Cibo Fusion Restaurant & Lounge

Very cool atmosphere. The food was tasty, but overpriced. Towards the end of dinner I found a hair in my seafood pasta, and the manager proceeded to accuse me of placing it there. Would’ve gone back, except for that.

Bland food, high prices. Went with a large group and sat in the Chicago room. Had to ask for water halfway through the meal. Shrimp ceviche was not bad. Buffalo chicken pizza was almost flavorless and was covered in salad… not at all what I was expecting based on the menu description. Also tasted the spinach artichoke dip. It tasted more like a cream soup than a good dip. Not sure how any of the menu qualifies as «fusion» and it was all overpriced. Service was decent.

We had a graduation dinner here in early May for 21 people. We reserved the Chicago Room so we could have some privacy for cocktails, toasts, etc., and it worked out great. Our waitresses for the night were Rachael and Andrea and they both did a terrific job of keeping the food coming out, etc.
Only complaints: I was walking around filling wine glasses during dinner and then after dinner, the table wasn’t completely cleared– I ended up clearing bread plates and some other stuff. When dinner is over and dessert is coming, no dinner stuff should remain on the table.
Overall, great pleasant service at the right price. I’d recommend Cibo if you are in Cedar Rapids.

This review is a combination of two visits in about a week’s time, the first a suggestion that left me a little disappointed, the second a redemptive visit with amazing customer service.
Ambiance: the exterior doesn’t do the interior justice. It’s a cute restaurant inside, though not very big.
Menu: quite extensive, and a little varied for them to have any specialty. The drink menu seems to have more of a central theme and the martinis are pretty spot on.
Visit 1: I met a friend for dinner. Our waiter was new and had some of the typical struggles, knowing what options existed, unable to answer questions, fumbling a bit… but he was cute and so we gave him a pass. It did take an inordinate amount of time for me to get a glass of water, but whatever. The food was more disappointing. I ordered a seafood pasta with shrimp, scallops and clams. It came out with about 5 small shrimp and 1 scallop (I actually counted). The cheese sauce was very clumpy, and indicative of some rewarming. My friends Mahi was overcooked and dry. We sent our food back and they back out perfect. Not sure why the first try was so grossly disappointing, but we enjoyed the second dishes served. The drinks were delicious and well balanced with a nice kick. They glasses weren’t quite full, and that may be to compensate for them being BOGO on a happy hour special. Tip: Ask about the S’more dessert. The tray includes graham crackers, marshmallows, strawberries, sliced bananas, Carmel and chocolate sauce and chipped peanuts with a flaming lava rock! It’s not on the menu, but they will still serve it.
Visit #2: I called the restaurant around 6:10 pm inquiring about happy hour times. I was told it had just ended, but they would honor a round for me if I came in. I did, and they did. A round of drinks, two shots, and an order of edamame later, we left the bar tender a substantial tip to compliment the great customer service. He wasn’t perfect, he also seemed «new to the role»…in fact he didn’t know how to make a Long Island… but he was friendly and engaging, which makes for a good time.
I’ll go again, and I’ll sit at the bar. The staff may need a little hand holding and to be held accountable for anything not up to your expectations, but mistakes are quickly corrected.

We had a graduation dinner in the «Chicago Room» for 21 people. Service and food were excellent. Rachel was a pleasure to work with!

I was looking for a great dinner spot while in town on business. One of my clients recommended this spot. I order the hummus, Mediterranean pizza and the lasagne. All were fresh, delicious and packaged carefully for my trip back to the hotel! Staff was friendly and fast. I’ll most certainly be back!

Bland food but a good bartender. I’m missing the fusion experience. Is it a place for chefs that can’t cook a real meal.

Cool space with decent food and some nice water feature décor. Had some really great bruchetta and spring rolls here. Had their brunch buffet once and wasn’t that impressed. Has cheesy bad mural paintings throughout which really take away from the Modern artistic atmosphere. Nice staff fish tank and lounges area. Overall though this place is good and a worthy visit for lunch or dinner.

Love this place. The owners are some really great people as I met them recently after having gone here for a while. Love love love the Happy Hour… they do it the right way… no cheap booze or crappy beer… EVERYTHING is 2 for 1 at happy hour… even the premium martinis… the food is spectacular… have never had anything I didn’t like… from the lettuce wraps to the spring rolls to the ribeye.

Good service and cuisine. A very extensive food and drink menu. We would definitely come back.

Return visit.
Dinner for 3 at Cibo. 2 out of 3 started with drinks, and lucky for them, it was still during happy hour. I had no idea they even offered a happy hour, let alone when it ended and would have appreciated the server informing us of that; but I must have ordered my drink at 6:01 or something so no double booze for this girl. Not a huge deal but if there are specials or whatever going on, I think it’s always nice for the server to, at the very least, make mention of it. Onward!
We started with the spinach and artichoke dip. It was fine but nothing special. All of the tables have a large canister of red pepper flakes on them and I made good use of that to give the dip some flavor.
Onto dinner: 2 out of the 3 meals were blah blah bland. Margherita pizza is one of my favorites; it is so delicious, light and flavorful… how can a pizza be bland when the ingredients are tomato, fresh basil, and delicious mozzarella with olive oil and garlic? It’s a summertime staple for me, but everyone at the table agreed this pizza tasted like, well, not a whole lot and the crust was very dark and even burnt on the bottom.
I ordered the mushroom pappardelle: asparagus, spinach, and wild mushrooms in a creamy white wine sauce. I thought it sounded sooooo good. Again bland and again I reached for the red pepper flakes shaker. I didn’t actually taste the meatloaf that patron #3 ordered, mainly because I hate meatloaf. He said it was good, but this is coming from a man that told me my garlic bread «tasted like shit» and still ate 3 pieces of it so there’s that to consider.
We did order dessert and those were good. Cibo has a dessert/​pastry chef that makes them all homemade and you could tell. Very good on the desserts.
The inside décor is unique and fun and the dining room is clean.
In my first review I mentioned that the outdoor patio could stand some updates and I still think that. It would give the place such a classy look from the street if the umbrellas were not alcohol distributor sponsored, tables and chairs updated, etc. Not thoroughly impressed but not ready to walk away completely just yet.

Nice atmosphere. Lounge-​y. Fusion-​food was not my favorite, but was so happy with their allergy information! My daughter has a peanut allergy and the waitress brought our a nice list of all of the items on the menu and all of the possible allergens, so I could quickly see what my daughter could order. I did enjoy the flatbread/​pizza. Pretty good for C.R., Iowa.

Cibo have you changed your fries? I remember them being different! I go here every time I’m in Iowa. Fries and garlic aioli… That’s all you need though for $ 5 for an order of fries, it’s a bit steep!!!

My husband and I visited for something new. I wasn’t really a fan of the food, but the atmosphere was great! It was actually a really nice night because it was quiet and we just hung out and took our time. I didn’t feel rushed at all.

The Vegetable Lasagna is better than Mom’s and you don’t have spend an hour making it and cleaning up. Great Portion and had some for lunch the following day.
Nice outside patio when the weather hits 60.

If this were in any other town, it’d get a solid 4 stars. But given that it is in Cedar Rapids, IA, where a large portion of the area surrounding this is chain stores and crap fast food – it’s getting a 5.
I went last night with my significant other and both of us had a very pleasant dining experience. He made a rapport with the bartender before (he’s lived here for a year, I just moved) and it was fun. The interior is gorgeous; a little dark, but upscale and classy.
I’m impressed by this place because it has a chef. As I’ve said, the area surrounding this is filled with fast food and other crappy chain restaurants, so I knew they’d at least be TRYING to bring something to the table with that.
And they did! The BLT pizza was fantastic, as was the Pomodoro. It reminds me a bit of Ian’s Pizza in Madison, which is also known for its interesting pizza flavors rather than traditional. Except, I really liked what they did here. A lot.
And the drinks were good too. I had one of the best amaretto sours and a pretty tasty margarita. Both are trite and true, but after having some bad ones, I realized there’s a fair bit of work that goes into making a decent drink and these guys did a great job.
For dessert, we had the tiramisu which was just like what I had in Italy. Scrumptious.
I’m excited there’s a place like this so close and it makes living here just a little bit better. Even though it’s a little expensive, I cannot wait to go back!

Great food, drinks and ambiance.
To be able to really appreciate this place one should better try at least the calamari or the sesame wings which were the best ever. The chicken marsala could not be more tender and the ribeye rivals the best midwest Wichita like establishment. Sides are overly delicious as well as the salads.
The lounge, the bar and even the restrooms contribute to an unique ambiance more typical for a east/​west coast urban area. 5 out of 5, no reserve after trying many similar places in southern Ca.

I wavered between 3 and 5 stars because Cibo is a solid 3.5. But I’ll round up due to the fact it’s definitely a level above standard Cedar Rapids fare.
Drinks were good and the spinach artichoke dip was excellent –loved the little kick from the jalapenos. I ordered the Chicken Marsala and was less impressed. It’s not that it was bad, it was just that it was not as flavorful as I am used to in CA or Chicago.
We ordered the fondue for desert and again, it wasn’t bad, it was just kind of ehh… unlike traditional fondue where the chocolate is in a pot over the flame, this is served with the chocolate on the side. I ended up just making smores.
I am looking forward to exploring their menu more.

Last visit: 9÷14÷2009, dinner for two.
Cibo’s had just updated their menu when we had last gone. Previously, I had come here to eat lunch and dinner a few times, usually getting one of the personal pizzas or sandwiches. To add to what the first reviewer had posted back in 2007, this place is still relatively «undiscovered,» in that traffic always seems a little light for what I consider to be a very good restaurant in the area. The ambiance is fantastic (modern design, relatively romantic for dinner) and their drink menu is vast.
We had the following during our last visit:
— Vegetable lentil soup and chicken noodle soup: Good
— Truffled mac & cheese: Good
— Wild mushroom papparadelle: Good
— Sausage rigatoni: Just okay
— Steak fries (comes with aioli): Good
My girlfriend and I consider their mint mojito to be among the best; she feels it is second only to Pod in Philadelphia’s sake mojito (which I would call very close).
Biggest downside is that Cibo can feel a little pricey.

Great atmosphere, food and service. Get the mint mojito and spring rolls to start out with! Their soups change often but I sampled the vegetable lentil and chicken and rice soups and both were great! I had the wild mushroom papparadelle, truffled mac and cheese, and a side of cibo’s fries! Definitely leftovers the next day but I had a really great experience!