Courtlin Explores the Cedar Valley 2026 -- Part Three

Hello, Waterloo!

Over the weekend, I continued my food tour of the Cedar Valley as part of my 2026 new year's resolution. In January and February, I did two brunches in Downtown Cedar Falls, so this month, I wanted to mix things up a bit. Instead of Sunday brunch, we did a Saturday night dinner, and instead of Downtown Cedar Falls, we went to Downtown Waterloo! Here's a recap of my March visit to one of the area's most delicious Italian restaurants:

Courtlin

The Brown Bottle

When I reached out to my BFF about our monthly meal last week, I gave her a few different restaurant options that have been suggested to me by our Cedar Valley listeners. We narrowed it down to two spots, and we ended up choosing the oldest of the two options: The Brown Bottle, established in 1972!

The Brown Bottle is located inside the Russell Lamson Building in Downtown Waterloo, which was completed back in 1914. I LOVE an old building, and this one was absolutely gorgeous inside! The lobby itself made the 50-minute drive worth it.

Courtlin

We got to the restaurant around 7 p.m. on Saturday, so we were seated right away. I loved the vibes inside of the restaurant - the candles, the bookshelves, the low ceilings... it was so cozy! And, we had the sweetest server. I don't remember her name (typical for me), but she was AWESOME.

Courtlin

We started off our meal with a few adult beverages, and the consensus at the table is that the raspberry martini was amazing. I'm more of a mule gal myself, and that was really good, too. We also ordered a couple of appetizers, settling on the two different dips: Baked Feta and Spinach Artichoke. Of the two, the Baked Feta was our favorite!

Courtlin

Before our entrees arrived, we were all given our salads and bread, and I swear I could've eaten the entire bread basket. So good!

Courtlin

And now, the moment we've all been waiting for... the entrees. It was definitively an alfredo night for all three of us. I got the three cheese ravioli with alfredo sauce (so thrilled that was an option!), and my two friends went with the fettuccine alfredo. When I say that our jaws dropped when we saw the plates arrive at our table, I'm not kidding. One plate of the fettuccine could have fed all three of us! It. was. HUGE. Obviously, everyone was excited to bring home leftovers. That alfredo sauce might be the best I've ever had!

Courtlin

I have absolutely no complaints about our trip to the Brown Bottle. The drinks, the appetizers, the pasta, the service, the prices, the ambiance... it was all fantastic! It was my first Waterloo dining experience, and it certainly won't be my last.

April will be here before you know it! Where should my friends and I go next month? If you've got a Cedar Valley restaurant recommendation for me, I'd love to hear it! You can send me a message on our station app, or shoot me a DM on my Instagram CourtlinEatsIowa.

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Gallery Credit: Courtlin

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Gallery Credit: Courtlin