The Periodic Table — Restaurant in Grinnell

Where is anybody?!? Party of 3 walked in on 12/27/23 around 5pm when this place is advertised as open and out of approx. 30 indoor seats, only a party of 2 occupied the space. No employees of any kind front or back... all the tv's are off, half the lighting decor is off. Music playing in the kitchen area but no noise of any kind... if this is the norm then the lack of business is no surprise. Try again someday in the future & update if anything changes.

UPDATE: Tried again 2.5 months later on 3/7/24 just to end up with the same situation. Walked in at 12:20pm with the place empty. Went to use the restroom and came back and nothing had changed. No customers nor employees anywhere to be seen or heard. The place is advertised to be open at noon, and just like last time everything is off. Spent 5 minutes standing around the bar/dining area. Called out "hello" multiple times during the wait; As I left I called out: "I'm leaving since I've been waiting for over 5 minutes with no service" at the doorway. All this can be verified with the cameras they have inside. Ended up taking my money to the "Big Acai" food truck parked in their parking lot instead. I'll probably try one more time months later to see if service does exist and that's it.

2ND UPDATE: Visited for the 3rd time on 4/9/24 with success this time between 4:50pm-5:10pm. Had their Buddha Bowl & 1 craft from Backpocket, total came to $25. Little pricy but the...

The Period Table is under new management so we decided to try it for a quick happy hour last week. They were still reworking the menu so all the options weren't available yet but the appetizers were great. The menu had some nice vegetarian options for my wife which isn't always easy to find in Grinnell. Chef Paul even made a custom cheese pizza for my 8yo and he ate the whole thing! Alex (the mixologist) was tending bar and he was excited to tell us about the creations he had crafted. All of them played on the "Period Table / Science class" theme, one even changed colors as he mixed it, fun! More cocktails and mocktails are on the way he told us. Can't wait to go there again!

Definitely give this place and the new team a try. It's not the "old" Periodic...

Under new Managment and you can tell from day 1. From food, drinks and service, the Periodic Table has now prioritized all three and it shows. We love how they are incorporating science, drink and entertainment with their Tequila Catalyst. A fun libation with changing color that fits well on a menu full of niche and nostalgia. My high school science grade would have been much better with these professors/bartenders! The most positive change we experienced was the service. Isabelle not only made us feel welcomed but also had great recommendations on what to try. She was fast, consistent and runs a bar better than anyone in town. We felt like a neighbor popping in to say hi and winding up staying for drinks and dinner. 10/10 Highly recommend. And kudos to...