Iowa
The ultimate Iowa City game-day guide of places to eat, drink and root for the Hawkeyes
The Hawkeye ‘Wave’ brings hope to healing kids
The Hawkeye ‘Wave’ brings hope to healing kids
Zach Boyden-Holmes, Des Moines Register
Fall Saturdays in Iowa City are more than just raucous football games and large tailgates. A long history of game-day traditions attracts nearly 70,000 to Kinnick Stadium, and the downtown corridor and beyond is a thriving hub for foodies, locals, and tourists alike.
The 2024 football season begins Saturday, Aug. 31, when the Iowa Hawkeyes host the Illinois State Redbirds.
Here are a few establishments the Iowa City Press-Citizen recommends when in town for a football game, whether you’re looking for a hearty breakfast, a celebratory dinner, or the perfect place to bask in game-day ambiance.
Restaurants that are a short trek from Kinnick Stadium
Details: Stella, 1006 Melrose Ave., Iowa City
Steps away from Kinnick Stadium, Stella is a contemporary spot that combines American classics with Cajun fare. It is also one of Iowa City’s most vegetarian-friendly establishments, serving game-day spirit in a reinvented atmosphere and offering a variety of black bean burgers.
Details: Sidekick Coffee & Books, 310 1/2 Melrose Ave., Iowa City
Less than a 15-minute walk from Kinnick Stadium, Sidekick Coffee & Books is a vibrant hub in the University Heights neighborhood. The café boasts a robust menu, perfect for all occasions from lattes and smoothies to quiche and scones and yogurt parfaits, whether browsing the bookstore or before game day.
More: Where to find five of the best places to drink in Iowa City
Where to cater your Hawkeyes tailgate in Iowa City
Details: Graze Gourmet To-Go, 345 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City
Whether you are hosting a tailgate at Kinnick or watching the game at home, consider ordering in. The restaurant often collaborates with University of Iowa teams to provide game-day nutrition for athletes, but the restaurant also takes care of the community. The food at Graze Gourmet is designed to be taken to-go, as hinted in its name, by creating a menu of classic takeout items with a surprising array of options. Pizza, chicken lips, tacos, Mexican fried rice, and dim sum green beans are a few of the standouts, perfect for a game-day celebration.
More: Downtown Iowa City Dubuque Street construction is on track to be finished by September
Restaurants that are worth the wait before the Hawkeyes play in Iowa City
Details: Micky’s, 11 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City
Located in the heart of downtown, Micky’s has been a game-day tradition serving Iowa City for more than 30 years. Opening at 8:30 a.m. on Saturdays, the local pub is the perfect spot to swing by for breakfast before the game, though it is also open until 2 a.m. for a late-night bite. Lines can be long, but the food and energy are worth the wait.
Details: Donnelly’s Pub,110 E. College St., Iowa City
The downtown corridor is packed on game day, but Donnelly’s Pub is well worth the wait. Donnelly’s Pub has a wide selection of beer and whiskey but also boasts a robust traditional pub menu from burgers to Irish stew and one of the best Reuben sandwiches in town. Donnelly’s is a good stop before the game or even as a place to hunker down and watch.
More: From falafel to pupusas: Iowa City’s top rated restaurants according to Yelp
Where to find a quick game-day bite in Iowa City
Details: Kindred Coffee, 287 N. Linn St., Iowa City
Kindred Coffee, located on the north side, is the place to go if you want something quick and easy. The coffee shop is best known for its specialty brews, from espresso tonics to classic lattes. Kindred Coffee also has a small but mighty breakfast menu, perfect for eating on the way to the game.
Details: The Encounter Café, 76 S. Clinton St., Iowa City
The Encounter Café first opened its doors in August 2017 and has become a premiere brunch spot in the seven years since. There are plenty of brunch options, from homemade pastries to breakfast burritos and skillets, whether you are keener on sweet or savory. Diners can either sit and eat or take their food to go while walking to Kinnick.
Where to watch the Hawkeyes game in Iowa City
Details: 2 Dog’s Pub, 1705 S. First Ave., Iowa City
For folks unable to make it to Kinnick Stadium or those who just want to avoid the crush of fans on Saturdays can venture outside of the downtown corridor for a variety of options, including 2 Dog’s Pub, one of the top spots to catch every Hawkeye touchdown. You’ll surely not miss a single play with TVs showing the game on every wall, whether home or away. With more than 20 beers on draft and an expansive menu filled with elevated bar eats such as wings and burgers, 2 Dog’s Pub has something for everyone.
More: The Press-Citizen has compiled a list of best patios in the area, here’s what made the cut
Details: Big Grove Brewery 1225 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City
With plenty of seating inside and out, Big Grove Brewery’s Iowa City taproom is one of the best places to watch Saturday’s game. Known for its Easy Eddy hazy IPA, Big Grove offers dozens of TVs and even a projection screen for viewing pleasure, and a bar anchored by a rotating list of Big Grove’s well-regarded beers. The food menu is rather expansive as well. The brewery’s regular watch parties often include DJs on the ones and twos during commercial breaks.
Details: 30 Hop, 900 E. Second Ave., Coralville
Located in the Iowa River Landing, the rooftop brewpub and restaurant offers an immaculate array of craft beers, a full bar, and a food menu. The atmosphere is top-notch, with dozens of TVs on the rooftop, perfect for watching the Hawkeyes win.
Details: Coach’s Corner, 749 Mormon Trek Blvd., Iowa City
Coach’s Corner’s Instagram bio refers to itself as the “The #1 place to catch a game in Iowa City!” Located on the west side of town, Coach’s Corner is a quintessential sports bar serving classic bar food fare from wings to a variety of sandwiches that will make you want to come back time and time again.
More: From shakes to soft serve, here are the 10 best ice cream spots in Johnson County
Classic eats for the early birds before a Hawkeyes game
Details: Bluebird Diner, 330 E. Market St., Iowa City
Want to get to Kinnick as early as you can? Bluebird Diner is perfect for fans looking for a high-quality breakfast. Open at 7 a.m. daily, it is the ideal place to fuel up before kickoff, serving classic diner breakfast and lunch from open to close.
Details: Hamburg Inn No. 2, 214 N. Linn St., Iowa City
The Hamburg Inn No. 2 has been a cornerstone in the Iowa City community for 90 years. Last year, the joint found new life and has remained a favorite under new ownership since it reopened on Homecoming weekend. Enjoy classics from The Hamburg Inn No. 2 like Hamburg Inn pie shakes, fried chicken, celebratory cups of bottomless coffee, or the classic Presidential Breakfast with two eggs your way, hash browns, sausage or bacon, and toast. Since reopening, the Hamburg Inn No. 2 often has long wait times even on non-game days, so come early to secure a spot.
More: Here’s where to find some of the best fried chicken in Iowa, from Balltown to Donnellson
Where to find late-night bites in Iowa City
Details: George’s Buffet, 312 E Market St., Iowa City
If you are looking for a place to kick back after the game, try George’s Buffett. The bar serves late-night bites including cheese sandwiches, hot nuts, chips, and cheeseburgers on its limited-food menu. These are the perfect re-up after any long day.
More: Discover the 6 best burger restaurants in Iowa City, from gourmet to classic delights
Details: Sanctuary Pub, 405 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City
Sanctuary Pub has been an Iowa City mainstay since 1972. Reminiscent of a traditional British pub, the bar emulates its namesake, being a sanctuary for a welcoming place to enjoy the company of others over good food and drinks. The restaurant has a menu rooted in classic bar fare, with elevated options like baked brie and vodka shrimp. The restaurant is open until 11 p.m. on weekends; it is a great option after a long day to refuel.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and business reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_.
Former Iowa State center Audi Crooks has committed to Oklahoma State via the NCAA Transfer Portal. She has one season of eligibility remaining.
Crooks made 99 appearances and 95 starts during her three seasons at Iowa State. She averaged 25.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game this past season, while shooting 64.9% from the field. Additionally, the 6-foot-3 star shot 1-11 from 3-point range.
Crooks played a leading role for the Cyclones from the moment she stepped on campus. She is a three-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection and two-time All-American. On April 2, Crooks announced her intention to enter the transfer portal.
“Cyclone Nation, thank you all for embracing me and showing up to Hilton every single game day. I’ve met so many of you out in the community, and I will cherish all of the genuine connections that I’ve built during my time at Iowa State,” Crooks wrote. “Words cannot fully express how grateful I feel to have called this place home.
“I want to thank my teammates for their friendship and all the great memories. … I still believe the grass is greener where you water it, and I’ve done that here.”
Now, Audi Crooks will aim to thrive in her new environment. Oklahoma finished the 2025-26 season with a 24-10 overall record.
The NCAA Transfer Portal officially opened on April 6 and closes on April 20. The new 15-day window was enacted following a recommendation by the women’s basketball oversight committee. Athletes don’t have to commit to a new school by the April 21 deadline.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
Five people were shot and injured at an Iowa City pedestrian mall near the University of Iowa campus overnight, police said Sunday. Students from the university were among the injured, according to school officials.
The Iowa City Police Department responded to a report of a large fight in the 100 Block of East College Street at 1:46 a.m. early Sunday, the department said in a news release. Arriving officers heard gunfire.
Multiple victims were hospitalized, police said. Police confirmed to CBS News that one person was in critical condition, while the other four victims are stable.
University of Iowa President Barb Wilson said in a statement that three students were among those shot. None of the victims has been publicly identified.
No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. Police said they are seeking information about five “persons of interest associated with this shooting.” The university also shared the request for information.
The pedestrian mall was closed for several hours and reopened Sunday afternoon.
Here are the candidates for High School on SI’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for April 13-18. Read through the nominees and cast your vote.
Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. PT on Sunday, April 26. The winner will be announced in the following week’s poll. Here are this week’s nominees:
Taylor Roose, Pella boys track and field
Roose competed in three events at the Norwalk Invitational, winning all three in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and long jump.
Daxon Kiesau, Urbandale boys track and field
Kiesau swept the throwing events at the Norwalk Invitational, taking first place in the shot put and the discus.
Alex Burger, Southeast Valley boys track and field
Competing at home, Burger dominated, earning four gold medals. He won the 400-meter hurdles and the long jump while running on the winning 4×200-meter relay and shuttle hurdle relay.
Kolby Hodnefield, Clear Lake boys track and field
Hodenfield, a defending state champion, broke the meet, venue and school record in the 200 and the 400 at the Clear Lake Invitational. He added victories as part of the 4×100 and 4×400 relays. Both relays also set meet records.
Easton Moon, North Polk boys tennis
Moon has started off his senior season on the courts unbeaten, winning all four matches while dropping just one game in 44 played.
Ava Lohrbach, Gilbert girls golf
One of the top golfers in the state, Lohrbach has had a hot start, firing a 35 in her nine-hole debut and a 72 for her 18-hole opener.
Nathan Manske, Algona boys golf
An elite quarterback and basketball player, Manske is showing his golfing skills this spring, coming out with a state-low 30 in a nine-hole event.
Ella Hein, Tipton girls track and field
Hein set school records in the 400-meter run and long jump at the Tiger/Tigerette Relays while also locking in the Blue Standard and qualifying for the Drake Relays. She won the long jump (18-6) and was second in the 400.
Maeve Bowen-Burt, Iowa City High girls track and field
The sophomore helped the Little Hawks land three Drake Relays events on the last night of qualifying, advancing in the 400 hurdles, along with the sprint medley and 4×400 relays.
About Our Athlete of the Week Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.
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