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    Backpocket Brewing

    3.7 (192 reviews)

    Backpocket Brewing Photos

    Business Info

    BACKPOCKET BREWING ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Loud
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Backpocket Brewing

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    Dash in the house !
    Leslie T.

    This is a large brewery! So many fun choices we tried The Legend and Orange icecle. Hand tossed pizza is why we stayed ! So good and not your basic pizza! It's good to be different. This next to a parking garage, a short walk from the Extreme Arena.

    Goat cheese bruschetta
    Aliké S.

    Nice place. Only went once. I think I should say up front, I'm not a beer drinker, aficionado, expert, fan, etc., so this won't be helpful to those of you that are. Sorry! We went there for dinner. With that said, it was ok. Don't recall there being a lot of variety for vegetarians or vegans. But what I ordered I ate! No complaints. Staff was cool. Indoor & outdoor dining. Can get noisy just because of the commercial set up in that area. I really wish Yelp had a half-star option because they were better than 3stars, but not quite 4 either. They deserve to be given a shot if you're on the fence though.

    BBQ nachos
    Jim R.

    Stopped in a Sunday afternoon- Here's what I liked : Beer was delicious and cold. Bartender was cool and offered samples of different selections. He was friendly Ordered the BBQ nachos- good amount of toppings and pork. Overall good flavor. Place was mostly empty- while good for me- probably not good for business. Was able to park right out front- Here's what I though could be better: When I picked up my food- that guy didn't say a word. Just started at me. The nachos on the menu said homemade chips- thought that was cool. They were a cross between a pita chip and triangular pizza dough- weirdest nachos ever. Parking seems like it could be an issue- there was an event going on across the street today. Place was empty. Overall- it was ok, beer was as fabulous and the nachos were different. I would go again and see what else looks good on the menu.

    Food menu.
    Michael P.

    Had a great experience here. We had an excellent server behind the bar and also the same person for food. Good selections for beer and tastings are are free. Fun names for selections. Food menu is not large but adequate. Includes Mac and Cheese and Brisket, pizza, and sandwiches. I had the Brisket sandwich served with kettle chips. The sandwich had a generous portion of meat. The bottom bun slice was pretty soggy from juice of the meat serving. No problem, just flip the sandwich and enjoy. We ordered a dessert pizza. Sadly our server had to return to tell us it wasn't available. No problem really--we had plenty of food with the meal. A few minutes later--surprise!! Another staff member arrived with a complimentary dessert pretzel for us because the other was unavailable. It wasn't needed at all but was a generous gesture that will ensure we return. In the area? Stop in!

    Brisket sliders
    Meredith L.

    My most frequented place in Iowa City/Coralville because of mug club! Reaching back into the summer season pics here so these are a few seasonal menu items but any time they combine jalapeños plus smoked meats, I'm in! Pretty sure these were brisket sliders and brisket pizza. My favorite pizzas there are Molly's Mediterranean and the spicy barbecue chicken. We love their mug club, bar staff, vibe, and patio. If you like sour beer (like me) this is definitely the place for you but they also have a good variety of beer selections that rotate pretty often throughout the year! Also have worked with them a couple different times for event planning in the past and they were super easy to work with.

    Restaurant and bar area

    Fantastic! The caprese sandwich is great. The brisket Quesso could use a little more brisket. Gold Coin beer and the yet to be named Rice beer are exceptionally good! The Tiki Sour beer is fantastic. Not too sour and not too hoppy. Luke the Brewmaster gave an exceptional personal tour! He provided more brewing details than any other tour we've been on. The servers were friendly and personable. The patio was nice too. This is a great place to bring your spouse, a date, or a customer. I'm coming back!

    Cheese bread
    Katie S.

    COVID friendly. Order at the bar, pick up at the bar when your food is ready. QR code menu. No server to your table = less contact. Felt completely safe in there tonight, but it was also pretty quiet since it was a Thursday night at 7:30. But, definitely felt safe. We had pizza and cheese bread - pizza is pretty standard, cheese bread was *delish*! One year ago we had our rehearsal dinner at Backpocket and it was wonderful. They had a good sized menu to select from for "catering", had an awesome setup outside for us (we needed outside for more room + dogs), and overall everything just went super smooth and they were very easy to work with. The fire pit area was great for the chilly evening. Highly recommend for a laid back rehearsal dinner or any other event!

    Tiki sour
    RouFails G.

    Wanted to try some beer and food this Sunday. The only thing not giving five stars is that I'm not blown away. It's very good food don't get me wrong! We had some very good cheese bread and a pretzel. We had 11th anniversary imperial sour and the tiki sour. The tiki sour was very sweet and tasted great, but I tend to prefer a more intense sourness. The 11th anniversary had a bold strong flavor. Chocolate and vanilla flavors and hint of coconut. A very good stout! We didn't sample the main courses but we will be sure to come back and try later. If you want a bunch of good local beer and some starters give this place a try!

    Fire pit on patio
    Gloria M.

    BackPocket has great pizzas, great beer and a great patio for a nice spring evening. We spent out Sunday evening on the patio eating bbq chicken pizza and sipping the 319 brew for a few hours. Once the sun set and it started to cool off outside we sat by the fireplace and it was a very relaxing environment. They have excellent customer service and merchandise of some of your favorite brews!

    a pug wearing a hat and scarf
    Thomas P.

    Was here for the Yelp IC collab event for Pups & Pints. I hadn't been back here in quite some time but everything was setup nicely. The pizzas were great and I had a Gold Coin. The service was very quick at the bar and they'll let you taste whatever is on the board for beers on tap. @theamazingjakethedog enjoyed the newly canned Barkpocket Brews and the outdoor patio was spacious. I would definitely attend another Pup event here any time!

    Dog friendly patio!
    Sierra S.

    We had such a good night at Backpocket! The beers were great, the environment was amazing, and the staff were even better! I definitely recommend the pizza or sliders! Plenty of room on the patio area and dog friendly!

    Alex L.

    Great pizza, great beer. Wish they had bottled water or served water versus having it in an athletic igloo water cooler. Will come back again!

    Great food and beer

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    Great service, brews and food! Staff was really friendly and fun. Made our visit extra fun!

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    4 years ago

    Clean toilets, friendly bartenders, great food quality a bit oily but awesome overall

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Backpocket Brewing

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    We went on a weekday during happy hour and there was lots of seating and ample free parking…read more Their happy hour deals were nice, they had a wine deal where you get a double pour, so you pay for one glass but they give you a glass with double the wine content. It was a lot of wine but a good deal! The only thing that was difficult is their printed wine menu is different from what they had available. The waitress was nice so she got some recommendations from the bartender and we were able to choose wine that way. The pizza was great, some of the best we have had in Coralville. Their pasta tasted fresh and homemade, I am not sure if it is but that was the vibe we got. The broccolini was hot!! Not in a straight out of the oven way, but in an it carries some heat way. We thought maybe there was chili oil on it? But even though we weren't expecting the heat, they were super good. The only downside to the meal was the crème brûlée, it bothers me when the top isn't crispy. Normally, you use the spoon to kind of break the sugar glass on top (i think it's sugar?) and I was sad when the sugar on top was missing from half of it. I think to make it you use a blowtorch to melt the sugar on top (?) idk how it works, but whatever that step is I think it was missed. Other than that great food and drinks!

    Wow. Ambiance. Legit. Food most importantly amazing. The basic cheese dish pizza, which is happy…read morehour is filling for one person and can also be split for two. The ranch dressing was amazing. It just went up in price to $8. The six dollar beers could've been cheaper but hey for the price of the pizza I'll take it - much thank you so much. $15 (ranch $1 extra. Boo) for a beer and a pizza from 2 to 5 Monday through Friday. The menu looks normwith pasta and apps as well.

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    Marquee Pizzeria - $8 2-5 happy hour cheese  pizza only. M-f 2-5 pm.

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    Wig & Pen Pizza Pub - Onion Rings

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    I asked three people where we should eat when visiting the University of Iowa. They had a lot of…read moreopinions. Every one of them said Wig & Pen. And so we did. My wife isn't a big pizza fan, so anytime we have an opportunity to pick pizza as a dine-in dinner, and blame it on others, I'm going to take that opportunity. And she loved it too. First for the appetizer, we chose the onion rings. They were really onion straws (remember the old Damon's BBQ Onion Loaf? They're like that!). They were great. A bit messy, but great. For pizza, we went with the thin crust Union Jack, which is basically deluxe: Italian sausage, pepperoni, onions, mushrooms, red bell pepper. I loved the way they cut the peppers super thin, and the pizza was fantastic. I'd love to try the other crust/styles as well someday, but the table voted and that's what we landed on. Six stars for the pizza. The restaurant is bigger than it looks, and was very crowded on an early Saturday evening. It is obviously popular, as the inside dining was full and the outdoor patio was nearly as popular. Service was very friendly, and helped us navigate the crust decision. The only downside - and I didn't test them on it - is the 'only one refill' rule on their fountain drinks. I hate this rule almost as much as Mexican restaurants charging for the second basket of chips and salsa. It just makes no sense to me. But I don't think I even finished the first one, so I have no idea if they would have actually charged me if I had !GASP! asked for a third drink. This is a top ranking for me - loved it, will return next time I'm in town. If you're looking for a great pizza place with other dishes on the menu, Wig & Pen is a great choice!

    First time here The parking need more spaces but there is…read moreparking next door, at your own risk, and sitting at the bar was a challenge with getting my first beer... however... the cheesy garlic bread was SOOOO GOOD!! And ordered the Manchester style pizza (Detroit style) was RIDICULOUSLY DELICIOUS!!!! The lighting is weird (redish but it works I guess)

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    Happy Joe's Pizza

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    A word of caution to anyone who moves away from Happy Joe's territory: it is highly unlikely that…read moreyou will find a place that produces a taco pizza quite like this. Yes, some places will claim to make taco pizzas, but they are a far cry from these, which sport fresh tomatoes and lettuce buried under a layer of broken up taco shells and served with hot sauce packets. My sister and I were visiting our old stompin' grounds recently, and we both agreed that we needed a taco pizza. It has been nearly 20 years since I moved away (and longer for her), and a mini family reunion provided the right opportunity to seek out some comfort food. We ordered for takeout, and when I arrived the pizza was cooked, but there was the last step of preparation that remained: to add the fresh tomatoes, lettuce, and taco shells. By waiting to add these toppings until after we arrived, it guaranteed that they would be fresh and crisp, not soggy from the heat and the condensation in the box. We quickly found a cool place to dig in. It was exactly as we remembered, and perfect in every way. This also provided an opportunity to introduce this unique creation to some family members who had never had this before. Much to our surprise, they decided that it wasn't to their liking. Poor fools - more for us.

    I've never had an issue with this Happy Joe's Pizza. It is carryout/delivery ONLY-- but I've only…read moreordered carryout. My favorite is their namesake-- Happy Joe's Special. It is canadian bacon and sauerkraut. Before you turn your nose up to it, I totally recommend you try it! It is the perfect combo and the only thing like it in town. Period. End of story. (I am a sauerkraut connoisseur of sorts... this place is legit.) I enjoy both their pan and thin crust. They're not overly greasy. But personally feel the thin is better for my sauerkraut fav. In my experience, a large can feed my family. (4-6 folks) Service is ok. Pricing is standard. Location is convenient, but hidden. You kind of have to search for this hole in the wall. I'd say in reality this place is a 3.5 star... but will round up because I have yet to get a subpar pie.

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    Backpocket Brewing - breweries - Updated September 2026

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