Two Iowa Restaurants Made the 2024 Restaurants of the Year List

USA Today has released its annual list of the Best Restaurants in the U.S., and we're happy to report that not one, but TWO Iowa restaurants were recognized!

47 eateries made USA Today's 2024 Restaurants of the Year list, which the publication says is NOT your average roundup. The article reads:

"The Restaurants of 2024 include buzzy Instagram-worthy spots backed by award-winning chefs, tried-and-true small-town standbys, and pantheons of fine dining worthy of foodies pilgrimages.

They’re the places we love — a mix of old, new and in between. They’re places with stories to tell, places that should be on your dining bucket list and, lest we forget, places serving delectable  dishes we can’t stop talking about."

Out of the 47 restaurants on USA Today's 2024 list, one of them is here in the Corridor! That would be The Webster, located at 202 N. Linn Street in Iowa City.

The Webster is owned by Sam Gelman, who named the eatery after his grandfather. That's because the restaurant is located in the former Pearson's Drug Store, where Sam used to eat with his father and grandfather when he was a kid.

The Webster is described on the official website as "a cosmopolitan restaurant with a Midwest heart, serving contemporary American fare in a relaxed but refined environment." The menu changes with the season and includes fresh ingredients from Iowa and beyond! Current items listed on the menu include Rigatoni, Pumpkin Soup, Wagyu Beef Tartare, Grilled Trout, Roasted Pork Chops, Carnaroli Risotto, and more.

The Webster was also recognized by the New York Times on their annual Restaurant List in 2023!

The other Iowa restaurant to make USA Today's list is located over in Des Moines. It's called Harbinger and it's owned by five-time James Beard Foundation semifinalist Joe Tripp. Harbinger has been open since 2018 and is "a vegetable-focused small plates concept featuring flavors inspired by self-directed trips [Joe Tripp] has taken through southeast Asia and beyond." Much like The Webster, the menu at Harbinger is also seasonal and includes fresh ingredients from Iowa and the Midwest.

Other Midwest restaurants to make the 2024 Best Restaurants in the U.S. list include:

• Ardor Breads and Provisions - Peoria, Illinois
• Owamni - Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Odd Duck - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Fyr - Columbus, Ohio
• Selden Standard - Detroit, Michigan
• The Elm - Bloomington, Indiana
• Tinker Street - Indianapolis, Indiana

You can check out all 47 restaurants HERE.