The Hideaway

On Prentiss St.
Iowa City

This is a new bar (formerly Fitzpatrick's) behind the (new) Old Capitol Brew Works. If you haven't lived in IC for the past few years, that means this area has changed a lot.
With a few tvs, it can get pretty loud if a sports game is happening.
The women's bathroom has a bunch of specials printed out and taped to the stall door, so you can grab it and take it home to stick on your fridge! Gotta love that marketing strategy!
They have high tables with stools along one wall, with hooks on the wall for you to hang your purses, bags, coats, etc. Smart thinking!
I have been there 3 times and the service has been great. Although, when I ordered a Wild Ride IPA, the waitress came back to tell me they were out, and then she tried suggesting a pilsner as a substitute. I politely tried to explain to her that no, a pilsner is NOT a good substitute for an IPA but I had difficulty, being a beer snob, doing so politely. She explained that they are both dark beers, to which I kept my mouth shut knowing I would say something pretty offensive if I commented on her ignorance of beer. To sum it up, I wouldn't trust their suggestions on beers to try if they happen to be out. And they have a great selection of beers on tap, but they are likely to be out of one or two, especially if that's the one or two that I happen to be ordering. The beer on their menu consists of: Sand Creek Wild Ride IPA, Peace Tree Hefeweisen, Anchor Steam, John's White, Bells Two Hearted Ale and a seasonal which has been Bigfoot, a Belgian and Lagunita's IPA. Normal prices of beer range from $4.50-$5.50 for the good stuff, EXCEPT WEDNESDAYS! All beer on tap (even the Lagunitas IPA) is $2.50 on Wednesdays! No shit! Or, as our waitress put it: "All draft beer is $2.50 today, EVEN DOMESTICS!" Wow! So I can get what's normally $5.50 for $3 off or I can get what's normally $3 for $2.50!
Also, on Wednesdays, all wraps are only $5, and they come with fries. They have sweet potato fries too, but I recommend the regular fries. They are just salty & crispy enough. They remind me of the fries I was dipping in chocolate malts when I was a kid. However, if you pay an extra $1 for some guacamole, you might get shorted on some fries. They fill up the plate with fries, and with a container sitting there in the middle, precious fry space is taken up with your guac. But, since guacamole is pretty filling, you probably don't need those extra fries anyway.
On Fridays all appetizers are $5. We splurged and got 3 appetizers- the nachos, bruchetta and quesadillas. All were great and filling. On Tuesdays they have 1/2 price wine and the seasonal beer is only $3. They have good burgers, and some vegetarian options- a black bean burger and a portobella mushroom burger. I haven't tried either, but I will be back. Especially on Wednesdays. My husband and I got 2 filling meals and 5 beers for under $23.
Environmentally: reusable plates, disposable napkins and NO BIKE PARKING! Booooo! You need bike parking if you're going to have 5 beers (between 2 people). We locked ours up to the outdoor seating area.