- Sep 13, 2002
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Hungry Hobo and Rudy's are two locally popular places I just can't understand.
Hungry Hobo is crap lunchmeat on white bread - blech. And Rudy's is like Taco Bell only more Americanized. Both suck immensely.
CR vs QCA: restaurants
- Thread starter srams21
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Hungry Hobo is crap lunchmeat on white bread - blech. And Rudy's is like Taco Bell only more Americanized. Both suck immensely.
Agree there are a ton of Pubs and Bars to get food at but there is a gigantic void of true Sports Bars in the QC. Sports Fans is as good as it gets for Sports Bars but there are no other places that have a true Sports Bar "feel" in my opinion. The Public House is a wonderful place but no food and rather small.. same with Pub 1848 (which has kind of gone down hill). The Mound is better now that it has Big Mouthz next to it but still no great Sports Bar feel any where other than FansI don't eat in CR, so can't do a good compare and contrast. Friends of mine who have lived both places complain that CR leans to heavy on chain restaurants, even more so than the QC.
I will say this about the QC dining scene though - way, way, way too many sports bars and pub food entrants and not enough good ethnic and original concept ideas.
A few of my faves:
I'm sure I'll have some more thoughts, if you couldn't tell, this is one of my favorite topics and I have the waistline to prove it!
- I don't think any metro area in Iowa can compete with the QC for cheap-but-delicious Mexican food. My personal favorites are La Finca in downtown Davenport and La Rancherita in uptown Rock Island, but there are literally a dozen or so very good options were you can get a delicious and filling meal for less than $10.
- For Asian food, my go-to is Lemongrass in Moline for Thai and Tantra in Davenport for Chinese. The new Thai place in downtown Rock Island also has very good food, especially their Khao Soi curry. The sushi scene here sucks now that chef Henry left - pretty much only cheap-o buffets and mediocre faux "upscale" sushi bars.
- Pizza - QC style pizza is a love-it, or hate-it proposition. I personally love it, and you have to admit not many areas this size have their own, homegrown pizza style. My favorite remains the original Frank's in Silvis, but honorable mention to Fat Boy's in central D-port.
- Upscale - my favorite is Hemisphere's Bistro (formerly Red Crow). Always unique stuff on the menu and an amazing wine list. Blue Ribbon Steak House is very good, but not super unique (like pretty much any other upscale steak house in any city). I'm also a big fan of Crane & Pelican in LeClaire, it's a super unique dining experience housed in an old riverboat's captain's mansion and the ladies who run it are big farm-to-table proponents and have a small and ecclectic menu.
- Bar/Pub/Sports Bar - Almost too many to mention, and most are average-at-best. I do like Steel Plow in Moline. The food is also very good at Front Street Brewery in Davenport, but good luck getting a table on the weekend.
Still haven't tried La Finca.. will have to give it a shot. Also haven't tried Los Comprades.. have you? Any good?
Pizza - I don't mind QC Style pizza but I just can't do the rabbit turd sausage. Everyone who has arguments about which QC style place is better would all lose blind taste tests because they're all the same. If I had to chose between all of the QC style places and Casey's, I'd go Casey's every time. As mentioned, I think Sports Fans has quality pizza (just no sausage for me!
Bar/Pub -> Will have to try Steel Plow. Heard good things but haven't made it to that side of Moline yet. Agree on Front Street, good food/impossible to get a seat. Barrel House is getting a little over saturated and menu is big but they have some stuff I do like
Shout-out to Village Corner Deli.. place is awesome.
Yes! To this day, I never understood the thing with Rudy's. Handfuls of shredded cheese, thrown on the food then placed in microwave. You'll be lucky to not find a hair. How this place has the coolest building in the Village is beyond me.
I don't mind the Hobo but don't search it out
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Yeah, anyone who likes Hungry Hobo has never been to Village Corner Deli. Hell, chains like Cappriotti's and Jersey Mike's are way better than the GryBo.Agree there are a ton of Pubs and Bars to get food at but there is a gigantic void of true Sports Bars in the QC. Sports Fans is as good as it gets for Sports Bars but there are no other places that have a true Sports Bar "feel" in my opinion. The Public House is a wonderful place but no food and rather small.. same with Pub 1848 (which has kind of gone down hill). The Mound is better now that it has Big Mouthz next to it but still no great Sports Bar feel any where other than Fans
Still haven't tried La Finca.. will have to give it a shot. Also haven't tried Los Comprades.. have you? Any good?
Pizza - I don't mind QC Style pizza but I just can't do the rabbit turd sausage. Everyone who has arguments about which QC style place is better would all lose blind taste tests because they're all the same. If I had to chose between all of the QC style places and Casey's, I'd go Casey's every time. As mentioned, I think Sports Fans has quality pizza (just no sausage for me!
Bar/Pub -> Will have to try Steel Plow. Heard good things but haven't made it to that side of Moline yet. Agree on Front Street, good food/impossible to get a seat. Barrel House is getting a little over saturated and menu is big but they have some stuff I do like
Shout-out to Village Corner Deli.. place is awesome.
I haven't tried Los Compadres - will put it on the list.
I actually like the "sausage pillows" of QC style pizza, especially if it's made with the spicy italian variety. To each their own...........
I don't get the hype for Barrel House. It's, well, OK. Just another bar food place, IMO.
Has anyone in this thread tried the new restaurant Ruby's in Davenport? I haven't yet, but seeing tons of positive comments on Facebook.
Opened Friday. I’ll wait a while to go.
Viva at Current was good for trendy tacos and chips/salsa.
Cafe D Marie is supposed to be good.
Village Deli is amazing
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And one more thing (I'm on a roll and fired up!):
While in the past it was certainly true that QC Style pizza places dominated the metro area, that really isn't the case any more. If you don't like the style, you have TONS of other options, and not just crappy national chains.
Some to try:
While in the past it was certainly true that QC Style pizza places dominated the metro area, that really isn't the case any more. If you don't like the style, you have TONS of other options, and not just crappy national chains.
Some to try:
- Tony's Pizzeria in Moline - very, very authentic Chicago style deep dish and Italian beef sandwiches. The owner got his start at a Chicago pizzeria. I guess they opened a second location in Davenport as well, but I haven't tried it.
- Crust. Personally, I'm not a huge fan as I don't care that much for the style (Eurpoean style Siscilian pies) and think it's a bit overpriced, but some people love it.
- Van's - Good, tavern-style thin crust. Not QC style, especially due to more tomato-y sauce.
- Falbo Brothers - Same as the Iowa City location, for the most part. Tasty.
- 11th Street Precinct - sure, it's known more for its amazing unbreaded tenderloins, but they make massively underrated woodfire pizzas.
- Pagalo's - Speaking of very good woodfired pizzas, this place in Milan makes very good ones too. And has awesome gelato, to boot.
- Alfano's - Previously mentioned in this post by another, I personally don't think it's as good as Tony's, but it is pretty good deep dish, Chicago style. Others swear by their thin crust, I've never tried it.
- Antonella's - The closest you will get to NY style thin crust in the Quad Cities. Is it as good as a great NYC pizzeria? Nope. Is it still very tasty? Absolutely.
- Your Pie - This is one of those trendy new "create-your-own", fast-casual places. I haven't tried it yet.
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Haha, no. I just have a good memory for food I've eaten in the past. I really should be a restaurant reviewer.
I've also heard that about Cafe D Marie and Viva but haven't eaten there yet. Been to the new rooftop place but just for drinks. I live downtown so will have to make it a point to try it out sometime soon!
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Cafe D'Marie was by my old office, ate there for lunch often.
Super good food, super nice people, but it can feel a bit disconcerting because you are literally eating inside the owner's house.
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Sounds about right. I might quibble a bit on the fine dining, there are quite a few more places in and around the QC I didn’t mention, and it is a larger metro area.
Rudy's tastes like being back in high school. I can't help but love it. They have added a lot to the menu in recent years too. Hungry Hobo probably uses cheaper meat than any sandwich place around.
Tony's has a crust that is cornmeal, so more like Geno's East. They just reopened the one in Davenport and I will go back to it after it's been open a few more weeks. I love Antonella's too. Both their thin and Sicilian Pan are very good.
We had Falbo's Saturday and it is solid. My family liked Your Pie. I don't think it was as good as Crust but the speed and picking out your own toppings was a pretty good idea...plus the gelato that comes with it!
We don't eat Van's often, though good, it just isn't very filling.
- Sep 13, 2002
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In Cedar Rapids you have to include Leonardo's pizza. It's very good.
Fine dining is really lacking in CR since Daniel Arthurs closed and the chef from Vino's opened his own restaurant. Popoli. Which isn't as good as Vino's was for some reason but it's not bad either. Winifreds is still pretty good.
Fine dining is really lacking in CR since Daniel Arthurs closed and the chef from Vino's opened his own restaurant. Popoli. Which isn't as good as Vino's was for some reason but it's not bad either. Winifreds is still pretty good.
I'm not much on eating out in CR nowadays (I'm the poorest guy on this board), but I still utterly love Zoey's Pizza. When they opened, I lived kitty corner to it in downtown Marion and literally was one of their first customers the day it opened. Nowadays, where I live in CR makes getting there a half hour ordeal.
I miss it greatly. I ate it weekly for roughly a decade straight. A two minute walk across the street. Never once had a bad pie. Nowadays, lucky to eat it once a year...but it's still great pizza, and unchanged since they opened.
I also enjoy going to Naso's...maybe it's nostalgia considering my age and the fact I grew up on the place, being a block away, but they still make a good pizza. Been going there for 40+ years.
I also like Joensy's tenderloins. Not the best location, not the best ambiance...but I eat one of their hubcaps about once a month and while it's no A-1 St. Olaf's Tap TL, it's still pretty good and an excellent value. Fold it in half...yummy.
A buddy who lives near the Starlight Lounge and we go there for their burgers once in a while. Nothing fancy, but again - the same burger I've eaten for 40 or so years now.
I miss it greatly. I ate it weekly for roughly a decade straight. A two minute walk across the street. Never once had a bad pie. Nowadays, lucky to eat it once a year...but it's still great pizza, and unchanged since they opened.
I also enjoy going to Naso's...maybe it's nostalgia considering my age and the fact I grew up on the place, being a block away, but they still make a good pizza. Been going there for 40+ years.
I also like Joensy's tenderloins. Not the best location, not the best ambiance...but I eat one of their hubcaps about once a month and while it's no A-1 St. Olaf's Tap TL, it's still pretty good and an excellent value. Fold it in half...yummy.
A buddy who lives near the Starlight Lounge and we go there for their burgers once in a while. Nothing fancy, but again - the same burger I've eaten for 40 or so years now.
Yep. Ate there a month or so ago...excellent, although it took a half hour for my eyes to adjust to the dark.
One of my best friends in high school is the nephew of the guy that opened/owns it so he worked there in high school and the first couple years of college. He'd always make himself a pizza before he got off work, then bring it to wherever our group of friends were hanging out. It was pretty effin awesome getting free Zoey's all the time/csb
Barrel House for Burgers in Davenport, Fish and Chips too.
Is Stevingtons good at anything? I hear steaks maybe?
Duck City!!
Oriental Food Store in Davenport. Best PHo ever!
Tons of good Mexican in the area.
The Valley Inn for Reuben’s and Tenderloins
Is Stevingtons good at anything? I hear steaks maybe?
Duck City!!
Oriental Food Store in Davenport. Best PHo ever!
Tons of good Mexican in the area.
The Valley Inn for Reuben’s and Tenderloins
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I like Little Bo's in Czech Village for tenderloins. So much better than Joensy's. Not as big, but better. Talking about it, I might go get one today
I do think it's a very good restaurant, but there menu can be a little to eclectic for me. I really enjoy fine dining also.
They make a dish that's basically a hot beef sandwich except instead of beef it's a breaded tenderloin. Tasty.
Agree on Leonardo's and previously mentioned Sweet Basil's...not a huge fan of Need, it's not bad just never understood the raves about it.
The area lost it's best place a few years ago when the Lincoln Cafe in Mt. Vernon closed, I think that place was on another level.
I think it's pretty close. I think QC has more overall but CR has it in a few categories.
I think variety of pizza and ethnic places goes to CR. Need Pizza and Tomasos are hard to beat although sounds like QC is improving on variety.
Sports pubs, Mexican joints, and burgers go to the QC.
Fine dining and steaks might be the tiebreaker. Might be a very slight edge to CR.
Delis and sandwich shops might be a slight edge to QCA though.
Late to this party, but me and my wife (D-port native, no pic) think Cedar Rapids crushes QC on food options...
Thai: Siamville
Mexican: Super Burrito, El Bajio, Los Compadres, La Cantina, etc. (BTW, Waterloo has a place that's best in Iowa)
Asian: Wasabi or Sushi House or Phong Lan
Italian: Vino's or Popoli
Breakfast: Mikhael's, Breakfast House
Indian: Taste of India, Taj Mahal
BBQ: Q Doggs...end of story.
Pizza: Need Pizza, Leonardo's, Roscoe's, etc.
Thai: Siamville
Mexican: Super Burrito, El Bajio, Los Compadres, La Cantina, etc. (BTW, Waterloo has a place that's best in Iowa)
Asian: Wasabi or Sushi House or Phong Lan
Italian: Vino's or Popoli
Breakfast: Mikhael's, Breakfast House
Indian: Taste of India, Taj Mahal
BBQ: Q Doggs...end of story.
Pizza: Need Pizza, Leonardo's, Roscoe's, etc.
You can't talk CR Mexican food without mentioning La Guanajuato on Center Point Road. It's a little grocery store that also has a kitchen/dining area. Their food is absolutely PHENOMENAL. Legitimate Mexican food.
Also, for the CR folks, check out Freshwraps on Mt. Vernon Road. Delicious.
Definitely. Primavera and Mexicano are good random grocery store spots in Moline for lunch and I like racherita in rock island. What's your tops on iowa side? I go to agaves a lot with friends but I feel it's gone down hill a lot the last few years
Lafinca, the spot on the old carlos o'kellys, el mexiccano has the best horchata around.
Forgot about them. Had a great plate of Carne Asada tacos there when it was just opened and my older girl danced in that studio by it. Good stuff.
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