Prairie Lights Books

A nice coffee shop with a great coffee and tea. Would suggest going here if you want to do some reading or homework. The place does get pretty busy on the weekend so don’t plan on getting a table

Prairie Lights is a great place to kill an afternoon. I always enjoy wandering the bookstore, and I love the printed lists they have in different categories (top 100 mysteries, etc.) and the fact that they showcase Iowa writers. Plus, I love getting a bookmark with each purchase! (Simple pleasures, right?)
The café on the second floor has fantastic drinks. I’ve had great tea there in the past, and I recently tried the Black Rider, which was worth the hype. I haven’t ever had a problem getting a table, but I may just be coming at off hours.
The staff is always helpful, but also happy to let you wander, which I appreciate. If it weren’t for the parking meters and being crowded with students at times, I’d be down here more often.

Great ambiance. Great coffee. Service? Not the friendliest but the coffee and tea selections make up for it.

This is a wonderful café because they take great care making the drinks which are great AND you are inside a wonderful bookstore AND there are plenty of tables and chairs to sit, read and chat.
Had a cappuccino today and it’s the real deal, strong not milky like a latte and with stiff foam on top, made into a nice design.
I have so many kids that it’s rare I get a chance to sit drink coffee and read in place like this, but if I do believe me I will!

Stumbled across this coffee house while wandeing the downtown area. Ordered a couple of speciality coffees, a slice quiche. Sat by the window upstairs for an afternoon break to enjoy the atmosphere and people watch. The coffee was quite good and the quiche was great.

Mmmmmm… The maple spice cappuccino was even better than my hopes. So tasty and perfectly spiced. I could taste the maple, cinnamon, nutmeg, possibly a couple others, and yet none of them were overbearing. I can’t help but wonder if it would have been bigger if I chose to get it to go, as my mug seems to be in the small side. It was way too easy to drink. I want another!

Hidden gem to the max. Tucked between shops on Dubuque Street, this coffee shop/​bookstore is rocking.
Having already snagged coffee down the street at Molly’s, I opted for some baked goods. After much oscillation between the croissants and the cookies looming out at me, I ended up walking out with two of their small cookies. One mocha chip and oatmeal raisin. Perfectly sized to be consumed in just a few bites, these guys were delicious sans the guilt of your typically over-​sized baked good.
As most of my work gets done in coffee shops, I could envision myself setting up in Prairie Lights and getting stuff done. With coffees, baked goods, and food items to fuel you long time, the space is ideal for a cozy day of studying.

I moved to Iowa City the year Prairie Lights opened, and it continues to improve with age. If you visit Iowa City, even for just a day, please visit Prairie Lights. Jan, Paul, and the rest of the staff are helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable. Grab a cup of coffee upstairs and relax quietly with a book or a magazine.

Love this independent bookstore — the best in this little literati-​crammed town! Always a pleasure to browse among the stacks.

One of the Midwest’s great independent book stores! Their community events and public readings are very nice. Delicious coffee shop and nice venue on the second floor.

This little bookstore café is the perfect example of a hidden gem in Iowa City!
I didn’t know about the café for the longest time — I’d heard about it but never quite figured out where it was. Finally one day I wandered into the bookstore and eventually followed my nose to the coffee — and was completely blown away! The drinks are superb and I appreciated that they bring burritos in from Local Burrito (yum!). It’s almost always hard to find seating but that adds to the awesome buzzing coffee shop vibe of the place.

Two words: ginger cappuccino. Way to mix things up, Prairie Light. My biggest regret was not having more time to peruse your rows and rows of books and magazines. I’m a magazine junkie at heart.
This coffee shop is unsuspectingly tucked away on the second floor of a bookstore in downtown Iowa City (conveniently within arm’s reach of several dining options). If you’re looking to pair up a sweet with your coffee or tea, Prairie boasts shortbread cookies, espresso-​friendly sweets, cake, biscotti and more. I also noticed that they have a few warm options. Due to its apparent popularity, seating was hard to come by during my Wednesday morning visit. Once I found a perch at the bar, I was able to soak in the skylight and bustling baristas. Again, two words: ginger cappuccino. Refreshing with a serious kick of caffeine.

My favorite book store with the word «lights» in the name is San Francisco’s City Lights. I’m a huge Beats fan! My second favorite book store is Powell’s in Portland. My third favorite book store is Prairie Lights Books in Iowa City. Super friendly staff. Relax atmosphere with the focus on displaying book «covers» instead of spines. I can’t wait to come back with more money in my bank account.

I couldn’t be happier with this place. First of all, their café has the best (regular) coffee in the area. Second, they have a great selection of books, and third, they have a great staff that can always answer your questions. Their prices are a little bit higher than other stores, but they are an independent store, so that is understandable. I love to sit in their café and read, it is the best place downtown to do so. I highly recommend it, unless you hate books, in which case, why are you reading this?

Great café. But the burritos are awful. Don’t bother. Not sure why they even have them. Everything else is awesome. Fantastic chai latte, ambiance, ice tea.

An extremely great place to work, study, browse, and read. With some of the best espresso in the city and a very chill atmosphere, this joint has quickly become my go to for studying or even to just have a moment to myself.

What a great bookstore. The staff will give you a 30-​minute recommendation on what to read next, and it’s worth the experience if you have the time! Nice people who love their books down on the first floor. The art of the bookstore is slowly dying around us, but these guys paint with a fine brush.

Quintessential Iowa CIty. Three levels of books, plenty of helpful staff recommendations. This place is a slice of heaven for folks who like independent bookstores. I think it could easily compete with indy bookstores in major cities. There are also plenty of places to sit down in comfy chairs to peruse interesting finds. Over the summer, this has been my remote office, and will probably continue to be for the foreseeable future.
The café upstairs is excellent. It has a vibe unlike any of the other coffee shops in Iowa City. Often there is some vintage or jazzy music in the background to set the mood for espresso and writing. Also, the stacks of literary journals from U of Iowa and the Writers’ Workshop set the context well. There are plenty of tables and outlets, clearly tailored for people to camp out and write for awhile.
The espresso is fantastic – the famous Hairbender (think cocoa + citrus notes) from Stumptown Coffee in Portland, OR. And the baristas know what they’re doing. Probably the best espresso drinks to be had anywhere in Iowa City.
If you like independent books and good espresso, then you need to check out Prairie Lights and its wonderful café. This is the kind of place that makes me proud to be living in Iowa City!

Even if you don’t read a lot, even if you don’t frequent coffee shops, you must check out this book store.
I share it with all my friends when they come to town. We are so lucky to have an independent bookseller of this quality in Iowa City!

This place is a national gem. Prairie Lights isn’t the biggest bookstore you’ll come across, but it has a huge selection. Rumor has it each book in the store has been read by at least one of the staff. The staff is always helpful when you need them to be and out of your way when you don’t.
When I lived in Iowa City, this was a favorite place to just go and chill out, get a coffee and read. It looks like they’ve since replaced the in-​house, satellite Java House with something else that seves Stumptown.
Prairie Lights gets it’s fair share of literary speakers due to the fact that The University of Iowa has a nationally (worldwide?) acclaimed writers’ program; if you’re in town check out their calendar to see who might be giving a talk.