My first visit to Iowa City, and Barrett's did not disappoint! Food, coffee, and vibes were all…read moreincredible. I love the counter service concept and being able to pick my pastry out of the case before finding a seat. I ordered the breakfast burrito, a lemon poppyseed muffin, and a latte. For brunch catching up with a friend, it was the perfect blend of savory and sweet. And MAN was the breakfast burrito delish - I adore when breakfast items have a hearty serving of avocado, and the burrito struck the perfect balance of avo and egg goodness. The accompanying sauce was also delicious. My only complaint is I'm not a local so I can't visit more often. Definitely give this one a try!

Barrett's dinner and happy hour is the best kept secret in town! There I said it, and boy do I mean…read moreit! My son had the grand idea to stop by for a brownie and when they walked in we were greeted by a friendly hostess who asked if we needed a table for 4. We were still thinking we would stick to just a sweet treat, until we looked at the menu and were told it was happy hour. We decided to all get dinner and were not disappointed! The meal was started with some delicious bread rolls, the beers were only $1.50 on happy hour and they even gave us scotcharoos to end our experience!! We are already planning our next trip so I hope to see you there! I promise it won't disappoint!

Best breakfast in the area! We love eating here and have enjoyed each thing on the menu we have…read moretried. We love the relaxed atmosphere and great service. Everything is always as ordered. The food is genuinely top notch and at a great price. I personally love the Hemingway eggs Benedict! It is a must try!

Rolled into Bluebird Café in North Liberty when it was packed wall-to-wall, fully expecting to grow…read moreold in the booth before my food came. Instead, my bacon cheeseburger showed up so fast I barely had time to scroll TikTok twice. Juicy, cheesy, and that bacon? Chef's kiss. Busy or not, these people know how to hustle and feed you like you're the favorite child.

Always wanted to try this place and finally got to meet some friends there. The vibes are very…read morelocal dive. The food special on Sunday happened to be fish tacos, and I thought they were battered perfectly using cod. The drinks were reasonably priced and there's plenty of open seating with tables great for big groups. The other main area has a bar room with standing room crowds, and the outside has a nice patio, which I was told in the summer plays music and has an outdoor vibe.

Mind you, I've been here multiple times but never had their food. What a mistake!! Place is what…read moreyou look for in a small town bar....always welcoming and a great mix of clients. Not to mention pull tabs. Our waitress/bartender was amazing! Started with the poppers (red peppers btw) and they were bangers. Really tasty. I then proceed to get the chicken wings and about every sauce they had. FANTASTIC!!!! Definitely a must is you're heading to/from Solon, need something to do on a weekday/weekend day or night, or just want to have some really good food and an icy cold beverage. Just go!!

As someone who loves to bake, I don't really get to bakeries enough. But it's always fun to treat…read moreyourself and support a local business. I recently stopped in to try a few things and get a latte. They have a nice selection of cookies, cupcakes, and other pastries as well as a lot of fun coffee drinks. It's all very reasonably priced. I got mine to go, but they do have plenty of seating. The service is very quick and friendly as well.

Met up with a friend here on a Sunday. I had tried some of their items at an event and wanted to…read morecheck out the store. The store is very welcoming, neat, and clean. They have a full coffee bar and lots of baked goods. We were the only ones there besides staff only because it was bitterly cold and the streets were pretty bare. Staff had smiles and welcomed us. I had an iced sugar free caramel latte and he had espresso with a glass of water. We split the Billionaire Bar. Total without tip was just under $15. I'm will to pay a little extra for small business and something that was homemade and not shipped in a truck and defrosted. They were closing when we left and the owner gave us a few extra items that would have to be thrown out. Loved it! I'd highly recommend the Billionaire Bar, Olive Oil Cake, and Blueberry Scones. I need to try more items, so I'll be back!

I visited this coffee shop (Rebranded as "Midnight Coffee") for a latte and breakfast sandwich…read moreafter a Monday morning workout. Here were my thoughts: Food/Drink: Breakfast Sammy (Small portion but big taste. Not the best breakfast I've ever had yet well above the worst! The aioli knocked my rating up a a point or two for sure. Rating = 7.7/10). Iced vanilla latte (Rock solid latte. It was exactly what I needed to start my week. Nothing flashy but man did that cup get the job done today. Rating = 7.8/10). Service: Nothing to complain about. Drink and food came out quick and accurately. Ambiance: The shop was pretty quiet on this particular morning. I could definitely picture it as a great place to read a book, lock in to some work, or hang out with friends. Overall, this is a great place to get your caffeine fix in the Iowa River Landing area. Also note - this local chain of coffee shops was formerly named "Coffee Emporium" but recently rebranded to "Midnight Coffee" earlier this year.

Nice coffee shop with plenty of offerings! Went on a Thursday morning at 730 and it was a bit busy,…read morebut staff was so nice. I just got a cold brew with a splash of oatmilk. It was good and service was quick! Some seating to enjoy your coffee there or hang out with a friend. Some food choices but I didn't order any!

Today we're at Penn Meadows Park for my youngest daughter's softball tournament and they had a…read morecoffee truck! This was very convenient since we had 1st game at 8:30. I tried a mocha frappe and it was delicious. This is a great idea and I believe it travels all over.

Traveling Tom's Coffee makes money off me every softball tournament it travels to…read more I'm the softball mom who packs everything but the kitchen sink for tournaments. My wagon is overflowing, and hard to pull. The cooler is full. There's multiple food options packed from fruit to sandwiches to chips to brownies. There's candy and popcorn and a multitude of sunflower seeds. I've got something for everyone. But it never fails. It's the third inning of our first game and I have the hankering for more caffeine. And while I am already two cups in, fully caffeinated -- with a Coke Zero waiting for me in my jam packed cooler-- I still have to walk over to Tom's. The staff is always pleasant. Price seems standard. The menu has something for everyone (except puppers. My bougie Boston Terrier legit expects a pup cup when she smells coffee and Tom's lets her down each time). My last purchase was the nitro brew with cream. Delightful. Overall-- Traveling Tom's Coffee is a worthwhile food truck slinging coffee to over committed softball parents. Grab a cup of Joe from Tom today!

I visited this Starbucks location on a Wednesday morning to grab a breakfast sandwich, an iced…read morelatte, and kick off the first few hours of my work day. Here were my thoughts: Food/Drink: Sausage, Cheddar, and Egg Sandwich (Not the best, not the worst. Rating = 6.7/10). Iced Vanilla Latte (I've had hundreds of these lattes in my life. I never expect Starbucks to knock my socks off with their lattes, but they also never miss. The dine-in glass cup is a nice bonus! Rating = 7.5/10). Service: This Starbucks location was staffed with quick and competent staff. Order came out as expected. Ambiance: This location seems to be geared more towards drive thru service in my mind. There isn't an abundance of seating, and the space doesn't seem "homey" (which I don't necessarily expect from a huge chain coffee company). However, they do have a nice patio which would be great to make use of in warmer weather months. Overall, there wasn't anything about this experience at Starbucks that surprised or disappointed me. I enjoyed my time and have no complaints!

The best stand alone Starbucks in the area! All of the baristas are so friendly, and my drink…read morealways comes out perfect! I love that you can see your order on the screen as I think it helps with drink accuracy since I can say anything I forgot or say anything again that they misheard. I started going to Starbucks again after a long break because they do such a good job!

My wife and I met up with a couple of our friends at this Java House location for Sunday morning…read morecoffee/breakfast. Here were our thoughts: Food/Drink: We ordered a couple breakfast sandwiches, a bakery item, and two iced coffees. Breakfast sandwich #1 -- Classic Breakfast (This menu item comes with egg and your choice of bread, breakfast protein, and cheese. Our feeling was that it is just a reliable, run-of-the-mill breakfast sandwich that is comparable to most other cafés. Rating = 7.3/10). Breakfast sandwich #2 -- Morning Muscle (This item was definitely a step up in terms of satiety and flavor when compared to the classic breakfast sandwich. I thought the hash brown and chipotle aioli really added a lot of deliciousness for me. Rating = 8.0/10). Bakery item -- Lemon Poppyseed Muffin (This was the best menu item we ordered on this visit to Java House. The flavor was great, and it is what moved the needle from a 3 to 4 star experience on this occasion. Rating = 8.2/10). Coffee #1 -- Iced Vanilla Latte (For me, the iced vanilla latte is my benchmark order for comparing coffee shops since this was my standard order when I first started frequenting cafés. Java House's is typically almost reaching my top tier, but on this occasion and our most recent visit prior, I've been a little disappointed in the flavor (or lack thereof) of their lattes. The latte was still good enough that we drank it all with no issue, but I've come to expect more out of this Java House location. Rating = 6.8/10.) Coffee #2 -- Iced Hazelnut Latte (Over time, my favorite latte flavor has evolved from vanilla to hazelnut. Because of this - I was overjoyed when I moved back to the Iowa City area in September that Java House had one of the best hazelnut lattes my tastebuds had ever experienced (consistently clocking between a high 8 to low 9 rating). However, on this and my prior visit, my latte was lacking flavor not just in the hazelnut sense, but I could hardly taste the espresso itself. I'm hoping these recent experiences are just a fluke! Rating = 4.3/10). Service: The service here is always solid - nothing exceptional but also nothing to complain about. Ambiance: Similar to the point on service - this location has a nice, clean space with plenty of seating but also nothing to truly unique or special to set this coffee shop apart. All in all, I'm a fan of The Java House and am hopeful they are able to deliver solid 4 (if not 5) star experiences in the future every time we return.

I don't know why it took me so long to visit the North Liberty Java House. I was in search for a…read moregood salad spot for lunch and it was a bonus that they serve tiramisu! This location is really nice with plenty of seating, friendly service and a drive thru if you are on the go. Everyone enjoyed their food, me included. I got the 1/2 a sandwich and salad combo. The portion size on the salad was larger than expected which was a welcomed surprise because the Caesar salad I order had amazing flavor. I got the tiramisu to go which hit the spot for a dessert treat and appreciated that it was not overly sweet. Before leaving I could help but notice a poster advertising the Strawberry Dream Matcha one of their specialty summer drinks so I ordered it to go. Let's just say I'm still dreaming about this drink. It was sweeter than I would normally order but transported me to a nostalgic memory of the most delicious strawberry milk from my childhood. I will definitely be stopping back by this location. Tip: The food menu at this location is not the same as other Java House (Heirloom Tomato) locations.

Cute coffee shop set a bit away from campus but still close by. Quiet enough to work but lively…read moreenough to have a vibe. Also love that they aren't afraid to share their worldviews. :) Their cold brew is one of the best I've had - add a splash of oat milk and raspberry syrup - yum!

Such a cute little coffee shop. I love the atmosphere here. The employees were very welcoming and…read morethe coffee was delicious. Highly recommend!

Really fun options for teas and shakes. All of the shakes have a bunch of protein and a similar…read morenumber of calories, so you can get something that feels indulgent without the guilt! The tea is extremely flavorful and doesn't have the bitter tea taste. Ted Lasso would even drink it. The price is a little high, but you do seem to get your moneys worth. It won't be a regular stop for us, but will be our go-to when we want a smoothie!

Out of all the Nutrition Shake/ Tea shops in the area this is by far my favorite! The employees…read moreare always cheerful and polite! Some of the other nutrition shops do not appreciate the customers as much if you order just a tea or shake... they want you to get the "meal." At 365 Nutrition they are thankful for every customer! I usually am just a tea bomb person - I prefer my meals with food :), but I will say they do make a really good cookies and cream shake which tastes as though your are having a milkshake! When it comes to tea bombs, my favorites are: Blue Razz, Captain America, and FUN DIP! So flavorful and full of good energy! This place is addicting... probably a good thing it is not available to me during the weekdays! :)