Wildwood Iowa City — Restaurant in Scott Township

We've been to Wildwood but it was 5 or 6 years ago and due to its location we often forget about it. My husband and I were looking specifically for a couple sides and this restaurant came to mind. The only side they didn't have that we wanted were the sweet potato fries.

We went on a Sunday evening and it was quiet. This was nice because we personally don't like a lot of noise (whether a music act or music blaring.) When we remember to eat here again we will be sure to pick the same evening.

We ordered the cheese curds appetizer and two meat platter with pulled pork, brisket, baked beans and corn nuggets. It come with a slice of Texas toast. Brisket ($1) and corn nuggets ($3) are an upcharge. Still economical. The cheese curds were phenomenal! They were fluffy almost like air with a cheese taste. Towards the end of our meal, when they cooled off they were firmer but expected. The two meats were tasty, just enough smoke and not a lot of spices. We'd rather put the sauce on for flavor. They offer jerk, Carolina, sweet, spicy and original. We preferred the original and sweet. The baked beans were more spicy and smoky than we like but that is a personal preference. We also enjoyed the corn nuggets. Suggestion to Wildwood...get some sweet potato fries on the menu - that would be perfect. :)

The plates are rectangle metal dishes. I did not care for silverware on metal sound (like fingernails on a chalkboard.) I will ask for the parchment paper liners they have when they serve their food. That will help.

Seating (at least on the first floor) is barstool height. They did have 3 folding tables on the dance floor but there wasn't an event or music so it worked.) Any other time I don't see an option for a person in a wheelchair height. The 2nd floor is only accessible by stairs.

We'll be back to try more sides and...

This place is a hidden gem! After a long day up at the University of Iowa hospitals, my husband and I were tired and hungry and still had an hours drive just to get home. We came across a Longhorn Steer picture on a restaurant highway sign just 2 exits from the hospital. After taking the exit and pulling up to the restaurant we initially thought it was closed. We went inside and were hit right away with the wonderful aroma of bbq, the huge dance floor and stage, and a western look throughout. Posters on the wall showed that this was a regular venue for a large variety of bands. There were no bands last night but music played softly in the background. Surprisingly we were the only customers! Our waiter let us pick out a table and after a great conversation with him about what was good there, we were ready to order our food. Everything was reasonably priced. I had the half rack of ribs with sweet sauce, French fries, 2 pieces of cornbread, and 2 pieces of Texas toast and my husband had the pulled pork sandwich with tater tots. I immediately put half of my food into a to-go box, because the meal was so substantial. (Our youngest daughter thanked us later for that 😉). The food was amazing! The meat was so tender and there were about 6 to 8 sauces to choose from. The french fries were perfect and the cornbread was out of this world! I don't know what the recipe was but I wish I had it! It was more like a muffin and almost dessert like. My husband said that his meal was just as good!All in all, the best meals we've had while eating out in a very long time. We are planning on making Wildwood a regular stop in our travels to Iowa City...

It's sooooo close to being an amazing place.

Let's start with the food: AMAZING.

Whether you're a seasoned pro or new to BBQ, this is your place. The meat is fresh and tasty. The sides are delicious and actually taste homemade and cooked, not prepackaged and just warmed up.

Now for the areas of improvement. First, the place doesn't really market itself along I80. What would be way sweet is a giant metal sign on fire (imagine a Longhorn skull with giant flames behind it!) People would swing by just out of curiosity.

Next up: the parking. It's sub-par. Not enough handicapped spots and the ones they do have they allow roadies, regulars and idiots to park in. Not cool.

After that, the seating sucks. The space is too small. And because they make you reserve tables, you're either in the moshpit or crossing your arthritic legs hoping that there's a wall somewhere you can lean up against. It'd be awesome if they'd take a moment to realize that not all of their fans are young, able-bodied individuals.

Lastly, I don't need to be hustled into buying a concert poster for $30 that probably only cost the place a couple of bucks to print. Let's say the quiet part outside: when the show is going on just let fans snag them first come, first serve. It's great PR for the place. It's beyond tacky to see a worker taking them down during the show and then going around trying to sell them.

Overall, given that it's one of the few places in Eastern Iowa with regular shows, it gets the job done with really, really good food but not without some issues that I really feel would be easy to address and improve.

Will definitely keep...