Another establishment of Iowa City, BoJames has graced the downtown scene for over 30 years now. They were pioneers in the trend of providing outdoor patio seating on the sidewalks in front of the restaurant, which is now ubiquitous around the city. They are known for their burgers and mason jar big beers and are also a popular spot on game days, but as a true Iowa City institution, BoJames also has its crowd of regulars who pop in for lunch or an afternoon drink. It’s not as crowded in the daytime as somewhere like an Airliner or Micky’s, but when it does get busy it feels just as crowded as those places because of the building’s long, thin layout. The main bar, elevated above the rest of the seating, takes up the front half of the restaurant with room for just one row of booths behind it. The atmosphere is nice and warm, and it works perfectly as a classic college bar placed right in the heart of downtown, and it leans into the college bar side when it comes to their whiskey selection.

WHISKEY SELECTION

Variety: Bourbon, Rye, Scotch, Irish, Canadian

Range: Limited. 12 Bottles. The bartender can be quoted as saying, “We are a bare minimum type of bar.” She’s not wrong. They cover their bases with 1 blended Scotch, 1 Irish, 1 Rye, and Crown as their Canadian. They do have a couple of flavored options with both Crown Apple and Screwball available. Bourbon is the only type of whiskey they have a true selection of, which isn’t surprising. They have a decent amount of options, all well known and common bottles.

Price Point: Shots come in at $6 to $8 depending on the bottle. Jack and Beam are $6, Irish (Jameson) and Scotch (Dewars) are $7, everything else is $8. They know they are a college bar and their prices are geared toward that crowd, although the bartender did say the students still complain about the prices.

Wells: Mr. Boston is the brand they use for all of their well spirits as long as it’s available, and a pour of well whiskey comes in at $4. They sometimes have a deal for $4 doubles as well.

Best Bottle: Their best bottle is either the Templeton Rye or Knob Creek 9, which is honestly a decent bottle to see at a “bare minimum bar.”

Grade: C-

Overall Thoughts: BoJames is a great Irish Pub style college bar that gives you exactly what you expect for such a place as far as whiskey is concerned. The food is solid and the service has been great every time I’ve stopped in. The crowd skews college age no matter the time of day, and you can tell that they recognize that and lean into it in how they run the place. Definitely a great alternative to Micky’s to mix things up when you want a bit quieter of a lunch, but probably a pass if you’re looking for a glass of whiskey.