Highest-rated restaurants in Iowa City by diners
Highest-rated restaurants in Iowa City by diners
Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to stick to our morning routines, rewatch movies we've seen time and time again, and hit up the same tried-and-true restaurants when going out for a meal. In fact, 35% of Americans said they rarely, if ever, try a new restaurant they haven't been to before, and 5% say they never do, according to a survey of more than 2,600 diners from TouchBistro.
But those numbers look quite different when you focus on younger generations—56% of Gen Zers and 47% of millennials in the U.S. say they visit new restaurants once a month or more. When it comes to deciding which new restaurant to try, younger generations are also more likely to rely on online reviews, through sites like Yelp or Google or from social media. The TouchBistro survey found that 71% of Gen Zers and 72% of millennials have opted to try a new restaurant solely because of favorable reviews online.
Some of the best restaurants in your neck of the woods might be those established spots that customers have been visiting for decades, but some may be brand new. More than 10,000 new restaurants opened in 2023, up 5.7% from 2022, according to a report from BentoBox. The states that saw the most new restaurants open up in 2023 were Florida, Texas, California, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, but new locales are popping up all over the U.S.
To help you determine which spots—both new and long-standing—to try out, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in Iowa City, according to Yelp reviews from diners as of January 2024. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews were considered. Read on to find some inspiration for the next time you dine out.
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily reflect each restaurant listed.
#30. Bread Garden Market
- Rating: 4.0/5 (131 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 225 South Linn St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Grocery, Delis, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp
#29. Joseph's Steakhouse
- Rating: 4.0/5 (118 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 212 South Clinton St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Steakhouses, Seafood, New American
- Read more on Yelp
#28. Shakespeare's Pub And Grill
- Rating: 4.0/5 (56 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 819 South 1st Ave. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: American, Breakfast & Brunch, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp
#27. Big Grove Brewery and Taproom
- Rating: 4.0/5 (366 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1225 South Gilbert St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Brewpubs, American, Beer Gardens
- Read more on Yelp
#26. El Paso
- Rating: 4.0/5 (57 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 601 Hollywood Blvd. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Bakeries, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Basta Pizzeria
- Rating: 4.5/5 (354 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 121 Iowa Ave. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Soseki Café
- Rating: 4.5/5 (85 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 227 South Dubuque St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Cortado Mediterranean Cafe
- Rating: 4.5/5 (65 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 26 South Clinton St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Cafes, Mediterranean, Delis
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Get Fresh Cafe
- Rating: 4.5/5 (38 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 109 Iowa Ave. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Cafes, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack - Iowa City
- Rating: 4.5/5 (305 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1940 Lower Muscatine Road Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Barbeque, Chicken Wings, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Estela's Fresh Mex
- Rating: 4.5/5 (100 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 184 East Burlington St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Trumpet Blossom Cafe
- Rating: 4.5/5 (118 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 310 East Prentiss St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Vegan, Vegetarian, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Burger Haul
- Rating: 4.5/5 (45 reviews)
- Address: 112 East College St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Bars, Burgers, American
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Long Xing
- Rating: 4.5/5 (101 reviews)
- Address: 428 Highway 1 West Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Chinese
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Pullman Bar & Diner
- Rating: 4.5/5 (645 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 17 South Dubuque St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Diners, Bars, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Orchard Green
- Rating: 4.5/5 (218 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 521 South Gilbert St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: New American, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#14. The Webster
- Rating: 4.5/5 (53 reviews)
- Address: 202 North Linn St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Tapas/Small Plates, American
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Nodo Downtown
- Rating: 4.5/5 (146 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5 South Dubuque St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: New American, Delis, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Crêpes de Luxe Café
- Rating: 4.5/5 (129 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 309 East College St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Creperies
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Saigon's Corner
- Rating: 4.5/5 (87 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 201 South Clinton St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Vietnamese
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Maggie's Farm Wood-Fired Pizza
- Rating: 4.5/5 (134 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1308 Melrose Ave. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#9. La Regia Taqueria
- Rating: 4.5/5 (464 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 436 Hwy 1 West Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp
#8. The Dandy Lion
- Rating: 4.5/5 (165 reviews)
- Address: 111 South Dubuque St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: New American, Breakfast & Brunch, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Oasis Falafel
- Rating: 4.5/5 (417 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 206 North Linn St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Middle Eastern, Falafel
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Ramen Belly
- Rating: 4.5/5 (68 reviews)
- Address: 1010 Martin St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Ramen
- Read more on Yelp
#5. The Encounter Cafe
- Rating: 4.5/5 (153 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 376 South Clinton St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Nodo
- Rating: 4.5/5 (153 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 600 North Dodge St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: American, Wraps
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Dodge Street Coffeehouse
- Rating: 4.5/5 (40 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2790 North Dodge St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Cupcakes, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Mammitas Coffee
- Rating: 5.0/5 (66 reviews)
- Address: 224 South Linn St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Latin American, Florists, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Island Vybz Mobile Rasta-rant
- Rating: 5.0/5 (29 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Caribbean, Food Trucks
- 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 331 metros.
