3.5 stars. This restaurant boast an elegant vibe and largely good food - I imagine it would be a pretty good place to bring a date. In general, we found the desserts were excellent, the main courses were pretty good, and the appetizers were a bit wanting, so plan accordingly! On the "very good" side, we really enjoyed the ribeye roulade and the Asian-spiced short ribs. Both mains featured very tender and well-flavored meats. We tried the house salad as an appetizer, which didn't work very well, but it was a very good salad and it would have made a fine entree. On the dessert side, I think my favorite was the bread pudding (possibly because the peanut butter ice cream was so divine, especially on the hot dish). We also really liked the red velvet cheesecake (very rich!) and the carrot cake pillow. On the less good side, I found the bollito misto bland as all get out. The eggplant pot de creme is an oddly deconstructed dish and it's difficult to put back together in a way where the flavors work together. The scallion challah was fine, but not significantly better than the free bread so why bother? The creme brûlée itself was good, but the poached plums were tough and kept separate from the dish - we would up leaving it behind on the plate because we couldn't cut it! Service was efficient and courteous, and they have a nice selection of beer, wine, and cocktails. Overall, I would go back to support the mission, but I'd focus on beef-based mains and save lots of room for dessert! read more

Out standing! I grow produce for the Class Act, and I've always been impressed when I 'product sample'. The Potato Leek soup in the fall is heavenly, and the Bison burger is beyond pleasuring for lunch. Pricing is very appropriate! Comparable to the current Chilli's and Applebee's pricing, but has way better food and service! read more

The Class Act - Bison burger with potato wedges and a 1/2 house salad - New American Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

The food at The Class Act is always stellar and the customer service is great! The atmosphere is terrific as well!

The service is always impeccable, fast, friendly and professional. The food is delicious and the environment is clean, bright and quiet. It is one of my favorite places! read more

If you had a 3D chart where the axis's were: presentation, taste, and cost, this one may win the efficiency of the 3. I've had the burger multiple times before to go and it's just a one of a kind. The presentation of the burger, with the way the cheese is melted and the baby ketchup bottles are a cool addition. The taste is always great, and for $12, I've gotten way less quality burgers. This was one of our first times being there AT the restaurant and it is detailed and classy! read more

The Class Act - The Class Act Burger w side salad - New American Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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Found the hotel from trip advisor and decided to try it out on a road trip. The restaurant in the hotel is a hidden gem. Had the filet with veggies and it was cooked to perfection. My husband had the duck and he ate every bite! Definitely a must try in Cedar Rapids. read more

The Class Act - New American Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Excellent fine dining. Nice atmosphere. Good service. Good concept. Reasonably priced.

Really disappointed in our meal last night. I have been here a number of times and never had food this poor. We had a party of 8. Other then us, there was a single table of 1 and another similar size party that came in after us. Across the party, we had someone order a salad, the trout, grilled cheese and the rest had burgers. Only one burger was requested with no pink. The rest of the orders ranged from medium rare to medium. It took forever for our food and it came out in weird shifts but EVERY single burger was cooked well done and beyond. Like to the point of almost burnt. Incredibly dry and tasteless. The other non-burger meals were without complaint. In the restaurants defense, we didn't complain as based on how long it took to get our food, we just let it go. Our server was amazing, funny, attentive so no reflection on him at all. I believe his name was Matthew. read more

Dined on a Saturday evening. Decor was modern and crisp. Started meal with Thai Shrimp which was flavorful, but seemed more Jamaican then Asian. The mango sauce was phenomenal. Pistachio and goat cheese salad with vinaigrette was proportioned ideally. Duck was exceptional and there was no fussing when my date and I requested to share ( they dual plated without us having to request ).. Soup was salty ( kale, onion ,quinoa). The bread was flavorless and the butter was over taken by the herb)... It was a slow night so I understood the over anxiousness of the waiter to clear and check in .. 3 different musics could be heard while dining which was a bit unfortunate ( wedding,dining room , kitchen ) Fair prices. Bathroom in lobby. Presentation of the food was well thought out and pleasing.. Overall, good experience. We will be back . read more

I'm really surprised that I haven't reviewed The Class Act yet, as it was one of the first places I ate after moving here. I come from a family that doesn't cook. So, one of our family traditions was having Thanksgiving dinner at Johnson & Wales, a culinary school where I'm from. Now that my son and I are 1,200 miles from home, we don't exactly do Thanksgiving with family, but I can at least carry over the culinary school tradition This Thanksgiving, I opted to order from the regular menu, rather than going for the Thanksgiving prix fixe. I did the prix fixe last year, though. You can't go wrong either way. Today, I had pan seared pheasant breast in a cognac cream sauce, with tagliatelle, and carrot ribbons. I also had the Italian wedding soup. The only item that I could criticize even a little was the soup. When you're making a soup with sausage, or meatballs, it's easy to forget how much salt leaches out of the meat. Other than that, everything was fantastic. The cognac cream sauce was very subtle, but not bland. It worked very well with both the pheasant, and the tagliatelle. I even ate the carrot ribbons, and I never eat vegetables. I have been here a bunch of times on days other than Thanksgiving, too. Everything has always been very good, for both breakfast and dinner. You'll encounter the occasional mistake, but nothing like the mistakes I made in college, and the food is always good. read more

I liked this place. That it's run as teaching lab for students is only better. I found the service to be excellent - friendly and prompt, but not intrusive. I had Sunday brunch which is a la carte - order off the menu. My meal was comp'd because of some problems with my hotel room so I ordered more than I usually eat so I could try a few interesting items. While eggs benedict is really not that interesting, theirs is served on brioche toast. Just one word is needed regarding brioche toast - "I want more." Ok, that's 3 words, but you get the picture. The hollandaise was a bit too lemony for my taste but that's just quibbling because the perfectly cooked egg, salty ham and brioche toast made up for it. I also tried their biscuits with sausage gravy. The biscuits were sweet cream based, cut in half, then toasted, so they were especially light and airy, and delicious when sopping up the rich sausage gravy. The sausage in the gravy was bland though and I would say that a better quality sausage in that gravy would have have helped immensely but overall it was a very successful dish. read more

Driving through Iowa from the East Coast to the West Coast, we decided to find a healthier choice than typical roadside fare. We saw that Class Act, a student run restaurant affiliated with the local college had excellent reviews. I ordered the chicken salad and radish soup of the day and snagged a bite of my sisters "Brunch Burger". My virgin cocktail "Larson's Lemonade" was served to me by the creator of the drink Mike Larson who said to me "I'm Larson so you'll never have better"! It was refreshing and delicious! I've eaten great cuisine in various cities worldwide and the service, farm-fresh flavorful meat and veggies and beautiful clean environment are on par with the best of the best. Extremely affordable with entrees at around $12, I felt satisfied and well-fed. Thank you, Class Act for living up to your name! read more

We had dinner last night and there were seven of us. The food was very good and the service was as well. Some of the food items were excellent. Price is on the high side. Most of the servers are students at Kirkwood community college. We were staying at the hotel in which the restaurant is located. We also ate breakfast. Again there were seven of us. The food was not as good at breakfast as it was at dinner. Also, the wait to receive our order was extraordinarily long and the competence of the server was mediocre. read more

This is the newish restaurant at the Kirkwood Hotel. My understanding si that ti is basically a training hotel/restaurant but the don't let that make you think your getting experimental food (in the bad sense) by newbies. The chefs in the kitchen are excellent. I'm not just saying that because my friends boyfriend is one of these talented chefs. My first time there I had the cowboy rib-eye medium rare with an excellent salad and crab cake app. There is no doubt this is my new favorite place in the IC/CR area. And surprisingly affordable. I want to say I walked out with a $45 bill (wine included) which for the quality and quantity was a well worth it! If you need a bit more convincing check out the opentable reviews. There is a reason they are the third most booked place in Iowa (and it has nothing to do with the pathetic number of restaurants that actually do online reservations in Iowa). read more

The most consistently excellent food in the city. The menu changes often, reflecting what fresh local products they find. The meals are prepared by the culinary arts students, working with professional chefs. Save room for dessert, it can be one of the highlights of the meal. read more

The Class Act restaurant is truly a class act in Cedar Rapids. It has been one of my special go-to places over the years because everything is absolutely top notch. The food, drinks, service, environment and even it's purpose as Kirkwood College's student run teaching business is amazing. Hotel Kirkwood is part of the same complex and is the best hotel Cedar Rapids. read more

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Let me start by saying thank god for this place! I must say I was very impressed with the food and the decor its a very relaxing atmosphere. The ingredients were fresh and there were some interesting combos for ex. there were deep fried pickles on my steak sandwich. And at the end of the meal you are always pleased with the bill thanks to not having to pay tax here! read more

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The Class Act is a part of The Hotel at Kirkwood Community College, which specializes in the hospitality and culinary industry. The hotel and restaurant are completely student run, which you would typically think is a bad thing. Not in this case. The students work really hard to perfect their craft and take a lot of pride in their work. The hotel itself is beautiful and I would readily suggest to anyone I know visiting the Cedar Rapids area to stay there. My in-laws enjoy Sunday breakfast here at least twice a month and I can honestly see why they keep going back. First of all, there has never been a wait. Big bonus because when we typically go out to eat, finding a table to 5 right away rarely happens. At Class Act, we are always seated right away and presented with complimentary pastries and danishes made by the students who work there. The pastries are professional grade and delicious! I have tried the pumpkin brioche french toast, the Florentine Eggs Benedict and the steel cut oatmeal. All three have been outstanding and just as good if not better than many of the breakfast establishments I frequent. Actually, the Florentine Eggs Benedict is one of my all-time favorite breakfast items I have ever eaten and it just so happens to be at Class Act. The students who run the restaurant are friendly and we have always gotten service with a smile. It's no wonder why my in-laws go so often, and now why I will happily accompany them. The Class Act indeed is a class act and earns an A+ in my book! read more

5 of us came on a Sunday Night looking for some great food and, despite a lengthy wait, we were impressed. When we came in we were the only people in the restaurant. The atmosphere was great, they even seated us under this big assortment of glass balls (sounds weird but it was pretty neat). We ordered our food and bread came out shortly. About 30 long minutes later, our salads and soup came out. My salad was great, but the wait made it hard to enjoy. After another 30 minutes or so, our entrees came. I had ragout with chicken, and because of the wait, my outlook was a bit dismal. I was pleasantly surprised with the dish and it filled me up adaquately. The waitress even brought out a side of garlic bread as consolation for the wait. Reluctantly, we ordered desert. I got an apple galette with salted caramel ice cream. The ice cream was heavenly. The galette was impeccable. The dish tasted like it had been graced by God. Overall, The Class Act had excellent food, but if you have any sort of agenda ahead of you, this is not the joint for you. read more

The Class Act - Glass Ball Decoration - New American Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Fantastic food. The restaurant is led and worked by students but you would think you are at a 5 star restaurant in a major metropolitan city. Cocktails were fantastic and the Ribeye was spot on with a nice reduction sauce and pesto. Served with asparagus and half marinated onion. I travel 80 percent of the time and this is one of my new favorite restaurants to visit. read more

Great place to eat. Highly recommend. Great vibe, wonderful service, and the best hummus I've ever had. (Burgers and everything else were great, too!) read more

What a great find in Cedar Rapids, IA! My family and I went here to celebrate Fathers Day. We had a total of 6 in the group, including a 2 year old. The Staff was great at accommodating him and did a great job of pacing the dinner. The menu was a welcome reprieve from the 'chain' restaurants in the area. It was great to see a local restaurant using local ingredients (and wines) to create a menu. Also, great to see a school taking a step up with its culinary program to give the students real life experience. We will be back again, when we go to visit the family in Iowa. read more

Beautiful decor, great food, friendly servers, birth student and professional. Eggs Florentine are amazing. Tried cream of dill pickle soup last night. Never heard of it. Quite good! When in Cedar Rapids, don't miss this place. read more

The Class Act - Decor and lighting at our booth. - New American Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Came from Puerto Rico to celebrate our gran daughter's 1st birthday . Chose a brunch at Class Act....from the reservation and requests, to the service , the food, the environment...it all turned into a perfect family celebration. Olivia Marie was very happy and so was the rest of the group. Keep the excellent service, will definitely return! Thanks for all ! Zezette McCoy read more

Spot on! Quite a surprise to end up at a hotel with fine dining. Nothing over the top. Great service! Cool waiter that was a culinary student. Bottom line...... The ribeye was grilled perfectly (rare baby) and butter knife material. Awesome salad too. read more

It gets 5 stars for the food and 1 star for the service. Food is absolutely fantastic. It really is good. However the service is abysmal. Servers seem to not pay attention. Will often wait and wait and wait for a refill of drinks. I've had to flag down the hostess to get my order in after being seated for 30 minutes. I come for the food. But the service means I don't come real often. The only place where, due to the awful service, I left less than a 10% tip. read more

First time back in a few years and was both happy and sad. The old bartender, Jon, was phenomenal! Gave me a recipe for a whiskey drink that I've been making since my first trip. You guys should get him to come back. Josh, the current bartender, did a great job. He walked me through all the liquors and classics they do. He makes a damn good sazerac and good conversation. However, talk to Josh and you'll learn that he happens to be Jon's brother! When he told be that, I knew I was in good hands. read more

This is one of our favorite restaurants in town! We are picky because we love to travel and eat out at some pretty top notch places, but their lamb wellington is by far the best entrees you'll ever have. They also have some of the best cocktails in town. We love their smoky manhattan! The prices are high, but you get what you pay for. You wouldn't even know they're students. Everything from the food to the drinks to the service is amazing! It's sad, but impressive at the same time, that these students are blowing professionals out of the water!!! Now, if only they'd keep the lamb wellington on their menu permanently, we'd be 100% happy. Haha! ;) read more

No where else in Cedar Rapids can you get this kind of 5-star experience... on a late Sunday evening! I'm always impressed by the professionalism of this staff and the kitchen's attention to detail. Wes and Brenden, both line cooks, really knocked it out of the park with the Thai Shrimp and my ribeye was insanely good. Tony was managing and Josh was my server. These guys know how to take care of guests. Hard to beat a place that consistently provides an outstanding experience at times when most restaurants aren't even open! read more

Very classy! I had a delicious meal here. I actually ate at the bar. The bartender was personable and knowledgeable. I was there around 5:00 so they had a "2 for 1" special on drinks. The beef was so tender and spiced to perfection. The food was so good I decided to try the dessert. I think that anything you order here will be fabulous. It was a bit confusing to find. It is located in the lobby of the hotel. read more

Third time here and will not go back. First time was good, second was just ok, third time was awful. Service slow & inattentive, waitress spilled martini and dropped a fork. Four of us all had different entries and all were overcooked & dry. They discounted the bill which was still over $145. The prices here are way over priced for quality & service. read more

I've eaten here 5 times in the past 3 months. The food is very good, hence 2 stars instead of 1,but the service is so bad it ruins the pleasure of the meal. 1st meal- Ordered a half salad, they brought me the full size. Ok, they only charged me for the half. Ordered a side of veggies, which didn't arrive with my entree. Waiter said the chef "forgot to make them." 2nd meal- Ordered an omelette with biscuit. Food delivered but I had to ask for butter and jam. 3rd meal- Waiter didn't bring my drink so I had to flag down another one to get it, salad arrived with wrong dressing, and, again, no side of veggies. Waiter never checked back with me. 4th meal- Ordered an omelette with a biscuit. Got a English muffin. When I said that I had ordered a biscuit, server replied that they didn't have biscuits. I asked what came under the gravy on the "biscuits and gravy" that is on the menu. "Oh! You wanted a biscuit? I thought you wanted an English muffin." Sigh..... 5th meal- Ordered a half salad and an entree with a side of veggies. After a long wait, salad arrived, immediately followed by my hot food. I asked why they hadn't brought the salad first. The server took my hot food back to tha kitchen to keep it warm. When I got it back, it was, not surprisingly, cold. Five meals and not one was served properly first try? Now,I can't just be unlucky. The service is incompetently atrocious. If I wasn't stuck at this hotel I wouldn't ever eat here again. read more

Very nice ambient soon as you walk in. The food is very very good. The pork chop is so big, best bang for your buck. I have tired almost all and love it. Everything was cook perfect!!!! I love to eat and this place has good food. Sever could of came around bit more but it was overall 5 stars read more

Had lunch here today. There's not many restaurants in eastern Iowa on this level. Definitely a fine dining experience and the fact it's on a college campus and a learning center makes it even cooler. I was impressed with the facility, quality of food and attentive service. A great choice for entertaining clients or a special occasion. read more

Good atmosphere, fair food, good service. It was a nice change to the "staple" restaurants in Cedar Rapids, but for the price the food quality and presentation need to be better. Plus, the ambiance could be improved with some temporary decorative partitions to give the tables a little more privacy. My wife and I would go again, but probably not for a while. read more

The Class Act restaurant was the low point of my stay at the hotel. It's an astonishingly fine hotel, with top notch design, finishes and furnishing. Friendly staff and good service. Definitely on a par with other four star hotels. Based on dinner at the restaurant, I found the quality of the food severely lacking. I'm prepared to overlook student staff who are young and learning the job, but the restaurant food and presentation was devoid of passion. I watched kitchen staff prepare my dinner and it was not done with proper attention - many staff were just hanging round chatting while the food cooked itself. And the menu! Full of spelling errors and typos. If they can't even spell it, what's the chance of them cooking it properly. Sorry guys. You are going to have to do much better than this! read more

Breakfast was great! Our table was not ready at our reservation time. Dinner took 1 hour and 15 minutes to make it to our table and was mediocre at best. The server didn't come to check on us or give us any information about our meal delay. read more

This is the restaurant which claims superior ratings by national reviewers. Admittedly, the food we enjoyed tonight was perfect, well crafted and served fresh and hot. However, there are several errors in the service side of this establishment. First, when we (and 3 other parties) arrived at the hostess desk, a "lesser functionary" was there tucking menus into the rich leatherette folders. Shouldn't this have been done EARLIER than 7 p.m.? She neither greeted nor even acknowledged our presence. The hostess arrived back on the scene and began seating the groups. Each group was asked what their plans were for the weekend. I realize this was someone's idea of cordial small talk, but I really don't want to have that personal a conversation with a restaurant hostess. Oh, I could have said, "I'm going to irrigate my colon and rest up for my chemo therapy." Instead I mumbled "Nothing in particular." We ordered wine by the glass. We ordered Pinot Grigio and were brought Pinot Noir. ....by the adult manager, not a student. This was corrected, but it took time. However, the entertainment was interesting: the University of Iowa football team was staying at the hotel before their big game on Saturday and they lumbered by several times during our dinner. Long story short: food-great; service-average. read more

Bring your partner here for a special night of food at then spend the night at the modern hotel. Fantastic food and service. Students run the operation as part of their college degree. read more

I had my wedding at the hotel this fall. We arrived the day before to check in and assemble centerpieces and decided to stop in for lunch, so we could get right back to work quickly. They were very accommodating and did not rush us although we showed up in the last 30 min of their lunch service. I thought the food was great and the lunch menu was reasonably priced. I would love to go back again for a nice anniversary dinner and try their supper menu. I know these students are going to do great when they graduate. The decor was very beautiful. I felt a little under dressed from working on wedding stuff in a t-shirt and jeans, but it was a workday at 1:30, so fortunately there was only one other table there when we came in. I would definitely recommend it for a nice meal out or to entertain a client. read more