Bata’s Restaurant

I had the Bata burger which was excellent. I would highly recommend the sweet potato fries — the feta chips were a little disappointing bc I was hoping for melted feta, but the chips were excellent and feta makes everything better. Drinks were excellent. Cute atmosphere. I will definitely go back and would recommend if in the area.

Blueberry burger with brioche bun. Never had that combo before but it was delicious. Also really cool local artwork. Decent beer selection.

Just as the reviews suggested, my family agreed that the Blueberry Burger, sweet potato fries and Bata Bread were all outstanding. We tried 2 flatbreads– but would skip that next time.
Great service! Our server, Cindy, was super!!! She clearly loves this restaurant and her passion for the menu was evident.

We have been to Bata’s multiple times since it opened. Last night we joined another couple for a wonderful meal. The chef’s special appetizer included octopus which the 4 of us thoroughly enjoyed. I haven’t ever had a average meal here. The food at Bata’s is updated cuisine and always delicious. The ribs, tiger shrimp risotto, and the chicken entrée are my faves. The flatbreads and burgers are inventive and quite tasty. If you are dining early you can often walk in, but after even 6 you should make a reservation. Thanks to attentive service and top notch food Bata’s is a true asset to Cedar Rapids dining.

Every item was delicious and fresh. Service Efficient and noise level acceptable: conversation possible

I seriously cannot say enough great things about Bata’s. We are currently here for our 10^th anniversary dinner and everything has been PERFECT! The service was outstanding (Cindy was our server — she’s awesome!) and the food… Insane. We started with the Bata bread and then I had the pork wings and my husband had the angus burger. All were like a freaking symphony of flavors in your mouth. I already can’t wait to come back and bring our families from out of town. Kudos to the chef for an outstanding menu!!!

Try the blueberry burger — It had blueberries in it with bacon, goat cheese, blueberry aioli, and jalapeños. That was 15 dollars well spent. Sweet potato fries were to die for! We tried the chips with feta which was okay. Homemade chips needed a little salt. Waiter Trevor was also to die for! :-)

I have eaten at Batas a few times and have enjoyed their food for the most part. My entrée tonight was cornmeal chicken, mashed potatoes and seasonal veggies. It was delicious! My favorite meal yet… a yes, please, would order again, type of meal! I did manage to save room for their pumpkin cheesecake and I am glad I did… another tastebud pleaser!
What I really enjoyed was the romantic date my love and I shared there. Our candlelight table by the window was just right. Great date spot!
Only suggestion I have is to pump some music out.

This is my favorite restaurant in Cedar Rapids. Every time I’m in town for business, I make sure to stop by.

Come on Cedar Rapids, where is fine dining located? Does anyone here ever visit another town where fine food is served? Demand real cuisine ‘por favor’.
Glad I moved out years ago, as far as dining is concerned.

I was in Cedar Rapids for just one night and wanted to try a local place. Bata’s wound up being perfect for someone who was alone to go for a great dinner. I sat at the bar and was kept company by Betsy, the bartender, who was extremely friendly and helpful in my selections. She recommended the pomegranate lemonade for my cocktail, since I like sweet, and the blueberry burger for my entrée, as it is one of their most popular items. I was not disappointed! The cocktail was refreshing, unique, and delicious. As a burger lover, I can honestly say that the blueberry burger is the best I’ve ever eaten. The icing on the cake was the sweet potato fries. On their own they would have been wonderful, but they had a delectable balsamic reduction with brown sugar sauce on them that brought them from «delicious» to «WOW!».
While thoroughly enjoying all of the above, the owner made his way into the bar area to help wash some glasses. We had a very interesting chat about how Bata’s came to be. He seemed a very nice guy– It’s easy to see why the staff is so pleasant.
I felt the price of $ 28 for two of the cocktails, and my (huge) meal was extremely fair. Add a wonderful atmosphere and kind people and it was a really nice evening for a middle aged woman traveling alone in a new city. This will be my go-​to place when I pass through Cedar rapids again. I can’t get that burger off of my mind!

We were here Saturday night — able to walk in without reservations. After being warmly welcomed and seated, we enjoyed perusing the broad drink menu. Tina, our server, explained menu options and «worked» with us to modify one of the flatbread pizzas to be vegetarian. Others in our party enjoyed burgers in addition to pizzas. The sweet potato fries were outstanding. We are from out of town, otherwise we’d be back soon.

Stopped by at 2:30pm on a Wednesday and they were still serving lunch. They happily accommodated our family with three small children. Waiter was very friendly in giving a history of the area. Food was delicious. The three must-​haves are Bata bread, sweet potato fries and blueberry burger. Clean bathrooms. Parking on street.

We went there for a work lunch, and I loved it! The food was one-​of-​a-​kind, as well as the atmosphere. Upon departing, we were all discussing how great our meals were. All the food is made by a chef, and the portion sizes were just right! Definitley can’t wait to return.

As suggested in the chalkboard, we sat ourselves.
They were busy, and short staffed, which was unfortunate. It took some time for our server to be able to take our order. And subsequent additions of refills, box, the check, all took too long between. Again, not the fault of our server.
Son and I had Bison Burger. I skipped the horseradish mayo but he didn’t, and enjoyed it. I wish I would’ve had the egg cooked fully through as I dislike yolk but the burger was still good.
Wife had the veggie burger, but needed ketchup with it. By the time she was able to get the ketchup the burger was cold. Again, unfortunate but I don’t blame our waitress, she was moving as fast as she could helping everyone.
They should’ve tapped the bartender to make condiment/​drink refill rounds. He had only one customer at the bar.
Good food, great atmosphere, waitress did her job the best she could, needed an extra hand or two. It took us 20 minutes after eating to just get the check and a box for leftovers.

The tacos were excellent. The best. Ever. They are the authentic empanadas type, family recipe, handmade, filled with perfectly flavored beef. They are simple and simply excellent. I will add these to my list of dishes that I love from Bata’s. Nick and Tony and the staff are so welcoming — truly a family that loves food and loves their guests! Oh, before I forget, the lemon cake and the flourless chocolate cake are glorious! Can’t wait to go back!

Try the blueberry burger with sweet potato fries. Oh and you had better start off with some bata bread. You will not be disappointed!
This charming restaurant, tucked in the Newbo area of Cedar Rapids, was once a jewelry store. Much of the integrity of the old classic-​look was retained.
The unique food combinations, local beers, and charming atmosphere make this place a definite stop.

This review is long overdue and I’ve been remiss on not completing it. Batas has a small menu & at their busiest the acoustics of this small restaurant make it difficult for my hard of hearing husband to enjoy conversations with me and/​or friends, but with that being said the customer service and taste of the food keep us coming back time and again. Batas bent over backwards to help me achieve a wonderful anniversary meal for my husband through take-​out. We were unable to go out due to circumstances beyond on our control and they made sure we had steaks, at perfect temperature, with all the works and lemon cake for dessert. Since then, I ate in the restaurant, I wanted something sweet but really just a fruit option, not cake. Our waitress acquired some grapes for me. Love this place!

Being new to Cedar Rapids, and working in the downtown area, I was eager to try the various restaurants around town. I had heard that the options in downtown Iowa City were better, but I wanted to make that decision for myself. With the lady friend in tow, I headed to Bata’s for lunch.
The restaurant’s interior is lovely. You walk through a curtain into a comfortable, open layout, with a bar in the second «area,» for lack of a better term, and seating for not too many, enough to satisfy the restaurant’s costs without overburdening the staff or making for a loud lunch rush or dinner experience. The décor was warm; perhaps it changes seasonally, but my winter visits were greeted with dark hues and lots of wood.
The first meal I had consisted of the black-​bean burger, a flatbread pizza specially made vegan (basically just without the cheese), and the glazed sweet potato strips. I must begin with the sweet potatoes: Dear goodness. I’m a huge fan of broiled or grilled sweet potatoes as it is, but Bata’s adds a sweet brown-​sugar or caramel sauce that is not overpowering or thick, but is rich and delicious. I don’t agree that they are «more of a dessert,» but they are sweet for sure. The black-​bean burger held together well and was nice and moist. The pizza had a nice crunchy crust, and the toppings accompanied each other well. All in all, very tasty food. No complaints whatsoever.
As an additional plus, the wait staff is very friendly. I twice have been waited on by the same woman, whose name I do not know (Sorry!), and she is very kind and pleasant, as you’d expect Iowa wait staff to be. That adds another element to this local joint that helps it stand out from the chain options in the area and beckons a third trip and more after that.
I have only been to Bata’s for lunch, but being so close to my work, it is a great option. Not pricey, good options, high quality, and well-​deserving of high praise.

First review, so here goes food is awesome, started with pork wings very good and very flavorful and got the chef special feature for dinner, black garlic gnocchi and bay scallop it was amazing! service was ok could b a lot better, the reason for the 3* service and some guy come to my table starts talking while I’m eating! Said he own the place, sure buddy the guy reek of cologne and smell like boozes! I will come back for the food is that good! Service needs to better but it can b fixed, cause the food is that good!