What a great spot for lunch! I went there and had the biggest tenderloin I've seen in my life! I cut it in to quarters, and 1/4 of it was plenty for lunch, so I took the rest home and had 3 more meals! I wish I'd gotten something healthier, but I made my choice when I saw the tenderloin. They're not a diner with nothing but sammiches on the menu - they also have salads and breakfast items that are great whether you're looking to go low-carb, paleo, or whatever. For a farm-to-table spot, they're also remarkably affordable. It's a great local spot that defies the negatives of diner food while retaining all the positives. As a person who's big on fries and unconventional dipping sauces, I'd like to make a pitch for their aioli. It's not exactly unconventional, but if you're looking for a HFCS-free alternative to Heinz, it's a great option! read more

Excellent pork sandwiches. Come with an appetite because you will not leave hungry. Decent service. I would recommend this to all who love a pork sandwich. The ONLY way to eat it is with pickles and ketchup. read more

Newton's Paradise Cafe - Pork tenderloin sandwich. It's kinda big - New American Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

See all

Went here for breakfast on a Sunday and was very disappointed. First the pros though: nice ambiance and good service. My English muffin was good and clearly homemade. On the flip side the other food was awful. Really bad. I got an omelette with hashbrowns and an English muffin. None of the food had any flavor at all. I tried hard to add salt..and more salt...but still no flavor came. The omelette was SO dry. SO DRY! And then the sausage in the omelette was especially dry, even more dry than the rest of the omelette. Lastly (and I realize this is a small thing), I would have loved a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. I was hoping they would have it since they seem to advertise 'fresh local' ingredients but when I asked they said it was just store bought (like other breakfast restaurants). I guess my expectations were too high. read more

Large concert in town and wait was out the door and once seated it took sometime but it was worth it. Service was excellent read more

Newton's Paradise Cafe - One of the best bloody Mary's I've ever had - New American Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

See all

Home for the Thanksgiving holiday, we met up with friends for lunch. My wife and I each had the roast beef sandwich. Delicious choice! Generous serving; moist cut. Wait staff was very friendly and attentive. Restaurant is clean and comfortable. Highly recommend! read more

Waited 45 Min to order food, said would be another 45 min for food, so asked for bill for drinks and left! Looks good but plan on staying few hours, place only had 5 tables occupied read more

Newton's Paradise Cafe is difficult to review. My companions and I enjoy a meal here from time to time, and each time we have a great time and enjoy our food. I really like it, and therefore my first instinct is to give Newton's 4 or 5 stars. But . . . In all honesty there is nothing wrong with Newton's aside from their reputation for being slow. My last visit saw the three of us waiting forever for our food, with my food coming out five minutes after my companions got theirs. The legendary monstrous tenderloin you have all likely heard about is no exaggeration; it could feed several people. The quality isn't bad, either, nor was it spectacular. Breakfasts at Newton's are decent, but don't expect to be wowed anymore than you would be at Ihop. It may not shine above the rest, but you will find some good, filling comfort food here. The atmosphere, here, is very nice and brings a sense of nostalgia to your dining experience. You can enjoy a Bloody Mary while you wait for your food, and the servers are attentive, friendly, and appear to enjoy what they are doing. If time isn't a concern, and you want a good hearty meal, you are likely to enjoy your visit to Newton's Paradise Cafe. And if you're going to try that tenderloin, bring an appetite! read more

Went back a second time, it was busy and the kitchen was super slow...make sure you have plenty of time if you give it a try. We loved it. Got right in, service was prompt and friendly, food was great. They were able to accommodate special dietary requests, definitely recommend and for sure would go back! Ask for Aaron. read more

My favorite thing about Newton's is their atmosphere. A pretty view of the Biergarten next door and a retro diner vibe is a great feel. This and their Bloody Mary's are it's best features. Some light music(especially retro) could really brighten up the place even more. The quality of the food and drinks were not bad. I order an impossible burger to be made vegan and I was a little saddened to have Mayo on it. I sent it back for a new one(which I only do if I can't eat something on the meal). It wasn't too long after I sent it back that I got a new one sent to me. It took a bit to get my servers attention so that was the longest part. My friend had already eaten his entire burrito by the time she noticed me. She was of course polite and I felt bad for having to flag her down. She could've really benefited from even just one more staff member for a little help. All in all I probably wouldn't stop again for food(maybe for the endless drink special), but that's only because of there being two vegan friendly menu options that still need a little vegan-ifying. Anyone who appreciates a good breakfast should definitely take a look though! read more

Wife and I decided to go out for breakfast this morning. She wanted to eat at Newtons since it had been several years since we had last eaten there. Food was ok, but not as good as I remember. I ordered the chicken fried steak, was pounded really thin and burnt and tough in spots. When it first opened Newtons was always packed from open to close and the food was amazing, now it's just become run of the mill food. Not bad, but not really good. Waitress was good though, she was attentive to us and was very nice. Doubt we will eat there again, it's just not the same anymore. read more

Lived in Waterloo almost 10 years before I tried this eatery. You can make 4 meals out of the tenderloin and breakfasts are as good as any I've ever had! 5 stars! read more

Fabulous!! Great food, great service, great prices. Everything that other reviewers said about waiting times was blatantly false. Our food arrived quickly and was our best meal in Iowa this year (other meals were mostly around Okoboji). I highly recommend the pork tenderloin which is more than even a Coney Island hot dog champion could eat in one sitting. The sweet potato salad is to die for and the caprese sandwich was fresh and delicious. I highly recommend Newton's. read more

Reminded me of Jim's Cafe down river (Greenville) classic signature lunch spot. Had the BBQ poor boy--lucky because was free fries Friday. Would vote in the side of the service being a bit slow but there was a TV over the bar- and I wasn't in a rush. Waterloo Iowa looked to me like it had seen better days. I think it had a wrestling museum. BBQ was Iowa good, fries free so no cause to complain. The bill even with free fries was 12.00- I gave the waitress and she asked , "do you want change." Had to admire that! read more

Newton's Paradise Cafe - BBQ Po boy and free fries Friday - New American Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

The staff here is incredibly helpful, and the menu is inventive. I wish they still served grits, but I'm not griping enough to drop one star. This is a downtown bright spot. read more

Newton's Paradise Cafe - New American Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

I enjoyed the outdoor seating area especially for brunch on a nice day. I wish they had more breakfast options (hence 4 stars) but the options given were well priced and good, standard brunch options. Mimosas were excellent as well. read more

Stopped in with the family while visiting in town for the local Irish fest (out-of-staters), as the place had come highly recommended. We ended up getting very friendly service in a very untimely manner. Left waiting for an hour before anyone could be spared to make a drink order, though I believe this was a circumstance of the unexpected crowd (as the place is not very large). That being said, once a waiter did make it our way, he was very friendly and accomodating (for our party of a dozen or so spread around tables). Food was good; I stuck to the waffles, which were as nice as I could hope for, but was unimpressed with the fresh OJ. While my experience left something to be desired, I still think I'd return and anticipate the quality shown in other reviews here, just try not to catch them at a peak hour. read more

I took a small group of 7 in this past week. It took a long time for a waitress to take our order and even longer to get our drinks. When I went to order my BLT, the waitress tried to argue with me about it, saying something along the lines as "You don't even want it if they use it to make the buns look nice?" Once we got our food, all of the sandwiches were brought out without fries because they were not done yet. Much to my surprise, the fries were covered on Parmesan cheese. I asked the waitress if his came on all of the fries and she said "Well that is what the menu says." However, I only ordered the fries after the waitress asked, "Do you want French fries with that?" She didn't say, "Do you want Parmesan fries?". Then she acted like I was supposed to know the standard order of fries comes with cheese on them. Typically if you do something different, you notify the customer. She offered to have an order made without cheese, but since we already had to wait for fries to begin with, I declined and the fries were taken off of the bill. As far as the BLT was concerned, the flavor was ok and the pretzel bun was good. However the sandwich only had three strips of bacon, was relatively small, and cost $8.50. For that much I would expect more for my money than a small bagel with a mere three pieces of bacon. Most of the others in my group ordered hamburgers and indicated they were mushy and tasted like meatloaf. Pricey, slow and not so great service. Not what I would expect from a no frills cafe. read more

Dirty, overpriced. Flies everywhere. Food is nothing special. I would never eat there again

Love the atmosphere and location. Food is good and prices are consistent with what you get. Worth a visit!

I have dined at Newton's a number of times and have to say the service is excellent and sincere. The menu is great espcially the incorporation of local ingrediants--there is truly a difference in freshness at Newton's vs other places that order primarily from Martin Brother's--though perhaps I am fooled by presentation. The only reason did not give five stars is the price which is a little steep. However, I do not need bigger portions, just a slightly better price. In any event, I love the concept for fresh/local foods, the creativity in the menu. I recommend Newton's. read more

Back for a second visit! I over-ate at lunch so tonight I went with the spinach salad with a little grilled chicken on the side. The berries in the salad were nice and fresh and I really liked the balsamic dressing served on the side. One of these days I need to try breakfast for dinner! read more

Great lunch in Waterloo! Vegetarian friendly and good sized portions. I had the caprese sandwich and sweet potato salad. Let's just say they were perfect. Even the kid's portions are big! The food takes a bit if time, but that's because it's fresh and good. Be prepared to entertain kids during the wait, but it's well worth it. read more

Newton's Paradise Cafe - Kids burger and fries! That's not a frozen patty! - New American Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

See all

My Second visit, or should I say "second chance"! A second chance to make up for the last over done pork tenderloin. It is always a plus for a restaurant to be consistent but consistently bad is not a plus. I have been to Newtons twice, as I am on a vigil to seek out Iowa's best Pork Tenderloin. Don't let size fool you as this is one of the biggest. But be warned it will be over cooked making it one of the toughest. Fool me once, fool me twice, but not three times. Vincent read more

The food was high quality and the service was very friendly and responsive! A nice diner atmosphere. I would highly recommend it! read more

Newton's Paradise Cafe - The make-your-own sandwich! White bread, cheddar cheese, bacon, and eggs. All local ingredients! - New American Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

See all

Waited fifteen minutes for someone to get our drink order then another twenty four or food order and only because I stopped one of the other servers to get help. Took another half hour to get our food. Doesn't seem isolated as one couple left without paying, one last left Benazir no one ever acknowledged that she was even there and the people sitting near us wished us luck on their way out because they said their experience was awful. Server came back and asked if we had gotten our check at which point our drinks were gone and we hadn't even gotten our food. Sandwich and wrap were average and fries were cold but the server didn't know that because they didn't check on us once while we were eating. So disappointed and will not go back. Very little concern for our concerns and no compensation for the terrible drinks and cold fries. read more

The worst Monte Cristo sandwich I've ever eaten. Little sheds of very salty meat on a VERY thick sweet toasted bread. It is served with grocery store jam, for some reason. It was so salty that I only ate half of it and then with only half the bread. I let them toss the rest of it out. I also ordered a salad and it came with onions on it, which I said that I hated and didn't want any on the sandwich, if it cane with them. I returned it and it reappeared with some onions still in it. It wasn't lettuce it was greens only. Not worth eating. The croutons were also too salty to eat. So, with an IPO beer my meal was $17+. The waitress was great, so I left her a $4 tip, but I will never go to Newton's again. $21 and I need to find someplace to get a sandwich for supper! read more

I said earlier that Newton's was back, but now it's back to lousy. The service and the ambiance are great, but the quality of the food has greatly declined. The pancakes were flat and glutenous, sausage was dry and tasteless. The previously amazing French toast was more like wonder bread painted with egg. The eggs were tasty and well prepared. The fries have a freezer taste. Processed cheese was melted onto processed appearing hash browns. Coffee was the same, but it was weak and thin. I don't recognize any of the staff from my last visit... Hmmm. I had thought about giving this place another chance. I did. No more. Sad. read more

Love Newton's! Have only been there for breakfast but it's a very good quality breakfast every time we have gone! It's a well liked venue so I would definitely recommend going early like 8ish because if you wait later than that you will have to wait for a spot because they fill up fast! But we've waited before and it's not a very long wait! Friendly staff and food is always fresh! read more

It's our go to place for the crispy outside, juicy and tender inside, more than sharable tenderloin. Add fries with parmesan on top and it's a meal for two. Great pancakes and french toast as well. We did to go last night and it came packed in individual higher quality snap lock lid containers all in a brown paper bag with heavy duty handles. Small quality items that add up to a 1st rate product. They have a great product but our problem is picking just one favorite. read more

Was looking forward to Sunday brunch. We used to brag about this place. I am not one of those people who likes to fill out these things but I fear at this rate they will be out of business. And I hate to see that. The place was filthy. Especially bad during COVID. No personnel was wearing masks. Then the service. The waiter was new and I understand the learning process. But should have been taught the basics like cleaning off dirty plates. Food came out sporadically. Had to keep asking for things we ordered. . Salt shaker had food (or something) on outside. The kitchen and wait staff were not professional in front of customers. Could hear kitchen yelling at wait staff to get orders. Sad part is most of time the orders weren't completed anyways. Lastly, they were out of so many things. read more

I had called and asked if there was a mask mandate with their employees. I was told , "yes, everyone is wearing masks, all servers, etc". That conversation (what turned out to be a LIE!) is the only reason I felt comfortable going there. In reality this is what we saw when we walked in: about 2/3's of the servers weren't using their masks (they were hanging around their necks or off their ears....lot of good they will do there !) and to top it off our waitress didn't even have a mask anywhere (not in a pocket, etc). And she continually got well within 6 feet of us to take our order. What a blatant disrespect for life and what's going on in the world today. While the food was good, I will NOT be returning until they actually do put a mask mandate into practice. read more

AMAZING!! I was searching for a special breakfast joint that is similar to an old time diner. Newton's Paradise Cafe was the perfect match. You defiantly get enough food for your buck that's for sure.. I ordered their homemade hot chocolate, biscuits and gravy as well as a pancake. All were good but the pancake was absolutely amazing! Ended up ordering another pancake to go read more

Newton's Paradise Cafe - New American Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

This place probably has the best beef stew I have ever had. When it is the soup of the day I strongly suggest ordering it.

We were driving through downtown Waterloo and saw this awesome looking Art Deco building with the this amazing retro sign. More cool neon signs saying farm fresh and local. So we stopped because it was packed and looked so cool. Couldn't have been more disappointed with the food menu. Not a healthy thing on it. 3 lackluster sounding salads ( which we didn't have, but probably should have). My husband had the pulled pork sandwich which had the pesto slaw. Egads, the pesto slaw which I had also was runny and 50% mayo. The pesto was there but they forgot to add cabbage. I didn't eat my slaw because it wasn't worth it. I had a the hamburger, I asked for Mozzarella cheeses and the sandwich came with enough cheese for entire large pizza. l pulled it off and didn't eat it. They didn't have the sweet potato chips. Which we both ordered so I got French fries. I'm sure some would like them, but had to have twice as much salt as McDonald's. I am not one to write bad reviews. The service was good. It's nice inside and the price point was in check. Portions were large if you like that. Just think the owner is out of touch with what people want to eat in the 21st century. read more

Needed to get an early start today and this cafe was the earliest to open - perfect for a coffee first thing in the morning! Ordered half of a breakfast pizza and couldn't even get 1/2 way through before I was completely stuffed. Tasted great and the waitress was nice and attentive. read more

My wife and I love this place! It's great to have a diner in downtown Waterloo that serves fresh, local food at reasonable prices. The service is always friendly too. I've only had lunch there so can't speak for breakfast, but I've had nearly everything on the menu and enjoyed them all. The tenderloin is huge and can be shared with one or two other people. The restuarant is clean, bright and the noise level isn't too bad even when they're busy. I've taken my parents and in-laws there and they were satisfied too. I'm not sure about breakfast and dinner hours, but I know they're always open for lunch everyday. Be sure to stop by if you're in town, one of the best local places in the area. read more

I keep going back hoping the service will get better. I can't complain about the food. everything I have ever had there has been great. I just can't put up with the length of stay. One time, my wife and I were the second table in the place. Only 4 people total. We ordered breakfast, the place started filling up and an HOUR AND A HALF later we still weren't served. We got and told the cashier we were leaving. I told them what happened and they said, well you still have to pay for your coffee. They were really put out by the fact we weren't willing to wait any longer. THE SECOND TABLE! However if you are looking for an ENORMOUS tenderloin, this is the place. You really have NO idea how big this thing is. It's about 1/2 the size of a manhole cover. AND it's really good. You can definitely share it with someone. read more

It's hard to explain but I wish you guys could come and try out nice place everybody good

Found this on our trip home to Missouri. Be we would have stopped if not for Yelp. Great atmosphere. Outdoor dining. Food was plentiful and good. Great value. read more

We went for breakfast. The food was delicious and the portions are large. The server checked on us several times to see if we needed anything. The price was quite reasonable. read more