Bluebird Diner
| Address: | 330 E Market St, Iowa City, IA 52245, USA |
| Phone: | +1 319-351-1470 |
| Site: | thebluebirddiner.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 7AM–9PM 7AM–9PM 7AM–9PM 7AM–9PM 7AM–9PM 7AM–9PM 7AM–8PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 6
AS
Ashlei V.
I decided to visit this place on 11/8/2015 because it came highly recommended. I had the pleasure of sitting in the first seat at the bar next to a lovely couple. For those of you that dont know the bar faces the kitchen, the toaster, the register etc...you know a lot of the things you dont get to see at a booth or a table. Prior to looking at the menu, the cook caught my attention. He was coughing like he had every symptom of the flu and yet he was preparing the food. Next, I noticed there were packs of bread falling over the place next to the register. Which wouldnt be so bad but it became apparent that the waiters are suppose to make the toast for the meals and Well... None if them washed their hands, they werent wearing gloves, some of them even had money and debit cards in their hands while throwing toast on the plates. The couple next to me noticed my disgust and while they agreed with the lack of hygiene they assured me the food was worth it. I attempted to overlook it until, the cook went on a coughing attack and didnt bother to cover his mouth. The transfer of germs was so disgusting I just know if they have this level of disregard and lack of care in the places that customers can see, I just imagine whats happening in the places we cant see. After 10 minutes, I realized this place wasnt for me and I left. Now, Im not expecting anything perfect but someone who works with food and is sick should be sent home. And handling money and making toast simultaneously should not be a tolerated practice. Sitting receipts on top of bread slices before toasting should also be against the rules.
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A Private User
I went here with my girlfriend one afternoon for lunch. We were seated on the patio by the street and the service was fine as far as taking food/drink orders. The food was standard burgers/fries, nothing spectacular. What turned this from a 3 star visit, into a 1 star visit, is that a big dog (unsure of breed) came up to our table and proceeded to beg from us for our food. I looked over at the owners of the dog (only other people on the patio) and they looked over at us and said sorry but made no attempt to retrieve their dog. I asked our waitress about it she apologized and said oh thats just (whatever the dogs name was) hes the owners dog. The waitress dragged him away. A minute later he was right back at our table. I have 2 dogs, I love dogs, but I can have them beg from me at home, I dont pay money to go out to eat so a dog can beg from me there. I then threw the dog a fry to the sidewalk outside the patio, he went out nearly knocking a bicyclist off his bike. This did not get the owners attention. I then threw a fry to the street where the leashless dog walked out into the street and retrieved the fry. THIS did not get their attention. We had to put up with the dog the whole meal. Dont go here. If the owners dont care about their dogs behavior they most likely dog care about the quality of food or their customers.
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Matt Uhlman
This is the place to go if youre looking for a "local place" for a meal - especially breakfast! Im always impressed with the service and unique-to-classic offerings here. Its become our go to spot for weekend breakfast. Walls are ordained with interesting art and theyve started using items from a little antique shop across the way. Similar to Hamburg Inn, but rarely the wait and this place has equal flavor. Really good coffee. Huevos Epsteinos - chili verde with smoked pork served over parmesan polenta & eggs over easy, with hash browns = Awesome! The omelettes are unique and well thought out w/ new additions that are insane good. The Smoked Salmon omelette was amazing and the Cajun was legit as well! Cinnamon roll french toast and corned beef hash are both very good too. Dinner is tasty there as well. Never had Ratatouille prior to going there and Ill definitely be having it again after I tried it. Burgers are solid and for our buck, its one of our favorite places to go grab a burger and a glass of wine for a late dinner. Great mood lighting, good decor and plenty of menu options have made this our go to spot for a step up from diner food and a step down from fancy meal. - A must try for those who live in the city or are visiting. Well worth your time!
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A Private User
We go here for breakfast all the time. The place can get crowded on weekends, so prepared for a wait, and service can be slow. BUT it is worth it because the prices are very good, the place is clean, and the food is excellent. We love the atmosphere with the different mirrors, the outside eating areas in nice weather, the pretty and clean looking white china cups and plates. The pancakes are so good (try the banana or strawberries and whipped cream!), and the eggs are good too. The coffee is pretty decent too, although sometimes you have to wait awhile for a refill (the best, bottomless cheap coffee in my opinion is at Rileys in Cedar Rapids by the way...which also has the best seasonal pumpkin pancakes if you are lucky enough to be around for them!). So anyway go to the Blue Bird, it is a great place to hang out with family from out of town, bring the Sunday paper and sit back and enjoy a filling, tasty breakfast and an affordable check. The waitresses are always nice too and the place is well run. Just get there well before 1 pm if you want breakfast, be cause it seems to drive the owner crazy if you want breakfast and get there at the last minute. :)
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A Private User
I go to Bluebird 2-5 times a week for breakfast, and have been there probably 100 times in the last year. The service and staff are terriffic, and the owner-managers take their business very seriously. The breakfast itself is nearly always spot-on. I am baffled by the negative reviews posted by some. Perhaps another chance to please is in order? Blasting a small, local place with limited kitchen resources because they cannot serve breakfast 24/7 seems obtuse. So does blasting a place for a lost or missing order in the middle of a mid-morning Sunday, when there is typically a 45 minute waiting list for a table after church lets out. Breakfast is by far my favorite meal and I have eaten everywhere in town for the past 25 years. For breakfast I no longer go anywhere but Bluebird because of the food, the people, the quality of service, the fun atmosphere, and the venue. I highly recommend it and respectfully urge anyone who has had a negative first impression to give it another try.
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A Private User
I went to the Bluebird Diner with my boyfriend this morning for breakfast, and had high hopes for it since Id read a magazine article touting the experience of dining there. We were seated within a reasonable time-frame, considering it was around 10:30 am on a Sunday morning, but then we sat for over an hour waiting for our food, while those who were seated after us were served their meals, and left. Apparently something had gone wrong with our order, but we were never informed and I had to approach the manager after an hour of waiting and ask where our order was. He apologized and compd our breakfast, but even 20 minutes later when we were served, everything was cold (lukewarm at best in spots) except for my boyfriends omelet. I had ordered the huevos epsteinos, which would have been very good had they been served hot instead of room temperature. I was sorely disappointed.
