Walking through the ped mall in downtown Iowa City during the summer, you’re more likely to notice the large patio seating area with a built in putt-putt hole than the sign for Barker’s* that it’s connected to. The sign is unassuming, and the restaurant front is even more so, as I’d walked past dozens of times while downtown until, on an unseasonably warm day this past March, I was looking for a spot to eat and they had their door propped open. Curious, I walked into a roomy dining area that felt like a cross between a sports bar and an old west saloon. After sitting down at the bar, I was greeted by a man who came out from the kitchen and would have fit perfectly as a stereotype of an old saloon bar hand in both appearance and demeanor.

 That description of the space is appropriate, considering that Barker’s resides in the old location of Mondo’s Saloon, a deep cut for the veterans of the Iowa City restaurant scene. While the bones of the fine, arched, wooden bar and barback still exist, the vibe, decor, and menu are quite different for anyone who used to go to Mondo’s. The walls are sparsely decorated, two larger than life television screens occupy the back wall of the restaurant, and the menu’s core is specialty burgers and bar food.

Most importantly for our purposes, it has a solid whiskey selection, partly thanks to me. I have to circle back to my first trip to Barker’s to tell that story. As it turns out, the friendly gentleman that greeted me is the current manager and head chef of the restaurant. He’s friendly and very engaging, coming out from the kitchen when he isn’t cooking the food to make sure that everyone is having the best experience possible. It was during one of these front house excursions that he overheard me asking questions and talking about whiskey with the bartender. When it was clear to him after a while that I knew my stuff, he came up and straight up asked me what I would buy to improve the whiskey selection at the restaurant. I have to say I was honestly taken aback. I didn’t expect the manager to ask for advice on improving his restaurant just from a random first time customer that likes to talk whiskey. But he did, and I gave my honest and realistic feedback. He told me to come back next week and he’d have the bottles I suggested. It took more than a week for me to visit Barker’s again, but when I did come back, lo and behold he had gone out and gotten the bottles I suggested. It was an awesome experience that has quickly endeared me to the place. Now, let’s get into this new and improved whiskey selection.

WHISKEY SELECTION

Variety: Bourbon, Rye, Scotch, Irish, Canadian

Range: Above Average. They have 29 bottles with decent selections for each of the main three varieties of whiskey in Bourbon, Rye, and Scotch, as well as having multiple bottles of Canadian whiskey. They also have a good selection of flavored whiskeys. There are several flavored bottles I haven’t seen anywhere; Jameson Cold Brew stuck out to me in particular. The largest selection is, of course, Bourbon, but the bottles that were added from my recommendation upped both the Rye and Scotch selections. The manager added Sazerac and High West Double Rye along with Glenmorangie and Laphroaig. The Glenmorangie in particular is a great add in my eyes because it is quite the unique bottle – a highland Scotch – to see in a restaurant or bar in Iowa City. Of every place I can think of, Micky’s would be the only place that might also have a bottle, which is saying something.

Price Point: There’s no spirit or whiskey menu to speak of, but I was told you can gauge the price of a bottle by what shelf it is on behind the bar. The lowest shelf is $5, the middle shelf is $6, and the top shelf is $7 or $8. There’s a true “top shelf” that is elevated above the bar on either side that runs $9 a pour. Very good prices, especially for their top shelf whiskies that you would certainly find going for more per pour at other places.

Wells: They use Mr. Boston for all their wells, which go for $4 a shot.

Best Bottle: Their best bottle is probably the Makers 46, but they have several other great bottles, including the aforementioned ryes and scotches that the manager bought with my advice as well as Knob Creek 7, Cedar Ridge Bourbon, and Macallan 12. Nothing that truly breaks into a top shelf status, but solid upgrades for Bourbon, Rye, and Scotch.

Grade: B+

Overall Thoughts: I originally had given it a B on my first visit, but the improved selection on top of the clear desire to improve the experience for the customer bumps it up to a B+ for me. I walked in on a whim and was overall surprised by the bar, the atmosphere, and the whiskey selection. You can get a solid lunch and grab a nice glass of whiskey as well. They’ve definitely made a repeat customer out of me.

Postscript: *It’s more commonly referred to as just Burger Haul and that is what you should search for online if you’re trying to find the place. It opened in 2020 as Iowa City Burger Haul and only recently rebranded to Barker’s. I call it Barker’s in this blog, however, because that’s what I personally know it as.