Fabulous food and great service, love the atmosphere when you walk in, love the food there, super filling and the alcohol beverage was great. (Gin and tonic). My favorite was the the tearmesue dessert. read more

I'm sad to say that my husband and I have both lived in Waterloo & this was the first time we've been to the Brown Bottle. We've always know it was there but just never went. Last night we went for New Years Eve and we were very impressed. Excellent service from beginning to end. Good customer service when going to a restaurant seems to be hit or miss anymore. This restaurant isn't cheap but I felt so much better paying the bill after getting such great service. The ambiance is perfect. Very classy. Great for date night. Located in the historic Russel Lampson which makes it very unique. The lobby area was absolutely beautiful. The food was spectacular! I had the white lasagna and it was so good. I also had a martini...it was seasonal. I think it was called a dirty snowman? Not sure but it was very good. Something else that really impressed me was how hands on the owner's are. We recognized them from the website and they were both there on site. Maybe that could attribute to the fabulous customer service. It just shows that they really care about what's going on at their business. We will surely be back again. read more

The Brown Bottle - Pizza Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

We always make a family visit to Brown Bottle when we come to Iowa to visit family. The food never disappoints. Pizza is excellent- thin crust. Lasagna is always amazing. We love the chicken Dijon with its delicious crust. Portions are healthy. Perhaps this was our best visit ever as our waiter was Kenny and his service was impeccable. Kenny has a great sense of humor and makes you feel right at home. Boom! read more

Second time here. Must stop if in Waterloo. Lasagna is always great, and love the atmosphere. read more

The Brown Bottle - Pizza Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

I would have to agree with the 3-4* review as the food was a bit bland, I ordered the Mediterranean Chicken and it was a bit tough, served with vegetables that really had minimal flavor also. My son had the chicken parmesan and he said it was also a bit over cooked. The atmosphere was nice, a bit darker and they accommodated a large group of us quickly. When we left there were some people on the corner I assume homeless but they were harmless. They had a special of a 2 for 1 house wine night which was a nice surprise. Our waitress was new, she told us a couple times so we tried to be easy on the fact she was a bit uneducated on the menu or wine offerings. read more

We dine out a lot and would not recommend this place at all. The service was good, but the pizza was horrible. I had a salad and they charged $6.00 for a side salad! It wasn't cold and the blue cheese dressing was so thick you could not even pour it. Had an old fashion and they truly do not know how to make one. read more

This was the WORST restaurant experience I've ever had in Waterloo. When my food came back not cleaned properly, they comped my check $4.00. The owner told me if I didn't like it, to not tip my waiter. I will never spend my money here again. If the owner can't figure it out, I can't imagine how it is for the employees. read more

We love the Brown Bottle. There is always a variety of delicious entrées to choose from. Our favorites are manicotti and chicken Marcella. Of course the evening would not be complete without having one of the ice cream drinks. They are all delicious. For a nice relaxing dinner with excellent food and service be sure to make it one of your favorites. The Brown sBottle is ours. read more

Contrary to what I've read from other Yelpers I was impressed with the Brown Bottle! I heard great things and was set up for a great dinner and they delivered. We ate a full four course dinner and was pleasantly surprised with each course! They tasted rich and nothing had the same flavor! Highly recommened: personal Lasagna! Their homemade individual lasagna was a hit for both my husband and me. We went to a different Brown Bottle a short time after our Waterloo visit and still enjoyed the lasagna there. Grab your honey and visit the crew at the Brown Bottle - try to lasagna or grab a dessert. You'll be happy! The great feel of the old building transport you back in time to when food was a high commodity! read more

This place is a classic and a real treat. The ambiance is lovely - low lighting, dark woods, and a lot of Frank Sinatra playing low. The food has always been delicious. Service is great! I've moved out of town, but always make it a point of come here when I visit. read more

Simply put, the food here is not even mediocre. The blue cheese dressing for my salad was not even as good as Kraft. The baked Feta appetizer was made with tasteless domestic cow's milk not goat or sheep milk as it should be. I ordered Chicken Marsala and it was baked to.the point of nearly being burned and had a large amount of mozzarella cheese on it. It was absolutely not Chicken Marsala. It was accompanied by a plate of tasteless spaghetti with some kind of wretched tomato-based sauce. My wife wouldn't eat it either. She ordered lasagna and said it was devoid of ricotta and that Weight Watchers frozen lasagna is better. The best thing about the meal was the wine. We were glad to leave and also glad we don't live here. read more

If you're looking for a step up from the usual date night options, Brown Bottle is perfect! The atmosphere is wonderful, staff is great, and the food...THE FOOD! I would definitely recommend the bruschetta as an appetizer and any of the lasagnas (though I'm partial to the White Lasagna. YUM). They also make their own salad dressing, and the Creamy Garlic is amazing. You can order some to take home, and I put it on everything. It's that good. Definitely a great place to try! read more

Visiting from out of town, nice cozy place with excellent service and food selections. Several homemade salad dressings as well. read more

The Brown Bottle - Samon is perfectly made - Pizza Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

The Brown Bottle food is amaaaaaaazing. I have legit dreams involving their menu. 5 out 5! read more

See all

What a wonderful surprise! Our party of 9 felt like we won the lottery after dining at the Brown Bottle. After walking through the beautiful lobby of this historic building, we then were seated in what seemed like an almost private room. Our server, Kenny , was over-the-top great. Eager to serve and so fun to interact with ... Boom! was his trademark delivery line! He pampered us with our every need. Then came the food - which was some of the best pasta we've had in a long, long time. Only one complaint - we were not warned about the huge servings - we could have easily shared the entrees. All in all, a great evening! read more

A very sensible, affordable restaurant with a cool atmosphere in Waterloo. It's not winning any awards, but it has a extensive menu and sure to satisfy anything you're craving. The pastas are HUGE, so be ready to take some home with you. read more

This was an excellent little find. Where else can you get cheap veal and play a pipe organ? No where I say! Just walking into the lobby of this building was impressive. The building was formerly a grand hotel that has been converted to apartments. But the lobby has not changed. Seemed very gatsby-esque. There was also a piano and pipe organ that you could fiddle around with. The restaurant itself was dark and cozy... sporting shelves of old books all over the place. Also the bar area had a 70's comfort to it. Blue cool lighting and leather. We sat on the street side in a booth with a large window looking out. Our service was excellent and the food was excellent. I ordered the Veal Marsala which was excellent. A side note... I was so impressed with how low our bill was that i forgot to take my card out of the checkbook as I went on about how cheap the place was. I Didn't realize it til later after they had closed. Called back the next day after they opened and they had my card for me. They even recognized me as I walked in. So... good experience overall. A must do whilest in Waterloo. read more

The Brown Bottle - View from a window seat booth in the main dining area. - Pizza Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

A classic Italian experience in a great architectural building in downtown Waterloo. Try the garlicky sautéed mushrooms, cheesy golden lasagna or the piled high pizza - definite show stoppers! read more

Restaurant charged a $100 deposit for a ~20 person reservation for a family gathering. Then told us it would count towards the bill if we spent more than $500, which is fine. However, the service was slow, as expected with a large group. The manager/owner then tried to tell us we exceeded our two hour reservation time (2 hours & 20 minutes) and tried to pocket a portion of our deposit. Considering the average plate cost was above $25 and no one was waiting for the room, it seemed a bit greedy. I would not recommend The Brown Bottle for any large reservations. read more

Stopped by Waterloo for a day, decided to try this place out. Everything was great. Started of with a Feta Cheese dip, thoroughly enjoyed. Wife had a salad, I went with some sort of beef soup. She passed on the house dressing because she did not want too much garlic, went with the Italian instead, she loved it. I don't do salad so I always appreciate it when there is a soup with meat in it because I am not much of a veggie guy. Soup had great flavor and was def enjoyable. Entrees, the wife went with a Mediterranean Chicken and veggies. I commented on how great the chicken looked, because there is nothing worse than dried chicken, looked juicy and tender. It was. She loved it all. I went with the Cheese Ravioli and added the Salsiccia Sausage. I was undecided on my entree choice because I mainly wanted the sausage and wasn't sure which pasta I wanted to go with it, Right choice. It was all delicious. Sauce had great flavor and the ravioli was awesome. Sad part is we were going to the hockey game down the street and then driving 5 plus hours back home so we had to leave our leftovers behind. This was a great find. read more

OK, not only is the food substandard, so are the drinks. Imagine my surprise when my Manhattan arrived with a nice thick foamy froth from having been violently shaken. Pity the bartender who does not know to not bruise the bourbon! Then from there to what they described as eggplant...fail two. Half of our party had reasonable meals, so that and the promising big city Italian restaurant decor/feel saved this place from earning something that's pretty rare for me...the dreaded one star Yelp review. read more

Great atmosphere, prices are what you would expect for fine dinning. My husband had the prime rib with the garlic horseradish sauce. I had the prosciutto and mushrooms with the Alfredo sauce. Both meals were accompanied by house salads and garlic bread. Both meals had good sized portions. The prime rib was descent, but my husband wished he had ordered the spaghetti. I thought the prosciutto and mushrooms were delicious. I found the booths to be cozy, but comfortable. read more

Really friendly staff . Food was excellent from app, to salad . The prosciutto and mushroom fettuccine was very flavorful. White lasagna was excellent as well . Great martinis. Cozy atmosphere great for a couples night out . You will not leave hungry . Amazing Tiramisu read more

See all

1st visit here and it will be my last. Quite an interesting night at Brown Bottle, and the only thing I can say is, the waiter was the best part of the meal. Since I have limited space I'll just hit the low notes of the evening. Ordered 2 cuts of Prime Rib, one for me and one for my 12 year old daughter. She got the early bird sized and I got the 12 oz. Both were ordered medium rare. Both were delivered medium well. Sometimes w/Prime you can get away with over cooking it if it's still juicy and tender. These were neither, so we sent them back saying they must have misread the ticket and thought Medium Rare = Medium Well. No big deal. So the server, who was excellent by the way, comes back and says they overcooked tonight's Prime Rib and this was all they had. So I chose to eat it rather than wait another 20 minutes for another dish. At best, my new cut was overcooked slightly more than Medium, no dip in Au Jus so it wouldn't cook any further, and my daughter only ate 1/2 her Prime and she's a ravenous carnivore when it comes to beef. Even she said it wasn't medium rare...and she's 12. Desert was kind of a joke. Brownie Pie is just a slice of thin brownie with whipped cream spread like frosting, not sure what kind of pie this is supposed to resemble. No crust, no filling, just a brownie with frosting. The cherry cobbler is a hot ramekin full of canned cherry pie filling, about a tablespoon of quick oats on top and a scoop of ice cream. After 2 min, you're eating soupy cherry pie filling with scattered hints of quick oats and melted ice cream. Neither desert was worth the price. Here's the fun part, when I got my bill, it was $122. We had 5 people, had 3 drinks, so that price is about right for fine dining. What I didn't understand was the full price of both Prime Rib meals as they clearly couldn't deliver a medium rare piece on 2 attempts but still wanted me to pay $24.95 for mine and $14.95 for my daughter's. The server agreed and said he'd take care of it. When he came back, he said the owner told him there was nothing she could do since we ate the meals. Ok...so my wife went to speak to a manager and she ending up speaking to the cook/owner of the restaurant. What she said was, Yes those cuts were medium rare. We wasted 4 cuts of perfectly fine prime rib and she personally saw those cuts go out and they were Medium Rare. Even offered to go into the kitchen and take a picture of the remaining prime rib to prove it was cooked to Medium Rare....only to return and say they had sold out of Prime Rib for the night....at 6:30 on a Wednesday with only about 1/2 of the tables sat. At this point I'd already paid the full $122, tipped the server as well, but was definitely planning to never return anyway because the food wasn't that good and definitely not worth the cost. But this interaction with the owner just sealed the deal. At one point her husband had to come out and tell her to stop arguing. Eventually she offered to take off the Early Bird Prime Rib. We told her no, it wasn't about the cost, it was just telling them the beef temps were not right but it turned into a huge altercation, of which, the owner was calling us liars, always a delight. I'm not sure how many 1st time guests spend $122 in this establishment, and if I were making a guess, I'd say they're struggling right now and have raised prices to cope with a downturn in business. Perhaps they are taking criticism of the food personally and the curt responses and unwillingness to listen is a result of stress and slow business. I understand that, but in the service industry, as much as it sucks and as cliche as it is, the customer is always right is 100% true. I don't mind spending $100 on fine dining, but this was not fine dining. This was a formerly great restaurant in a death spiral and I'd be shocked if this place is open another year. I really hate to see that, because I love non-chain restaurants that are local, established for years and have a loyal fan base. The way we were treated seems to be typical based on some other Yelp comments I've read here. It's a shame. I really wanted to like this place. The server was outstanding, he felt bad for the situation and apologized several times for his management. I still tipped him well because what happened weren't his fault. There were some bright spots, my wife enjoyed her shrimp in butter sauce, my son loved the pizza, and I liked the twice baked potato side. Just can't look past the blatant misses on the deserts and the prime rib, and especially the attitude of the owner. I really hope they read this and decide to listen to customers rather than argue with them and accuse them of trying to get something for free. read more

I really wanted to like this place but the food was very disappointing for me. My boyfriend and I were in Waterloo for the night and this looked like a good place to eat. The setting is very romantic and pretty. We loved the historical building. We decided to share the manicotti, they charge you an extra $4.50 to split a plate but you each still get a salad and two pieces of garlic bread. Which was fine with us it seemed worth it. I've tasted a lot of manicotti, I've even made some before. I'm not quite sure how you can mess it up this bad. It was pretty flavorless, the main thing I could taste was tomato and a lot of pepper. The tomato sauce tasted like it had come from a can. The salads and garlic bread were good. We got the cherry cobbler to go. But I wish we had ate it there instead. It looks like they just put cherry pie filling from a can and some crumbs and called it a dessert! This place is only getting three stars for the ambiance. Our server was nice and the atmosphere was nice as well. read more

The Brown Bottle - Cherry cobbler... We got it to go. Big mistake. - Pizza Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

I didn't see roaches, but I sure didn't see any other people when I went either. The food was nothing to write home about. I went on the recommendation of a client. Too bad it didn't live up to my expectations. read more

I was staying in downtown Waterloo and decided to give the Brown Bottle a try after reading the reviews. It was a little confusing to find since the address is W 5th street but the sign is on Commercial St. We settle into a table in the bar area so that we could watch the game while we ate. After seeing the large portions carried out of the kitchen we decided to split a entree. The plate splitting fee was reasonable considering they included extra garlic bread and salad. But this is the first time I've seen an entree not be split between to plates when you are paying an extra splitting fee. The service was friendly, the food was fine and the atmosphere was pleasant. read more

Was traveling to Waterloo had suggested the Brown Bottle, as well as, the hotel front desk clerk. The decor is a bit dated and could use sprucing up. However, the food was very good and service was excellent. It was also a good value. The chili pasta was very good and the bruschetta was fantastic. Overall, a nice meal for the price. read more

I found the food and service to be very good and I had no trouble fitting into a rather spacious booth. Very good value and fresh pasta sauces and breads. A much better choice than the Olive Garden. I enjoyed the comfortable atmosphere. read more

Salad was not fresh, chicken not much tste, and spaguetti came on a bread plate (to be fair I ordered from the Blue Zone menu, so that may have something to do with it). In all place sounds pretentious and very very expensive for the quality of the food. Stay away. read more

We were traveling thru Waterloo on the last night of a ten day vacation and decided to have nice meal. Boy, were we disappointed. First of all, this review is not so much about the food as the service. The salads were excellent. They make their own salad dressing and it was excellent. My wife had the Greek Shrimp, which she loved. I had the White Lasagna, which is Lasagna made with chicken and a white sauce. I did not like it, but others might. I just don't think that the chicken and white sauce work for this dish. What I do have complaints about are the service items: The restaurant was empty, yet we were seated in one of the tiny two person booths that another writer commented on. Even my tiny, , 4'11" wife complained. We were seated by a young lady who looked like she was wearing her pyjamas. Not a big deal, but not in line with the image that the restaurant is trying to portray. We then waited for ten minutes to see our waiter, or any other restaurant staff. We ordered our meals and our wine was delivered shortly, followed 20 minutes later by our salads. Our main course was delivered 55 minutes after we were seated. Remember that all you get for your money is a salad, main course and what they refer to as garlic toast. They apparently have a high opinion of it, as they charge you extra if you want more than two pieces. I took one bite and decided I'd rather spend my calories on something from the vending machine at the motel. We never saw the waiter during the meal, and remember that the restaurant was empty. We finally got the bill, but had to wait about 15 minutes for the waiter to run the charge and return with our credit card. We spent over an hour and a half at this place. I won't be spending any more time there as I am continuing on home. I hope you give some consideration as to whether you want to waste your time there or not. read more

Food was great, service was great... the only thing that got me was the huge crack in the window where we were sitting (guess thats why I was cold) and the tacky wall hangings: one of ducks flying and another one of a snowy house (it wasn't winter) lol reminded me that I was in Iowa. Did verymuch enjoy the old-school jazz, think I even heard some Billie Holiday ... nice read more

The place was a lot cleaner since I was last there, but honestly the food quality hasn't improved. A little disappointing considering their prices. read more

My wife and I chose to treat ourselves about once every month or two, considering it one of the best places to eat in the area. My favorite is prosciutto and mushrooms. This time I chose garlic pasta, which is lighter choice. The food has been consistently good over the years. I have enjoyed everything I have tried, including pizza, sub sandwiches, prime rib, lasagna, fusili, and orange roughy. The homemade dressing are all excellent. I think I have tried them all. If you like leftovers, then consider that most of the pasta choices, except perhaps lasagna, are practically 2 good size meals. This certainly helps justify the prices. I would say there is a decent wine selection. They have been increasing their beer selections. They have the typical sam adams, leine, and blue moon choices on tap. I like that there are some millstream choices on tap. I was impressed that they offer boulevard tank 7, but only in a bottle. Plan to spend about an hour dining even if it is slow. It has been well worth the wait. Notice the details in this historic location, especially in the lobby. If you are lucky, there will be a booth open in a center portion of the restaurant, nestled between stacks of old books. read more

Great service and wonderful flavorful food. Shout out to Allison our waitress. Our favorite was the Tiramisu. Also the Dalwhinne scotch was a new find that my dad enjoyed. Asked around for the best place in Waterloo and The Brown Bottle truly is. read more

Hard to find and definitely expected more from the decor. They seemed to be trying to put their own twist on classics (ham on top of the chicken parmesan, heavy cinnamon in the tiramisu, etc). The marinara was more the consistency of pizza sauce. Wouldn't recommend over Olive Garden. read more

Excellent food menu, worn wonderful Italian offerings. Extensive bar menu complements the food menu. Attentive staff and great ambience make this a real gem in downtown Waterloo! read more

I've grown up in the area and this is a spot we always return to. Always get the lasagna. The garlic bread has not been the best the past few years but the moz cheese bread more then makes up for it! The building it is in has just gone under some major remodeling which has helped. If you'e been to a true Italian resturant in larger cities it probably does not compare but for the area it's a great place!!! Service is always great, friendly staff. Decent priced. Oh but I do wish they would bring back their old french dressing. Do not care for the newer stuff. read more

I'm VERY surprised that the Brown Bottle in Waterloo has a low rating. I had heard from multiple people that this was THE place to eat when given the opportunity to visit the un-bustling city of Waterloo. We ate there on a Friday night, anticipating a night of carbo loading and red wine. The decor was outdated and a little lounge-y (and random, really). The service was friendly and efficient, although I did have to ask for more water at one point. The signature salad dressing was excellent - one of the best I've had in a long time. I shared a standard spaghetti and meatball entree (it's HUGE) with my mother. We were both impressed by the sauce. YUM-TASTIC does not even describe the red heavenly sauce - it was seriously delish. Again, I don't understand why this place has a low rating. I'm going to return when I grace Waterloo with my presence. And I'm gonna get the same thing. The Brown Bottle almost makes me want to visit Waterloo more often... read more

The food was excellent - get the lasagna! And the staff was bomb! Super nice and personal. Passing through and was happy I decided on Brown Bottle - Reviews didn't do it justice! read more