Great Places to Eat? (Des Moines, Waterloo: appointed, high school, university)

[Not Iowa]

Originally Posted by WoodwardGirl

Gotta put in a plug for Zindrick's in the Czech Village in Cedar Rapids. Authentic Czech food -- not something you'll find in a lot of places! What they do with pork and sauces is probably illegal in many places -- it's that good! Cute little place, too!

I've heard of Zindricks and work near there...is this a place to get a sitter for or okay to bring kids?

[Not Iowa]

Originally Posted by El Rhino

A Dong is one of my favorite restaurants. The food is real good, the prices are very agreeable and they've got a very extensive menu. It's probably the best vegetarian/vegan restaurant around here too. Their egg rolls and the sauce are great and I recommend the bun dishes (rice noodles, vegetables and either meat or tofu). The food is real light and flavorful. The food is Vietnamese, which a lot of us are unfamiliar with, so it can be difficult to order the first time because you won't see dishes you recognize. Everything is ordered by number, which is helpful instead of trying to fumble through the pronounciation. Since the prices are low, it's also a good time to try different things like bubble tea (I don't like it so much), the spring rolls and so on with your meal.

Java Joe's is cool too. When I was younger, that was a cool place to hang out at when it was nice out and stand around outside. I stop there every now and then for coffee when I get a chance.

Buzzard Billy's has really good food, but it seems like the service really, really sucks. I've been there several times when I was one of the only people in there and waiting on service for almost an hour while the staff stands around and plays grab-ass. Undercooked rice sometimes too. I really wish that place had it's act together because the food is really good. I know other people have said the same thing about the service.

I'd like to try the Czech place sometime if I'm ever in Cedar Rapids.

Too true on the service at Buzzard Billy's. I was there over the weekend and we were only one of there tables and it still took our waitress half an hour to come around after the initial drink order. The food is really good though.

Another place I thought of in Cedar Rapids - The Flying Wienie. It's a hot dog/burger place on the SW side. The baked beans were a real surprise - very good for lunch or dinner. The gyros are awesome too, and it's just a different type of place than most. I'm not sure if the main guy that cooks the food is also the guy that owns it - but he's super easy to talk to and makes the wait go by fast.

[WoodwardGirl]

Originally Posted by Not Iowa

I've heard of Zindricks and work near there...is this a place to get a sitter for or okay to bring kids?

I'd vote for a sitter, I think. It's not real formal or anything but it is "intimate," (i.e. not very big!), there are antiques on display, and the menu isn't something most kids would really appreciate.

[nascar9girl]

I love Latin King and Machine Shed!!! I know they've already been mentioned, but I had to put my vote in!!!

Okay, I've gotta put a word in for us down here in Southern Iowa... if you get a chance, check out at least one of 'em! I like The Peppertree in Oskaloosa (they have THE BEST baked potato soup!) and Taso's (really good pizza!). My own personal favorite, though, is Pit Row Sports Bar & Grill in Eddyvlle... the biggest homemade tenderloins I've ever seen and awesome juicy burgers that are never frozen! Yeah, so my family owns the place and I'm a bit biased, but it's still darn good

[Stevie]

I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned the Amana Colonies. They have a number of restaurants that make really great homemade food. They're not too far from Cedar Rapids or Iowa City. I hope to get out there sometime next spring or summer.

Aside from the food, the Amana Colonies also have a lot of nice antique shops. They can be quite pricey though. I once saw a grandfather clock there that cost 6K.

[WoodwardGirl]

Originally Posted by Stevie

I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned the Amana Colonies. They have a number of restaurants that make really great homemade food. They're not too far from Cedar Rapids or Iowa City. I hope to get out there sometime next spring or summer.

Aside from the food, the Amana Colonies also have a lot of nice antique shops. They can be quite pricey though. I once saw a grandfather clock there that cost 6K.

I guess I've been "burned" too many times when advocating the Amanas. I love the restaurants there, especially the Ox Yoke Inn (I prefer the one in Main Amana to the one in Little Amana), especially before an Old Creamery Theater show. But I've recommended them to people who were all "oooh... it was all BREADED and FRIED and CARBS!" They have all much preferred Granite City in Cedar Rapids, where they can get a huge salad and take 7/8 of it home and then work out for a couple of days to make up for the splurge .

I'll second your motion, Steve. I love the Amanas restaurants. As for antiques, there may be fewer shops than you recall. Amana Furniture and Schanz are still among the very few businesses in the world that make brand new furniture that is of sufficient quality that your great-grandchildren would be proud to hand down to their children. And, yes, you can easily spend $10k for a grandfather clock!

[LPerkins33]

Pagilias' Pizza in Iowa City. Sooooo good!

A bit expensive but I like 126 and Taste on Melrose in IC as well. Good variety and just plain good food.

[Not Iowa]

Originally Posted by WoodwardGirl

Pizza! Oh, Zoeys in Marion! Their New York style is great, but their Chicago style is truly spectaculatar. Makes me not miss Giordanos quite as much!

OMG Zoey's is awesome! The namesake Zoey pizza is up there with the best pizza I've ever, ever had.

[Mouser]

Cresco,IA.

M&M Bar West of the Courthouse lawn

Have A 'Mille Burger' it's like a taste of history

[Stevie]

Originally Posted by WoodwardGirl

As for antiques, there may be fewer shops than you recall. Amana Furniture and Schanz are still among the very few businesses in the world that make brand new furniture that is of sufficient quality that your great-grandchildren would be proud to hand down to their children. And, yes, you can easily spend $10k for a grandfather clock!

I think "antique" was the wrong term for me to use. Doesn't that qualify for things that are really old or rare? The furniture and I believe the grandfather clocks also were new so they may not qualify for that. I remember going through some hallway and you could see through these windows and see people actually making the furniture in another room. It was pretty neat.

Anyway, I've only been to two of the restaurants there. One of them I remember had all kinds of great food like pickled ham, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and gravy, etc. Of course, those were just the appetizers. The main course I had was fried chicken, which was really great.

The other restaurant I remember I had pork ribs. They were good but they sure don't beat the pork ribs at Hickory Park in Ames!