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Prairie Canary Restaurant & Bar, Grinnell, IA

Prairie Canary Restaurant & Bar

4.8
4.8
320 Reviews
$30 and under
American

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2 people
19:00
Booked 2 times today
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
Prairie Canary Restaurant & Bar serves comfort food with local flair in a historic building on Main Street in Grinnell, Iowa. Prairie Canary was opened in September 2012 and is currently owned by Chef, Paul Durr. Located in the city of Grinnell, also known as “The Jewel of the Prairie” and home to Grinnell College, Prairie Canary provides a gathering place where guests can enjoy Midwestern flavors in an inviting, understated atmosphere that speaks to the colors and textures of the Iowa prairie.
Prairie Canary Restaurant & Bar is all about being local. From the name of the restaurant to the dishes on which the food is served, effort was taken to showcase local talent and area producers. Enjoy your meal on hand-thrown plates and bowls. Sit at hand-made hickory tables. Savor farm-fresh produce grown just miles away. Sip on an Iowa wine or pint of beer. We look forward to seeing you!

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Farm-to-table, Comfort Food
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Tue–Sat 11:00 am–2:00 pm Dinner Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (641) 236-0205
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Paul Durr

What 320 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.7Value

NoiseModerate

Diners' Choice Awards

  • Iowa

    Best Overall

  • Iowa

    Best Food

  • Iowa

    Best Service

  • Iowa

    Best Value

  • Iowa

    Child-friendly

  • Iowa

    Innovative

  • Iowa

    Healthy

  • Iowa

    Neighbourhood gem

  • Iowa

    American

  • Des Moines

    Best Overall

  • Des Moines

    Best Food

  • Des Moines

    Best Service

  • Des Moines

    Best Ambience

  • Des Moines

    Best Value

  • Des Moines

    Innovative

  • Des Moines

    Good for groups

  • Des Moines

    Healthy

  • Des Moines

    Neighbourhood gem

  • Des Moines

    Great for outdoor dining

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Prairie Canary Restaurant & Bar in Grinnell is a charming gem offering an "eclectic menu" with "outstanding" food quality and taste. Diners rave about the warm atmosphere and "great service," highlighting dishes like Thai Shrimp, Ribeye steak, and Canary Salad. Perfect for both casual outings and special celebrations.

320 Reviews
  1. Theresa

    Kansas City

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Service and atmosphere are great. Our New Years Eve meal was delicious however my mashed potatoes were hard and cold. Flavor of Prime rib was as excellent but barely warm. My husband’s Lobster Diablo was cold. I do not recommend the Sticky Pudding, it was cold hard bread. Took forever to get our food and we were one of the first couples in the door. We are frequent customers of Prairie Canary but were disappointed in this evening.

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  2. Mary

    Las Vegas

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Excellent food, special brunch service, the bunt cake was fabulous, and our meal was quite good. The noise level was expected due to the design of the dining room. but the nostalgic of the older building made it quite nice. They filter the water, so the coffee and water tasted good. The waitress was attentive and took good care of us. Priced a little on the high side but this was a special meal. We enjoyed our special outing.

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  3. Kari

    Des Moines

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Allie was wonderful and the food was delicious from the Brussels sprouts to the steaks and loaded potatoes to the marshmallow brownies…what a treat for the soul.

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  4. Matt

    New York City

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 10 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and attentive waitstaff. Overall fun evening.

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  5. Melanie

    Des Moines

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 1 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    This is a great local option in Grinnell. We have enjoyed many meals there. The food is good and there are unique options. And you are supporting local versus bigger chain restaurants. I will continue to go to Prairie Canary for my restaurant choice in this community. They work hard to make it a good experience.

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  6. LISA

    Northern MI

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 26 October 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Noisy. Other than that, pretty good. Great service. Very large portions.

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  7. Vicki

    Des Moines

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 11 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always a great dining experience. Molly waited our table and she never made us feel like she was in a hurry, but also checked on us as needed.

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  8. Kim

    Hawaii

    49 reviews

    5.0

    49 reviews

    Dined on 4 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Love this restaurant! Food is always fantastic and so is the service. The strawberry salad with salmon, the tomato and feta soup, Brussels sprouts, burger- all terrific. The noise level is a little high, but the decor is great. Overall great place for lunch and dinner.

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  9. Shari

    Des Moines

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 28 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Our table had 4 different entrees, 2 appetizers, and 2 desserts. All were excellent!

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  10. Larry

    Des Moines

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 27 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Another excellent dinner at Prairie Canary! We had the NY Strip special with truffle fries and fresh asparagus. Everything was cooked to perfection and tasted great! Our guests had the Thai Curry Shrimp and Parchment Mahi-Mahi, and they also commented on how good the food was for them. For appetizers we had the Vietnamese Egg Rolls and the Brussel Sprouts. I do not really like Brussel sprouts and yet I really liked these. The egg rolls were crunchy on the outside and yet soft and delicious on the inside. Our server, Allie, got our order 100% accurate and timed everything, plus kept our drinks refilled and checked in at just the right intervals. She was friendly, answered all our questions about the menu and served us with great hospitality. Our guests asked on the way home - how soon will we come back? I assured them it would not be too long!

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FAQs

Prairie Canary Restaurant & Bar is rated 4.8 stars by 320 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 2 times today
Google Map for Prairie Canary Restaurant & Bar

924 Main Street, Grinnell, IA 50112

Additional information

  • Area
    Des Moines
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Tue–Sat 11:00 am–2:00 pm Dinner Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Farm-to-table, Comfort Food
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Paul Durr
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
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