This is a townie bar, don't expect anything exciting here; however, they serve the BEST bloody mary in town. Â The beef jerky costs extra but it is well worth the money. Â I usually get two pieces. Â The beef jerky is local, from Riverside, IA. Â This is not exactly a place I'd 'party' but it's a good change of scenery from all the other bars in Iowa City. Â This bar is CASH ONLY. Â the ATM machine inside is a rip off, make sure you get cash elsewhere before you visit Deadwood.
Review Source:Let me preface this by saying I would give most bars in downtown IC a 1 or 2 star rating. The atmosphere is a little more quiet and "weird" compared to the college crowd you see at the other bars. They usually have one or 2 good microbrews on tap that aren't too terribly expensive, and you don't get the shouting cavemen you usually see in Brother's or Sports Column. Give it a try if you aren't into the college scene.
Review Source:Michael P. said, "D-wood really makes you realize when a place is seemingly good or actually good - and this bar is the former." Â Totally. Â
I spend a lot of time at Deadwood, mostly to meet friends who are already there. Â It's the biggest "townie" bar in Iowa City, in that it attracts a lot of droogs and drop-out types. Â My theory is that Deadwood has become an Iowa City in-joke -- regulars feel cool for frequenting it because the rough atmosphere and lack of dance floor dissuades most undergrads from entering. Â It's also a reliable bar to visit on a weekday night since it's almost never empty.
Deadwood does have a nice layout (lots of space) and a great jukebox. Â There are two pool tables, pinball machines, a photo booth, and darts in the back, so you definitely won't die of boredom. Â As far as drinks go, I enjoy the homemade whiskey sours. Â But the beer selection is subpar for Iowa City. Â They have some decent bottles, but the tap beer is all high-margin domestics. And despite having a dive bar selection, nothing is particularly cheap here, except maybe whatever is on special.
What really irks me about the Wood is the consistently bad service I've gotten here. Â I've been flat out ignored by bartenders for as long as ten minutes at the bar, when it isn't even busy. Â And if you stay til close, you WILL be rudely kicked out, and it'll be earlier than you expect. Â My friends and I have been kicked out as early as 1:20, while in the middle of a game of pool. Â Maybe the bad attitude is part of the mystique, but I'm just not into it. Â
Lord knows I'll be back. Â But I can't say I'm particularly glad about it.
Lots of space, decent music, rail drinks that won't peel paint off the wall if applied, and best of all the staff was friendly and they weren't participating in the seemingly downtown-wide practice of instating a ridiculous cover charge just because it was a game day.
Interesting mix of clientele from sloshy undergrads to middle-aged women in head-to-toe yellow (visors included!) to the occasional hipster. They were the only establishment I visited over the weekend where I had a positive experience. Way to go, Deadwood.
Sorry to knock it, but D-wood really makes you realize when a place is seemingly good or actually good - and this bar is the former.
I'm not a world traveler, but I've been at bars for closing time in Cali, Montana, Chicago, NYC, etc. Â NEVER have I seen a ruder batch of bartenders. Â The last two times I gave these people my money, the eve finishes with a last call, and 5 min later the tenders hop on a loudspeaker telling everyone to "Finish your God-D@#$!# drinks and get the F#%@ out. Â Get the F*!$# out now!"
Last Sunday the female bartender was snappy and impatient when I was ordering my drinks. Â I know she/they probably have to deal with drunken college students on a day to day basis, but I'm not one of them. Â It makes me sad that I actually tipped her, thinking maybe she was just having a bad night - until she was screaming at my friends and I to "Get the F&@% out, A$$H*!&$!"
For a place with a job requirement of being total jerks, I'm surprised they're still in business. Â At least now I know and will never make the mistake of giving them my money again.
My first Deadwood experience was when this thirst parlor was located along the Clinton Street trailers (think urban renewal) and at a legal drinking age of 18. Â It was also a bar that engineers frequented and we loved offering to show off our slide rule calculations to any reasonably good looking River City coed in tied back hair and glasses.
I have returned to the "new" Deadwood on occasion and have enjoyed this brief Dive Bar experience. Â I also go to Joe's as that's where my Father and my Uncle drank when they attended the University of Iowa. it's all part of my occasional desire to return, revisit, and learn from my past. Â And since Gayle and my son want no part of these University-based trips down memory lane, sometimes it is a good thing to share a drink here with Hawkeye friends of new and old.
We went here on 2 seperate occaisons.
The first one was on a regular warm saturday night after a hawkeye game. Â And was pretty empty, we were able to get our drinks and a table in 1 fell swoop.
But the 2nd time was Halloween night, standardly a busy bar night. Â But I've never sat at a bar so long and been ignored. Â Then when the bartender did finally take our order she finished filling the other ones in her head then started to fill other orders she got. Â promptly skipping our order. Based on this experience alone I will not be returning to this bar, and if I do it'll be because I'm simply taking a tour of the bars again like we did that night.
This was our third destination for the night. Â It's got less of a crowd but is was also later in the night. Â The crowd here is also a little different (older, seems like more grad than undergrad hang out here). Â All in all, I liked it, it's pretty roomy and has quite a few pinball game machine (i really liked the family guy one, that thing just kept on going, I guess it just wanted some attention.)
Review Source:One of the best Iowa City bars, and surely one of the rarest of it's kind in the state of Iowa. Â Order the Makers and Ginger Ale (my favorite drink) and try your hand at a run-down pinball machine. Â Post-smoking ban, I'm certain one can still maintain a buzz just by a contact high from the emanating walls which have absorbed limitless quantities of smoke over the years.
Review Source:Trivia Night at the Deadwood could not possibly be more fun. Â The host and hostess and incredibly friendly (we missed the first few questions and they came to our table and let us catch up) and the beer special ($2 cans I think) are really good too. Â It is Tuesday evening, but they had a great crowd. Â Don't miss out on the dy-no-mite! Bloody Mary's either.
Review Source:Thank you Iowa State lawmakers for banning smoking in public places, you have made this dive tolerable. Their beer is cheap, they do not accept credit and their ATM is always broken. You will inevitably be  privy to a yocals' brawl at some point throughout your drinking venture. F.Y.I., no frat morons or sorority idiots.
Review Source:This is by far the best bar in IC, and possibly the planet. Having lived there for approx. three years during/after/before college, I've experienced just about anything a young adult can encounter in The Deadwood. I learned how to do a shot of whiskey. I learned how to stand up for myself, how to play pool, I got asked out on a first date by my first love. I came out, I made out, I got drunk and laughed a lot. Great place to grow up (and do some homework in the afternoon).
Review Source:You don't go to the Deadwood for the great service. You don't go there for the cleanliness of the bathrooms. You certainly don't go there for the smell. The atmosphere is where it's at, along with interesting little quirks like "Simpsons hour" and their Leinie's combo pitchers. What are those called, again? I wonder how the smoking ban is going to affect this place, since coming out reeking of cigarettes is part of the charm and surely a badge of honor.
Review Source:Um, yeah. The Deadwood is huge, smoky and full of interesting characters. Lots of professional drunks, misanthropic townie 20-somethings, college students, and a few art-kids for good measure.
This is not a place where one makes good decisions.
But the staff always has things under control so nothing ever gets overly nuts. They have good cheap specials and can make a mean bloody mary. I wonder if they still have "Angry Hour?"
Goodness how does this place only get 3 stars! Â For crissakes it has $2.50 pints of cocktails! Â Well maybe not anymore. Â This was in the '90s.
I think I did some blow in the bathroom a few times. Â I know I had sex there a few times. I got kicked out for a while when they realized I wasn't 21, but then let me back in on my birthday. Â That was nice.
It was sort of like my personal living room...even now I live like that: Simpsons, beer, and a book.
The Deadwood is nasty, disgusting, weird, rude, lewd, dirty, and the best drinking establishment in Iowa City. Â This is part townie bar, part college town weirdo magnet, and it never fails to amuse. Â People tend to be there to hardcore drink and are very laidback. Â They're up for a chat about anything, and if you're outgoing, you'll make a few friends here.
Be sure to go to the bathroom and add something to the walls. Â They repaint over them occasionally, but most of the time you'll find some great poetry, artwork, or just random drunken grafitti.
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