Joseph's Steakhouse — Restaurant in Iowa City

I have lived in Iowa City for three years and have always heard great things about this steakhouse. We finally went yesterday and if I could sum it up in one sentence, it would be that this place should not be called a steakhouse. I have had far better steaks at St. Burch and The Webster and it is not even close.

We had a 9:30 pm Friday reservation, arrived on time, and were seated right away. The first thing I noticed was how freezing cold it was. Other nearby tables also commented on it, and some even left right after finishing their meals. One positive was that the tables were spaced out and not crammed together.

Service was okay but slow, which was surprising since we were one of the only parties left by that time. Our server apologized for the wait. The ordering experience felt mid-tier. We were in and out in an hour, which was disappointing because I had expected a more paced and refined dining experience.

For an appetizer, we ordered the Wagyu Carpaccio. The flavor was good, but the crackers were some of the hardest, driest, stalest things I have ever eaten. I only finished them because I was starving. At that point, my partner and I were already joking that we should have just gotten the onion rings.

We both ordered steaks. I had the Wagyu Sirloin for $49 and my partner had the Ribeye for $65. They came out surprisingly fast, but our excitement faded as soon as we saw them. My partner’s ribeye looked like it had been boiled with barely any color or crust, while my steak did have a nice crust. Both were ordered medium-rare, so I am not sure what went wrong.

Unfortunately, the cold dining room meant our food started cooling quickly. My steak was extremely chewy, and I ended up eating it with the mashed potatoes just to mask the texture. The quality of the meat seemed fine, but whoever cooked it did not do it justice. My partner did not finish his ribeye because it was chewy and had an odd brine flavor. The three spears of asparagus on the plate were tough and hard to chew.

The mashed potatoes were fine, but nowhere near the best in town. Drinks were also just okay. We skipped dessert entirely because we did not want to risk another letdown.

The bill came to over $200 with tip, and we left wishing we had stayed home or gone to The Webster or St. Burch instead. We are not the type to complain in a restaurant, but by the end we just wanted to leave. Unless something drastically changes, we will not be...

In reality, it’s closer to a 4.5, but let me share our experience! We made reservations for the day before Valentine’s. We were greeted at the door and then they took our coats for us and sat us in a semi-private area. Our waiter, Peter, was with us shortly and was so enthusiastic. He made you feel like somehow you were taking a journey with the food, which we loved. He was not pushy to hurry us at all, but never made us feel like we were waiting for him. We started our meal with the smoked pork belly appetizer which was delightful. We followed that up with seafood bisque and a wedge salad. Let me tell you—my favorite blue cheese dressing ever! Not too strong, very smooth. The croutons were clearly house-made and very good as well. Then, my husband and I both ordered the ribeye with the upgraded whipped potatoes baked with cheese. So worth the upgrade! (Side note—the menu says no substitutes, but you can sub sides. However, they up-charge these things, which is to be expected at a place like this, but it’s worth mentioning.) One of us had the asparagus and one the mushrooms as our other sides. Both good choices. The steaks were good—but honestly, not a $49 steak. It was tender and very marbled, but it lacked a little in the flavor department. It was cooked to order quite well though. Not over- or under-done. The wine sauce was good, but also not super flavorful or abundant. We finished off with a couple of desserts. Apparently the oatmeal pie with cinnamon gelato is the most popular thing there, so we got that and a chocolate cheesecake. Honestly, these were the least impressive parts. The oatmeal pie was sweet and was fine, but not to mine or hubby’s taste really. The chocolate cheesecake was smooth and also fine, but it wasn’t very chocolatey, and it was clear that the berries came from being frozen—at least that’s how it looked. It seems like a place like this with such high quality food should at least have fresh berries with the cheesecake, not frozen. Call me picky! Anyhow, our overall experience was good and we’ll probably go again. If you plan to experience Joseph’s, make sure you are prepared to pay! The steaks are not priced as they are sold at market value which continually changes. By the time we tipped, the bill was about $200...

DINNER REVIEW

One of the best meals as a family we've had in a long time. We came here to celebrate my sister's graduation from the University of Iowa and luckily we had a reservation (they were also asking for credit cards to hold reservations given how highly-desired this place was for graduation night).

SETTING: Classic steakhouse vibes with a dimly-lit bar, tall/soft chairs, and several people beyond the main waiters running around filling waters and clearing tables. That's what makes me think of a nicer steakhouse.

FOOD: What I love about Joseph's is that you can get high-quality steakhouse food and service at a reasonable price, especially compared to where I'm used to going in Chicago and Boston. The 16 oz. ribeye I ordered was $36 and it could easily have been $60 in the cities I just mentioned.

Our steaks came with a soup or salad so I started with the seafood bisque which was warm and creamy and very flavorful. Can't remember many seafood bisques I've had to compare it to but I liked this soup.

Then came the main event, the ribeye steak. I don't often cook red meat for myself at home so this was a nice treat. It was a boneless ribeye that was cooked to a perfect medium rare and covered in a red wine demi glace. We paired it with the Boursin Whipped potatoes (a MUST GET), the Brussels sprouts and bacon (think shaved Brussels sprouts), and the mushrooms (small mushrooms, not sliced). We got the large versions of each of the sides which were, again, very reasonably priced but they weren't too big. It was perfect for my family of four but if you had more people, I would definitely get two orders of the Boursin Whipped potatoes.

We were too full for a big dessert but my sister really wanted creme brûlée so we got dish of it (only $3!). We all tried a bit and it was some of the best I've had.

If you are in Iowa City and looking for one of the nicest dinners in town, look no further...