Reviews (100)
I wish this place was in my hometown! Friendly employees, comfortable atmosphere, & delicious food.
Best cafe in Iowa City. Great coffee, friendly staff, and delectable desserts, a gem!
We had a couple of iced lattes, biscuits and gravy, other breakfast items and a pecan caramel roll. Everything was great!
Encounter Café is literally the love of my life. I am about to graduate from U of I, so I figured now is the time to write this review finally. There is nothing here I would not give five stars. The food: outstanding. Literally everything on the menu. The atmosphere: warm, welcoming, and joyous The prices: very reasonable The people: honestly the best part. The owners and employees are some of the best people I have ever known and that really really makes the experience. Encounter has held so many memories for me over the years from studying for hours, meeting with friends, bringing in family from out of town, or just having an amazing meal. The only 'downside' may be that they are very popular, so wait times can be around 30 minutes for food, but that has never been a problem when I bring work to do or good company to pass the time. If you don't stop in here at least once in your life, you are missing out. To finish: order the half stack of pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. This meal got me through 4 years of college and I would take their batter recipe with me when I leave if I could!
Very good food. Long lines on the weekend. I definitely will return!
Great location, greater coffer, and a decent sandwich. Place and staff looked very clean.
Encounter is the best! Great people and amazing food! Love love love the chicken caesar salad
I need to come here more often. Amazing food, fantastic atmosphere, and friendly and fast service. The employees are wonderful. We got paninis with kettle chips and a smoothie. The place is amazing for catching up with a friend or getting some emails taken care of.
The lattes are perfect, the food is delicious, and the atmosphere is wonderful! A must stop if you are in the area.
It's hard to find a reason not to stop by when you are in the area! This has authentic coffee shop vibes. I like how there is a split between the bakery and done in breakfast. Everyone greets you with such kindness. If you are narrowing down choices for pastries, I recommend the cinnamon roll or the croissant or get both!
Best breakfast, lunch, brunch, Cafe, all of it in the area. Lovely atmosphere, feels comfy and at home. Staff is the best and nicest. And food, top top-notch. I'm still dreaming about the Baked Oatmeal.
Great place with great food and staff. I had the best vanilla cappuccino here. Will definitely come back.
I get my mail here. You cannot find better food or service anywhere for breakfast. The baked oatmeal is good and cheap ($5). My wife and I have miserably tried to replicate it at home. I also really enjoy the ultimate breakfast skillet (only for big appetites), cinnamon rolls, buttered pretzels, I mean really everything. God must smile upon this restaurant :)
One of the best coffee based drinks in Iowa city! Absolutely yummy and creamy! Great muffins as well! Location and vibe of the place is top end as well. Don’t bother with Starbucks when you’re by downtown!
We love the Encounter! Good food, good service, lovely atmosphere! Pretzels and every baked good is always amazing!
My mom and I had the half portion of the french toast. This is the large, thick pieces of French toast cut into 6 perfect triangles, arranged beautifully on the plate with fresh strawberries slices, whip cream and fresh, hot homemade syrup. It was absolutely delicious!
Very friendly, spacious, clean and fresh. The food was presented in an exquisite manner & tasted delightful! I visited with my teenagers (boy & girl) who thought the place “looked fancy.” The orange juice is freshly squeezed and made my taste buds dance. This is a must visit establishment! Priced just right - in fact they should be charging more. We will be back again!
Great atmosphere for some highly caffeinated collaboration, or just waiting for the bus.
Stopped for a cup of coffee, vibes were great, staff was nice. Will come back for breakfast sometime.
This place has expanded and now boasts a bakery. Stopped here for a quick bite. Ordered a breakfast sandwich. First time that I had a breakfast sandwich. The egg, sausage patty, and cheese on a croissant. The place was quite busy so I went to the bakery and ordered a cinnamon roll while I waited for my sandwich. Cinnamon roll was very good. My sandwich came and it reminded me of the type I have gotten at Casey's. Just a convenience store quality sandwich. Nothing special. For the price I was expecting better. Very thin piece of sausage. Probably the frozen kind. Hardly tasted it. Overall I like this place. The food generally is very good. This sandwich needs work. It gets very busy. Plan on not getting your food very quickly. Clean restrooms. Friendly and helpful staff.