One Twenty Six
126 E Washington St, Iowa City, IA, 52240
One Twenty Six Menu
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Address :
126 E Washington St
Iowa City, IA, 52240 - Phone (319) 887-1909
- Website https://www.onetwentysix.net/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 2:00pm
- Mon : 11:00 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Trendy, Romantic, Classy
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
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Dave Z.
My wife and I dined at One Twenty Six for our anniversary, and we will never be going back. We've been there a number of times before, and have never been impressed with the quality of the food relative to its expense, but we thought we'd give the restaurant another try because the menu seemed enticing. My wife's meal was cool and undercooked when it arrived. After some hesitation, she sent it back, only to have the en croute return 10 mins later completely mushy. When the server asked how it was, my wife was honest and said it was bad. This is where the meal went from "meh" to "never again." The server, (Aimee, if management ever reads this) said that we shouldn't expect much, because the kitchen was busy due to graduation. Shen then took away the plate while rolling her eyes, shaking her head, and flailing her arms in disgust - all in front of me; this was infuriating! I expect better service than this at any caliber of restaurant. The entree was comped, which was definitely appreciated, but the server's attitude never improved. I understand I should tip on the total price, including the comp, but the server left a note on the bill to remind me. Consequently, she got a minimal tip and a note back on the bill about her attitude; I also complained to the manager on the way out. The server could have made a disappointing meal better, simply by having a gracious attitude. Instead, she opted for disdain and indifference. For the price of the meal, service should be much better. Like I said, never again.
(1)Lauren M.
This place is awful. It has a dirty dining room, incompetent and rude servers who can't even be bothered to bring what you ordered, non existent drink refills and absolutely horrific food. I would rather eat at a gas station.
(1)Jake O.
My wife and I did One Twenty Six for our anniversary, and were extremely pleased. Great atmosphere in a fun part of town, but it's really the food that matters. Presentation is taken into consideration which is fun. I had Shrimp Etoufee and my wife had a chicken dish (Wasn't on the menu) that was absolutely awesome. It's fun to eat at a restaurant with actual chefs who are playing with their menu constantly! Just a few entrees offered at all times, which to me is a sign of quality over quantity. Portions are generous which is especially nice at a restaurant of this sort. All in all I had no complaints at all, excellent service and delicious food. Strongly recommended!
(5)Dave W.
My wife and I put this up their with Orchard green, and Linn street cafe as our favorite Iowa city restaurants. Maryland crab cakes and natural beef hanger steak are both excellent. Excellent wait staff and bartender. Great place for special occasions.
(4)Emily L.
The chicken bourguignon was excellent!
(4)Amy S.
Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! One Twenty Six blew my friends and me away with the fine dinner experience they provided for us last night. It was a cold, windy, snowy night and One Twenty Six was warm and inviting. We came inside and were immediately greeted with a smile and seated. There were others in the restaurant, but they weren't too busy. The restaurant itself made me feel like I was on the East Coast--in Boston or Baltimore. It is a little storefront, long and skinny, with big windows as is common out East. Our server got us waters while we got situated (we had heavy coats and lots of layers to navigate) and took our drink order promptly upon his return. Once we had drinks all around, along with soft warm bread, our server gave us his recommendations for appetizers and entrees, towering them for us, which I really appreciated (for example, he said he recommended entrees X, Y, & Z first, followed by A, B, & C, and he recommended M & N least). We ordered his top rated app and 2 of his top rated entrees. I should have taken pictures of our food! It looked as beautiful as it tasted! We tried the mushroom tart appetizer, which came with a small green salad, the hangar steak, & two of us had the pork vindaloo. It all was delicious! We capped the night off with the flourless chocolate cake and...oh my gosh, I'm having a brain fart. I can't remember what the other dessert was. I DO remember I loved it (side note: I am pausing to look up the best coffee shops in the area. Clearly I need a jolt!) The prices are a little high, with appetizers from about $8 - $14 and entrees from $20 - $32. We wouldn't be able to afford to come here often (not just because of the bill but also because I'd need to buy all new, larger pants from the huge, delicious meals here) but it's a wonderful little place for a special night.
(5)Brian C.
My grandson and I dined here after our annual golf outing. The atmosphere was very relaxing and quite and the service was excellent. I ordered the Lamb Ousso Bucco, my grandson went with the Étouffée and both dishes were delicious. I'd recommend it highly to anyone looking for a relaxing fine dining experience.
(4)Betsy W.
The food was reasonably tasty, but not original or well prepared enough to justify the prices. Everything relied upon a lot of butter and salt for its flavor. The service was mediocre and poorly trained. Our server was inattentive and wiped his nose with his hand before picking up our meals. Ick. Not what I would expect at this price point.
(2)Nick B.
I should know better than this. I should know better than to judge a restaurant based on lunch alone. But this is also why I don't think that nicer restaurants should serve lunch. I think that with a lot of people, if they don't enjoy your reasonably priced lunch, they won't come back to give you a chance at dinner. Sadly this is my case. I've tried 126 three times now. Stupidly every time for lunch. While I have heard decent/mixed things about their dinner service, every time my lunch was disappointing to a level that it makes me hesitant to walk through the doors after 5 pm. I'm not going to dissect what worked on what dish and what didn't. My lunches just weren't great hands down. Perhaps they do a decent dinner. I hope that they do. But after throwing away cash on lunch three different times, I doubt that I'll ever find out for myself.
(3)Steve H.
Came here last month with a friend and really enjoyed ourselves. They were having a private party upstairs at Hearth so we got to order off both Hearth and One Twenty Six menus. Bonus! The fresh homemade bread was amazing as was the Alsatian tart, a wood fired pizza that my friend got. I ordered the Étouffée which was good but I wouldn't order it again. There just wasn't enough of the protein in the dish for my taste, it was a search party for their amazing house made andouille sausage. Our waiter was very friendly and knowledgable of the menu and wine list. He recommended an excellent wine pairing. Looking forward to trying some of their other dishes.
(4)Alex T.
I came here recently for an interview dinner and really didn't know what to expect. I always sort of worry when American food joints in relatively small places like Iowa City get okay-ish reviews, but my fears were unfounded. My meal here was actually quite good. I had the pork chop (over a bed of rice, beans, and carrots) which was absolutely stellar flavor-wise, but it was a little overcooked. The hanger steak was also pretty tasty. The appetizers ranged from okay to above-average. nothing really stood out. I had a flourless chocolate cake for dessert which was pretty good. The restaurant itself is quite nice. Something about the building appealed to me a lot, especially how the various rooms are interconnected. It's a bit odd, but they manage to pull off a classy feel. Unfortunately, they price their food accordingly. Had this meal not been free, I probably would've been less satisfied. I expect a lot when dropping $25 a plate in a midwestern college town, and I don't think One Twenty Six would deliver. Overall, I enjoyed my experience here. It's a decent place to take a date just to try, but the pricing is fairly prohibitive to repeat business. 3.5 but rounded down due to the overcooked chop and pricing.
(3)Rebecca P.
The food 126 and The Hearth serve to Moonrakers is amazing; however, when I book a reservation for Moonrakers 45 days in advance and call several weeks later to ask a question, and I am informed that 126 has closed it because 126 needs the seating...I am not happy. They could have at least called me to tell me they were not honoring my reservation so I didn't waste so much time assuming I could count on them. Great food, but don't expect great service from management.
(1)Heather J.
So I did not really like what I ordered but that was really due to my taste buds that evening not the actual dish. It was just a little to heavy with cream. I did like the restaurant. The fresh bread & butter...delish, wine list...eclectic (we tried a white from Portugal that I will have to find a bottle for my collection), service on the spot and pleasant, decor...rustic with a classy feel. I would definitely come back and I want to try their sister restaurant Hearth that is upstairs!
(4)Catherine W.
This is one of my favorite upscale lunch places--and it used to be a great deal as well, but the prices went up this past summer. They do great soups, sandwiches and salads--I have the shrimp po-boy, which is not a batter fried shrimp like you would get in New Orleans (which I also love), but it is a great sandwich.
(4)Matt U.
Thoughtfully prepared food, very nice ambiance and great servers. My wife and I shared the beef tenderloin and the chicken breast with bacon. Both were very good. The creme brulee' was excellent. Beer selection was pretty decent and they made good, not great, mixed drinks. Definitely a place to go if you have the chance!
(4)Luke K.
I've been a fan of 126 for some time and go pretty regularly. The only reason I'm giving four stars is because it is a bit pricey for what you get during dinner so it's not necessarily the best value (if that concerns you). Lunch prices, while also seemingly high when you look at the menu, are appropriate IMHO because of the quantity and quality of food you get. I've had numerous soups and they're always good. I think my favorite is the tomato bisque. I've gone numerous times for lunch and I only get a couple sandwiches because 1) I'm a creature of habit, and 2) the steak sandwich and the Cuban sandwich are incredible. Add the warm potato salad and you've got a lunch ft for a king...a very unhealthy king...but a king none the less. For dinner, I usually go with one of the steak options - a tenderloin is always on the menu and they sometimes have beef specials (e.g. hangar). I've had consistently good steaks that are cooked to order and quality sides but don't always leave their front door full. I suppose it's all relative based on your waist size...but if I skip lunch and come in with a big appetite, I find myself convincing my wife to head to Whitey's (not hard to do) after dinner at 126 because the portions aren't always filling. Overall, I really like 126 and it's a regular in my Iowa City restaurant rotation...especially for lunch.
(4)Magnus S.
The food was fantastic, but extremely pricy. This is a great place to take a date in downtown IC, but very painful on the wallet. The service I received for the price was pathetic. It took over 10 min to get a greeting. I won't be going back. SERVICE: 1/10 AMBIANCE: 4/10 FOOD: 8/10 PRICE: 1/10 UNIQUENESS: 5/10 OVERALL SCORE: 38 Service: Graded by the "Keep my cup full principle". Ambiance: Pretty self-explanatory Food: A high food score does not always indicate it is a place for foodies. It is weighted based upon the establishment - thus bar food can receive a high score Price: Price is graded based upon what I believe is fair value for the food you are receiving. A high score does not necessarily indicate the establishment is cheap. Uniqueness: Higher scores indicate desire to return.
(1)Lucy S.
If you go to 126 for lunch, like I often do, you need to remember some things: 1. ALL the sandwiches are oily and rich. Even the veggie ones. That's fine. But that means that even though the potato salad and the soups are excellent side dishes, you should always order a side salad instead. I've tried like seven different of their sandwiches and my consistent lunch date has tried like seven others. None of them are in the habit of having very many green ingredients. 2. They do not serve bread automatically with your meal. If you get a salad (and you should sometime, since the one with goat cheese and pear is really generous and filling and seems healthy enough), then you should order a bread basket to even things out. 3. This restaurant can be unexpectedly good for a hangover. There is a distinct lack of upscale brunch places in Iowa City and you have to get creative. So do not rule out lunch at 126 as a way to fulfill that craving. They serve good coffee with steady refills, and though they don't serve eggs, they DO have a wicked BLT and their mushroom sandwich sort of feels like an omelet without the eggs (in a good way). 4. The cuban sandwich is SO good but SO sloppy you might want to save that for times you are dining with someone you know really really well. The only thing that takes this place down for me is the price . . . if it were cheaper I would be here once a week!
(4)Ashlee V.
I'd never been to Iowa City prior to just moving to Cedar Rapids and taking the GRE. I came in right as they were opening; I had done a little research the night before and the place looked pretty intriguing. I don't know if the rest of Iowa City is like this, but if it is, this Wisconsin Badger is a little envious of you Hawkeyes. Given that they were just opening, it was a little slow, but understandably so as they were preparing for the rest of the day. My waitress was very nice and very good about refilling my cups with water or other beverage I ordered. The interior of the restaurant is very home-y and comfortable; rustic without being ostentatious. A quaint little restaurant. The food was amazing; I didn't have the dinner, but I had the lunch. For the people complaining about the grease: it's cooked cheese. It's going to be greasy. But it's real mozzarella--not the fake stuff you normally would get on your pizza. And the bread is terrific; if I recall, they make all their own bread in house. I got the grilled prosciutto with home-made aioli on sourbread with mozzarella and tomato and it was very filling. Sure, a little greasy, but no guts, no glory. The price wasn't bad either; ~$13 for that sandwich with the greens and amazing sourdough bread. Someone else suggested the salad and I have to agree--the side greens were a good addition and a great way to cleanse the palate after the heaviness of the sandwich. The vinaigrette on it was terrific and I can appreciate any place that goes out for real greens over iceberg lettuce. It's a place that appreciates quality over quantity, and I can get behind that. If I lived closer, I'd definitely be back to try the dinner.
(4)Amy S.
Best place for lunch in Iowa City. You get gourmet food in good portions for around $10. Their soups change constantly but are always excellent, and be sure to spend the extra $2 for bread with maple butter. Never had a bad meal here. However, for dinner, be prepared to spend a lot on several courses to get full. This makes it a good anniversary or special occasion dinner place. There's a beautiful party room upstairs that I wish we'd rented for our wedding. The entire restaurant is done in brick and wood, with an open kitchen and lots of light. Beautiful.
(5)J P.
Food is on par for an upscale downtown restaurant. Prices reflect something that would be even better if you are comparing it to other similar upscale Iowa City restaurants. Wait staff are excellent but sometimes do seem to be wishing they were elsewhere. Try it if you haven't been before, it's a great place to bring a date and they won't be disappointed.
(3)Austin B.
Came here for dinner on a weeknight with some friends. Food was good, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't worth the scratch. That's probably the redneck in me talking though, I'm guessing the prices are to keep riff-raff like me out! Why can't we have a Culvers downtown?
(3)Jerry G.
We had Sunday brunch at 126. Prices were on the low side ($8 for bread pudding French toast, $7 for beignets), compared to the urban areas we came from, but the portion size accurately reflected the prices. The food was hot and served fresh. I wasn't overly impressed with the flavor of the food, but my companion enjoyed hers (we split the items mentioned above, so had differing opinions on the same food). Service was adequate, ambience warm. Closer to 3.5 than three stars; I'll give it another shot for dinner some day.
(3)Melissa T.
***Lunch review*** The weather is warming up in Iowa City (balmy 37F today) so many people were out lunching on this Friday afternoon. I had studied the menu online and honestly did not find anything thrilling. Though, I decided to head out to a nice lunch by myself. I was surprised to find when I walked in, the dining room was packed with only a single two person available. It was meant to be. The crowd and ambiance: while more mature than the other establishments across the way, is appropriately fit. The decor is open, urban rustic and well suited. The service: is phenomenal! (If you've dined with me, you'll know that service is my thing.) There was multiple staff members consistently checking my water, drinks, asking if I had questions, etc...amazingly attentive. All the ladies who helped me clearly had a lot of service experience, and the professionalism showed. They were swift, pleasant and I like the all black attire. The food: The food is better in person than the online menu exudes. Impressed with the roast chicken, brie and carmelized apple sandwich. I had the field greens AND the warm potato salad by Yelper's suggestion. Very glad I did! The greens were lightly dressed with the perfect amount of dressing. (Request for dressing on the side is not necessary.) The sandwich was delicious and the warm potato salad is a very pleasant surprise. I know it's lunch, but like servic, if you've ever dined with me you'll also know I always get dessert when I eat out. Always. The pistachio poundcake with caramel creme and apple topping was the best dessert I've had in a very long time. BEST! While I spent $34 on lunch for just me ($11 sandwich, $4 extra for potato salad, $2.50 ice tea, $7 dessert, $3 coffee, + tip), I was incredibly pleased with the experience and can't wait to take the significant other with me to try again. A good find for an American Bistro in Iowa City!
(5)Steve S.
It's always nice to find a menu that escapes the "steak/chicken/burger/salad/soup" echoes that many places offer. There's no apparent "theme" to the menu, except to offer great choices. I took a small group to lunch here last week, and was pleased with the choices, seating and services. Conversation was strained a bit by the noise level, but it was survivable for our business lunch. I called ahead to make a reservation, and asked for a table suited to a business lunch. When we arrived, we were well-greeted and seated right away. I enjoyed the Cuban sandwich, but missed having a sliced pickle on it. The side of field greens was a wonderful respite from the bland salads many serve.
(4)Martin R.
Worst meal I've had in a long time. Nothing was cooked properly AND it took forever for us to get our terrible food. Never would go back.
(1)Kelly K.
3 citrus salads ordered at my table for lunch. Not a slice of orange or grapefruit on any one of them. No toasted nuts, and almost no goat cheese. Why doesn't the kitchen follow the menu? Greens and dressing for $11. Ouch.
(2)Mauricio S.
Best place in town for lunch or dinner! Great waitstaff too! These guys know what they're doing...and the wine selection is out of this world
(5)Kate B.
This place is cute-doesn't have too many tables but isn't cramped (great for a more intimate dinner). Menu isn't huge and it looks like they print them out in their home office daily (really need to get better binding for the wine list). Wait staff wasn't overly attentive. We ordered a bottle of sauvignon blanc from Bordeaux and the waitress brought us the Cab Sav from the same winery. She tried to argue with us when we said she'd brought the wrong bottle which was awkward . We went along with it since she had started opening the bottle and I ordered the Hanger steak. This was a blessing is disguise because my meal was great! Hanger steak is so flavorful and this one was prepared perfectly with Gorgonzola butter. Also had the cheese plate which had some milder cheeses and fresh warm bread ( I believe it is baked in house). For dessert we ordered the flourless chocolate cake, it was a bit rich for me but very good (especially with the wine--really made the best of that situation). Overall I thought it was a nice evening and we'll probably come back for date night.
(4)Loni B.
This was really good but I feel like the hype was that, just hype. Organic meat is not very good compared to normal meat though, lets be honest, and I would have liked the choice to have a filet that was not grass fed. The dessert was so small I wished I had ordered 2 of them.
(4)Gustatorius T.
One of the best places for good dining in IC. I have eaten there multiple times and never been disappointed. There have been days where the food was just good but on many more days it has been absolutely delicious. The wine list is very respectable and the ambiance is nice. It is pricy but well worth it.
(4)Amy D.
We've been here multiple times for both lunch and dinner and each visit seems to be less and less appealing. Lunch entrees like the black bean burger and chicken and brie sandwich (which we used to love) have been lacking in flavor recently. The warm German potato salad is a nice side for lunch. Service is always very good and portions are generous.
(3)Carolyn S.
Sunday nights in Iowa City can be kind of slow, so we were very happy to find that One Twenty Six happened to be open. There were a few other diners in the restaurant so that was a good sign. The fresh bread and honey butter served before our meal was excellent. The bread was warm and tasted fresh baked. For an appetizer we split the House-Made Ravioli with Ricotta, Sweet Pea, Lemon and Fresh Tomato Sauce. This dish was good, but not great. The ravioli was good, but a bit on the heavy side. The sauce was also a bit heavy and not especially well seasoned. However, I thought the sweet peas were great and the vinegrette greens were a nice complement. For a main course, I tried the Sustainably Harvested Fresh Shrimp and Bay Scallops with Spinach Linguine, Roast Tomatoes, Spinach, Fennel, Lemon, and Cream. I thoroughly enjoyed the sauce on this dish even though I could have used less of it (my pasta was swimming in sauce!) The shrimp didn't taste especially fresh, but the tiny bay scallops were quite good. I think if the sauce to pasta ratio had been adjusted and the shrimp had been seared to make up for the lack of flavor, this dish would have been fantastic. My husband had the one vegetarian dish on the menu, the Farro and Butternut Squash Risotto Served with Napa Cabbage Wrap of Roasted Red Peppers, Grilled Vegetables, Fresh Mozzarella, Pine nuts and Porcini Cream. The risotto was very good - tasty and al dente. The porcini cream went well with this dish although the cabbage wrap left much to be desired. The cabbage was a bit tough and watery and had an odd aftertaste. Perhaps if the cabbage had been pan roasted or grilled it may have been improved. Overall, we enjoyed our meal. Service was good and the food was good. However, for the price, I think next time we would opt for the Hearth upstairs or perhaps one of the other restaurants downtown. I have heard that lunch at One Twenty Six is excellent so I'm sure we will give this place another try.
(3)Kristen P.
For the price there should have been more flavor. The menu is 5 star, big city, but with the relative lack of competition, flavor feel exceptionally short. My strawberry balsamic salad could have been made at home. My husband got the filet with mashed potatoes and snowpeas. The highlight for him was the snowpeas, but nothing else was great. For the money I'd be happy at several other places in Iowa City.
(3)John P.
we had a quaint lunch here. i had their shrimp po boy sandwich, which i have to say is the best i've ever had. a bit of spice, and a great soup...all for a reasonable price along Washington. you shouldn't forget the address. i see that they had a good wine list but will try it next time.
(5)Jennifer K.
Absolutely loved this restaurant! Great ambiance and food! Had the veggie sandwich...sauteed onions, vegetables, and grilled bread, cooked to perfection. My first restaurant ever in IC, and it left a great impression!
(5)Helen D.
It was family weekend and my mom and I loved One Twenty Six when eating there just the two of us so I thought I'd take the rest of the family. The hostess seemed unsure of what was going on in the restaurant but once she sat us in the back room upstairs we had a relatively nice evening. Our waitress was great, she knew the menu very well and could recommend various dishes which we tried and loved. The owner seemed great, he came out of the kitchen to meet with my family which was a nice touch. The only complaint I have was that the sauce on the Gnocchi had a very strange after taste but the gnocchi itself was very good. Would love if you could bring back the black bean burger on crostini that you had in the spring. Love the sustainable, organic, free range backbone of the restaurant. We'll definitely be back soon!!
(4)Wilkie C.
This isn't to say anything new, but the difficulty in writing restaurant reviews in iowa city is that there are so few options it's hard to keep perspective. One Twenty Six is probably one of the three nicest restaurants in town. So do you rate it from what you can expect to find in iowa city or from what you hope from a similar type of restaurant in chicago? this said, if this restaurant was in chicago (and so was i) I probably wouldn't make any special trips to eat here...but here in iowa city, the food is generally quite good (although overpriced). the vegetarian entree on the menu tends to remain the same for weeks on end, but is usually some kind of pretty good pasta option. the better bet here is the lunch. the menu offers much more variety from a vegetarian perspective--lots of nice salads and sandwiches (at more reasonable prices). as for carnivores, i'vd heard the pulled pork sandwich is really tasty.
(4)Ida n.
126 is among the nicer restaurants in Iowa City, but like the other nicer restaurants, it is largely forgettable. Vegetarians would be advised to bypass 126 for dinner since the only option is overpriced and not-so-inventive, but they would do well to check it out for lunch when it offers many tasty, reasonably-priced options (including a crazy-good fancy grilled cheese sandwich).
(3)