My husband and I visited Orchard Green for the first time to celebrate his birthday. We were very pleased with all aspects of our experience! They have a formal restaurant upstairs, which is a gorgeous atmosphere for a lovely quiet dinner. (They also have a more casual lounge area downstairs, with a special lounge menu available, and you can also order food from the upstairs dinner menu.) We sat upstairs in the restaurant and brought our almost 9-month-old-son along. I wouldn't say that it is a "kid atmosphere," but we purposely ate very early, he is very good and it all worked out. :) Oh, and there is free valet parking in the BACK of the building (facing the apartment building). We didn't see it until we had already parked on the street. We started with a glass of their Malbec, which was fantastic! They have a limited edition Tempranillo blend which was okay - very dry. We ended up ordering another glass of the Malbec later. The appetizers we ordered were the Alaskan King Crab Dip, which was incredibly rich and too salty for our taste (but we tend to not like much salt...). It had a bit of spice, and was served with olive bread and delicious crostini. We also ordered the Charcuterie Board, and it was amazing!!! It was a big board with tons of variety and lots of fun little extras (several mustards, pickled items, varied roasted nuts, some sort of fruit chutney, etc.) There were 4 pieces of each of the main items (meats, breads). Next time, we would skip the crab dip (or other appetizers) and go for the fun and delicious boards. For dinner, my husband ordered the Bouillabaisse, which was a lovely tomato and saffron sauce and a variety of seafood (mussels, scallops, shrimp, salmon, etc.) over risotto. It was spectacular. I ordered the Seared Sea Scallops. The dish had an amazing Moroccan ratatouille, which was a delight. The polenta was incredibly tasty, great texture, and topped with a bit of Parmesan. And the scallops were out of this world, perfectly cooked, and practically melted in your mouth. There were several different sauces on the plate that were subtle, but added to the dish. The chef does a particularly excellent job with seafood and sauces, so take note! My husband had a chocolate mousse cake for dessert, which had the most wonderful ice cream on the side we've ever had (and I've eaten a lot of ice cream in my lifetime...) I ordered the Raspberry Cheesecake, which sadly had cherries on top, but was still pretty good, and the sorbet was very good. Both plates were good-sized portions, inexpensive, and had sides of fresh-whipped cream, and several fun sauces. Oh, and they give a free dessert when you're celebrating a birthday or anniversary. Our server was Julia, and she did a fantastic job. She was perfectly attentive without being there too much or hard to find. Water was always refilled, plates were cleared promptly, she followed up at appropriate times, etc. I was a bit indecisive, and she gave great recommendations. All in all, it was a wonderful dining experience. We have tried just about all of the more upscale dining options in downtown Iowa City, and we are now kicking ourselves for not coming here sooner! We were pleased with the quantity of food for the price, especially when compared to some of the other downtown Iowa City fine dining options, many of which seem inferior to Orchard Green. We were stuffed from this meal, and really enjoyed all aspects of our evening!
(5)
Bill T.
Simply delicious. First time in Iowa and found this. Upstairs is romantic and classic ambiance. Order the Pork Scaloppini!
(5)
Mary-Jane A.
Went here for dinner with work and there were 12 of us. Excellent meal and service was good. Had a good selection of food and presentation of everything served was good. Everyone enjoyed the food they ordered. The person who ordered the steak said it was the best he's ever eaten.
(4)
Maya M.
It took 45 minutes to have our food, the place is nice and classy though. Last time I was here, I enjoyed the food. Still waiting on my sea bass. Also the ran out of their best appetizer at 8 PM.
(3)
Mike D.
My wife and I enjoyed a very nice meal from Orchard Green on our anniversary. The service was outstanding and the environment was great. We loved the look of the building and the mood of the restaurant. The food was incredible and the wine selection was great. Although we didn't get to enjoy the downstairs bar area that I've heard great things about, the "upstairs" alone deserves a 5 star rating! Will be back!
(5)
Ann F.
Amazing food. Fresh and beautifully, deliciously prepared. Top notch service. Most university staff bring people here to impress them.
(5)
Emii L.
Food was great! Service is excellent. Definitely a hidden gems in IowaCity. I love the mussels appetizer dish. They also have a good selection of seafood entree as well.
(4)
Glenn A.
Excellent restaurant upstairs for sit down meal with produce and meats from local farmers. Menu is changing often depending on what is in season. Have never had anything but excellent. Excellent service and servers very knowledgeable about the wines that would compliment the meal. Downstairs is a wonderful bar and short order items that are also very tasty. Have had a couple of Birthday parties hosted there and had a wonderful time
(5)
Kelly K.
Wait staff made our 6-person birthday celebration last night delightful. At several points during the evening, I was surprised by how unobtrusively thoughtful and attentive the waitresses and waiters, working as a team, were. After a messy spill, about 6 swooped in to reset a nearby table and move us there. It's rare to get this kind of service in Iowa City. Plates are promptly cleared, food is delivered quietly, efficiently, and without any need to ask who ordered what (even when someone else took the order), leftovers are wrapped for you (instead of someone handing you a box for a DIY touch), water glasses are refilled without you even noticing, clean silverware appears for each course, and so on. Seamless beauty. The entrees were good, and the appetizers were fantastic. Many of the other reviews here give good descriptions of the great food. But as you can tell, what really impressed me was the top-notch, friendly and professional staff. This is an art form!
(5)
John P.
i'm gonna have to give this place the 5 star bump, just primarily as it stands in contrast to the other Iowa restaurants we've been to. in a large city, this would've been a 3.5 star review. the review from Gi L is spot on, and we feel the same. came here for a birthday. water came out right away, which is atypical of places around Iowa. service was prompt, ditto. the other reviewers must've had the typical iowa treatment. granted it wasn't a Friday or Sat night when we went. we started with the mussels.... and for $10, that was a pretty good deal. the spinach salad was very tasty with the local apples from Wilson's Orchard. i had the seared scallop entree, which was a huge dish considering. the scallop was situated on top of polenta, which we think had a cheese layer. scallops themselves were a good size, served a bit saltier than i would like it, but great considering what it came out with (ratatouille & wilted spinach w/ asparagus). the ruby red trout was very tasty along with the fried eggplant & fennel. for dishes in the $15-$20 range, it better be nicely plated, and all of our dishes were here....even the chocolate cake that was on the house because of the birthday. the other IC restaurants that have entrees in the $15+ range should take note. lastly, we couldn't ignore that they were playing some awesome indy music. apparently, all the wait staff get to suggest their own playlist during the weekdays, and on weekends they've got jazz. great date place for sure. one of these Saturdays, we'll be back for their $12 brunches.
Five stars compared to Iowa City standard. I went there for my bd dinner on Tuesday. We ordered crab cake and focaccia to start. I really loved crab cake, lots of crab meat and delicious combination of sauces. Bread was ok little too salty for me. I order Orchard Green martini. It was pretty good but the Cosmo taste like cough syrup. I order braised duck it cooked just find and tasty, little on the sweet side. My bf order white fish with asparagus I tried that and it was not bad either. In many reviews, they mentioned that food was slow and not proper cooked. I did not find any of those. Also, they will give you free desert for your bd.
(5)
j c.
I am conflicted about this place. While not my kind of food, they do a good job. One of the best feature is their beautiful interior. You really feel like you walked into a special place, even if it is a very masculine place lots of wood. Most of the appetizers are tasty but hearty. Main dishes continue the theme of hearty and masculine food. The meats are their strength. Thick pork chops, filet mignon, and their signature cowboy ribeye steak. In their defense, they do have nice chicken, salmon and other seafood/fish dishes. In fact, their seafood bouillabaisse is delicious if not tad salty. Good beer list. Wine by the glasses are pretty ordinary. Attentive but leisurely service.
(4)
J H.
Fantastic food and service! The Filet Mignon and fish entrees were superb. High-end dining for Iowa City.
I know it's Iowa, one might set their expectations low given its...Iowa but I was pleasantly surprised. I ate my scallops with enthusiasm and vigor. I was intrigued by their Moroccan twist (Iowa-who knew!). I released the utensils from my grip and almost hankered for a cig. Yup. . Iowa- you got me you naughty corn country. I might have to go back for seconds.
(5)
Zachary K.
Easily the best restaurant in Iowa City. Beautiful atmosphere, excellent service, and the food is always fresh and amazing. Creative combination of flavors. Order the Moroccan pork and the chocolate peanut butter for dessert.
Orchard Green has an amazing menu an a very cozy bar downstairs. Bob will make any drink you desire, and will custom mix to suit you personal tastes. Excellent, go here!
(5)
Basilman S.
Classy restaurant. Table cloths, impeccable service. Beautiful, delicious food, one of my Iowa City Favorites.
(5)
Todd L.
I was hoping I would love this place, but it was just very average. My wife and I went here while in town visiting her parents. We had a night out without the kids and wanted to enjoy a good meal. My wife had the walleye (which look like an excellent option) and I had the 'cowboy' ribeye. Unfortunately, my wife had to send back the walleye because its wasn't cooked through (would have been ok if she'd ordered walleye sashimi, but she didn't). When it did come back, I thought it actually tasted pretty good, but it just didn't have the wow factor that it should for a nice restaurant (and at this price). The Ribeye was good, not great (probably a bad order on my part)...if I wanted a steak, we should have done Josephs - I know better than that...if I had to do it over again, I probably would have done the chicken or duck. Oh yeah, and they ran out of maraschino cherries (for my Manhattan - boo!) All in all, it was just an ok dining experience...probably won't be back.
(3)
Mark G.
They should spin off into a steak house, they really have a great steak recipe that deserves its own place! I always get the Cowboy ribeye, it is done perfect. If the owners see this, you might as well open up a steak house, not sure who would be able to compete with you here in Iowa. Very nice place other than just the steak I am raving about......Has downstairs bar area, then the dining area upstairs. Food is of great quality, a fine dining restaurant with great amount of menu choices. Each dish I have tried has that something extra to make you feel great about your purchase. This is a great place to have a nice dinner, if you don't mind paying a little extra for quality this place is a sure hit.
(5)
Jen F.
Our favorite restaurant in Iowa City, hands down. The Boullibaisse is our favorite dish, though we've had many others that are also excellent. An excellent value for the quality of the food.
(5)
Zach H.
I've only been to the bar downstairs, and was quite pleased. They have a special on Sundays and Mondays during football season for a pint of beer and a pound of wings for $7, which we were taking advantage of. The wings were good, and the two beers that we're available with the deal were both good ones. I liked the environment and the waitress was very nice. Overall a good, but not strikingly so, experience. Pro tip: the menu says the Pint & a Pound deal is for buffalo wings, but they will make them with BBQ sauce instead if you ask.
(4)
Mary D.
Incredible! We were saying "mmmmm" with every bite! Have been here twice and both times everything is absolutely perfect. Excellent waitstaff and even though I was very early this last trip (right at 5pm on a Thursday) they treated us like we were special guests. I ordered the salmon and it was impeccable. My husband ordered the chicken buccatini and for a pasta dish, even it was impressive. Lobster butternut squash bisque and oyster chowder both amazing. Really impressive selection of beers (esp Belgian). I cannot understand the naysayers, I have never heard of anyone I know having a bad experience here! Perfect date place, or nice night out.
(5)
Tomantha K.
Me and my boyfriend visited Orchard green for our 1 year anniversary dinner and were thoroughly impressed. I really missed NY as I would have frequented a great restaurant there but heard good things about Orchard Green and hoped it would live up to the hype. While it is not a Michelin starred restaurant, the decor was cute (loos like a refurbished bank), their menu options made it hard to choose, and when the food came out we were impressed by the presentation and tastes!. We eventually decided on the escargot, lobster bisque, duck and bouillabaisse. I have never had snails prepared that way before and loved the mix in texture and tastes! The soup was also nice as it wasn't your traditional bisque (though, it was on the very small side for the price). The server was great, she checked in on us just enough and made some good suggestions for drinks and food. I had their orchard green martini which was nice (on the sweet side) and my boyfriend had a glass of wine. The entrees came in good time (didn't wait too long). On first bite the duck was tantalizing. It was served with a passion fruit sauce which paired perfectly with the sweet potatoes and green beans. While I asked about the preparation and was told medium the duck was slightly overcooked (medium-well) but this was not too off-putting and I opted to not tell the waiter (who I am sure would have prepared a new plate, but it was too delicious to give up!). The bouillabaisse was ok, but nothing to right home about, though I think that is the essence of the dish. We thought it was something we can make at home so I wouldn't order it again next time we visit. I would say this was a great date night spot and would also be nice for a double date.
Absolutely delicious. For a more intimate environment go to the downstairs bar. You can order off the full menu. Bartender and servers always very cordial. This is one of my favorite date places with my husband in Iowa city.
(5)
Ramblin P.
First time here! Everything was just marvy. Best crab cakes I've had in a restaurant (which is saying somethin, cuz my daddy is from Baltimore and I grew up eatin the best crab cakes on the planet!). The escargot was different than any I've had. Very rich but in a good way. The char board was great and well balanced (from one die hard pickler to another, I think they could step it up in the house made pickled department, not a complaint!) and the walleye (which never do I ever order) was truly spectacular! Perfectly crispy and flakey. And whoever was back there cooking the duck knew what they were doing as it was perfectly temped. I told our server that we were there to take it easy and that we wanted to order slowly (anniversary dinner after all) and she was impeccable with her timing. I was so pleasantly surprised by what an over all great experience I had. Can't wait to come back for crab cakes and cocktails!
(5)
Kelsey K.
I will be back to Orchard Green! I tried the cucumber cooler martini and vegetable risotto. Both were outstanding. The host and waitress were both helpful and genuine.
(5)
Bethany B.
Had dinner here last night with friends. I ordered the Bouillabaisse which was more like seafood in a marina sauce. Nothing like the stuff in souther France. My friends had the grouper and bone in ribeye steak. Grouper was a tiny portion. The. Ribeye was the best at the table. Other friend had the filet mignon and it was tough.
(3)
Kevin H.
We ate there once or twice and we loved it. It is little upscale and pricey but we think it is an asset to the Iowa City area. It has two levels and it is right next to the Vine. It seems they have well-to-do clientele of the professional type. I could tell because a lot of them had formal attire and they looked like the alpha, type A personalities. I see all these pictures of the various entrees and my mouth starts to water. That spinach one is appealing to me.
(5)
Rene V.
Probably the best restaurant in Iowa city that I went too. The walleye was excellent. Good menu, good service, above average wine list, great venue.
(4)
Jill T.
My favorite restaurant in Iowa City. Everything I have had is amazing. They are very accommodating and do anything they can to make the whole experience wonderful. The sauces on every dish are outstanding. I don't know how they do it!
After reading all the rave reviews and hearing nonstop recommendations from my friends and coworkers, we decided to check this place out. It was... fine. The salad and soup were great. The entrees were only ok. My duck was undercooked, and my husband's steak was over but still really good. For the price (very expensive for the IC) it was only ok. Still, I'll probably give it another go sometime. I'll just skip the duck!
(3)
Charles T.
One of our worst restaurant experiences. Four of us with child on Friday night. We timed delivery of our food. One hour to get served. I had the duck. It came ONLY with an ounce of couscous and was so overly sweet it was inedible. It was also cold. I could not eat. My wife had scallops which were so under-cooked they were slimy on inside. She ate one. And, they were so large they could not have been scallops. They were probably shark from the size and the grain. The other meals served to our children and our grand child were also almost inedible. They only ate part and their scallops were undercooked as were the mussels. The rolls were good and the service staff tried hard to make up for the awful delivery of food. The decor is also very nice. They were so understaffed, the manager was parking cars for the valet. Very overpriced for quality and service. I WILL NEVER GO BACK.
(1)
Kristen P.
My husband and I have been to Orchard Green twice now in the last few months and we really enjoy it. The service is excellent, the food is unique and tasty, and the atmosphere in the dining room is comfortable and even a little swanky. The wine list is quite good. We've been really happy with the seafood dishes - appetizers and entrees. The chicken with bucatini is heavenly - possibly the best dish I've had in Iowa City. My husband enjoys the bouillabaisse. We've had a peanut butter chocolate cake dessert that was super rich, but very good. I would definitely recommend Orchard Green!
(5)
W C.
Overview: My friends and I have been to this restaurant several times over the past three years and it has, without a doubt, grown to become our favorite restaurant in the Iowa City area. Location/space: Orchard Green is located off of Gilbert in an old brick building. The bottom floor serves as a bar/lounge area, which I admittedly have never frequented, and the upstairs, which serves as the restaurant. The restaurant space itself is adorned with wood paneling, exposed brick, and a series of wonderful chandeliers. The downside is the lack of parking near the restaurant, which results in the added cost of valeting a car if there's no time to circle the streets in search of a parking spot. The Food: The quality of the food at Orchard Green is unparalleled in Iowa City. My guests and I have ordered several different selections off of their streamlined yet diverse menu and have never been disappointed. Each dish includes several distinct components that brings a welcomed complexity of flavors. The bouillabaisse, which is essentially a seafood stew that Orchard Green serves over risotto, is definitely my favorite on the menu. There is always a hearty helping of mussels, scallops, shrimp, and fish in the dish itself, and the risotto is generally cooked well, although sometimes the broth itself can be overly salty and detract from the dish. Likewise, the roast duck is always perfectly cooked with tender meat and a well-rendered, crispy skin. Service: The service has always been prompt and professional, and the kitchen does a nice job pacing when the various courses are served. Summary: After trying the majority of well-known independent restaurants in the Iowa City area including Atlas, Basta, Devotay, Linn Street, One-Twenty-Six, Giovanni's, and Stella's, I find myself coming back to Orchard Green over and over again. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone in the Iowa City area.
(4)
Stuart P.
Had a wonderful meal with wonderful service. Maybe the best steaks we ever had! The place is beautiful too.
(5)
Kyle G.
Ordered garden salad and walleye (fish based on bartender's recommendation). For a simple dish such a salad, it was presented well and tasted great. The entree was the highlight of the meal. Walleye was very well prepared and the sauce and vegetables it came with balanced the meal nicely. Bartender was great as well. Only reason I didn't award the 5th star was that it took awhile for my entree to come out, which the bartender sympathized with. Ultimately, it was worth the wait.
(4)
Levi W.
Orchard Green has the best chef along with the best service in town. If you're looking for a place to eat in Iowa City you won't find one better than Orchard Green! !!!!!
(5)
Barry S.
Consistently one of the better restaurants in Iowa city. I have taken clients there as well as gone many times with my family and RARELY have we been disappointed. Only hassle has become the parking, but valet fixes all.
(4)
Scott S.
They do a great happy hour Mon-Thursday 4 to 6 downstairs in the lunge, with $5 cheeseburger, fish and chips, wings, and cheap Two-Hearted. Ordering off the normal menu is kind of pricey, and the service can be slow, but a nice place.
(4)
Luke K.
Orchard Green is my current go to place for fine dining in Iowa City. There was a period of time last year that they didn't live up to their current high standards but the last few times I've been there, they're back to being one of the best options in Iowa City. I usually get one of the steak options on their menu. I travel a lot and have had cuts from the finer steakhouses in America and I can honestly say the last time I had one from Orchard Green it was in my top two best steaks ever. My wife typically ventures further around the menu than I do but we always leave very satisfied. Orchard Green is not cheap and you will spend $100-$150 with a couple entrees, bottle of wine, and an appetizer or dessert...but it's worth it for a good night out with good company. I take friends, co-workers, and family here when looking for a a finer restaurant in Iowa City and we haven't been disappointed. The ambiance and design hasn't changed too much over the years and changing names...but I still think it's one of the most stunning restaurants in Iowa City. The high ceilings, old brick, dark wood, carpentry, and lighting just make it a great place to sit and have a meal. Lastly, I personally would not bring small children - IMHO it's too nice of place and the food is to good to have to juggle little ones. Overall, it's a great place and in recent months they've really come back into their own as one of the best options for fine dining in Iowa City.
(5)
John S.
I've lived in Iowa City for over a decade and dine out relatively frequently. With that said, Orchard Green is a staple of mine and one of my favorites. I'm writing this review with multiple dining experiences in mind and that reflects on the consistency of the service and quality that Orchard Green provides. The Food: Is delicious. I've never had a bad meal at Orchard Green, and every time I bring someone new to Orchard Green they're an instant fan. It's one of those places where you don't have to think long and hard about what to order, because more likely than not, it'll be delicious. The drink selection is great too! The Service: Very pleasant. Staff seem to be well-trained, informative and not over-bearing, which is important for me. Food is brought out in a timely manner and attention to detail is apparent in the service The restaurant itself is stunning. The dining area upstairs is elegant and the lounge downstairs is more relaxed but still has a classy feel to it. I've dined in both areas and both were great experiences depending on what you're looking for. In summary, Orchard Green combines delicious food and top-notch service in a beautiful setting. Whether on a date or with a group, Orchard Green has always pleased me, my wife, and our friends.
(5)
Rebecca P.
I have eaten and had drinks here before, and I am grateful to say they saved my graduation dinner party after I was jaded by 126 canceling my Moonraker's reservation without notice.
(5)
Anna H.
The lounge is sparse but suitable for conversation. The food however is a bit salty but the beer selection mskes up for it. Parking is pretty tight so walk if you can.
(3)
Carolyn S.
I have been to Orchard Green twice now, and both times I have been impressed by the food. For appetizers we started with the focaccia. The bread arrived soft, warm and absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The dipping sauces (olive oil with lemon peel, garlic and pesto?) were perfect complements to the pillowy bread slices. We also tried the baba ghanouj and hummus with cut vegetables, crostini and pita. The spreads were very good and the veggies were crisp and fresh. The vegetable frito misto was also quite good - everything was nicely cooked and crisp. I love it when restaurants showcase fresh vegetables! For a main this time I went with the pistachio crusted Walleye (having never tried it before - plus it's relatively local!). The fish was served with asparagus, artichokes, preserved lemon, and little potato pancakes. The fish itself was fantastic - tender, juicy and with a really great texture (more chew than flake). It didn't have a distinctly fishy taste, which I quite liked. The pistachio crust was great with the Walleye, adding a nice crunch and flavor to the dish. The little potato pancakes were delicious, if a tad on the oily side, and the asparagus was perfectly cooked. I ate each and every bite of this dish. My dining companions tried the vegetable risotto (one of the better vegetarian entrees we've had in Iowa City), and the roast duck with sesame cous cous, honey, pears, and figs. By the time the dessert menu came around we were all too stuffed to spring for the strawberry cheesecake. Maybe next time... We'll be back again for sure.
(4)
Kat H.
So delicious...everything i tried was really good- the cowboy ribeye, mussels, fried cheese eggroll, and the hot and filthy martini. Its a special date night place cuz i aint spending 100 bucks on dinner for myself anymore :(
(4)
Shawn M.
The Ruby Red Trout is phenomenal! Our waiter even brought us the wrong dessert and we ate it anyway - heavenly. It was the peanut butter chocolate one. I consider the food prices reasonable but the wine is a little high. Still, on our anniversary we really enjoyed it. Highly recommended.
(5)
Steve R.
Outstanding. My hosts chose Orchard Green; they must like me. The food and service both exceeded my expectations. It was also quiet enough for our table of five to converse easily. The beer selection came highly recommended, so although I generally have wine with dinner, I chose the Weisenstephaner Vitus. I'm a fan of unfiltered wheat beers, and this might be the best I've had. Strong but not overbearing spices with a hint of citrus. It was a favorite at our table. The salads all looked tasty--I chose the spinach. Excellent flavor, but too much dressing for my preferences. That's the only thing that made me consider giving it four stars, but overall I had to round the score up to 5. Being in Iowa, I opted for the ribeye. The steak was large by my standards, but nicely done and consistently tender throughout. It was definitely a great value compared to the steaks in my hometown of St. Louis. The half of a sweet potato and crisp green beans were an excellent accompaniment. I left satisfied without being stuffed. Although the portion sizes were not too small and yet not too large, we skipped desert only to save calories. The menu has a great variety of choices, and I'd love to try them all!
Eh. Orchard Green is OK. To be honest, I can't really say much about it because the experience isn't that memorable. The ambiance is comfortable and warm. I love the exposed brick and old wood work that is prevalent around the dining room. The crowd is mature, though something to expect for the price point. Our goal, when we eat out, is to try things we can't cook ourselves at home. Possibly get ideas of what we can make in our kitchen. It makes things fun! That being said... The food: The food is OK to good. We had the seafood strudel to begin with...which is good mostly because they use a hella amount of cream based lobster sauce. The highlight of the meal was a light salad- pomagrante seeds, blue cheese and apples was a fantastic blend! For entrees, we had the roast duck and hallibut. Both were good, but nothing memorable about either dish. (Other than the honey on the cous-cous created a gooey, sweet mess all over the plate while eating.) For dessert, the apple pie with ice cream...it was delicious, but just your basic apple pie. Nothing exotic or creative. The Service: while the college kids looked like they tried really hard, our first waiter seemed too mellow and our second waiter seemed frazzeled. Our first waiter was still around, but they share tables? Service was touch and go. They would ask if we needed anything 4 times in 15 minutes...but then we wouldn't see them for a 20 minute stint. It's a nice restaurant where I could see us bringing my boyfriend's grand parents. It has that familiar, nothing new, feeling.
(3)
Becky F.
We have dined at Orchard Green about four times now. Every time we have been happy with the food and service. The parking lot is small, but they have a complimentary valet. The atmosphere is nice with rich wood paneled walls and exposed bricks. The menu changes on a regular basis depending on what is in season locally. On our last visit I had Asparagus Tortellini and it was delicious! Some reviewers have commented on poor service or subpar food, but that has not been the case on our visits. Delicious gourmet food is the norm, don't be afraid to give it a try. It is pricey, but a great place to go for date night or a special occasion.
(5)
Mike O.
This place is amazing! The food is fantastic. Our table of 4 loved every single dish, from the soups to the steak/seafood to the apple pie at the end. The drinks are unique and wonderful. We need to go back to keep experimenting. The inside of the restaurant is beautiful. It's classy without being stuffy. The downstairs lounge is fun and relaxing. We really liked the free valet parking.
(5)
Joel S.
Went for my girlfriend's birthday and had a ton of fun. Had escargot (my favorite food in the world). It was an original and inspired take on escargot, with the snails cooked to perfection. High praise. The salads we had were pedestrian, but the raspberry vinegrette was quite good. The beer list was great. I am very critical of beer lists. Most places have a bunch of boring IPAs, a standard hipster beer like PBR (or Stella at fancy places), and very little decent selection of other beers. Orchard green had delicious choices that weren't obscure to be obscure. Finally taking the beer society a little more seriously is a nice touch. I had the bouillabaisse and my girlfriend had the pork scappolini. Both were nicely prepared (the pork in particular was excellent) and nice presentation. The seafood quality was good for the Midwest, but in California wouldn't have been anything to write home about (still, it was delicious). Our waiter was great and the setting is awesome. The prices were really cheap for such a good meal. It was like being in the mid-nineties in California, prices wise.
(4)
Ashley S.
My friend and I went here. It took TWO HOURS for our dinner. It took 30 minutes for the one appetizer. Crab cakes- 2 2 inch crab cakes for $12. The entrees were $25 each which was alright, I got the scallops. They were good. and it took another 20 minutes for one dessert to come out. Very expensive. I dont think I will be back.
(2)
Kari C.
Great good and ambiance! Romantic and quiet, good music (blues/jazz). The duck and tuna were amazing, and the wine list was impressive, if pricey. Will definitely go back!
(4)
Jennifer T.
Orchard green is pretty good, but very heavy on the sauces. The portions are huge and they kind of load everything up so that there's a lot going on on your plate. Tasty, but heavy....I feel like I need go hit the gym afterwards and I HATE exercising. If you like that style, you're in business....if you're used to the light preps and focus on local ingredients, flavors of the veggies, etc., well this might not be the best fit. I'd go back periodically, but not too often. Too worried about my cholesterol level...
(4)
Kimberly K.
Went there for dinner on a Friday with my husband. You should sit upstairs for sure - unexpected and beautiful! So... Food - excellent! Service - needs improvment! Our waitress was not knowledgable about the wine list - she had not tried any that we asked about. We shared teh seafood streudal appetizer - so rich and delicious - perfect to share! I had the Mediterranean salad - so delish! He had the moroccan clam soup which he enjoyed but did not love The biggest problem was that we waited 50 minutes between our appetizer being cleared and our entree!! That is just way too long, even during a nice leisurley dinner! The waitress apologized after about 40 minutes and said she rushed the kitchen...but it was too long But I must say the food was worth teh wait! Salmon and halibut were both great! Food was excellent - hope they improve their service!
(4)
Edgar S.
I visited this restaurant on Oct 30th with no reservation. Wait time wasnt too bad at about 15 minutes. When I did get seated the place was half empty but by the time I got my food all the tables were taken. The menu had a nice selection of fresh seafood, which i have a hard time finding in IC (well good fresh seafood anyway). It was on the upper scale but not too bad about $25 a plate average. I ordered the crab cake for appetizer and the Pistachio crusted Walleye with 2 asparagus spears, an artichoke, and a "potato pancake" (i am overlooking the menu's use of the plural form of artichoke and pancake). Was it good, well its the best i have had in Iowa City without a doubt. That said the flavors of everything I had were very muted. First of all $12 for A crab-cake is just silly. At least if your going to charge that much it had better be top notch. There was nothing wrong with the crab cake but I have had better for the same price. The Walleye itself was very good but had little flavor to it. The "potato pancake" was just fancier, under-salted hash browns. Again don't get me wrong, once I added some salt i really enjoyed them but they were not a potato pancake. There was absolutely nothing binding them together into anything resembling a pancake. And lastly don't ever get a hot tea here. The have horrid commercial teabags. After you brew your tea you will notice the telltale sign of low quality tea: dust from the processing of the leaves in your drink. (if you don't know what I mean its a tea production thing). I wish they would take advantage of the whole leaf tea options in IC or order in bulk from Teavana. That said, yes I will go back. Its the best I have had thus far in IC, but there is so much potential for their lovely place I hope they continue working at things. Actually think I'm thinking of heading back this evening so there you go. It was good enough for a second chance.
(4)
Mary A.
This is one of the two best restaurants in Iowa City (the other one is Baroncini). The menu is varied, the sauces are wonderful, and it has my favorite salad anywhere (grapefruit and chèvre). I just had the vegetable risotto and I'd be happy to go back and have it again tomorrow. The escargot is also excellent.
(5)
W Q.
the decor upstairs for dinner is stunning. never would have guessed it from the location or outside. amazing appetizers here, top notch presentation and quality on the entree as well. the only reason why i gave a lower rating is that the lobster bisque is about the most embarassing thing i've ever had in a restaurant. it's tomato soup with a lobster bisque price tag. i couldn't believe after i complained how terrible it was they did not remove it from the bill. that bisque killed it for me for this restaurant, despite the amazing appetizers and the entree.
(3)
Dianne A.
Fantastic. Everything was delicious and well prepared. This has become "THE" restuarant in Iowa CIty.
(5)
melanie a.
A lot of gourmet choices. We tried the seafood phyllo appetizer which was rich and creamy- we ate every bite. We also had the halibut with potato pancakes which was good but the pork rib chop had a sauce made from figs that was a tiny bit too sweet. Our creme brulee was served in a plate but had that satisfying sugar crust and berries- very good. I must commend the ambience- very tasteful and elegant. Service was so-so, there were only a few diners when we went in the middle of the week and it still took a long time to get our orders and food. Great that they use local and sustainable food. Definitely a place for that special occasion. Wonderful addition to the dining scene in Iowa City!
(4)
Becky F.
We have dined at Orchard Green about four times now. Every time we have been happy with the food and service. The parking lot is small, but they have a complimentary valet. The atmosphere is nice with rich wood paneled walls and exposed bricks. The menu changes on a regular basis depending on what is in season locally. On our last visit I had Asparagus Tortellini and it was delicious! Some reviewers have commented on poor service or subpar food, but that has not been the case on our visits. Delicious gourmet food is the norm, don't be afraid to give it a try. It is pricey, but a great place to go for date night or a special occasion.
(5)
Mike O.
This place is amazing! The food is fantastic. Our table of 4 loved every single dish, from the soups to the steak/seafood to the apple pie at the end. The drinks are unique and wonderful. We need to go back to keep experimenting. The inside of the restaurant is beautiful. It's classy without being stuffy. The downstairs lounge is fun and relaxing. We really liked the free valet parking.
(5)
Kristen P.
My husband and I have been to Orchard Green twice now in the last few months and we really enjoy it. The service is excellent, the food is unique and tasty, and the atmosphere in the dining room is comfortable and even a little swanky. The wine list is quite good. We've been really happy with the seafood dishes - appetizers and entrees. The chicken with bucatini is heavenly - possibly the best dish I've had in Iowa City. My husband enjoys the bouillabaisse. We've had a peanut butter chocolate cake dessert that was super rich, but very good. I would definitely recommend Orchard Green!
Eh. Orchard Green is OK. To be honest, I can't really say much about it because the experience isn't that memorable. The ambiance is comfortable and warm. I love the exposed brick and old wood work that is prevalent around the dining room. The crowd is mature, though something to expect for the price point. Our goal, when we eat out, is to try things we can't cook ourselves at home. Possibly get ideas of what we can make in our kitchen. It makes things fun! That being said... The food: The food is OK to good. We had the seafood strudel to begin with...which is good mostly because they use a hella amount of cream based lobster sauce. The highlight of the meal was a light salad- pomagrante seeds, blue cheese and apples was a fantastic blend! For entrees, we had the roast duck and hallibut. Both were good, but nothing memorable about either dish. (Other than the honey on the cous-cous created a gooey, sweet mess all over the plate while eating.) For dessert, the apple pie with ice cream...it was delicious, but just your basic apple pie. Nothing exotic or creative. The Service: while the college kids looked like they tried really hard, our first waiter seemed too mellow and our second waiter seemed frazzeled. Our first waiter was still around, but they share tables? Service was touch and go. They would ask if we needed anything 4 times in 15 minutes...but then we wouldn't see them for a 20 minute stint. It's a nice restaurant where I could see us bringing my boyfriend's grand parents. It has that familiar, nothing new, feeling.
(3)
Kyle G.
Ordered garden salad and walleye (fish based on bartender's recommendation). For a simple dish such a salad, it was presented well and tasted great. The entree was the highlight of the meal. Walleye was very well prepared and the sauce and vegetables it came with balanced the meal nicely. Bartender was great as well. Only reason I didn't award the 5th star was that it took awhile for my entree to come out, which the bartender sympathized with. Ultimately, it was worth the wait.
(4)
Carolyn S.
I have been to Orchard Green twice now, and both times I have been impressed by the food. For appetizers we started with the focaccia. The bread arrived soft, warm and absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The dipping sauces (olive oil with lemon peel, garlic and pesto?) were perfect complements to the pillowy bread slices. We also tried the baba ghanouj and hummus with cut vegetables, crostini and pita. The spreads were very good and the veggies were crisp and fresh. The vegetable frito misto was also quite good - everything was nicely cooked and crisp. I love it when restaurants showcase fresh vegetables! For a main this time I went with the pistachio crusted Walleye (having never tried it before - plus it's relatively local!). The fish was served with asparagus, artichokes, preserved lemon, and little potato pancakes. The fish itself was fantastic - tender, juicy and with a really great texture (more chew than flake). It didn't have a distinctly fishy taste, which I quite liked. The pistachio crust was great with the Walleye, adding a nice crunch and flavor to the dish. The little potato pancakes were delicious, if a tad on the oily side, and the asparagus was perfectly cooked. I ate each and every bite of this dish. My dining companions tried the vegetable risotto (one of the better vegetarian entrees we've had in Iowa City), and the roast duck with sesame cous cous, honey, pears, and figs. By the time the dessert menu came around we were all too stuffed to spring for the strawberry cheesecake. Maybe next time... We'll be back again for sure.
(4)
Kat H.
So delicious...everything i tried was really good- the cowboy ribeye, mussels, fried cheese eggroll, and the hot and filthy martini. Its a special date night place cuz i aint spending 100 bucks on dinner for myself anymore :(
(4)
Shawn M.
The Ruby Red Trout is phenomenal! Our waiter even brought us the wrong dessert and we ate it anyway - heavenly. It was the peanut butter chocolate one. I consider the food prices reasonable but the wine is a little high. Still, on our anniversary we really enjoyed it. Highly recommended.
(5)
Steve R.
Outstanding. My hosts chose Orchard Green; they must like me. The food and service both exceeded my expectations. It was also quiet enough for our table of five to converse easily. The beer selection came highly recommended, so although I generally have wine with dinner, I chose the Weisenstephaner Vitus. I'm a fan of unfiltered wheat beers, and this might be the best I've had. Strong but not overbearing spices with a hint of citrus. It was a favorite at our table. The salads all looked tasty--I chose the spinach. Excellent flavor, but too much dressing for my preferences. That's the only thing that made me consider giving it four stars, but overall I had to round the score up to 5. Being in Iowa, I opted for the ribeye. The steak was large by my standards, but nicely done and consistently tender throughout. It was definitely a great value compared to the steaks in my hometown of St. Louis. The half of a sweet potato and crisp green beans were an excellent accompaniment. I left satisfied without being stuffed. Although the portion sizes were not too small and yet not too large, we skipped desert only to save calories. The menu has a great variety of choices, and I'd love to try them all!
(5)
Zachary K.
Easily the best restaurant in Iowa City. Beautiful atmosphere, excellent service, and the food is always fresh and amazing. Creative combination of flavors. Order the Moroccan pork and the chocolate peanut butter for dessert.
(5)
Chuck B.
Orchard Green has an amazing menu an a very cozy bar downstairs. Bob will make any drink you desire, and will custom mix to suit you personal tastes. Excellent, go here!
(5)
Basilman S.
Classy restaurant. Table cloths, impeccable service. Beautiful, delicious food, one of my Iowa City Favorites.
(5)
Ramblin P.
First time here! Everything was just marvy. Best crab cakes I've had in a restaurant (which is saying somethin, cuz my daddy is from Baltimore and I grew up eatin the best crab cakes on the planet!). The escargot was different than any I've had. Very rich but in a good way. The char board was great and well balanced (from one die hard pickler to another, I think they could step it up in the house made pickled department, not a complaint!) and the walleye (which never do I ever order) was truly spectacular! Perfectly crispy and flakey. And whoever was back there cooking the duck knew what they were doing as it was perfectly temped. I told our server that we were there to take it easy and that we wanted to order slowly (anniversary dinner after all) and she was impeccable with her timing. I was so pleasantly surprised by what an over all great experience I had. Can't wait to come back for crab cakes and cocktails!
(5)
Kelsey K.
I will be back to Orchard Green! I tried the cucumber cooler martini and vegetable risotto. Both were outstanding. The host and waitress were both helpful and genuine.
(5)
Mary D.
Incredible! We were saying "mmmmm" with every bite! Have been here twice and both times everything is absolutely perfect. Excellent waitstaff and even though I was very early this last trip (right at 5pm on a Thursday) they treated us like we were special guests. I ordered the salmon and it was impeccable. My husband ordered the chicken buccatini and for a pasta dish, even it was impressive. Lobster butternut squash bisque and oyster chowder both amazing. Really impressive selection of beers (esp Belgian). I cannot understand the naysayers, I have never heard of anyone I know having a bad experience here! Perfect date place, or nice night out.
(5)
Amy S.
After reading all the rave reviews and hearing nonstop recommendations from my friends and coworkers, we decided to check this place out. It was... fine. The salad and soup were great. The entrees were only ok. My duck was undercooked, and my husband's steak was over but still really good. For the price (very expensive for the IC) it was only ok. Still, I'll probably give it another go sometime. I'll just skip the duck!
(3)
Mike D.
My wife and I enjoyed a very nice meal from Orchard Green on our anniversary. The service was outstanding and the environment was great. We loved the look of the building and the mood of the restaurant. The food was incredible and the wine selection was great. Although we didn't get to enjoy the downstairs bar area that I've heard great things about, the "upstairs" alone deserves a 5 star rating! Will be back!
(5)
Ann F.
Amazing food. Fresh and beautifully, deliciously prepared. Top notch service. Most university staff bring people here to impress them.
(5)
Bethany B.
Had dinner here last night with friends. I ordered the Bouillabaisse which was more like seafood in a marina sauce. Nothing like the stuff in souther France. My friends had the grouper and bone in ribeye steak. Grouper was a tiny portion. The. Ribeye was the best at the table. Other friend had the filet mignon and it was tough.
Orchard Green has the best chef along with the best service in town. If you're looking for a place to eat in Iowa City you won't find one better than Orchard Green! !!!!!
(5)
Barry S.
Consistently one of the better restaurants in Iowa city. I have taken clients there as well as gone many times with my family and RARELY have we been disappointed. Only hassle has become the parking, but valet fixes all.
(4)
Scott S.
They do a great happy hour Mon-Thursday 4 to 6 downstairs in the lunge, with $5 cheeseburger, fish and chips, wings, and cheap Two-Hearted. Ordering off the normal menu is kind of pricey, and the service can be slow, but a nice place.
(4)
Jill T.
My favorite restaurant in Iowa City. Everything I have had is amazing. They are very accommodating and do anything they can to make the whole experience wonderful. The sauces on every dish are outstanding. I don't know how they do it!
(5)
Charles T.
One of our worst restaurant experiences. Four of us with child on Friday night. We timed delivery of our food. One hour to get served. I had the duck. It came ONLY with an ounce of couscous and was so overly sweet it was inedible. It was also cold. I could not eat. My wife had scallops which were so under-cooked they were slimy on inside. She ate one. And, they were so large they could not have been scallops. They were probably shark from the size and the grain. The other meals served to our children and our grand child were also almost inedible. They only ate part and their scallops were undercooked as were the mussels. The rolls were good and the service staff tried hard to make up for the awful delivery of food. The decor is also very nice. They were so understaffed, the manager was parking cars for the valet. Very overpriced for quality and service. I WILL NEVER GO BACK.
(1)
Luke K.
Orchard Green is my current go to place for fine dining in Iowa City. There was a period of time last year that they didn't live up to their current high standards but the last few times I've been there, they're back to being one of the best options in Iowa City. I usually get one of the steak options on their menu. I travel a lot and have had cuts from the finer steakhouses in America and I can honestly say the last time I had one from Orchard Green it was in my top two best steaks ever. My wife typically ventures further around the menu than I do but we always leave very satisfied. Orchard Green is not cheap and you will spend $100-$150 with a couple entrees, bottle of wine, and an appetizer or dessert...but it's worth it for a good night out with good company. I take friends, co-workers, and family here when looking for a a finer restaurant in Iowa City and we haven't been disappointed. The ambiance and design hasn't changed too much over the years and changing names...but I still think it's one of the most stunning restaurants in Iowa City. The high ceilings, old brick, dark wood, carpentry, and lighting just make it a great place to sit and have a meal. Lastly, I personally would not bring small children - IMHO it's too nice of place and the food is to good to have to juggle little ones. Overall, it's a great place and in recent months they've really come back into their own as one of the best options for fine dining in Iowa City.
(5)
John S.
I've lived in Iowa City for over a decade and dine out relatively frequently. With that said, Orchard Green is a staple of mine and one of my favorites. I'm writing this review with multiple dining experiences in mind and that reflects on the consistency of the service and quality that Orchard Green provides. The Food: Is delicious. I've never had a bad meal at Orchard Green, and every time I bring someone new to Orchard Green they're an instant fan. It's one of those places where you don't have to think long and hard about what to order, because more likely than not, it'll be delicious. The drink selection is great too! The Service: Very pleasant. Staff seem to be well-trained, informative and not over-bearing, which is important for me. Food is brought out in a timely manner and attention to detail is apparent in the service The restaurant itself is stunning. The dining area upstairs is elegant and the lounge downstairs is more relaxed but still has a classy feel to it. I've dined in both areas and both were great experiences depending on what you're looking for. In summary, Orchard Green combines delicious food and top-notch service in a beautiful setting. Whether on a date or with a group, Orchard Green has always pleased me, my wife, and our friends.
(5)
Kelly K.
Wait staff made our 6-person birthday celebration last night delightful. At several points during the evening, I was surprised by how unobtrusively thoughtful and attentive the waitresses and waiters, working as a team, were. After a messy spill, about 6 swooped in to reset a nearby table and move us there. It's rare to get this kind of service in Iowa City. Plates are promptly cleared, food is delivered quietly, efficiently, and without any need to ask who ordered what (even when someone else took the order), leftovers are wrapped for you (instead of someone handing you a box for a DIY touch), water glasses are refilled without you even noticing, clean silverware appears for each course, and so on. Seamless beauty. The entrees were good, and the appetizers were fantastic. Many of the other reviews here give good descriptions of the great food. But as you can tell, what really impressed me was the top-notch, friendly and professional staff. This is an art form!
(5)
John P.
i'm gonna have to give this place the 5 star bump, just primarily as it stands in contrast to the other Iowa restaurants we've been to. in a large city, this would've been a 3.5 star review. the review from Gi L is spot on, and we feel the same. came here for a birthday. water came out right away, which is atypical of places around Iowa. service was prompt, ditto. the other reviewers must've had the typical iowa treatment. granted it wasn't a Friday or Sat night when we went. we started with the mussels.... and for $10, that was a pretty good deal. the spinach salad was very tasty with the local apples from Wilson's Orchard. i had the seared scallop entree, which was a huge dish considering. the scallop was situated on top of polenta, which we think had a cheese layer. scallops themselves were a good size, served a bit saltier than i would like it, but great considering what it came out with (ratatouille & wilted spinach w/ asparagus). the ruby red trout was very tasty along with the fried eggplant & fennel. for dishes in the $15-$20 range, it better be nicely plated, and all of our dishes were here....even the chocolate cake that was on the house because of the birthday. the other IC restaurants that have entrees in the $15+ range should take note. lastly, we couldn't ignore that they were playing some awesome indy music. apparently, all the wait staff get to suggest their own playlist during the weekdays, and on weekends they've got jazz. great date place for sure. one of these Saturdays, we'll be back for their $12 brunches.
I was hoping I would love this place, but it was just very average. My wife and I went here while in town visiting her parents. We had a night out without the kids and wanted to enjoy a good meal. My wife had the walleye (which look like an excellent option) and I had the 'cowboy' ribeye. Unfortunately, my wife had to send back the walleye because its wasn't cooked through (would have been ok if she'd ordered walleye sashimi, but she didn't). When it did come back, I thought it actually tasted pretty good, but it just didn't have the wow factor that it should for a nice restaurant (and at this price). The Ribeye was good, not great (probably a bad order on my part)...if I wanted a steak, we should have done Josephs - I know better than that...if I had to do it over again, I probably would have done the chicken or duck. Oh yeah, and they ran out of maraschino cherries (for my Manhattan - boo!) All in all, it was just an ok dining experience...probably won't be back.
(3)
Mark G.
They should spin off into a steak house, they really have a great steak recipe that deserves its own place! I always get the Cowboy ribeye, it is done perfect. If the owners see this, you might as well open up a steak house, not sure who would be able to compete with you here in Iowa. Very nice place other than just the steak I am raving about......Has downstairs bar area, then the dining area upstairs. Food is of great quality, a fine dining restaurant with great amount of menu choices. Each dish I have tried has that something extra to make you feel great about your purchase. This is a great place to have a nice dinner, if you don't mind paying a little extra for quality this place is a sure hit.
(5)
Jen F.
Our favorite restaurant in Iowa City, hands down. The Boullibaisse is our favorite dish, though we've had many others that are also excellent. An excellent value for the quality of the food.
(5)
Zach H.
I've only been to the bar downstairs, and was quite pleased. They have a special on Sundays and Mondays during football season for a pint of beer and a pound of wings for $7, which we were taking advantage of. The wings were good, and the two beers that we're available with the deal were both good ones. I liked the environment and the waitress was very nice. Overall a good, but not strikingly so, experience. Pro tip: the menu says the Pint & a Pound deal is for buffalo wings, but they will make them with BBQ sauce instead if you ask.
(4)
Jamie W.
My husband and I visited Orchard Green for the first time to celebrate his birthday. We were very pleased with all aspects of our experience! They have a formal restaurant upstairs, which is a gorgeous atmosphere for a lovely quiet dinner. (They also have a more casual lounge area downstairs, with a special lounge menu available, and you can also order food from the upstairs dinner menu.) We sat upstairs in the restaurant and brought our almost 9-month-old-son along. I wouldn't say that it is a "kid atmosphere," but we purposely ate very early, he is very good and it all worked out. :) Oh, and there is free valet parking in the BACK of the building (facing the apartment building). We didn't see it until we had already parked on the street. We started with a glass of their Malbec, which was fantastic! They have a limited edition Tempranillo blend which was okay - very dry. We ended up ordering another glass of the Malbec later. The appetizers we ordered were the Alaskan King Crab Dip, which was incredibly rich and too salty for our taste (but we tend to not like much salt...). It had a bit of spice, and was served with olive bread and delicious crostini. We also ordered the Charcuterie Board, and it was amazing!!! It was a big board with tons of variety and lots of fun little extras (several mustards, pickled items, varied roasted nuts, some sort of fruit chutney, etc.) There were 4 pieces of each of the main items (meats, breads). Next time, we would skip the crab dip (or other appetizers) and go for the fun and delicious boards. For dinner, my husband ordered the Bouillabaisse, which was a lovely tomato and saffron sauce and a variety of seafood (mussels, scallops, shrimp, salmon, etc.) over risotto. It was spectacular. I ordered the Seared Sea Scallops. The dish had an amazing Moroccan ratatouille, which was a delight. The polenta was incredibly tasty, great texture, and topped with a bit of Parmesan. And the scallops were out of this world, perfectly cooked, and practically melted in your mouth. There were several different sauces on the plate that were subtle, but added to the dish. The chef does a particularly excellent job with seafood and sauces, so take note! My husband had a chocolate mousse cake for dessert, which had the most wonderful ice cream on the side we've ever had (and I've eaten a lot of ice cream in my lifetime...) I ordered the Raspberry Cheesecake, which sadly had cherries on top, but was still pretty good, and the sorbet was very good. Both plates were good-sized portions, inexpensive, and had sides of fresh-whipped cream, and several fun sauces. Oh, and they give a free dessert when you're celebrating a birthday or anniversary. Our server was Julia, and she did a fantastic job. She was perfectly attentive without being there too much or hard to find. Water was always refilled, plates were cleared promptly, she followed up at appropriate times, etc. I was a bit indecisive, and she gave great recommendations. All in all, it was a wonderful dining experience. We have tried just about all of the more upscale dining options in downtown Iowa City, and we are now kicking ourselves for not coming here sooner! We were pleased with the quantity of food for the price, especially when compared to some of the other downtown Iowa City fine dining options, many of which seem inferior to Orchard Green. We were stuffed from this meal, and really enjoyed all aspects of our evening!
(5)
Bill T.
Simply delicious. First time in Iowa and found this. Upstairs is romantic and classic ambiance. Order the Pork Scaloppini!
(5)
Tomantha K.
Me and my boyfriend visited Orchard green for our 1 year anniversary dinner and were thoroughly impressed. I really missed NY as I would have frequented a great restaurant there but heard good things about Orchard Green and hoped it would live up to the hype. While it is not a Michelin starred restaurant, the decor was cute (loos like a refurbished bank), their menu options made it hard to choose, and when the food came out we were impressed by the presentation and tastes!. We eventually decided on the escargot, lobster bisque, duck and bouillabaisse. I have never had snails prepared that way before and loved the mix in texture and tastes! The soup was also nice as it wasn't your traditional bisque (though, it was on the very small side for the price). The server was great, she checked in on us just enough and made some good suggestions for drinks and food. I had their orchard green martini which was nice (on the sweet side) and my boyfriend had a glass of wine. The entrees came in good time (didn't wait too long). On first bite the duck was tantalizing. It was served with a passion fruit sauce which paired perfectly with the sweet potatoes and green beans. While I asked about the preparation and was told medium the duck was slightly overcooked (medium-well) but this was not too off-putting and I opted to not tell the waiter (who I am sure would have prepared a new plate, but it was too delicious to give up!). The bouillabaisse was ok, but nothing to right home about, though I think that is the essence of the dish. We thought it was something we can make at home so I wouldn't order it again next time we visit. I would say this was a great date night spot and would also be nice for a double date.
Absolutely delicious. For a more intimate environment go to the downstairs bar. You can order off the full menu. Bartender and servers always very cordial. This is one of my favorite date places with my husband in Iowa city.
(5)
Kevin H.
We ate there once or twice and we loved it. It is little upscale and pricey but we think it is an asset to the Iowa City area. It has two levels and it is right next to the Vine. It seems they have well-to-do clientele of the professional type. I could tell because a lot of them had formal attire and they looked like the alpha, type A personalities. I see all these pictures of the various entrees and my mouth starts to water. That spinach one is appealing to me.
(5)
Rene V.
Probably the best restaurant in Iowa city that I went too. The walleye was excellent. Good menu, good service, above average wine list, great venue.
(4)
W C.
Overview: My friends and I have been to this restaurant several times over the past three years and it has, without a doubt, grown to become our favorite restaurant in the Iowa City area. Location/space: Orchard Green is located off of Gilbert in an old brick building. The bottom floor serves as a bar/lounge area, which I admittedly have never frequented, and the upstairs, which serves as the restaurant. The restaurant space itself is adorned with wood paneling, exposed brick, and a series of wonderful chandeliers. The downside is the lack of parking near the restaurant, which results in the added cost of valeting a car if there's no time to circle the streets in search of a parking spot. The Food: The quality of the food at Orchard Green is unparalleled in Iowa City. My guests and I have ordered several different selections off of their streamlined yet diverse menu and have never been disappointed. Each dish includes several distinct components that brings a welcomed complexity of flavors. The bouillabaisse, which is essentially a seafood stew that Orchard Green serves over risotto, is definitely my favorite on the menu. There is always a hearty helping of mussels, scallops, shrimp, and fish in the dish itself, and the risotto is generally cooked well, although sometimes the broth itself can be overly salty and detract from the dish. Likewise, the roast duck is always perfectly cooked with tender meat and a well-rendered, crispy skin. Service: The service has always been prompt and professional, and the kitchen does a nice job pacing when the various courses are served. Summary: After trying the majority of well-known independent restaurants in the Iowa City area including Atlas, Basta, Devotay, Linn Street, One-Twenty-Six, Giovanni's, and Stella's, I find myself coming back to Orchard Green over and over again. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone in the Iowa City area.
(4)
Stuart P.
Had a wonderful meal with wonderful service. Maybe the best steaks we ever had! The place is beautiful too.
(5)
Ann F.
Amazing food. Fresh and beautifully, deliciously prepared. Top notch service. Most university staff bring people here to impress them.
(5)
Rebecca P.
I have eaten and had drinks here before, and I am grateful to say they saved my graduation dinner party after I was jaded by 126 canceling my Moonraker's reservation without notice.
(5)
Anna H.
The lounge is sparse but suitable for conversation. The food however is a bit salty but the beer selection mskes up for it. Parking is pretty tight so walk if you can.
(3)
Joel S.
Went for my girlfriend's birthday and had a ton of fun. Had escargot (my favorite food in the world). It was an original and inspired take on escargot, with the snails cooked to perfection. High praise. The salads we had were pedestrian, but the raspberry vinegrette was quite good. The beer list was great. I am very critical of beer lists. Most places have a bunch of boring IPAs, a standard hipster beer like PBR (or Stella at fancy places), and very little decent selection of other beers. Orchard green had delicious choices that weren't obscure to be obscure. Finally taking the beer society a little more seriously is a nice touch. I had the bouillabaisse and my girlfriend had the pork scappolini. Both were nicely prepared (the pork in particular was excellent) and nice presentation. The seafood quality was good for the Midwest, but in California wouldn't have been anything to write home about (still, it was delicious). Our waiter was great and the setting is awesome. The prices were really cheap for such a good meal. It was like being in the mid-nineties in California, prices wise.
(4)
Ashley S.
My friend and I went here. It took TWO HOURS for our dinner. It took 30 minutes for the one appetizer. Crab cakes- 2 2 inch crab cakes for $12. The entrees were $25 each which was alright, I got the scallops. They were good. and it took another 20 minutes for one dessert to come out. Very expensive. I dont think I will be back.
(2)
Kari C.
Great good and ambiance! Romantic and quiet, good music (blues/jazz). The duck and tuna were amazing, and the wine list was impressive, if pricey. Will definitely go back!
(4)
Jennifer T.
Orchard green is pretty good, but very heavy on the sauces. The portions are huge and they kind of load everything up so that there's a lot going on on your plate. Tasty, but heavy....I feel like I need go hit the gym afterwards and I HATE exercising. If you like that style, you're in business....if you're used to the light preps and focus on local ingredients, flavors of the veggies, etc., well this might not be the best fit. I'd go back periodically, but not too often. Too worried about my cholesterol level...
(4)
Kimberly K.
Went there for dinner on a Friday with my husband. You should sit upstairs for sure - unexpected and beautiful! So... Food - excellent! Service - needs improvment! Our waitress was not knowledgable about the wine list - she had not tried any that we asked about. We shared teh seafood streudal appetizer - so rich and delicious - perfect to share! I had the Mediterranean salad - so delish! He had the moroccan clam soup which he enjoyed but did not love The biggest problem was that we waited 50 minutes between our appetizer being cleared and our entree!! That is just way too long, even during a nice leisurley dinner! The waitress apologized after about 40 minutes and said she rushed the kitchen...but it was too long But I must say the food was worth teh wait! Salmon and halibut were both great! Food was excellent - hope they improve their service!
(4)
Edgar S.
I visited this restaurant on Oct 30th with no reservation. Wait time wasnt too bad at about 15 minutes. When I did get seated the place was half empty but by the time I got my food all the tables were taken. The menu had a nice selection of fresh seafood, which i have a hard time finding in IC (well good fresh seafood anyway). It was on the upper scale but not too bad about $25 a plate average. I ordered the crab cake for appetizer and the Pistachio crusted Walleye with 2 asparagus spears, an artichoke, and a "potato pancake" (i am overlooking the menu's use of the plural form of artichoke and pancake). Was it good, well its the best i have had in Iowa City without a doubt. That said the flavors of everything I had were very muted. First of all $12 for A crab-cake is just silly. At least if your going to charge that much it had better be top notch. There was nothing wrong with the crab cake but I have had better for the same price. The Walleye itself was very good but had little flavor to it. The "potato pancake" was just fancier, under-salted hash browns. Again don't get me wrong, once I added some salt i really enjoyed them but they were not a potato pancake. There was absolutely nothing binding them together into anything resembling a pancake. And lastly don't ever get a hot tea here. The have horrid commercial teabags. After you brew your tea you will notice the telltale sign of low quality tea: dust from the processing of the leaves in your drink. (if you don't know what I mean its a tea production thing). I wish they would take advantage of the whole leaf tea options in IC or order in bulk from Teavana. That said, yes I will go back. Its the best I have had thus far in IC, but there is so much potential for their lovely place I hope they continue working at things. Actually think I'm thinking of heading back this evening so there you go. It was good enough for a second chance.
(4)
Mary A.
This is one of the two best restaurants in Iowa City (the other one is Baroncini). The menu is varied, the sauces are wonderful, and it has my favorite salad anywhere (grapefruit and chèvre). I just had the vegetable risotto and I'd be happy to go back and have it again tomorrow. The escargot is also excellent.
(5)
W Q.
the decor upstairs for dinner is stunning. never would have guessed it from the location or outside. amazing appetizers here, top notch presentation and quality on the entree as well. the only reason why i gave a lower rating is that the lobster bisque is about the most embarassing thing i've ever had in a restaurant. it's tomato soup with a lobster bisque price tag. i couldn't believe after i complained how terrible it was they did not remove it from the bill. that bisque killed it for me for this restaurant, despite the amazing appetizers and the entree.
(3)
Dianne A.
Fantastic. Everything was delicious and well prepared. This has become "THE" restuarant in Iowa CIty.
(5)
melanie a.
A lot of gourmet choices. We tried the seafood phyllo appetizer which was rich and creamy- we ate every bite. We also had the halibut with potato pancakes which was good but the pork rib chop had a sauce made from figs that was a tiny bit too sweet. Our creme brulee was served in a plate but had that satisfying sugar crust and berries- very good. I must commend the ambience- very tasteful and elegant. Service was so-so, there were only a few diners when we went in the middle of the week and it still took a long time to get our orders and food. Great that they use local and sustainable food. Definitely a place for that special occasion. Wonderful addition to the dining scene in Iowa City!
(4)
Mary-Jane A.
Went here for dinner with work and there were 12 of us. Excellent meal and service was good. Had a good selection of food and presentation of everything served was good. Everyone enjoyed the food they ordered. The person who ordered the steak said it was the best he's ever eaten.
(4)
Maya M.
It took 45 minutes to have our food, the place is nice and classy though. Last time I was here, I enjoyed the food. Still waiting on my sea bass. Also the ran out of their best appetizer at 8 PM.
(3)
Emii L.
Food was great! Service is excellent. Definitely a hidden gems in IowaCity. I love the mussels appetizer dish. They also have a good selection of seafood entree as well.
(4)
Jirakate M.
Five stars compared to Iowa City standard. I went there for my bd dinner on Tuesday. We ordered crab cake and focaccia to start. I really loved crab cake, lots of crab meat and delicious combination of sauces. Bread was ok little too salty for me. I order Orchard Green martini. It was pretty good but the Cosmo taste like cough syrup. I order braised duck it cooked just find and tasty, little on the sweet side. My bf order white fish with asparagus I tried that and it was not bad either. In many reviews, they mentioned that food was slow and not proper cooked. I did not find any of those. Also, they will give you free desert for your bd.
(5)
j c.
I am conflicted about this place. While not my kind of food, they do a good job. One of the best feature is their beautiful interior. You really feel like you walked into a special place, even if it is a very masculine place lots of wood. Most of the appetizers are tasty but hearty. Main dishes continue the theme of hearty and masculine food. The meats are their strength. Thick pork chops, filet mignon, and their signature cowboy ribeye steak. In their defense, they do have nice chicken, salmon and other seafood/fish dishes. In fact, their seafood bouillabaisse is delicious if not tad salty. Good beer list. Wine by the glasses are pretty ordinary. Attentive but leisurely service.
(4)
J H.
Fantastic food and service! The Filet Mignon and fish entrees were superb. High-end dining for Iowa City.
I know it's Iowa, one might set their expectations low given its...Iowa but I was pleasantly surprised. I ate my scallops with enthusiasm and vigor. I was intrigued by their Moroccan twist (Iowa-who knew!). I released the utensils from my grip and almost hankered for a cig. Yup. . Iowa- you got me you naughty corn country. I might have to go back for seconds.
(5)
Glenn A.
Excellent restaurant upstairs for sit down meal with produce and meats from local farmers. Menu is changing often depending on what is in season. Have never had anything but excellent. Excellent service and servers very knowledgeable about the wines that would compliment the meal. Downstairs is a wonderful bar and short order items that are also very tasty. Have had a couple of Birthday parties hosted there and had a wonderful time
(5)
Emii L.
Food was great! Service is excellent. Definitely a hidden gems in IowaCity. I love the mussels appetizer dish. They also have a good selection of seafood entree as well.
(4)
Amy S.
After reading all the rave reviews and hearing nonstop recommendations from my friends and coworkers, we decided to check this place out. It was... fine. The salad and soup were great. The entrees were only ok. My duck was undercooked, and my husband's steak was over but still really good. For the price (very expensive for the IC) it was only ok. Still, I'll probably give it another go sometime. I'll just skip the duck!
(3)
Mary-Jane A.
Went here for dinner with work and there were 12 of us. Excellent meal and service was good. Had a good selection of food and presentation of everything served was good. Everyone enjoyed the food they ordered. The person who ordered the steak said it was the best he's ever eaten.
(4)
Maya M.
It took 45 minutes to have our food, the place is nice and classy though. Last time I was here, I enjoyed the food. Still waiting on my sea bass. Also the ran out of their best appetizer at 8 PM.
(3)
Mary D.
Incredible! We were saying "mmmmm" with every bite! Have been here twice and both times everything is absolutely perfect. Excellent waitstaff and even though I was very early this last trip (right at 5pm on a Thursday) they treated us like we were special guests. I ordered the salmon and it was impeccable. My husband ordered the chicken buccatini and for a pasta dish, even it was impressive. Lobster butternut squash bisque and oyster chowder both amazing. Really impressive selection of beers (esp Belgian). I cannot understand the naysayers, I have never heard of anyone I know having a bad experience here! Perfect date place, or nice night out.
(5)
Jirakate M.
Five stars compared to Iowa City standard. I went there for my bd dinner on Tuesday. We ordered crab cake and focaccia to start. I really loved crab cake, lots of crab meat and delicious combination of sauces. Bread was ok little too salty for me. I order Orchard Green martini. It was pretty good but the Cosmo taste like cough syrup. I order braised duck it cooked just find and tasty, little on the sweet side. My bf order white fish with asparagus I tried that and it was not bad either. In many reviews, they mentioned that food was slow and not proper cooked. I did not find any of those. Also, they will give you free desert for your bd.
(5)
j c.
I am conflicted about this place. While not my kind of food, they do a good job. One of the best feature is their beautiful interior. You really feel like you walked into a special place, even if it is a very masculine place lots of wood. Most of the appetizers are tasty but hearty. Main dishes continue the theme of hearty and masculine food. The meats are their strength. Thick pork chops, filet mignon, and their signature cowboy ribeye steak. In their defense, they do have nice chicken, salmon and other seafood/fish dishes. In fact, their seafood bouillabaisse is delicious if not tad salty. Good beer list. Wine by the glasses are pretty ordinary. Attentive but leisurely service.
(4)
J H.
Fantastic food and service! The Filet Mignon and fish entrees were superb. High-end dining for Iowa City.
I know it's Iowa, one might set their expectations low given its...Iowa but I was pleasantly surprised. I ate my scallops with enthusiasm and vigor. I was intrigued by their Moroccan twist (Iowa-who knew!). I released the utensils from my grip and almost hankered for a cig. Yup. . Iowa- you got me you naughty corn country. I might have to go back for seconds.
(5)
Zachary K.
Easily the best restaurant in Iowa City. Beautiful atmosphere, excellent service, and the food is always fresh and amazing. Creative combination of flavors. Order the Moroccan pork and the chocolate peanut butter for dessert.
(5)
Chuck B.
Orchard Green has an amazing menu an a very cozy bar downstairs. Bob will make any drink you desire, and will custom mix to suit you personal tastes. Excellent, go here!
(5)
Basilman S.
Classy restaurant. Table cloths, impeccable service. Beautiful, delicious food, one of my Iowa City Favorites.
I was hoping I would love this place, but it was just very average. My wife and I went here while in town visiting her parents. We had a night out without the kids and wanted to enjoy a good meal. My wife had the walleye (which look like an excellent option) and I had the 'cowboy' ribeye. Unfortunately, my wife had to send back the walleye because its wasn't cooked through (would have been ok if she'd ordered walleye sashimi, but she didn't). When it did come back, I thought it actually tasted pretty good, but it just didn't have the wow factor that it should for a nice restaurant (and at this price). The Ribeye was good, not great (probably a bad order on my part)...if I wanted a steak, we should have done Josephs - I know better than that...if I had to do it over again, I probably would have done the chicken or duck. Oh yeah, and they ran out of maraschino cherries (for my Manhattan - boo!) All in all, it was just an ok dining experience...probably won't be back.
(3)
Mark G.
They should spin off into a steak house, they really have a great steak recipe that deserves its own place! I always get the Cowboy ribeye, it is done perfect. If the owners see this, you might as well open up a steak house, not sure who would be able to compete with you here in Iowa. Very nice place other than just the steak I am raving about......Has downstairs bar area, then the dining area upstairs. Food is of great quality, a fine dining restaurant with great amount of menu choices. Each dish I have tried has that something extra to make you feel great about your purchase. This is a great place to have a nice dinner, if you don't mind paying a little extra for quality this place is a sure hit.
(5)
Jen F.
Our favorite restaurant in Iowa City, hands down. The Boullibaisse is our favorite dish, though we've had many others that are also excellent. An excellent value for the quality of the food.
(5)
Zach H.
I've only been to the bar downstairs, and was quite pleased. They have a special on Sundays and Mondays during football season for a pint of beer and a pound of wings for $7, which we were taking advantage of. The wings were good, and the two beers that we're available with the deal were both good ones. I liked the environment and the waitress was very nice. Overall a good, but not strikingly so, experience. Pro tip: the menu says the Pint & a Pound deal is for buffalo wings, but they will make them with BBQ sauce instead if you ask.
(4)
Glenn A.
Excellent restaurant upstairs for sit down meal with produce and meats from local farmers. Menu is changing often depending on what is in season. Have never had anything but excellent. Excellent service and servers very knowledgeable about the wines that would compliment the meal. Downstairs is a wonderful bar and short order items that are also very tasty. Have had a couple of Birthday parties hosted there and had a wonderful time
Eh. Orchard Green is OK. To be honest, I can't really say much about it because the experience isn't that memorable. The ambiance is comfortable and warm. I love the exposed brick and old wood work that is prevalent around the dining room. The crowd is mature, though something to expect for the price point. Our goal, when we eat out, is to try things we can't cook ourselves at home. Possibly get ideas of what we can make in our kitchen. It makes things fun! That being said... The food: The food is OK to good. We had the seafood strudel to begin with...which is good mostly because they use a hella amount of cream based lobster sauce. The highlight of the meal was a light salad- pomagrante seeds, blue cheese and apples was a fantastic blend! For entrees, we had the roast duck and hallibut. Both were good, but nothing memorable about either dish. (Other than the honey on the cous-cous created a gooey, sweet mess all over the plate while eating.) For dessert, the apple pie with ice cream...it was delicious, but just your basic apple pie. Nothing exotic or creative. The Service: while the college kids looked like they tried really hard, our first waiter seemed too mellow and our second waiter seemed frazzeled. Our first waiter was still around, but they share tables? Service was touch and go. They would ask if we needed anything 4 times in 15 minutes...but then we wouldn't see them for a 20 minute stint. It's a nice restaurant where I could see us bringing my boyfriend's grand parents. It has that familiar, nothing new, feeling.
(3)
Bethany B.
Had dinner here last night with friends. I ordered the Bouillabaisse which was more like seafood in a marina sauce. Nothing like the stuff in souther France. My friends had the grouper and bone in ribeye steak. Grouper was a tiny portion. The. Ribeye was the best at the table. Other friend had the filet mignon and it was tough.
(3)
Kevin H.
We ate there once or twice and we loved it. It is little upscale and pricey but we think it is an asset to the Iowa City area. It has two levels and it is right next to the Vine. It seems they have well-to-do clientele of the professional type. I could tell because a lot of them had formal attire and they looked like the alpha, type A personalities. I see all these pictures of the various entrees and my mouth starts to water. That spinach one is appealing to me.
(5)
Rene V.
Probably the best restaurant in Iowa city that I went too. The walleye was excellent. Good menu, good service, above average wine list, great venue.
(4)
Jill T.
My favorite restaurant in Iowa City. Everything I have had is amazing. They are very accommodating and do anything they can to make the whole experience wonderful. The sauces on every dish are outstanding. I don't know how they do it!
(5)
Jamie W.
My husband and I visited Orchard Green for the first time to celebrate his birthday. We were very pleased with all aspects of our experience! They have a formal restaurant upstairs, which is a gorgeous atmosphere for a lovely quiet dinner. (They also have a more casual lounge area downstairs, with a special lounge menu available, and you can also order food from the upstairs dinner menu.) We sat upstairs in the restaurant and brought our almost 9-month-old-son along. I wouldn't say that it is a "kid atmosphere," but we purposely ate very early, he is very good and it all worked out. :) Oh, and there is free valet parking in the BACK of the building (facing the apartment building). We didn't see it until we had already parked on the street. We started with a glass of their Malbec, which was fantastic! They have a limited edition Tempranillo blend which was okay - very dry. We ended up ordering another glass of the Malbec later. The appetizers we ordered were the Alaskan King Crab Dip, which was incredibly rich and too salty for our taste (but we tend to not like much salt...). It had a bit of spice, and was served with olive bread and delicious crostini. We also ordered the Charcuterie Board, and it was amazing!!! It was a big board with tons of variety and lots of fun little extras (several mustards, pickled items, varied roasted nuts, some sort of fruit chutney, etc.) There were 4 pieces of each of the main items (meats, breads). Next time, we would skip the crab dip (or other appetizers) and go for the fun and delicious boards. For dinner, my husband ordered the Bouillabaisse, which was a lovely tomato and saffron sauce and a variety of seafood (mussels, scallops, shrimp, salmon, etc.) over risotto. It was spectacular. I ordered the Seared Sea Scallops. The dish had an amazing Moroccan ratatouille, which was a delight. The polenta was incredibly tasty, great texture, and topped with a bit of Parmesan. And the scallops were out of this world, perfectly cooked, and practically melted in your mouth. There were several different sauces on the plate that were subtle, but added to the dish. The chef does a particularly excellent job with seafood and sauces, so take note! My husband had a chocolate mousse cake for dessert, which had the most wonderful ice cream on the side we've ever had (and I've eaten a lot of ice cream in my lifetime...) I ordered the Raspberry Cheesecake, which sadly had cherries on top, but was still pretty good, and the sorbet was very good. Both plates were good-sized portions, inexpensive, and had sides of fresh-whipped cream, and several fun sauces. Oh, and they give a free dessert when you're celebrating a birthday or anniversary. Our server was Julia, and she did a fantastic job. She was perfectly attentive without being there too much or hard to find. Water was always refilled, plates were cleared promptly, she followed up at appropriate times, etc. I was a bit indecisive, and she gave great recommendations. All in all, it was a wonderful dining experience. We have tried just about all of the more upscale dining options in downtown Iowa City, and we are now kicking ourselves for not coming here sooner! We were pleased with the quantity of food for the price, especially when compared to some of the other downtown Iowa City fine dining options, many of which seem inferior to Orchard Green. We were stuffed from this meal, and really enjoyed all aspects of our evening!
(5)
Bill T.
Simply delicious. First time in Iowa and found this. Upstairs is romantic and classic ambiance. Order the Pork Scaloppini!
(5)
Tomantha K.
Me and my boyfriend visited Orchard green for our 1 year anniversary dinner and were thoroughly impressed. I really missed NY as I would have frequented a great restaurant there but heard good things about Orchard Green and hoped it would live up to the hype. While it is not a Michelin starred restaurant, the decor was cute (loos like a refurbished bank), their menu options made it hard to choose, and when the food came out we were impressed by the presentation and tastes!. We eventually decided on the escargot, lobster bisque, duck and bouillabaisse. I have never had snails prepared that way before and loved the mix in texture and tastes! The soup was also nice as it wasn't your traditional bisque (though, it was on the very small side for the price). The server was great, she checked in on us just enough and made some good suggestions for drinks and food. I had their orchard green martini which was nice (on the sweet side) and my boyfriend had a glass of wine. The entrees came in good time (didn't wait too long). On first bite the duck was tantalizing. It was served with a passion fruit sauce which paired perfectly with the sweet potatoes and green beans. While I asked about the preparation and was told medium the duck was slightly overcooked (medium-well) but this was not too off-putting and I opted to not tell the waiter (who I am sure would have prepared a new plate, but it was too delicious to give up!). The bouillabaisse was ok, but nothing to right home about, though I think that is the essence of the dish. We thought it was something we can make at home so I wouldn't order it again next time we visit. I would say this was a great date night spot and would also be nice for a double date.
Absolutely delicious. For a more intimate environment go to the downstairs bar. You can order off the full menu. Bartender and servers always very cordial. This is one of my favorite date places with my husband in Iowa city.
(5)
Ramblin P.
First time here! Everything was just marvy. Best crab cakes I've had in a restaurant (which is saying somethin, cuz my daddy is from Baltimore and I grew up eatin the best crab cakes on the planet!). The escargot was different than any I've had. Very rich but in a good way. The char board was great and well balanced (from one die hard pickler to another, I think they could step it up in the house made pickled department, not a complaint!) and the walleye (which never do I ever order) was truly spectacular! Perfectly crispy and flakey. And whoever was back there cooking the duck knew what they were doing as it was perfectly temped. I told our server that we were there to take it easy and that we wanted to order slowly (anniversary dinner after all) and she was impeccable with her timing. I was so pleasantly surprised by what an over all great experience I had. Can't wait to come back for crab cakes and cocktails!
(5)
Kelsey K.
I will be back to Orchard Green! I tried the cucumber cooler martini and vegetable risotto. Both were outstanding. The host and waitress were both helpful and genuine.
My wife and I enjoyed a very nice meal from Orchard Green on our anniversary. The service was outstanding and the environment was great. We loved the look of the building and the mood of the restaurant. The food was incredible and the wine selection was great. Although we didn't get to enjoy the downstairs bar area that I've heard great things about, the "upstairs" alone deserves a 5 star rating! Will be back!
(5)
Charles T.
One of our worst restaurant experiences. Four of us with child on Friday night. We timed delivery of our food. One hour to get served. I had the duck. It came ONLY with an ounce of couscous and was so overly sweet it was inedible. It was also cold. I could not eat. My wife had scallops which were so under-cooked they were slimy on inside. She ate one. And, they were so large they could not have been scallops. They were probably shark from the size and the grain. The other meals served to our children and our grand child were also almost inedible. They only ate part and their scallops were undercooked as were the mussels. The rolls were good and the service staff tried hard to make up for the awful delivery of food. The decor is also very nice. They were so understaffed, the manager was parking cars for the valet. Very overpriced for quality and service. I WILL NEVER GO BACK.
(1)
Kristen P.
My husband and I have been to Orchard Green twice now in the last few months and we really enjoy it. The service is excellent, the food is unique and tasty, and the atmosphere in the dining room is comfortable and even a little swanky. The wine list is quite good. We've been really happy with the seafood dishes - appetizers and entrees. The chicken with bucatini is heavenly - possibly the best dish I've had in Iowa City. My husband enjoys the bouillabaisse. We've had a peanut butter chocolate cake dessert that was super rich, but very good. I would definitely recommend Orchard Green!
(5)
W C.
Overview: My friends and I have been to this restaurant several times over the past three years and it has, without a doubt, grown to become our favorite restaurant in the Iowa City area. Location/space: Orchard Green is located off of Gilbert in an old brick building. The bottom floor serves as a bar/lounge area, which I admittedly have never frequented, and the upstairs, which serves as the restaurant. The restaurant space itself is adorned with wood paneling, exposed brick, and a series of wonderful chandeliers. The downside is the lack of parking near the restaurant, which results in the added cost of valeting a car if there's no time to circle the streets in search of a parking spot. The Food: The quality of the food at Orchard Green is unparalleled in Iowa City. My guests and I have ordered several different selections off of their streamlined yet diverse menu and have never been disappointed. Each dish includes several distinct components that brings a welcomed complexity of flavors. The bouillabaisse, which is essentially a seafood stew that Orchard Green serves over risotto, is definitely my favorite on the menu. There is always a hearty helping of mussels, scallops, shrimp, and fish in the dish itself, and the risotto is generally cooked well, although sometimes the broth itself can be overly salty and detract from the dish. Likewise, the roast duck is always perfectly cooked with tender meat and a well-rendered, crispy skin. Service: The service has always been prompt and professional, and the kitchen does a nice job pacing when the various courses are served. Summary: After trying the majority of well-known independent restaurants in the Iowa City area including Atlas, Basta, Devotay, Linn Street, One-Twenty-Six, Giovanni's, and Stella's, I find myself coming back to Orchard Green over and over again. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone in the Iowa City area.
(4)
Stuart P.
Had a wonderful meal with wonderful service. Maybe the best steaks we ever had! The place is beautiful too.
(5)
Kyle G.
Ordered garden salad and walleye (fish based on bartender's recommendation). For a simple dish such a salad, it was presented well and tasted great. The entree was the highlight of the meal. Walleye was very well prepared and the sauce and vegetables it came with balanced the meal nicely. Bartender was great as well. Only reason I didn't award the 5th star was that it took awhile for my entree to come out, which the bartender sympathized with. Ultimately, it was worth the wait.
(4)
Levi W.
Orchard Green has the best chef along with the best service in town. If you're looking for a place to eat in Iowa City you won't find one better than Orchard Green! !!!!!
(5)
Barry S.
Consistently one of the better restaurants in Iowa city. I have taken clients there as well as gone many times with my family and RARELY have we been disappointed. Only hassle has become the parking, but valet fixes all.
(4)
Scott S.
They do a great happy hour Mon-Thursday 4 to 6 downstairs in the lunge, with $5 cheeseburger, fish and chips, wings, and cheap Two-Hearted. Ordering off the normal menu is kind of pricey, and the service can be slow, but a nice place.
(4)
Luke K.
Orchard Green is my current go to place for fine dining in Iowa City. There was a period of time last year that they didn't live up to their current high standards but the last few times I've been there, they're back to being one of the best options in Iowa City. I usually get one of the steak options on their menu. I travel a lot and have had cuts from the finer steakhouses in America and I can honestly say the last time I had one from Orchard Green it was in my top two best steaks ever. My wife typically ventures further around the menu than I do but we always leave very satisfied. Orchard Green is not cheap and you will spend $100-$150 with a couple entrees, bottle of wine, and an appetizer or dessert...but it's worth it for a good night out with good company. I take friends, co-workers, and family here when looking for a a finer restaurant in Iowa City and we haven't been disappointed. The ambiance and design hasn't changed too much over the years and changing names...but I still think it's one of the most stunning restaurants in Iowa City. The high ceilings, old brick, dark wood, carpentry, and lighting just make it a great place to sit and have a meal. Lastly, I personally would not bring small children - IMHO it's too nice of place and the food is to good to have to juggle little ones. Overall, it's a great place and in recent months they've really come back into their own as one of the best options for fine dining in Iowa City.
(5)
John S.
I've lived in Iowa City for over a decade and dine out relatively frequently. With that said, Orchard Green is a staple of mine and one of my favorites. I'm writing this review with multiple dining experiences in mind and that reflects on the consistency of the service and quality that Orchard Green provides. The Food: Is delicious. I've never had a bad meal at Orchard Green, and every time I bring someone new to Orchard Green they're an instant fan. It's one of those places where you don't have to think long and hard about what to order, because more likely than not, it'll be delicious. The drink selection is great too! The Service: Very pleasant. Staff seem to be well-trained, informative and not over-bearing, which is important for me. Food is brought out in a timely manner and attention to detail is apparent in the service The restaurant itself is stunning. The dining area upstairs is elegant and the lounge downstairs is more relaxed but still has a classy feel to it. I've dined in both areas and both were great experiences depending on what you're looking for. In summary, Orchard Green combines delicious food and top-notch service in a beautiful setting. Whether on a date or with a group, Orchard Green has always pleased me, my wife, and our friends.
(5)
Rebecca P.
I have eaten and had drinks here before, and I am grateful to say they saved my graduation dinner party after I was jaded by 126 canceling my Moonraker's reservation without notice.
(5)
Anna H.
The lounge is sparse but suitable for conversation. The food however is a bit salty but the beer selection mskes up for it. Parking is pretty tight so walk if you can.
(3)
Kelly K.
Wait staff made our 6-person birthday celebration last night delightful. At several points during the evening, I was surprised by how unobtrusively thoughtful and attentive the waitresses and waiters, working as a team, were. After a messy spill, about 6 swooped in to reset a nearby table and move us there. It's rare to get this kind of service in Iowa City. Plates are promptly cleared, food is delivered quietly, efficiently, and without any need to ask who ordered what (even when someone else took the order), leftovers are wrapped for you (instead of someone handing you a box for a DIY touch), water glasses are refilled without you even noticing, clean silverware appears for each course, and so on. Seamless beauty. The entrees were good, and the appetizers were fantastic. Many of the other reviews here give good descriptions of the great food. But as you can tell, what really impressed me was the top-notch, friendly and professional staff. This is an art form!
(5)
John P.
i'm gonna have to give this place the 5 star bump, just primarily as it stands in contrast to the other Iowa restaurants we've been to. in a large city, this would've been a 3.5 star review. the review from Gi L is spot on, and we feel the same. came here for a birthday. water came out right away, which is atypical of places around Iowa. service was prompt, ditto. the other reviewers must've had the typical iowa treatment. granted it wasn't a Friday or Sat night when we went. we started with the mussels.... and for $10, that was a pretty good deal. the spinach salad was very tasty with the local apples from Wilson's Orchard. i had the seared scallop entree, which was a huge dish considering. the scallop was situated on top of polenta, which we think had a cheese layer. scallops themselves were a good size, served a bit saltier than i would like it, but great considering what it came out with (ratatouille & wilted spinach w/ asparagus). the ruby red trout was very tasty along with the fried eggplant & fennel. for dishes in the $15-$20 range, it better be nicely plated, and all of our dishes were here....even the chocolate cake that was on the house because of the birthday. the other IC restaurants that have entrees in the $15+ range should take note. lastly, we couldn't ignore that they were playing some awesome indy music. apparently, all the wait staff get to suggest their own playlist during the weekdays, and on weekends they've got jazz. great date place for sure. one of these Saturdays, we'll be back for their $12 brunches.
I have been to Orchard Green twice now, and both times I have been impressed by the food. For appetizers we started with the focaccia. The bread arrived soft, warm and absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The dipping sauces (olive oil with lemon peel, garlic and pesto?) were perfect complements to the pillowy bread slices. We also tried the baba ghanouj and hummus with cut vegetables, crostini and pita. The spreads were very good and the veggies were crisp and fresh. The vegetable frito misto was also quite good - everything was nicely cooked and crisp. I love it when restaurants showcase fresh vegetables! For a main this time I went with the pistachio crusted Walleye (having never tried it before - plus it's relatively local!). The fish was served with asparagus, artichokes, preserved lemon, and little potato pancakes. The fish itself was fantastic - tender, juicy and with a really great texture (more chew than flake). It didn't have a distinctly fishy taste, which I quite liked. The pistachio crust was great with the Walleye, adding a nice crunch and flavor to the dish. The little potato pancakes were delicious, if a tad on the oily side, and the asparagus was perfectly cooked. I ate each and every bite of this dish. My dining companions tried the vegetable risotto (one of the better vegetarian entrees we've had in Iowa City), and the roast duck with sesame cous cous, honey, pears, and figs. By the time the dessert menu came around we were all too stuffed to spring for the strawberry cheesecake. Maybe next time... We'll be back again for sure.
(4)
Kat H.
So delicious...everything i tried was really good- the cowboy ribeye, mussels, fried cheese eggroll, and the hot and filthy martini. Its a special date night place cuz i aint spending 100 bucks on dinner for myself anymore :(
(4)
Shawn M.
The Ruby Red Trout is phenomenal! Our waiter even brought us the wrong dessert and we ate it anyway - heavenly. It was the peanut butter chocolate one. I consider the food prices reasonable but the wine is a little high. Still, on our anniversary we really enjoyed it. Highly recommended.
(5)
Steve R.
Outstanding. My hosts chose Orchard Green; they must like me. The food and service both exceeded my expectations. It was also quiet enough for our table of five to converse easily. The beer selection came highly recommended, so although I generally have wine with dinner, I chose the Weisenstephaner Vitus. I'm a fan of unfiltered wheat beers, and this might be the best I've had. Strong but not overbearing spices with a hint of citrus. It was a favorite at our table. The salads all looked tasty--I chose the spinach. Excellent flavor, but too much dressing for my preferences. That's the only thing that made me consider giving it four stars, but overall I had to round the score up to 5. Being in Iowa, I opted for the ribeye. The steak was large by my standards, but nicely done and consistently tender throughout. It was definitely a great value compared to the steaks in my hometown of St. Louis. The half of a sweet potato and crisp green beans were an excellent accompaniment. I left satisfied without being stuffed. Although the portion sizes were not too small and yet not too large, we skipped desert only to save calories. The menu has a great variety of choices, and I'd love to try them all!
(5)
Becky F.
We have dined at Orchard Green about four times now. Every time we have been happy with the food and service. The parking lot is small, but they have a complimentary valet. The atmosphere is nice with rich wood paneled walls and exposed bricks. The menu changes on a regular basis depending on what is in season locally. On our last visit I had Asparagus Tortellini and it was delicious! Some reviewers have commented on poor service or subpar food, but that has not been the case on our visits. Delicious gourmet food is the norm, don't be afraid to give it a try. It is pricey, but a great place to go for date night or a special occasion.
(5)
Mike O.
This place is amazing! The food is fantastic. Our table of 4 loved every single dish, from the soups to the steak/seafood to the apple pie at the end. The drinks are unique and wonderful. We need to go back to keep experimenting. The inside of the restaurant is beautiful. It's classy without being stuffy. The downstairs lounge is fun and relaxing. We really liked the free valet parking.
(5)
Joel S.
Went for my girlfriend's birthday and had a ton of fun. Had escargot (my favorite food in the world). It was an original and inspired take on escargot, with the snails cooked to perfection. High praise. The salads we had were pedestrian, but the raspberry vinegrette was quite good. The beer list was great. I am very critical of beer lists. Most places have a bunch of boring IPAs, a standard hipster beer like PBR (or Stella at fancy places), and very little decent selection of other beers. Orchard green had delicious choices that weren't obscure to be obscure. Finally taking the beer society a little more seriously is a nice touch. I had the bouillabaisse and my girlfriend had the pork scappolini. Both were nicely prepared (the pork in particular was excellent) and nice presentation. The seafood quality was good for the Midwest, but in California wouldn't have been anything to write home about (still, it was delicious). Our waiter was great and the setting is awesome. The prices were really cheap for such a good meal. It was like being in the mid-nineties in California, prices wise.
(4)
Ashley S.
My friend and I went here. It took TWO HOURS for our dinner. It took 30 minutes for the one appetizer. Crab cakes- 2 2 inch crab cakes for $12. The entrees were $25 each which was alright, I got the scallops. They were good. and it took another 20 minutes for one dessert to come out. Very expensive. I dont think I will be back.
(2)
Kari C.
Great good and ambiance! Romantic and quiet, good music (blues/jazz). The duck and tuna were amazing, and the wine list was impressive, if pricey. Will definitely go back!
(4)
Jennifer T.
Orchard green is pretty good, but very heavy on the sauces. The portions are huge and they kind of load everything up so that there's a lot going on on your plate. Tasty, but heavy....I feel like I need go hit the gym afterwards and I HATE exercising. If you like that style, you're in business....if you're used to the light preps and focus on local ingredients, flavors of the veggies, etc., well this might not be the best fit. I'd go back periodically, but not too often. Too worried about my cholesterol level...
(4)
Kimberly K.
Went there for dinner on a Friday with my husband. You should sit upstairs for sure - unexpected and beautiful! So... Food - excellent! Service - needs improvment! Our waitress was not knowledgable about the wine list - she had not tried any that we asked about. We shared teh seafood streudal appetizer - so rich and delicious - perfect to share! I had the Mediterranean salad - so delish! He had the moroccan clam soup which he enjoyed but did not love The biggest problem was that we waited 50 minutes between our appetizer being cleared and our entree!! That is just way too long, even during a nice leisurley dinner! The waitress apologized after about 40 minutes and said she rushed the kitchen...but it was too long But I must say the food was worth teh wait! Salmon and halibut were both great! Food was excellent - hope they improve their service!
(4)
Edgar S.
I visited this restaurant on Oct 30th with no reservation. Wait time wasnt too bad at about 15 minutes. When I did get seated the place was half empty but by the time I got my food all the tables were taken. The menu had a nice selection of fresh seafood, which i have a hard time finding in IC (well good fresh seafood anyway). It was on the upper scale but not too bad about $25 a plate average. I ordered the crab cake for appetizer and the Pistachio crusted Walleye with 2 asparagus spears, an artichoke, and a "potato pancake" (i am overlooking the menu's use of the plural form of artichoke and pancake). Was it good, well its the best i have had in Iowa City without a doubt. That said the flavors of everything I had were very muted. First of all $12 for A crab-cake is just silly. At least if your going to charge that much it had better be top notch. There was nothing wrong with the crab cake but I have had better for the same price. The Walleye itself was very good but had little flavor to it. The "potato pancake" was just fancier, under-salted hash browns. Again don't get me wrong, once I added some salt i really enjoyed them but they were not a potato pancake. There was absolutely nothing binding them together into anything resembling a pancake. And lastly don't ever get a hot tea here. The have horrid commercial teabags. After you brew your tea you will notice the telltale sign of low quality tea: dust from the processing of the leaves in your drink. (if you don't know what I mean its a tea production thing). I wish they would take advantage of the whole leaf tea options in IC or order in bulk from Teavana. That said, yes I will go back. Its the best I have had thus far in IC, but there is so much potential for their lovely place I hope they continue working at things. Actually think I'm thinking of heading back this evening so there you go. It was good enough for a second chance.
(4)
Mary A.
This is one of the two best restaurants in Iowa City (the other one is Baroncini). The menu is varied, the sauces are wonderful, and it has my favorite salad anywhere (grapefruit and chèvre). I just had the vegetable risotto and I'd be happy to go back and have it again tomorrow. The escargot is also excellent.
(5)
W Q.
the decor upstairs for dinner is stunning. never would have guessed it from the location or outside. amazing appetizers here, top notch presentation and quality on the entree as well. the only reason why i gave a lower rating is that the lobster bisque is about the most embarassing thing i've ever had in a restaurant. it's tomato soup with a lobster bisque price tag. i couldn't believe after i complained how terrible it was they did not remove it from the bill. that bisque killed it for me for this restaurant, despite the amazing appetizers and the entree.
(3)
Dianne A.
Fantastic. Everything was delicious and well prepared. This has become "THE" restuarant in Iowa CIty.
(5)
melanie a.
A lot of gourmet choices. We tried the seafood phyllo appetizer which was rich and creamy- we ate every bite. We also had the halibut with potato pancakes which was good but the pork rib chop had a sauce made from figs that was a tiny bit too sweet. Our creme brulee was served in a plate but had that satisfying sugar crust and berries- very good. I must commend the ambience- very tasteful and elegant. Service was so-so, there were only a few diners when we went in the middle of the week and it still took a long time to get our orders and food. Great that they use local and sustainable food. Definitely a place for that special occasion. Wonderful addition to the dining scene in Iowa City!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Valet Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Dressy Ambience : Classy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Jamie W.
My husband and I visited Orchard Green for the first time to celebrate his birthday. We were very pleased with all aspects of our experience! They have a formal restaurant upstairs, which is a gorgeous atmosphere for a lovely quiet dinner. (They also have a more casual lounge area downstairs, with a special lounge menu available, and you can also order food from the upstairs dinner menu.) We sat upstairs in the restaurant and brought our almost 9-month-old-son along. I wouldn't say that it is a "kid atmosphere," but we purposely ate very early, he is very good and it all worked out. :) Oh, and there is free valet parking in the BACK of the building (facing the apartment building). We didn't see it until we had already parked on the street. We started with a glass of their Malbec, which was fantastic! They have a limited edition Tempranillo blend which was okay - very dry. We ended up ordering another glass of the Malbec later. The appetizers we ordered were the Alaskan King Crab Dip, which was incredibly rich and too salty for our taste (but we tend to not like much salt...). It had a bit of spice, and was served with olive bread and delicious crostini. We also ordered the Charcuterie Board, and it was amazing!!! It was a big board with tons of variety and lots of fun little extras (several mustards, pickled items, varied roasted nuts, some sort of fruit chutney, etc.) There were 4 pieces of each of the main items (meats, breads). Next time, we would skip the crab dip (or other appetizers) and go for the fun and delicious boards. For dinner, my husband ordered the Bouillabaisse, which was a lovely tomato and saffron sauce and a variety of seafood (mussels, scallops, shrimp, salmon, etc.) over risotto. It was spectacular. I ordered the Seared Sea Scallops. The dish had an amazing Moroccan ratatouille, which was a delight. The polenta was incredibly tasty, great texture, and topped with a bit of Parmesan. And the scallops were out of this world, perfectly cooked, and practically melted in your mouth. There were several different sauces on the plate that were subtle, but added to the dish. The chef does a particularly excellent job with seafood and sauces, so take note! My husband had a chocolate mousse cake for dessert, which had the most wonderful ice cream on the side we've ever had (and I've eaten a lot of ice cream in my lifetime...) I ordered the Raspberry Cheesecake, which sadly had cherries on top, but was still pretty good, and the sorbet was very good. Both plates were good-sized portions, inexpensive, and had sides of fresh-whipped cream, and several fun sauces. Oh, and they give a free dessert when you're celebrating a birthday or anniversary. Our server was Julia, and she did a fantastic job. She was perfectly attentive without being there too much or hard to find. Water was always refilled, plates were cleared promptly, she followed up at appropriate times, etc. I was a bit indecisive, and she gave great recommendations. All in all, it was a wonderful dining experience. We have tried just about all of the more upscale dining options in downtown Iowa City, and we are now kicking ourselves for not coming here sooner! We were pleased with the quantity of food for the price, especially when compared to some of the other downtown Iowa City fine dining options, many of which seem inferior to Orchard Green. We were stuffed from this meal, and really enjoyed all aspects of our evening!
(5)Bill T.
Simply delicious. First time in Iowa and found this. Upstairs is romantic and classic ambiance. Order the Pork Scaloppini!
(5)Mary-Jane A.
Went here for dinner with work and there were 12 of us. Excellent meal and service was good. Had a good selection of food and presentation of everything served was good. Everyone enjoyed the food they ordered. The person who ordered the steak said it was the best he's ever eaten.
(4)Maya M.
It took 45 minutes to have our food, the place is nice and classy though. Last time I was here, I enjoyed the food. Still waiting on my sea bass. Also the ran out of their best appetizer at 8 PM.
(3)Mike D.
My wife and I enjoyed a very nice meal from Orchard Green on our anniversary. The service was outstanding and the environment was great. We loved the look of the building and the mood of the restaurant. The food was incredible and the wine selection was great. Although we didn't get to enjoy the downstairs bar area that I've heard great things about, the "upstairs" alone deserves a 5 star rating! Will be back!
(5)Ann F.
Amazing food. Fresh and beautifully, deliciously prepared. Top notch service. Most university staff bring people here to impress them.
(5)Emii L.
Food was great! Service is excellent. Definitely a hidden gems in IowaCity. I love the mussels appetizer dish. They also have a good selection of seafood entree as well.
(4)Glenn A.
Excellent restaurant upstairs for sit down meal with produce and meats from local farmers. Menu is changing often depending on what is in season. Have never had anything but excellent. Excellent service and servers very knowledgeable about the wines that would compliment the meal. Downstairs is a wonderful bar and short order items that are also very tasty. Have had a couple of Birthday parties hosted there and had a wonderful time
(5)Kelly K.
Wait staff made our 6-person birthday celebration last night delightful. At several points during the evening, I was surprised by how unobtrusively thoughtful and attentive the waitresses and waiters, working as a team, were. After a messy spill, about 6 swooped in to reset a nearby table and move us there. It's rare to get this kind of service in Iowa City. Plates are promptly cleared, food is delivered quietly, efficiently, and without any need to ask who ordered what (even when someone else took the order), leftovers are wrapped for you (instead of someone handing you a box for a DIY touch), water glasses are refilled without you even noticing, clean silverware appears for each course, and so on. Seamless beauty. The entrees were good, and the appetizers were fantastic. Many of the other reviews here give good descriptions of the great food. But as you can tell, what really impressed me was the top-notch, friendly and professional staff. This is an art form!
(5)John P.
i'm gonna have to give this place the 5 star bump, just primarily as it stands in contrast to the other Iowa restaurants we've been to. in a large city, this would've been a 3.5 star review. the review from Gi L is spot on, and we feel the same. came here for a birthday. water came out right away, which is atypical of places around Iowa. service was prompt, ditto. the other reviewers must've had the typical iowa treatment. granted it wasn't a Friday or Sat night when we went. we started with the mussels.... and for $10, that was a pretty good deal. the spinach salad was very tasty with the local apples from Wilson's Orchard. i had the seared scallop entree, which was a huge dish considering. the scallop was situated on top of polenta, which we think had a cheese layer. scallops themselves were a good size, served a bit saltier than i would like it, but great considering what it came out with (ratatouille & wilted spinach w/ asparagus). the ruby red trout was very tasty along with the fried eggplant & fennel. for dishes in the $15-$20 range, it better be nicely plated, and all of our dishes were here....even the chocolate cake that was on the house because of the birthday. the other IC restaurants that have entrees in the $15+ range should take note. lastly, we couldn't ignore that they were playing some awesome indy music. apparently, all the wait staff get to suggest their own playlist during the weekdays, and on weekends they've got jazz. great date place for sure. one of these Saturdays, we'll be back for their $12 brunches.
(5)Ruta P.
Love, love, love! I've only ever been to the lounge, but their menu is satisfying with decent prices. This is usually my "go to" place for drinks with friends, and nothing beats The Plantation!! The other drinks are great, and I love that they're simple and tasty. They're not the sugary, sweet, syrup drinks everywhere else. They had the best fish and chips in IC, and dang good (and pretty) cheese tray appetizer. The berry crime brûlée hits the spot!! Definitely coming back!
(5)Jirakate M.
Five stars compared to Iowa City standard. I went there for my bd dinner on Tuesday. We ordered crab cake and focaccia to start. I really loved crab cake, lots of crab meat and delicious combination of sauces. Bread was ok little too salty for me. I order Orchard Green martini. It was pretty good but the Cosmo taste like cough syrup. I order braised duck it cooked just find and tasty, little on the sweet side. My bf order white fish with asparagus I tried that and it was not bad either. In many reviews, they mentioned that food was slow and not proper cooked. I did not find any of those. Also, they will give you free desert for your bd.
(5)j c.
I am conflicted about this place. While not my kind of food, they do a good job. One of the best feature is their beautiful interior. You really feel like you walked into a special place, even if it is a very masculine place lots of wood. Most of the appetizers are tasty but hearty. Main dishes continue the theme of hearty and masculine food. The meats are their strength. Thick pork chops, filet mignon, and their signature cowboy ribeye steak. In their defense, they do have nice chicken, salmon and other seafood/fish dishes. In fact, their seafood bouillabaisse is delicious if not tad salty. Good beer list. Wine by the glasses are pretty ordinary. Attentive but leisurely service.
(4)J H.
Fantastic food and service! The Filet Mignon and fish entrees were superb. High-end dining for Iowa City.
(5)Matt U.
We had been meaning to come here for quite some time and finally made it for my better half's birthday dinner. In a word - superb! We sat upstairs in the main dining area and were greeted by quite the lovely room. Darker wood and slightly dim lighting really set a nice ambiance. The combination of wood and decor make it feel very warm and intimate and the tables are surprisingly private - all of which set up a nice evening perfectly. For an appetizer, we shared a charcuterie plate and escargot. The charcuterie plate was one of the better we've had. The addition of honey was a surprisingly delcious accompaniment. The escargot was good, but prepared differently than we had ever had - diferent was good in this case however! Veal jus, shittake mushrooms and polenta graced the plate and effectively made it a plate filled with happiness. For the main course, we both settled on delicious renditions of pig! I had the pork saltimbocca - incredibly seasoned and the prosciutto adds a nice touch! My better half had the Moroccan pork and it too was lovely. The polenta made for a nice base and the Manchego fondue was something I hadn't seen before. Both had great flavor with excellent sides and a wonderful presentation. The creme bruleé was standard fare and the post dinner espresso was solid. The combination of excellent food, a great/warm ambiance and fantastic service made this a spot we will be returning to.
(4)Monika W.
I know it's Iowa, one might set their expectations low given its...Iowa but I was pleasantly surprised. I ate my scallops with enthusiasm and vigor. I was intrigued by their Moroccan twist (Iowa-who knew!). I released the utensils from my grip and almost hankered for a cig. Yup. . Iowa- you got me you naughty corn country. I might have to go back for seconds.
(5)Zachary K.
Easily the best restaurant in Iowa City. Beautiful atmosphere, excellent service, and the food is always fresh and amazing. Creative combination of flavors. Order the Moroccan pork and the chocolate peanut butter for dessert.
(5)Marie L.
Food was pretty tasty but service was very slow. We ordered the crab cakes for appetizer which was delicious. Our main dish was the Seared scallop and the pork chop special that was overcooked and dry, but after telling the waitress, she bought out another one which was very good. I had a promegrante martini which was alright but the glass was so sticky from the sugar, I was not comfortable drinking it and have to wet nap my hand every sip. Dessert was eh...the creme brûlée but that dish didn't come out until we finished our coffee! So overall, our experience was eh....
(3)Chuck B.
Orchard Green has an amazing menu an a very cozy bar downstairs. Bob will make any drink you desire, and will custom mix to suit you personal tastes. Excellent, go here!
(5)Basilman S.
Classy restaurant. Table cloths, impeccable service. Beautiful, delicious food, one of my Iowa City Favorites.
(5)Todd L.
I was hoping I would love this place, but it was just very average. My wife and I went here while in town visiting her parents. We had a night out without the kids and wanted to enjoy a good meal. My wife had the walleye (which look like an excellent option) and I had the 'cowboy' ribeye. Unfortunately, my wife had to send back the walleye because its wasn't cooked through (would have been ok if she'd ordered walleye sashimi, but she didn't). When it did come back, I thought it actually tasted pretty good, but it just didn't have the wow factor that it should for a nice restaurant (and at this price). The Ribeye was good, not great (probably a bad order on my part)...if I wanted a steak, we should have done Josephs - I know better than that...if I had to do it over again, I probably would have done the chicken or duck. Oh yeah, and they ran out of maraschino cherries (for my Manhattan - boo!) All in all, it was just an ok dining experience...probably won't be back.
(3)Mark G.
They should spin off into a steak house, they really have a great steak recipe that deserves its own place! I always get the Cowboy ribeye, it is done perfect. If the owners see this, you might as well open up a steak house, not sure who would be able to compete with you here in Iowa. Very nice place other than just the steak I am raving about......Has downstairs bar area, then the dining area upstairs. Food is of great quality, a fine dining restaurant with great amount of menu choices. Each dish I have tried has that something extra to make you feel great about your purchase. This is a great place to have a nice dinner, if you don't mind paying a little extra for quality this place is a sure hit.
(5)Jen F.
Our favorite restaurant in Iowa City, hands down. The Boullibaisse is our favorite dish, though we've had many others that are also excellent. An excellent value for the quality of the food.
(5)Zach H.
I've only been to the bar downstairs, and was quite pleased. They have a special on Sundays and Mondays during football season for a pint of beer and a pound of wings for $7, which we were taking advantage of. The wings were good, and the two beers that we're available with the deal were both good ones. I liked the environment and the waitress was very nice. Overall a good, but not strikingly so, experience. Pro tip: the menu says the Pint & a Pound deal is for buffalo wings, but they will make them with BBQ sauce instead if you ask.
(4)Mary D.
Incredible! We were saying "mmmmm" with every bite! Have been here twice and both times everything is absolutely perfect. Excellent waitstaff and even though I was very early this last trip (right at 5pm on a Thursday) they treated us like we were special guests. I ordered the salmon and it was impeccable. My husband ordered the chicken buccatini and for a pasta dish, even it was impressive. Lobster butternut squash bisque and oyster chowder both amazing. Really impressive selection of beers (esp Belgian). I cannot understand the naysayers, I have never heard of anyone I know having a bad experience here! Perfect date place, or nice night out.
(5)Tomantha K.
Me and my boyfriend visited Orchard green for our 1 year anniversary dinner and were thoroughly impressed. I really missed NY as I would have frequented a great restaurant there but heard good things about Orchard Green and hoped it would live up to the hype. While it is not a Michelin starred restaurant, the decor was cute (loos like a refurbished bank), their menu options made it hard to choose, and when the food came out we were impressed by the presentation and tastes!. We eventually decided on the escargot, lobster bisque, duck and bouillabaisse. I have never had snails prepared that way before and loved the mix in texture and tastes! The soup was also nice as it wasn't your traditional bisque (though, it was on the very small side for the price). The server was great, she checked in on us just enough and made some good suggestions for drinks and food. I had their orchard green martini which was nice (on the sweet side) and my boyfriend had a glass of wine. The entrees came in good time (didn't wait too long). On first bite the duck was tantalizing. It was served with a passion fruit sauce which paired perfectly with the sweet potatoes and green beans. While I asked about the preparation and was told medium the duck was slightly overcooked (medium-well) but this was not too off-putting and I opted to not tell the waiter (who I am sure would have prepared a new plate, but it was too delicious to give up!). The bouillabaisse was ok, but nothing to right home about, though I think that is the essence of the dish. We thought it was something we can make at home so I wouldn't order it again next time we visit. I would say this was a great date night spot and would also be nice for a double date.
(4)Kyle F.
Amazing food and service. Had a large group of friends and the staff was very accommodating. The filet was second to none, and the creme brûlée was enormous. This is hands down my new favorite restaurant in Iowa City.
(5)Frances D.
Absolutely delicious. For a more intimate environment go to the downstairs bar. You can order off the full menu. Bartender and servers always very cordial. This is one of my favorite date places with my husband in Iowa city.
(5)Ramblin P.
First time here! Everything was just marvy. Best crab cakes I've had in a restaurant (which is saying somethin, cuz my daddy is from Baltimore and I grew up eatin the best crab cakes on the planet!). The escargot was different than any I've had. Very rich but in a good way. The char board was great and well balanced (from one die hard pickler to another, I think they could step it up in the house made pickled department, not a complaint!) and the walleye (which never do I ever order) was truly spectacular! Perfectly crispy and flakey. And whoever was back there cooking the duck knew what they were doing as it was perfectly temped. I told our server that we were there to take it easy and that we wanted to order slowly (anniversary dinner after all) and she was impeccable with her timing. I was so pleasantly surprised by what an over all great experience I had. Can't wait to come back for crab cakes and cocktails!
(5)Kelsey K.
I will be back to Orchard Green! I tried the cucumber cooler martini and vegetable risotto. Both were outstanding. The host and waitress were both helpful and genuine.
(5)Bethany B.
Had dinner here last night with friends. I ordered the Bouillabaisse which was more like seafood in a marina sauce. Nothing like the stuff in souther France. My friends had the grouper and bone in ribeye steak. Grouper was a tiny portion. The. Ribeye was the best at the table. Other friend had the filet mignon and it was tough.
(3)Kevin H.
We ate there once or twice and we loved it. It is little upscale and pricey but we think it is an asset to the Iowa City area. It has two levels and it is right next to the Vine. It seems they have well-to-do clientele of the professional type. I could tell because a lot of them had formal attire and they looked like the alpha, type A personalities. I see all these pictures of the various entrees and my mouth starts to water. That spinach one is appealing to me.
(5)Rene V.
Probably the best restaurant in Iowa city that I went too. The walleye was excellent. Good menu, good service, above average wine list, great venue.
(4)Jill T.
My favorite restaurant in Iowa City. Everything I have had is amazing. They are very accommodating and do anything they can to make the whole experience wonderful. The sauces on every dish are outstanding. I don't know how they do it!
(5)Charles S.
This was our first visit to Orchard Green which is located on Gilbert Street just on the edge of the heart of Iowa City, Iowa. Parking in a metered parking spot is 75 cents per hour before 6 PM (cards and coins accepted). We were greeted by a very nice host upon entering the establishment. He asked if we wanted to sit in the lounge or the dining room upstairs. The only explanation that he offered in the two options was that the dining room was a nicer setting than the lounge. I remembered that there were different menus for the lounge and dining room online. We chose the dining room. The dining room was nicely appointed. The atmosphere is very conservative and quiet almost like a library. It would be suitable for business lunches and dinners as well as intimate settings for couples. It does not seem to be a place for families with children, but I'm sure that it is not forbidden. The waiter was prompt and detailed the two special entrees that the chef had prepared for the night. Glancing at the dinner menu we were very disappointed. The menu did not match up with the dinner menu that was on their Web site online. This is a pet peeve of mine and it really irks me when the menus are not maintained. We had already picked out what we were going to order ahead of time and the whitefish entrée was not on the menu anymore. Restaurants keeping their standard menus up to date online are such an easy task since these menus do not change often. It is a novice mistake yet a serious infraction of the trust that a guest places in an establishment especially of this caliber. We ordered the crab cake as an appetizer. With mojitos being a favorite of mine, I opted for the raspberry mojito. For my entrée, I ordered the filet minion which came with broccoli and scalloped potatoes. The waiter then asked if we wanted soup or salad and I selected the summer salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing. The crab cakes were pretty tasty. I do not normally like corn meal in my crab cakes (take note Linn Street Café), however these did taste good. The only negative was that, for the price, the portion size was quite small. The raspberry mojito was average. It was made with puree and not actual raspberries. I prefer them with real crushed raspberries because each time you get a raspberry piece up your straw and bight into it, it is like a little treat! The summer salad was excellent. I really liked it. It was the best item tonight. I liked how the dressing did not have a strong vinegar smell or taste. I can't say anything but good things about this salad. What can I say about the most expensive portion of the meal, the filet minion? It was a poor quality cut of beef. It did not have much seasoning which meant that it was kind of bland. I'm not sure what the cooking mechanism was but it did not have any caramelization on it, nothing to give it a good taste. It was pretty much a waste of my good money and resources. We skipped dessert so now for the bill. We were surprised to see that the bill was more expensive than we thought that it would be. We were charged for the salad, which, in the way that it was presented to us by the waiter, was included with the entrée. In summation, the Orchard Green is an elegantly appointed restaurant and atmosphere with elegant prices accompanied by staff missteps and pedestrian quality food.
(2)Amy S.
After reading all the rave reviews and hearing nonstop recommendations from my friends and coworkers, we decided to check this place out. It was... fine. The salad and soup were great. The entrees were only ok. My duck was undercooked, and my husband's steak was over but still really good. For the price (very expensive for the IC) it was only ok. Still, I'll probably give it another go sometime. I'll just skip the duck!
(3)Charles T.
One of our worst restaurant experiences. Four of us with child on Friday night. We timed delivery of our food. One hour to get served. I had the duck. It came ONLY with an ounce of couscous and was so overly sweet it was inedible. It was also cold. I could not eat. My wife had scallops which were so under-cooked they were slimy on inside. She ate one. And, they were so large they could not have been scallops. They were probably shark from the size and the grain. The other meals served to our children and our grand child were also almost inedible. They only ate part and their scallops were undercooked as were the mussels. The rolls were good and the service staff tried hard to make up for the awful delivery of food. The decor is also very nice. They were so understaffed, the manager was parking cars for the valet. Very overpriced for quality and service. I WILL NEVER GO BACK.
(1)Kristen P.
My husband and I have been to Orchard Green twice now in the last few months and we really enjoy it. The service is excellent, the food is unique and tasty, and the atmosphere in the dining room is comfortable and even a little swanky. The wine list is quite good. We've been really happy with the seafood dishes - appetizers and entrees. The chicken with bucatini is heavenly - possibly the best dish I've had in Iowa City. My husband enjoys the bouillabaisse. We've had a peanut butter chocolate cake dessert that was super rich, but very good. I would definitely recommend Orchard Green!
(5)W C.
Overview: My friends and I have been to this restaurant several times over the past three years and it has, without a doubt, grown to become our favorite restaurant in the Iowa City area. Location/space: Orchard Green is located off of Gilbert in an old brick building. The bottom floor serves as a bar/lounge area, which I admittedly have never frequented, and the upstairs, which serves as the restaurant. The restaurant space itself is adorned with wood paneling, exposed brick, and a series of wonderful chandeliers. The downside is the lack of parking near the restaurant, which results in the added cost of valeting a car if there's no time to circle the streets in search of a parking spot. The Food: The quality of the food at Orchard Green is unparalleled in Iowa City. My guests and I have ordered several different selections off of their streamlined yet diverse menu and have never been disappointed. Each dish includes several distinct components that brings a welcomed complexity of flavors. The bouillabaisse, which is essentially a seafood stew that Orchard Green serves over risotto, is definitely my favorite on the menu. There is always a hearty helping of mussels, scallops, shrimp, and fish in the dish itself, and the risotto is generally cooked well, although sometimes the broth itself can be overly salty and detract from the dish. Likewise, the roast duck is always perfectly cooked with tender meat and a well-rendered, crispy skin. Service: The service has always been prompt and professional, and the kitchen does a nice job pacing when the various courses are served. Summary: After trying the majority of well-known independent restaurants in the Iowa City area including Atlas, Basta, Devotay, Linn Street, One-Twenty-Six, Giovanni's, and Stella's, I find myself coming back to Orchard Green over and over again. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone in the Iowa City area.
(4)Stuart P.
Had a wonderful meal with wonderful service. Maybe the best steaks we ever had! The place is beautiful too.
(5)Kyle G.
Ordered garden salad and walleye (fish based on bartender's recommendation). For a simple dish such a salad, it was presented well and tasted great. The entree was the highlight of the meal. Walleye was very well prepared and the sauce and vegetables it came with balanced the meal nicely. Bartender was great as well. Only reason I didn't award the 5th star was that it took awhile for my entree to come out, which the bartender sympathized with. Ultimately, it was worth the wait.
(4)Levi W.
Orchard Green has the best chef along with the best service in town. If you're looking for a place to eat in Iowa City you won't find one better than Orchard Green! !!!!!
(5)Barry S.
Consistently one of the better restaurants in Iowa city. I have taken clients there as well as gone many times with my family and RARELY have we been disappointed. Only hassle has become the parking, but valet fixes all.
(4)Scott S.
They do a great happy hour Mon-Thursday 4 to 6 downstairs in the lunge, with $5 cheeseburger, fish and chips, wings, and cheap Two-Hearted. Ordering off the normal menu is kind of pricey, and the service can be slow, but a nice place.
(4)Luke K.
Orchard Green is my current go to place for fine dining in Iowa City. There was a period of time last year that they didn't live up to their current high standards but the last few times I've been there, they're back to being one of the best options in Iowa City. I usually get one of the steak options on their menu. I travel a lot and have had cuts from the finer steakhouses in America and I can honestly say the last time I had one from Orchard Green it was in my top two best steaks ever. My wife typically ventures further around the menu than I do but we always leave very satisfied. Orchard Green is not cheap and you will spend $100-$150 with a couple entrees, bottle of wine, and an appetizer or dessert...but it's worth it for a good night out with good company. I take friends, co-workers, and family here when looking for a a finer restaurant in Iowa City and we haven't been disappointed. The ambiance and design hasn't changed too much over the years and changing names...but I still think it's one of the most stunning restaurants in Iowa City. The high ceilings, old brick, dark wood, carpentry, and lighting just make it a great place to sit and have a meal. Lastly, I personally would not bring small children - IMHO it's too nice of place and the food is to good to have to juggle little ones. Overall, it's a great place and in recent months they've really come back into their own as one of the best options for fine dining in Iowa City.
(5)John S.
I've lived in Iowa City for over a decade and dine out relatively frequently. With that said, Orchard Green is a staple of mine and one of my favorites. I'm writing this review with multiple dining experiences in mind and that reflects on the consistency of the service and quality that Orchard Green provides. The Food: Is delicious. I've never had a bad meal at Orchard Green, and every time I bring someone new to Orchard Green they're an instant fan. It's one of those places where you don't have to think long and hard about what to order, because more likely than not, it'll be delicious. The drink selection is great too! The Service: Very pleasant. Staff seem to be well-trained, informative and not over-bearing, which is important for me. Food is brought out in a timely manner and attention to detail is apparent in the service The restaurant itself is stunning. The dining area upstairs is elegant and the lounge downstairs is more relaxed but still has a classy feel to it. I've dined in both areas and both were great experiences depending on what you're looking for. In summary, Orchard Green combines delicious food and top-notch service in a beautiful setting. Whether on a date or with a group, Orchard Green has always pleased me, my wife, and our friends.
(5)Rebecca P.
I have eaten and had drinks here before, and I am grateful to say they saved my graduation dinner party after I was jaded by 126 canceling my Moonraker's reservation without notice.
(5)Anna H.
The lounge is sparse but suitable for conversation. The food however is a bit salty but the beer selection mskes up for it. Parking is pretty tight so walk if you can.
(3)Carolyn S.
I have been to Orchard Green twice now, and both times I have been impressed by the food. For appetizers we started with the focaccia. The bread arrived soft, warm and absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The dipping sauces (olive oil with lemon peel, garlic and pesto?) were perfect complements to the pillowy bread slices. We also tried the baba ghanouj and hummus with cut vegetables, crostini and pita. The spreads were very good and the veggies were crisp and fresh. The vegetable frito misto was also quite good - everything was nicely cooked and crisp. I love it when restaurants showcase fresh vegetables! For a main this time I went with the pistachio crusted Walleye (having never tried it before - plus it's relatively local!). The fish was served with asparagus, artichokes, preserved lemon, and little potato pancakes. The fish itself was fantastic - tender, juicy and with a really great texture (more chew than flake). It didn't have a distinctly fishy taste, which I quite liked. The pistachio crust was great with the Walleye, adding a nice crunch and flavor to the dish. The little potato pancakes were delicious, if a tad on the oily side, and the asparagus was perfectly cooked. I ate each and every bite of this dish. My dining companions tried the vegetable risotto (one of the better vegetarian entrees we've had in Iowa City), and the roast duck with sesame cous cous, honey, pears, and figs. By the time the dessert menu came around we were all too stuffed to spring for the strawberry cheesecake. Maybe next time... We'll be back again for sure.
(4)Kat H.
So delicious...everything i tried was really good- the cowboy ribeye, mussels, fried cheese eggroll, and the hot and filthy martini. Its a special date night place cuz i aint spending 100 bucks on dinner for myself anymore :(
(4)Shawn M.
The Ruby Red Trout is phenomenal! Our waiter even brought us the wrong dessert and we ate it anyway - heavenly. It was the peanut butter chocolate one. I consider the food prices reasonable but the wine is a little high. Still, on our anniversary we really enjoyed it. Highly recommended.
(5)Steve R.
Outstanding. My hosts chose Orchard Green; they must like me. The food and service both exceeded my expectations. It was also quiet enough for our table of five to converse easily. The beer selection came highly recommended, so although I generally have wine with dinner, I chose the Weisenstephaner Vitus. I'm a fan of unfiltered wheat beers, and this might be the best I've had. Strong but not overbearing spices with a hint of citrus. It was a favorite at our table. The salads all looked tasty--I chose the spinach. Excellent flavor, but too much dressing for my preferences. That's the only thing that made me consider giving it four stars, but overall I had to round the score up to 5. Being in Iowa, I opted for the ribeye. The steak was large by my standards, but nicely done and consistently tender throughout. It was definitely a great value compared to the steaks in my hometown of St. Louis. The half of a sweet potato and crisp green beans were an excellent accompaniment. I left satisfied without being stuffed. Although the portion sizes were not too small and yet not too large, we skipped desert only to save calories. The menu has a great variety of choices, and I'd love to try them all!
(5)Regina L.
I've been here in Iowa City for a year and some weeks now and I've already eaten at more than half of the restaurants around here. Yet I find myself in a writer's block of a rut to document what I just ate because I usually leave those places underwhelmed or uninspired. But, thank goodness, the grass is green once again after eating a meal at Orchard Green. Our appetizer - a crab cake.The L.A. snob in me initially reacted, Oh, come on. Just 1 crab cake? But, I told my L.A. snob self to shut up since I'm in Iowa now. I divided the crab cake in half with my fork and took a bite. Crispy on the outside, flaky in the inside...it wasn't too bad at all. What really surprised me was that underneath the crab cake were two thin slices of starfruit. "Ah, how nostalgic!" The L.A. snob in me quickly became the 7 year old me, remembering a childhood under starfruit trees. In an instant, I forgave Orchard Green and proceeded with my main dish. Next up was the Chilean Sea Bass. Ever watch Platinum Weddings? I watched a marathon of it on WETv, gawking at extravagant weddings. A common entree with these frou frou events: Chilean Sea Bass. Naturally, watching a ton of these shows made me want to be bougie and eat Chilean Sea Bass too...even if I wasn't at a wedding. My entree was delicious. For his entree, a duck. The duck is not as cheap and fatty like one from Sam Woo in the SGV (don't get me wrong - Sam Woo duck = good eats), but it's not like the best and most expensive duck I've ever had at Ortolan in L.A. I'd say, I'd rank this duck smack in the middle of those two. For dessert, a creme brûlée with berries. Served in a shallow bowl as opposed to a traditional ramekin, this creme brûlée enveloped the berries with its cooled custard topped with a crispy, caramelized surface. It was what I expected a creme brûlée to taste like, so I enjoyed my dessert. Overall, dinner was pleasant enough for me to write about it. I'm a sucker for restaurants with tall ceilings, so I loved that Orchard Green has tall ceilings on the 2nd floor adorned with hanging chandeliers. It was definitely good choice for a special occasion dinner. 3.5 stars
(4)Melissa T.
Eh. Orchard Green is OK. To be honest, I can't really say much about it because the experience isn't that memorable. The ambiance is comfortable and warm. I love the exposed brick and old wood work that is prevalent around the dining room. The crowd is mature, though something to expect for the price point. Our goal, when we eat out, is to try things we can't cook ourselves at home. Possibly get ideas of what we can make in our kitchen. It makes things fun! That being said... The food: The food is OK to good. We had the seafood strudel to begin with...which is good mostly because they use a hella amount of cream based lobster sauce. The highlight of the meal was a light salad- pomagrante seeds, blue cheese and apples was a fantastic blend! For entrees, we had the roast duck and hallibut. Both were good, but nothing memorable about either dish. (Other than the honey on the cous-cous created a gooey, sweet mess all over the plate while eating.) For dessert, the apple pie with ice cream...it was delicious, but just your basic apple pie. Nothing exotic or creative. The Service: while the college kids looked like they tried really hard, our first waiter seemed too mellow and our second waiter seemed frazzeled. Our first waiter was still around, but they share tables? Service was touch and go. They would ask if we needed anything 4 times in 15 minutes...but then we wouldn't see them for a 20 minute stint. It's a nice restaurant where I could see us bringing my boyfriend's grand parents. It has that familiar, nothing new, feeling.
(3)Becky F.
We have dined at Orchard Green about four times now. Every time we have been happy with the food and service. The parking lot is small, but they have a complimentary valet. The atmosphere is nice with rich wood paneled walls and exposed bricks. The menu changes on a regular basis depending on what is in season locally. On our last visit I had Asparagus Tortellini and it was delicious! Some reviewers have commented on poor service or subpar food, but that has not been the case on our visits. Delicious gourmet food is the norm, don't be afraid to give it a try. It is pricey, but a great place to go for date night or a special occasion.
(5)Mike O.
This place is amazing! The food is fantastic. Our table of 4 loved every single dish, from the soups to the steak/seafood to the apple pie at the end. The drinks are unique and wonderful. We need to go back to keep experimenting. The inside of the restaurant is beautiful. It's classy without being stuffy. The downstairs lounge is fun and relaxing. We really liked the free valet parking.
(5)Joel S.
Went for my girlfriend's birthday and had a ton of fun. Had escargot (my favorite food in the world). It was an original and inspired take on escargot, with the snails cooked to perfection. High praise. The salads we had were pedestrian, but the raspberry vinegrette was quite good. The beer list was great. I am very critical of beer lists. Most places have a bunch of boring IPAs, a standard hipster beer like PBR (or Stella at fancy places), and very little decent selection of other beers. Orchard green had delicious choices that weren't obscure to be obscure. Finally taking the beer society a little more seriously is a nice touch. I had the bouillabaisse and my girlfriend had the pork scappolini. Both were nicely prepared (the pork in particular was excellent) and nice presentation. The seafood quality was good for the Midwest, but in California wouldn't have been anything to write home about (still, it was delicious). Our waiter was great and the setting is awesome. The prices were really cheap for such a good meal. It was like being in the mid-nineties in California, prices wise.
(4)Ashley S.
My friend and I went here. It took TWO HOURS for our dinner. It took 30 minutes for the one appetizer. Crab cakes- 2 2 inch crab cakes for $12. The entrees were $25 each which was alright, I got the scallops. They were good. and it took another 20 minutes for one dessert to come out. Very expensive. I dont think I will be back.
(2)Kari C.
Great good and ambiance! Romantic and quiet, good music (blues/jazz). The duck and tuna were amazing, and the wine list was impressive, if pricey. Will definitely go back!
(4)Jennifer T.
Orchard green is pretty good, but very heavy on the sauces. The portions are huge and they kind of load everything up so that there's a lot going on on your plate. Tasty, but heavy....I feel like I need go hit the gym afterwards and I HATE exercising. If you like that style, you're in business....if you're used to the light preps and focus on local ingredients, flavors of the veggies, etc., well this might not be the best fit. I'd go back periodically, but not too often. Too worried about my cholesterol level...
(4)Kimberly K.
Went there for dinner on a Friday with my husband. You should sit upstairs for sure - unexpected and beautiful! So... Food - excellent! Service - needs improvment! Our waitress was not knowledgable about the wine list - she had not tried any that we asked about. We shared teh seafood streudal appetizer - so rich and delicious - perfect to share! I had the Mediterranean salad - so delish! He had the moroccan clam soup which he enjoyed but did not love The biggest problem was that we waited 50 minutes between our appetizer being cleared and our entree!! That is just way too long, even during a nice leisurley dinner! The waitress apologized after about 40 minutes and said she rushed the kitchen...but it was too long But I must say the food was worth teh wait! Salmon and halibut were both great! Food was excellent - hope they improve their service!
(4)Edgar S.
I visited this restaurant on Oct 30th with no reservation. Wait time wasnt too bad at about 15 minutes. When I did get seated the place was half empty but by the time I got my food all the tables were taken. The menu had a nice selection of fresh seafood, which i have a hard time finding in IC (well good fresh seafood anyway). It was on the upper scale but not too bad about $25 a plate average. I ordered the crab cake for appetizer and the Pistachio crusted Walleye with 2 asparagus spears, an artichoke, and a "potato pancake" (i am overlooking the menu's use of the plural form of artichoke and pancake). Was it good, well its the best i have had in Iowa City without a doubt. That said the flavors of everything I had were very muted. First of all $12 for A crab-cake is just silly. At least if your going to charge that much it had better be top notch. There was nothing wrong with the crab cake but I have had better for the same price. The Walleye itself was very good but had little flavor to it. The "potato pancake" was just fancier, under-salted hash browns. Again don't get me wrong, once I added some salt i really enjoyed them but they were not a potato pancake. There was absolutely nothing binding them together into anything resembling a pancake. And lastly don't ever get a hot tea here. The have horrid commercial teabags. After you brew your tea you will notice the telltale sign of low quality tea: dust from the processing of the leaves in your drink. (if you don't know what I mean its a tea production thing). I wish they would take advantage of the whole leaf tea options in IC or order in bulk from Teavana. That said, yes I will go back. Its the best I have had thus far in IC, but there is so much potential for their lovely place I hope they continue working at things. Actually think I'm thinking of heading back this evening so there you go. It was good enough for a second chance.
(4)Mary A.
This is one of the two best restaurants in Iowa City (the other one is Baroncini). The menu is varied, the sauces are wonderful, and it has my favorite salad anywhere (grapefruit and chèvre). I just had the vegetable risotto and I'd be happy to go back and have it again tomorrow. The escargot is also excellent.
(5)W Q.
the decor upstairs for dinner is stunning. never would have guessed it from the location or outside. amazing appetizers here, top notch presentation and quality on the entree as well. the only reason why i gave a lower rating is that the lobster bisque is about the most embarassing thing i've ever had in a restaurant. it's tomato soup with a lobster bisque price tag. i couldn't believe after i complained how terrible it was they did not remove it from the bill. that bisque killed it for me for this restaurant, despite the amazing appetizers and the entree.
(3)Dianne A.
Fantastic. Everything was delicious and well prepared. This has become "THE" restuarant in Iowa CIty.
(5)melanie a.
A lot of gourmet choices. We tried the seafood phyllo appetizer which was rich and creamy- we ate every bite. We also had the halibut with potato pancakes which was good but the pork rib chop had a sauce made from figs that was a tiny bit too sweet. Our creme brulee was served in a plate but had that satisfying sugar crust and berries- very good. I must commend the ambience- very tasteful and elegant. Service was so-so, there were only a few diners when we went in the middle of the week and it still took a long time to get our orders and food. Great that they use local and sustainable food. Definitely a place for that special occasion. Wonderful addition to the dining scene in Iowa City!
(4)Becky F.
We have dined at Orchard Green about four times now. Every time we have been happy with the food and service. The parking lot is small, but they have a complimentary valet. The atmosphere is nice with rich wood paneled walls and exposed bricks. The menu changes on a regular basis depending on what is in season locally. On our last visit I had Asparagus Tortellini and it was delicious! Some reviewers have commented on poor service or subpar food, but that has not been the case on our visits. Delicious gourmet food is the norm, don't be afraid to give it a try. It is pricey, but a great place to go for date night or a special occasion.
(5)Mike O.
This place is amazing! The food is fantastic. Our table of 4 loved every single dish, from the soups to the steak/seafood to the apple pie at the end. The drinks are unique and wonderful. We need to go back to keep experimenting. The inside of the restaurant is beautiful. It's classy without being stuffy. The downstairs lounge is fun and relaxing. We really liked the free valet parking.
(5)Kristen P.
My husband and I have been to Orchard Green twice now in the last few months and we really enjoy it. The service is excellent, the food is unique and tasty, and the atmosphere in the dining room is comfortable and even a little swanky. The wine list is quite good. We've been really happy with the seafood dishes - appetizers and entrees. The chicken with bucatini is heavenly - possibly the best dish I've had in Iowa City. My husband enjoys the bouillabaisse. We've had a peanut butter chocolate cake dessert that was super rich, but very good. I would definitely recommend Orchard Green!
(5)Regina L.
I've been here in Iowa City for a year and some weeks now and I've already eaten at more than half of the restaurants around here. Yet I find myself in a writer's block of a rut to document what I just ate because I usually leave those places underwhelmed or uninspired. But, thank goodness, the grass is green once again after eating a meal at Orchard Green. Our appetizer - a crab cake.The L.A. snob in me initially reacted, Oh, come on. Just 1 crab cake? But, I told my L.A. snob self to shut up since I'm in Iowa now. I divided the crab cake in half with my fork and took a bite. Crispy on the outside, flaky in the inside...it wasn't too bad at all. What really surprised me was that underneath the crab cake were two thin slices of starfruit. "Ah, how nostalgic!" The L.A. snob in me quickly became the 7 year old me, remembering a childhood under starfruit trees. In an instant, I forgave Orchard Green and proceeded with my main dish. Next up was the Chilean Sea Bass. Ever watch Platinum Weddings? I watched a marathon of it on WETv, gawking at extravagant weddings. A common entree with these frou frou events: Chilean Sea Bass. Naturally, watching a ton of these shows made me want to be bougie and eat Chilean Sea Bass too...even if I wasn't at a wedding. My entree was delicious. For his entree, a duck. The duck is not as cheap and fatty like one from Sam Woo in the SGV (don't get me wrong - Sam Woo duck = good eats), but it's not like the best and most expensive duck I've ever had at Ortolan in L.A. I'd say, I'd rank this duck smack in the middle of those two. For dessert, a creme brûlée with berries. Served in a shallow bowl as opposed to a traditional ramekin, this creme brûlée enveloped the berries with its cooled custard topped with a crispy, caramelized surface. It was what I expected a creme brûlée to taste like, so I enjoyed my dessert. Overall, dinner was pleasant enough for me to write about it. I'm a sucker for restaurants with tall ceilings, so I loved that Orchard Green has tall ceilings on the 2nd floor adorned with hanging chandeliers. It was definitely good choice for a special occasion dinner. 3.5 stars
(4)Melissa T.
Eh. Orchard Green is OK. To be honest, I can't really say much about it because the experience isn't that memorable. The ambiance is comfortable and warm. I love the exposed brick and old wood work that is prevalent around the dining room. The crowd is mature, though something to expect for the price point. Our goal, when we eat out, is to try things we can't cook ourselves at home. Possibly get ideas of what we can make in our kitchen. It makes things fun! That being said... The food: The food is OK to good. We had the seafood strudel to begin with...which is good mostly because they use a hella amount of cream based lobster sauce. The highlight of the meal was a light salad- pomagrante seeds, blue cheese and apples was a fantastic blend! For entrees, we had the roast duck and hallibut. Both were good, but nothing memorable about either dish. (Other than the honey on the cous-cous created a gooey, sweet mess all over the plate while eating.) For dessert, the apple pie with ice cream...it was delicious, but just your basic apple pie. Nothing exotic or creative. The Service: while the college kids looked like they tried really hard, our first waiter seemed too mellow and our second waiter seemed frazzeled. Our first waiter was still around, but they share tables? Service was touch and go. They would ask if we needed anything 4 times in 15 minutes...but then we wouldn't see them for a 20 minute stint. It's a nice restaurant where I could see us bringing my boyfriend's grand parents. It has that familiar, nothing new, feeling.
(3)Kyle G.
Ordered garden salad and walleye (fish based on bartender's recommendation). For a simple dish such a salad, it was presented well and tasted great. The entree was the highlight of the meal. Walleye was very well prepared and the sauce and vegetables it came with balanced the meal nicely. Bartender was great as well. Only reason I didn't award the 5th star was that it took awhile for my entree to come out, which the bartender sympathized with. Ultimately, it was worth the wait.
(4)Carolyn S.
I have been to Orchard Green twice now, and both times I have been impressed by the food. For appetizers we started with the focaccia. The bread arrived soft, warm and absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The dipping sauces (olive oil with lemon peel, garlic and pesto?) were perfect complements to the pillowy bread slices. We also tried the baba ghanouj and hummus with cut vegetables, crostini and pita. The spreads were very good and the veggies were crisp and fresh. The vegetable frito misto was also quite good - everything was nicely cooked and crisp. I love it when restaurants showcase fresh vegetables! For a main this time I went with the pistachio crusted Walleye (having never tried it before - plus it's relatively local!). The fish was served with asparagus, artichokes, preserved lemon, and little potato pancakes. The fish itself was fantastic - tender, juicy and with a really great texture (more chew than flake). It didn't have a distinctly fishy taste, which I quite liked. The pistachio crust was great with the Walleye, adding a nice crunch and flavor to the dish. The little potato pancakes were delicious, if a tad on the oily side, and the asparagus was perfectly cooked. I ate each and every bite of this dish. My dining companions tried the vegetable risotto (one of the better vegetarian entrees we've had in Iowa City), and the roast duck with sesame cous cous, honey, pears, and figs. By the time the dessert menu came around we were all too stuffed to spring for the strawberry cheesecake. Maybe next time... We'll be back again for sure.
(4)Kat H.
So delicious...everything i tried was really good- the cowboy ribeye, mussels, fried cheese eggroll, and the hot and filthy martini. Its a special date night place cuz i aint spending 100 bucks on dinner for myself anymore :(
(4)Shawn M.
The Ruby Red Trout is phenomenal! Our waiter even brought us the wrong dessert and we ate it anyway - heavenly. It was the peanut butter chocolate one. I consider the food prices reasonable but the wine is a little high. Still, on our anniversary we really enjoyed it. Highly recommended.
(5)Steve R.
Outstanding. My hosts chose Orchard Green; they must like me. The food and service both exceeded my expectations. It was also quiet enough for our table of five to converse easily. The beer selection came highly recommended, so although I generally have wine with dinner, I chose the Weisenstephaner Vitus. I'm a fan of unfiltered wheat beers, and this might be the best I've had. Strong but not overbearing spices with a hint of citrus. It was a favorite at our table. The salads all looked tasty--I chose the spinach. Excellent flavor, but too much dressing for my preferences. That's the only thing that made me consider giving it four stars, but overall I had to round the score up to 5. Being in Iowa, I opted for the ribeye. The steak was large by my standards, but nicely done and consistently tender throughout. It was definitely a great value compared to the steaks in my hometown of St. Louis. The half of a sweet potato and crisp green beans were an excellent accompaniment. I left satisfied without being stuffed. Although the portion sizes were not too small and yet not too large, we skipped desert only to save calories. The menu has a great variety of choices, and I'd love to try them all!
(5)Zachary K.
Easily the best restaurant in Iowa City. Beautiful atmosphere, excellent service, and the food is always fresh and amazing. Creative combination of flavors. Order the Moroccan pork and the chocolate peanut butter for dessert.
(5)Chuck B.
Orchard Green has an amazing menu an a very cozy bar downstairs. Bob will make any drink you desire, and will custom mix to suit you personal tastes. Excellent, go here!
(5)Basilman S.
Classy restaurant. Table cloths, impeccable service. Beautiful, delicious food, one of my Iowa City Favorites.
(5)Ramblin P.
First time here! Everything was just marvy. Best crab cakes I've had in a restaurant (which is saying somethin, cuz my daddy is from Baltimore and I grew up eatin the best crab cakes on the planet!). The escargot was different than any I've had. Very rich but in a good way. The char board was great and well balanced (from one die hard pickler to another, I think they could step it up in the house made pickled department, not a complaint!) and the walleye (which never do I ever order) was truly spectacular! Perfectly crispy and flakey. And whoever was back there cooking the duck knew what they were doing as it was perfectly temped. I told our server that we were there to take it easy and that we wanted to order slowly (anniversary dinner after all) and she was impeccable with her timing. I was so pleasantly surprised by what an over all great experience I had. Can't wait to come back for crab cakes and cocktails!
(5)Kelsey K.
I will be back to Orchard Green! I tried the cucumber cooler martini and vegetable risotto. Both were outstanding. The host and waitress were both helpful and genuine.
(5)Mary D.
Incredible! We were saying "mmmmm" with every bite! Have been here twice and both times everything is absolutely perfect. Excellent waitstaff and even though I was very early this last trip (right at 5pm on a Thursday) they treated us like we were special guests. I ordered the salmon and it was impeccable. My husband ordered the chicken buccatini and for a pasta dish, even it was impressive. Lobster butternut squash bisque and oyster chowder both amazing. Really impressive selection of beers (esp Belgian). I cannot understand the naysayers, I have never heard of anyone I know having a bad experience here! Perfect date place, or nice night out.
(5)Amy S.
After reading all the rave reviews and hearing nonstop recommendations from my friends and coworkers, we decided to check this place out. It was... fine. The salad and soup were great. The entrees were only ok. My duck was undercooked, and my husband's steak was over but still really good. For the price (very expensive for the IC) it was only ok. Still, I'll probably give it another go sometime. I'll just skip the duck!
(3)Mike D.
My wife and I enjoyed a very nice meal from Orchard Green on our anniversary. The service was outstanding and the environment was great. We loved the look of the building and the mood of the restaurant. The food was incredible and the wine selection was great. Although we didn't get to enjoy the downstairs bar area that I've heard great things about, the "upstairs" alone deserves a 5 star rating! Will be back!
(5)Ann F.
Amazing food. Fresh and beautifully, deliciously prepared. Top notch service. Most university staff bring people here to impress them.
(5)Bethany B.
Had dinner here last night with friends. I ordered the Bouillabaisse which was more like seafood in a marina sauce. Nothing like the stuff in souther France. My friends had the grouper and bone in ribeye steak. Grouper was a tiny portion. The. Ribeye was the best at the table. Other friend had the filet mignon and it was tough.
(3)Charles S.
This was our first visit to Orchard Green which is located on Gilbert Street just on the edge of the heart of Iowa City, Iowa. Parking in a metered parking spot is 75 cents per hour before 6 PM (cards and coins accepted). We were greeted by a very nice host upon entering the establishment. He asked if we wanted to sit in the lounge or the dining room upstairs. The only explanation that he offered in the two options was that the dining room was a nicer setting than the lounge. I remembered that there were different menus for the lounge and dining room online. We chose the dining room. The dining room was nicely appointed. The atmosphere is very conservative and quiet almost like a library. It would be suitable for business lunches and dinners as well as intimate settings for couples. It does not seem to be a place for families with children, but I'm sure that it is not forbidden. The waiter was prompt and detailed the two special entrees that the chef had prepared for the night. Glancing at the dinner menu we were very disappointed. The menu did not match up with the dinner menu that was on their Web site online. This is a pet peeve of mine and it really irks me when the menus are not maintained. We had already picked out what we were going to order ahead of time and the whitefish entrée was not on the menu anymore. Restaurants keeping their standard menus up to date online are such an easy task since these menus do not change often. It is a novice mistake yet a serious infraction of the trust that a guest places in an establishment especially of this caliber. We ordered the crab cake as an appetizer. With mojitos being a favorite of mine, I opted for the raspberry mojito. For my entrée, I ordered the filet minion which came with broccoli and scalloped potatoes. The waiter then asked if we wanted soup or salad and I selected the summer salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing. The crab cakes were pretty tasty. I do not normally like corn meal in my crab cakes (take note Linn Street Café), however these did taste good. The only negative was that, for the price, the portion size was quite small. The raspberry mojito was average. It was made with puree and not actual raspberries. I prefer them with real crushed raspberries because each time you get a raspberry piece up your straw and bight into it, it is like a little treat! The summer salad was excellent. I really liked it. It was the best item tonight. I liked how the dressing did not have a strong vinegar smell or taste. I can't say anything but good things about this salad. What can I say about the most expensive portion of the meal, the filet minion? It was a poor quality cut of beef. It did not have much seasoning which meant that it was kind of bland. I'm not sure what the cooking mechanism was but it did not have any caramelization on it, nothing to give it a good taste. It was pretty much a waste of my good money and resources. We skipped dessert so now for the bill. We were surprised to see that the bill was more expensive than we thought that it would be. We were charged for the salad, which, in the way that it was presented to us by the waiter, was included with the entrée. In summation, the Orchard Green is an elegantly appointed restaurant and atmosphere with elegant prices accompanied by staff missteps and pedestrian quality food.
(2)Levi W.
Orchard Green has the best chef along with the best service in town. If you're looking for a place to eat in Iowa City you won't find one better than Orchard Green! !!!!!
(5)Barry S.
Consistently one of the better restaurants in Iowa city. I have taken clients there as well as gone many times with my family and RARELY have we been disappointed. Only hassle has become the parking, but valet fixes all.
(4)Scott S.
They do a great happy hour Mon-Thursday 4 to 6 downstairs in the lunge, with $5 cheeseburger, fish and chips, wings, and cheap Two-Hearted. Ordering off the normal menu is kind of pricey, and the service can be slow, but a nice place.
(4)Jill T.
My favorite restaurant in Iowa City. Everything I have had is amazing. They are very accommodating and do anything they can to make the whole experience wonderful. The sauces on every dish are outstanding. I don't know how they do it!
(5)Charles T.
One of our worst restaurant experiences. Four of us with child on Friday night. We timed delivery of our food. One hour to get served. I had the duck. It came ONLY with an ounce of couscous and was so overly sweet it was inedible. It was also cold. I could not eat. My wife had scallops which were so under-cooked they were slimy on inside. She ate one. And, they were so large they could not have been scallops. They were probably shark from the size and the grain. The other meals served to our children and our grand child were also almost inedible. They only ate part and their scallops were undercooked as were the mussels. The rolls were good and the service staff tried hard to make up for the awful delivery of food. The decor is also very nice. They were so understaffed, the manager was parking cars for the valet. Very overpriced for quality and service. I WILL NEVER GO BACK.
(1)Luke K.
Orchard Green is my current go to place for fine dining in Iowa City. There was a period of time last year that they didn't live up to their current high standards but the last few times I've been there, they're back to being one of the best options in Iowa City. I usually get one of the steak options on their menu. I travel a lot and have had cuts from the finer steakhouses in America and I can honestly say the last time I had one from Orchard Green it was in my top two best steaks ever. My wife typically ventures further around the menu than I do but we always leave very satisfied. Orchard Green is not cheap and you will spend $100-$150 with a couple entrees, bottle of wine, and an appetizer or dessert...but it's worth it for a good night out with good company. I take friends, co-workers, and family here when looking for a a finer restaurant in Iowa City and we haven't been disappointed. The ambiance and design hasn't changed too much over the years and changing names...but I still think it's one of the most stunning restaurants in Iowa City. The high ceilings, old brick, dark wood, carpentry, and lighting just make it a great place to sit and have a meal. Lastly, I personally would not bring small children - IMHO it's too nice of place and the food is to good to have to juggle little ones. Overall, it's a great place and in recent months they've really come back into their own as one of the best options for fine dining in Iowa City.
(5)John S.
I've lived in Iowa City for over a decade and dine out relatively frequently. With that said, Orchard Green is a staple of mine and one of my favorites. I'm writing this review with multiple dining experiences in mind and that reflects on the consistency of the service and quality that Orchard Green provides. The Food: Is delicious. I've never had a bad meal at Orchard Green, and every time I bring someone new to Orchard Green they're an instant fan. It's one of those places where you don't have to think long and hard about what to order, because more likely than not, it'll be delicious. The drink selection is great too! The Service: Very pleasant. Staff seem to be well-trained, informative and not over-bearing, which is important for me. Food is brought out in a timely manner and attention to detail is apparent in the service The restaurant itself is stunning. The dining area upstairs is elegant and the lounge downstairs is more relaxed but still has a classy feel to it. I've dined in both areas and both were great experiences depending on what you're looking for. In summary, Orchard Green combines delicious food and top-notch service in a beautiful setting. Whether on a date or with a group, Orchard Green has always pleased me, my wife, and our friends.
(5)Kelly K.
Wait staff made our 6-person birthday celebration last night delightful. At several points during the evening, I was surprised by how unobtrusively thoughtful and attentive the waitresses and waiters, working as a team, were. After a messy spill, about 6 swooped in to reset a nearby table and move us there. It's rare to get this kind of service in Iowa City. Plates are promptly cleared, food is delivered quietly, efficiently, and without any need to ask who ordered what (even when someone else took the order), leftovers are wrapped for you (instead of someone handing you a box for a DIY touch), water glasses are refilled without you even noticing, clean silverware appears for each course, and so on. Seamless beauty. The entrees were good, and the appetizers were fantastic. Many of the other reviews here give good descriptions of the great food. But as you can tell, what really impressed me was the top-notch, friendly and professional staff. This is an art form!
(5)John P.
i'm gonna have to give this place the 5 star bump, just primarily as it stands in contrast to the other Iowa restaurants we've been to. in a large city, this would've been a 3.5 star review. the review from Gi L is spot on, and we feel the same. came here for a birthday. water came out right away, which is atypical of places around Iowa. service was prompt, ditto. the other reviewers must've had the typical iowa treatment. granted it wasn't a Friday or Sat night when we went. we started with the mussels.... and for $10, that was a pretty good deal. the spinach salad was very tasty with the local apples from Wilson's Orchard. i had the seared scallop entree, which was a huge dish considering. the scallop was situated on top of polenta, which we think had a cheese layer. scallops themselves were a good size, served a bit saltier than i would like it, but great considering what it came out with (ratatouille & wilted spinach w/ asparagus). the ruby red trout was very tasty along with the fried eggplant & fennel. for dishes in the $15-$20 range, it better be nicely plated, and all of our dishes were here....even the chocolate cake that was on the house because of the birthday. the other IC restaurants that have entrees in the $15+ range should take note. lastly, we couldn't ignore that they were playing some awesome indy music. apparently, all the wait staff get to suggest their own playlist during the weekdays, and on weekends they've got jazz. great date place for sure. one of these Saturdays, we'll be back for their $12 brunches.
(5)Ruta P.
Love, love, love! I've only ever been to the lounge, but their menu is satisfying with decent prices. This is usually my "go to" place for drinks with friends, and nothing beats The Plantation!! The other drinks are great, and I love that they're simple and tasty. They're not the sugary, sweet, syrup drinks everywhere else. They had the best fish and chips in IC, and dang good (and pretty) cheese tray appetizer. The berry crime brûlée hits the spot!! Definitely coming back!
(5)Marie L.
Food was pretty tasty but service was very slow. We ordered the crab cakes for appetizer which was delicious. Our main dish was the Seared scallop and the pork chop special that was overcooked and dry, but after telling the waitress, she bought out another one which was very good. I had a promegrante martini which was alright but the glass was so sticky from the sugar, I was not comfortable drinking it and have to wet nap my hand every sip. Dessert was eh...the creme brûlée but that dish didn't come out until we finished our coffee! So overall, our experience was eh....
(3)Todd L.
I was hoping I would love this place, but it was just very average. My wife and I went here while in town visiting her parents. We had a night out without the kids and wanted to enjoy a good meal. My wife had the walleye (which look like an excellent option) and I had the 'cowboy' ribeye. Unfortunately, my wife had to send back the walleye because its wasn't cooked through (would have been ok if she'd ordered walleye sashimi, but she didn't). When it did come back, I thought it actually tasted pretty good, but it just didn't have the wow factor that it should for a nice restaurant (and at this price). The Ribeye was good, not great (probably a bad order on my part)...if I wanted a steak, we should have done Josephs - I know better than that...if I had to do it over again, I probably would have done the chicken or duck. Oh yeah, and they ran out of maraschino cherries (for my Manhattan - boo!) All in all, it was just an ok dining experience...probably won't be back.
(3)Mark G.
They should spin off into a steak house, they really have a great steak recipe that deserves its own place! I always get the Cowboy ribeye, it is done perfect. If the owners see this, you might as well open up a steak house, not sure who would be able to compete with you here in Iowa. Very nice place other than just the steak I am raving about......Has downstairs bar area, then the dining area upstairs. Food is of great quality, a fine dining restaurant with great amount of menu choices. Each dish I have tried has that something extra to make you feel great about your purchase. This is a great place to have a nice dinner, if you don't mind paying a little extra for quality this place is a sure hit.
(5)Jen F.
Our favorite restaurant in Iowa City, hands down. The Boullibaisse is our favorite dish, though we've had many others that are also excellent. An excellent value for the quality of the food.
(5)Zach H.
I've only been to the bar downstairs, and was quite pleased. They have a special on Sundays and Mondays during football season for a pint of beer and a pound of wings for $7, which we were taking advantage of. The wings were good, and the two beers that we're available with the deal were both good ones. I liked the environment and the waitress was very nice. Overall a good, but not strikingly so, experience. Pro tip: the menu says the Pint & a Pound deal is for buffalo wings, but they will make them with BBQ sauce instead if you ask.
(4)Jamie W.
My husband and I visited Orchard Green for the first time to celebrate his birthday. We were very pleased with all aspects of our experience! They have a formal restaurant upstairs, which is a gorgeous atmosphere for a lovely quiet dinner. (They also have a more casual lounge area downstairs, with a special lounge menu available, and you can also order food from the upstairs dinner menu.) We sat upstairs in the restaurant and brought our almost 9-month-old-son along. I wouldn't say that it is a "kid atmosphere," but we purposely ate very early, he is very good and it all worked out. :) Oh, and there is free valet parking in the BACK of the building (facing the apartment building). We didn't see it until we had already parked on the street. We started with a glass of their Malbec, which was fantastic! They have a limited edition Tempranillo blend which was okay - very dry. We ended up ordering another glass of the Malbec later. The appetizers we ordered were the Alaskan King Crab Dip, which was incredibly rich and too salty for our taste (but we tend to not like much salt...). It had a bit of spice, and was served with olive bread and delicious crostini. We also ordered the Charcuterie Board, and it was amazing!!! It was a big board with tons of variety and lots of fun little extras (several mustards, pickled items, varied roasted nuts, some sort of fruit chutney, etc.) There were 4 pieces of each of the main items (meats, breads). Next time, we would skip the crab dip (or other appetizers) and go for the fun and delicious boards. For dinner, my husband ordered the Bouillabaisse, which was a lovely tomato and saffron sauce and a variety of seafood (mussels, scallops, shrimp, salmon, etc.) over risotto. It was spectacular. I ordered the Seared Sea Scallops. The dish had an amazing Moroccan ratatouille, which was a delight. The polenta was incredibly tasty, great texture, and topped with a bit of Parmesan. And the scallops were out of this world, perfectly cooked, and practically melted in your mouth. There were several different sauces on the plate that were subtle, but added to the dish. The chef does a particularly excellent job with seafood and sauces, so take note! My husband had a chocolate mousse cake for dessert, which had the most wonderful ice cream on the side we've ever had (and I've eaten a lot of ice cream in my lifetime...) I ordered the Raspberry Cheesecake, which sadly had cherries on top, but was still pretty good, and the sorbet was very good. Both plates were good-sized portions, inexpensive, and had sides of fresh-whipped cream, and several fun sauces. Oh, and they give a free dessert when you're celebrating a birthday or anniversary. Our server was Julia, and she did a fantastic job. She was perfectly attentive without being there too much or hard to find. Water was always refilled, plates were cleared promptly, she followed up at appropriate times, etc. I was a bit indecisive, and she gave great recommendations. All in all, it was a wonderful dining experience. We have tried just about all of the more upscale dining options in downtown Iowa City, and we are now kicking ourselves for not coming here sooner! We were pleased with the quantity of food for the price, especially when compared to some of the other downtown Iowa City fine dining options, many of which seem inferior to Orchard Green. We were stuffed from this meal, and really enjoyed all aspects of our evening!
(5)Bill T.
Simply delicious. First time in Iowa and found this. Upstairs is romantic and classic ambiance. Order the Pork Scaloppini!
(5)Tomantha K.
Me and my boyfriend visited Orchard green for our 1 year anniversary dinner and were thoroughly impressed. I really missed NY as I would have frequented a great restaurant there but heard good things about Orchard Green and hoped it would live up to the hype. While it is not a Michelin starred restaurant, the decor was cute (loos like a refurbished bank), their menu options made it hard to choose, and when the food came out we were impressed by the presentation and tastes!. We eventually decided on the escargot, lobster bisque, duck and bouillabaisse. I have never had snails prepared that way before and loved the mix in texture and tastes! The soup was also nice as it wasn't your traditional bisque (though, it was on the very small side for the price). The server was great, she checked in on us just enough and made some good suggestions for drinks and food. I had their orchard green martini which was nice (on the sweet side) and my boyfriend had a glass of wine. The entrees came in good time (didn't wait too long). On first bite the duck was tantalizing. It was served with a passion fruit sauce which paired perfectly with the sweet potatoes and green beans. While I asked about the preparation and was told medium the duck was slightly overcooked (medium-well) but this was not too off-putting and I opted to not tell the waiter (who I am sure would have prepared a new plate, but it was too delicious to give up!). The bouillabaisse was ok, but nothing to right home about, though I think that is the essence of the dish. We thought it was something we can make at home so I wouldn't order it again next time we visit. I would say this was a great date night spot and would also be nice for a double date.
(4)Kyle F.
Amazing food and service. Had a large group of friends and the staff was very accommodating. The filet was second to none, and the creme brûlée was enormous. This is hands down my new favorite restaurant in Iowa City.
(5)Frances D.
Absolutely delicious. For a more intimate environment go to the downstairs bar. You can order off the full menu. Bartender and servers always very cordial. This is one of my favorite date places with my husband in Iowa city.
(5)Kevin H.
We ate there once or twice and we loved it. It is little upscale and pricey but we think it is an asset to the Iowa City area. It has two levels and it is right next to the Vine. It seems they have well-to-do clientele of the professional type. I could tell because a lot of them had formal attire and they looked like the alpha, type A personalities. I see all these pictures of the various entrees and my mouth starts to water. That spinach one is appealing to me.
(5)Rene V.
Probably the best restaurant in Iowa city that I went too. The walleye was excellent. Good menu, good service, above average wine list, great venue.
(4)W C.
Overview: My friends and I have been to this restaurant several times over the past three years and it has, without a doubt, grown to become our favorite restaurant in the Iowa City area. Location/space: Orchard Green is located off of Gilbert in an old brick building. The bottom floor serves as a bar/lounge area, which I admittedly have never frequented, and the upstairs, which serves as the restaurant. The restaurant space itself is adorned with wood paneling, exposed brick, and a series of wonderful chandeliers. The downside is the lack of parking near the restaurant, which results in the added cost of valeting a car if there's no time to circle the streets in search of a parking spot. The Food: The quality of the food at Orchard Green is unparalleled in Iowa City. My guests and I have ordered several different selections off of their streamlined yet diverse menu and have never been disappointed. Each dish includes several distinct components that brings a welcomed complexity of flavors. The bouillabaisse, which is essentially a seafood stew that Orchard Green serves over risotto, is definitely my favorite on the menu. There is always a hearty helping of mussels, scallops, shrimp, and fish in the dish itself, and the risotto is generally cooked well, although sometimes the broth itself can be overly salty and detract from the dish. Likewise, the roast duck is always perfectly cooked with tender meat and a well-rendered, crispy skin. Service: The service has always been prompt and professional, and the kitchen does a nice job pacing when the various courses are served. Summary: After trying the majority of well-known independent restaurants in the Iowa City area including Atlas, Basta, Devotay, Linn Street, One-Twenty-Six, Giovanni's, and Stella's, I find myself coming back to Orchard Green over and over again. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone in the Iowa City area.
(4)Stuart P.
Had a wonderful meal with wonderful service. Maybe the best steaks we ever had! The place is beautiful too.
(5)Ann F.
Amazing food. Fresh and beautifully, deliciously prepared. Top notch service. Most university staff bring people here to impress them.
(5)Rebecca P.
I have eaten and had drinks here before, and I am grateful to say they saved my graduation dinner party after I was jaded by 126 canceling my Moonraker's reservation without notice.
(5)Anna H.
The lounge is sparse but suitable for conversation. The food however is a bit salty but the beer selection mskes up for it. Parking is pretty tight so walk if you can.
(3)Joel S.
Went for my girlfriend's birthday and had a ton of fun. Had escargot (my favorite food in the world). It was an original and inspired take on escargot, with the snails cooked to perfection. High praise. The salads we had were pedestrian, but the raspberry vinegrette was quite good. The beer list was great. I am very critical of beer lists. Most places have a bunch of boring IPAs, a standard hipster beer like PBR (or Stella at fancy places), and very little decent selection of other beers. Orchard green had delicious choices that weren't obscure to be obscure. Finally taking the beer society a little more seriously is a nice touch. I had the bouillabaisse and my girlfriend had the pork scappolini. Both were nicely prepared (the pork in particular was excellent) and nice presentation. The seafood quality was good for the Midwest, but in California wouldn't have been anything to write home about (still, it was delicious). Our waiter was great and the setting is awesome. The prices were really cheap for such a good meal. It was like being in the mid-nineties in California, prices wise.
(4)Ashley S.
My friend and I went here. It took TWO HOURS for our dinner. It took 30 minutes for the one appetizer. Crab cakes- 2 2 inch crab cakes for $12. The entrees were $25 each which was alright, I got the scallops. They were good. and it took another 20 minutes for one dessert to come out. Very expensive. I dont think I will be back.
(2)Kari C.
Great good and ambiance! Romantic and quiet, good music (blues/jazz). The duck and tuna were amazing, and the wine list was impressive, if pricey. Will definitely go back!
(4)Jennifer T.
Orchard green is pretty good, but very heavy on the sauces. The portions are huge and they kind of load everything up so that there's a lot going on on your plate. Tasty, but heavy....I feel like I need go hit the gym afterwards and I HATE exercising. If you like that style, you're in business....if you're used to the light preps and focus on local ingredients, flavors of the veggies, etc., well this might not be the best fit. I'd go back periodically, but not too often. Too worried about my cholesterol level...
(4)Kimberly K.
Went there for dinner on a Friday with my husband. You should sit upstairs for sure - unexpected and beautiful! So... Food - excellent! Service - needs improvment! Our waitress was not knowledgable about the wine list - she had not tried any that we asked about. We shared teh seafood streudal appetizer - so rich and delicious - perfect to share! I had the Mediterranean salad - so delish! He had the moroccan clam soup which he enjoyed but did not love The biggest problem was that we waited 50 minutes between our appetizer being cleared and our entree!! That is just way too long, even during a nice leisurley dinner! The waitress apologized after about 40 minutes and said she rushed the kitchen...but it was too long But I must say the food was worth teh wait! Salmon and halibut were both great! Food was excellent - hope they improve their service!
(4)Edgar S.
I visited this restaurant on Oct 30th with no reservation. Wait time wasnt too bad at about 15 minutes. When I did get seated the place was half empty but by the time I got my food all the tables were taken. The menu had a nice selection of fresh seafood, which i have a hard time finding in IC (well good fresh seafood anyway). It was on the upper scale but not too bad about $25 a plate average. I ordered the crab cake for appetizer and the Pistachio crusted Walleye with 2 asparagus spears, an artichoke, and a "potato pancake" (i am overlooking the menu's use of the plural form of artichoke and pancake). Was it good, well its the best i have had in Iowa City without a doubt. That said the flavors of everything I had were very muted. First of all $12 for A crab-cake is just silly. At least if your going to charge that much it had better be top notch. There was nothing wrong with the crab cake but I have had better for the same price. The Walleye itself was very good but had little flavor to it. The "potato pancake" was just fancier, under-salted hash browns. Again don't get me wrong, once I added some salt i really enjoyed them but they were not a potato pancake. There was absolutely nothing binding them together into anything resembling a pancake. And lastly don't ever get a hot tea here. The have horrid commercial teabags. After you brew your tea you will notice the telltale sign of low quality tea: dust from the processing of the leaves in your drink. (if you don't know what I mean its a tea production thing). I wish they would take advantage of the whole leaf tea options in IC or order in bulk from Teavana. That said, yes I will go back. Its the best I have had thus far in IC, but there is so much potential for their lovely place I hope they continue working at things. Actually think I'm thinking of heading back this evening so there you go. It was good enough for a second chance.
(4)Mary A.
This is one of the two best restaurants in Iowa City (the other one is Baroncini). The menu is varied, the sauces are wonderful, and it has my favorite salad anywhere (grapefruit and chèvre). I just had the vegetable risotto and I'd be happy to go back and have it again tomorrow. The escargot is also excellent.
(5)W Q.
the decor upstairs for dinner is stunning. never would have guessed it from the location or outside. amazing appetizers here, top notch presentation and quality on the entree as well. the only reason why i gave a lower rating is that the lobster bisque is about the most embarassing thing i've ever had in a restaurant. it's tomato soup with a lobster bisque price tag. i couldn't believe after i complained how terrible it was they did not remove it from the bill. that bisque killed it for me for this restaurant, despite the amazing appetizers and the entree.
(3)Dianne A.
Fantastic. Everything was delicious and well prepared. This has become "THE" restuarant in Iowa CIty.
(5)melanie a.
A lot of gourmet choices. We tried the seafood phyllo appetizer which was rich and creamy- we ate every bite. We also had the halibut with potato pancakes which was good but the pork rib chop had a sauce made from figs that was a tiny bit too sweet. Our creme brulee was served in a plate but had that satisfying sugar crust and berries- very good. I must commend the ambience- very tasteful and elegant. Service was so-so, there were only a few diners when we went in the middle of the week and it still took a long time to get our orders and food. Great that they use local and sustainable food. Definitely a place for that special occasion. Wonderful addition to the dining scene in Iowa City!
(4)Mary-Jane A.
Went here for dinner with work and there were 12 of us. Excellent meal and service was good. Had a good selection of food and presentation of everything served was good. Everyone enjoyed the food they ordered. The person who ordered the steak said it was the best he's ever eaten.
(4)Maya M.
It took 45 minutes to have our food, the place is nice and classy though. Last time I was here, I enjoyed the food. Still waiting on my sea bass. Also the ran out of their best appetizer at 8 PM.
(3)Emii L.
Food was great! Service is excellent. Definitely a hidden gems in IowaCity. I love the mussels appetizer dish. They also have a good selection of seafood entree as well.
(4)Jirakate M.
Five stars compared to Iowa City standard. I went there for my bd dinner on Tuesday. We ordered crab cake and focaccia to start. I really loved crab cake, lots of crab meat and delicious combination of sauces. Bread was ok little too salty for me. I order Orchard Green martini. It was pretty good but the Cosmo taste like cough syrup. I order braised duck it cooked just find and tasty, little on the sweet side. My bf order white fish with asparagus I tried that and it was not bad either. In many reviews, they mentioned that food was slow and not proper cooked. I did not find any of those. Also, they will give you free desert for your bd.
(5)j c.
I am conflicted about this place. While not my kind of food, they do a good job. One of the best feature is their beautiful interior. You really feel like you walked into a special place, even if it is a very masculine place lots of wood. Most of the appetizers are tasty but hearty. Main dishes continue the theme of hearty and masculine food. The meats are their strength. Thick pork chops, filet mignon, and their signature cowboy ribeye steak. In their defense, they do have nice chicken, salmon and other seafood/fish dishes. In fact, their seafood bouillabaisse is delicious if not tad salty. Good beer list. Wine by the glasses are pretty ordinary. Attentive but leisurely service.
(4)J H.
Fantastic food and service! The Filet Mignon and fish entrees were superb. High-end dining for Iowa City.
(5)Matt U.
We had been meaning to come here for quite some time and finally made it for my better half's birthday dinner. In a word - superb! We sat upstairs in the main dining area and were greeted by quite the lovely room. Darker wood and slightly dim lighting really set a nice ambiance. The combination of wood and decor make it feel very warm and intimate and the tables are surprisingly private - all of which set up a nice evening perfectly. For an appetizer, we shared a charcuterie plate and escargot. The charcuterie plate was one of the better we've had. The addition of honey was a surprisingly delcious accompaniment. The escargot was good, but prepared differently than we had ever had - diferent was good in this case however! Veal jus, shittake mushrooms and polenta graced the plate and effectively made it a plate filled with happiness. For the main course, we both settled on delicious renditions of pig! I had the pork saltimbocca - incredibly seasoned and the prosciutto adds a nice touch! My better half had the Moroccan pork and it too was lovely. The polenta made for a nice base and the Manchego fondue was something I hadn't seen before. Both had great flavor with excellent sides and a wonderful presentation. The creme bruleé was standard fare and the post dinner espresso was solid. The combination of excellent food, a great/warm ambiance and fantastic service made this a spot we will be returning to.
(4)Monika W.
I know it's Iowa, one might set their expectations low given its...Iowa but I was pleasantly surprised. I ate my scallops with enthusiasm and vigor. I was intrigued by their Moroccan twist (Iowa-who knew!). I released the utensils from my grip and almost hankered for a cig. Yup. . Iowa- you got me you naughty corn country. I might have to go back for seconds.
(5)Glenn A.
Excellent restaurant upstairs for sit down meal with produce and meats from local farmers. Menu is changing often depending on what is in season. Have never had anything but excellent. Excellent service and servers very knowledgeable about the wines that would compliment the meal. Downstairs is a wonderful bar and short order items that are also very tasty. Have had a couple of Birthday parties hosted there and had a wonderful time
(5)Emii L.
Food was great! Service is excellent. Definitely a hidden gems in IowaCity. I love the mussels appetizer dish. They also have a good selection of seafood entree as well.
(4)Amy S.
After reading all the rave reviews and hearing nonstop recommendations from my friends and coworkers, we decided to check this place out. It was... fine. The salad and soup were great. The entrees were only ok. My duck was undercooked, and my husband's steak was over but still really good. For the price (very expensive for the IC) it was only ok. Still, I'll probably give it another go sometime. I'll just skip the duck!
(3)Mary-Jane A.
Went here for dinner with work and there were 12 of us. Excellent meal and service was good. Had a good selection of food and presentation of everything served was good. Everyone enjoyed the food they ordered. The person who ordered the steak said it was the best he's ever eaten.
(4)Maya M.
It took 45 minutes to have our food, the place is nice and classy though. Last time I was here, I enjoyed the food. Still waiting on my sea bass. Also the ran out of their best appetizer at 8 PM.
(3)Mary D.
Incredible! We were saying "mmmmm" with every bite! Have been here twice and both times everything is absolutely perfect. Excellent waitstaff and even though I was very early this last trip (right at 5pm on a Thursday) they treated us like we were special guests. I ordered the salmon and it was impeccable. My husband ordered the chicken buccatini and for a pasta dish, even it was impressive. Lobster butternut squash bisque and oyster chowder both amazing. Really impressive selection of beers (esp Belgian). I cannot understand the naysayers, I have never heard of anyone I know having a bad experience here! Perfect date place, or nice night out.
(5)Jirakate M.
Five stars compared to Iowa City standard. I went there for my bd dinner on Tuesday. We ordered crab cake and focaccia to start. I really loved crab cake, lots of crab meat and delicious combination of sauces. Bread was ok little too salty for me. I order Orchard Green martini. It was pretty good but the Cosmo taste like cough syrup. I order braised duck it cooked just find and tasty, little on the sweet side. My bf order white fish with asparagus I tried that and it was not bad either. In many reviews, they mentioned that food was slow and not proper cooked. I did not find any of those. Also, they will give you free desert for your bd.
(5)j c.
I am conflicted about this place. While not my kind of food, they do a good job. One of the best feature is their beautiful interior. You really feel like you walked into a special place, even if it is a very masculine place lots of wood. Most of the appetizers are tasty but hearty. Main dishes continue the theme of hearty and masculine food. The meats are their strength. Thick pork chops, filet mignon, and their signature cowboy ribeye steak. In their defense, they do have nice chicken, salmon and other seafood/fish dishes. In fact, their seafood bouillabaisse is delicious if not tad salty. Good beer list. Wine by the glasses are pretty ordinary. Attentive but leisurely service.
(4)J H.
Fantastic food and service! The Filet Mignon and fish entrees were superb. High-end dining for Iowa City.
(5)Matt U.
We had been meaning to come here for quite some time and finally made it for my better half's birthday dinner. In a word - superb! We sat upstairs in the main dining area and were greeted by quite the lovely room. Darker wood and slightly dim lighting really set a nice ambiance. The combination of wood and decor make it feel very warm and intimate and the tables are surprisingly private - all of which set up a nice evening perfectly. For an appetizer, we shared a charcuterie plate and escargot. The charcuterie plate was one of the better we've had. The addition of honey was a surprisingly delcious accompaniment. The escargot was good, but prepared differently than we had ever had - diferent was good in this case however! Veal jus, shittake mushrooms and polenta graced the plate and effectively made it a plate filled with happiness. For the main course, we both settled on delicious renditions of pig! I had the pork saltimbocca - incredibly seasoned and the prosciutto adds a nice touch! My better half had the Moroccan pork and it too was lovely. The polenta made for a nice base and the Manchego fondue was something I hadn't seen before. Both had great flavor with excellent sides and a wonderful presentation. The creme bruleé was standard fare and the post dinner espresso was solid. The combination of excellent food, a great/warm ambiance and fantastic service made this a spot we will be returning to.
(4)Monika W.
I know it's Iowa, one might set their expectations low given its...Iowa but I was pleasantly surprised. I ate my scallops with enthusiasm and vigor. I was intrigued by their Moroccan twist (Iowa-who knew!). I released the utensils from my grip and almost hankered for a cig. Yup. . Iowa- you got me you naughty corn country. I might have to go back for seconds.
(5)Zachary K.
Easily the best restaurant in Iowa City. Beautiful atmosphere, excellent service, and the food is always fresh and amazing. Creative combination of flavors. Order the Moroccan pork and the chocolate peanut butter for dessert.
(5)Chuck B.
Orchard Green has an amazing menu an a very cozy bar downstairs. Bob will make any drink you desire, and will custom mix to suit you personal tastes. Excellent, go here!
(5)Basilman S.
Classy restaurant. Table cloths, impeccable service. Beautiful, delicious food, one of my Iowa City Favorites.
(5)Marie L.
Food was pretty tasty but service was very slow. We ordered the crab cakes for appetizer which was delicious. Our main dish was the Seared scallop and the pork chop special that was overcooked and dry, but after telling the waitress, she bought out another one which was very good. I had a promegrante martini which was alright but the glass was so sticky from the sugar, I was not comfortable drinking it and have to wet nap my hand every sip. Dessert was eh...the creme brûlée but that dish didn't come out until we finished our coffee! So overall, our experience was eh....
(3)Todd L.
I was hoping I would love this place, but it was just very average. My wife and I went here while in town visiting her parents. We had a night out without the kids and wanted to enjoy a good meal. My wife had the walleye (which look like an excellent option) and I had the 'cowboy' ribeye. Unfortunately, my wife had to send back the walleye because its wasn't cooked through (would have been ok if she'd ordered walleye sashimi, but she didn't). When it did come back, I thought it actually tasted pretty good, but it just didn't have the wow factor that it should for a nice restaurant (and at this price). The Ribeye was good, not great (probably a bad order on my part)...if I wanted a steak, we should have done Josephs - I know better than that...if I had to do it over again, I probably would have done the chicken or duck. Oh yeah, and they ran out of maraschino cherries (for my Manhattan - boo!) All in all, it was just an ok dining experience...probably won't be back.
(3)Mark G.
They should spin off into a steak house, they really have a great steak recipe that deserves its own place! I always get the Cowboy ribeye, it is done perfect. If the owners see this, you might as well open up a steak house, not sure who would be able to compete with you here in Iowa. Very nice place other than just the steak I am raving about......Has downstairs bar area, then the dining area upstairs. Food is of great quality, a fine dining restaurant with great amount of menu choices. Each dish I have tried has that something extra to make you feel great about your purchase. This is a great place to have a nice dinner, if you don't mind paying a little extra for quality this place is a sure hit.
(5)Jen F.
Our favorite restaurant in Iowa City, hands down. The Boullibaisse is our favorite dish, though we've had many others that are also excellent. An excellent value for the quality of the food.
(5)Zach H.
I've only been to the bar downstairs, and was quite pleased. They have a special on Sundays and Mondays during football season for a pint of beer and a pound of wings for $7, which we were taking advantage of. The wings were good, and the two beers that we're available with the deal were both good ones. I liked the environment and the waitress was very nice. Overall a good, but not strikingly so, experience. Pro tip: the menu says the Pint & a Pound deal is for buffalo wings, but they will make them with BBQ sauce instead if you ask.
(4)Glenn A.
Excellent restaurant upstairs for sit down meal with produce and meats from local farmers. Menu is changing often depending on what is in season. Have never had anything but excellent. Excellent service and servers very knowledgeable about the wines that would compliment the meal. Downstairs is a wonderful bar and short order items that are also very tasty. Have had a couple of Birthday parties hosted there and had a wonderful time
(5)Regina L.
I've been here in Iowa City for a year and some weeks now and I've already eaten at more than half of the restaurants around here. Yet I find myself in a writer's block of a rut to document what I just ate because I usually leave those places underwhelmed or uninspired. But, thank goodness, the grass is green once again after eating a meal at Orchard Green. Our appetizer - a crab cake.The L.A. snob in me initially reacted, Oh, come on. Just 1 crab cake? But, I told my L.A. snob self to shut up since I'm in Iowa now. I divided the crab cake in half with my fork and took a bite. Crispy on the outside, flaky in the inside...it wasn't too bad at all. What really surprised me was that underneath the crab cake were two thin slices of starfruit. "Ah, how nostalgic!" The L.A. snob in me quickly became the 7 year old me, remembering a childhood under starfruit trees. In an instant, I forgave Orchard Green and proceeded with my main dish. Next up was the Chilean Sea Bass. Ever watch Platinum Weddings? I watched a marathon of it on WETv, gawking at extravagant weddings. A common entree with these frou frou events: Chilean Sea Bass. Naturally, watching a ton of these shows made me want to be bougie and eat Chilean Sea Bass too...even if I wasn't at a wedding. My entree was delicious. For his entree, a duck. The duck is not as cheap and fatty like one from Sam Woo in the SGV (don't get me wrong - Sam Woo duck = good eats), but it's not like the best and most expensive duck I've ever had at Ortolan in L.A. I'd say, I'd rank this duck smack in the middle of those two. For dessert, a creme brûlée with berries. Served in a shallow bowl as opposed to a traditional ramekin, this creme brûlée enveloped the berries with its cooled custard topped with a crispy, caramelized surface. It was what I expected a creme brûlée to taste like, so I enjoyed my dessert. Overall, dinner was pleasant enough for me to write about it. I'm a sucker for restaurants with tall ceilings, so I loved that Orchard Green has tall ceilings on the 2nd floor adorned with hanging chandeliers. It was definitely good choice for a special occasion dinner. 3.5 stars
(4)Melissa T.
Eh. Orchard Green is OK. To be honest, I can't really say much about it because the experience isn't that memorable. The ambiance is comfortable and warm. I love the exposed brick and old wood work that is prevalent around the dining room. The crowd is mature, though something to expect for the price point. Our goal, when we eat out, is to try things we can't cook ourselves at home. Possibly get ideas of what we can make in our kitchen. It makes things fun! That being said... The food: The food is OK to good. We had the seafood strudel to begin with...which is good mostly because they use a hella amount of cream based lobster sauce. The highlight of the meal was a light salad- pomagrante seeds, blue cheese and apples was a fantastic blend! For entrees, we had the roast duck and hallibut. Both were good, but nothing memorable about either dish. (Other than the honey on the cous-cous created a gooey, sweet mess all over the plate while eating.) For dessert, the apple pie with ice cream...it was delicious, but just your basic apple pie. Nothing exotic or creative. The Service: while the college kids looked like they tried really hard, our first waiter seemed too mellow and our second waiter seemed frazzeled. Our first waiter was still around, but they share tables? Service was touch and go. They would ask if we needed anything 4 times in 15 minutes...but then we wouldn't see them for a 20 minute stint. It's a nice restaurant where I could see us bringing my boyfriend's grand parents. It has that familiar, nothing new, feeling.
(3)Bethany B.
Had dinner here last night with friends. I ordered the Bouillabaisse which was more like seafood in a marina sauce. Nothing like the stuff in souther France. My friends had the grouper and bone in ribeye steak. Grouper was a tiny portion. The. Ribeye was the best at the table. Other friend had the filet mignon and it was tough.
(3)Kevin H.
We ate there once or twice and we loved it. It is little upscale and pricey but we think it is an asset to the Iowa City area. It has two levels and it is right next to the Vine. It seems they have well-to-do clientele of the professional type. I could tell because a lot of them had formal attire and they looked like the alpha, type A personalities. I see all these pictures of the various entrees and my mouth starts to water. That spinach one is appealing to me.
(5)Rene V.
Probably the best restaurant in Iowa city that I went too. The walleye was excellent. Good menu, good service, above average wine list, great venue.
(4)Jill T.
My favorite restaurant in Iowa City. Everything I have had is amazing. They are very accommodating and do anything they can to make the whole experience wonderful. The sauces on every dish are outstanding. I don't know how they do it!
(5)Jamie W.
My husband and I visited Orchard Green for the first time to celebrate his birthday. We were very pleased with all aspects of our experience! They have a formal restaurant upstairs, which is a gorgeous atmosphere for a lovely quiet dinner. (They also have a more casual lounge area downstairs, with a special lounge menu available, and you can also order food from the upstairs dinner menu.) We sat upstairs in the restaurant and brought our almost 9-month-old-son along. I wouldn't say that it is a "kid atmosphere," but we purposely ate very early, he is very good and it all worked out. :) Oh, and there is free valet parking in the BACK of the building (facing the apartment building). We didn't see it until we had already parked on the street. We started with a glass of their Malbec, which was fantastic! They have a limited edition Tempranillo blend which was okay - very dry. We ended up ordering another glass of the Malbec later. The appetizers we ordered were the Alaskan King Crab Dip, which was incredibly rich and too salty for our taste (but we tend to not like much salt...). It had a bit of spice, and was served with olive bread and delicious crostini. We also ordered the Charcuterie Board, and it was amazing!!! It was a big board with tons of variety and lots of fun little extras (several mustards, pickled items, varied roasted nuts, some sort of fruit chutney, etc.) There were 4 pieces of each of the main items (meats, breads). Next time, we would skip the crab dip (or other appetizers) and go for the fun and delicious boards. For dinner, my husband ordered the Bouillabaisse, which was a lovely tomato and saffron sauce and a variety of seafood (mussels, scallops, shrimp, salmon, etc.) over risotto. It was spectacular. I ordered the Seared Sea Scallops. The dish had an amazing Moroccan ratatouille, which was a delight. The polenta was incredibly tasty, great texture, and topped with a bit of Parmesan. And the scallops were out of this world, perfectly cooked, and practically melted in your mouth. There were several different sauces on the plate that were subtle, but added to the dish. The chef does a particularly excellent job with seafood and sauces, so take note! My husband had a chocolate mousse cake for dessert, which had the most wonderful ice cream on the side we've ever had (and I've eaten a lot of ice cream in my lifetime...) I ordered the Raspberry Cheesecake, which sadly had cherries on top, but was still pretty good, and the sorbet was very good. Both plates were good-sized portions, inexpensive, and had sides of fresh-whipped cream, and several fun sauces. Oh, and they give a free dessert when you're celebrating a birthday or anniversary. Our server was Julia, and she did a fantastic job. She was perfectly attentive without being there too much or hard to find. Water was always refilled, plates were cleared promptly, she followed up at appropriate times, etc. I was a bit indecisive, and she gave great recommendations. All in all, it was a wonderful dining experience. We have tried just about all of the more upscale dining options in downtown Iowa City, and we are now kicking ourselves for not coming here sooner! We were pleased with the quantity of food for the price, especially when compared to some of the other downtown Iowa City fine dining options, many of which seem inferior to Orchard Green. We were stuffed from this meal, and really enjoyed all aspects of our evening!
(5)Bill T.
Simply delicious. First time in Iowa and found this. Upstairs is romantic and classic ambiance. Order the Pork Scaloppini!
(5)Tomantha K.
Me and my boyfriend visited Orchard green for our 1 year anniversary dinner and were thoroughly impressed. I really missed NY as I would have frequented a great restaurant there but heard good things about Orchard Green and hoped it would live up to the hype. While it is not a Michelin starred restaurant, the decor was cute (loos like a refurbished bank), their menu options made it hard to choose, and when the food came out we were impressed by the presentation and tastes!. We eventually decided on the escargot, lobster bisque, duck and bouillabaisse. I have never had snails prepared that way before and loved the mix in texture and tastes! The soup was also nice as it wasn't your traditional bisque (though, it was on the very small side for the price). The server was great, she checked in on us just enough and made some good suggestions for drinks and food. I had their orchard green martini which was nice (on the sweet side) and my boyfriend had a glass of wine. The entrees came in good time (didn't wait too long). On first bite the duck was tantalizing. It was served with a passion fruit sauce which paired perfectly with the sweet potatoes and green beans. While I asked about the preparation and was told medium the duck was slightly overcooked (medium-well) but this was not too off-putting and I opted to not tell the waiter (who I am sure would have prepared a new plate, but it was too delicious to give up!). The bouillabaisse was ok, but nothing to right home about, though I think that is the essence of the dish. We thought it was something we can make at home so I wouldn't order it again next time we visit. I would say this was a great date night spot and would also be nice for a double date.
(4)Kyle F.
Amazing food and service. Had a large group of friends and the staff was very accommodating. The filet was second to none, and the creme brûlée was enormous. This is hands down my new favorite restaurant in Iowa City.
(5)Frances D.
Absolutely delicious. For a more intimate environment go to the downstairs bar. You can order off the full menu. Bartender and servers always very cordial. This is one of my favorite date places with my husband in Iowa city.
(5)Ramblin P.
First time here! Everything was just marvy. Best crab cakes I've had in a restaurant (which is saying somethin, cuz my daddy is from Baltimore and I grew up eatin the best crab cakes on the planet!). The escargot was different than any I've had. Very rich but in a good way. The char board was great and well balanced (from one die hard pickler to another, I think they could step it up in the house made pickled department, not a complaint!) and the walleye (which never do I ever order) was truly spectacular! Perfectly crispy and flakey. And whoever was back there cooking the duck knew what they were doing as it was perfectly temped. I told our server that we were there to take it easy and that we wanted to order slowly (anniversary dinner after all) and she was impeccable with her timing. I was so pleasantly surprised by what an over all great experience I had. Can't wait to come back for crab cakes and cocktails!
(5)Kelsey K.
I will be back to Orchard Green! I tried the cucumber cooler martini and vegetable risotto. Both were outstanding. The host and waitress were both helpful and genuine.
(5)Charles S.
This was our first visit to Orchard Green which is located on Gilbert Street just on the edge of the heart of Iowa City, Iowa. Parking in a metered parking spot is 75 cents per hour before 6 PM (cards and coins accepted). We were greeted by a very nice host upon entering the establishment. He asked if we wanted to sit in the lounge or the dining room upstairs. The only explanation that he offered in the two options was that the dining room was a nicer setting than the lounge. I remembered that there were different menus for the lounge and dining room online. We chose the dining room. The dining room was nicely appointed. The atmosphere is very conservative and quiet almost like a library. It would be suitable for business lunches and dinners as well as intimate settings for couples. It does not seem to be a place for families with children, but I'm sure that it is not forbidden. The waiter was prompt and detailed the two special entrees that the chef had prepared for the night. Glancing at the dinner menu we were very disappointed. The menu did not match up with the dinner menu that was on their Web site online. This is a pet peeve of mine and it really irks me when the menus are not maintained. We had already picked out what we were going to order ahead of time and the whitefish entrée was not on the menu anymore. Restaurants keeping their standard menus up to date online are such an easy task since these menus do not change often. It is a novice mistake yet a serious infraction of the trust that a guest places in an establishment especially of this caliber. We ordered the crab cake as an appetizer. With mojitos being a favorite of mine, I opted for the raspberry mojito. For my entrée, I ordered the filet minion which came with broccoli and scalloped potatoes. The waiter then asked if we wanted soup or salad and I selected the summer salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing. The crab cakes were pretty tasty. I do not normally like corn meal in my crab cakes (take note Linn Street Café), however these did taste good. The only negative was that, for the price, the portion size was quite small. The raspberry mojito was average. It was made with puree and not actual raspberries. I prefer them with real crushed raspberries because each time you get a raspberry piece up your straw and bight into it, it is like a little treat! The summer salad was excellent. I really liked it. It was the best item tonight. I liked how the dressing did not have a strong vinegar smell or taste. I can't say anything but good things about this salad. What can I say about the most expensive portion of the meal, the filet minion? It was a poor quality cut of beef. It did not have much seasoning which meant that it was kind of bland. I'm not sure what the cooking mechanism was but it did not have any caramelization on it, nothing to give it a good taste. It was pretty much a waste of my good money and resources. We skipped dessert so now for the bill. We were surprised to see that the bill was more expensive than we thought that it would be. We were charged for the salad, which, in the way that it was presented to us by the waiter, was included with the entrée. In summation, the Orchard Green is an elegantly appointed restaurant and atmosphere with elegant prices accompanied by staff missteps and pedestrian quality food.
(2)Mike D.
My wife and I enjoyed a very nice meal from Orchard Green on our anniversary. The service was outstanding and the environment was great. We loved the look of the building and the mood of the restaurant. The food was incredible and the wine selection was great. Although we didn't get to enjoy the downstairs bar area that I've heard great things about, the "upstairs" alone deserves a 5 star rating! Will be back!
(5)Charles T.
One of our worst restaurant experiences. Four of us with child on Friday night. We timed delivery of our food. One hour to get served. I had the duck. It came ONLY with an ounce of couscous and was so overly sweet it was inedible. It was also cold. I could not eat. My wife had scallops which were so under-cooked they were slimy on inside. She ate one. And, they were so large they could not have been scallops. They were probably shark from the size and the grain. The other meals served to our children and our grand child were also almost inedible. They only ate part and their scallops were undercooked as were the mussels. The rolls were good and the service staff tried hard to make up for the awful delivery of food. The decor is also very nice. They were so understaffed, the manager was parking cars for the valet. Very overpriced for quality and service. I WILL NEVER GO BACK.
(1)Kristen P.
My husband and I have been to Orchard Green twice now in the last few months and we really enjoy it. The service is excellent, the food is unique and tasty, and the atmosphere in the dining room is comfortable and even a little swanky. The wine list is quite good. We've been really happy with the seafood dishes - appetizers and entrees. The chicken with bucatini is heavenly - possibly the best dish I've had in Iowa City. My husband enjoys the bouillabaisse. We've had a peanut butter chocolate cake dessert that was super rich, but very good. I would definitely recommend Orchard Green!
(5)W C.
Overview: My friends and I have been to this restaurant several times over the past three years and it has, without a doubt, grown to become our favorite restaurant in the Iowa City area. Location/space: Orchard Green is located off of Gilbert in an old brick building. The bottom floor serves as a bar/lounge area, which I admittedly have never frequented, and the upstairs, which serves as the restaurant. The restaurant space itself is adorned with wood paneling, exposed brick, and a series of wonderful chandeliers. The downside is the lack of parking near the restaurant, which results in the added cost of valeting a car if there's no time to circle the streets in search of a parking spot. The Food: The quality of the food at Orchard Green is unparalleled in Iowa City. My guests and I have ordered several different selections off of their streamlined yet diverse menu and have never been disappointed. Each dish includes several distinct components that brings a welcomed complexity of flavors. The bouillabaisse, which is essentially a seafood stew that Orchard Green serves over risotto, is definitely my favorite on the menu. There is always a hearty helping of mussels, scallops, shrimp, and fish in the dish itself, and the risotto is generally cooked well, although sometimes the broth itself can be overly salty and detract from the dish. Likewise, the roast duck is always perfectly cooked with tender meat and a well-rendered, crispy skin. Service: The service has always been prompt and professional, and the kitchen does a nice job pacing when the various courses are served. Summary: After trying the majority of well-known independent restaurants in the Iowa City area including Atlas, Basta, Devotay, Linn Street, One-Twenty-Six, Giovanni's, and Stella's, I find myself coming back to Orchard Green over and over again. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone in the Iowa City area.
(4)Stuart P.
Had a wonderful meal with wonderful service. Maybe the best steaks we ever had! The place is beautiful too.
(5)Kyle G.
Ordered garden salad and walleye (fish based on bartender's recommendation). For a simple dish such a salad, it was presented well and tasted great. The entree was the highlight of the meal. Walleye was very well prepared and the sauce and vegetables it came with balanced the meal nicely. Bartender was great as well. Only reason I didn't award the 5th star was that it took awhile for my entree to come out, which the bartender sympathized with. Ultimately, it was worth the wait.
(4)Levi W.
Orchard Green has the best chef along with the best service in town. If you're looking for a place to eat in Iowa City you won't find one better than Orchard Green! !!!!!
(5)Barry S.
Consistently one of the better restaurants in Iowa city. I have taken clients there as well as gone many times with my family and RARELY have we been disappointed. Only hassle has become the parking, but valet fixes all.
(4)Scott S.
They do a great happy hour Mon-Thursday 4 to 6 downstairs in the lunge, with $5 cheeseburger, fish and chips, wings, and cheap Two-Hearted. Ordering off the normal menu is kind of pricey, and the service can be slow, but a nice place.
(4)Luke K.
Orchard Green is my current go to place for fine dining in Iowa City. There was a period of time last year that they didn't live up to their current high standards but the last few times I've been there, they're back to being one of the best options in Iowa City. I usually get one of the steak options on their menu. I travel a lot and have had cuts from the finer steakhouses in America and I can honestly say the last time I had one from Orchard Green it was in my top two best steaks ever. My wife typically ventures further around the menu than I do but we always leave very satisfied. Orchard Green is not cheap and you will spend $100-$150 with a couple entrees, bottle of wine, and an appetizer or dessert...but it's worth it for a good night out with good company. I take friends, co-workers, and family here when looking for a a finer restaurant in Iowa City and we haven't been disappointed. The ambiance and design hasn't changed too much over the years and changing names...but I still think it's one of the most stunning restaurants in Iowa City. The high ceilings, old brick, dark wood, carpentry, and lighting just make it a great place to sit and have a meal. Lastly, I personally would not bring small children - IMHO it's too nice of place and the food is to good to have to juggle little ones. Overall, it's a great place and in recent months they've really come back into their own as one of the best options for fine dining in Iowa City.
(5)John S.
I've lived in Iowa City for over a decade and dine out relatively frequently. With that said, Orchard Green is a staple of mine and one of my favorites. I'm writing this review with multiple dining experiences in mind and that reflects on the consistency of the service and quality that Orchard Green provides. The Food: Is delicious. I've never had a bad meal at Orchard Green, and every time I bring someone new to Orchard Green they're an instant fan. It's one of those places where you don't have to think long and hard about what to order, because more likely than not, it'll be delicious. The drink selection is great too! The Service: Very pleasant. Staff seem to be well-trained, informative and not over-bearing, which is important for me. Food is brought out in a timely manner and attention to detail is apparent in the service The restaurant itself is stunning. The dining area upstairs is elegant and the lounge downstairs is more relaxed but still has a classy feel to it. I've dined in both areas and both were great experiences depending on what you're looking for. In summary, Orchard Green combines delicious food and top-notch service in a beautiful setting. Whether on a date or with a group, Orchard Green has always pleased me, my wife, and our friends.
(5)Rebecca P.
I have eaten and had drinks here before, and I am grateful to say they saved my graduation dinner party after I was jaded by 126 canceling my Moonraker's reservation without notice.
(5)Anna H.
The lounge is sparse but suitable for conversation. The food however is a bit salty but the beer selection mskes up for it. Parking is pretty tight so walk if you can.
(3)Kelly K.
Wait staff made our 6-person birthday celebration last night delightful. At several points during the evening, I was surprised by how unobtrusively thoughtful and attentive the waitresses and waiters, working as a team, were. After a messy spill, about 6 swooped in to reset a nearby table and move us there. It's rare to get this kind of service in Iowa City. Plates are promptly cleared, food is delivered quietly, efficiently, and without any need to ask who ordered what (even when someone else took the order), leftovers are wrapped for you (instead of someone handing you a box for a DIY touch), water glasses are refilled without you even noticing, clean silverware appears for each course, and so on. Seamless beauty. The entrees were good, and the appetizers were fantastic. Many of the other reviews here give good descriptions of the great food. But as you can tell, what really impressed me was the top-notch, friendly and professional staff. This is an art form!
(5)John P.
i'm gonna have to give this place the 5 star bump, just primarily as it stands in contrast to the other Iowa restaurants we've been to. in a large city, this would've been a 3.5 star review. the review from Gi L is spot on, and we feel the same. came here for a birthday. water came out right away, which is atypical of places around Iowa. service was prompt, ditto. the other reviewers must've had the typical iowa treatment. granted it wasn't a Friday or Sat night when we went. we started with the mussels.... and for $10, that was a pretty good deal. the spinach salad was very tasty with the local apples from Wilson's Orchard. i had the seared scallop entree, which was a huge dish considering. the scallop was situated on top of polenta, which we think had a cheese layer. scallops themselves were a good size, served a bit saltier than i would like it, but great considering what it came out with (ratatouille & wilted spinach w/ asparagus). the ruby red trout was very tasty along with the fried eggplant & fennel. for dishes in the $15-$20 range, it better be nicely plated, and all of our dishes were here....even the chocolate cake that was on the house because of the birthday. the other IC restaurants that have entrees in the $15+ range should take note. lastly, we couldn't ignore that they were playing some awesome indy music. apparently, all the wait staff get to suggest their own playlist during the weekdays, and on weekends they've got jazz. great date place for sure. one of these Saturdays, we'll be back for their $12 brunches.
(5)Ruta P.
Love, love, love! I've only ever been to the lounge, but their menu is satisfying with decent prices. This is usually my "go to" place for drinks with friends, and nothing beats The Plantation!! The other drinks are great, and I love that they're simple and tasty. They're not the sugary, sweet, syrup drinks everywhere else. They had the best fish and chips in IC, and dang good (and pretty) cheese tray appetizer. The berry crime brûlée hits the spot!! Definitely coming back!
(5)Carolyn S.
I have been to Orchard Green twice now, and both times I have been impressed by the food. For appetizers we started with the focaccia. The bread arrived soft, warm and absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The dipping sauces (olive oil with lemon peel, garlic and pesto?) were perfect complements to the pillowy bread slices. We also tried the baba ghanouj and hummus with cut vegetables, crostini and pita. The spreads were very good and the veggies were crisp and fresh. The vegetable frito misto was also quite good - everything was nicely cooked and crisp. I love it when restaurants showcase fresh vegetables! For a main this time I went with the pistachio crusted Walleye (having never tried it before - plus it's relatively local!). The fish was served with asparagus, artichokes, preserved lemon, and little potato pancakes. The fish itself was fantastic - tender, juicy and with a really great texture (more chew than flake). It didn't have a distinctly fishy taste, which I quite liked. The pistachio crust was great with the Walleye, adding a nice crunch and flavor to the dish. The little potato pancakes were delicious, if a tad on the oily side, and the asparagus was perfectly cooked. I ate each and every bite of this dish. My dining companions tried the vegetable risotto (one of the better vegetarian entrees we've had in Iowa City), and the roast duck with sesame cous cous, honey, pears, and figs. By the time the dessert menu came around we were all too stuffed to spring for the strawberry cheesecake. Maybe next time... We'll be back again for sure.
(4)Kat H.
So delicious...everything i tried was really good- the cowboy ribeye, mussels, fried cheese eggroll, and the hot and filthy martini. Its a special date night place cuz i aint spending 100 bucks on dinner for myself anymore :(
(4)Shawn M.
The Ruby Red Trout is phenomenal! Our waiter even brought us the wrong dessert and we ate it anyway - heavenly. It was the peanut butter chocolate one. I consider the food prices reasonable but the wine is a little high. Still, on our anniversary we really enjoyed it. Highly recommended.
(5)Steve R.
Outstanding. My hosts chose Orchard Green; they must like me. The food and service both exceeded my expectations. It was also quiet enough for our table of five to converse easily. The beer selection came highly recommended, so although I generally have wine with dinner, I chose the Weisenstephaner Vitus. I'm a fan of unfiltered wheat beers, and this might be the best I've had. Strong but not overbearing spices with a hint of citrus. It was a favorite at our table. The salads all looked tasty--I chose the spinach. Excellent flavor, but too much dressing for my preferences. That's the only thing that made me consider giving it four stars, but overall I had to round the score up to 5. Being in Iowa, I opted for the ribeye. The steak was large by my standards, but nicely done and consistently tender throughout. It was definitely a great value compared to the steaks in my hometown of St. Louis. The half of a sweet potato and crisp green beans were an excellent accompaniment. I left satisfied without being stuffed. Although the portion sizes were not too small and yet not too large, we skipped desert only to save calories. The menu has a great variety of choices, and I'd love to try them all!
(5)Becky F.
We have dined at Orchard Green about four times now. Every time we have been happy with the food and service. The parking lot is small, but they have a complimentary valet. The atmosphere is nice with rich wood paneled walls and exposed bricks. The menu changes on a regular basis depending on what is in season locally. On our last visit I had Asparagus Tortellini and it was delicious! Some reviewers have commented on poor service or subpar food, but that has not been the case on our visits. Delicious gourmet food is the norm, don't be afraid to give it a try. It is pricey, but a great place to go for date night or a special occasion.
(5)Mike O.
This place is amazing! The food is fantastic. Our table of 4 loved every single dish, from the soups to the steak/seafood to the apple pie at the end. The drinks are unique and wonderful. We need to go back to keep experimenting. The inside of the restaurant is beautiful. It's classy without being stuffy. The downstairs lounge is fun and relaxing. We really liked the free valet parking.
(5)Joel S.
Went for my girlfriend's birthday and had a ton of fun. Had escargot (my favorite food in the world). It was an original and inspired take on escargot, with the snails cooked to perfection. High praise. The salads we had were pedestrian, but the raspberry vinegrette was quite good. The beer list was great. I am very critical of beer lists. Most places have a bunch of boring IPAs, a standard hipster beer like PBR (or Stella at fancy places), and very little decent selection of other beers. Orchard green had delicious choices that weren't obscure to be obscure. Finally taking the beer society a little more seriously is a nice touch. I had the bouillabaisse and my girlfriend had the pork scappolini. Both were nicely prepared (the pork in particular was excellent) and nice presentation. The seafood quality was good for the Midwest, but in California wouldn't have been anything to write home about (still, it was delicious). Our waiter was great and the setting is awesome. The prices were really cheap for such a good meal. It was like being in the mid-nineties in California, prices wise.
(4)Ashley S.
My friend and I went here. It took TWO HOURS for our dinner. It took 30 minutes for the one appetizer. Crab cakes- 2 2 inch crab cakes for $12. The entrees were $25 each which was alright, I got the scallops. They were good. and it took another 20 minutes for one dessert to come out. Very expensive. I dont think I will be back.
(2)Kari C.
Great good and ambiance! Romantic and quiet, good music (blues/jazz). The duck and tuna were amazing, and the wine list was impressive, if pricey. Will definitely go back!
(4)Jennifer T.
Orchard green is pretty good, but very heavy on the sauces. The portions are huge and they kind of load everything up so that there's a lot going on on your plate. Tasty, but heavy....I feel like I need go hit the gym afterwards and I HATE exercising. If you like that style, you're in business....if you're used to the light preps and focus on local ingredients, flavors of the veggies, etc., well this might not be the best fit. I'd go back periodically, but not too often. Too worried about my cholesterol level...
(4)Kimberly K.
Went there for dinner on a Friday with my husband. You should sit upstairs for sure - unexpected and beautiful! So... Food - excellent! Service - needs improvment! Our waitress was not knowledgable about the wine list - she had not tried any that we asked about. We shared teh seafood streudal appetizer - so rich and delicious - perfect to share! I had the Mediterranean salad - so delish! He had the moroccan clam soup which he enjoyed but did not love The biggest problem was that we waited 50 minutes between our appetizer being cleared and our entree!! That is just way too long, even during a nice leisurley dinner! The waitress apologized after about 40 minutes and said she rushed the kitchen...but it was too long But I must say the food was worth teh wait! Salmon and halibut were both great! Food was excellent - hope they improve their service!
(4)Edgar S.
I visited this restaurant on Oct 30th with no reservation. Wait time wasnt too bad at about 15 minutes. When I did get seated the place was half empty but by the time I got my food all the tables were taken. The menu had a nice selection of fresh seafood, which i have a hard time finding in IC (well good fresh seafood anyway). It was on the upper scale but not too bad about $25 a plate average. I ordered the crab cake for appetizer and the Pistachio crusted Walleye with 2 asparagus spears, an artichoke, and a "potato pancake" (i am overlooking the menu's use of the plural form of artichoke and pancake). Was it good, well its the best i have had in Iowa City without a doubt. That said the flavors of everything I had were very muted. First of all $12 for A crab-cake is just silly. At least if your going to charge that much it had better be top notch. There was nothing wrong with the crab cake but I have had better for the same price. The Walleye itself was very good but had little flavor to it. The "potato pancake" was just fancier, under-salted hash browns. Again don't get me wrong, once I added some salt i really enjoyed them but they were not a potato pancake. There was absolutely nothing binding them together into anything resembling a pancake. And lastly don't ever get a hot tea here. The have horrid commercial teabags. After you brew your tea you will notice the telltale sign of low quality tea: dust from the processing of the leaves in your drink. (if you don't know what I mean its a tea production thing). I wish they would take advantage of the whole leaf tea options in IC or order in bulk from Teavana. That said, yes I will go back. Its the best I have had thus far in IC, but there is so much potential for their lovely place I hope they continue working at things. Actually think I'm thinking of heading back this evening so there you go. It was good enough for a second chance.
(4)Mary A.
This is one of the two best restaurants in Iowa City (the other one is Baroncini). The menu is varied, the sauces are wonderful, and it has my favorite salad anywhere (grapefruit and chèvre). I just had the vegetable risotto and I'd be happy to go back and have it again tomorrow. The escargot is also excellent.
(5)W Q.
the decor upstairs for dinner is stunning. never would have guessed it from the location or outside. amazing appetizers here, top notch presentation and quality on the entree as well. the only reason why i gave a lower rating is that the lobster bisque is about the most embarassing thing i've ever had in a restaurant. it's tomato soup with a lobster bisque price tag. i couldn't believe after i complained how terrible it was they did not remove it from the bill. that bisque killed it for me for this restaurant, despite the amazing appetizers and the entree.
(3)Dianne A.
Fantastic. Everything was delicious and well prepared. This has become "THE" restuarant in Iowa CIty.
(5)melanie a.
A lot of gourmet choices. We tried the seafood phyllo appetizer which was rich and creamy- we ate every bite. We also had the halibut with potato pancakes which was good but the pork rib chop had a sauce made from figs that was a tiny bit too sweet. Our creme brulee was served in a plate but had that satisfying sugar crust and berries- very good. I must commend the ambience- very tasteful and elegant. Service was so-so, there were only a few diners when we went in the middle of the week and it still took a long time to get our orders and food. Great that they use local and sustainable food. Definitely a place for that special occasion. Wonderful addition to the dining scene in Iowa City!
(4)