On a recent family vacation we stopped for lunch at Newton's Paradise Cafe in Waterloo Iowa. It was definitely a great place to stop and we plan on doing so again the next time we're headed through town.
Our overall rating was 4.63 Stars (out of 5 stars).
Here's how that breaks down:
Family Friendly: 5 Stars They didn't bat an eye when we brought in our big crew. It was a great place to bring kids.
Menu: 5 Stars It was simple, yet most of the menu looked really good and tasty. We'll want to try something new the next time we visit.
Taste of the Food: 4.5 Stars Everything we had were "classic diner" items, but they were great!
Appearance of the Food: 4.5 Stars
Restrooms: 4 Stars
Atmosphere: 5 Stars The classic diner feel was made complete with a huge spinning sign outside the main entrance. Everything inside was good too.
Service: 5 Stars Everyone was on the ball and they took great care of us.
Ethical/Sustainable: 4 Stars They claim that their food is locally sourced and many items were organic, but there just weren't any actual farms mentioned on their website or menu.
Pricing: Lunch entrees were $7-10.
Met with a couple friends at Kouri's Pub in Pekin over lunch. It was a fun time and I would definitely go there for lunch again.
My overall rating was 3.75 Stars (out of 5 stars).
Here's how that breaks down:
Family Friendly: 3.5 Stars It was fine while we were there, but one of my friends mentioned how it wouldn't be the best place for your kids all the time.
Menu: 4.5 Stars There were a lot of options that looked great. In the end I texted another friend who regularly goes to Kouri's to get his recommendation...
Taste of the Food: 3.5 Stars ... and I went with the Chile Garlic Boneless Oven Seared Wings. They were good, but not over the top amazing. The soup I had was also good, and the fries I 'borrowed' were good but not great.
Appearance of the Food: 3.5 Stars It looked good, but there wasn't much presentation to speak of (Maybe there's not a lot they can do with wings.)
Restrooms: 4 Stars
Atmosphere: 4 Stars They have a great hometown feel. The popcorn as a free appetizer is also pretty cool.
Service: 4 Stars
Ethical/Sustainable: 3 Stars It seemed made from scratch and genuine, but there was no mention of any sourcing.
Pricing: Most lunch items were between $6-10.
