Prairie Lights Books & Cafe

The metered parking out front forced us to set a one hour time limit for this stop. We could have spent much longer!! We loved browsing the store and asking for recommendations from the staff, from the littles, to young adult, and of course fiction/nonfiction, 3 levels of lovely books.

I love, love, love the bookstore and the coffee shop. The book store is smaller than Barnes and Noble but the people who work here are book nerds (I mean that as a compliment). They have readings regularly including local authors and it is a pillar of the City being a UNESCO City of Lit.

The coffee shop is hands down the best coffee shop in Iowa City area currently. The manager is passionate about coffee and all baristas seem personable. Great espresso and great teas.

Meet authors, discover new ideas, place for intellectualism

I received great service during my recent call to Prairie Lights in Iowa City. The information was greatly appreciated. But I wasn’t surprised, because Jan and her crew always work very hard to help maintain their status as one of the top independent bookstores in the country. Thank you.

Prairie Lights is just simply amazing!! I'm a student at the University of Iowa and I am totally in love with this bookstore. They have a wide variety and generally well priced books when it comes to materials for classes. When there is a poetry reading held there, expect to be impressed. A really nice intimate reading space. The small window-seat on the second floor is amazing, great place to study during the week in the evenings. It doesn't stop there; the cafe upstairs is great! I'm not a coffee drinker (shocker),but I love me some hot chocolate. And they manage to make the best hot chocolate I've ever had!!! (no joke). Anyways definitely a place to check out if in Iowa City.

This is an amazing book store in Iowa City. If you're ever in the area go! What is an amazing book store. An amazing book store is one where you go stay for hours and come home with a book list that is over 25 items long. THAT is an amazing book store. I am not sure exactly what it was but the displays were so inviting and so well done. I didn't come back with a 25 item book list from barnes and noble.

Always a nice experience here what with a coffee shop with magazines from all over the world to purchase and enjoy with espresso, lattes, mochas and croissant. Great staff to help you find or order that book, journal, non fiction work as well as writers from the University of Iowa many writing workshops poetry, fiction and authors reading their latest. High brow bookstore with a great children's selection.

This is hands down the best bookstore. The staff are super knowledgeable and friendly, and for the relatively small location, their inventory is pretty big and varied. Since they are closed during the pandemic they are offering free home delivery in the IC/Coralville area. We ordered some books and they (unprompted) kept in touch on the order status, and delivery was prompt. Can't recommend them enough.

I love this place. I hope it's always there!

Cafe review: My favorite coffee spot so far in Iowa City, +1000 for being surrounded by books and the possibility of a reading or event happening in the space next to you. I like the few sunny spots facing their front window. Drip coffee is good and the baristas are chill and friendly. Caution: WiFi is slow; so not a good spot for conference calls or work computing. It’s on the studious side—so maybe not the best for taking calls.

Bookstore: Prairie Lights forever! Happy to support our local indie bookstore. Events are usually free, even with the headliners who pass through on book tours, which is much appreciated. The reading event space is intimate.

Accessibility: There’s an elevator to get to the second floor cafe and event space. Some tight corners to get to the restrooms—on the second floor, I’m not sure if it’s an accessibility concern, but caution