Food & Drink in Moline
Cold Stone Creamery
45% Off Ice Cream at Cold Stone Creamery
Ice cream in a wide variety of flavors mixed with fruit, candy, and cookies atop a chilled stone in front of customers
Iowa City
50% Off Mexican Cuisine at Los Portales
Iowa City
$14 $7
Shrimp chimichangas, huevos rancheros, nachos, burritos and hard- and soft-shell tacos
$11 for Mexican Food at Casa Tequila Authentic Mexican Grill
Multiple Locations
$20 $11
Fajitas, quesadillas, and more than 50 types of margaritas made from scratch with super-fresh ingredients
Up to 56% Off at Gumby's Pizza
Iowa City
$38.96 $17
Specialty pizzas made with fresh handmade dough; signature Pokey Stix smothered with cheese and garlic; wings in one of seven tangy sauces
Up to 50% Off at Quinton's Bar & Deli
Multiple Locations
$20 $11
House specialties include grilled-cheese burgers, bread-bowl potato soup, loaded potatoes, and cocktails with house-made ginger beer
45% Off at El Cactus Authentic Mexican Cuisine
Multiple Locations
$20 $11
Menu includes steak Colorado topped with El Cactcus's special red sauce, vegetarian entrees, and seafood specialties such as pescado relleno
Half Off Tea and Scones at Leaf Kitchen
Iowa City
$14 $7
Steaming pots of cream tea pair with freshly baked scones and fruit jam during afternoon teatime
45% Off Mexican Food at El Cactus Authentic Mexican Cuisine
Coralville
$20 $11
Chicken breasts in chocolate mole sauce, breaded steak milanesa, and enchiladas stuffed with chorizo and potatoes
50% Off American Food and Steakhouse at House of Lords
Best Western Cantebury Inn & Suites
$40 $20
Restaurant and pub serves prime rib, shrimp diablo linguine, blackened ahi tuna, steaks, and beer-battered cod amid medieval decor
Half Off at Pub Food and Drinks at J&A Tap
North Liberty
$10 $5
Craft drafts complement burgers, pizzas, and nibbles in pub with two volleyball courts and weekly live music and karaoke
Up to 51% Off Pizza and Beer at Bulicek's Deli & Brew
Cedar Rapids
$24.50 $12
Diners drink tall-boy beers or sodas while eating chicken-bacon-ranch or other specialty pizzas and watching sports on several flat-screens
Up to 45% Off a Large Pizza at Sykora Bakery
Czech Village
$20 $11
Supreme, taco, and veggie combos or build-your-own options at a century-old Czech bake shop
$10 for American Food at Scott's Family Restaurant
Cedar Rapids
$20 $10
Omelets, seasoned potato skillets, and hot sandwiches covered with housemade meatloaf and gravy
Quiznos – 50% Off Toasted Sandwiches
Cedar Rapids
$4 $2
Meats, cheeses, and vegetables piled on sandwiches or rolled into wraps crisp and melt when toasted in an oven or on a grill
51% Off Pub Food at 101 Gastropub
Cedar Rapids
$38 $19
Gourmet bar food and rare whiskey are a standard pairing at the pub; the drink menu is anchored by nearly 30 kids of scotches and whiskeys
50% Off Soul Food at Iowa Soul Food Market
Cedar Rapids
$41 $20.50
Each diner can eat one meat, two sides, and one corn muffin
50% Off Coffee Drinks and Beans
Galena
$20 $10
The coffee is roasted to impart one of many flavors, including whiskey, marshmallow, pumpkin spice, and bacon
50% Off Tastings at Rocky Waters Winery
Hanover Illinois
$24 $12
During private wine tastings, winemakers serve seven samples and answer visitors' questions
$6 for Italian Food at Jimbos Jumbos
Pekin
$12 $6
Cooks serve hot Italian meatball sandwiches and bake pizzas available by the slice
Up to 57% Off Wine Tastings in Muscoda
Orion
$22 $11
Award-winning winery produces 30 wines and offers wine tastings and hillside views from the patio
Up to 50% Off at Badger Bros Coffee
Platteville
$5 $2.75
Tea, smoothies, italian sodas, and lemonade join a variety of coffee-based drinks, including the Rabid Badger!, a high-caf, flavored latte
Half Off Tour at Minhas Micro Distillery
Monroe
$20 $10
Follow a distillery guide behind the scenes, sample handcrafted spirits, and head out with a 750mL bottle of vodka and branded sampler glass
Up to 50% Off Chinese Food at Quick Wok
Quick Wok
$10 $5.50
Popular Chinese dishes such as mongolian beef, orange chicken, and general tso's chicken
45% Off at Bahia Mexican Restaurant
Northeast
$20 $11
Seafood specialties such as octopus in spicy sauce and whole red snapper complement classic tacos, enchiladas, and drinks
Half Off American Food at Shooter's Bar & Grill
Rockford
$40 $20
Restaurant within a bowling alley flips hamburgers, dips wings in sauce, and bakes large pizzas
Half Off Billiards and Drinks
Signal Hill
$10 $5
Players wash down Pepsi products during one- or two-hour sessions of billiards at a café with 17 tables
50% Off Pub Food at Mr. J's Bar and Grill
Loves Park
$20 $10
Build-your-own burgers with blue or american cheese; delicate lake perch with soup or salad; hawaiian pizza with pineapple and jalapeño
Select Local Merchants
As a fun slideshow demonstrates, The Little Chocolatier’s staff hand makes an array of treats that fall into four categories: candy, chocolates, nuts, and popcorn. Their handmade chocolates pack white boxes with slabs of english toffee, nut clusters, and mint fluffs spread across trays of assorted chocolates. The team also fills bags with fresh-popped popcorn covered in caramel and cheddar.
The same venue that hosts weddings and upscale dinners also welcomes established comedians and rock bands, making First Avenue Club a go-to destination for all manner of events. Inside, a full-service bar overflows with 12 draft beers, 40 bottled beers, and a wealth of mixed drinks. Further behind the scenes, the kitchen fires up hearty entrees such as roast pork loin and baked cod.
2011's Firecracker 500 Festival serves up more than 20 eclectic garage-rock groups bent on rocking an all-ages-audience's socks off over three thrash-filled days. Bands such as White Mystery and Pitchfork-reviewed quartet The Coathangers kick out jams with riot-grrrl grit, and headliners The Strange Boys shred psychedelic hooks sharper than Jimi Hendrix's diamond-tipped mustache-trimmers. The festival's full roster of up-and-coming acts can expose most attendees' ears to new shrieks and sounds.
Sweets and Treats floats an armada of sugar vessels with its sizable menu of classic candies and handmade desserts. Handcrafted treats ($0.50+), such as cherry-pistachio bark, fudge turtles, and dipped Twizzlers and cookies, provide hassle-free alternatives to jousting vending machines for their bounty. Jellybeans in more than 40 flavors ($0.50–$16) jubilantly bounce into mouths from single-serving sizes, gift boxes, or freestanding jelly trees. Handmade truffles from Marion, Iowa, include flavors such as raspberry, amaretto, mint, and irish cream ($3). Behind the counter, Sweets and Treats’ friendly staff members stand at the ready, offering able assistance with life-changing dessert decisions.