Mondo's Saloon - Pedmall, Iowa City

When my friend, and co-writer of this blog, suggested we try out Saloon for a late night dinner, I was skeptical. I had passed by the place often and not once considered venturing inside; the name Saloon conjured images of greasy burgers and sloppy salads I remembered from the bar-restaurants back home. Fortunately for my taste buds, food at Mondo's was nothing of the sort.

As soon as we walked in, I was pleasantly surprised. The place was clean and dare I say it - almost cute. The walls were littered with TheWildWest/hunting/Mexican paraphernalia, there were booths conveniently made for twos, fours, or sixes, there was even easy, chilled music playing.

We started with the Chips and Queso ($6) as an appetizer. Soooo goood. The tortilla chips were perfectly seasoned, not too salty not too bland. It came accompanied by a large bowl of mildly spice and savory queso sauce and a barely-sweet, refreshing tomato-based salsa. We even asked for seconds (that good), which they gave us for free.

If we stopped there, I would've been perfectly content. But we ordered full meals, full, mindbogglingly good meals. Shreya had the quesadilla (around $5) while I got the chicken burrito (around $5) with a side of cilantro rice ($3).

What was good:

•  The portion/the price.
  They gave Shreya FOUR good sized wedges of quesadillas along with two salsas and shredded lettuce. While I got two large half burritos, a wonderfully smoky sauce and a salsa. 
• The taste.
  I don't know how they do it (trust me, I wish I did), but everything was overwhelming satisfying. MHMMMM!! was the only thing we could say after that first bite. The flavor explodes in waves over your tongue, melting into your mouth, permeating into your every sensation. 
• The pairing of contrasting flavors.
  This is where the magic happened. For Shreya, her two salsas were served in one little jar, a spicy green chile (we think consisting of cucumbers, limes, banana pepers, and green tomatoes) along with a milder red one. The combined flavor went really well with her quesadillas. And when she added shredded lettuces and sour cream, she described it as "magical," the new layers of texture and taste made her eyes water with joy. It was that good.
  As for my dish, the sauce (I think a combination of tomato-based and Worcestershire) added such a depth to my simple burrito. The smokyness hit the back of my throat in a really pleasant way. The cilantro rice surprised me with its defiant garlicness, I was fond. 
• Service/atmosphere.
  We tipped her 25 percent. We are college students. This should testament enough to how much we liked the lovely waitress. We also loved the relaxed and easy-going atmosphere of the restaurant.

What was bad:

• Shreya's quesadillas were oily...really oil to the point where her hands were glistening. This didn't hurt the flavor at all, but I'm feeling iffy about its healthiness. 
• My cilantro rice were far too dry. The buttery garlic flavor would've been perfection had the rice been a tad softer, which, I believe, would also absorb the flavor better.  

Overall, our Mondo's experience was WONDERFUL.The total bill came at just over $21. As my Econ professor will tell you, it's all about the utility per dollar. For the price-value-ratio, I don't think there is a better restaurant in Iowa City


 Mondo's Saloon
112 East College Street
Iowa City, Iowa 52240
319-354-3837
www.mondossaloon.com