Hamburg Inn No. 2

The Hamburg has been on Linn Street since 1948 and is the diner of record in Iowa City — neon-and-vinyl, hash browns and ham, and a mandatory pie-shake (a slice of pie blended into a milkshake). Politicians on the Iowa-caucus campaign trail stop in nearly compulsorily.

Open from breakfast through dinner. Cash and card both fine; lines on weekend mornings but tables turn fast.

eating out restaurant
A story
Every presidential cycle the Hamburg holds a Coffee Bean Caucus, where customers vote for their preferred candidate by dropping a coffee bean in a labelled jar. The result has correctly predicted the Iowa caucus winner in most cycles since 1988, which is more often than the actual polling.