Courtlin's Restaurant Bucket List -- April [PHOTOS]

It was too nice to eat inside this weekend, so we found a new spot with an awesome patio!

We are almost at the end of April, which means I had to hurry up and squeeze a new restaurant in for my 2017 Restaurant Bucket List on Saturday! The weather this weekend was absolutely perfect, so I was excited to pick out a restaurant that had a patio we could eat on. I went for a place that just opened up in Cedar Rapids a few weeks ago that I pass by all the time: Axel's Sports Grill.

If you remember, Axel's used to be a place called Rock Top, but Rock Top was only open a few months before it shut down. They have a giant rooftop patio that I was super excited to eat on, but unfortunately, that patio wasn't open yet. That's ok, though, because we were able to eat on the downstairs patio, which was also very nice. We had a wonderful server, and also some amazing food.

Speaking of the food, I of COURSE had to start with some nachos. THEY WERE AWESOME. Seriously, some of the best nachos I've had in Eastern Iowa, and that's saying a lot. Check these babies out:

Courtlin

Aren't they the most photogenic nachos you've ever seen?! Anyways, moving onto the main course, I was in the mood for some pizza. I went for one with sausage, pepperoni, peppers, and onions on it. I was not disappointed:

Courtlin

A couple of my friends got the 3-Cheese Melt with blackberry aioli and they absolutely loved it. Unfortunately, they loved it so much that I didn't get a chance to take a photo before they started eating, but trust me, it looked great!

Plan on making a stop at Axel's this summer when they open up that big patio. You won't regret it!

For the month of May I'm planning a visit to Big Grove Brewery in Solon, but I'm always open to more new restaurant suggestions, especially if they have patios! Here are the other restaurants I've visited so far this year: