Iron + Grain Coffee House — Restaurant in East Moline

In a continuing effort to try different coffee and tea shops around the Quad Cities, I cam across Iron + Grain Coffee House in a search on Google Maps. I'd noticed the Davenport location initially, but after a recent meal in Bettendorf realized that this East Moline location was a closer drive. I needed the tea really bad this afternoon, so off I went across the river for my fix.

I don't often get into East Moline for any reason and honestly, the last trips I've made there have been for reviews like this. I particularly glad I decided to come out this way today, as the general area around the coffee house and other businesses is really cool! The nearby Rust Belt advertises it was once home to an automobile manufacturing plant and is now a concert venue. Also nearby is Midwest Ale Works, another local craft brewer, and Jenny's Boxcar, a bright looking pub/restaurant. I need to get back here again - this whole redevelopment looks really neat!

Those first impressions were only further confirmed and cemented upon entering into Iron + Grain. The initial entry into the space is a bit closed off - a few tables to sit, some merchandise of to one side and a bathroom on the other...not much there. The much larger space off to the left of the entry is unique, though. Just about every place to sit looks different. There's some plush couches and chairs in one corner, a high table with accompanying stools for a larger group, and a pool table in the middle of it all, to describe a few. The floor is a plain concrete slab through the entirety of the space, while the ceiling plenum is open and displays the mix of rough wood 2x4s along the very top, large I-beams providing support, and HVAC ductwork running throughout. Lighting is minimal - there are a few strips of accent lights and two unique fixtures suspended from the ceiling at one end of the space. The walls add a further accent to the overall aesthetic not usually noticeable or important in other places - the brick on the wall containing windows along the building's facade is a mix of faded reds and browns usually indicate years of presence, while other walls are painted a plain white or black.

I mention all of this to say I really like the vibe of this space. There's some description online that describes the place as somewhere to have a meeting during the day or just otherwise relax. I definitely feel it being here - the mix of natural lighting and minimal fixtures keeps the place feeling comfortable, the music is soft Indie pop, and the chair I sat in was plenty comfy. I can definitely envision both doing remote work here or even getting coworkers here for an off-site hang-out.

For a beverage today, I opted for a hot tea, in this case a Republic of Teas Jasmine Green. I also got a fairly large chocolate chip cookie. The tea was standard for the offerings from Republic of Teas - it was a solid green tea that I'd easily get again, here and elsewhere. The cookie was probably a little big for what I needed and wanted this afternoon, but tasted great - definitely more on the biscuity side of cookies rather than the cake-y side. I ate about half and saved the rest for later. The barista was really nice and got my tea for me quickly.

All in all, this was a great experience today. I wish the space were closer to home in Bettendorf, but I definitely want to come back here soon. I'm looking forward to trying Jennie's Boxcar and Midwest Ale Works on a future visit to the area. Thanks Iron + Grain, I really like what...

Would be a lot better if this business didn’t allow customers to smoke cigarettes freely right in front of the door. Extremely irritating and frustrating, not worth visiting if you don’t wanna breathe in smoke. Just dumb. Also understaffed - like everywhere else seems to be. It shouldn’t take 20 minutes to make a drink, I feel bad for the employees that have to tolerate working here.

Edit: wanted to say I had to walk away from this business rather than getting into an altercation with individual’s who treat the ground outside as their personal ash tray. Yeah cause I wanna sip on my absolutely average $9 coffee while I smell the half lit cigarette butts discarded on the ground. Go here if you wanna waste your time and money lol and it still took another 20 minutes to get our coffee and I promise you I’m not exaggerating when I say it was 40 total minutes to get our order. There were 3 of us. How about you hire more staff if you’re gonna rent this place out for graduation parties, so you can at least serve your customers? Either that or close the door to regular customers, since they won’t be able to sit inside anyway, since it’s full of people who aren’t actually there paying for drinks? Confusing, annoying, irritating, and I’ve got enough stress in my life so I’ll pick another coffee shop next time I’m in town.

Edit: reported to the smoke free Illinois act. That...

Great Coffee, Great study and collaborative space. I think the Iron Grain site is the new best kept secret of the Quad Cities. It is basically in East Moline just past The Bend hotel on the west side of the road. There are large table spaces, couches, small tables, tall tables, and actually decent acoustics to talk and listen to chillax music. The staff was super helpful too! We were there when there were few people. I hope this review gets more people to visit. There is also a really cute boutique on one side which sells reasonably priced women’s clothing and gifts. I got a beautiful dress for $20.

In addition, there are other cute places here including a local brewery which my DH and I visited a month ago. Illinois is annoying because you have to wear the masks everywhere but don’t let that deter you from enjoying a great environment and great coffee and sandwiches. Parking is good and there is cute outdoor space to enjoy the...