Latest reviews from Coralville

“5 minutes off I-80. Macros/big craft for singles selection, decent local/import selection. Good place.“

wlajwl 225 days ago

“Solid brewery in a soulless part of town. Very large taproom and inviting patio. Large selection of their own brews. Visited on my way to Dave’s bachelor party in 2021.“

ads135 1058 days ago

“Right off the Coralville strip. Interior was a mix of sports bar and a upper scale dining. Got two growlers to go, will have to stop in sometime again.“

wlajwl 1864 days ago

“Right off I-80 on exit 242, in a newly sprung up commercial/light industrial/yuppie residential area. On the corner. Multi-level bar with open air seating on top, and - strangely - a slightly different list of taps upstairs. Downstairs was 40 plus taps with a really nice showing of Eastern & Central Iowa stuff, and a spattering of national quality choices. Bar of perhaps 20 seats, with a large restaurant space of various sized tables and couches, and an outdoor patio on the street level. Multiple tap size choices, ranging from 8oz and up, which was disappointing for a ticker, but in a goodly sized group, could make do. Prices $2-4 for the 8oz, and solidly cheap for larger, which goes to the positive side. The food was semi-experimental, but everything tried was really good (opposed to the large place on the other side of town which claimed to be really good, but was not in 30hop's league). Will visit again on next Iowa City trip.“

AWISLguy 2117 days ago

“Right off I-80. Beer is in the right front corner. Decent mix sixes selection, best prices I’ve ever seen. Selection was decent in general.“

wlajwl 2354 days ago

“Obviously quite new, the brewpub is located next to a Marriott Hotel in the hospital area of the University of Iowa. The decor is kind of industrial but with exposed brick and oak. Overall its a bit sterile and engineered, but pleasant enough. My visit was in January. WIth temperatures in the single digits, the outdoor seating area had been rolled up for the winter. Beeers were pretty good with a couple of standouts -- Blood on the Blade and Ziegengott. Just a couple minutes off I-80, this place is worth a visit if you are passing through.“

Iphonephan 2718 days ago

“Visited during a family road trip. Since I’m from out of town, the selection was very intriguing. A number of offerings I can’t get back in Milwaukee. I can see how the locals might be underwhelmed, though.“

Cousin_Larry 2884 days ago

“Nice little joint near Iowa City. A dozen of their own various types of beers on tap. Stouts, IPAs, porters, and bocks they brew it all. I enjoyed their Double IPA, Cane Blade while visiting. Nice ambiance friendly service and wood fired pizza, what’s not to like.“

pablo951 2937 days ago

“Stopped off in Iowa City on a road trip from Med-West to the Southwest and I found this gem in the midst of the cornfields. Great selection of local beers and Midwestern brews, they had a few from Toppling Goliath, one of the best breweries in their part of the country. Good food, plenty of space and friendly service.“

pablo951 2937 days ago

“I want to like you, I do, you’re a 25 minute walk from my house... but....you miss the mark. 60 something taps. Local, regional, mainly johnson brothers. They used to have a huge chalkboard displaying all of this but now they just have TV’s playing sports instead. Shitty. Huge open space, two floors of patios to see construction and whatever going on in the undeveloped area. Cocktails can be hit or miss. Menu wants to try to be adventurous but man, stick with the easy brewpub crap. Burgers and such are serviceable. Fish and chips had bones, not just a pin bone either but full on, and confirmed these were cut in house. Why not just sysco if you can’t pull it off? Bland hangar steak (really? A handful of salad and onions on top? Not pickled as stated?) etc. just kills this place. The hummus might be the blandest thing on the menu, might as well pair them with gluten free pitas that are rock hard (?????) seriously? Still though, the lucky peppers are nice. The burger isn’t terrible. Fries are good. Wait staff of that you find in Iowa City. Place is DIRTY with bugs flying around in the dining room and a back area that hasn’t been cleaned in forever. Beautiful space though, and huge props for things like the door kick in the bathroom so you don’t have to touch the handle in the bathroom.“

DietPepsican 3216 days ago

“Brewpub with the brewery in the back. Stopped in for a couple growlers and prices were good. Didn’t try the food but it looked good. Will have to stop in again when I have more time.“

wlajwl 3223 days ago

“Nice selection of beers. Cool bar area and out side patio.“

edgallow 3240 days ago

“Ms. phaleslu and I stopped in here for a late dinner after driving in on a Friday night on our way out to Wyoming and checking into a nearby hotel. It’s in this weird, not completely finished new shopping district made to look like a fake downtown or something. Hard to describe. Suburban. Anyway, it’s a huge interior with plenty of space and modern design. There are 64 taps and a damn fine list - good locals and regionals, like Big Grove, Boulevard, Schlafly, Funkwerks, Millstream, Peace Tree, Surly, Tallgrass, and many more. The prices are high, but I opted for smaller pours that only set me back a few bucks apiece. The food was decent and priced fairly. The staff seemed a little frazzled, which was fair because of the later hour, but come on, it wasn’t crowded. But the bartenders were attractive, which probably adds more points to my score than Ms. phaleslu’s, if she gave a shit. I don’t know, I didn’t love it but it delivered everything I could’ve wanted for a brief visit and late meal. No complaints at all. I recommend it for sure if you’re in the area.“

phaleslu 3265 days ago

“A mix of a tavern, pub and sports bar. Had a burger and fries, good. Selection wasn’t extensive outside of the big breweries, otherwise it was decent. Good bar overall.“

wlajwl 3370 days ago

“Decent little place that is more industrial than their location suggests, complete with most of the brewing floor and apparatus in plain view from the moment you enter the front door. There’s just a bar and a handful of tables, with staff that have been friendly and talkative every time I’ve stopped in. The beer lineup is solid as well, though I haven’t tried their food menu.“

UrbanCaveman 3529 days ago

“We were driving through on our way home to Indiana from Utah, and this spot had easy access from I-80. We came through pretty late, after the kitchen had closed, so it wasn’t busy. Our bartender was very knowledgeable, and we ended up swapping email addresses for a future beer trade. The beer was solid, although I didn’t try anything I would call outstanding. Still, I thought they were doing a good job in a state where craft beer is still in it’s fledgling stages. I was really sorry to see Pepsi had a bad experience here ... now that some time has passed, maybe give it another try dude?“

queenholly 3543 days ago

“Obviously lots of money, pretty and well situated with a top notch brewery. Nice bar space with a great patio. Good service, but lacking real beer knowledge. Beer is decent, but they have mastered hops and do hoppy beers very well. Fresh hand made pizza to order, but I didn’t eat. They have a bad stigma, but in would go again.“

Ferris 3555 days ago

“Polished steel and dark wood give this industrial setting a warm feel. The service by our bartender was attentive and prompt, the beers are a mixed bag, and the food was good standard pub fare. It was worth a stop as we were passing through from Cincinnati.“

rondphoto 3651 days ago

“The ambiance is OK, but the place is new and has the industrial feel of the brewery more than that of a pub. I liked it, because I am a homebrewer, but maybe others might not. The outdoor area was nice. The service was laid back, but the staff were knowledgeable and helpful. The lineup featured mostly their own brews, and there was a wide range to select from. Backpocket makes very drinkable beers. Event the barleywine was smooth and clean. Don’t go looking for something edgy or weird here. The food was good and fairly priced. Mostly pub food, but the menu was fun and varied. The brewmaster was very busy when I arrived, but he made time for a wonderful brewery tour. I could tell that he had a million other things going on, but he still made the time to show us around. We spent about an hour with him. Overall it was a very pleasant time. The bar and brewery staff were great. I hope to stop by again the next time I am in town.“

chickenflea 3663 days ago

“Brewpub located in Coralville right off of I-80. Not surprisingly, it was pretty dead at 11 AM on a Wednesday. The bartender was nice and knowledgeable, good service. They had 9 of their own beers on tap, plus a Schlafly guest tap. 10 tasters for $12. A few of them were pretty good. The ambiance was nice, clean and new looking interior. Primus playing on the radio. Probably a good place to stop and eat if you’re driving through on the interstate. I will come back next time I’m in IA. Go Hawks! Update: The beers are getting better +2 bump.“

ajnepple 3731 days ago

“This is a fun place -a brewpub that serves food - brick oven pizza mainly and has regular special events - announced on their facebook page. Also features a nice beer garden. I take visitors here often. Beer selection is primarily Backpocket’s standard line of beers with a few seasonals and some guest brews. Favorite brew - Anniversary stout. Favorite food - Nutella pizza with bacon (yum).“

b0071d 3919 days ago

“Better selection than BIG groceries and Walmart’s. The place is nothing to write home about, but if you crave some good craft beer you will find something to enjoy here.“

Jdveit 3973 days ago

“Oh man, how do I not sound like the angry yelp idiot...I’m not sure it’s possible on this one. My apologies. Anyways. Cool setup, opens up right into the brewery. Parking was plentiful. Place was probably 2/3 full (as in seated guests, nobody was just standing). Greeted immediately by some good dudes here on ratebeer that have probably 2 dozen bottles of random crap they’ve brought in to share. Very cool. Was told to go grab a tasting glass and have some fun.

We walk up to the bar and have a seat hoping to order a few pints and request a sampling glass. The bar is L shaped, with the lower L having maybe 4 seats and the upper part having 8. Try to follow along with that.

We sat in the middle of the 8 seat part, directly in front of the taps which weren’t tall and we could clearly see the bartenders. Bartenders (3-4 total) seemed rushed pouring beers for outstanding orders when we sat down (no big deal). We were the only ones at the bar waiting to get our orders taken at the time and I really don’t mind waiting a few for people that have ordered before me. Two guys come to the upper part of the 8 seat piece of the L, and two at the lower part of the 8 seat L, along with two guys at the end of the 4 seat section of the L. Every one of them was served before us. No big deal. Bartender(s) are right in front of us, they’ll get to us, right? Wrong. They go back to catching up with patio tickets We have our cash and ID’s on the tables. The L fills up again. Bartenders pour all drinks for the L but us, then continue on to the outstanding patio tickets again. Both sides of the L empty out and refill at this point. Everyone at the L waits a few minutes while they catch up with tables, then the L is served again. As last time, they skip over us. And the L fills up. We loudly exchange that we know what we want to each other. I hear my beer friends calling my name in the background and feel like a jerk. We are missed again for the fourth time. No acknowledgement. We just walked out at that point.

I was excited to see a brewery that was in the Iowa City area, but sorry Back Pocket, I can’t deal with that. Happy bday to me.“

DietPepsican 3992 days ago

“It’s an Old Chicago. 20+ taps and nothing very interesting is ever on. Food isn’t bad. The place is large enough that you usually don’t have to wait for a seat. TV’s are everywhere if you want to watch sports. Decent place.“

DietPepsican 3993 days ago

“Dropped in while attending an event at the Marriott next door. Nice new facility open less than a year. Only four of their six taps were available. The food was decent as well as the prices. Limited menu. Service was good, but not too up on selections. Their beers were just average. Will try again.“

RobertDale 4031 days ago

“It is a BIG 10 bar, so a great place to watch any Hawkeye Sports. Overall a good place to have a few beers.“

EMunk 4151 days ago

“This is a great brewpub that serves up delicious brick oven pizza. They also offer tours Monday thru Friday at 5:30pm. They also have a nice sampler pack so you can try all their signature beers.“

EMunk 4156 days ago

“I have to admit, im kind of biased about OC’s-i actually do like them and they are alot of fun sometimes. THis one was pretty decent-seemed to have quite a few Iowa beers available on tap and bottles. service was very good and the food is well, oc food, which i like.“

Terminus 4366 days ago

“If you’re looking for good craft and imports this is not the place to go. Service was good enough, but not knowledgable when asked about different craft beers. The selection of anything non-BMC was not great, and again, what was available for craft, the staff did not seem familiar with. This is only 10 - 15 minutes from John’s Grocery and only 5 from Hy-Vee, both of which have a better selection.“

KAF 4523 days ago

“Decent food and beer choices, this wasn’t too bad for a major chain bar and grill.“

wlajwl 4538 days ago

“Mostly macros and a few imports, the service was good but not a good selection overall.“

wlajwl 4780 days ago

“Been to this Hy-Vee a few times. Wasn’t too happy about the service or selection. The store is dirty. Not pleasant experience.“

cyclonematty 4858 days ago

“I’ve lived right next to this place for years. Decent beer selection for the area but you aren’t going to find anything you can’t find at other places in Iowa. Good prices, good employees. They also have limited amounts of homebrew supplies. This certainly isn’t worth a stop from a beer dork unless you are in the area and need beer for the night.“

DietPepsican 5476 days ago

“I used to live 4 blocks away from this place and it was on my way home from both work and school so it was my go to place for a quick sixer. Pretty good selection, usually have pretty knowledgeable staff in the day time, less so at night. More heavily Wine and Liquor based as al Hy Vee WIne & Spirits but still a good selection of micro and macro. Decent selection inside of the grocery store when the seperate liqour store is closed as well.“

fidelis83 5622 days ago

“I agree that John’s Grocery is the place to go for beer selection. By at least 100 plus more beers. But.....as far as KAF’s comment on the "people here" KAF must have talked to a temp or trainee because most of the staff are home brewers or will refer you to one of the home brewers that work there. They also have a "single beer" fridge that is always loaded with top of the line single beers. I for one am very happy to have them just a couple blocks away.“

BrianHagmeier 5627 days ago

“This place is worth going to during happy hour. They do have 110 different beers but they rarely change their beer menu and there is nothing spectacular or rare and the prices for some of the beers are a little odd seeing that you could drive a couple miles to John’s Grocery and get the same beer for a couple dollars less. The food is not too bad but again nothing special. Happy hour is nice because appetizers are half off (which makes them worth the price).“

KAF 5989 days ago

“This is nothing special and if you’re here you may as well head a few miles into Iowa City and go to John’s Grocery. The people here are not very beer savy and they do not carry are great variety of beer. There are some lambics and of course Guinness but nothing that you can’t find anywhere else.“

KAF 5989 days ago

“This is a typical chain restaurant and pub with the typical food. The buffalo wings are on the pathetically small side. The beer selection isn’t bad and the prices are marked up like any chains store. The real plus to Old Chicago Coralville is the Football on Sunday. They have two Hi Def TVs behind the bar and 5 others in the bar area. Dress in your team jersey, get some friends together, get there early, plant yourselves in front of one of the TVs and when your game comes on the manager will put it on the TV you claimed.“

BrianHagmeier 6075 days ago

“Not a bad grocery store to pick up beer if you are in the neighborhood. Nothing like John’s Grocery, but an ok selection in a pinch.“

marchcow 6420 days ago

“Overall they have a pretty weak selection of draft beers, even for an Old Chicago. I can buy the bottled stuff at John’s Grocery for a quarter the price...why buy it here? The only bright spot is the occasional seasonal or two (known as their "rotators") from craft breweries in the region. I wish they had a few more and that they changed a bit more often. Food is typical of a chain, not bad, but nothing to write home about. Go to The Sanctuary in Iowa City if you’re looking for a slightly better selection.“

GeneralGao 6887 days ago

“Another chain!? Oh, well, guess that shows how pathetic the beer scene in Iowa City sometimes seems. Yeah, they’ve got 100 beers or so, but not much of it is very interesting except for the occasional local brewpub selection. Still, I’d prefer this to a macro-swill place like the Vine. But the best place is Old Capitol.“

Gmku 6919 days ago

“In full agreement with Heemer on this. Not sure why Hy-Vee’s entered either. About what you’d expect from a chain grocer.“

Gmku 6919 days ago

“Don’t know why someone would enter a chain grocery store. The Hy-Vee on the east side of Iowa City has a much better selection. If you are in the area go to John’s Grocery.“

heemer77 7082 days ago

“Typical for the chain. They do tend to carry one of the local Iowa brewpub beers.“

heemer77 7082 days ago