The food was good, service was OK but the Bloody Mary was awful! Just plain old tomato juice with no discernible alcohol. The interior is pretty stark but truly diner-esque.
Joy S.
We have been waiting to come here for 8 months. Every time we have passed by, they were busy. Today we went early and we sat right down. At first the restaurant wasn't loud - it wasn't busy either but within the hour, patrons were standing at the door. We were served right away and the waitress was amazing. Steak and Pancakes were good, biscuit were fresh and the gravy was different. We might come back here at some point but it won't be the next place we try. And the atmosphere was just right.
Robert K.
Food is pretty good. (But servers need to pay more attention sometimes) Don't order the ice cream. It's MUSHY. Turn that hideous Country music off. Nobody wants to hear a Chris Stapleton BLOWOUT. that 'music' is absolutely ATROCIOUS. Up until today, the atmosphere has been great. They played 80s music there and the people were pretty nice. Just one time, there was kind of a rude, seemingly self-important hostess, who was kinda bossy to me. i know it was a busy Saturday, so i just 'took it', and tried to enjoy my day. There are a few servers who GET EVERYTHING RIGHT and a few who don't seem to care. It's upsetting when they don't pay attention: like forgetting my toast, or not adding ingredients to a dish like i had asked for, or getting mushy ice cream, or whatever. i always tip 8.00 or more, because i just want a nice sit-down meal and get going. i wish i knew their names. There are Luke 5 super excellent servers, and from now on, i may ask to sit in their sections. Hopefully, i can do this. i want to say it's great about 60-70% OF the time, depending on who my server is. i already gotta pay for parking, i just wish i didn't have to sit down and listen to country music or Chris Staplwton, and have a server mess up my order.
Travis H.
If you're in Iowa City and want a great American Diner, I'd highly recommend the Bluebird Diner. From the street you can see it has that classic 1950's diner vibe and upon going in, you'll see it matches. The service was fast, and the food was amazing. I'd highly recommend their eggs. They are farm fresh and seriously the best tasting eggs I've ever had. One person in my party had a huge sandwich that was made with Portabella mushrooms. She said it was amazing. Great prices as well.
Margaret M.
Delicious food. Great service. Quick service. Be warned that it is a popular spot and can have quite the wait if you go at a popular time.
Paige S.
Great diner, but some people come here specifically because their menu lists that they have something that is gluten free. Please don't put something on your menu if you don't have it regularly enough. We came specifically for the gluten free pancakes (on their menu) and were told they didn't have any.
Mark S.
Great food!! Love this Iowa City Staple! Amazing atmosphere and family friendly restaurant!!!
Greg B.
Traveled to Iowa City to dine at The Webster. Wasn't that impressed, but the next morning we found The Bluebird Diner...and so glad we did! Homey atmosphere, great service and inventive breakfast. Try the Krakatoa Omelette or the St. Blue breakfast sandwich (with egg foo young). Great coffee and we even bought a couple of mugs for souvenirs. Within walking distance of cool shops. Definitely a spot to try when you are in Iowa City!
Ben E.
Good food, fast service, easy place to meet with a fast paced college vibe. Very good value
Madeline H.
This place used to be one of my family's favorites, but we've had consistently negative experiences the last few times we've dined here. Food always comes out lukewarm (if not cold), eggs are overdone, and the service is slow.
It pains me to write this review! We plan our drive trip from CO to IL and back, which we do several times a year, around breakfast at the Bluebird. SO disappointed this visit. My usual eggs Benedict was over cooked, very light on the hollandaise sauce. Don't know what they sprinkled on top, but it was spicy. Hash browns were only cooked on 1 side, and therefore NOT crispy as requested. My husband had the famous cinnamon roll French toast which he dreams about and it was under cooked in the center. We asked the hostess (not our server) for more coffee, her response: your server will be with you shortly! Everyone has an off day, I guess, or maybe a new cook, but not up to the Bluebird's usual high standards.
Suzanne H.
Well wow. Very disappointing visit. What's happened here? I got my usual--the eggs on top of polenta. There was NO pork on this dish. None. Plenty of green sauce. Eggs cooked well. Potatoes absolutely awful. Cold--no seasoning--ugh. It was 11:30 am but for a "breakfast all day" place, that shouldn't matter. What the heck? Was this a one off or a trend? Not sure I'll be back--I hate eating empty calories. Total drag.
Josh S.
Very cool interior and the food was great! Our waitress was prompt and made sure we were taken care of.
Andrew S.
Don't go during rush hour. Saw another review saying there were "8 kids behind the counter" and that was definitely true. There were 10 or so college students on wait staff, and 4-5 standing around at all times, with upwards of 8 standing at once. They have very specific roles and can't perform anything outside their role, as we saw people waiting at the entrance with open tables for over 5 minutes and 5 of them standing around just talking or looking. You might wonder how I had time to notice all this, but our food took about 45 mins to arrive, as the kitchen looked understaffed and backed up. Food was good though, so going during off hours will likely be a good experience. Better management would do this place well.
Ellis C.
Great food. The waitstaff seem to be mostly students and their service is good, nothing to complain about. The prices won't hurt you but the hungover Hawkeyes at Sunday brunch might.
The food was good, service was OK but the Bloody Mary was awful! Just plain old tomato juice with no discernible alcohol. The interior is pretty stark but truly diner-esque.
We have been waiting to come here for 8 months. Every time we have passed by, they were busy. Today we went early and we sat right down. At first the restaurant wasn't loud - it wasn't busy either but within the hour, patrons were standing at the door. We were served right away and the waitress was amazing. Steak and Pancakes were good, biscuit were fresh and the gravy was different. We might come back here at some point but it won't be the next place we try. And the atmosphere was just right.
Food is pretty good. (But servers need to pay more attention sometimes) Don't order the ice cream. It's MUSHY. Turn that hideous Country music off. Nobody wants to hear a Chris Stapleton BLOWOUT. that 'music' is absolutely ATROCIOUS. Up until today, the atmosphere has been great. They played 80s music there and the people were pretty nice. Just one time, there was kind of a rude, seemingly self-important hostess, who was kinda bossy to me. i know it was a busy Saturday, so i just 'took it', and tried to enjoy my day. There are a few servers who GET EVERYTHING RIGHT and a few who don't seem to care. It's upsetting when they don't pay attention: like forgetting my toast, or not adding ingredients to a dish like i had asked for, or getting mushy ice cream, or whatever. i always tip 8.00 or more, because i just want a nice sit-down meal and get going. i wish i knew their names. There are Luke 5 super excellent servers, and from now on, i may ask to sit in their sections. Hopefully, i can do this. i want to say it's great about 60-70% OF the time, depending on who my server is. i already gotta pay for parking, i just wish i didn't have to sit down and listen to country music or Chris Staplwton, and have a server mess up my order.
If you're in Iowa City and want a great American Diner, I'd highly recommend the Bluebird Diner. From the street you can see it has that classic 1950's diner vibe and upon going in, you'll see it matches. The service was fast, and the food was amazing. I'd highly recommend their eggs. They are farm fresh and seriously the best tasting eggs I've ever had. One person in my party had a huge sandwich that was made with Portabella mushrooms. She said it was amazing. Great prices as well.
Delicious food. Great service. Quick service. Be warned that it is a popular spot and can have quite the wait if you go at a popular time.
Great diner, but some people come here specifically because their menu lists that they have something that is gluten free. Please don't put something on your menu if you don't have it regularly enough. We came specifically for the gluten free pancakes (on their menu) and were told they didn't have any.
Great food!! Love this Iowa City Staple! Amazing atmosphere and family friendly restaurant!!!
Traveled to Iowa City to dine at The Webster. Wasn't that impressed, but the next morning we found The Bluebird Diner...and so glad we did! Homey atmosphere, great service and inventive breakfast. Try the Krakatoa Omelette or the St. Blue breakfast sandwich (with egg foo young). Great coffee and we even bought a couple of mugs for souvenirs. Within walking distance of cool shops. Definitely a spot to try when you are in Iowa City!
Good food, fast service, easy place to meet with a fast paced college vibe. Very good value
This place used to be one of my family's favorites, but we've had consistently negative experiences the last few times we've dined here. Food always comes out lukewarm (if not cold), eggs are overdone, and the service is slow.
Restaurantji Recommends
It pains me to write this review! We plan our drive trip from CO to IL and back, which we do several times a year, around breakfast at the Bluebird. SO disappointed this visit. My usual eggs Benedict was over cooked, very light on the hollandaise sauce. Don't know what they sprinkled on top, but it was spicy. Hash browns were only cooked on 1 side, and therefore NOT crispy as requested. My husband had the famous cinnamon roll French toast which he dreams about and it was under cooked in the center. We asked the hostess (not our server) for more coffee, her response: your server will be with you shortly! Everyone has an off day, I guess, or maybe a new cook, but not up to the Bluebird's usual high standards.
Well wow. Very disappointing visit. What's happened here? I got my usual--the eggs on top of polenta. There was NO pork on this dish. None. Plenty of green sauce. Eggs cooked well. Potatoes absolutely awful. Cold--no seasoning--ugh. It was 11:30 am but for a "breakfast all day" place, that shouldn't matter. What the heck? Was this a one off or a trend? Not sure I'll be back--I hate eating empty calories. Total drag.
Very cool interior and the food was great! Our waitress was prompt and made sure we were taken care of.
Don't go during rush hour. Saw another review saying there were "8 kids behind the counter" and that was definitely true. There were 10 or so college students on wait staff, and 4-5 standing around at all times, with upwards of 8 standing at once. They have very specific roles and can't perform anything outside their role, as we saw people waiting at the entrance with open tables for over 5 minutes and 5 of them standing around just talking or looking. You might wonder how I had time to notice all this, but our food took about 45 mins to arrive, as the kitchen looked understaffed and backed up. Food was good though, so going during off hours will likely be a good experience. Better management would do this place well.
Great food. The waitstaff seem to be mostly students and their service is good, nothing to complain about. The prices won't hurt you but the hungover Hawkeyes at Sunday brunch might.