Motley Cow Cafe
160 N Linn St, Iowa City, IA, 52245
Motley Cow Cafe Menu
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.
Visit below restaurant in Iowa City for healthy meals suggestion.
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant blood pressure menu details.
Visit below restaurant in Iowa City for healthy meals suggestion.
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
-
Address :
160 N Linn St
Iowa City, IA, 52245 - Phone (319) 688-9177
- Website https://motleycowcafe.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Hipster
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online
Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.
Katherine C.
Update: After my previous five star review, we ate here one night and had a really unpleasant experience. We were there over three hours waiting for our food and the food was unimpressive. However, we'd been eating here since they were at their old location and we'd had so many good experiences here we decided to write it off as a fluke and give it another try. It was our daughter's golden birthday and my inlaws came to visit so we wanted to take them somewhere really special to us. We came in and were seated, and I noticed they didn't give us a tablecloth or enough place settings, but I chalked that up to eating with a toddler. The server came to the table with a second person. She never explained who the second person was, but since she never said anything I assume they were training her to be a server. She took our drink order and I ordered a cheese tray. I asked about getting a grilled cheese, which I know is not on their menu but in the past they've been willing to make one for our daughter. The server said they could do that and offered to have them bring it right away, acknowledging the impatience of young children. The cheese tray came, and I was disappointed that there was only two types of cheese and four slices of bread, so I ordered another order of bread and olive oil to give us something to eat the cheese with. We asked about the specials. They told us the special was a roasted half chicken, which sounded amazing. I ordered that, and my husband ordered the fancy sounding thing that was yuppy code for steak and fries, my husband ordered the steak medium. MyFIL ordered Hawaiian pizza and my MIL asked for a grilled cheese like my daughter got because she couldn't find anything on the menu she liked. My expectation was that the server would help her find something she liked on the menu, as in the past the server has always served as a guide for helping to enhance the dining experience. Instead, she said, "We don't normally let adults order that." I was so shocked at how blunt and rude she was when she said it, I think the look of shock must have been plain on my face because after a pause she followed up with something along the lines of, but I guess we could..." Our daughter ate her sandwich and then we sat. And sat. Then the server came over and told us she'd been mistaken and the special was actually "the same as I described the chicken, but a porkchop." I agreed to just go with the special to avoid making waves, and I like porkchop fine. We walked in at 5:01. At 6 we were still waiting and started to get restless. Members of our party had diabetes and difficulty sitting for long periods of time. The diabetes was one reason I ordered the cheese tray, and even though we are strong supporters of the slow food movement, I still thought the sitting would be okay because I thought it would be reasonable to get our food within an hour of being seated. At 6:10 my inlaws were in a lot of physical discomfort and upset because as they pointed out, everyone was just standing around and we still didn't have our food. At this point my husband politely asked how much longer until the food would be ready. Our server told us she was coming over to take our appetizer plates because our food was up. At that point my inlaws were ready to walk about, but after waiting that long they sat. Another five minutes passed without our food. At this point my inlaws walked out. I think my mother in law spoke with someone about their dissatisfaction. My husband was also ready to walk about, but we'd waited this long, and I didn't want to get all upset and argue on our daughter's birthday. The food came then, and the server said something like, well, if we knew they were in a hurry we could have rushed something. We aren't a fast food restaurant. I was just floored that we had stayed for our $100 meal (we'd intended to order dessert) only to have half of our family insulted (again!) by our server. And she did know we were eating with a toddler and had acknowledged the need for some haste at the beginning of the experience. I didn't say anything to the server, and took a bite of my porkchop. It was completely dry, and so coated in salt and pepper that I could barely swallow it. I told my husband we could leave. He said he would like to speak with the manager and went to find her. While he was looking for the manager, the server came back and I asked for boxes for the food. She boxed up the food and brought it back, places the food on the table without a word but a very indignant look. I came up and joined my husband just as the manager implied we were only complaining to get a free meal. I interrupted and told her how this was not the experience we usually had. She was very hostile toward us and we asked to speak with the owner. She told us we could e-mail him and she pointedly said she would make him VERY aware of our situation. I paid the $83 and left the lousy food.
(1)Maya M.
Lunch menu is very limited but food is good and mostly healthy. Their daily specials and soup is usually the best choice to go with.
(4)Jack C.
Great food. Menu is limited, but the food they serve is delicious. Non-typical foods. Wait staff is very friendly. They have their own wood fire pizza oven. Full Bar, great beers and wines.
(5)Naomi S.
Best brunch in Iowa City. The lemon pancakes, key lime pie squares, and cinnamon donuts are to die for. The omelets are wonderful as well. As for dinner, the environment is much more upscale, and the service slower.
(5)Matt A.
Great menu with a few well-executed standbys and a wonderful mix of seasonal items. Great cocktails, solid beer and wine options. A great place to take guests, the family, or a date.
(4)Daryl C.
I really wish that this restaurant was better than it is. It's in a great location, in the Northside Marketplace with outdoor seating. I can dig the funky, hipster concept and the devotion to farm-fresh ingredients. Yet every time I've gone, I've had indistinct, unmemorable food that's taken a long time to reach my table. In fact, as I think back on my two experiences there, it's hard for me to remember what I ate, which isn't a good sign. The first time I visited, I had a salmon sandwich for lunch, and remember it being light on salmon and somewhat dry. What I remember from my second visit is a Sazerac that was imbalanced, with too little whiskey and too much absinthe. In short, there needs to be a serious increase in the quality of food and customer service for this to re-enter the rotation. We may give Motley Cow another chance, but for now we choose more reliable options.
(2)Cheryl H.
Present lunch favorites are salmon sandwich on gluten free bread with the soup of the day! The nutty bread and sliced pears are a grand combo! In season the kale salad is really great, again with a daily soup. The staff is friendly and service is fast and attentive.
(5)Dani S.
The Motley Cow is a great go to, serving fresh and local food. I had the Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts and the Mushroom Risotto with a Smoking Gun cocktail that I shared with the table. Everything was full of flavor and great! I also love the amount of Spanish wines they offer.
(5)Fashion I.
Mushroom risotto was tasty, Brussel sprouts roasted nicely but skip the apple tart...weird jelly-like texture in a bland crust desperately lacking cinnamon.
(4)M O.
In contrast to several previous reviews we found the service here to be outstanding. However, the food was completely forgettable. The options we tried (including the day's special) were overpriced and bland. If you want to over-pay for ordinary food in tiny portions then this is right up your ally.
(2)J T.
Each time my husband and I come here, we're very impressed by how wonderful our meal is. Everything is fresh, the flavor combinations unexpected and delightful, and the staff friendly. One of the best restaurants in Iowa City.
(5)Anna H.
This place is one to skip. It feels like it's trying to cater to a hipster/Seattle crowd that is in love with itself and wants to talk about its own art (which is as bad as the food) while listening to horrible music. My food came to the table cold, the drinks were weak and the dessert was overpriced.
(1)Dulcinea C.
My boyfriends mother took my boyfriend and I here for Sunday brunch for my birthday. The decor inside was welcoming and nice. The waitress seemed to be slow to get our order and then bring our food. Not exactly sure why. Both my boyfriends step-dad and I got the buffet, while my boyfriend got the lemon pancakes with syrup and his mother got the special of the day: eggs Florentine with kale and hollandaise sauce. I got that as my main option as well. The kale was very flavorful and the eggs were cooked beautifully. The hollandaise seemed a little too mustardy sour. The buffet food was pretty good for the most part. The cubed potatoes were crispy and salted. The bacon was greasy, but delicious. The biscuits were a bit hard, and the gravy seemed to be mostly sausage. The spiced donuts were very good as was the fruit salad. The big winner of the brunch, however, was the little key lime tarts. Extremely delicious and I maybe ate too many. My boyfriend said his lemon pancakes were "okay", but he was mostly disappointed because our cappuccinos were mostly foam and didn't have a very good flavor. The sugar they gave me wouldn't even dissolve in it. Some things didn't feel quite worth the price, but those key lime tarts really saved everything.
(4)Thao P.
Nice setting, tapas, and drinks! When I go to Iowa City, I want to be in a place like this--- ambient, full of intellectuals, and great food. I sat at the bar on a Saturday night and had a MCC john daly which has house limoncello, vodka,mango-ceylon iced tea, peach bitters. It was pretty tasty and also strong for a lightweight like me. I had the Tempura Fried Lake Perch with aioli. The combination of Aioli was absolutely heavenly!! The Perch was delicious and I haven't had anything like that before. However, my only critique about the dish was that it wasn't the kind of tempura batter I envisioned. I thought it'd be more similar to Asian tempura, but it leaned towards being fried in the American style. I would've liked it to be more similar to Tempura at a Japanese restaurant. However, my older sister told me that it used to be the Asian style Tempura so maybe I came on the wrong day. However, I think this place has a lot of class and is a great hot spot for a date or night out on the town with good company!
(4)Brittany S.
While on a road trip my hubby and I found this little spot and we were pretty excited to try it out. However, I was beyond disappointed at how slooooooow the service was! It was Sunday and the breakfast buffet was happening but my husband and I did not want that. It took forever for our waitress to come over and take our order and my husbands omelet and my BLTA took literally 20 minutes to come out. The food was OK, not delicious but enjoyable.
(3)Patrick J.
SLOW SERVICE. Went here for Sunday brunch. It was overpriced and we had to wait two hours for omeletes, while we helped ourselves to the "buffet" while we waited. The food was very mediocre for a two hour wait and the selection was basically dry sausage and bacon with extremely dry biscuits and a cold gravy. DO NOT go to the Sunday Brunch, you will be disappointed in the overly slow service and overly priced, completely mediocre food. Probably one of the slowest groups of servers I have ever seen.
(1)Sarah C.
Four stars for food (very nice lunch menu options with reasonable prices and high quality). Two stars for service, which was quite slow. Pleasant, but not really with it. My server stopped by when I was 85% done with my salad to ask how it was. Rather than seeing I was nearly done and asking if I wanted dessert or preferred the check, she wandered off. I had to wait quite a while before she wandered back and she didn't even have my check with her. I just gave her my credit card without reviewing the check in order to try to keep things moving. This wouldn't keep me from trying them again, but I would keep in mind to leave extra time to linger.
(3)Trill B.
Really bad service. Messed up my order, didn't check back and took forever so we just left. Not coming back
(1)Katie D.
This is a really great place! My husband and I are in town for a wedding (our first time to the area) and enjoyed a little tour of the local bars last night and found ourselves in need of some restorative brunch this morning. Another place was recommended by a local friend, but it had a 45 min wait, so we had to figure something out on the fly. A short stroll landed us right in front of this little gem. A quick look at the menu in the window and we popped in and we're so glad we did!!
(4)From I.
Motley cow delivers thoughtful dishes which are often delicious. Service is often slooow, so plan for that. Their Key Lime Pie is the REAL DEAL!! don't miss it!!
(4)Sean W.
Been to the MotCow a few times for lunch both at their new location and their previous location around the corner. You can usually get in for lunch easily. And dinner times can be hard to get in. Nice use of space and making the "new" "old". Small bar area, but nice. Nice large windows, small outdoor seating area. Staff has been on & off for me. Sometimes great and sometimes 'head in the clouds'. The small menu changes often, seasonally, and nice usage of local produce, organic, etc. Nice drink menu and very wine menu. They even offer absinthe table service with the 'good' absinthe. (as well as some cocktail variations with it) They have Sutlif Cider on tap too. Food served is nicely presented with great flavors. Would I go there again, absolutely, but not regularly.
(3)Local F.
Bland food.
(1)Heather B.
Great food I love to go here but something is seriously up w/ their wait staff.
(3)Kat F.
We've been to Sunday brunch here several times and the outcome is always the same...the food is excellent but the service is terribly slow. If you don't mind waiting an hour for your meal, this is the place for you...
(3)Robert A.
A truly bizarre dining experience. I ordered the pork shoulder sandwich which was supposed to come with "au jus" and sweet potatoes. Food comes and my dining companion pointed out that I didn't receive either of those things. I had to call the server over who seemed put out that I should ask to receive, you know, what I ordered. She proceeded to tell me that they were out of the sweet potatoes (mind you, this was not while I was ordering, but after I had received the food). She said she could substitute for something else (also, this seemed a conversation she might have initiated with me instead of handing me a plate with half my order and hoping I didn't notice). Server comes back a few minutes later with the plate. The plate now has the au jus but no substituted side. "Oh, we don't have anything else," I was informed when I asked. "So, I just don't get the full meal?" "Oh, you're not missing much." This was her response. I should have simply not had sufficient funds in my wallet to pay the bill because of course there was no price reduction reflecting the incomplete meal and generally woeful service. Never going back. Too bad. I wanted to like that place but I've been several times now and I've never had a good dining experience.
(1)Adam I.
Excellent meal, warm decor, good service, what more could you want. I had the wine braised brisket and my daughter had the steak and frites. Everything was fresh and very tasty, you could tell it was cooked with passion.
(5)Joseph H.
My sister will soon be an Iowa alumni, so we had to make a trip down during her last semester in IC. Brunch at Motley was delicious and an experience. Our waiter may have been "under the hippy influence" if you know what I mean, but the food was very, very good. I had the biscuits and gravy which is one of my favs when done right. The eggs were cooked properly so when cut into, the yolk ran all over the biscuit. The sausage gravy is the most important component of this dish and it was the best part. I will say that the OJ was not fresh squeezed, but that's not shocking since it's a rarity. All of the ingredients (I'm sure when possible) are local and organic which is always good. The place also had a cool vibe with a wide range of folks...all the way from students (of course) to parents with young kids to old professor-looking types. OH and the donuts were extremely worth it. Def grab some as a brunch appetizer for the table if you can swing the calories. My girlfriend got the quiche which was a special for the day. "It was creamy, perfectly seasonal, and the asparagus was perfectly cooked. The side salad was lightly dressed and full of flavorful...a nice compliment." My sister got the breakfast sandwich was she also enjoyed. It was big enough to take half home. I'm sure I would have devoured the entire sandwich... IF I return to the IC, I will indeed be tempted to return to the Motley Cow Cafe.
(4)Ben C.
You really can't find a place in IC that does with food what The Motley Cow does. The salmon sandwich at lunch is the best thing in the entire world. Such a unique find in an ever seemingly generic world.
(5)Jennifer K.
I forget what I ate there, but I just remember that the food was over-priced for what they served. The ingredients were really fresh and it did have the organic kick to it, however. I just wish it was a tad bit cheaper. But, the ambience was great and the service was good.
(4)Matt U.
We've heard good things about Motley Cow from a number of people and decided that this was our night to give it a try. Much to our disappointment, however, it failed to measure up. It started off well enough - we had the duck pate appetizer, which was delicious, and I also had a cup of curry/lentil soup that was pretty tasty as well. Unfortunately, things went downhill from there. I ordered the grilled pork chop and my wife had the bowl of mussels. Our server advised me to go with the pork chop instead of the 1/2 chicken because the chicken takes a long time to prepare. With that in mind, I'd hate to find out how long the chicken actually takes, as it took us nearly an hour to get our food. The pork chop was decent, but that's where it ends. It came with a white bean puree and grilled fennel, both of which were extremely bland. I mentioned this to our server when he asked how everything was tasting and the reply that I got was, "Oh. It's white bean. You mean you don't think it tastes like white bean?" sigh... My wife's meal was equally uninspiring. Mussels sitting in a tasteless broth with red and green tomatoes -- difficult to muster much excitement about that. She added a generous amount of salt, but still only got through about half of the dish. Our experience was made worse by our server's tendency to disappear for long periods of time and his -- what seemed like -- disinterest when it came us actually enjoying our meal. All in all, we felt that Motley Cow sure takes itself seriously, touting their use of locally-grown ingredients; however, when it comes down to the food itself, they really failed to deliver. As we left, our discussion centered on the fact that had we taken our $60 (or much less) down the street to Hamburg Inn, Bluebird Diner, or Bandito's, we would have left full, happy, and in a much more timely manner.
(2)David W.
It's not often that I make it to Iowa City, but whenever I go through, I make sure to stop at the Motley Cow. The owners there are especially cordial and accommodating and their rotating menu alway presents a surprise -- and a challenge in terms of sticking with only one or two dishes. My favorite staples include the hummus & ciabatta for starters with the marinated olives, and the fried perch with garlic mayo is scrumptious, a total guilty pleasure. Gotta love mayo in this part of the country! The pizza is always creative and consistent and the key lime pie, if I close my eyes, takes me to Margaritaville and that lost shaker of salt... Kudos to the owners of the Motley Cow!
(5)Melissa T.
OK, so I'm all for Organic and local farmer purchased produce, blah-blah-blah. Bottom line is if you purchase all these great local, pesticide free, healthy products, but you can't produce a tasty meal, what's the point? That's how I felt about Motley Cow. The menu is small, but everything seemed enticing. Everything we ordered was relatively bland and uninspiring. For the price we paid, I was not impressed with what was served. The beat and pear kale salad was pleasant. They were out of the steak, so I went with the pork chops. It was good, but nothing special. The key lime pie was the most enjoyable part of the meal. The service was TERRIBLE on the Saturday night we went. We were in the very back and our waitress hardly came back to check on us. (Maybe because she was pregnant and didn't want to run around as much?) Multiple times we had to flag down other table's staff for things. Maybe brunch is the way to go?
(3)Mimi C.
3.5 stars I adore sidecars (the cocktail, not the item attached to a motorcycle), and when I saw a Chelsea Sidecar listed, I had to have one. (However, the ingredients - gin, triple sec and lemon juice - I had previously seen called a Delilah.) Frankly, it was so sour, it tasted primarily of lemon juice. I muddled through and didn't have it changed. The food was delicious, but a bit off: the spinach & beet salad seemed to have an 8:1 spinach:beet ratio (and I ordered it for said grilled beets). The hummus sandwich was wunderbar but open-faced (I hate open-faced sandwiches, because they're NOT sandwiches). The mix of hummus and dijon mustard was heavenly, though. The crusty French bread was delicious but difficult to cut. And I walked in really wanting pasta, but I don't eat meat and my only option was Pasta Bolognese. Not sure if I'll return but, if I do, I'll try to lower my expectations a wee bit.
(4)Doug W.
Very solid contender for best birthday dinner restaurant! Wish I had more occasions to go. My only complaint is that the portions are a little dainty, considering this is Iowa and not New York City. But the prices were totally reasonable compared to similar restaurants in IC. We split the cheese plate to start, but really should have gotten two apps since it was definitely meant for one person. Our awesome server explained them to us (all American cheeses, type of milk, etc) and kept our bread basket topped off. Also brought us a great, totally inexpensive bottle of Burgundy that was light enough to go with our whole meal. I had the grass-fed local beef tenderloin as entree. I don't normally order beef tenderloin because I don't think it has much flavor (especially given the price for it!), but at the recommendation of our server, who had us totally enamored, I went for it. It was delicious! Nice and tender, cooked perfectly medium-rare, served with bok choy and a richly flavored meat jus. The outside was nicely seared and spiced...totally great. GF had the gnocchi with pork ragout which was also very delicious (the gnocchi especially tasted more "potato-y" than any we've had before) but the portion was pretty small and left her wanting more. For dessert...well, I remember them being good, but we were a little drunk at that point and I can't remember the specifics. GF got a lemon cake thing, and I got a pound cake of some sort. Just spoke with her, and we definitely agreed they were good! So, remember: definitely get more than one appetizer, and you won't go hungry. Also have to give props again to our server (can't remember her name, though!) because she was totally friendly and very knowledgeable.
(4)Mark G.
man, this place has gone downhill. This had been a favorite for my wife and me to have lunch during the week once in a while when we had light days. We ate there about 3 weeks ago and it was painful. The place was less than half full but a really lackluster lunch took over an hour. My wife's chicken salad sandwich barely had any contents, and my charred-black blue cheese burger came cold on a bun that was so over-toasted it had the feel of civil-war hard tack. We didn't say anything because we were just so grateful that the waitress noticed we were done and brought the check. We parked right outside on the street and were so glad we didn't have a parking ticket! We'll be looking for someplace else for our occasional lunches out.
(1)Chris L.
Wonderful restaurant I just discovered this summer. It started with a brunch on a Sunday. The service was excruciatingly slow, but the food was so, so very worth it. They use fresh, local ingredients as much as possible and they really know what to do with fresh vegetables and eggs. The egg dish I had was something like a cross between a frittata and a light scramble with fresh zucchini, tomatoes, and other vegetables with a very light pureed sauce. You really have to know how to cook to pull off something this light-and-fluffy, and they do it beautifully here. There were so many taste sensations, I pretty much had my eyes closed in ecstasy the whole time I was eating. The potatoes were done just right - crispy on the outside, light and soft on the inside. Fresh orange juice and good coffee.... I couldn't ask for a better breakfast - it was amazing. Which led us to have dinner there, and yes, they know how to cook that as well. They were very accommodating to our requests for adaption of their dishes and we had two wonderful fish dinners. The wine list is pretty good, but then, I'm pretty picky - I was happy with my selection. The service at night was far better than during the day, but they are very popular, so it's forgiven. That, and I wouldn't pass up this excellent food even if I had to go to the kitchen and get it myself.
(4)Catherine W.
If you are looking for a reliably good meal in Iowa City, this is one of the safe bets in the arena of upscale food. The chef is one for buying local products, trying new things, and having a menu that is seasonally appropriate. The flatbread and the olives are exceptionally good.
(5)r t.
this place could easily be what i miss most about the dear town of iowa city. both the food and the drinks here are routinely phenomenal. the menus are inventive and fresh. you can taste the farm in every bite and knowing just how local and organic each dish is, makes the customers feel like they are making the right choice when they walk in the door. ambience is great. bartender knows his stuff. run to this place. don't walk.
(5)Brian W.
We ate here for dinner. Some of our food was undercooked, while the rest was relatively bland. Maybe on a different night this place would be better, but at the price point with the quality we received, we won't be going back.
(2)Lois B.
The oysters were good, the hamburger was good, the keylime pie was GREAT. The drink was good, the wine advice right on, and the service considerate and friendly without being in your face.
(4)Annie W.
four stars! reasonable prices and okay food. one extra star for being in iowa city. okay presentation. unusually hard toasted crusty bread. good omelette. good potatoes. good donuts (beignettes?) -- could've used something like a cinnamon sugar dusting, but the strawberry sauce idea wasn't bad. good fries. nice!
(4)Becky O.
Brunch is my favorite! Otherwise a tad overprised.
(3)Kelly S.
Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic! We had a delicious lunch. My man used to be a chef so I've learned a little bit about restaurant design. I fully love the design at the Motley Cow. Such a cool mix of old-school wood details and fresh modern colors and decor.
(4)Sandra A.
I think you can't spend better money for a good breakfast on Sundays in town. I'm all for a grubby Hamburg breakfast on a really bad Sunday morning, but Motley Cow is a standup brunch. I would gladly eat the same brunch in NY or SF. Every element on each of our plates was housemade including the blueberry jam, the bread, the hotsauce. The housemade breakfast sausage was quite possibly the best breakfast sausage I've ever had: delicately sweet and spicy, not overpowering the food, but super complex and delicious. Their menu was short, focused, had a bit of attitude in its phrasing ("more breakfast-y" and "more lunch-y"). It's a really cute place; you can tell whoever owns it gives a hoot and pays attention to details.
(5)Mike S.
This could be two reviews, one at three stars and one at five. Things started a bit rough for me with the cocktail, a chile-infused tequila with muddled cilantro and triple sec that turned out to be a stomach-turning horror. I'm no weakling when it comes to liquor or to spice, but this was something for the books. To MC's great credit, they removed the drink from our bill without my asking. I'm a vegetarian and found plenty of options, though most of those options are on the appetizer and the lighter "dinner" list. Our fingerling and goat cheese flatbread was a great starter, though it was followed by an included salad that was too much celery, too much red onion, too much oil. My chile relleno was plenty delicious, though, and a good way to end the meal. Here, though, is the five-star review: my partner had the fish special, pompano in some extraordinary sauce, and I simply have not seen her so happy with a restaurant meal in years. If you could see how she smiles just when she thinks about that fish you'd make a reservation at MC right now. Her cocktail, the French 75, was perfectly balanced and exactly the sort of thing I wish I had ordered -- clear evidence that mine was an aberration. Service was friendly and responsive, and our server wonderfully discrete. The ambiance is cozy and comfortable, and at least on the night we were there it was just quiet enough. My only complaint is that the forks were weirdly flimsy.
(4)chad a.
We attended New Year's Eve 2008 at the Cow, and it was like being on an episode of Top Chef, except all of the courses were amazing. No losers here. The service was impeccable, pairing well with both the wine and nosh. I cannot recommend this place enough. Go already.
(4)Ida n.
The Motley Cow wins hands-down for ambience. The new space on Linn St. is sophisticated, elegant and airy. Service is also quite good, with waiters who seem knowledgeable and mature. Unfortunately, the selection is very limited (which I could appreciate if the menu were changed with more frequency or more sincerity) and the prices are insanely high. Despite much hype about the owner/operator, I am afraid that the menu is not very inventive or satisfying. I've left hungry and broke on more than one occasion. Vegetarians would do better to spend their money on a tastier and cheaper pizza or pasta dish from The Wedge, quite frankly.
(3)Nana O.
Nothing exceptional.....over-rated and over-priced, and our waiter was a little awkward and slow. The place is also very very loud even when there are only a few people in the restaurant -- is definitely a space design issue.
(3)Sarah F.
This is my favorite fine dining in Iowa City.
(4)Brad C.
While the MC is not the "nicest" of the restaurants Iowa City residents would classify as upscale (in the Chi, it would just be a "neighborhood joint"), it does feature the best and most consistent cooking in the area, bar none. The place is cozy and subtle, which is reflective of the cooking: it's ingredient-focused New American, with all effort in the execution, not menu whims. There's nothing on the changes-weekly menu you will not have seen before, but I have yet to have an entree here--and this among at least 10 visits--that has not been completely spot-on and satisfying. David and his two assistants do a remarkable job with seafood--if skate is on the menu, get it--and are also sharp with red meat and pork. Desserts, while not in the 'incredible' realm, are pretty good...it's funny: I tend to order dessert here a lot, even though I don't think they're all that stellar, because it's the kind of place and the kind of food you just want to linger over. A few qualms: the included soup-or-salad starter is pretty banal (though it seems to be a requirement at every restaurant around here), the appetizer list is rather perfunctory and better suited for a bar (but that's probably because of the soup and salad dealy; I doubt many people do a full tasting menu here, you know?); and service, which is done in a sort of "zone defense"-style (the two guys just play whoever-is-closest when it comes to helping and serving), can be a little too relaxed. But MC has never been less than good and has been a revelation for me during my short stay in IC. One wonders: why can't a place like this succeed in Chicago?
(4)Gigi W.
Good stuff. Never had a bad meal here. In fact, it's usually fantastic. Lots of local, organic choices. The service is too often spotty, detached. We often leave after paying lots of money feeling like the waitstaff couldn't care less if we had eaten there or not. But the food makes it always worth it.
(4)Kathy E.
We had a reservation for 3 people for 6 pm. When we got to the restaurant, they said our table would be ready in a couple of minutes. They showed us to a table for 2 people, insisting that there was enough room. After alot of "back and forth" with a rather rude employee, they finally brought in a larger table from the back room. We weren't seated until 6:20pm. The table was just sufficient enough for our tableware and glassware. The service was slow, waitress unresponsive, the room was very crowded. In fact, people standing at the bar backed into one of the people at our table. The food was good, but competitive with other restaurants in the same area. I'll not go again. Poor customer service shouldn't be tolerated.
(2)R R.
I came here with high hopes and high expectations and left feeling queasy and poorer. I ordered the chicken salad sandwich and fries. The chicken salad, which was made with cherries, was pretty good except I could barely see the smudge of it on my stale focaccia bread. The fries were greasy and the source, I think, of the queasiness. My boyfriend ordered the pulled pork sandwich. I have never seen a tinier sandwich. It was so tiny. It was a slider. It was a slider for a doll. It was a slider for a teeny doll. Really! And the salad he got was maybe three pieces of lettuce. All this set us back more than $25 for lunch. I recommend you save your lunch money for the better lunch places in town. (Her Soup Kitchen, anyone?)
(2)ben s.
Just got home from a wonderful meal. Had a really great microbrew on tap. A side salad with beet, cauliflower, creme fraiche, a hint of fresh mint and arugula. and a ham, olive, and asparagus wood fired pizza. Good service and a great evening overall.
(5)Walker D.
Solid restaurant on all fronts. Beautifully decorated. Nice patio seating. Local artists displayed. Great lunch offerings at very reasonable prices (killer sandwiches, had the ham and cheese earlier this week), and wonderful dinner menu. Much of the proteins and produce is locally sourced from near by farms; the pork and lamb are spectacular. Lamb Sausage Pizza is definitely a favorite of mine. Breads seem to be done in house (sesame seed buns and focaicca are great) The wine list and cocktail menu are both top notch. Sunday brunch is great as well with a nice buffet plus your choice of an item off their brunch menu, pretty solid deal for around $15. Let's not even get me started on the deserts...
(5)Sarah B.
Recently enjoyed the Sunday brunch menu, which is small, but packs a lot of punch. Omelets, pancakes and the usual 2 eggs + potatoes, etc. breakfast were available. I went with lemon blueberry pancakes (the short stack) with what I think was homemade blueberry jam and ricotta. The pancakes had just the right amount of lemon--refreshing rather than overpowering. I also got a side of bacon, which was delicious, although cold. The waitress indicated they were working with new kitchen staff, so you may want to give them a couple weeks to get used to the job. My boyfriend had an omelet with ham, onions, spinach and cheese with red potatoes and multi-grain bread. I stole a bite--the eggs were amazing and the potatoes could have been dug up from the field an hour before, they tasted that fresh. I also hope to someday see their dense, nutty multi-grain bread on the menu as French toast. Service was pretty good, although the restaurant was not at all busy. The interior is made up of a mish mash of pieces, from a couple barn or warehouse doors hanging in the middle to the uniquely shaped salt shakers on each table--some were cows, others painted with flowers and all probably picked up from a local thrift or antique shop. However, it still feels very open and clean inside. Can't wait until my next visit to Iowa City--I want to try the dinner menu next time!
(4)