Take a Peek Inside Jones County’s Newest Restaurant [GALLERY]

A new restaurant in Monticello is set to open VERY soon!

Since last July, residents of Jones County have been anxiously awaiting a new restaurant in downtown Monticello. It was revealed last summer that a popular Cedar Rapids restaurant called The Blind Pig would be expanding into the city, opening up a second location in the former home of The Jitney. Owner Ryan Evans has been hard at work on Blind Pig Monticello for the past 6-months or so, and they are almost ready to begin welcoming customers!

I had the pleasure of visiting the new Blind Pig Monticello last Friday and I was totally blown away! The first thing you notice when you walk in is the giant photo wall to the right. From the floor to ceiling, the wall is packed with framed photos of artists that have performed at the Great Jones County Fair, as well as a few other familiar faces. As you move further into the restaurant, you realize just how big the space is. In addition to the bar seating, there are booths lining the wall to the left and several tables in the center.

But wait, there's more! The upstairs used to be home to a couple of apartments, but that space has been transformed into another dining area with tall windows that let in lots of natural light. There's also a second bathroom upstairs so customers won't have to walk up and down the stairs every time they need to go. To me, the coolest part of the second floor is that it overlooks the bar so you can check out what's happening downstairs.

A couple of other cool features of Blind Pig Monticello are the wall behind the bar and the bar itself. The wall is lined with shelves that go all the way up to the second floor, and those shelves hold a bunch of pig decor. There is lots of space left, though, so customers are welcome to bring in their own pig decorations to add to the collection! If you look closely at the bar, you'll notice train tracks running up and down the top, with little signs indicating all the stops. It's a little nod to the building's roots, which date all the way back to the 1890s!

Blind Pig Monticello hasn't announced their opening date yet, but it's coming in the VERY near future! You can follow the official Facebook page for the latest updates HERE. In the meantime, here's a sneak peek look at the inside of the restaurant: