Dining in DeWitt, Iowa

It’s a small town, the options are limited

All photos in this story are by the author.

For those who don’t know me, I’m a bit of a health nut, but I give up all pretense of healthy eating when I go on a road trip.

Somewhere along Highway 20, I picked up a stomach bug, so my food choices were determined by my very unhappy digestive system.

But, no trip to DeWitt, Iowa is complete without a stop at the Sunrise Cafe. During my stays here we have breakfast/lunch there daily. This trip was no different.

Day one: Chicken noodle soup with saltines. Day two: A plain hamburger. Day three: A half order of biscuits and gravy. (Clearly, living dangerously.)

I love the hometown feel of Sunrise. The staff is friendly and regulars are treated like beloved members of the family.

My first night there, we ate at Hall of Fame Restaurant. The restaurant is split into two halves; on the right is the bar area and on the left, the dining room. They serve typical bar food, burgers, wings, and pizza.

People watching is a favorite hobby, and watching parents allow their children to wander in restaurants is a personal fave. (I’m fairly certain they’d sue the restaurant if their little darling tripped a server who, in their attempt to remain upright, dropped hot pizza cheese on their child’s head.)

See the kids outside the window in the first picture of the restaurant? There’s a sign asking people not to go through the window. The guy at the table behind them is their dad. Sigh.

My order? A bowl of vanilla ice cream. I wasn’t risking anything! The ice cream was delicious.

Next up, was dinner at the Varsity Tap. The owners are the friendliest! We felt right at home. When the only available table was next to a table of kids, they offered us a spot in their back dining room.

L-R: No garlic chicken sandwich, no pork tenderloin sandwich, no pizza.

The food was so good it was gone before I thought to take photos! My sister had a garlic chicken sandwich. It was huge and the chicken was tender. Bro-in-law had a pork tenderloin sandwich and fries. He could barely finish!

I had an individual pizza with cheese and diced onions. (I was feeling a bit better. I finished it off with vanilla ice cream.) Outside of Bill’s Pizza in Mundelein, Illinois, that was the best pizza I’ve ever had.

In a half hour, you can be in Davenport with tons of dining options, but if you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend the Sunrise Cafe and Varsity Tap. Their staff and food are outstanding!

After my final breakfast at the Sunrise Cafe, I headed out of town for the six-hour drive home. I made a surprise pitstop. You can read about it soon in Part Four, Herbert Hoover Historic Site😊

Don’t miss the beginning of the journey when I met a friend from Medium and visited Iowa’s Largest Frying Pan!

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