Highest-rated restaurants with outdoor seating in Iowa City by diners

The average person over 74 minutes eating and drinking on any given weekday. On weekends and holidays, that goes up to over 81 minutes. Where is a better place to spend that time than a restaurant?

Consumers agree. The states that 9 in 10 adults enjoy eating out at restaurants, which give people access to a world of great-tasting food that's often difficult to reproduce at home.

People choose restaurants to scope out the , including deeper dives into Southeast Asian cuisines from Korea, Vietnam, and the Philippines, without trying to master these complex dishes at home. Chefs also have the resources to experiment with ingredients and bring new favorites like hot honey, spicy maple, matcha, and pickled foods to the table.

Dining out also offers unique, hyperlocal experiences featuring local farmers, food producers, brewers, winemakers, and distillers in a way that connects diners to the area.

When the weather's nice, diners flock to al fresco seating. At least like eating outdoors and look for great ambience like skyline views, rooftop settings, and waterfront seating to enhance their dining experience.

compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in the Iowa City area using data from . Data is as of Aug. 4, 2025. Only businesses marked as having outdoor seating on the Yelp website were included. Yelp's ranking system calculates an adjusted rating value that considers the number of ratings and the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews within a 10-kilometer radius of Iowa City were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 10 locations nationally, based on our Yelp data, were not included. Read on to see if your favorite spot made the list.

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Micky's Irish Pub & Grill

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#30. Micky's Irish Pub & Grill

- Rating: 4.1/5 (173 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 11 South Dubuque St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Irish Pub, American, Salad
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Big Grove Brewery and Taproom

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#29. Big Grove Brewery and Taproom

- Rating: 4.1/5 (421 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1225 South Gilbert St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Brewpubs, American, Beer Gardens
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Tribute Eatery & Bar

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#28. Tribute Eatery & Bar

- Rating: 4.2/5 (139 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 901 East 2nd Ave. Ste 100 Coralville, Iowa
- Categories: Bars, Burgers, Sandwiches
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Reds Alehouse

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#27. Reds Alehouse

- Rating: 4.2/5 (302 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 405 North Dubuque St. North Liberty, Iowa
- Categories: American, Sports Bars
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Trumpet Blossom Cafe

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#26. Trumpet Blossom Cafe

- Rating: 4.2/5 (136 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 310 East Prentiss St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Vegan, Vegetarian, Bars
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Basta Pizzeria

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#25. Basta Pizzeria

- Rating: 4.3/5 (412 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 121 Iowa Ave. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
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Shakespeare's

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#24. Shakespeare's

- Rating: 4.3/5 (69 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 819 South 1st Ave. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: American, Breakfast & Brunch, Beer Bar
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Get Fresh Cafe

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#23. Get Fresh Cafe

- Rating: 4.3/5 (53 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 109 Iowa Ave. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Cafes, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Sandwiches
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LA Wine Bar & Restaurant

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#22. LA Wine Bar & Restaurant

- Rating: 4.3/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 180 East Burlington St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Korean, Bubble Tea, Music Venues
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Rusciano's

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#21. Rusciano's

- Rating: 4.3/5 (96 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 710 Pacha Pkwy Ste 5 North Liberty, Iowa
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Wine Bars
-

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Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack - Iowa City

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#20. Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack - Iowa City

- Rating: 4.3/5 (333 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1940 Lower Muscatine Road Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Barbecue, Chicken Wings, Burgers
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Cortado Mediterranean Cafe

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#19. Cortado Mediterranean Cafe

- Rating: 4.3/5 (71 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 26 South Clinton St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Cafes, Mediterranean, Delis
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Burger Haul

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#18. Burger Haul

- Rating: 4.3/5 (58 reviews)
- Address: 112 East College St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Bars, Burgers, American
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Dunn Brothers Coffee

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#17. Dunn Brothers Coffee

- Rating: 4.3/5 (48 reviews)
- Address: 3284 Crosspark Road Ste A Coralville, Iowa
- Categories: Sandwiches, Coffee Roasteries
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The Webster

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#16. The Webster

- Rating: 4.3/5 (87 reviews)
- Address: 202 North Linn St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Tapas/Small Plates, American
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Nodo Downtown

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#15. Nodo Downtown

- Rating: 4.4/5 (158 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5 South Dubuque St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: New American, Delis, Sandwiches
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Mexico Lindo Grill & Cantina

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#14. Mexico Lindo Grill & Cantina

- Rating: 4.4/5 (26 reviews)
- Address: 1857 Lower Muscatina Road Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Mexican
-

Maggie's Farm Wood-Fired Pizza

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#13. Maggie's Farm Wood-Fired Pizza

- Rating: 4.4/5 (158 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1308 Melrose Ave. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Desserts
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Pullman Bar & Diner

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#12. Pullman Bar & Diner

- Rating: 4.4/5 (716 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 17 South Dubuque St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Diners, Bars, Breakfast & Brunch
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Estela's Fresh Mex

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#11. Estela's Fresh Mex

- Rating: 4.4/5 (112 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 184 East Burlington St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Mexican
-

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Barrett's Quality Eats

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#10. Barrett's Quality Eats

- Rating: 4.5/5 (80 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3242 Crosspark Road Coralville, Iowa
- Categories: Bakeries, Cafes, Delis
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The Dandy Lion

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#9. The Dandy Lion

- Rating: 4.5/5 (202 reviews)
- Address: 111 South Dubuque St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: New American, Breakfast & Brunch, Coffee & Tea
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Saigon's Corner

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#8. Saigon's Corner

- Rating: 4.5/5 (100 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 201 South Clinton St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Vietnamese
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Cr锚pes de Luxe Caf茅

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#7. Cr锚pes de Luxe Caf茅

- Rating: 4.5/5 (147 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 309 East College St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Creperies
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Sushiya

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#6. Sushiya

- Rating: 4.6/5 (260 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 745 Community Drive Ste A North Liberty, Iowa
- Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars
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Ramen Belly

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#5. Ramen Belly

- Rating: 4.6/5 (83 reviews)
- Address: 1010 Martin St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Ramen
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Nodo

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#4. Nodo

- Rating: 4.6/5 (157 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 600 North Dodge St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: American, Wraps
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I Love Fufu

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#3. I Love Fufu

- Rating: 4.8/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 230 East Benton St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: African
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Mammitas Coffee Food & Catering

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#2. Mammitas Coffee Food & Catering

- Rating: 4.8/5 (76 reviews)
- Address: 224 South Linn St. Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Latin American, Florists, Cafes
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Island Vybz

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#1. Island Vybz

- Rating: 4.9/5 (43 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Iowa City, Iowa
- Categories: Caribbean, Food Trucks
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This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 327 metros.

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