Still Kicking (thumbs up icon)
Joe’s Place (now with a rooftop!): This iconic Iowa City tavern has been a downtown Iowa City staple since it opened in 1934. It is also a multi-generational draw, as Ed Underberg (BBA01) noted in this fun LinkedIn post earlier this year: "What do Joe’s Place, Muhammad Ali, and my dad have to do with each other?"
Pagliai’s Pizza (saved after much local drama this year making the building a historical landmark)
What’s Gone
Atlas
The Brown Bottle
Clinton Street Social Club
Devotay
Linn St. Café
Lou Henri’s
The Mill
Motley Cow
Pizza on Dubuque
The Union
University Camera
Whitey’s Ice Cream
The Yacht Club
What’s New / Notable
Restaurants
The Webster
202 N. Linn St.
Fine dining at its best. The only establishment in Iowa named on The New York Times’ 2023 Restaurants List.
Big Grove Brewery
1225 S. Gilbert St.
Large, indoor/outdoor restaurant and bar with local brews, firepits, and space for kids to play.
Wilson’s Ciderhouse
4823 Dingleberry Rd. NE (15 minutes north of town)
Located among the apple trees at Wilson's Orchard, it offers locally sourced, seasonal food and hard ciders in a historic two-story gable roofed barn.
Brix Cheese Shop & Wine Bar
209 N. Linn St.
Intimate restaurant with great international wine and cheese selection. Plus fancy grilled cheeses and soups perfect for fall weather.
Dandy Lion
111 S. Dubuque St.
Cute breakfast and lunch spot on the Ped Mall. Hawkeye superfans may recognize it from the ESPN documentary Full Court Press featuring Caitlin Clark (BBA24).
Nodo
5 S. Dubuque St.
Casual sandwich shop that started in an unassuming spot North of Dodge. (See what they did there?)
Vue Rooftop
328 S. Clinton St. (12th Floor of Hilton Garden Inn)
Craft cocktails, bar bites, seafood, steaks, and expansive views of campus.
Bluebird Diner
330 E. Market St.
The most iconic diner in Iowa, according to Reader’s Digest.
Basta
121 Iowa Ave.
Pizza and pasta served with cocktails in polished, contemporary surrounds.
Iowa Pho
53 2nd St., Coralville
Authentic Vietnamese cuisine including Bahn Mi sandwiches and steaming bowls of pho.
Baroncini Ristorante
104 S. Linn St.
Small spot with big Italian flavor.
Entertainment
FilmScene
404 E. College St. & 118 E. College St.
Iowa City’s hip, nonprofit cinema showcasing independent and blockbuster hits.
Hancher Auditorium
141 Park Rd.
Rebuilt and reimagined after the flood of 2008, the new Hancher Auditorium is an absolute jewel on campus. Check hancher.uiowa.edu for building tours and shows while you’re in town.
Herky on Parade
Diehard Herky fans can go on a scavenger hunt to find a whopping 100 uniquely painted sculptures of the mascot all over Johnson County.
Stanley Museum of Art
160 W. Burlington St.
The university’s new art museum sits next to the Main Library and features Pollock and Miró originals and a current exhibit about artist Keith Haring and his connection to the local Horn Elementary School.
Hotels—not just the Sheraton on the Ped Mall anymore!
Hotel Chauncey
404 E. College St. (farmer’s market just downstairs on Saturdays)
Courtyard Marriott
901 Melrose Ave. (across the street from Kinnick)
The Graduate
210 S. Dubuque St. (check out their Gene Wilder-themed drinks at the bar!)
Hilton Garden Inn
328 S. Clinton St. (Vue Rooftop bar is great)
hotelVetro
201 S. Linn St. (on the Ped Mall above the Bread Garden)
Hyatt Place
255 E. Court St. (easy walk to downtown)
Etc.
Target & Starbucks downtown
Some say sacrilege, some say convenient.
Iowa City Mural Program
Downtown is positively painted with more than a dozen murals, including a new stunning botanical-themed piece by local artist Thomas Agran in an alley behind the Graduate Hotel.
Places to Get Hawkeye Gear
1000 25th Ave., Coralville
1525 2nd St., Coralville
The Hawk Shop
125 N. Madison St. (in Iowa Memorial Union)
Iowa Book
8 S. Clinton St.
Raygun
132 E. Washington St. (clever, nontraditional merch)
Scheels
1451 Coral Ridge Ave., Coralville (in Coral Ridge Mall)
+many more!
Click here to find out what downtown businesses have ties to the Tippie College of Business!
This article appeared in the Fall 2024 issue of Tippie Magazine.