I picked up takeout and so wasn't sure what to expect. Looked nice on the inside, very private. Food was great though! I had the italian sausage baked penne and it included toasted bread and a decent sized side salad. Defintely recommended!
(5)
Thomas D.
Good service, great food, well run establishment. We have been coming here for years. When we had moved away from the area it was the first place we ate upon our return. It's always been solid. Not sure how long they've been in Business, it has to be over forty years. Their definitely doing a lot of things right!
(5)
Dave E.
Went here as my friend remembered it from her college days, They seated 3 adults and an infant right away. Food was OK, not really a lot to write home. Biggest thing I recall is that the food ( I had Chicken Parmesan and twice baked mashed potatoes ) was lava hot from the oven. Seems to be a popular date, saw 3 separate Senior Prom tables. Ok but no burning desire to return.
(3)
Brenda T.
This is a sentimental favorite, as it was the place my friends and I went in conjunction with nearly every high school dance. The food is mostly solid and predictable, with some stand-outs. On this last trip to Cedar Falls I went there twice. The cheese manicotti was good, not great, but the vegetarian lasagna was totally delicious and I would definitely order it again. Love the homemade salad dressings, especially the blue cheese, and the pizza is very good too. Favorite dessert is any of their ice cream drinks, especially the Nutty Irishman, just ice cream mixed with liqueur and garnished with an Italian cookie. Ask to sit in the room where you can see the wide variety of bird feeders, which draw everything from woodpeckers, nuthatches, and orioles, and even once a wild turkey!
(4)
Nic J.
foods good, overpriced. Wine is good but limited and expensive. just noting great about it...... sorry
(2)
Scott K.
Chicken or veal marsala, chili pepper penne, or lasagne are second to none!
(5)
Kate M.
Stopped in last night after a long week of work, and was pleasantly surprised. This is a cool looking bulding with a nice patio that I bet sees lots of use when the weather is nice. It was chilly last night, so none of that action, but the restaurant was very pleasant on the inside. I didn't get to look around too much because I was seated just off the bar area, but it looks like there is plenty of seating and lots of smaller rooms so it feels more intimate. My server, Lizzy, was right there to take my order and I started with a glass of Malbec and skipped an app and just went right for the prime rib. The field greens salad was huge and very fresh. Really enjoyed that, and then the prime rib was a perfect medium, and so tender I almost didn't need a knife. My server recommended the twice-baked potato and I'm glad I took her advice. Cheesy, creamy deliciousness is what that was. All in it was around $31. Not bad at all. The only minor annoyance was all the screaming kids. It's really amazing to me that people will just sit there staring off into space while their kid is having a meltdown, or pounding their silverware on the table, etc. Amazing. This is a nice place and I would think they would be embarrassed if their kid was acting that way. Times have changed. A kid was screaming off in the distance when I sat at my table and then the 5-top near me with 3 little ones had a fussy one and one that burped loudly every 10 minutes. Nice. In this area if the staff were to say something about unruly kids being removed from the building to be considerate to other guests, the place would probably get boycotted and I don't want that to happen. The Brown Bottle was a nice surprise and I would definitely go back again. Maybe if I dine a little later like 7:30 or so, the kids will be at home.
(4)
Heather Z.
This was our "go to" family celebration dinner when we come to town. But maybe no more. We came tonight for my mother in law's birthday at 6:15. We made reservations and dressed up and headed out for a night at Brown Bottle. My in-laws have been dining here since 1972 and this was probably the only time we have not had an amazing experience. We arrived and were seated upstairs in the corner. No one asked to take my long coat. My husband ran around looking for a hook. Once we were seated we noticed the place was really empty. Why did we have to come all the way up here and look at the AC on the roof!? Why didn't they ask about my in-laws and stairs (they are in their 70s)? We had no problem choosing drinks and the waiter was delightful, but when the drinks arrived, they were 1/2 full? Yummy, but... Cody was remarkably nice! He apologized for the drinks but didn't replace them since they were "two shots". Dinner was ordered and for the most part it was delicious...except the pizza. That was oddly doughy and hard to cut. So we sent it back and had them finish cooking it. While the pizza was cooking the servers came through and blew out all the candles and started cleaning up the space. They even did a little vacuuming :). We asked if they were closing. We began thinking we might get the pizza to go. They assured us they were just closing the upstairs. We asked about moving but that couldn't happen because they seated "one table per waitperson". Couldn't our waitperson serve us downstairs? Cody was great! He probably would have loved skipping the stairs. Finally...let's not forget the pizza. It came back burned and nearly inedible. Box it up. Brownie pie and happy birthday. Sorry to say good bye but we might try another restaurant for our tradition!
(2)
Jon D.
One of the better and nicer restaurant in Cedar Falls. It has great service just about every time I come here. I have been here on special occasions or just because we wanted to go. It has delivered every single time. All our family loves hopefully yours will too. The atmosphere is great here! You may have to wait sometimes for awhile but is worth it. A solution is to just get a reservation. There are many places to sit so don't worry For appetizers I recommend the cheese bread it is great! For your entree I recommend the pizza, spaghetti, lasagna, and prime rib For Dessert I would recommend the brownie pie, old fashioned sundaes, and chocolate pudding cake. These are fantastic choices, but there is much more! The price here is right. Trust me you will get your money's worth. You will always be satisfied here!
(5)
Rob C.
This is first place I ate at after moving from LA to The CF we sat down 10 minutes later the girl at the table next to us looked at her Iowa man & said omg those guys are fags this set the tone for my living & dinning experiences for the next six years. It just got worse & the more we tried to help & be a part of the health care community the more we were treated like aliens from Planet X the food at brown bottle is watery & tasteless we also found hair in our food I guess someone hates wearing their hair pulled back the center of my stuffed shells was cold & gummy the wait staff was listless & uninterested the view of the water was really a bogy creek depressing as the food we never went back others have told me they feel ill every time they eat there I always said don't go back the answer but our choices are so limited!
(1)
Alissa B.
This has been the boyfriend and I's go-to for special occasions and they've always been spot on. I think we had a mishap once with a bad batch of tarimisu but other than that, amazing. I'm not a huge lover of salad but their homemade dressings make me eat every bite. I love (so much I buy it from them) their italian. My boyfriend prefers the ranch or peppecorn. I always get the scallops and they are to die for. Always cooked perfectly. And the red velvet cheesecake? THE BEST ON THE PLANET. This last time I mentioned it was our anniversary and we got a delicious brownie-like dessert on the house with a candle. The only thing I wish they'd change: the set-up of seating. We're always placed in a room with larger parties who are quite loud and it ruins the intimate setting we want.
(5)
Mark A.
Stay home, watch a game show from the 1970's and eat a bowl of Special K, it will be a better night than going to this place. There is no way to make reservations on the web site so after 3 emails we finally got a positive response that "we'll put you down." When we arrived - nope, never heard of us. That's OK because at 6:00pm on a Friday night the place was empty. The meal started with a salad which included a skanky little piece of toast with two strands of human hair on it. When the menu says "home made blue cheese dressing" it must mean the cook had some blue cheese at home when he mixed up this creamy stuff because there was no cheese it in. We both had the prime rib which we both sent back as it was served chilled like it was white wine. But after a short turn in the microwave it came back warm but still as tasteless as a bowl of diet breakfast cereal. We just asked for a box so we could take it home and grill it ourselves. The dessert was excellent, but only because it was an ice cream cake clearly ordered from Schwanz. I hope we never have the misfortune of going there again.
(1)
Thomas P.
We've been fans of the Cedar Falls Brown Bottle for years. The 'Pricey' rating is not deserved though. Per person cost for us (a family of six) has averaged $11 to $16 per person without fail over the last few years. The salads and dressings are always excellent (the bits of bread served with the salads are always a favorite too). I would recommend the manicotti and/or prime rib and my wife loves the caneloni. The seating style is slightly odd, but it really lends itself to the homey style and privacy.
(4)
Karen C.
I really like this place. I come to Iowa for work 2-3 times a year and always make it a point to stop here for dinner one night. Prices are extremely reasonable (although that's coming from a New Englander near NYC so take it for what it is worth.) It seems to be an Iowa, or maybe a mid-west thing, but the creamy garlic salad dressing is sooooo good. I've had a couple different veal, pasta, and chicken dishes and everything comes out hot and fresh. Staff are friendly and the decor is very warm and inviting. It's on the dark side and the restaurant is all split up between floors and rooms, it's almost like a house.
(4)
Chelsee T.
Best prime rib I've ever had! The service is always top notch and the atmosphere is perfect!
(5)
Scott S.
One of the best restaurants in Waterloo/Cedar Falls and definitely the best Italian. Great Italian dishes and great pizza. Service is always good, call ahead for reservations as it can fill up fast.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Classy Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Krista H.
I picked up takeout and so wasn't sure what to expect. Looked nice on the inside, very private. Food was great though! I had the italian sausage baked penne and it included toasted bread and a decent sized side salad. Defintely recommended!
(5)Thomas D.
Good service, great food, well run establishment. We have been coming here for years. When we had moved away from the area it was the first place we ate upon our return. It's always been solid. Not sure how long they've been in Business, it has to be over forty years. Their definitely doing a lot of things right!
(5)Dave E.
Went here as my friend remembered it from her college days, They seated 3 adults and an infant right away. Food was OK, not really a lot to write home. Biggest thing I recall is that the food ( I had Chicken Parmesan and twice baked mashed potatoes ) was lava hot from the oven. Seems to be a popular date, saw 3 separate Senior Prom tables. Ok but no burning desire to return.
(3)Brenda T.
This is a sentimental favorite, as it was the place my friends and I went in conjunction with nearly every high school dance. The food is mostly solid and predictable, with some stand-outs. On this last trip to Cedar Falls I went there twice. The cheese manicotti was good, not great, but the vegetarian lasagna was totally delicious and I would definitely order it again. Love the homemade salad dressings, especially the blue cheese, and the pizza is very good too. Favorite dessert is any of their ice cream drinks, especially the Nutty Irishman, just ice cream mixed with liqueur and garnished with an Italian cookie. Ask to sit in the room where you can see the wide variety of bird feeders, which draw everything from woodpeckers, nuthatches, and orioles, and even once a wild turkey!
(4)Nic J.
foods good, overpriced. Wine is good but limited and expensive. just noting great about it...... sorry
(2)Scott K.
Chicken or veal marsala, chili pepper penne, or lasagne are second to none!
(5)Kate M.
Stopped in last night after a long week of work, and was pleasantly surprised. This is a cool looking bulding with a nice patio that I bet sees lots of use when the weather is nice. It was chilly last night, so none of that action, but the restaurant was very pleasant on the inside. I didn't get to look around too much because I was seated just off the bar area, but it looks like there is plenty of seating and lots of smaller rooms so it feels more intimate. My server, Lizzy, was right there to take my order and I started with a glass of Malbec and skipped an app and just went right for the prime rib. The field greens salad was huge and very fresh. Really enjoyed that, and then the prime rib was a perfect medium, and so tender I almost didn't need a knife. My server recommended the twice-baked potato and I'm glad I took her advice. Cheesy, creamy deliciousness is what that was. All in it was around $31. Not bad at all. The only minor annoyance was all the screaming kids. It's really amazing to me that people will just sit there staring off into space while their kid is having a meltdown, or pounding their silverware on the table, etc. Amazing. This is a nice place and I would think they would be embarrassed if their kid was acting that way. Times have changed. A kid was screaming off in the distance when I sat at my table and then the 5-top near me with 3 little ones had a fussy one and one that burped loudly every 10 minutes. Nice. In this area if the staff were to say something about unruly kids being removed from the building to be considerate to other guests, the place would probably get boycotted and I don't want that to happen. The Brown Bottle was a nice surprise and I would definitely go back again. Maybe if I dine a little later like 7:30 or so, the kids will be at home.
(4)Heather Z.
This was our "go to" family celebration dinner when we come to town. But maybe no more. We came tonight for my mother in law's birthday at 6:15. We made reservations and dressed up and headed out for a night at Brown Bottle. My in-laws have been dining here since 1972 and this was probably the only time we have not had an amazing experience. We arrived and were seated upstairs in the corner. No one asked to take my long coat. My husband ran around looking for a hook. Once we were seated we noticed the place was really empty. Why did we have to come all the way up here and look at the AC on the roof!? Why didn't they ask about my in-laws and stairs (they are in their 70s)? We had no problem choosing drinks and the waiter was delightful, but when the drinks arrived, they were 1/2 full? Yummy, but... Cody was remarkably nice! He apologized for the drinks but didn't replace them since they were "two shots". Dinner was ordered and for the most part it was delicious...except the pizza. That was oddly doughy and hard to cut. So we sent it back and had them finish cooking it. While the pizza was cooking the servers came through and blew out all the candles and started cleaning up the space. They even did a little vacuuming :). We asked if they were closing. We began thinking we might get the pizza to go. They assured us they were just closing the upstairs. We asked about moving but that couldn't happen because they seated "one table per waitperson". Couldn't our waitperson serve us downstairs? Cody was great! He probably would have loved skipping the stairs. Finally...let's not forget the pizza. It came back burned and nearly inedible. Box it up. Brownie pie and happy birthday. Sorry to say good bye but we might try another restaurant for our tradition!
(2)Jon D.
One of the better and nicer restaurant in Cedar Falls. It has great service just about every time I come here. I have been here on special occasions or just because we wanted to go. It has delivered every single time. All our family loves hopefully yours will too. The atmosphere is great here! You may have to wait sometimes for awhile but is worth it. A solution is to just get a reservation. There are many places to sit so don't worry For appetizers I recommend the cheese bread it is great! For your entree I recommend the pizza, spaghetti, lasagna, and prime rib For Dessert I would recommend the brownie pie, old fashioned sundaes, and chocolate pudding cake. These are fantastic choices, but there is much more! The price here is right. Trust me you will get your money's worth. You will always be satisfied here!
(5)Rob C.
This is first place I ate at after moving from LA to The CF we sat down 10 minutes later the girl at the table next to us looked at her Iowa man & said omg those guys are fags this set the tone for my living & dinning experiences for the next six years. It just got worse & the more we tried to help & be a part of the health care community the more we were treated like aliens from Planet X the food at brown bottle is watery & tasteless we also found hair in our food I guess someone hates wearing their hair pulled back the center of my stuffed shells was cold & gummy the wait staff was listless & uninterested the view of the water was really a bogy creek depressing as the food we never went back others have told me they feel ill every time they eat there I always said don't go back the answer but our choices are so limited!
(1)Alissa B.
This has been the boyfriend and I's go-to for special occasions and they've always been spot on. I think we had a mishap once with a bad batch of tarimisu but other than that, amazing. I'm not a huge lover of salad but their homemade dressings make me eat every bite. I love (so much I buy it from them) their italian. My boyfriend prefers the ranch or peppecorn. I always get the scallops and they are to die for. Always cooked perfectly. And the red velvet cheesecake? THE BEST ON THE PLANET. This last time I mentioned it was our anniversary and we got a delicious brownie-like dessert on the house with a candle. The only thing I wish they'd change: the set-up of seating. We're always placed in a room with larger parties who are quite loud and it ruins the intimate setting we want.
(5)Mark A.
Stay home, watch a game show from the 1970's and eat a bowl of Special K, it will be a better night than going to this place. There is no way to make reservations on the web site so after 3 emails we finally got a positive response that "we'll put you down." When we arrived - nope, never heard of us. That's OK because at 6:00pm on a Friday night the place was empty. The meal started with a salad which included a skanky little piece of toast with two strands of human hair on it. When the menu says "home made blue cheese dressing" it must mean the cook had some blue cheese at home when he mixed up this creamy stuff because there was no cheese it in. We both had the prime rib which we both sent back as it was served chilled like it was white wine. But after a short turn in the microwave it came back warm but still as tasteless as a bowl of diet breakfast cereal. We just asked for a box so we could take it home and grill it ourselves. The dessert was excellent, but only because it was an ice cream cake clearly ordered from Schwanz. I hope we never have the misfortune of going there again.
(1)Thomas P.
We've been fans of the Cedar Falls Brown Bottle for years. The 'Pricey' rating is not deserved though. Per person cost for us (a family of six) has averaged $11 to $16 per person without fail over the last few years. The salads and dressings are always excellent (the bits of bread served with the salads are always a favorite too). I would recommend the manicotti and/or prime rib and my wife loves the caneloni. The seating style is slightly odd, but it really lends itself to the homey style and privacy.
(4)Karen C.
I really like this place. I come to Iowa for work 2-3 times a year and always make it a point to stop here for dinner one night. Prices are extremely reasonable (although that's coming from a New Englander near NYC so take it for what it is worth.) It seems to be an Iowa, or maybe a mid-west thing, but the creamy garlic salad dressing is sooooo good. I've had a couple different veal, pasta, and chicken dishes and everything comes out hot and fresh. Staff are friendly and the decor is very warm and inviting. It's on the dark side and the restaurant is all split up between floors and rooms, it's almost like a house.
(4)Chelsee T.
Best prime rib I've ever had! The service is always top notch and the atmosphere is perfect!
(5)Scott S.
One of the best restaurants in Waterloo/Cedar Falls and definitely the best Italian. Great Italian dishes and great pizza. Service is always good, call ahead for reservations as it can fill up fast.
(5)