Stone City General Store Pub

12612 Stone City Rd
Anamosa, IA 52205

 

Email          tad.d.larson.civ@mail.mil
Phone        (319) 462-4399
Website      https://www.generalstorepub.com/
Hours         Thurs – 11am to 9pm,
Fri – 11am to 10pm
Sat 11am to 10pm
Sun – 11am to 9pm
 
 

More Than a General Store

The General Store Pub in Stone City was one of the first nice places to eat that I found when I moved to Iowa. I’m always thrilled to find a place where I can eat and enjoy nature at the same time.

Take Your Meal By The River

The General Store Pub is located right on the Wapsi River near Anamosa. Some parts of the building might even touch the river, that’s how close it is!

They have two decks where you can enjoy sitting outside and watching the river while you eat. The food is above average, and most of it appears to be made in-house. On this day I ordered the Berry Gouda Burger and the Wapsi Wontons.

Wapsi Wontons Are A Surprise Hit

I normally make fun of any American restaurants or bars that serve wontons, but not today. The General Store Pub used wonton wrappers and called it wontons, but the dish itself was well thought out and executed. It didn’t taste like cheap bar food, and it wasn’t just a copy of what the bar across town came up with. They are actually the only bar in town, as far as I know.

I’ve never seen spinach dip in a wonton wrapper before, so I was impressed that they were creative enough to come up with something original that tasted good and fit with the rest of their menu.

Burgers Made From Quality Meat

If you are looking for a burger that is made with good quality meat that is fresh and not a frozen patty, this place has it.  The Berry Gouda Burger is a ½ pound patty with smoked gouda, caramelized onions, bacon, and what they call Raz-Q.  I am assuming that means raspberry barbecue sauce.  It was cooked properly and not dried out.  The bun was also high quality, which is something that is super important to make a good burger, but many times is overlooked by local restaurants and bars.

Saturday Night Prime Rib Special

The General Store Pub is just as much a nice restaurant as it is a bar, and on Saturday nights, you can find some top-quality prime rib.  They do some really great things with their leftover prime rib, and as a result, they have one of the best prime rib dip sandwiches you will find in this area.  They also have a pizza called “The Pub Pizza” that utilizes some of their prime rib.

A Building With History

The building is very old, and the downstairs bar area makes you feel like you are inside an old castle or something.  I particularly enjoy coming here during the winter, because it’s the only place you can enjoy watching a real wood-burning fireplace while you are eating.

They have a grain bin outside that has been converted into a bar, and that’s one of the many things that earns the General Store Pub the right to be considered an extremely biker-friendly business.  It didn’t take me long to find some bikers sitting on the deck by the grain bin, and I was able to enjoy some good conversation.

On Sundays, they have what some people call “Stone City Sundays” outside on the deck.  If you search Facebook, you can find the “Stone City Sundays” group, where all the upcoming entertainment is listed. Check out their Stone City Sunday’s

More Attractions for Motorcyclists Near By

Not far away from the General Store Pub, you will find the city of Anamosa.  The National Motorcycle Museum is there, and J&P Cycles is not much farther down the road from that.

If you live around Cedar Rapids or Anamosa, this is probably the best and most convenient location for you to find food and outdoor entertainment close to a river.  There’s plenty of parking for motorcycles, and the place is already a popular destination among bikers.  The General Store Pub is also a sponsor of the Red Knights Motorcycle Club Wheelin’ 4 Healin’ Stamp Book, and I got my stamp today while I was there.

A note from Will Carter, The Ambassador of Flavors:

“This is one of many biker bar motorcycle-friendly restaurant reviews I will be do on a weekly basis.  The goal is to promote local bars as destinations for motorcycle enthusiasts.  These reviews are part of an online resource created to help bikers find bars with good food and entertainment.”

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