-6788, szechuanhouseia.com
A spacious dining area with wood accents, round tables and many mirrors, Szechuan House is easy on the eyes. The spice, however, is what diners will remember. The menu features a host of Szechuan cuisine including dandan noodles and hot pot — a great meal to test the cohesion of a group, since selecting the soup base, proteins, noodles, veggies and other flavors requires some creative collaboration. If your stomach prefers less intensity, they offer several mild staples like fried rice and chicken lo mein.
—Seeta Lee
IOWA CITY: SOUTHSIDE
Plated Table
625 S Dubuque St, Iowa City
812-318-6793, platedtablecatering.com
Sitting at the intersection of a fine dining establishment, a wine bar and a communal dining room, Plated Table is a chic chimera. The airy space is full of light wood and ethereal light fixtures, and the long communal tables encourage you to get to know your neighbor. Chef/owner Alex Smith’s menu is focused on local ingredients, seasonality and putting thoughtful twists on the familiar; during a recent visit, the menu featured morels and asparagus, a greens-and-goat cheese salad adorned with locally grown violets and a beautifully spatchcocked Cornish hen.
Royceann’s Soul Food
South District Market, Iowa City
royceannssoulfood.com
An anchor in the burgeoning South District Market, Royceann Porter’s soul food restaurant serves up classics like fried chicken, catfish, collards and yams. The interior is well-lit with a soul/jazz/R&B soundtrack and an installation of works from the Black artist J Berry on the walls. For $18 you get your choice of catfish nuggets, fried chicken or pork chops and two sides, with a piece of cornbread to top it all off. The food is so hearty and familiar, it’s sure to spark some pleasant memories.
I Love Fufu
230 E Benton St, Iowa City
319-499-8189, ilovefufuiowacity.com
Housed in a cheery, brightly painted space decorated with African art and potted plants, you’ll find African staples like, of course, fufu — a stretchy, chewy sauce delivery vehicle made of cassava — as well as spicy jollof rice with crisp plantains and your choice of protein and tilapia, fried and served whole. The menu also includes Caribbean dishes (oxtails, jerk chicken) and Mediterranean classics (gyros, lamb shawarma), showcasing the connective threads between seemingly different culinary traditions. There are halal dishes, vegan and vegetarian options and dishes to satisfy even the most conservative Midwest eaters (mac and cheese and egg rolls).
—Tiffani Green
CORALVILLE
Andale Andale
Coral Ridge Mall food court
319-625-2027, andaleia.com
I have a lifelong obsession with Mexican cuisine. Lucky for me, the talented and friendly crew behind the scenes of Andale Andale make flavor fantasies a taqueriality. Owners Emilio and Sari Estrada hail from Michoacán (specifically the northern city of La Piedad de Cabadas), but their menu reflects a range of regional influences—and one the best damn taco salads I’ve ever eaten. Not in the mood to navigate a mall parking lot or delivery app? A second restaurant, Andale Cantina Bar and Grill, opened in North Liberty (780 Community Dr, Ste 1) in January 2023 with a full dining room, margaritas and daily food specials.
Mr. Shawerma
Coral Ridge Mall food court
319-333-6445, mr-shawerma.com
The chicken shawarma plate at this food court feast-maker is a lovely way to falafel. The hummus is creamy, the salad crisp and the hot sauce addictive. The delicate meat spinning on the rotisserie and pillowy soft pitas make this a lunch fit for sultans and famished food courtesans alike.
Marquee Pizzeria
920 E 2nd Ave #123, Coralville
319-333-1018, marqueepizzeria.com
If you’re looking to take in an off-off-off Broadway show starring stage legends like fresh pasta, local craft beer, cocktails and that siren of the pizza stone who has stolen our hearts in so many roles (oh, there’s never a dry eye in the house when she enters the scene), fresh mozzarella! The delightful crew at Marquee come together like a well-oiled, hand-tossed pie, rising to the occasion night or matinee. The big crimson pizza oven, industrial-chic interior and neon arrow sign, glowing red above the patio seating, all add to Marquee’s character.
Three Samurai
1801 2nd St #200, Coralville
319-337-3340, threesamuraijapanesecoralville.com
Would you like to eat good sushi on a patio with your BFFs, looking out on all the Coralville strip commuters who aren’t munching on pineapple rangoons as they drive hither and thither? Then you should plan a long lunch at Three Samurai, land of ample parking, bountiful seating and tantalizing daily specials. Great for solo takeout, Three Sam is best enjoyed as a horde, sharing a dozen-or-so apps, a couple beautifully presented sushi boats and a few rounds of sake.
Iowa Pho
53 2nd St, Coralville
319-261-8888, iowapho.net
Just down the hill from Carver-Hawkeye Arena is a new kid on the Coralville strip. Iowa Pho opened October 2023, just in time for Caitlin Clark fever — if you wanted a dinner as hot as Clark’s scoring streaks (and wings can get a little old, right?), this was your spot. Hawkeye games are often on TV and “Chatahoochie” on the P.A. at this Vietnamese restaurant, which boasts great pho, báhn mì sandwiches, spring rolls and vermicelli, not to mention Vietnamese coffee, lemonade and smoothies. Don’t forget to plunge that báhn mi into your bone broth for an exotic pho-rench dip experience. Pho la la!
Pat and Fran’s Irish Pub
808 5th St Ste 8, Coralville
319-351-1459, patandfrans.com
Here’s to a long life and a merry one; a cold beer and another one! If you’re a lover of warm smiles, delicious Reubens and feel-good flights of potatoes and whisky, then make your way through P&F’s open door. Specialties include Blarney Stones (breaded balls of mashed potato and cheese, topped with corned beef gravy), the McKelvey Mac and Cheeseburger, beef shepherd’s pie with housemade garlic mashed potatoes, and a corned beef platter. If it’s cheesy or tater-y, Pat and Fran do it right. Bingo night is on Thursday!
—Amanda Rossmiller
This article was originally published in Little Village’s 2024 Bread & Butter special issue. Don’t see your favorite restaurant or neighborhood on the list? Let us know at editor@littlevillagemag.com.
