Orchard Green Restaurant and Lounge — Restaurant in Iowa City

We had very high expectations going in after having read all of the raving reviews. High expectations have often led to disappointment for us but Orchard Green did not let us down! It was amazing! We decided to head downstairs to the lounge so that we could try the burgers and sandwiches. Here’s the rundown of what we got and what we thought:

Crab cakes: small but heavenly! And crammed FULL of tender crab (not a bunch of fillers). The sauces and flavors on the plate were the perfect complement to the crab. A fantastic start.

Artisan cheese board: I wish I could buy every sauce they had on that platter, the flavors were rich and unique and fantastic paired with the yummy cheeses and breads.

Lobster squash bisque: exactly what you expect, creamy and comforting.

Caesar salad: the only disappointment we had. We love Caesar salad but we felt like this Caesar dressing was lacking in flavor to our personal tastes. But lettuce was crisp and the garnishes were perfect for a Caesar salad, especially the yummy crisps for croutons.

OG Burger: Amazing! One of my favorite burgers I’ve ever had. So much flavor in the meat (which can be such a miss at some restaurants), and the flavor of everything on it was wonderful. Loved having it on focaccia bread. The fact that you can get a burger this beautifully made for $6 on Thursday nights (half off) blows my mind. We will be back for that.

Cheesesteak sandwich: I could smell the amazing flavor before I even bit in—SO good! The meat is tender, it was not a disappointment in any way.

Oatmeal pie: I had never had an oatmeal pie before. I was happily surprised and enchanted with it. It’s VERY sweet and very delicious. The texture where the caramel crystallizes on the bottom crust is heavenly. And the vanilla bean gelato had a very genuine vanilla bean flavor to it, a perfect pairing with the pie.

Peanut butter mousse: not very sweet so it’s richness really comes from the flavor of the peanut butter and chocolate and not a bunch of extra sugar, which I liked. Very smooth and creamy. It was room temperature which surprised me for some reason, we decided to take it home and try it chilled.

Conclusion: we WILL be back. Excellent in every way. And the staff was incredibly kind and...

My girlfriend and I went to Orchard Green for a nice romantic dinner on a Saturday night and thoroughly enjoyed our experience. Emma the host was so very helpful when I called twice in advance to modify our reservations and was very understanding to accommodate our changes.

The two bartenders in the very cozy downstairs lounge were very friendly and professional and provided great service before we went upstairs for our meal. The Tuaca Lemon Drop and Expresso martinis were superb. My girlfriend especially loved the Expresso chocolate martini and even I thought it was great when I normally don't like coffee flavored drinks.

Our dining room waiter, Sebastian, was extremely professional, courteous, and polite, and he provided impeccable service. Sebastian was very knowledgeable about the menu, gave us excellent recommendations,and was able to accommodate our special requests. Our polenta and escargot appetizers were excellent. Our sea scallops and cowboy ribeye entrees were delicious. The cowboy ribeye was a huge 18 ounces and we had to take a portion home with us . The potatoes with the ribeye entree were so good that we requested an extra portion to go with our meals.

The decor, atmosphere, and ambience of both the downstairs cocktail lounge and the upstairs dining room were excellent. The dining room provided a great romantic experience. We went to Orchard Green to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday and the staff made the visit incredible. Orchard Green has been the best high end dining experience in Cedar Rapids Iowa City Corridor. The professional, very friendly, and accommodating staff with a beautiful decor, along with the excellent food made all the difference and will have us returning to Orchard Green on a regular basis...

This was a wonderful and memorable dining experience for celebrating my birthday. For those who like a reason to dress up and go out, you wouldn't feel at all out of place with it's beautifully paneled walls, dimmed lighting, linen tablecloths, napkins and wine glasses waiting for you. We didn't know that, yet there was no turned up nose at our more casual dress. The music was also classy and just the level to compliment and not compete with conversation.

And then there was the food. Wow-- This chef takes pride in his work! Everything was fresh, beautifully presented, and as pleasing to the tastebuds as it was the eye. (Note: if you don't like your foods to touch, you'll want to make that known when you order.) For a restaurant of it's class, the prices were very reasonable, too.

Most choices were in the $25-30 range. My husband had a pork chop which was tender, juicy and delicious while I chose the braised duck, which was the same.The only thing that would have made it better for my taste, was if the skin had been crispy, but this way I wasn't tempted to eat it all...which is a good thing in my case. : ) Breads and salads did need to be ordered as appetizers/sides but both meals came with two sides. We had the crab appetizer, which was beautiful and delicious, and the focaccia, which was very fresh.

Since it was my birthday, they generously treated me to a complimentary dessert. We chose the flourless chocolate torte which was once again, beautifully presented and delicious!

All told, highly recommend! Don't go though unless you have time for a leisurely meal. This is...