John's Grocery Inc.

AKA Dirty John's. Lived in Iowa City for 4 years and this is one of the few places I ALWAYS make a point of stopping by when I happen to be in town. I remember when their beer selection was a tiny fraction of what it is now (they moved the wine into the former beer section, added a large walk-in cooler, and significantly expanded their beer selection...especially Belgians). They also now have their glassware housed in a neighboring house-turned-storefront. Needless to say, nostalgia certainly plays a role with my experience here. They have some truly knowledgeable staff (as long as you don't ask the newbie). Their prices are much more reasonable than bigger city stores. And they actually are a grocery...check out their deli and find some good picnic items for City Park. It is cramped, but that is part of the homey charm. You will always find something new and/or intersting here. An absolute must if you are in the area.

It's called Dirty John's because for years it was an unkempt neighborhood corner store. It was dirty.
It's not now but grown ups know that story about playboy magazine is a bunch of hooey.
People love John's. The selection changes with frequency. Convince whoever is working in the beer room to show you the basement. It's worth it.
Take a ride in the dumb waiter. It's worth it.
Sells more PBR than anything else, but the selection can be pretty awesome and there's freebies.
The staff is great.
Dig it.

This is the best beer-buying experience you can get. Friendly and helpful staff, good fried chicken, and a cozy environment with excellent selection and solid sales. Good events quite often too!

 

Doesn't seem like there is a recent review here so I figured I'd provide one. Stopped in here yesterday and was very impressed. Its a small simple grocery with a wine room and a beer room & walk-in cooler. Beer selection is quite impressive with a substantial craft lineup both in the beer room and the walk in cooler as well as a very nice selection of imports. With the imports there were lots of options however many were quite dusty and old. Store offered a nice singles section both in the beer room and in the beer cooler. Overall the selection was outstanding and a must stop for anyone in the area looking for craft beer. The beer manager Chris was really nice and was helpful in making recommendations.

 

 

Great find during my weekend in IA. Will definitely be back!

 

 

Unpretentious neighborhood corner grocery store featuring a "beer room" with a world-class selection of over 3,000 beers. John's boasts one of the largest selections of Belgian beers outside of Belgium, plus many from Germany, eastern Europe, and the UK as well. Everything is well organized by country and style. Go to their web site (johnsgrocery.com) and take the video tour to get a feel for what this place is like. You won't be disappointed.

 

 

 

Best place for beer and spirits in all of Iowa and maybe beyond.

 

 

 

 

 

A small grocery downtown.
They seemed to have a good selection. Nothing blew me away though. Its a grocery store so you can get some foods of course.
I'd recommend stopping if you are in the area.

Great place, a real surprise in Iowa. Lots of great beer to choose from. Most of the American craft beers are in the cooler so they are ready for drinking!

 

 

Best beer selection in town!

 

It's a little cramped, but it has a good selection and you are going to get decent service. Definitely worth going to if you are in the area.

 

 

Always stop in here when I'm in Iowa City...selection is consistently strong and broad.