Sanctuary Pub — Restaurant in Iowa City

Been on a nice long road trip and stayed at a hotel close by. Ordered a pizza and salad for the family. It was close to closing so I called asking if I was even able to order and would have completely understood if it was too late to pick up a pizza (30 mins till closing). He definitely sounded frustrated stating he was behind but wanted to take the order. He said it was going to be ready in 25 mins (which didn't sound backed up). It was chilly out so my husband picked up...thank goodness because he ended up waiting another 20 mins for the food (I would have just appreciated being told wait time would be 45 mins which would have been fine)

The pizza wasn't great but the salad was disappointing. I'm sorry to complain because it looked yummy but the salad was sandy and gritty ...the greens needed to be washed bbaaaddd. Also they need to charge more for their food. Our XL specialty pizza was side salad was $15 bucks... how in the world are they staying in business... if salad was cleaned , and quality of toppings on pizza improved (crust tasted fine)... definitely needed to charge more. The salad was only $1.99 and was worth $3 but. If they thew in a little more and an egg ...could get $5.

I would have still paid $22 for what I received. They didn't have the dressing I preferred. I guess I was let down after reading reviews. If you read this review and order...at least you know a little more of what to expect. Had to toss salad because I didn't feel like eating dirt and grit. Just ask for it to be washed if ordering. And ask for a realistic completion time...

This is hands down my favorite bar. I absolutely love Sanctuary. The space itself is gorgeous and comfortable with hardwood floors, wooden benches, and two areas of cushy chairs. The patrons are quiet and respectful -- not like a library or anything, but not a rowdy bar full of TVs and obnoxiously loud (and bad) music. They always have great music playing at a nice volume in the background from a variety of genres.

The selection is so good!! They always have a good range of quality from Guinness to truly special and hard to come by brews like Toppling Goliath's King Sue or Central Water's Peruvian Morning. They also have a well rounded baseline of beers that they always have like Lagunitas IPA, Old Rasputin, Weihenstephaner Weisse, and Boulevard's Tank 7. They've also been getting some exciting brews coming from some newer local breweries that have been very impressive.

I really cannot recommend this bar enough. It's hard for me to consider other bars after coming here -- at least in the Iowa City area. Though, I don't know of any bars anywhere else that come close to the standard...

I’ve lived in the Iowa City area for almost 25 years and Sanctuary has always been one of my fave spots in town. The husband and I hadn’t been there in years and decided to have dinner there for old times’ sake. Let’s just say, were left thankful for the memories,

The good news first: the customer service was good and the live music was engaging. The food? Less than stellar.

To begin with, the menu presented in person was drastically different than what was posted online. The waiter let us know that the restaurant recently underwent a management change, but that provided little comfort for my gluten-free eating husband. The appetizer listed as Buffalo Cauliflower was simply cauliflower doused in balsamic vinegar. Our main courses (a veggie GF pizza and a sandwich) took nearly 45 minutes to come out.

Here’s hoping Sanctuary regains its former luster but we’ll wait another five years or so...