I've gone to Augusta's a lot since being introduced to them in 2008. Â My husband proposed to me there and they catered our wedding! Â We've been there for brunch, lunch, and dinner - I have NEVER been disappointed with the service or the food! Â This is our favorite go-to restaurant and I'm so glad food this good is so close to us! Â As I said earlier, they catered our wedding and 3 years later people are still talking about the food at our wedding! Â How Chef Ben managed to get that much hangar steak, greek chicken, etc. to our location tasting JUST like it would at their restaurant still amazes me. Â My mother-in-law still comes from Chicago just so we can go to brunch and dinner at this place. Â Ben and Jeri are some of the best people I've met and they have a really good thing going on with this place! Â It's off the beaten path from IC, but so worth it! Â We'll be the people with a carafe of cherry cokes - also mixed beautifully :)
Review Source:Three stars because some of the food deserves 5, some 1, some in between. Surprisingly, despite it being one of the big draws, i was unimpressed by the New Orleans style food. The gumbo was thin and greasy. The shrimp was extremely salty. The fried food was underseasoned and over battered. But the southern style side dishes were delicious! I am dying to try their sandwiches and brunch items, too.
Review Source:Portions were good size and the people were very friendly. Â Not sure what to write about the food. Â It certainly didn't taste bad but it also wasn't what I had expected either. Â We had the red beans and rice. Â Seems simple enough but when it came I had a bowl full of kidney beans with a small spoonful of white rice on the side. Â The cheesy grit cake was cold and lacked some flavor. Â Chicken had been grilled and had good flavor.
Review Source:Another year, another wildly successful meal here! Â This time I had the Red Beans and Rice, while the rest of our group had the Jambalaya, Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, Buttermilk Chicken, and Fried Catfish. Â My suggestion to everyone who goes, just plan on ordering a ton and then serve it family style so everyone gets a taste of everything. Â I can't tell you how much fun it is when my friends and I do dinners this way! Â Derby Pie and Cherry Bread Pudding for dessert were great! Â
Service, as always, was excellent. Â Jeri even turned me on to a new Gin that was produced locally called River Rose. Â Outstanding! Â I will be looking for a bottle of that locally when I need another G&T. Â
Next year, we may just skip cooking for our tailgate, and order our food from here. Â We can't go wrong! Â Good luck guys with "The Big Easy" special now too! Â :-)
I was sent to this fine restaurant on a tip by a bar tender in Iowa City. She mentioned the pork loin sandwich, the mom and pop displaced by Katrina.
Every expectation was met. From the moment i stepped inside, i was at home. I had a great selection of local beers on tap to choose from. The sandwich exceeded my expectations and somehow found room for the Derby Pie.
I will be back, and this time, i'll be bringing the gang.
What a disappointment.
Our parents visited here a year ago and liked it enough that we decided to try it. Â The two of us got a baby sitter and decided to celebrate my husband's new ABD status. Â Since this was also graduation weekend, we made a reservation (for 2 at 6pm) because we prepare for things like that.
An hour into our meal, having had an appetizer, just finished the entrees, and ordering a 2nd glass of wine, a woman (that we have since discovered is Jeri Halperin, the chef's wife and co-owner) came up to our table. Â She informed us that she was not rushing us, but that they had a reservation coming in at 7:30 and it was already 7, so if we would want any dessert, we should order it. Â We mistakenly ordered coffee and the chocolate beignets; the coffee was weak and $3/cup, and the beignets were cooked at the wrong temperature (hard outside and undercooked, doughy inside). Â As the dessert came out, our 'replacements' came in and were instructed to stand roughly 3 feet from us.
I suppose I should apologize to Augusta for making a reservation, paying a good amount for moderate portions and questionable culinary technique, and trying to enjoy a meal out. Â I have never been told so explicitly that the money I am spending is not worth the thought of the next bill having to wait. Â It was our fault to not even consider that what is really important when we go out is that the restaurant turn over as many tables as they can. Â It's clearly not their fault if they are incapable of handling the amount of reservations they took, right?
If other customers are more important than we are, then let Augusta serve them. Â We are taking our money to better restaurants, of which there are plenty.
I just had an excellent dinner at Augusta. The mussels were great. I had to try the red beans and rice because I love it and I don't ever have time to make it. Goodlawdmatty! Oops my Texas is showing. Just the perfect amount of heat and a lovely grilled chicken breast on top to make it more of an entree. Excellent. My husband gave me some of his greens and they were divine. One of the reasons that I love this place is that that serve this unpretentious but incredibly satisfying comfort food that I would love to have time to cook. Great, friendly service. Amazing value. You leave feeling like you ate well and got a great deal, instead of like you just paid a lot of money to eat well. We'll be back soon.
Review Source:I came here after seeing all the glowing reviews and I came away feeling lukewarm about the experience. Some of the food was phenomenal, while some of the rest was just bland midwestern food. The things that seemed truly Cajun were great though. The dessert, chocolate beignets were out of this world.
The atmosphere of this restaurant was pretty horrible and deafeningly loud. We were sitting right in the middle of the room and almost every time someone walked past one of us would get an elbow to the face or tripped on or kicked and it kind of wrecked a lot of the feel, though the waitstaff were very apologetic about it as well as helpful in selecting menu items.
I also can't say for certain that this was the cause so I won't remove stars, but after eating here I got very sick.
I've only ever gone here for the amazing pork tenderloin sandwich. Â It's the best tenderloin I've had, hands down... Â Crunchy, flaky breading surround a soft, moist interior... Â My eyes roll back in my head as every juicy bite melts in my mouth. Â Even the bun and the homemade mayo are sublime. Â Service has always been good too.
Review Source:We've been hearing about Augusta for a few months and it was a good experience. Headed up for dinner one evening when we got off early and it was worth the trip.
The atmosphere was excellent and the wait staff delightful!
They have appetizer specials every night and this evening we had an alligator appitizer that was quite tasty! Â Beer selection was solid with some good local options. The portions were generous and the sides were excellent. The creamed corn was made with some serious cream and was easily the best we've ever had! The fried cheesy pollenta was excellent as well. The fried chicken was good, not great and the stuffed pork loin was unfortunately a bit on the dry side - again good, not great. The sandwiches were seriously healthy in size and made us want to come back to sample.
Overall, one of the growing number of really good restaurants in towns surrounding Iowa city and one that's well worth going to, especially if you're looking for something just a bit out of the ordinary, but not far from the familiar.
We had really high hopes but we were really disappointed in this place... Â The gumbo tasted like chilli and nothing like any gumbo I have ever had. Â We tried many courses and none of them were anything special. Â I even had a piece of pork with bacon and cheese and butter, which sounds like it has to be good, and even that was not very good. Â Certainly not worthy of the price point, and I wouldn't go back even if it was cheaper. Â I'd suggest if you are looking for a little nicer food in this region of Iowa try the Lincoln Cafe instead.
Review Source:i went to Augusta on because a friend raved about it. I have to say that I wasn't wowed by the food. Â loved the atmosphere, but if you're sitting by the door in the dead of winter, wear your parka because it's cold! Â The gumbo was good, but a bit salty. Â The entrees were just okay and bit overpriced for just okay if you ask me. Â The bread pudding was fabulous the first time I went, but cold and hard on my second visit. Â Not sure if I would drive all that way for a third try.
Review Source:It's not going to come as a shock to my facebook friends that I really like Augusta Restaurant. Â
This place has the best steak in the Iowa City area. Â It's well seasoned, and cooked over a wood fire grill. Â Ribeye is the only way to go. Â I enjoy it finished with their herb butter, but it's fine by itself as well.
I really enjoy the gumbo, and the creamed corn is the best you can find locally.
My only 'gripe' about Augusta is that the building is too small. Â They could easily double capacity on a Friday or Saturday night. Â Due to this, a reservation is highly recommended.
So go, grab a steak, drink a cocktail or two from the full bar, and enjoy. Â Augusta is a small town treat.
Our party of 7 had Easter dinner at Augusta today. Â What a gem!
The tenderloin sandwiches really are that good - it's easy to see how they won Best Tenderloin. Â Having grown up in Iowa I've eaten my share of breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches, and this one's unlike anything I've ever had. Â The breading is much better than most - very crunchy and not at all soggy. Â The portion is huge. Â Be sure to save room for those homemade pickles that garnish your plate - very tastey! Â I opted for the sweet potato chips and they're the best I've ever had. Â My only complaint is that I wish there was something acidic (such as a vinegar slaw) that garnished the dish.
If you're lucky enough to go when the soup of the day is carrot, don't miss it. Â Please don't think carrot puree here - it's very rich and flavorful. Â
I'd like to address the presentation comments. Â No, my food didn't look like art but you know what? Â That's ok. Â I got a huge portion at a very reasonable price, and the presentation wasn't sloppy. Â If you want to eat food that looks like art, come to Chicago and eat at Alinea or Charlie Trotter's. Â I'll take Augusta over anything the Amana Colonies has to offer every time.
I'll be back to try the deserts - we were just too stuffed to partake.
Oxford is better because this restaurant is there!
Oh man! Â Part of my excitement for this place is that it allows me to get cajun/creole food made by people from New Orleans, the other part comes from the fact that I'm going to New Orleans in just a few weeks. Â
I've been here twice now and both times have been fantastic. Â The first time I had the Shrimp Po'Boy. Â Since I haven't had one before I don't have much to judge it on, but the one I did have was fantastic. Â Great portion size, amazing sweet potato chips. Â
The second time was today.  We stopped here mid bike ride to warm up with some soup and coffee.  I had the Gumbo and mopped it up with  bread straight out of the oven.  The combination was sublime.  I must admit that I was a little apprehensive about ordering Chicken Andouille Gumbo and coffee right before getting back on the bike, but I quote from earlier today, while riding up another hill, "that was the BEST tasting burp I've ever had!"
we didn't come here for the cajun food but rather the brunch. Â dare i say that it may be better than Lincoln Cafe? Â its close, and the portions are huge. Â if you get their brunches, it comes with 3 sides....all of which are quite good. Â the service was great and the atmosphere was cozy. Â we had the omelette and biscuits/gravy so our bill was very reasonable. Â the coffee could use a little work, but beyond that, great food. Â
they're having a full spread for fat Tues. Â look forward to coming back for some good creole.
Went for brunch...amazing! Â It is exactly what I look for in a brunch: relaxing atmosphere, savory and gut-bustingly delicious food, and plentiful portions. Â Our waiter was extremely personable and gracious. Â I had a special on offer that day: perfectly fried tenderloin on top of fried potatoes topped with eggs, cheese, and amazing sausage gravy. Â And I ate the whole thing. Â The gravy was great! Â Normally I wouldn't have even attempted it, but we thought the food was that great.
Also good as a side (at brunch at least): fried cheesy grits and sweet potato hash. Â I will definitely be going back! Â Well worth the drive from IC!
At the request of a friend, I decided to visit Augusta last Saturday afternoon for dinner.  The atmosphere and the staff were pleasant.  The size and décor of the restaurant were very indicative of many moderate scale rural Iowa eateries.
The menu had many options.  I was surprised to see that dinner entrees were available for lunch.  I decided on the fried catfish fillet entrée that my friend had bragged about.  It was nice to have a carafe of water at the table for easy refills.
I really had to tell myself more than once that this place should not be compared to a place like Linn Street Café.  It was difficult not to compare them based on the type and size of the restaurant.  The prices were really good and a lot cheaper than what you might pay for similar downtown in Iowa City.  Perhaps a better comparison would be between Augusta and Midtown Family Restaurant.
I'd first like to mention that for all of the food we had, the presentation was not there. Â But this may not have been the type of place where presentation would be attempted or even expected.
As an appetizer, we had the Jumbo lump Crab Cakes with white remoulade. Â To be honest, they were pedestrian at best and the remoulade that came with them tasted like mayonnaise mixed with some pickle relish (tartar sauce perhaps?). Â Overall the appetizer was very unimaginative, bland and seemed to have consisted of low quality ingredients.
After the appetizer, I had the house salad with Green Goddess dressing. Â It was unfortunate that they did not offer standard salad dressings to accompany their own creations. Â I would have had ranch dressing but since they didn't have any, I decided to be more adventurous! Â Just as a reminder to you guys other there, when trying something new and/or unknown there are always two things to remember:
1. Â Small bites are your friend.
2. Â When the item is a sauce that you've never had before (such as the Green Goddess salad dressing), always ask for it to be "on the side" otherwise it will be poured all over whatever it is you are eating.
In the instance of the salad, I forgot rule #2. Â The salad overall was mildly disappointing. Â I did attempt to eat one of the three croutons only to discover that it was very stale.
Now, as you know, it is always good to have a happy ending to every story. Â This story is no exception ...
As I mentioned earlier, I had the fried catfish fillet as an entrée.  With it, I had the cream corn and French fries.  With the exception of slightly overcooked French fries, the entrée was by far the best part of the meal.  The cream corn was delicious and the fried catfish fillet was seasoned and cooked to perfection!  I'm originally from south Alabama and I had not been able to find any fried catfish this good since I moved to Iowa a little over ten years ago.  You guys in Iowa can cook, don't get me wrong, but you don't really know how to use cornmeal.
Overall, I would recommend the catfish entrée.  This restaurant has many other menu options of which I have not had the opportunity to enjoy.
This was one of the best meals, EVER! Â It holds up to any meal I have had in Chicago, New York or L.A.! Â
  We started with an appetizer, the short ribs.  They were so delicious, very tender with a nice sauce, and served on top of mashed potatoes.  Too delicious for words!  I thought it was very nice that they were offered as either an appetizer or entree.  For dinner I had a steak and it was fantastic.  It is offered with choice of sauces.  I chose the wine sauce and it was lovely.  Another really great thing about dinner here is all the different sides you can choose from.  I had the cream corn, which was heavenly!!!  My friend had the fried chicken, which I of course I had to try.  It was crispy and flaky on the outside and juicy inside.  Just as good southern fried chicken should be (and yes, I did live down south for ten years!)  She had the cheesy grits, which I thought was also better that good.  For desert we had the chocolate beignets.  It was as if the chocolate gods came down and kissed me on the lips! Â
  The best part is, we came back for brunch the next morning and it was just as good!  You can choose from a myriad of items.  I had the eggs benedict where you can choose crab cake or homemade canadian bacon.  I chose the canadian bacon, which was almost like a little pork tenderloin.  Augusta did not disappoint the second time around.
  Augusta was very busy both times I was there, and I can see why!  It is very cute and cozy.  I love the different salt and pepper shakers on each table.  The place is as charming as charming can get.  The chef's menu is very consistent in vision and quality.  You can tell the items are made by hand with local fresh ingredients.  It is a beautiful mix of New Orleans and Iowa, just like the owners.
  I live near Chicago and I will for sure be returning to Augusta, as well as bringing some friends with me.
My friend and I really, really wanted to like this place. Â Unfortunately, we didn't.
Because I want this place to do well, I want to point out that we were there for Sunday brunch, and the other reviews have been about lunch or dinner. Â I may yet return to try out a dinner.
My basic complaint is that while I like variety, trying new things, experiencing local flavor and flair... all the new things here were just a bit off.  Nothing was especially bad, just quirky in a bad way.  If they were experimenting and got  one thing wrong, but got a few other things right, then great, but none of the experiments worked out and classics like French toast and pancakes were lackluster.  For example, the homemade sausage was more a meatloaf slice, dense and tough and spiced with black pepper to the point of bitterness but with no other flavors.  The cheesy grits were a deep fried triangle, perhaps pre-packaged (altho I shudder to suggest this for a New Orleans style place).
The service - a nervous young girl and indifferent woman - seems not quite ready to go, even for a small time diner, let alone one with swanky allusions. Â In all, they matched the place: friendly, but not talented; trying hard, but not succeeding.
So... you should check them out.  Yeah, I know.  Set out with low expectations, bring them some business and see if they work the kinks out, enjoy the drive, try a mimosa from the full bar, have a goofy breakfast and if you're from Iowa City, stop at Slims (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/slims-saloon-tiffin">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>) on the way home to wash it down.
See the Augusta website at:
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.augustarestaurant.net%2Findex.shtml&s=54d6107e6c5b4415f42405ace1f70c8312a23c6b749bf6cd7a9de5aee8b0f25e" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.augustarestau…</a>
My full review is on my blog:
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhoobsgarden.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Ftrip-to-oxford-to-visit-augusta.html&s=a75f75900cdf5c815563c82709cbd428927e99f63acee3a8b496582b57c67a34" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://hoobsgarden.blogs…</a>
Augusta Restaurant, a New Orleans style, creole flavored restaurant is a gem in the most unlikely of places...small town Iowa. Â The town of Oxford is about a 15 minute drive from Iowa City and 30 minutes from Cedar Rapids, and while out of the way, it is well worth the drive to eat here.
We started off with a bowl of smoky gumbo. Â It was richly flavored and deeply colored. Â My only complaint, having lived in New Orleans and eaten many bowls of gumbo in my life, is that there was not a dollop of rice in the bowl. Â For an appetizer, we also tried the crawfish beignets which were very tasty especially with the accompanying remoulade sauce.
The main dishes were very good. Â My wife tried the cornmeal encrusted catfish and I had the grits and grillades. Â The catfish was perfectly fried. Â The pork dish was very tender and flavorful (though it had similar tastes to the gumbo.) Â I would certainly recommend the two side items I tried: the mustard greens and the sweet potato chips. Â Once again, just a minor complaint, some good crusty french bread to mop up the sauces would have made the place just a wee bit more authentic.
The bread pudding for dessert was so so, that was until our waitress brought us the accompanying creme anglaise which she forgot. Â Once that was added, it became an over the top and rich desert. Â
The place is small (reservations are recommended) and was very busy, which also helps give it a pretty authentic New Orleans feel. Â Even with two very large parties in the dinning room, the service did not suffer. Â Our waitress was very friendly, engaging, and helpful. Â
Overall this was one of the best dining experiences I've had in Iowa. Â And the best part is that the prices didn't break the bank either.
I hesitate to give 5 stars except for perfect experiences, but with the lack of half-stars, I think Augusta deserves it. Â This restaurant seems to be a rare Midwest combination of taste, variety in food, excellent service, and a relatively low price point.
The restaurant purports itself to offer "Creole comfort food," and Cajun spice is evident. Â While the food is Midwest-mild, catering to bland American tastes, the flavors are delicious. Â The restaurant is located in the small town of Oxford, about 20 minutes west of Iowa City. Â The entire downtown area is about three city blocks long, and Augusta is the only sit-down restaurant in town. Â Offering New Orleans fare such as Crawfish Beignets and Shrimp Po'Boys, it is an incredible find in this unlikely setting.
My girlfriend and I both had the Chicken and Anduoille Gumbo; we both found it excellent, if a little milder in spice than we had hoped. Â We were surprised with how little Chicken and Anduoille the Gumbo had, though the taste did not suffer and given that both of us are attempting to stay with a more rigorous diet, we were not unhappy.
I enjoyed the Grits and Grillades; the pork loin was tender, the sauce savory but not entirely overpowering, and the creamed corn excellent. Â My companion claimed that her Filet Mignon tasted unlike anything else she has had (in a good way). Â Upon tasting it I agreed that the subtly smoky flavor complemented the rich, prime filet in a way I would not have expected or even hoped for upon arriving in Oxford.
We topped off our meal by sharing a portion of the Cherry Amaretto Bread Pudding, and our only two complaints about this rich, delicious dessert were small portions of slightly burnt bread, and that it was so very horrible for our diet. Â Otherwise, it was very, very tasty, and definitely filling.
Again, I wish I could give 4 1/2 stars - just a few minor things would prevent me from giving it 5 stars. Â It would not hold up as such in New York, Chicago, or San Francisco, but given the price, service, and ethnic flavor (Creole in the Midwest?), this definitely earns an Iowa 5 stars ++.
This place really surprised me. Â It has only been open for 3 months, yet seems to have been thriving from the start. Â I hope it continues to be successful. Â I know that Niki and I will be contributing to its success in the future.
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