A nice hidden jewel! I had a taste for middle eastern food and came across this place. A grocery…read morestore with a food counter and a simple menu. I ordered a spicy jumbo chicken Shawarma with a mint yogurt drink. The shawarma was amazing and the mint yogurt brought back memories. The service was great and I wish I would've gotten more stuff. Overall great experience and I will be back!!!

This is a nice specialty grocer that CR is lucky to have. Lots of new foods to try and learn about…read moreif one is not familiar with certain Mediterranean foods. One can always google items but it might be kinda cool to have sections of the store shelves translate items to English - only for the ease of browsing quickly to try new things. The layout of the store was ok with baklava and fresh eats off to the same side & meats, cheeses and olives in the back. I specifically wanted to try the Dubai chocolate and I am craving to eat more! It's something I am going to seek out again soon when I get a chance. It was stored in the order fresh food display case. I got there about 1pm on a Saturday and three were left and I took one bar. While I was there someone grabbed the last two so they go quickly! The ratio of filling to chocolate is perfect. I also tried some baklava and Basbousa and I've decided it's not my go to but prefer it warmed up in the air fryer when I'm eating it. The fresh bakery items when you first walk in were tempting so I tried the meat and cheese filled triangle bread (not sure exact name) and they were tasty. The olive assortment was amazing in the back. I ended up with the mixed spicy olives and we both enjoyed snacking on them over the weekend. I ordered mix grilled platter to go (Shish kebab, Shish Tawook, with special rice, babaganouj, pickles, onions, garlic, or tahini sauce) I really liked the chicken and found the beef pretty bland. I would try the chicken wrap next time. The fresh pita to take home will be on my list next time.

We were on our way back home from Trek Fest (Yes, we are geeks) and wanted food. As we are inclined…read moreto do, we looked up several sorts. We settled on middle eastern, and this is where we ended up. We went pretty simple. Lamb Kofta sandwich, hummus and baba ganoush. Wow, everything was spectacular. The sandwich had tahini, onions and peppers on wonderful pita bread. The pita bread alone was worth the stop, we should have brought some home with us (did I mention they have a store there as well?) The hummus was smooth and understated and very good. Slightly different than I expected, but it was a good different. The baba ganoush was amazing. Rich and flavorful. This is now on our list of places to make sure we are passing through in time for a meal (its a big list). This was a wonderful find!

This place is the gold standard of Mediterranean food in the Iowa City area--while I tend to prefer…read moreLebanese to similar regional cuisines (this place is Egyptian IIRC), this has been stellar from day one. Excellent service in restaurant or grocery, superbly prepared food (the chicken, folks--try the chicken and the fries), fair prices for good portions--this place deserves to be packed all the time. This is a go-to whenever I need comfort skewers.

Solid gyro when you need it. Healthy? No. Delicious? Yes. It's making me post more so I guess I…read morewill say that prices are okay-ish. Used to be pretty cheap but what's cheap anymore? Nuttin

I needed a quick lunch that was something different then the norm. This place hit all the good…read morefeels. Its simple inside but honestly its exactly what we need in this town. Good food at a good price because I dont want to spend lots of money for a 15 lunch stop. Thank you for providing exactly what I needed. Excellent Gyro btw

Very nice non staple mall food. Actually really reasonable portions for the price. Would recommend…read moreif you like Schwarma, don't let the "mall food" status throw you off.

So excited to see that there's falafel in the food court! Nice and crispy, but make sure you say no…read morepickles if you don't like them. The tzatziki sauce is very good, that stood out to me. Service was very quick too. I highly recommend if you're eating at the mall.

Oasis is always on my list when I visit Iowa. This is the best babghanoush and best hummus ever!…read more I visited after a couple of yrs and saw they had made a lot of updates to the menu, to the interiors and also the sauce bar. I miss the red cabbage from the sauce bar, but glad the green hot chutney is still there. I usually get a genie's plate that is 4 sides with a pita. They are definitely not making the pita in-house anymore. I miss the old vibes, but still a solid meal. Definitely will go back on my next visit to Iowa.

The absolute best Mediterranean food in Iowa City. Everything on the menu is great without…read moreexception. I have eaten at Oasis many times over the years and never had a bad meal. Friendly service too!

No silverware, napkins, water, ketchup, no toilet paper in bathroom or paper towel in dispenser…read more(women's.) naan was so thick and hard that the plastic forks and knives wouldn't cut through it. My naan was shaped like a canoe so I also couldn't fold it up to eat it. Said it would take 20-25 minutes for food. We waited 50 minutes and were the ONLY customers.

A Culinary Gem in Iowa City: KANDAKA…read more If you're in Iowa City, don't miss KANDAKA, a delightful new Sudanese restaurant at 1800 Boyrum Street, just across from the southside Hy-Vee. Owned by a passionate Sudanese woman, Kandaka is a heartfelt celebration of her culture. Having sampled nearly every item on the menu, I can assure you that each dish is spectacular. From refreshing fruit drinks and savory falafels to hearty soups, flavorful beans, creamy hummus, and delicious gyros..Yum! KANDAKA offers an affordable menu that caters to various tastes (including fries and American Entrees), making it perfect for both seasoned foodies and newcomers to Sudanese cuisine. Just be prepared for slow food--take your time and enjoy a leisurely meal crafted with care. Support this incredible woman-owned business and indulge in extraordinary dishes that are sure to become favorites. Go savor the Kandaka experience and celebrate diversity through food!

I really enjoyed our lunch here today! Amazing patio along the river- an ambiance to savor our…read moreserver was lovely and explained menu items to us. I enjoyed my couscous stew. The others in my crew had the warm quinoa salad and gyro and also enjoyed those! Definitely a gem in this town!

If you are looking for different unique flavors this is the place to try. We started with the Bake…read moreFeta served with pita bread. Yum!! Then shared a Cubano Panini and a Shawarma (Gyro) with fries. If you like spicy order the Harissa on the side (chili pepper paste) delicious!! I suggest to read menu online for description of the food options. Our waitress was very attentive.

Olympic Gyros just does it right. I get the chicken gyro combo. The meat is seasoned well, and…read moreall the ingredients are fresh. I really enjoyed their fries too and recommend getting them well done. I typically call in my order but they work fast and the staff is friendly. I'd highly recommend this place and will return.

They make you feel welcome great food amazing customer service they are fast an efficient if you…read morelooking for a great bite to eat, if your taking to go or having a seat there food can't be beat stop shop and eat alot, helping create moments and memories with families and friends they will make you a fan.

Pros: Omg... this place is amazing! The food is great, and the receptionist (or whatever it's…read morecalled at a restauran) is super nice! I usually get the tandoori chicken and baba ganouche and it is amazing!! Also pretty cheap Cons: The only bad thing is that the cups for the soda fountain usually have soap left in them. 9/10

Mid panini's (sandwich) + Sysco fries were cold. Chill vibes + nice people though. 3/10 food, 8/10…read morevibes.

Roses and Berry Cafe hosted my Daughters Baby shower January 10th 2026. First of all the Food was…read moreFabulous! So fresh and delicious! Zeineb is their catering manager and she was fabulous to work with on picking out a menu to serve at the Shower . She was also present during the shower making sure everything was going well and we had everything we needed Communication was great! The Cafe couldn't be more fitting for a themed Baby in Bloom baby shower! With all the floral decor already there it was beautiful!! It was a very intimate setting opening gifts on one of their sofas with all her guests gathered around. The owner of the cafe was there and was so gracious. Our baby shower could not have been more Lovely . Love , Love, Love Roses and Berries Cafe ! Thank you so much, Kathleen G.

Very cute place! I looked on Yelp for a cute brunch spot while visiting from out of town. This one…read morecame up and it is so cute from just the entry. You order at a walk up counter and do self service on water and utensils. They have spa water available for customers. We ordered a bananas foster latte, a croissant sandwich and butter chicken. All was delicious! Would highly recommend this place for the food and the vibes.