The editors of Reader's Digest named this diner the most iconic in Iowa. Find out where.
Every city needs an iconic diner. In Des Moines, that might be the Drake Diner with its breakfast all day, counter with stools, big booths and greasy spoon feel. In Ames, that could be the no-nonsense Grove Café. The Hwy30 Diner with its made-from-scratch comfort food stakes a claim in Cedar Rapids.
And in Iowa City, it’s the Bluebird Diner, at least according to Reader’s Digest. The magazine named Iowa City’s “finer diner” that specializes in “Midwest soul food” the most iconic in the state. The publication called Bluebird Diner’s menu “classic country cooking with an unexpected twist” and specifically points out the Krakatoa omelet stuffed with bacon, jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, and cilantro-lime cream cheese.
Jon Wilson and Thomas Connolly opened Bluebird Diner in the Northside Marketplace district of Iowa City in 2008 with breakfast all day, the restaurant's own coffee and dishes named for Indonesia’s Krakatoa volcano.
A busy Saturday or Sunday morning can pull in up to 500 diners with a line of customers out the door, waiting for a table.
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What's on the menu at Bluebird Diner?
Breakfast dishes are upfront and center on the menu. Diners can order Bluebird Huevos with smoked pork with green chili on Parmesan polenta with over-easy eggs, corned beef hash potatoes served with two eggs your way, and eggs Benedict with an optional crab cake.
The sweet side of the breakfast menu includes buttermilk pancakes, cinnamon roll French toast and Belgian waffles.
Burgers include the Krakatoa with pecan smoked bacon, jalapeño, and "magmatic" pepper jack cheese while sandwiches range from a Cuban with smoked Iowa ham and pulled pork, the Reuben with corned beef and sauerkraut topped with Swiss cheese, pulled pork, and the toad stool with a grilled Portobello cap. Ghost pepper aioli can make any sandwich a 10 on the heat scale.
Bluebird also has entrees such as red beans and rice, meatloaf, shrimp and grits, and ratatouille prima vera. Note that the restaurant also offers specials that “change frequently to reflect the seasons that characterize our charming state.”
Bluebird Diner sells its own specialty coffee. The restaurant also has cocktails, such as a mimosa, Bird Bath martini or Bloody Bird, as well as beer and wine. Diners can find Coca-Cola products as well.
For fun, diners can play a board game or color a sheet to enter a weekly contest.
Reader’s Digest based its ranking on “customer ratings, TripAdvisor scores, and local gossip to find the absolute best diner in every state.”
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Where to find the Bluebird Diner
Location: 330 E. Market St., Iowa City
Contact: 319-351-1470 or bluebird.cafe
Hours: Open from Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Bluebird Diner also has two locations of Bluebird Cafe, 650 W. Cherry St. #9, North Liberty, 319-626-2603, and 112 E. Main St., Solon, 319-624-2031.
Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Reader's Digest named Bluebird Diner in Iowa City most iconic in Iowa
