Hi folks - headed to iowa city for my daughters graduation in a couple weeks and would like to have dinner with the family Friday night. Looking for a more upscale place that can seat 10

The Iowa River Power Restaurant in Coralville. Our Mustang (car) club has been there twice and they handled our group of twenty plus people with no issues.

^^^Agree

^^^^^Agree ^^^^^^^
Graduation does overload the restaurants!

Lol thanks - i just learned were having brunch after graduation at that restaurant any other ideas for dinner the night prior?

http://places.singleplatform.c...menu?ref=integration
This place has an amazing whiskey menu and the prices are great. Food is also top notch. I'd call and ask about the table sizes.

I do not have suggestions for restaurants, but your IL permit is good in IA. Plus you can carry in a restaurant, though I strongly suggest not drinking.

http://www.handgunlaw.us/states/iowa.pdf

Looks like good - but chilly - weather for the weekend:

https://www.kcrg.com/weather/

Big grove brewery is super fun with great beer and food. They also own Pullman diner and it is really good as well.

IDK how upscale this place would be considered, but I always like to eat at Red Ginger when I'm in the area.

http://www.redgingercoralville.com/

Iowa City native here. Still live and work in the area.

Iowa River Power on 1st Avenue in Coralville is the place to go. I am having my rehearsal dinner there for my wedding.

Other nice options: Tin Roost (North Liberty,) Blackstone (Iowa City, east side), Iowa Chop House (Iowa City, downtown). Those are your premiere locally owned joints that I would consider "upscale." Skip Monica's on 2nd Street in Coralville. The food is good, the owner is a fucking scumbag.

For a fun time after dinner, head to Big Grove Brewery and Taproom on South Gilbert Street in Iowa City. It's awesome, lots of big tables so sit, table/yard games, fire pits outside (when nice enough) and good bar food, plus great local beer.

Shoot me an email if you need anything else, I'm very familiar with the area.

EDIT: Just saw you're going to IRP for brunch the day after. Excellent choice.

Basta and Josephs Steakhouse (probably more pricey than you're looking for) and Orchard Green are all downtown Iowa City and good picks. Definitely make reservations like...yesterday.

will check some of these out, thanks, I get over there , four or five times a year

There are restaurants in Iowa?

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
There are restaurants in Iowa?

Verbatim what a friend of mine from South side Chicago said once.

Only restaurant I could remember in the area was the Chop House, which was already mentioned.

Whenever I hit Iowa, I need to get a pork tenderloin fix.
Tenderloins the size of platters...gotta fold them over twice to almost fit on the bun.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
There are restaurants in Iowa?

https://www.biaggis.com/
In Davenport, ( 70 East of Iowa City )

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
There are restaurants in Iowa?

Yes! I was shocked to learn that when we moved here 25 year ago. Even more surprising, some of the cities have - get this - paved roads!

Wait, there's more: In some of the cities there are stop signs! I've heard one or two also have traffic lights, maybe others can confirm.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
There are restaurants in Iowa?

I think there's one, but they share it with Nebraska.

Thank you for the info, we got a reservation at the Blackstone

And just last week we got a white porcelain thing to do your morning ablutions inside the house. Not sure how that is going to work out, it looks difficult to scoop the stuff in the bowl out to carry it to the two holer.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
There are restaurants in Iowa?

Only restaurants I've eaten at in Iowa City/Coralville are Culvers and McDonald's one time because Culvers was closed as it was Thanksgiving. I've heard there is a university there and things, but I can't see it from I-80, so I can't verify that.

waiting for you review of Blackstone

were the floors ,tables and chairs clean and neat ?

how was your service? prompt and courteous ?
or slow and forgetful/

was the hot food hot and the cold food cold?

was the pricing fair for the quality of the food?

was the dining room quiet and comfortable or noisy and chaotic ?

how was the parking lot ? crowded or plenty of spaces.

good neighbor hood ? or not so much ?

was the place crowded? or was it sparse ?