Iowa

[langburns]

My husband and I, along with our twin two year olds, are driving from Chicago to Kansas City for Christmas, staying overnight in Iowa City. Can anyone reccomend places to eat along the way, we cannot eat at another Cracker Barrell, please help!!!

[DeborahLee]

In Iowa City would recommend the Midtown Family Restaurant, off of Scott Blvd. Sandwiches as well as dinners, salads, desserts. Tenderloins are wonderful. Homemade pies. Scrumptious onion rings.

Would also recommend House of Lords, First Avenue, Coralville, in the basement of the Cantebury Inn. Great ice cream drinks, wonderful prime rib on Saturday, hot baked bread with real butter.

[thebeavises]

I must say that Midtown is my guilty pleasure. I haven't been there for years, but I remember really good onion rings and patty melts.

[Milwhawkeye]

hear me now, believe me later. a couple thoughts.

first, no knock on the house of lords, but if you're staying in iowa city, you should stay in iowa city (not coralville). and that means staying at the sheraton or the hotel vetro downtown. you should get good rates at xmas. the vetro is quite nice.

i make the milwaukee to KC run to see family frequently, and we always stay at the vetro.

downtown has lots of great restaurants. just walk around and find one you like.

for pizza, go to pagliai's.

for diner food, hamburg inn.

for decent chow in a family-friendly enough atmosphere, try the summit.

there are several good japanese places downtown. my kids eat at takanami.

brown bottle is nostalgic, red sauce italian.

there are lots of nice places now, devotay (noted above), but i assume that's not what you need. alpha is fun, but again may not be the best for twin 2-year olds.

lots of bars downtown. i assume you guys will need some booze after traveling and dining out with twins. i like the deadwood but bring a gasmask for the kids.

[jwagnerdsm]

Devotay is being a bit modest. His restaurant is one of Iowa City's favorites, although maybe not to kid-friendly. Up the road, in Solon, is Joensy's, famous for their jumbo pork tenderloins.

[Devotay]

El Reyna for the best chicken tacos on the planet

[Devotay]

Iowa City is packed with great places to eat, far more than a town its size deserves (and we don't have a cracker barrel!). But what are you looking for - can you narrow down your scope for me a little bit? We have lots of variety to choose from.

Peace,
kmf

[langburns]

Thanks, we are very flexible but like to try local places, we have all the variety in the world in Chicago, we'd like to find places that are unique to the area, and no, not Cracker Barrell. That seems to be all we see as we drive along I80. The girls eat anything so they are not a restriction at all. Thanks for your help!