Parlor on Main is a pleasant surprise in sleepy Central City. The other place we wanted to go was closed so we walked down the road 30 seconds. Parlor serves typical chill and grill fare, with an emphasis on their smash burgers.
The food was fresh and delicious. We ordered the burger, Reuben, and chicken strips. It was hot as yummy, nothing to complain about. The fries on the side were great as well.
They have a soft serve machine, but the real treat is their selection of hard scoop ice cream. They have lots of unique flavors that rotate frequently. We got three different flavors and a large root beer float.
Prices are super reasonable and you get large portions. Service was excellent. It’s a small and popular place so be prepared to wait a bit longer for your order. Highly recommend if you live near, passing through, or camping nearby.
I am impressed. I stopped today for the first time and had an Ice Cream Cone. I could not believe how clean the place is, and great service. The Ice cream is great. Arnold would say " I'll Be Back"
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Other
Price per person
$1–10
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Love this place! Such a great addition to the community! The atmosphere is great + people are so friendly! And the ice cream is delicious 😁
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
On July 28 was in Central City for city wide garage sales,we decided to go here for lunch. Ordered a smash burger basket, a large strawberry lemonade for $2.50 and some ice cream. I drank all of my lemonade before my food even came out, it took 45 minutes to get it,wasn’t real busy neither. Since you don’t get refills on lemonade, I asked if I could have a glass of ice water. The waitress told me No!! This was my first and last time to ever go here. We spent over $35.00 on 2 meals and ice cream and couldn’t get a glass of water
Great place to take your kids! My girls love their chicken tenders! I personally love their raps! Fast service on ice cream! Always getting new kinds of flavors in weekly! Love the small town atmosphere! If you happen to pass through Central City, it's worth the stop!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Tried the "Lemon Cheesecake" ice cream for dessert. It was AMAZING! Coming back for sure!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4
Recommended dishes
Smashburger with Bacon
I visited this place after a brisk hike at a nearby park. I was hungry. Heard this place was in the running for Best burger in Iowa this year. You drive into downtown off state highway 13. Living in Cedar Rapids this was a short drive. Parking not a problem as there are many spots available. I didn't see any marked handicapped only though. But it's small town Iowa and there shouldn't be a problem. It looks like a newer building. Inside it's nicely decorated and clean. Nice spacious dining area. Clean bathrooms. I had to wash up prior to eating. Ordered their quarter pound Angus burger. Had all the toppings. Came with fries. Also ordered their pork tenderloin for a friend of mine who loves tenderloins. They offer a nice selection of options. My sandwich was delicious and tasty. Fries were crispy. My friend could only eat half her tenderloin because she couldn't eat the whole thing in one sitting. In my opinion stop by this place next time you're in Central city, Iowa. It might just surprise you.
Service
Take out
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Awesome local Ice Cream Shop! Been there multiple times and the service is always great and super friendly. Today I was even given a suprise once ordering, due to it being Mothers Day they where offering free soft serve cones to all mothers. I did not happen to see their post but they made sure I knew about it when ordering.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Other
Price per person
$1–10
Very good patty melts and pleasant servers. Great place to eat.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
