What a delightful accidental find! We opted for the mojito, as we were advised there was some super…read morefresh mint to be had & were pleasantly surprised by the crisp, clean flavors. I went with the daily specials all the way through (smoky pork panini & Mexican street corn soup). Everything was tasty and temps were correct. They offer gluten-free options as well. The hubs is a sucker for key lime pie, so, he ordered - he was disappointed to see it was a frozen pie slice but he still liked it. Loved the seating options - large booths, cozy tables for 2. The gent who helped us out was, I'm guessing, the owner. There was a lot of pride showing in the establishment, food, decor & even the town itself. He was also highly attentive. We greatly enjoyed our visit & would definitely go back.

Food. Is. Good. It's a panini bar but, it's legit!!!! Trust me. Keep your eye on the specials…read more Best bathrooms in town...no lie.

Iconic live music bar. Legends of all genres, near and far, have all played this unsuspecting dive…read moretucked into downtown Iowa City. Two levels and a courtyard. Come early and stake out a spot front and center for your favorite band. Cool, intimate experience buuut that means it also gets crowded quick. Haven't had a problem with sound or service. Great spot to catch a killer show at an affordable price.

I came in tonight on Saturday and it was honeslty the worst experience ever. I was at the bar…read moreordering my drinks and I watch the bartenders and the other employees point and laugh at my boyfriend and then the security goes up to him and asks for his ID, after he was already questioned at the door. I get it. I work in a restaurant also, but I would NEVER do that to someone. I was signing my check to close out my bill, and 3 of the employees stared me down when I wasn't going to tip because of what I watched happen to my partner. I had to ask them what the issue was because it was that obvious. I have loved coming here in the past since it is right by where I live, but I will honeslty never come again.

The Englert Theatre is an Iowa City treasure…read more I had the pleasure of attending the Nutcracker with my family this past weekend and The Englert Theatre did not disappoint. The theatre is well maintained; it's a cozy space and there isn't a bad seat in the house. Additionally, the staff is passionate and insanely helpful. The Theatre was opened over 100 years ago (1912) by a husband and wife (the Englerts) -- it actually used to be a stable. Mr. Englert passed away in 1920 and it changed ownership (of which ended up running the theatre for 80 years before selling). It almost burned down in 1926 but after a huge amount of fundraising, was rebuilt to its 1920s glory and charm. Eventually, the City of Iowa City was persuaded to purchase the theater and hold it in trust until funds could be raised for a newly formed nonprofit to purchase and renovate the space. In 2004, after an immense amount of fundraising, the Englert returned to the community with its first live performance in over 40 years. Truly, a Downtown Iowa City, gem. The Englert has two huge festivals each year -- Mission Creek and Witching Hour. Beside that you can catch a plethora of different shows throughout the year-- all of which seem to be priced accordingly. I'd probably give this closer to a 4.5 rating, vs 5. I only say that because in my nearly 30 years as an Iowa City resident, I can't say many of the shows have attracted me to attend. Additionally, concessions are limited. I must note: my mother-in-law wasn't insanely thrilled with how handicapped accessible the bathrooms were. (Though there is an elevator and there are wheelchair accessible seating areas on both floors.) Iowa City has a parking problem, so it's not the Englert's fault. I'd recommend the Dubuque Street Parking Ramp. But all in all, how lucky are we to have The Englert live and thrive in Iowa City?

It's our holiday tradition to have a nice dinner and see the Nutcracker. We had a wonderful time…read morelast night. It was a beautiful night and the Englert sign lights up so nice. The theater has plenty of seating and we always choose to sit on the balcony. They have a variety of refreshments for before and during the show. It was a great show and we are already looking forward to next year!

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!

After taking a field trip to the legendary Black Angel grave marker in Oakland Cemetery, my…read moreboyfriend and I capped off the evening by hitting the nearby restaurant of the same name. The interior is quaint, cozy, and clean. Lighting and bits of stained glass create the feeling you're in a spot directly influenced by Iowa City's famous statue. The menu is somewhat unexpected. The Black Angel serves up Mexican food and all-day breakfast fare. I ordered the Chorizo and Eggs, which came with two flour tortillas and a cup of black beans. My boyfriend ordered a similar item and we both agreed the black beans had a liquified consistency. (Was this unconventional preparation the work of the Black Angel herself...?) My breakfast tacos were delicious and I had no complaints on that end. I also enjoyed a margarita which was on happy hour special (half-off). It was a generous serving size and decently strong yet drinkable. Our waitress was attentive, fetching our drinks and food in snappy time. She also checked on us after being served to make sure all was well and we weren't having any Black Angel-inspired bad luck with our dining experience. I recommend you spread your wings and check out this local eatery. It pairs well with a visit to the cemetery, too!

I've played here, gone to live shows here and sometimes just go to meet new people and hangout I've…read morerarely seen unfriendly people. Sometimes i run into a bartender having a bad night. They offer pool that's away from the music and also sometimes they'll have food carts. I noticed the one bad reviewer seems to have rated alot of local places with 1 or 2 stars which tells me everything i need to know. I've played live music in this town for about 17 years, this is by far one of the best venues for music or to meet friendly local people. I've had my personal issue's but that doesn't take away from the fact that this place is locally legendary for us musicians. It also sports local artwork all over all the art inside was done by artist from right here in town.

The bartenders were friendly enough but their charm doesn't distract you from the dirty bathrooms,…read morebad music, and odd setup of this establishment. There was some extremely trashy/weird art on the wall and the clientele seems to match. The outdated techno coming from the "DJ" was a fitting backdrop to a giant screen that seemed to be projecting someone's Internet search. I opted to sit far away from that mess, right next to a giant fan that was off until I went returned from the bathroom and it had been turned on full blast and stood in place of my chair. Good incentive for dancing perhaps, but I took it as a hint to get some fresh air...far away from this bar. Might be better on a slower, more mellow night.

This was a charming restaurant with excellent service and excellent food. We had two of the pasta…read moredishes and they were phenomenal. There were only two issues I had concerns with. The first one is the entrance. That is definitely a hazard for both staff and customers. Customers are walking directly in the path of the staff coming out with dishes. Bad design there. You can see the main entrance was ultimately closed in order to accommodate more seating. The other issue is the noise level. That was quite bad as well due to the close proximity of the tables and overall size of the restaurant. I'm sure in the summer this might not be as bad due to the patio portion of the restaurant. Neither will hinder me returning. The food is amazing!

We snagged a last-minute Friday night reservation at 5 PM, and from the start, the service was…read moreamazing. The staff was super friendly, and they were incredibly attentive--our water glasses never even got close to empty. For starters, we had the crab cakes--not the freshest I've had, but still flavorful with a fun spin that made them enjoyable. The real MVP of the night? The Acumen Napa Valley Cabernet 2018. This wine was insanely smooth and balanced, making every sip a perfect pairing for our meal. For mains, we got the Australian lamb chops (cooked beautifully to medium rare--juicy and flavorful) and the shrimp scampi with added roasted mushrooms, which was fresh, light, and seasoned quite well. We concluded the evening with a slice of lemon cream cake -- a refreshing and flavorful way to end the meal, though not the most memorable dish of the night. The ambiance is super cute and high class and cozy. Great for a date night. We spent about an hour and a half dining, and overall, Tuscan Moon is a fantastic choice for a solid meal with great service and delicious wine. Definitely worth coming back for!

I went to this restaurant twice while I was in the area. It seems to be a popular spot for locals…read more I had the lobster ravioli and meatballs the first time and it was very good. I was with a friend who had that bruschetta and another pasta dish, which she really enjoyed. I also ordered the Kahlúa cake, which was very rich and very good. The next time I went, I ordered the spaghetti carbonara and was disappointed. It didn't come with a carbonara sauce. It came with a lemon sauce that tasted like lemon. It didn't come with a spoon to twirl the spaghetti so I used my coffee spoon.

Absolutely one of the best restaurants I have ever been to! food, service and ambiance is just top…read morenotch!

Amazing Venue with a great atmosphere and awesome talent that gets booked! Went to a few concerts…read moreand had a great time!

It's been a while, but Monday nights at Rascals used to be a solid time. The jukebox had a good…read moreselection, pool tables were open, and of course, dollar drafts. Including Guinness. Living in Chicago now, a Guinness runs me $4-6. Paying a buck for a Guinness is a treat; paying ten bucks for ten of them is sublime. The Russian judge deducted a star for the bartender's failing to remember us. Carding your regulars might explain why there's no one there to begin with, ma'am.

What an awesome, fun concert to go to! :-) I've been to this venue several times and it's always…read morebeen a blast! You park in a cow pasture/field where they have a tractor ride that takes you down to the Codfish Hollow venue. And the tractor runs all night, so you can always get a ride back to your car. Very fun!! There used to be so many trails to explore at Codfish Hollow but they blocked them off, which I was the only thing that I was disappointed about. There were excellent food trucks at this event and a long lawn of mowed grass to sit on with fold up chairs. And also inside the barn was good music and lights which was amazing and awesome! :-) Great place to go and listen to good music and to go and drink and enjoy yourself! I can't wait to go back!

This place has been on my list to visit for a long time. Loved that there were lots of firerings…read moredispersed around the pasture plus free, dry firewood. Not sure if it's typical but there was only 1 porto potty (it was October so most campers were in RVs so it didn't matter). My only complaint is I'm starting to turn into an old lady and don't want to stay up and party after the show so was annoyed by how loud it was and for how long after hours. The barn area was amazing and so pretty. Definitely a unique concert experience. Ticket prices are reasonable but can go quickly.