We went out for Valentine Dinner last Friday and chose Urban on the Square which we had been to before. Our experience was not good this time. We were greeted with "The Chef called in sick so we don't have the Beef Wellington. we started with Calimari as an appetizer and found it to be slightly undercooked but tasty however, it was probably 1/3 smaller in portion than the last time we ordered it. My wife ordered the Chicken Caesar Salad which she has enjoyed in the past however, the dressing has changed since the previous visit and was not a good Caesar presentation. I ordered the Mahi Mahi on the menu and was informed that it was not available so I ordered the Steak DeBurgo and found it to be tough and low flavored. The sweet potato fries were tasty. I had the French Onion soup which had good flavor but was so salty I could barely eat it. We then ordered the Creme Brule for desert and it was just on the edge of being burnt. Color was dark and my wife would not eat it, said it was "Bitter". Waitress mentioned she was the Manager's Daughter and gave us a sprinkling of "Attitude" along with our less than acceptable dining experience. Sad appraisal overall, you have the potential to have a Great Restaurant but, these kinds of missteps can "Kill" an eating establishment.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Rochelle Burnett
We eat the restaurant weekly and love it. It’s so nice having this option in Winterset. We recently rented their new upstairs space and had them cater food. It was wonderful. Plenty of food, delicious, well-hosted all in a beautiful setting overlooking the courthouse!
Ashley Whaley
I rarely write negative reviews, but my family’s experience at Urban on the Square for my mother-in-law’s birthday was incredibly disappointing. We were excited to celebrate, but sadly, the food did not live up to our expectations.
To start, we ordered the meatballs and burrata. While the presentation was impressive, the meatballs were cold, which was a letdown. We also tried the pecan-crusted chicken as an appetizer, but it was overcooked and stringy. We had to send it back, hoping for a better experience with our entrées.
Unfortunately, things didn’t improve. My husband ordered a steak cooked medium, but it arrived well-done and extremely tough. Again, we had to send it back, which disrupted our meal. I opted for the short rib ragu, and I was disappointed to find that the noodles were undercooked and chewy.
To cap off the evening, we ordered dessert—a banana fosters bread pudding. However, the caramel sauce was grainy, making it feel like I was eating sand instead of a delightful treat.
Overall, the service was fine, but the food simply did not meet the standards we hoped for. Given our experience, I cannot recommend Urban on the Square, and we will not be returning. It’s a shame, as we were looking forward to a wonderful celebration.
Steve Marshall
Awesome place with incredible food, highly recommend the brussel sprouts and the desserts!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lemon Garlic Green Beans, 3 Blackened Shrimp Tacos
Mike Brenner
Just finished another great meal at UOTS!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dan Finnegan
Incredible little restaurant
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
glenda122247
Urban on the Square was a really good place for lunch. I came to Winterset to see the John Wayne museum and, of course, lunch was part of the day. Urban is in a lovely storefront on the beautiful town square. After you eat, walk around the square, check out all the nice stores. Oh yeah, back to lunch. Natalie was our great server. I had the Reuben sandwich with sweet potato fries, $15, very tasty. My pals had the Angus Burger and fries, $15, and the Sirloin Steak Sandwich with sweet potato fries, $18, both really enjoyed their food. Water glasses were kept filled. There are wonderful desserts, like cheesecake, carrot cake, chocolate cake, but we didn't have room. I'd like to go back just for dessert. Good food, great service. I'll go back, for sure.
Rebekah Brown
My husband and I have been looking forward to trying out Urban on the Square for awhile now, and whoa, were we impressed. Everything was so flavorful, staff were all very friendly, atmosphere was quaint and cozy… I highly recommend it. Make sure you try the French onion soup and the chicken and Brussels!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gloria Evans
Great food and great service
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
LinuxDaily
Very classy restaurant on the Winterset square, food is amazing and they have a great selection. The wine selection is very good as well! The deserts are also wonderful.
Appetizers arrived with main entree, all dishes ordered were cold or barely warm. Server had several dishes "remade" and served them to us cold again...place was not busy only two tables. A man approached , apologized and wrote off our bill. As far as presentation the food looked great, the place is neat looking. I wish I could find an excuse for the cold food but there just isn't one.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 3
Bruce russell
Oh my gosh ! What great food and service !’???. Worth the drive from Des Moines down
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A. Townsend Peterson
This place was a complete and utter pleasure to find. The choices on a Monday night in Winterset are not abundant, to say the least, so this was our only choice. Needless to say, we were ready to eat what we were served and grit our teeth and bear it. Nothing could be more contrasting from what we actually experienced!The restaurant is located on the main square, and is small and simple, but quite nicely appointed. We were greeted and attended to promptly, efficiently, and with a very friendly manner. The service was flat-out excellent.Most importantly, though, the food was amazing. The house salad was well-composed, with a white vinagrette that had to have been made in-house. The lemon shrimp pasta was simple, but very tasty. The brussels sprouts were simply perfect---probably the best that I have tasted in my life: just a bit sweet, and an impressive blend of crispy and chewy. The chicken with mushroom sauce was excellent, and the parmesan risotto was subtle but quite good.In sum, this is a restaurant that is firmly on my "favorites" list, and what a great find in the middle of Iowa! Bravo!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Scott Perry
Great addition to Winterset!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
David Russell
Oh my gosh ! What great food and service !’???. Worth the drive from Des Moines down
We went out for Valentine Dinner last Friday and chose Urban on the Square which we had been to before. Our experience was not good this time. We were greeted with "The Chef called in sick so we don't have the Beef Wellington. we started with Calimari as an appetizer and found it to be slightly undercooked but tasty however, it was probably 1/3 smaller in portion than the last time we ordered it. My wife ordered the Chicken Caesar Salad which she has enjoyed in the past however, the dressing has changed since the previous visit and was not a good Caesar presentation. I ordered the Mahi Mahi on the menu and was informed that it was not available so I ordered the Steak DeBurgo and found it to be tough and low flavored. The sweet potato fries were tasty. I had the French Onion soup which had good flavor but was so salty I could barely eat it. We then ordered the Creme Brule for desert and it was just on the edge of being burnt. Color was dark and my wife would not eat it, said it was "Bitter". Waitress mentioned she was the Manager's Daughter and gave us a sprinkling of "Attitude" along with our less than acceptable dining experience. Sad appraisal overall, you have the potential to have a Great Restaurant but, these kinds of missteps can "Kill" an eating establishment.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
We eat the restaurant weekly and love it. It’s so nice having this option in Winterset. We recently rented their new upstairs space and had them cater food. It was wonderful. Plenty of food, delicious, well-hosted all in a beautiful setting overlooking the courthouse!
I rarely write negative reviews, but my family’s experience at Urban on the Square for my mother-in-law’s birthday was incredibly disappointing. We were excited to celebrate, but sadly, the food did not live up to our expectations. To start, we ordered the meatballs and burrata. While the presentation was impressive, the meatballs were cold, which was a letdown. We also tried the pecan-crusted chicken as an appetizer, but it was overcooked and stringy. We had to send it back, hoping for a better experience with our entrées. Unfortunately, things didn’t improve. My husband ordered a steak cooked medium, but it arrived well-done and extremely tough. Again, we had to send it back, which disrupted our meal. I opted for the short rib ragu, and I was disappointed to find that the noodles were undercooked and chewy. To cap off the evening, we ordered dessert—a banana fosters bread pudding. However, the caramel sauce was grainy, making it feel like I was eating sand instead of a delightful treat. Overall, the service was fine, but the food simply did not meet the standards we hoped for. Given our experience, I cannot recommend Urban on the Square, and we will not be returning. It’s a shame, as we were looking forward to a wonderful celebration.
Awesome place with incredible food, highly recommend the brussel sprouts and the desserts!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lemon Garlic Green Beans, 3 Blackened Shrimp Tacos
Just finished another great meal at
UOTS!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Incredible little restaurant
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Urban on the Square was a really good place for lunch. I came to Winterset to see the John Wayne museum and, of course, lunch was part of the day. Urban is in a lovely storefront on the beautiful town square. After you eat, walk around the square, check out all the nice stores. Oh yeah, back to lunch. Natalie was our great server. I had the Reuben sandwich with sweet potato fries, $15, very tasty. My pals had the Angus Burger and fries, $15, and the Sirloin Steak Sandwich with sweet potato fries, $18, both really enjoyed their food. Water glasses were kept filled. There are wonderful desserts, like cheesecake, carrot cake, chocolate cake, but we didn't have room. I'd like to go back just for dessert. Good food, great service. I'll go back, for sure.
My husband and I have been looking forward to trying out Urban on the Square for awhile now, and whoa, were we impressed. Everything was so flavorful, staff were all very friendly, atmosphere was quaint and cozy… I highly recommend it. Make sure you try the French onion soup and the chicken and Brussels!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food and great service
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very classy restaurant on the Winterset square, food is amazing and they have a great selection. The wine selection is very good as well! The deserts are also wonderful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Appetizers arrived with main entree, all dishes ordered were cold or barely warm. Server had several dishes "remade" and served them to us cold again...place was not busy only two tables. A man approached , apologized and wrote off our bill. As far as presentation the food looked great, the place is neat looking. I wish I could find an excuse for the cold food but there just isn't one.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 3
Oh my gosh ! What great food and service !’???. Worth the drive from Des Moines down
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place was a complete and utter pleasure to find. The choices on a Monday night in Winterset are not abundant, to say the least, so this was our only choice. Needless to say, we were ready to eat what we were served and grit our teeth and bear it. Nothing could be more contrasting from what we actually experienced!The restaurant is located on the main square, and is small and simple, but quite nicely appointed. We were greeted and attended to promptly, efficiently, and with a very friendly manner. The service was flat-out excellent.Most importantly, though, the food was amazing. The house salad was well-composed, with a white vinagrette that had to have been made in-house. The lemon shrimp pasta was simple, but very tasty. The brussels sprouts were simply perfect---probably the best that I have tasted in my life: just a bit sweet, and an impressive blend of crispy and chewy. The chicken with mushroom sauce was excellent, and the parmesan risotto was subtle but quite good.In sum, this is a restaurant that is firmly on my "favorites" list, and what a great find in the middle of Iowa! Bravo!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great addition to Winterset!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Oh my gosh ! What great food and service !’???. Worth the drive from Des Moines down
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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