Restaurants near Ely

“Only open 2 days a week, but worth altering your morning routine for. Get there early because they sell out quickly. The cinnamon rolls are light and not overly sweet or over saturated with cinnamon. I like this style, my kids could use a bit more of both. The Kolaches are top notch and the variety is really good. Not sure if they would be good on day 2 because ours never make it that long.”

“I stopped at this brewery alone on my way to Manchester, IA. Easy to find little spot right in town. It wasn't too busy and definitely had a small town bar feel. It seemed like mostly locals there as they all seemed to know one another but I never felt out of place. I even met one of the patrons dog! I had a flight of several different styles of beers and they were all great! Kaira (I believe) was the very friendly, hard worker serving beer and bringing out food to tables. Unfortunately it was raining when I was here so I sat inside the small, indoor area. But, the patio is large with lots of tables and looks like it would a great place to hangout in nice weather. I will definitely plan on stopping again when passing through!”

“I’m always looking for a review that actually tells you something. Not just, food was good! Polite staff… you know what I mean…. So, here we go.We were greeted when we walked in the door! Wow! Friendly and very attentive staff. They have a good selection of beer on tap including IPA’s. Nice and cold in a chilled true pint. Bravo! We ordered the “All you can eat shrimp” and Tenderloin. The shrimp is butterflied and nicely breaded. Comes with fries and coleslaw. I try to stay away from fried food, but I was pleasantly surprised. Not greasy at all. The shrimp was perfect. Flavor, texture and presentation. They serve in tin pie plates, which I found as a nice change from the typical plastic baskets with a paper liner beneath. My husband ordered the tenderloin. In his opinion, the best he’s had anywhere (with the exception of my own hand breaded pork loin)… The service was exceptional. Skylar was prompt in seeing that our drinks were filled and the shrimp kept a coming. We left, comfortably full. And not to forget…Karaoke every other Friday with Mike! And he starts up at 7pm. We will definitely go back. Odie’s is easy to find and only about 10-15 minutes from Cedar Rapids.Parking: There is parking right in front on both sides of the street. Pretty much like any small town bar and grill.”

“Hands down best quality restaurant in town. Rotating menu with exquisitely sensible portions that are meant to be savored. You must try out this epicurean’s paradise!!”

“When visiting from out of town this was the first cafe that popped up and it did not disappoint. The latte was very well made and their iced vanilla latte was also really good and the service was really great. The baristas are very good at their job. The cost is about what you'd expect from a coffee shop and for a small latte and an iced vanilla latte it was about $9 before tip. It is a cute little shop and would suggest it any day. I will definitely be back.”

“Family Owned & Operated with TLC. Tremendously Good! Our go to in North Central Iowa! Love this place!Vegetarian options: Gluten Frees, Comprehensive Vegi soups and Salads”

“Had an awesome experience tonight at Tornados. The food was fantastic and the service was exceptional. I’ve been here many times and have never been disappointed.”

“Our server Kale was excellent. Very thorough and attentive. We each tried something different. I had the Cobb salad with Chicken. It had unique corn bread crouton, cranberries, diced sweet potatoes, yummy fresh crumbles bacon bits. The sweet potato were the only part of my meal I was not a fan of. We all tried the salmon Cajun soup. It was good the salmon melted in your mouth. The Class Act burger my son said was easily the best burger he has had. My son's girlfriend had the Iowa omelet and she said it was yummy. My husband had the corn beef hash he said it was a great from scratch hash.”

“Came here for lunch today and I will say it’s some of the best restaurant BBQ I’ve had, they don’t skimp on the meat and their special BBQ sauces are a must try!”

“Been here twice now and have enjoyed the food and experience both times. will definitely be back! Food is very fresh and flavorful. Has a great vegetarian menu as well.”

“This is the cutest quaint shop in NewBo! The owner and staff are fabulous and are friendly and very very talented. Their coffee blends are to die for! I have been going back to get grounds to take home because I go through them so fast. The flowers are simply gorgeous. Please remember them when you shop local.”

“Tim, Adam, and Up In Smoke catered our church choir retreat lunch. Delicious pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, and cheese potatoes. People went back for seconds and thirds. Great food and plenty for all. Thanks guys!”

“Husband and I went a few weeks ago. Excited to see Solon has a great sushi and pho place around. We opted for sushi this round but excited to try the pho next. The rolls were excellent and the octopus balls were pretty tasty. Will be coming back again!!”

“This place is all around amazing.. Worth the 2 hour drive!! Amazing jerk chicken pasta, rice and if you haven't tried the soursop shake you are missing out!!”

“Great little find when visiting from Des Moines. Cozy atmosphere, personable staff, amaaaaazing breakfast, and the bartender made a mean Bloody Mary. Will definitely be back if I ever go back to CR!”

“The food is amazing, anything you get will be great. Drinks are also awesome. The waiting staff is wonderful and I have never had a problem with anyone there in the probably 100 times I've been there. Clean and tidy restaurant, selection of tvs with different things playing. During Covid they had the best system that I witnessed during the pandemic when all things closed and I picked up food for my family close to once a week during that. This is by far my favorite Mexican restaurant, and you know that means something with how many we have”

“I had the fruit salad and brisket sandwich. Both were delicious! The fruit was ripe and fresh cut. We also shared a piece of the chocolate cake between three of us and still had leftovers! It was a super generous helping and very decadent.The atmosphere is quaint and fun, with beautiful light fixtures.The gals serving us were friendly and helpful great job and thank you!Wheelchair accessibility: There is a ramp entrance in the back. I recommend bringing help or calling ahead, as you'll need to maneuver the gift shop area. Totally doable with care, just be aware.”

“Went to Lucky's for breakfast with my family. I had the Villa with their French toast special (red velvet with a sweet cream cheese filling). The French toast was so delicious I didn't need syrup with it, my over easy eggs were perfect, the sausage links are huge and we got four to an order. My son had the mini waffles and they are decent price and excellent quality. We topped it off with coffee that our server Mika kept full and checked on us often. We will definitely have to go back and try other things on the breakfast menu.”

“If you know Cedar Rapids, you know David Pei. Not only is his food to-die-for, he’s one of the nicest restaurant owners. Accomplished fisherman, who knows his fish. Highly recommend!!!”

“This is always the place my kid asks to go to if I ask if they want to go somewhere. There are so many unique creations on the menu and everything we have tried so far has been tasty! I particularly love the pork belly grilled cheese. The servers are friendly, efficient, and great at what they do. There's an outdoor patio with a nice setup, but we like the eclectic decor inside. Definitely a must-try. It'll become a favorite!”

“Omg it was soooo good!!! It's a small menu with basically just pizza but that's all you need! The garlic cheese bread (a little surprised that it wasn't bready...more like a really thin pizza) was amazingly garlicky and cheesy! My husband and I both got different individual pizzas and both absolutely loved ours! If we lived closer we would come here all the time! It was definitely our best meal in our 6 state road trip thus far!”

“I would definitely recommend this place for great service and delicious comfort food. We came on Christmas Eve morning and it was the perfect way to start out the holiday!”

“Went on a date night to try somewhere new. Our server was so nice and informative about the menu. Both tried two of the burgers and were happy and went home full. Loved that you could pick salad, fries, or soup of the day for the side. Will 100% go again and recommend to everybody. ❤️”

“Me and my Gf decided to take a day trip out to this Distillery. Was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to find. The staff was outstanding. They answered any questions we had. The Pizza was one of thee best I have ever had. Will be back just because of those two alone. If you are a Whiskey or Wine person this place has to be on your list.”

“I love their ice cream flavors, And their other options, Great Service They are Pretty nice ! Love the blueberry cheesecake flavor it’s always so good, and love going there for a treat all the time w my family ! :)”

“Amazing fresh baked goods! Very cute inside, only wish there was room for dine-in. Picture is of their delicious cinnamon rolls. We also had the cherry bars which were the best we’ve ever had!”

“We went early so a smaller crowd; likely much busier later. A fairly typical Midwestern “corner bar with food” however the food was excellent and a wide choice of tap beers with a nice Happy Hour option. Recommend!! (Kind of a hidden gem, with great service too.) We had wings and onion rings, and the daily special BBQ pulled pork and sweet potato fries.Wheelchair accessibility: Ramp in the back. Call ahead to reserve a “lowtop” table.”

“WOW. We had such a great experience at Lacayo. First, THIS IS NOT ANOTHER MEXICAN RESTAURANT. This is Latin American cuisine and it’s one of the best places in Cedar Rapids. Everything is so flavorful, it’s all made in house (even the tortillas), and the service is wonderful. We had a meal with friends and enjoyed it so much, we went back for brunch the next day. Looking for a brunch spot that doesn’t just offer the same standard breakfast items but packs tons of flavor? This is your place. You have to get the tamale. The sauce is out of this world. Will be returning and bringing friends and family to share in the experience. This place is a must if you’re going to be dining out in Cedar Rapids.”

“The whole family LOVES El Sol. We frequent this location roughly once every 10 days. The specials change if you want to try something new and the menu favorites are consistent and delicious.Happy Hour until 6 and they have several authentic Mexican choices for drinks as well. Staff is great.Kid-friendliness: There are a couple kid specific options in addition to regular menu selection.”

“We loved everything we ordered! Started with the brussel sprouts and oh my goodness....so good! One of my kiddos was pleasantly surprised that salmon was included on the kids menu so that was a five star rating on her end!! Ended with the cotton candy tower...fantastic!”