What a nice restaurant! Menu is varied from burgers and salads to many home cooked favorites such as shepherds pie or crab cakes Comfortable padded chairs or wooden diner booths Old Fashioned cocktail score: 8/10 Noise level: depends on time of day Service: attentive and efficient but not intrusive Monica is always there and watching over all which is why it's so good read more

Food was good, only downside was one of the plates that you eat apps with was dirty and covered in dried red sauce when I got to the table. read more

Monica's - Fett Alfredo - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

Food was amazing. Service was great. The ambiance was welcoming and chill. I wasn't sure what to wear, you could wear comfy clothes or dress up. They have tvs if you're concerned about watching a game while eating out. read more

Monica's - Baked Ziti - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

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It nice. Not super fancy but not a dump either, but nice. The music was not too loud, the bread and butter was great. The service was quick and friendly the food was tasty and well presented. They offer tater tots which was a nice change. All in all if you are a student and looking for a place to take the parents for lunch, I recommend Monica's. read more

I've been here twice now in 12 months. It's my college daughter's favorite place. Both times we had 6+ people. They handle big groups with ease. The waitstaff was attentive. They bring out the food close together which is a big deal. Menu is huge! Choices are endless. They give you tons of bread which is not healthy but irresistible. They will bring out olive oil and pepper as well. Seems a little pricy for the college area but at least portion sizes are good. The place is nice, but I would think it would be nicer given the prices. I was expecting more of a romantic, higher end establishment. It's really great for college families (when mom and dad are paying) and for college kids to splurge on a nice dinner once in a while. read more

Went to Monica's for the first time and it was a delightful, fine dining experience. The dining area looks very posh and the ambient music really added to the experience. I dined on the chicken and spinach ravioli in a white Alfredo and red pasta sauce. It was divine. They also offer free bread with your choice of peppered oil or maple butter. The staff were amazing and very accommodating. 10/10, will return read more

Monica's - Chikn & Spin Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

I used to frequent Monica's in the 2000-2010 era and the food was great! Recently I have returned 3 times in the first half of 2026 and every soup or entree that I ordered was so salty I had to wash it down with copious amounts of ice water. Girlfriend commented exactly the same about her food. I'm kinda familiar with their menu. It hasn't changed over the years. I would suggest you enjoy a salad. I haven't tried their pizzas or burgers so I won't speculate on those but I would stay away from more complex soups or Italian or Cajun dishes because something is definitely off. read more

Visited Monica's with a friend who loves this place. This was before a basketball game, so we had a reservation and were able to get our table right on time. We sat on the elevated platform; which felt like we were sitting in a train car - so fun. I ordered the cedar plank salmon and very much enjoyed it. It was even tasty left over. read more

As a gluten-free person, I love the breath of options here. Monica's offers savory, homestyle meals, which is something hard to find with food restrictions. As a bonus, they have gluten-free bread as part of the bread service with cinnamon butter. This is one of our favorite spots to visit before a Hawkeyes basketball game. There's plenty of room for lots of patrons, and the food comes our fast. And the portions are enough for leftovers. read more

Monica's - Blk Fett Lobstr, gluten free - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

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Poor service, bad food, and high prices. From the bad bread and rancid olive oil and the two pasta dishes, nothing was good. I've had better frozen pasta from the supermarket. I was passing through on a trip and stopped here because of the high reviews. What a major waste of money. Travelers beware...the high prices do not equal high quality. read more

I've recently had to do gluten free while figuring stuff out with my health. This place popped up with a gluten free menu... boy was it a menu! It was huge with so many options! The staff was so kind and helpful. We got the food to go and while we waited they gave the kids coloring pages. 10/10! read more

Monica's - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

Not sure why it took me so long to get into this place. Once we went a couple times though, it is not hard to fall in love. It's easy to enjoy a reliably good meal at Monica's. We like to take out-of-town guests here for an expansive menu so that everyone can find something they like- they even feature a gluten free menu. Sometimes large menus are a red flag, but so far no one we've brought has been dissatisfied. Our favorites: -big salads -surprisingly good burger -bruschetta We feel lucky we got to see Randy in his last weeks, picking up trash, greeting customers and weeding the planters outside. It seems his spirit will live on at Monica's with great service and kindness to greet you each time. read more

Monica's - Bruschetta - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

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Monica's has a very casual vibe with lots of patio seating. I went here on my first night in Coralville and found it be to be the perfect place for some nice (but slightly elevated) comfort food. The food is a bit pricy, but they say that they try and keep the prices as low as they can without sacrificing quality. The menu was quite large. I ordered the Mac n Cheese. It was delicious with a breadcrumb top. I would absolutely order this dish again. The service was quick and our waitress was nice but nothing out of the ordinary. read more

Monica's - Burrta Mac' n Chz - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

Very nice restaurant with an incredible menu and range of meals. Took my wife and 2 sons for dinner tonight and the food and service were worth a solid write up. I had the schnitzel, my sons the chicken fried steak and the jambalaya. My wife had the ziti. All were quite good, although my son mentioned the shrimp in the jambalaya was a little fishy. Service was ok and the seating outdoors was comfortable. Glad we went. read more

Waited at our table for 20 minutes and no waiter/waitress came to help us. Walked out.

Environment reminds you of a iHop, but that's where mediocre stops. Everything else was great! Party of 5 and every plate was cleared! The salads were probably more than one could eat in a sitting... but I managed to clear my plate because it was so good (fried Brie and pears). Plus! They have a gluten free menu! Lots of vegetarian options too. Service was attentive. I'd come back for sure. read more

Service was great. The French Onion soup, a 5 out of 5. Caesar salad was good but a little too much dressing for my liking - I'll ask for it on the side next time. Buffalo chicken wrap was a good as well as the pizza. Glad we stopped in because we'll definitely be back! read more

The gluten-free pizza was delicious. The service was great and place was nicely decorated and clean. The salted caramel cheesecake was amazing and gluten-free too. Will definitely return when I am back to Iowa City. Bonus they have a gluten-free menu. read more

I liked the family diner feel, but the food was incredibly underwhelming, especially for the price. Whether it was the chicken fettuccine alfredo I ordered, the burrata mac my husband ordered, or the baked ziti my friend ordered, everything was the same unappetizing color and rather bland. The chicken that came with my dish tasted like precooked, prepackaged chicken strips. I ate around most of it, but that also just left the noodles with alfredo lacking something. The baked brie we ordered was tasty with the apples, but it was a little under done. It could have been gooier on the inside and the bottom pastry appeared slightly raw. The saving grace was the dessert menu. Without it, I would have gone as low as two stars. We tried the Amish pie, white chocolate bread pudding, and creme brule. The Amish pie was deeeeeelicious and the creme brule had a crisp, caramelized top to it that really makes the dish shine. As a group, we determined that the only time we will go back is when we are craving a dessert outing. I'm still glad it is part of the community, as it looks as though this place is a hit to many and is very involved in the area. read more

Monica's - Burrata Mac and cheese - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

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Most of the food is quite good although some items miss the Mark, but it's very spotty. Service is generally excellent on all fronts Nice family restaurant. Ambience depends upon where you sit and its proximity to the kitchen. Their named pizzas are excellent! read more

Monica's is our go-to, "where everyone knows you name, " restuarant. We never hesitate to drop in for lunch or dinner whenever we want to go out v cook! Monica and her staff are always welcoming, friendly and glad to see us...but they treat everyone who walks in their door the same. It's a comfy, warm, and full of enticing aromas of what's cooking in the kitchen. Without fail, I always order my favorite...the Ryan Bowen pizza...all veggies and I add a few more and a side Caesar salad. All the pizzas are named after University of Iowa athletes according to their taste preferences. Kinda cool! Last Friday night, the place was bustling with a full house! Great! Drinks were well made and promptly delivered by our delightful server...starting off with their whole grain and white bread plate, olive oil w/pepper/parmesan cheese to taste and the brown sugar/cinnamon butter (yum!) . Pizza and a turkey/avocado paninni with fries for my husband soon followed. The spirit and hospitality of Randy Larson liives on through Monica and her staff. We'll be back again and again! read more

Monica's - Ryan Bowen Pizza! - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

A little pricey but still very tasty. The portions were a good size. There was a large selection of alcohol and the apple margarita I ordered was surprisingly good. Lydia was fantastic, very personable and on top of anything I needed for my meal. I will definitely be back to try more of the menu! read more

Ate there on 11/7/25. The waitress, a big long gawky lady, was rude as can be. I left her zero tip, and it appears she may have overrode that, overcharging me for the meal. Never eat there. These people are scummy and have no business running a restaurant. Food was actually passable. Not real Italian, but passable for Iowa. Pass on their crap, if you're smart. read more

We were disappointed. Everything was average. We started with drinks--my Bellini was good. Friend's Tini Bellini was good, too. Guys draft beers were good. Onion rings were thick & ok. Ranch was good. My ziti was ok--I paid more for shrimp & got 3. Not much pancetta but a lot of chicken breast. I took home 1/2 of it. No salad, No roll & mine was the most expensive meal. Hubby enjoyed his angel hair with seafood. Friend's meatloaf was blah--too much filler! The mashed potatoes were cool & thick. He left 1/2 & didn't want a to go box. Friend's wife's chicken Parmesan sandwich was average--needed more seasoning & marinara. Her salad was good. The complimentary bread & oil& cinnamon butter was tasty. Service was fine. Owner greeted us & thanked us for coming in as we left. read more

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We came at lunch time, just after opening. We should have just sat outside because we were bothered by flies at our table indoors the entire time. We got the artichoke crab dip to start, and that was probably the highlight. Super rich and delicious! We then had the black noodles and ziti. My husband had the ziti and was surprised at the size for the price. When I asked him how it tasted, he shrugged and said, "it's ziti". So, we'd say the ziti isn't bad, just nothing special. We also paid to add shrimp, and although the shrimp are large, you're paying about $1 for each shrimp added. I had the black noodles with lobster and was surprised to find I simply didn't like the dish. I tried to trade with my husband, but it was a no-go as he did not like the flavor either. Maybe we just didn't order the right thing, but between the underwhelming food, the flies, and the poor service (did I not mention the poor service yet? That's because it was basically non-existent), I don't think we will be back. read more

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This restaurant is fantastic. Great food. Nice atmosphere and the owner is there and comes around talking to the customers which is a nice touch. read more

This is a diner close to campus. Reasonable prices and great food. I didn't know they had diners in the Midwest! I had a dinner salad, chicken and spinach ravioli, and a dessert. Chocolate cake with ice cream. Everything was so good. Sometimes when the menu is large nothing is good, but everything is good here. Highly recommend! read more

Monica's - Pizza - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

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Made reservations for a 8 member family dinner. Our waitress was incredible! She was attentive without being overbearing. The manager (I guess?) came by to check on it, but didn't really stop moving, so not sure what he would have done if we had a problem, as he just walked past us, said "everything ok?" and didn't even wait or look to see. However, the food was very good. Would definitely recommend! read more

Ask Monica --- I order delivery from here once a week. #noshame And, my order is pretty much the same thing....every week. What can I say I'm a creature of habit and when I find something I love why order anything else. So here is my order which should be your order too. 1. Black fettuccine with lobster - heavenly. 2. Side dinner salad with ranch Simple, but so brilliant. See photos for evidence. NB: I do not know Monica or if Monica is a real person lol. Just know that if she is, sending over a thank you for her restaurant in Iowa City. read more

Monica's - Dinner Salad - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

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Great food and service. Food for a party of 6 was served together. Busy sometimes, but that's because it's good.

Monica's had been on my list of restaurants to try since moving to the area. We received a Grub Hub gift card and found out that Monica's accepts these. Yay! We ordered the fried ravioli appetizer, black fettuccini with lobster and a black bean burger w/ onion rings. I generally thought everything was 'ok', but wasn't blown away by any of it. For the prices we paid, nice photos on their website, and the many other positive reviews, I was expecting more than mediocre. I didn't care for any of the sauces; alfredo and tomato that came with the ravioli, ranch with the onion rings and a ranch-salsa sauce that came with the burger. Sauces were plentiful, but none were bursting with flavor. I found myself wanting ketchup. I like my onion rings a little sweet, and these were not. A bummer when onion rings disappoint. The burger was good, but I added Havarti cheese and mushrooms to it. Had it not been for the toppings the only thing I would have remembered about the dish was the nice bun. The burger itself is your standard restaurant black bean burger, but at a whopping $18. The pasta was fine, but again, not overly flavorful. The sauce was very light, but I loved the mushrooms. I assume the cost of lobster has something to do with the $26 price, but there were just a few pieces of lobster in the entire dish. Liked the bread and cinnamon-sugar butter. Monica's does offer a diverse menu with many side-dish options which is nice. Online ordering via Grub Hub was very easy and I placed the order ahead of time with a 5:45 delivery. The restaurant had the order ready on time and our delivery person was spot on. The order was made perfectly, so kudos to the restaurant for catching the additions and omissions. Monica's does have a disclaimer on their website about prices and paying their employees a fair wage. I totally understand this. It doesn't much change my opinion when it comes to the flavors and robustness of the food. Based on other reviews it seems that they've been pricey for years and can now lean on the pandemic to justify raising their prices when they need to. Quality of the food was good and the majority of the food is homemade. Monica's just didn't do it for me, but maybe my tastebuds deceived me and you'll think otherwise. read more

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I went to Monica's in Coralville to get some lunch on my day off. I walked in and was greeted and seated. I had the choice of sitting in the room with the TVs or of sitting in the room with the serene music. I chose to sit in the music room. The inside of Monica's was decorated beautifully and the atmosphere was elegant and calming. I loved their choice of opera music that they had playing. I ordered their Spinach and Goat Cheese salad which was absolutely delicious. I also ordered their Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee which was absolutely delicious as well. The service was fantastic as well. I loved that they had allergy-free / gluten-free options on their menu and that the chefs/service cared to make sure that I was able to enjoy a delicious lunch even with my allergies. In addition, it was not too pricey. A definite must stop for everyone! I can't wait to go back! read more

Monica's - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

Monica's was an absolute delight. There's a great selection on the menu for food, wine and other drinks. There's a lot of options for all types of diets as well. We were immediately tended to and the food was delicious. Everything came out quickly and we were checked on multiple times and felt fully cared for. This was easily one of the best service experiences we've ever had. It wasn't too loud and it was a relaxed atmosphere that could've also been super nice if you wanted to go out for a nice dinner. We asked to speak with the manager about how amazing our service was and it was the owner who came and thanked us for coming. This showed me how much she cares about her restaurant. The Caesar salad was amazing, my partner got a sandwich, and I got the chicken. We also got the crab artichoke dip that was to die for. Last, we got creme brûlée which was easily one of the best ones I've ever had. We will definitely be back. read more

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So glad I got to try Monica's after hearing so many great things about this place! The place is taking really great Covid-19 precautions. There are plastic dividers between all the tables and some rows are blocked off for social distancing. Really impressed! The menu is HUGE, there's probably over 100 things on there including drinks. We ordered three things between the two of us: baked ziti pasta, shrimp po boy, and fried calamari. The services are very generous, we had plenty of leftovers. The ziti pasta was my favorite! Super rich and creamy. There's a long cheese pull with every bite. If you're in the mood for some yummy comfort food, this is a must try! The shrimp po boy was alright. The shrimps were yummy but there were only 5 pieces of shrimp and there was way too much bread. Some bites were only bread and lettuce which was a bit disappointing. The bread they use is the same bread as the complimentary starter. The calamari was SO good. Fresh, well done and super crispy!! Loved the bread with cinnamon butter, you must try this!! Really great service and super friendly staff. Would recommend if you're in the area! read more

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I am usually big on explaining and letting everyone know about my detailed experience in my reviews. But here I will come straight to the point, why a 2star review. So the reason We wanted to sit inside and not on the patio is because of Iowa bugs. Those tiny gnads mosquitoes are annoying. And if you keep the door open(I get it its because of covid), but that doesn't help the person like me. I am their biggest bate. I was bothered so much and was bit at so many places on my body is frustrating. I was so mad that I couldn't eat & wrapped up all my dinner and went back to my place. I am even skeptical I will even eat that leftover meal again. Again thinking about how many bugs were around the light and around food, the glass of water and drinks. I practically feel wasted all my money and slept empty stomach even after paying over $70. Apologies here for venting out my frustration on a public forum. I had heard good things about this place. Not sure about my future visits. read more

I am torn between giving Monicas five stars or four stars. The food was five stars. The service was five stars. Randy, the owner, with his never ending smile and wonderful cheer, were five stars. The parking situation on a Friday night at 6 PM is one star. First off, let's talk about all of the good things with the restaurant. The menu is extensive and borderlines on overwhelming. The food we got was wonderful but I am concerned that with as many choices as there were, does that increase the likelihood that some of these dishes won't be good. A jack of all, master of none, problem. The jambalaya was incredible. And there was so much of it that I needed to take some home. The service was exceptional. Even though we only saw our waitress once or twice, it appeared that the staff had been trained to attend to any table that seemed to need something. There was never a time when we had a dirty dish on our table for more than a minute or two and our drinks were always full. If I were to find fault with anything inside of the restaurant it would be that the overall design doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. The restaurant part itself is a stylishly decorated contemporary establishment that is well lit. However, the waiting area has numerous Iowa Hawkeye pictures on the walls and throughout the restaurant there are large flatscreen TVs which were playing ESPN. It just feels that if I am going to be paying $80-$100 for two people to eat dinner and have a couple of drinks, I wouldn't expect to have college basketball playing on flatscreen TVs around me. If I wanted to watch college basketball I would go to a sports bar. Finally, It is not an exaggeration when I say that multiple people were parking illegally in the parking lot because there was no room anywhere. To make matters worse, there is no on street parking and the only other choice you have is to park in one of the non-connected parking lots next to the restaurant and hope you don't get towed away. It seems as if I have talked myself into giving Monica is four stars. It just doesn't seem as if Monica's has really decided what it wants to be. If you want to charge $20-$25 per plate then don't have Iowa sports paraphernalia hanging around and large screen TVs playing basketball games like a sports bar. If you want to be a sports bar with large screen TVs and Iowa sports memorabilia hanging on the walls, charge 10 or $12 per plate and scale back on the number of items on the menu. read more

Monica's - Jambalaya - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

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Great place! My visit was on a busy Saturday night, yet I was able to get a table very quickly. The owner was helping get people seated as well as checking in on tables, which is engagement you like to see. They provide free bread with olive oil and cinnamon butter as you browse the menu, which were delicious. The server was very helpful, yet also gave us plenty of space as we struggled to decide on what to order - attentive but not overbearing. The menu is massive and everything sounds good. After a long decision, I went with the baked ziti, touted at the #1 seller. The meal was very good, packed with meat and pasta in a creamy sauce. Would definitely eat again. It's been far too long between visits at Monica's, a mistake I won't be making again. I can't wait to try some of their pizzas and other entrees. read more

Monica's - Baked ziti - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

Love all the pasta & other Italian / German cuisines. They provide fresh bread appetizer. The service is amazing even the owner walked to our table one time and chat with us about our experience and suggestion. read more

Monica's - Baked Brie - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

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Amazing!!!! In town for the evening and decided pizza was exactly what was needed. Ordered through GrubHub and the meal was marked as a favorite. Ordered margarita pizza. Order was perfect when it arrived. The cheese was so hot it had slid to one side but didn't change the great flavor of the pizza. I was additionally surprised with a side of bread and cinnamon sugar butter. Perfect sweet to end the meal. Will definitely order there again when I am in town. Hoping I can have an inperson experience. read more

Monica's - Butter and bread. - Italian Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

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Monica's does it all. Here's how I mean... 1. Their menu is freaking huge. The pizza is good. They do comfort food well (helllllllllo buffalo chicken burrito). Heck, even Italian dishes are a slam dunk. My last visit, the onion rings were a special. HOLY COW. Those were some amazing rings. 2. They deliver and have takeout. There's also a patio and you can currently eat in during COVID. We intended to dine on the patio but it rained! Eek. However, we were greeted with masked employees, had our temperatures taken and thing were definitely social distanced. (Even plastic barriers were put up between booths!) 3. The kid menu is legit. Mac n Cheese, Pizza, Cheese Burgers, Grilled Cheese, Spaghetti, Alfredo, Buttered Noodles AND Chicken Fingers. Wowza. Your little will definitely find something to devour. Coralville really lacks in local options, IMO. But Monica's is a solid choice! read more