Best restaurants for 10 cuisines in Iowa City
America is often described as a melting pot—a place where different cultures have come together over the centuries to form a new set of customs while maintaining the ones their ancestors have long held dear. For a lot of cultures, a major part of their identity is food.
Walk down any main street in the United States and you're likely to see the cuisines of many countries that, despite being nowhere near each other on the globe, are sitting side by side. You could start in Egypt with some falafel, get a taste of Taiwan with a cup of bubble tea next door, pick up a side of fries at an old-fashioned American diner down the block, and finish it off with sopaipillas from the Mexican restaurant in town.
Of course, we all have our favorite dishes: a juicy cheeseburger from a local pub, a savory bowl of tempura udon at a beloved Japanese restaurant, or some chicken tikka masala from your nearby Indian spot. But maybe you're looking to get out of your comfort zone a little, whether to try a different restaurant that has your favorite food or to taste a new type of cuisine entirely. To help point you in the right direction, Stacker compiled a list of the best restaurants for 10 cuisines in Iowa City using data from Yelp. The cuisines included were based on research from Grand Canyon University on the most popular cuisines across U.S. cities.
Read on to find out if your favorite restaurant made the cut and to get inspired for your next dinner out.
Note: The images in this article depict each cuisine and do not necessarily reflect dishes served at each restaurant.
American: Nodo
- Rating: 4.5/5 (153 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 600 N Dodge St Iowa City, IA 52245
- Categories: American, Wraps
- Read more on Yelp
Chinese: Long Xing
- Rating: 4.5/5 (100 reviews)
- Address: 428 Highway 1 W Iowa City, IA 52246
- Categories: Chinese
- Read more on Yelp
Greek: George's Best Gyros
- Rating: 3.0/5 (2 reviews)
- Address: 213 Iowa Ave Iowa City, IA 52240
- Categories: Greek
- Read more on Yelp
Indian: Bollywood Grill
- Rating: 4.5/5 (10 reviews)
- Address: 201 S Clinton St Iowa City, IA 52240
- Categories: Indian
- Read more on Yelp
Italian: Maggie's Farm Wood-Fired Pizza
- Rating: 4.5/5 (134 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1308 Melrose Ave Iowa City, IA 52246
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
Japanese: Ramen Belly
- Rating: 4.5/5 (68 reviews)
- Address: 1010 Martin St Iowa City, IA 52245
- Categories: Ramen
- Read more on Yelp
Korean: Onnuri Korean BBQ
- Rating: 4.5/5 (18 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 624 S Gilbert St Iowa City, IA 52240
- Categories: Korean, Barbeque
- Read more on Yelp
Mexican: La Regia Taqueria
- Rating: 4.5/5 (462 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 436 Hwy 1 W Iowa City, IA 52246
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp
Thai: Thai Spice Noodle House
- Rating: 4.0/5 (39 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 725 Mormon Trek Blvd Iowa City, IA 52246
- Categories: Thai, Noodles
- Read more on Yelp
Vietnamese: Saigon's Corner
- Rating: 4.5/5 (88 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 201 South Clinton St Iowa City, IA 52240
- Categories: Vietnamese
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 332 metros.