The Java House - First Ave

This is worth the stop! I just got a black iced coffee and it wasn't bitter, just a great cup of coffee. I can't wait to try more! Thanks for working hard!

One recommendation I have is to take names when you get busier because it was a bit confusing to find my order after it was made.

This Java House has a calm environment with low lighting. There is definitely overall less traffic than the downtown Java House, but you get the same aesthetic and delicious beverages and treats. Would recommend for the college student who would appreciate this atmosphere.

This is my absolute favorite coffee shop. I started going to the downtown location in high school, before coffee was even trendy. The location at the University of Iowa Hospital has gotten us through multiple hospital stays with our kids, and the East side location I have to go to every time I'm in town to visit my family. I won't step foot into a Starbucks if I'm in Iowa City and can go to the Java House instead!!

One day I came in and sat down to do some work. Didn’t feel like drinking a coffee. I just wanted to get some work done. I wasn’t making noise or bothering anybody. And then, some worker came up to me and said, “if you want to use this space, you have to buy something or leave.” I got up and left because it is ridiculous that you have to buy something to use their table and do some work. It wasn’t even busy. Won’t be coming back here in a long time.

Great coffee, decent selection of pastries. Moody, surly environment - an echo chamber for fidgety progressives and socially inept students. Free lemons with water in them, but if you ask for a lime you'll be beaten within an inch of your life. One of the newer hires (as of summer 2019) mysteriously manages to brew in 2.5 minutes what takes 6-7 minutes when anyone else is on the register. Ancient Chinese secret? Japanese ingenuity? Korean magic? Faux-racist meta-commentary? ACT lifers perform kabuki dumbshow here once a month, which you'll never get at Starbucks...

I ordered an iced latte and only get it in a large size. I wanted a small. They have no such thing. The latte was sweet. I've never had a SWEET latte before. My friend wanted iced tea. Couldn't get it. Caroline said she wasn't coming back. We got complimentary cards but I spent more money than I wanted and didn't get what I ordered. The kids were nice. Not their fault, as we made clear.

Nice employees, but I was given a regular (caffeinated) Americana instead of decaf. I have a heart condition and that one glass gave me a-fib ALL day long. Very annoying. I won’t be back because of it, simple mistakes like that are big deals to ppl with heart conditions. Again, nice employees, just potentially serious mistakes.

My favorite is the purple haze; it can take a few minutes to get the coffee, especially in the morning, but it's definitely worth the wait

98% of the staff is amazing. While the other 2% are not so nice or educated in customer relations. But as a whole Java House is one of the best places in Iowa City to get a cup of coffee.

Great place to hangout and chat with friends over some great coffee! They have free WiFi as well. I've seen people get kicked out for bringing in outside food (but that kinda makes sense because they have some food items).