St. Burch Tavern — Restaurant in Iowa City

I recently made online reservations at Saint Burch Tavern, and from the moment we arrived, we were warmly greeted and promptly shown to our table. We were seated in the basement area known as “The Den,” which offered a cozy atmosphere with its corner booth, red lighting, and playful decor—perfect for our celebration.

Our server was attentive from the start, quickly taking our drink orders and offering thoughtful appetizer suggestions. With a party of four celebrating a birthday, we had the pleasure of sampling several dishes from the dinner menu.

We started with oysters on the half shell, which were fresh and delicious. I highly recommend trying all the sauces—they each added a unique touch to the oysters. For the main course, we tried the Maine lobster and gulf shrimp sandwich. While I would have preferred it on a split hoagie roll instead of the brioche bun, I appreciated the distinction between it being a seafood sandwich rather than a lobster roll. Regardless, it was an impressive dish. The prime rib Philly sandwich was another highlight, especially with the caramelized onions and horseradish cream sauce.

The lobster mac & cheese quickly became a table favorite, generously filled with chunks of lobster. The birthday girl chose the lake walleye, which was beautifully presented and equally delicious. For dessert, we indulged in the campfire sundae, a delightful treat reminiscent of a warm, gooey campfire marshmallow combined with graham cracker and ice cream—absolutely delightful.

Overall, Saint Burch Tavern exceeded our expectations and provided a memorable dining experience. My only minor critique is that being seated near the women’s bathroom, we repeatedly heard the door slam loudly, which was a bit disruptive. However, I’m confident it’s an easy fix.

We’ll definitely be returning soon, especially to explore their happy...

What can I say, St. Burch Tavern is the hands-down best dining experiance in Iowa City. And for numerous reasons. To begin, our Server Carter was absolutely amazing! Great personality, and outstanding service. What ever they are paying it is no where near enough. Good service is hard to find. But his service is a rarely seen bordering on legendary peak of professional perfection, mixed with the exact amount of humor, knowledge, and expertise. Thank you for the incredible service Carter! Next is the food. We got the rosemary shrimp appetizer, which was a savory tastebud tingling masterpiece. For the entrée we both had the lobster pasta, which was incredible as well, my only downside is that we had it after the appetizer, which made the entrée taste almost bland in comparison, however it was still a delightful tasty artfully down piece of culinary masterpiece. We both paired our meal with a selection of their red wine, I had the malbec and my partner had the red blend, both very delicious wines, with rich depth of flavor and a lasting finish. For desert we shared the campfire sundea. And that was so very good and a perfect end to the meal. The price, though more expensive than other places (the entrée was $35 alone) was worth every single penny. Would i eat there again? Absolutely. The decor is on point, whether you choose to sit on the side walk patio, or prefer inside with the beautiful blend of light and shadow with cozy yet upscale pieces of art that make it feel almost as if your in a cozy tavern in a faraway place, wherever you choose to dine here you will not be disappointed. I would recommend this place to anyone who wants a bit of class, sophistication, soul healing food, and service that is way above the standard. Great job St. Burch Tavern! And give...

We had a great meal here while passing through. The atmosphere was fun and the staff were all very friendly. Even though fairly busy we were seated immediately. We walked by a fresh and amazing looking raw bar on our way to our seats. Oysters, shrimp, king crab on ice? Fresh? In the middle of the Heartland? It looked really good and I almost tried it but we didn't plan on staying long enough for me to enjoy it!

We ordered the chicken fingers and french fries, pick two Mac n cheese and Cobb salad, pork tenderloin sandwich and the mahi sandwich. My son loves chicken fingers but he devoured these and we actually ordered a second set since he plowed through them. They were coated in buttermilk, flour and a little bit of spice. The Mac n cheese was bubbling hot and creamy and delicious. The mahi was cooked perfectly and was moist and nicely blackened. It was served with a bright, relish aioli and was served on a brioche bun. It came with chips, fries, a salad or salmon chowder. I had the chowder which was a white chowder with a nice amount of salmon and small diced potatoes and carrots. It was a little less creamy than I like but otherwise well seasoned and quite good.. The tenderloin was breaded, fried and huge! It came with chips or fries. It was super moist and served with lettuce and tomato also on a brioche bun.

Overall a superb meal and experience. The only reason I can't award a five is my wife asked for some ranch dressing for her Cobb salad and was only offered ranch dressing with Collabrian Chile. That is okay if you like spice but a customer should be able to get a side of regular ranch dressing if desired.

A very strong recommendation if you are looking for a significantly above average lunch or...