Highest-rated restaurants with outdoor seating in Iowa City by diners

The average person spends over 74 minutes eating and drinking on any given weekday. On weekends and holidays, that goes up to over 81 minutes. Where is a better place to spend that time than a restaurant?

Consumers agree. The National Restaurant Association states that 9 in 10 adults enjoy eating out at restaurants, which give people access to a world of great-tasting food that's often difficult to reproduce at home.

People choose restaurants to scope out the latest food trends, including deeper dives into Southeast Asian cuisines from Korea, Vietnam, and the Philippines, without trying to master these complex dishes at home. Chefs also have the resources to experiment with ingredients and bring new favorites like hot honey, spicy maple, matcha, and pickled foods to the table.

Dining out also offers unique, hyperlocal experiences featuring local farmers, food producers, brewers, winemakers, and distillers in a way that connects diners to the area.

When the weather's nice, diners flock to al fresco seating. At least 2 in 5 diners like eating outdoors and look for great ambience like skyline views, rooftop settings, and waterfront seating to enhance their dining experience.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in the Iowa City area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 4, 2025. Only businesses marked as having outdoor seating on the Yelp website were included. Yelp's ranking system calculates an adjusted rating value that considers the number of ratings and the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews within a 10-kilometer radius of Iowa City were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 10 locations nationally, based on our Yelp data, were not included. Read on to see if your favorite spot made the list.

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Micky's Irish Pub & Grill

1 / 30

#30. Micky's Irish Pub & Grill

- Rating: 4.1/5 (173 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 11 South Dubuque St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Irish Pub, American, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

Big Grove Brewery and Taproom

2 / 30

#29. Big Grove Brewery and Taproom

- Rating: 4.1/5 (421 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1225 South Gilbert St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Brewpubs, American, Beer Gardens
- Read more on Yelp

Tribute Eatery & Bar

3 / 30

#28. Tribute Eatery & Bar

- Rating: 4.2/5 (139 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 901 East 2nd Ave. Ste 100 Coralville, Iowa
- Categories: Bars, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Reds Alehouse

4 / 30

#27. Reds Alehouse

- Rating: 4.2/5 (302 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 405 North Dubuque St. North Liberty, Iowa
- Categories: American, Sports Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Trumpet Blossom Cafe

5 / 30

#26. Trumpet Blossom Cafe

- Rating: 4.2/5 (136 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 310 East Prentiss St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Vegan, Vegetarian, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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Basta Pizzeria

6 / 30

#25. Basta Pizzeria

- Rating: 4.3/5 (412 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 121 Iowa Ave. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Shakespeare's

7 / 30

#24. Shakespeare's

- Rating: 4.3/5 (69 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 819 South 1st Ave. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: American, Breakfast & Brunch, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp

Get Fresh Cafe

8 / 30

#23. Get Fresh Cafe

- Rating: 4.3/5 (53 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 109 Iowa Ave. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Cafes, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

LA Wine Bar & Restaurant

9 / 30

#22. LA Wine Bar & Restaurant

- Rating: 4.3/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 180 East Burlington St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Korean, Bubble Tea, Music Venues
- Read more on Yelp

Rusciano's

10 / 30

#21. Rusciano's

- Rating: 4.3/5 (96 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 710 Pacha Pkwy Ste 5 North Liberty, Iowa
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack - Iowa City

11 / 30

#20. Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack - Iowa City

- Rating: 4.3/5 (333 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1940 Lower Muscatine Road Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Barbecue, Chicken Wings, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

Cortado Mediterranean Cafe

12 / 30

#19. Cortado Mediterranean Cafe

- Rating: 4.3/5 (71 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 26 South Clinton St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Cafes, Mediterranean, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Burger Haul

13 / 30

#18. Burger Haul

- Rating: 4.3/5 (58 reviews)
- Address: 112 East College St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Bars, Burgers, American
- Read more on Yelp

Dunn Brothers Coffee

14 / 30

#17. Dunn Brothers Coffee

- Rating: 4.3/5 (48 reviews)
- Address: 3284 Crosspark Road Ste A Coralville, Iowa
- Categories: Sandwiches, Coffee Roasteries
- Read more on Yelp

The Webster

15 / 30

#16. The Webster

- Rating: 4.3/5 (87 reviews)
- Address: 202 North Linn St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Tapas/Small Plates, American
- Read more on Yelp

Nodo Downtown

16 / 30

#15. Nodo Downtown

- Rating: 4.4/5 (158 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5 South Dubuque St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: New American, Delis, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Mexico Lindo Grill & Cantina

17 / 30

#14. Mexico Lindo Grill & Cantina

- Rating: 4.4/5 (26 reviews)
- Address: 1857 Lower Muscatina Road Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Maggie's Farm Wood-Fired Pizza

18 / 30

#13. Maggie's Farm Wood-Fired Pizza

- Rating: 4.4/5 (158 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1308 Melrose Ave. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

Pullman Bar & Diner

19 / 30

#12. Pullman Bar & Diner

- Rating: 4.4/5 (716 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 17 South Dubuque St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Diners, Bars, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Estela's Fresh Mex

20 / 30

#11. Estela's Fresh Mex

- Rating: 4.4/5 (112 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 184 East Burlington St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

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Barrett's Quality Eats

21 / 30

#10. Barrett's Quality Eats

- Rating: 4.5/5 (80 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3242 Crosspark Road Coralville, Iowa
- Categories: Bakeries, Cafes, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

The Dandy Lion

22 / 30

#9. The Dandy Lion

- Rating: 4.5/5 (202 reviews)
- Address: 111 South Dubuque St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: New American, Breakfast & Brunch, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

Saigon's Corner

23 / 30

#8. Saigon's Corner

- Rating: 4.5/5 (100 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 201 South Clinton St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Vietnamese
- Read more on Yelp

Crêpes de Luxe Café

24 / 30

#7. Crêpes de Luxe Café

- Rating: 4.5/5 (147 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 309 East College St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Creperies
- Read more on Yelp

Sushiya

25 / 30

#6. Sushiya

- Rating: 4.6/5 (260 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 745 Community Drive Ste A North Liberty, Iowa
- Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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Ramen Belly

26 / 30

#5. Ramen Belly

- Rating: 4.6/5 (83 reviews)
- Address: 1010 Martin St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Ramen
- Read more on Yelp

Nodo

27 / 30

#4. Nodo

- Rating: 4.6/5 (157 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 600 North Dodge St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: American, Wraps
- Read more on Yelp

I Love Fufu

28 / 30

#3. I Love Fufu

- Rating: 4.8/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 230 East Benton St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: African
- Read more on Yelp

Mammitas Coffee Food & Catering

29 / 30

#2. Mammitas Coffee Food & Catering

- Rating: 4.8/5 (76 reviews)
- Address: 224 South Linn St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Latin American, Florists, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Island Vybz

30 / 30

#1. Island Vybz

- Rating: 4.9/5 (43 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Caribbean, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 327 metros.