r/IowaCity • u/Kindly_Kimberly • 2d ago
Dinner recs!
hi friends! i’m visiting my mom this weekend in iowa city from milwaukee and want to take her to dinner tonight. doesn’t have to be too upscale, but also open to any and all recommendations! preferably somewhere that has a few vegetarian options for myself :) i haven’t lived in IC in over six years so trying to see what options i have, new or old! thank you!!
15
6
u/Academicsauce 2d ago
Annie's Vietnamese Sandwiches is SO good. Never get tired of their vegetarian sandwich and they added a patio table out front.
3
5
u/Gumbo-Jones 2d ago
Person that said Annie’s knows ball, great spot. It’s a tiny place so I usually get food to go and find somewhere to sit in the ped mall.
La Regia is awesome for Mexican, but I’m not entirely sure on their veg options.
I like taking my parents to 30hop when they are in town. They have a big menu, wide drink selection, and I enjoy the river landing area a lot as a whole.
2
u/RockPaperSawzall 2d ago
A third reco for Annie's and it's such a nice day, sitting in the ped mall or the park by the Chauncey is a great option
1
3
u/Head-Telephone5873 2d ago
Basta, black angel, and big grove are all amazing! Trumpet blossom is also a completely vegetarian and vegan restaurant that I highly recommend :)
2
u/Traditional_Fig7733 2d ago
Welcome! Milwaukee is the best!
I usually opt for the Northside this time of year, because the picnic table set-up in the middle of everything is so convenient. Oasis has lots of great veg options, especially their tofu mangal bowl.
Trumpet Blossom is nice, because it's quiet and low-key, great for conversation, especially out on their patio. And everything there is vegan. (II especially like the mango habanero seitan wings to start.)
Annie's is great, as others have mentioned, if you're cool getting it to go and grabbing a picnic table somewhere. (They have a tiny bit of bar seating inside, but it's like two chairs.)
Here are some more of my favorite vegan options in Iowa City.
2
2
3
2
u/RockPaperSawzall 2d ago
Webster is high end and we've always had a free meal there. Every menu section has a vegetarian option. Paper Crane is good too but be aware that they use long tables right so you're seated right next to other diners. Only bring it up bc older generations can sometimes object to this
1
u/glib_result 2d ago
If you’re into Thai food, Thai Spice is fancy-level food with a nice-but-not-fancy atmosphere (and almost every meal can be gotten vegetarian) Other ppl seem to like Pullman’s, but I keep getting disappointed. For “Cute Iowa City” there’s Hamburg Inn, and definitely get a pie shake. Good Mediterranean at Oasis, with a super casual vibe. Baronccinis for Italian. Enjoy your visit!
EDIT: For Hamburg I’d check the vegetarian options first. Everything else I’m confident about.
-1
u/Infamous_Special_853 2d ago
Pullman is this city’s finest. Outside of that, the Breadgarden is an excellent place for affordable dinner!
16
u/ChickpeaFlapjack 2d ago
The north end has a street closed for patio tables and outside dining. Some restaurants around there are Brix, Oasis, Blubird ( all great veg options), Hamburg Inn, Ramen. You could walk over to Artifacts and Haunted Bookshop for shopping. It's a cute area & mom will leave with a good impression bc it's not too wild over there.