Bread Garden Market

This is a nice market for the area. It’s not quite as nice as others I’ve visited though. The aisle configuration needs rethinking.

I make bread here. So I’m entirely biased. We make the best bread IN town. I would have quit and gone somewhere else if we didn’t. That’s all :)
For the best bread around probably Hall from LWB

Good but overpriced. Wifi is bad and outlets are rare.
Think of Bread Garden as a local improvement on Panera. You are going to get tasty food that feels wholesome and locally produced. Unfortunately, like Panera I always leave less full than I’d expected having spent more money than I’d planned.
The Soup and Salad bar has some really good options. You can make a great salad there or grab something pre-​made from the Deli. Their coffee shop is fine, not the strongest downtown, but they also have pastries and gelato readily available which makes it a good place to go if you want coffee and a snack.
Their biggest selling point is their seating area, which has a great view of downtown. Unfortunately their wifi is not very good at all and if you need an outlet for your computer you are out of luck. I once had to finish an important project and I needed to sit at their bar window with my cord running through the window and into their bar area. This is a big drawback for students looking for a long-​term study location.
One more caveat: My wife loves this place. If you find yourself easily wooed by the ethos of Whole Foods you’ll probably love this place too.

Briefly, Bread Garden Market is a good choice for students. First, It has plenty kinds of foods, e. g green vegetable salads, toppings, meats and dessert with coffee. And they are all delicious. Second, it has a wonderful location for students who study in the University of Iowa. They can go there in some busy weekdays in case they do not like the dinning halls in the school. It is really quick, because you can just pick them and pay by weight. Although the environment is not suitable for some formal occasions, it is still an awesome restaurant for students!!! I like the Market very much! =]

As the only real grocery store on campus, the prices here seem pretty inflated for the basic things. If you live near downtown but have a car, I would definitely recommend going to Hyvee or Fareway or even Lucky’s for your regular grocery needs. They do carry a fair amount of ‘specialty’ groceries, but I try to avoid buying things here unless something really stands out.
That being said, Bread Garden is still awesome!
They have a hot food/​salad/​soup bar where you pay by weight. This is great if you want a quick lunch to go (there is also a really nice patio to sit out on and enjoy your meal if you have time.) I prefer this to a lot of the other lunch options downtown for a few reasons.
They have a TON of options that change regularly. The options have everything from comfort foods (the mac and cheese is awesome) to tons of vegetarian/​vegan options to some ethnic choices like kimchi. I am always able to get something different no matter how many times I come here. It also feels good to be able to eat a plate full of vegetables instead of just greasy fried food all the time. Prices are pretty reasonable and the best part is that I am able to get a REALLY filling and healthy meal for around $ 10.
The bakery section is also pretty great. If you’re looking for some fancy cakes or desserts, the selection doesn’t disappoint. I’ve also gotten some really good bread here as well!
If you’re looking for something different or a nice quick lunch, check Bread Garden out!

Great hot food bar, but astronomically expensive…
Pre made sandwiches looked very tiny, to the point of a rip off. Seriously no protein on them, less than 2 ounces.
Anyway, good alternative to be able to eat well.
But more expensive than whole foods in Chicago!

I’ve only done the buffet, but it’s a nice option in the middle of the workday when I want a quick but satisfying lunch. I love the variety — the selection change pretty often, but there’s also standards like the salad bar. There’s usually very interesting and diverse options for hot food and sides, and I find that as long as I can settle for smaller portions (since it’s pay-​per-​pound for most of the buffet) I can get a decent square meal without spending a lot.

Man, I wish this place was in Cedar Rapids. I would eat here every day.
A buffet of fresh greens, veggie toppings, a variety of salads, crunchy things, and meats and cheeses parallels a soup and hot foods buffet offering everything from cheesy cauliflower to sirloin tips to roasted root veggies. Fill your plate, but watch out: it’s pay by the ounce and if you pick heavy stuff, your pocket book will be lighter!
Don’t miss the vegetarian area and the amazing kale and tofu stir fry.
Homemade soups are plenty and no matter what you get, grab a few slices of yummy bread.
Then, head out to the patio and enjoy eating as you people watch the pedmall. Never a dull moment.

An upscale grocery store in downtown Iowa City!
They have almost everything with limited options and most of the food is organic and fair trade and humane etc. I am impressed by their selection of alcoholic beverages and tea and coffee. It is certainly pricey but at the end you get what you pay for!
A good option for nice grocery and a close second to the New Pioneer Co-​op.

I discovered the mac & cheese and chicken tenders at Bread Garden recently, and I’ve been craving them ever since. I’ve never shopped for groceries here, but I’ve had their catering (delicious!) and now I’m a big fan of their hot food bar. The homemade Ranch dressing is one of my favorites, and I love that you get complimentary bread with your meal. The price does add up quickly, and shocked me a bit the first time I went, but I don’t mind paying for high-​quality, and that’s what makes the difference here. There are numerous options for meals, including a deli for made-​to-​order sandwiches, and a coffee, juice, and bakery area, stocked with decadent treats.
There are plenty of seats inside the market, but I prefer the heated area that faces the Ped Mall/​Library. Lots of fun people watching, and a great place to have a solo meal or get some work done. There are two parking areas attached – a small lot near the back entrance, and a large ramp for downtown parking right beside it.

Without doubt, the best bread in Iowa. I have traveled widely in the state and have found none that can match the quality of the bread here. The bread is well formed and baked. The recipes are imaginative. The hearth breads are baked to a dark crust. It really doesn’t not get any better. Other stores might say they have good bread. The Bread Garden is the real drape all.

The Bread Garden
Pros: Food Selection, Freshness of food, Friendly Staff, lots of register’s & location
Cons: Parking Lot
Whenever I want a fresh sandwich or fresh fruit in Iowa CIty, bread garden is the first place that comes to mind. Every time I visit the bread garden it’s a pleasant experience. The place not only has a great appearance it smells fresh too.
I’ve always loved the way «health food stores» look and smell and the bread garden is no exception. When you walk in the store you’re usually accompanied by other friendly customers and guest. The selection of meat, cheese and fruit is one of the best in the area. You can get a custom made sandwich made at the deli with your choice of meat and cheese and the bread they carry is a delicious treat.
If a sandwich isn’t what you’re looking for you can opt for fresh fruit or something from the hot food area. The bread garden is a great place to go by yourself or with friends, they even have a patio area where you can enjoy the view of the library and Ped MalI.
The only ‘con’ I would like to mention about the bread garden is the parking lot it’s sort of small for the area but hopefully in the future they are able to expand to meet the demand of their customers.
Overall, I highly recommend the bread garden if you’re looking for great, fresh, delicious food.

Wahooo, my last couple experiences have far outweighed my first impressions!
I love this place… talk about a 360! The newly extended outdoor patio with ample shade umbrellas is glorious, the staff are extra friendly, the bakery items are soo perfectly buttery, and the café drinks have been spot-​on.
My only remaining gripes are for the donuts and the cold-​pressed juice. The donuts because they’re not a staple in the bakery case (they’re without a doubt the best donuts in the Iowa City area). Oh how I wish they were available every day! And the cold-​pressed juice because the selections don’t seem to rotate and I’m not crazy about the current offerings (the celery and ginger batch that I tried was definitely not sampled before being bottled, because each sip was like taking a ginger shot — which is great, but drinking a whole bottle of ginger shots is not for the faint of heart… which is me). But it’s great to see some cold-​press juice options popping up in Iowa City.

As of now, July 2015, they have the best hearth bread in town. The crusts are darker than New Pi’s.

Just go
Great market with awesome selections of produce, baked goods, cheeses, meat, wine, beer.
Can eat outside and order beer/​wine through open front.
Wish I were smart enough to have opened something like this when I was at U of Iowa. Would have never left.

Pros:
1. Spacious patio — great for working with a laptop too. Can access downtown iowa city wifi.
2. Good bakery selection, sometimes has donuts too. My favorite though is the chocolate scone.
3. Great drink menu. The coffee is solid and they have high quality tea by two leaves and a bud.
4. Lots of food options, particularly good for lunch — pay by weight.
Cons:
1. Food price can add up quickly — the pay by weight can add up quick.
2. Store is really crammed into a tight area. I’d argue a bit too much so.

Great selection of food as well as household and kitchen supplies. The buffet is well stocked and has something for everyone. The 9-​Grain Miche bread is amazing and a great value. The cold pressed juices are delicious and nutritious. The employees are friendly and helpful. Having free convenient parking is a plus.

This market rules, it’s kinda like a local baby brother to Whole Foods, they have groceries, hot food, bakery, a great salad bar etc. I really love that they have a wine bar and that you can buy single beers, cause their patio is amazing! It sits on the ped mall!
The staff is always really cool, and they do gift cards as well! The groceries are maybe a little pricey on a few things but it’s worth it for location and all the other things that you can get here! Like those single beers you can drink on the patio!
In other words that is the best part!

After our three bar hop, crawl, whatever you want to call it, I had remembered BIL’s mom asking us to pick up an artisan bread from the Bread Garden Market for supper. Sure enough right on our path through the Ped Mall to the car was the aforementioned market!
We popped in looking immediately for the bread then we were also asked to bring barley for his mom’s famous Beef Barley soup. The bread finding was easy as I was able to snatch up a beautiful rustic parmesan garlic hearth bread although I was perturbed by the lack of gloves, wax paper and bags for the help yourself case. While I was wrestling with that, BIL was trying to find the barley.
I ended up joining in the search and finally found the bugger among other more widely known boxed grains. I kid you not, that was a doozy of a search and it was hard to find someone working in the store to help as they were with other patrons. So besides the small snafu, this experience was rather pleasant and I’d love to come back.

Bread Garden is essential to the Pedestrian Mall in downtown Iowa City. Along with the IC Public Library, it provides a central hub for people to gather, eat, drink, and play.
The hot/​cold food bar selection is pretty decent. The salad bar is nice to have, especially because there surprisingly isn’t one at the co-​op down the street. They tend to have good soups – particularly curry cauliflower and tuscan tomato. Their grocery is well-​stocked with a variety of goodies to appeal to diverse appetites. You probably can find just about anything you’d want to munch on here.
They also have a nice wine/​beer bar with knowledgeable and friendly staff. It’s great that you can take a single beer out onto the patio and enjoy adjacent to the Ped Mall. The coffee bar is good in a pinch. Apparently they even offer wheatgrass shots!
If I were to rate this on food alone, it would get a solid 4 stars. But with the Ped Mall environment, wide grocery selection, and wine/​beer/​coffee options, it fully deserves five stars.