Orchard Green - Iowa City

My boyfriend and I had a lovely dinner here for the last night of his visit here. We shared the Brussels sprouts, an order of focaccia, and the ribeye steak. I had the hot and filthy martini (pictured 3rd) as well as a cranberry manhattan so good! He had the signature orchard green martini (pictured second). Nathan, our server, was so polite and provided stellar service the whole meal. Can't wait for my next visit. My one, very tiny complaint the pours of the draft beers are just too foamy. I wouldn't order a beer. Just get one of their signature cocktails instead.

My spouse and I went for our third anniversary to someplace we had never tried before. Perusing a few other menus, Orchard Green's caught our eye. We were greated and seated very quickly and politely in the lounge area of the restaurant. Our wait staff was sweet, attentive, offering suggestions, and upbeat smile. The crab cakes were amazing and our entrées were fantastic. Highlights were our martinis, the Tuscan Lemon Drop and Hibiscus flower were wonderfully balanced, the sauces accompanying the crab cakes, how well seasoned everything was, green beans perfectly cooked and crisp, the salmon cooked exactly right, and my Orchard Green burger was perfection. As a amateur chef myself, I have high standards for restaurants and by far this was the best meal my spouse and I have eaten, ever. We will return for special occasions and their happy hour specials on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I must give complete stars because the food and service are excellent- also the people are extremely pleasant. I’d like to note that they are regular nice people and will make mistakes. I wish, however, I could give negative stars because I couldn’t get a table on the day I wanted it though I called early and often. But that would be dishonest and run counter to my current effort in these dark days to confine myself to writing positive reviews for those that deserve them. The cheese board is uniformly outstanding. Every entree has been well prepared and the wait staff and kitchen are creative and accommodating when it’s possible to tweak a menu item to make it gluten free

Expensive, but good food. The atmosphere is nice, and staff were very formal/professional. We ordered a cheese board, two entrees, two desserts, and two drinks. We liked everything except for one side. The portions were smaller/closer to actual portions I'd eat at home, so we didn't leave with any leftovers. It was a little too quiet/stuffy/formal for my liking, so I don't see myself going back. I can see why some people would want to go there, though. If you want that fine dining experience to celebrate something special, then this place would probably be what you're after.

We had very high expectations going in after having read all of the raving reviews. High expectations have often led to disappointment for us but Orchard Green did not let us down! It was amazing! We decided to head downstairs to the lounge so that we could try the burgers and sandwiches. Here’s the rundown of what we got and what we thought: Crab cakes: small but heavenly! And crammed FULL of tender crab (not a bunch of fillers). The sauces and flavors on the plate were the perfect complement to the crab. A fantastic start. Artisan cheese board: I wish I could buy every sauce they had on that platter, the flavors were rich and unique and fantastic paired with the yummy cheeses and breads. Lobster squash bisque: exactly what you expect, creamy and comforting. Caesar salad: the only disappointment we had. We love Caesar salad but we felt like this Caesar dressing was lacking in flavor to our personal tastes. But lettuce was crisp and the garnishes were perfect for a Caesar salad, especially the yummy crisps for croutons. OG Burger: Amazing! One of my favorite burgers I’ve ever had. So much flavor in the meat (which can be such a miss at some restaurants), and the flavor of everything on it was wonderful. Loved having it on focaccia bread. The fact that you can get a burger this beautifully made for $6 on Thursday nights (half off) blows my mind. We will be back for that. Cheesesteak sandwich: I could smell the amazing flavor before I even bit in—SO good! The meat is tender, it was not a disappointment in any way. Oatmeal pie: I had never had an oatmeal pie before. I was happily surprised and enchanted with it. It’s VERY sweet and very delicious. The texture where the caramel crystallizes on the bottom crust is heavenly. And the vanilla bean gelato had a very genuine vanilla bean flavor to it, a perfect pairing with the pie. Peanut butter mousse: not very sweet so it’s richness really comes from the flavor of the peanut butter and chocolate and not a bunch of extra sugar, which I liked. Very smooth and creamy. It was room temperature which surprised me for some reason, we decided to take it home and try it chilled. Conclusion: we WILL be back. Excellent in every way. And the staff was incredibly kind and accommodating as well.