Capones

Capones is an interesting story, so if you don't like finding out random things about the history of a bar, skip to the next paragraph.  Jen says I love to tell people useless things, so here we go.  Capones is a newer bar since the beginning of the last bar tour.  It actually opened while we were doing the first tour a year and a half ago, but we had already passed it on the list.  Later, after the tour was suspended, we visited it with some friends on a night when we were the only ones there.  We had some food, which was pretty good, and some drinks, which were, well, just drinks.  This place is separated into two very distinct sections, there is a restaurant area, which almost gives off the ambiance of a fine dining or upscale restaurant, and then a bar area, which are sharply divided down the center of the establishment giving two very unique, and very separated areas.  This place is the old Village Bank, established in 1908...and they have kept the theme alive in the restore project.  There is a large bank vault door, and you can see the drive up windows in the bar area.  They have the old bank cage visible in the dining area as well.  Add all that to a roaring 20s theme of Al Capone and you get a great look throughout.

So, when we arrived in the past few weeks, we realized they have been doing well for themselves, as there was no where to park, and no where to sit inside.  This is a fairly sizable establishment, so that is saying a lot.  Nonetheless we bellied up to the bar and got a few beers and stood at the back and drank them.  Despite being busy, the bartender quickly got our beer and we were off drinking in no time.  My only complaint, and perhaps this is the old man in me, is that the live band playing was SO LOUD that we couldn't even scream in each others ears to say a word or two.  We ended up standing around, awkwardly swaying to the music as there was no seats, and not speaking.  We found ourselves counting down the time in our head until we could finish our beer, and leave, without seeming like those rude people who come in and have one beer and leave.  I realize that live music is the lifeblood of the bar industry, and whoever the band was playing clearly had a fairly good turnout.  Those things are great for a bar, but if I can't even scream yes or no in response to a question from someone right in front of me, maybe they should think about tweaking the venue a little bit.

Alas, it was not a turn off to the bar, as this place has promise, and the food was pretty darn good the first time.  We will definitely be giving them another chance and would like to try to restaurant portion as well.

The Grades:
Atmosphere: 9
Very well designed, well laid out, well restored, cool theme throughout, overall great idea.  Everything is also new because of the flood and the restoration.
Service: 8
Attentive bartender both when busy and slow.  The first time we were here the bartender was even willing to recommend a few things on the menu.
Food: 7
I am pretty sure we just got sandwiches, but their menu runs deep into pastas, steaks, and borderline fancy food.  For what we chose, it was excellently prepared.  Prices are medium-high, but the ingredients are above average.

Bushwood

Almost everyone I know that lives in Cedar Rapids has been to Bushwood, so I will keep this review short and sweet.  They have obviously done a good job marketing themselves, because the awareness in Cedar Rapids is high.  Their atmosphere is welcoming to newcomers, and it definitely feels a little bit more like a sports bar restaurant, than just a bar...but that's ok.  If you are looking for a drinking establishment, they will cater to you, but you will probably want to go on a weekend, and later at night.  Every time we have visited the food has been decent bar food fare, with little to no innovation, but they pull everything off well.  They don't claim to be fine dining, and you will not find that experience at Bushwood.  What you will find is a darker, poorly bit restaurant, complete with tons of TVs always tuned to every sporting event you could possibly want to watch, a friendly staff, and food that will satisfy you every time.  They have decent prices, ample parking, and really the right amount of comfort to make you feel welcome.  If thats what you want, then Bushwood is the place for you.

The Grades:
Atmosphere: 6
Comfortable, very dim lighting, and a fair amount of seating.  Could use an overhaul if they were going for new and fancy, but what they have works.
Service: 9
Always fantastic service, seems like the bartenders and servers are friendly to everyone!
Food: 6
Typical bar food fare, burgers, wraps, and fried food.  If we are rating this strictly on bar food, its probably more like an 8, but because it is only bar food, its a 6.