La Wine Bar & Restaurant

One of my favorite restaurants in town. I have been thrilled with every dish I've tried so far. At first I thought I was choosing well, but now I think you really can't miss. Favorites at the moment include: spicy fried chicken wings (bone-in), the beer hot pot, beef bulgogi, gimbap, and lychee tea. It's also a cool, upbeat atmosphere. The owner is gracious, and the ingredients are always fresh and amazing.

Came out here for a date, nobody else in the restaurant so easy to be seated (we did make a reservation easily just in case) and it was great! I do like the addition of call buttons at each table to call for a server easily but we didn’t need to utilize them for our night as she was plenty attentive to our table! Our server was very nice and polite, explained things well to us and chatted some about what we had ordered including some recommendations for how to eat and season the meat as we’d gone with the korean BBQ which neither of us had ever tried before! The explanations were greatly appreciated because we wanted to make sure we were eating correctly and the recommendations for seasoning/sauce for the meat were amazing! We also asked her favorite flavor of soju as we’d never tried that either and it was a great thing we did as her choice was one neither of us would’ve initially thought to pick but we loved it! Even empty, we enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant and I’m sure when the restaurant is busy the atmosphere is equally as enjoyable, especially if you enjoy live music which we noticed is something they have at least every Friday! Overall, it’s definitely a place I would come back to and have already recommended to several other people for the food and the service!

We had the Dakjjim, portobello fries, and the spicy pig ears. The Dakjjim was almost the same as what we had in Korea. Everything was very good. We got there before it got busy. Price is a little high for every day eating but the food was worth it. We left so full we could barely walk and have lots of leftovers. The only thing annoying was the live music. The volume is too high for the size of the place. Music should not be painful to hear. Update: this place has become a regular with us. The staff and owner are so nice and the food just keeps getting better.

Tried a new dish and OMG it was amazing. It is a huge serving and comes with 2 bowls of rice. The ribs were tender fall off the done. The broth was super favorable. I asked for it to be less spicy, and it still had a small kick, so keep that in mind if you order it. My favorite drink is Milk with Brown Sugar...LOVE IT!!

The staff greeted us joyfully and took us to a table in their spacious seating area. K-pop played lightly in the background. We ate tofu bibimbap and friend green beans—both were delicious, though the bibimbap sauce is just as spicy as they say, so trust them on that! We also ordered the m/m lemonade with black currant, and it was not our cup of tea. It tasted so sweet it was almost like kool-aid or melted popsicle. We noticed—too late—that we could have ordered 1/2 sugar, and probably should have. We had LOTS left over, so though it was a fairly pricey meal for a two-person lunch, the quantity of food makes up for it a little bit.

Do not eat here. This is not real korean food. They re literally just capitalizing on fame of korean food. Not only were we given plates that were not properly washed, the chicken was too salty. The korean pancakes are not made using the correct batter. Korean pancakes are supposed to be more flat and crispy. The cold noodles were overcooked and way too chewy. Please go support other korean restaurants in the city that serve real korean food instead of a place serving you lies.

Foods taste good , service super friendly, parking by the side of building so convenient. Highly recommend!

We had a great time here - awesome menu with delicious food/drink and great staff. The owner came out and recommended menu pairings. It was our first time doing Korean BBQ and she made sure everything was cooked to *perfection*. We also enjoyed the bubble tea with shots, onigiri, bibimbap, skewers, and kimbap. Love the environment and its cleanliness, everyone was kind, and we really want to come back for karaoke.

I loved the food, and the service was amazing. We got bang bang chicken and rice cakes; everything was great. The service was amazing as well the only downside was the women's bathroom was not very clean. I will still go back for more great food.

Tried this place for the first time and the food did not disappoint! It was authentic and delicious! The restaurant vibe was hip and fun, the walls were designed with colorful graffiti art and they had a karaoke corner. Our group ordered Kimchi fried rice, jjajangmyun and Korean style bibimbap. All dishes were tasty! The jjajangmyun noodles were perfectly chewy just how I like it. And the bibimbap was served in the traditional clay pot, it was a little on the spicier side but it was so good I finished the entire bowl. The only thing I was missing was the banchan (Korean side dishes). Understandable since we ordered a la carte whereas if we ordered kbbq or the meat combinations it would be included. We definitely plan to come back and try more dishes! Highly recommend!

One of the best places in town to get Korean food. When friends want to try Korean food for the first time I usually take them here since there is a fun vibe and the food is reasonably authentic. They also have great cocktails and plenty of soju.

The food was Amazing. The service was friendly and professional. Fun environment with live music sometimes

Great service . Good music and most of all amazing food . I don't know what these other reviewers are even talking about . Had a great time here .

I hate to do this....but I wasn't even comped my meal. I'm scared to eat my to go food in fear of explosive diarrhea tomorrow!! I ordered a glass of wine and this is what was brought to the table. I'm not sure what the waitress was looking at, but how do you not notice this? Gnats in my glass of wine!!!! Puke!!!! Was your wine sitting in a bucket in the cooler? I mean...what in the crazy fuck is going on here?!? Honestly....BE AWARE if you go here! This is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen eating out...and I travel the country for work. I mean, this shit is disgusting.

We've been a couple times for shows. The only real con from my point of view is the size of the venue - it's tiny, so if you're going to a show get there early. Otherwise the service is ridiculously attentive and friendly and the food is great. Being a complete novice in regard to Korean food, I've appreciated the staff's willingness to describe dishes and make suggestions. I'll happily go back.

I love this fn' place. Not your cheapest date night but I bet you get lucky. This is however the perfect place to have awesome evening all in one spot!

Korean food is difficult to find in Iowa, so the menu was so refreshing to see! For those looking for authentic Korean food, this is pretty solid. I tried them for the first time back in March and eas pleasantly surprised. Let me start with the atmosphere - super esthetic and photogenic restaurant. If you are looking for a place vibe and share food, this is definitely a good spot. The prices are a little high, in my opinion, but I don't know how much it takes to get some of the ingredients or how time-consuming their recipes are compared to in-home Korean cooking. That being said - A+ portions, A+ flavor. You almost NEVER see cold noodles (mul nagmyeon/ 물냉면) on a menu outside of Chicago. It was delicious! They add imitation crab sticks and cabbage kimchi to it as well as the anticipated cucumbers, egg, and sliced beef. Noodles and broth were perfect. We also ordered Army stew (Budae jiggae/ 부대찌개) - it was pretty good. It comes out with the ramyeon noodles already on top, which I usually like to have on the side and add in as I go, but that's a personal preference and is probably more funtionally appropriate to do this way for the servers? There also wasn't any cheese added, which I would have loved. I also didn't ask for it, so it may have been available. You do get a small stove to keep it boiling on which is great. The flavor was awesome, so really, just personal preferences making this dish 4/5 for me. The last dish was the spicy rice cakes (Tteokbokki/ 떡볶이). Great flavor, not spicy like you get in S. Korea, but a good level for being in Iowa (not a judgment, spice just isn't as popular here typically). Rice cakes were perfectly chewy. I wish there had been more green onions and hard boiled eggs added, but again, this is personal preference. For those looking to try Korean food, this place is perfect for those missing authentic Korean food for whatever reason, this is a great comfort and more than satisfies the cravings. Service is good. It seemed more comparable to the service you would get in an actual Korean restaurant - they don't have call buttons, but they aren't going to bother you 5-7 times during your meal. They give you plenty of space, but still check on you and are polite and helpful. Other tips - it's downtown IC parking, so not amazing, but it is located next to a parking ramp, so if you don't mind paying a small price for the ramp as opposed to the small price of a parking meter, you have options. They were playing Kpop throughout my time there, which I loved, and anyone who enjoys Korean food/music will likely also enjoy it. This was my first and only visit so far, so I can't speak to consistency or changes in the menu, service, etc. For my one visit, though, I was impressed!

Stumbled across this gem on a chilly Sunday night, the food was great and warmed us up

This place is legit! The eel Kim bap was tender and delicious. The pork belly on rice, which we devoured before taking a picture, was even better. Seriously, try that pork belly dish: the combination of melty braised pork and savory sauce is luscious.

was super looking forward to coming here after seeing the reviews, but 1) the food is incredibly expensive for what it is: super small portions (the wrap that's smaller than the water bottle was $15 and would be an appetizer for one person) 2) it's labeled as a Korean place but our bibimbap wasn't in a clay pot - the rice was not crisp and was just kinda soggy for rice - not what bibimbap should taste like. they also didn't have the beef and substituted chicken which wasn't great either. 3) our spicy chicken was pretty good, didn't come with any rice which is kinda necessary considering how salty it was, but it was the best dish of the 3 we ordered. i think they could probably consolidate the space (it's rather large) and focus on the food. I won't be back anytime soon.

Don't let the name fool you, as LA Wine Bar has a large selection of Korean and Japanese dishes and Bubble Teas. I ordered the Japanese Stir-Fried Noodles. They were delicious and had a great sauce. There was a little too much cabbage for my liking, but I imagine that could be altered. All of the portions are huge, so you won't go hungry! The restaurant has a very fun vibe with music and lights, and they have a set up for live music. Additionally, there are table games for customers to enjoy. All of the employees are super friendly, and our server was very attentive to our needs. I think it's a great place for college students or other locals wanting to get away from the typical bar food/scene downtown.

This place was a journey. First, we walked into what seems like just a boba place, then we were led to a dining area equipped with a full stage, a flashing disco ball, and karaoke covers of various famous songs playing. The food was decent and filling, but it was not as flavorful and satisfying as I was hoping it would be. However, the wings are delicious, and the bibimbap is alright. Our server was non-invasive and attentive.

The cold ramen is well seasoned, it was very refreshing especially after a tired day. The new chicken nugget and cheese powder is good too, the cheese powder was a little bit sweet and a little bit salty. The chicken is juicy in the inside and crunchy on the outside. The chicken on it own is great but I would recommend you to ask for the sauce for the regular nuggets. Anyway great food, great service I would come back again =)

Food and service was great. Very attentive to our experience! We ordered Korean bbq, spicy fried chicken wings, bibimbap and kimchi fried rice. My favorite was the kimchi fried rice!

OMG! The food is spectacular! I was so excited to try this place!! The Korean Fried Chicken The Korean Hot Pot The Seafood Pancake It was spectacular! What a gem! It is so nice to have this place as an option other then fries, burgers, pizza, or just Chinese food. There are drinks here too, that are made for everyone's taste (Alcohol and Non). If you like fruity drinks your covered, if you want strong drinks...your covered too. The decor is super cute. Oh, and the bathrooms are CLEAN. There is a karaoke stage, board games in the corner, and an arcade game by the entrance door. I have been here 3 times and the service is always great. They are so sweet. Try it! Try something different even if your a picky eater. It's so awesome!

Me and two other friends were super excited to come here, from the pictures it looked like a cool place with good food. We were seated right away, however the "table" was more like something you'd see at the bar. It was about 2ft off the ground with slightly higher floor stools. We shrugged and figured if the food was good, who cares if we were hunched over for a bit. We each had a drink and food menu. We wait for 20 minutes, literally no service. Not one worker came over to get us drinks, take our order or check in at all! We thought maybe we got the wrong impression and were supposed to order up at the front, we asked the sound engineer that was seated in the corner behind us and he said, "No, they're supposed to come over and take your order. I won't lie, the service is bad but the food is really good. Actually, I'll go over and point you guys out to them." We thanked him and another 10 minutes pass...they seat another group of three at an actual table and still don't even look at us. This was after seeing that a couple of two who had walked in after us had already gotten their food. We got up and left. Super disappointing and a waste of time. We ended up going to Soseki Cafe and were seated with food and drinks infront of us within 15 minutes.

An absolute hidden gem. Amazing Korean BBQ. Authentic. The menu has so many great choices and I can't wait to try more. This first visit knocked it out of the park! My only note: The name of the restaurant does not do it justice and does not even hint to the awesomely delightful Korean fusion this place really is.

The BBQ food is very tasty. The BBQ pork is extremely delicious. However, the other food is too salty. Hopefully they realized that now.

Great addition to Iowa City. The Korean hotpot was delicious. The ambiance and service were great as well.. very clean and modern.

What a nice gem! I'm from out of town and happened to pass by and grab some bubble tea, which is just the right amount of sweet and milkiness and the bubbles were perfectly chewy. The honey citron hot tea was also deliciously flavored and felt great on the chilly day. The staff is very sweet and accommodating! To top it off, the cup decor is so cute.

The food is great, the okonomiyaki is the best I have had outside of New York or Japan. I was so impressed, the fried chicken is also great.

Good spot to share a meal with friends. Portions are generous so bring an appetite or a lot of people.