My spouse will be in Cedar Rapids next week for business. I did a search
for restaurants in Cedar Rapids but came up with nothing. Are there
any recommendations for restaurants in Cedar Rapids. We will be
at the Hampton Inn. Any good steakhouse? I saw the Teddy's Steakhouse
and Steaks by Thomas is nearby. Any good?
Thanks for any help you can give us.

The closest chain steakhouse I know of is near Westdale Mall: Texas Roadhouse. Downtown in the Roosevelt next to the US Cellular Center is the CR Chophouse. Across town is North Country Steak House on Blair's Ferry Rd. Just a stone's throw from where you'll be staying is a decent Chinese restrnt-Pei's Ohana. I thought there was a Stuart Anderson Steakhouse behind Perkins off of 33rd but can't find it.. If you have time the Amana Colonies about 15 miles or so SW of CR is a nice place to visit and has restaurants worth noting for German-American food: Brick Haus,Colony Inn and Ox Yoke Inn. The hotel should be able to give u directions. Just remember CR streets are somewhat screwy: the river divides East and West and 1st Ave seperates North and South; but it's more of a NW/SE grid following the flow of the river

Believe it or not the Best Western has great food and compared to big cities, the prices will seem like prices were 20 or 30 years ago.

Bob H

Its been a couple of years, but I always liked Leonardo's...an Italian restaurant on the Northeast side of town. "Basic Italian", pizza, pastas, etc. Cheap, hearty, & good. The entire restaurant and bar area was like something out of an old '50s Dean Martin movie....booths with tucker-roll vinyl upholstery, lots of black and red. Last time I was there was on a winter Saturday night and the line stretched outside the door.

Iowa is of course known for their pork. A sandwich that is EVERYWHERE in IA is the pork tenderloin sandwich. As the hotel personnel where they think the best tenderloin is.

I went to school very close to Cedar Rapids and miss those sandwiches, one can't get them in Chicago

In fact, the quaint town where I went to school (no more than a 20 minute drive from Cedar Rapids) now has a "gourmet" restaurant:
Lincoln Cafe restaurant
117 1st Street W
Mt. Vernon, IA 52314
Phone: (319) 895-4041
Their menus on the website look quite delicious http://www.foodisimportant.com/

Looks like I'll have to get back to visit sometime soon. ^


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Thanks for all your suggestions. He did not get to try all the
recommended restaurants, but will have to go back again
for another trip in a few weeks. He did say that the streets
are difficult to find, as he would have to drive through
residential areas and than suddenly there would be a
restaurant in the middle of it.
He stayed at the Hampton and apparently wasn't impressed
with the area around it. Not too many restaurants nearby
either.

Correct, not much near the Hampton Inn and the flurry of modest hotels in that area. BUT, all of Cedar Rapids is a short drive from anywhere and there are no traffic tie ups (oh the almost rural life!). I have traveled here for the past 6 weeks and have found some nice local places. Get a map, or go to google.maps.com with an address and you can't get lost. There is no reason to go to a chain, at all!

Some recommendations within 15 minutes easy drive from any Hotel in CR:

Winifred's. This is as good a steakhouse as you could want. Good steak (most dry aged) and seafood, american and regional (add the morel mushrooms to whatever you order if in season!). Nice bar and good wine list.

Vino's (close to Winifred's and of the same local ownership, its hidden in a strip mall same side of the road (east) and a short distance south of Winifred's). Good italian cuisine and a nice atmosphere. The bar has a bookstore theme also with good wine selection.

Mount Vernon Inn ('the greek place'). Very good greek cuisine, nice atmosphere, good service. The locals love it (and they know where to go).

The Lighthouse. A mile or 2 east on Mt Vernon rd from 'the greek place'. A little bit out of town (just a couple of minutes extra but worth it). Very good food, nice ambience and a bit of history adding some character. They DO NOT take american express. Sorry business travelors. There aren't enough of us apparently. Perhaps there would be if there was a little effort in the marketing dept. I would have gone there many more times if I were able to have used amex (anyone listening!).

American Bistro. Downtown! Upscale feel, good food, sophisticated decor. http://www.bistroonfirst.com/aboutus.htm . The only one with a web site, come on, the rest of you get on with it, help us find you!!!

That's my list, all good, no chains!!!! So, if you are sophmoric in your tastes, need lots of noise, a theme and cloying food with no subleties, go to the Lindale mall area. You will find lots of what you are looking for. Malls, chains and big box stores have stolen the soul of so many communities. When you travel, find the best of whats local while it is still there.

The Lincoln Cafe is simply the best restaraunt in Eastern Iowa and probably the next best thing to driving to Chicago. While gourmet the term is a bit misleading in this case as the atmosphere is decidely informal. I cannot recommend it too highly.

excellent news, looks like I'll be out in Eastern IA at the end of July and will for sure give The Lincoln Cafe a try as it is tops on my list of eats.

BTW, Thanks for the review of where you ate rmac-etc ^ ^

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Check the posts about coralville. There are some good recommendations in there, along with some suggestions for restaurants.

AJ

This Restaurant in Cedar Rapids is ranked 42 in the Top 100 restaurants in the World

http://chef2chef.net/rank/rest2.shtml

http://www.biaggis.com/

Interesting list, some unique listings but the only two non-US restaurants are one in France and one in Mexico and the French Laundry is 9th behind restaurants in NC SC MI AZ VA, so some voters are smoking crack.

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Its been over thirty years since I lived in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area. At that time there was very good steak house between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids call "The Ranch" I think of it often.

What I remember most about my occassional trips to Cedar Rapids over the three years I lived in Iowa City was the smell of burnt oatmeal permeating the atmosphere. At that time there was a Quaker Oats plant in town--I wonder if that smell is still there

It's still there, as of a week ago, the quaker oats factory is still operating up there

too funny, I was about to post your suggestion from the best pizza thread to this thread for reference and now see that you have already posted it here. ^