Courtlin Explores the Cedar Valley 2026 — Part Four [PHOTOS]

Four restaurants down, eight more to go!

On Sunday morning, I completed month four of my 2026 new year's resolution to try new restaurants in the Cedar Valley. My best friend moved to Cedar Falls a couple of years ago, so I've been driving up to meet her for some delicious food each month this year. All of the restaurants are new to me, but some of them are new to her, too, so it's been a fun experience for both of us!

This month, we were hoping to possibly sit outside for a meal, but we realized that April is still a bit too early for some restaurants to open up their outdoor patios. That ended up being the case for 1850 Patio & Grill in Waterloo, but, no worries! My friend said she loved the food there, whether its served indoors or outdoors.

1850 Patio & Grill

We arrived at 1850 Patio & Grill on 1850 W Ridgeway Ave in Waterloo a little after 10 a.m. on Sunday morning, which is shortly after the restaurant opened. That was perfect for us, because they weren't busy with brunch-goers yet! We were seated right away, and both my friend and I commented on how comfy the chairs at our table were.

During Sunday brunch hours, 1850 Patio & Grill gives you the option of choosing the brunch menu OR the lunch menu. We chose both, because we weren't sure what we wanted to try yet. But, we obviously had to start with the mimosa flight. We split it, and I opted for the peach and blueberry flavors. They were both really good!

We also ended up ordering an appetizer, because when we saw "Goat Cheese Truffles" on the menu, we couldn't say no. They were basically fried balls of straight-up goat cheese dipped in a cherry jalapeno sauce. YUM!

As far as our meals went, I ended up going with breakfast, while my friend chose lunch. I had the Santa Fe Skillet, which consisted of breakfast potatoes, sausage, eggs, queso, shredded cheese, black bean & corn salsa, avocado, and sour cream. I was only able to finish half, so I ate the rest for dinner last night. It was still good the second time!

My friend ordered the margarita flatbread, which was also really good (she let me try some). It was definitely a weird combination of foods and beverages that we chose, but hey, that's the joy of brunch!

I'd definitely like to visit 1850 Patio & Grill again this summer so that I can take advantage of their beautiful patio!

READ MORE: Bars & Restaurants With Outdoor Patios in the Cedar Valley [GALLERY]

Restaurants I've Visited (So Far)

Here are all the restaurants I've been to in 2026 for my 'Courtlin Explores the Cedar Valley' series:

• January: Bigfoot Betty's, Cedar Falls
• February: George's Local, Cedar Falls
• March: The Brown Bottle, Waterloo
• April: 1850 Patio & Grill, Waterloo

Where to Next?

Now that we've done two restaurants in Cedar Falls and two in Waterloo, I'm thinking that it's time to visit a new city next month! I have plenty of suggestions to choose from, but I'm leaning towards The Old Stone Bistro in La Porte City or AllyCatz Grubhouse in Denver.

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What Cedar Valley restaurant do you think I should try in May? Let me know in the comments or by sending me a message on our station app!