Restaurants in Cedar Rapids

OK, not your uncle. "Bob's your uncle," a century-old British slang phrase, refers to anyone with a bright future, and if Executive Chef Sal Hnesh's previous endeavors are any indication, this restaurant can most certainly count "Bob" among its kin. Renowned for his pizza, Chef Hnesh, a 20-year veteran of the Iowa City culinary scene, hurls dough sky-high before peppering fresh ingredients across thin, medium-thick, pan, or stuffed-crust pies. The menu oscillates from gourmet pizza to homestyle comfort fare such as wisconsin tuna cakes and roast beef served on gravy-smothered sourdough. Gluten-free options are available, as are housemade desserts and freshly baked slices of apple pie.:m]]

Fiery red paint splashes the walls of Casa Tequila Authentic Mexican Grill, creating the illusion of heat. Sizzling plates of fajitas emerge from the kitchen, fanning the flames with soft tortillas and hot strips of chicken. Nearby, grilled T-bones and rib eyes amplify the warmth with spicy jalapeños and ranchero sauce. Like most of the menu’s selections, these dishes are made from scratch using super-fresh ingredients. To lower the temperature, barkeeps craft margaritas that are cooler than an iceberg wearing an Elvis wig. Available in a variety of flavors and sizes, these drinks showcase a lineup of more than 50 tequilas. Diners can also enjoy their meals at outdoor tables, amid refreshing breezes and the shade of patio umbrellas.

With a menu loaded with pizzas and calzones, cheesy breadsticks, and flavorful wings, Gumby's ovens satisfy voracious cravings into the wee hours of the morning. The pizza makers start each day by making mounds of dough by hand, which they decorate with more than 15 inventive toppings, such as alfredo sauce, chicken tenders, and feta cheese, to create specialty pizzas and personalized pies. The same hand-tossed dough serves as a foundation for their famous Pokey Stix, which are smothered in garlic butter, Italian spices, and heaps of mozzarella and parmesan cheese, then cut into strips exactly the length of Abraham Lincoln's foot. To complement the bubbling pizzas, buffalo and boneless wings can be tossed in tangy barbecue, honey mustard, sriracha, or one of four other sauces.

Nominated for Best Family Restaurant on CityVoter's 2011 A-List, Steamboat Garden has been serving up affordable family food since 1933. Today, guests at the boat-shaped restaurant can peer through its bright red portholes to watch as the friendly staff fills tables with steaks and seafood, breaded pork loin sandwiches known as Tug Boats, and seven incarnations of a signature hamburger that has been a Falls Avenue favorite since the 1940s. Between bites, diners sip old-fashioned floats made with 1919 draft root beer and then send instant photos of their empty plates to mom by accessing the restaurant's WiFi with a laptop or aluminum foil helmet.

Spearheaded by a duo of cousins, Pita'z fuses traditional Lebanese flavors with American dishes. The meeting of culinary traditions yields burgers draped in gyro meats, pitas crowded with philly cheesesteak fixings, and cowboy ballads that rhyme “tzatziki.” The chefs also extend their culinary services to catering for large parties and gatherings.

The chefs at Sam's Pizza spend 60 minutes with each Chicago-style pie. They stuff its double crust with mozzarella, fresh toppings, and good intentions before baking it to a golden brown. Toppings for the Chicago-style and thin-crust pies range from the traditional (sausage or mushrooms) to the novel (gyro meat or nacho chips). The chefs at Sam's Pizza also concoct their own marinara sauce, ladling it onto calzones and platefuls of spaghetti.:m]]The chefs at Sam's Pizza spend 60 minutes with each Chicago-style pie. They stuff its double crust with mozzarella, fresh toppings, and good intentions before baking it to a golden brown. Toppings for the Chicago-style and thin-crust pies range from the traditional (sausage or mushrooms) to the novel (gyro meat or nacho chips). The chefs at Sam's Pizza also concoct their own marinara sauce, ladling it onto calzones and platefuls of spaghetti.:m]]