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Brown Bottle North Liberty

4.1
4.1
10 Reviews
$30 and under
Italian
125 E. Zeller, North Liberty, IA 52317

About this restaurant

The Brown Bottle was established in 1972 in Cedar Falls, Iowa by Donald Landau. The Iowa City restaurant opened two years later, with Waterloo following shortly thereafter. North Liberty joined us in 1994, and our most recent addition is Moline, IL (Nov. 2005). The original recipes and sauces were developed by Donnalee Landau. The menu has since been expanded by the four Landau children, who now own and operate the businesses. The name “Brown Bottle” derived from the Schlitz Brewery in the 70’s. They set the standard as the first company to sell beer in brown bottles instead of clear (to extend the beer’s shelf life). A tasting room at the Brewery was named “The Brown Bottle” to help market their new concept. The Landau family copyrighted the name and soon opened the first Brown Bottle Italian restaurant. Over thirty years ago, the quote “Where Good Food, Good Wine and Good Friends Go Together” was included on the first Brown Bottle menu.

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Additional information

What 10 people are saying

Brown Bottle North Liberty reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

4.1
4.1 based on all time ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.3Service
  • 3.6Ambience

NoiseModerate

10 Reviews
  1. OpenTable Diner

    Des Moines1 review

    4.0

    Dined on June 24, 2011

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 2
    The food and service were great. I was surprised to see that the restaurant was located in a mini strip mall, and was disappointed with the ambiance in the back room where my group was seated. The mini blinds and parking lot view didn't suit well. With such a good reputation I was sad to see the Brown Bottle located in a new development lacking personality.

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  2. Suebob2014

    Minneapolis12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 14, 2011

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Our party of 7 got seated at the reserved time. The menu was wonderful--there was something for the foodies, the kids, the seniors, the picky eater, and everyone in between. Service was very good, and prices were reasonable (we didn't have wine that night, so that kept the check a little lower).

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  3. OpenTable Diner

    Des Moines2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on May 10, 2011

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    We came here for my husband's birthday and had a great meal. I did not tell the wait staff that it was a special occasion, and they did not ask. Although I did put it on my on-line reservation, it wasn't brought up by our server. Not a problem, though. The food was excellent and service outstanding!

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  4. OpenTable Diner

    Des Moines2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on December 20, 2010

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Really enjoyed the whole experience here. Really lived up to all the other reviews we read. Very good, from scratch tasting Italian. I always get the good old fashoned spaghetti and meatballs when I first eat at a place like this as a test. The marinara sauce was excellent as were the meatballs and al dente pasta. The salad and dressing were great too. All around great place for dates and family dinners.

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  5. RobertaG

    Des Moines2 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on May 16, 2010

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    We were given a table right outside of kitchen. We could hear everything that was going on in kitchen-loud dishes clanging, people yelling and normal kitchen noise. It ruined our experience.

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  6. OpenTable Diner

    Des Moines1 review

    3.0

    Dined on May 7, 2010

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Great food, a very large group ahead of us made it a long wait for everyone else in the restaurant though. Overall, highly recommend.

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  7. OpenTable Diner

    Minneapolis3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 21, 2010

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Outstanding food and service and a reasonable price. Was visiting from out of town (Minneapolis) and it's one of the favorite places of the people we were visiting. I now see why. Had the Bruscetta and Seafood Lasagna, both were very yummy (and the salad and bread were good too). I think I ate too much, but oh well...

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  8. OpenTable Diner

    Des Moines1 review

    4.0

    Dined on February 14, 2010

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We celebrated a friend's 40th Birthday and it was wonderful. The staff was great and the food was AWESOME. It was a great choice for a wonderful evening of food, wine, and frineds.

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  9. OpenTable Diner

    Des Moines5 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on January 30, 2010

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    As always, the Brown Bottle is a great place to go for dinner. Food is consistently excellent and the staff very good. Being able to make a reservation on OpenTable makes it even better. Restaurants are so crowded now on weekends and the ability to make a reservation takes all the stress out of the evening. We had a group of seven and our table was ready when we got there. Thanks Brown Bottle!

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  10. bjengaking VIP

    Chicago26 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on November 8, 2009

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Our first choice from now on when we are in Iowa City/Coralville area! A short drive from the Coral Ridge Mall hotel area, good food, great service and reasonable prices. Friendly, nice staff.

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FAQs

Brown Bottle North Liberty is rated 4.1 stars by 10 OpenTable diners.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?
Claim this listing
Google Map for Brown Bottle North Liberty

125 E. Zeller, North Liberty, IA 52317

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    North Liberty
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    None
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