Dining in Cedar Rapids (Leon, Badger: restaurant, price, places to eat)

[Garo]

Hello,

I will be traveling through Cedar Rapids in May and was hoping to get some information on the best places to eat. I will be needing to eat dinner on two nights. Any suggestions would be helpful. I am not looking for anything too high end but just some good grilled food and maybe a good local beer/wine with the food, preferrably something unique to the area and not a brand name chain like Outback, etc. Right now I'm looking at the North Country Steakhouse and/or Ox Yoke Inn Restaurant, any info on these and others would be greatly appreciated. I will consider all options and opinions. Thanks!

Garo

[mustang84]

The Irish Democrat has good food and brew...it's on 1st Avenue about halfway between downtown and Lindale Mall.

Granite City also has excellent food and homemade brew, but I think they are sort of a chain.

Leonardo's is a long-time CR sit-down establishment with a huge variety of menu items...Italian, American, Mexican, BBQ, etc.

If you like Mexican, Hacienda Las Glorias has great food and margaritas. I've been to the one on 1st Avenue and the new one on Blair's Ferry right off I-380. They have three of them in town but I wouldn't consider them a chain since they are a Cedar Rapids-only establishment.

I've heard Union Station has good food, but I haven't been there yet.

I'm fairly new to town, so that's my brief list of some places I've been to.

[Garo]

Mustang84,

Thank you for the info. That is exactly the type of suggestions I'm looking for. I should clarify that when I say "chains" I mean the basic nationwide chains like Outback, Reb Lobster, etc. Regional chains are fine as I am from Tennessee and we don't have Granite City's, etc.

Any other suggestions, comments, warnings, etc would be appreciated. Thanks again.

[UW Badgers]

North Country Steakhouse is no longer. It's something else now.

[pepe1]

Seems like an appropriate thread to ask…

I know Zindrick’s was a popular Czech themed restaurant in Cedar Rapids – but I also know it was affected by the flooding last spring. Is Zindrick’s currently re-opened? Closed for good? Will re-open at some point?

[honey693]

I love the Irish Democrat.

[Garo]

UW Badgers,

Thanks for the heads up.

[YouBetcha!]

Check out Blend (Blend Restaurant - Cedar Rapids, IA). It says its an upscale restaurant, but you can get a meal for a reasonable price. It was hit by the flood last summer, but has been remodeled.

[SharpHawkeye]

Get back to us after your trip and let us know what you think of the 'ol CR, ok?

[Garo]

Hey guys,

I appreciate all the suggestions and still looking into them. What's the dress code level of some of these places? I'm going to be needing something that I can wear blue jeans/collared shirt due to the type of trip I'll be on and do not want to be "that guy" or end up being under dressed.

Thanks again for the help.