It's no secret that local restaurants are an essential part of any college town, and Iowa City is certainly no exception. Students are always in need of cheap, good food to fuel their all-nighters in preparation for exams, to satisfy their late night hunger after bar close, and often to stress eat their way through the busiest parts of the semester. After achieving phenomenal success with their primary locations in Des Moines, Iowa City received the great honor of being the first city outside of the Des Moines area to open additional Zombie Burger locations. With one location in the heart of downtown and another in the Coral Ridge Mall food court, Zombie Burger has changed the game for students that need to fill their stomachs and stimulate their brains (zombie pun absolutely intended).
While there was, and continues to be, a great deal of excitement and publicity surrounding this new addition to the area, the restaurant's opening raises one overarching question: is Zombie Burger the best thing that has ever happened to downtown Iowa City? The short answer: yes. The long answer: absolutely.
This is by no means an attempt to discredit any of Iowa City's other numerous fantastic restaurants, but Zombie Burger is simply in a league of its own. Any restaurant that offers something like The Walking Ched (a burger that substitutes a traditional hamburger bun for two deep-fried macaroni and cheese patties) not only instantly earns my respect, but also quickly jumps to the top of a list entitled "restaurants that are going to receive a lot of my money even though I'm essentially broke." Zombie Burger's other unique offerings include the Trailer Trash Zombie, a burger covered in cheese, fried pickles, cheese curds, ranch, and chicken fried bacon, and the Undead Elvis, which features bacon, a fried egg, peanut butter, and deep fried bananas. However, not all of Zombie's creations are this adventurous (or heart attack inducing), they offer an expansive menu that has plenty of options for both the less ambitious burger lover and those that are always seeking out something new, as well as several vegetarian and vegan options. And if burgers and fries just truly aren't your thing, it still might be worth a trip to explore the equally creative and delicious milkshake menu and other food options.
Zombie Burger is open seven days a week, with later hours on weekends to accommodate all the students that get inspired to try one of their unique creations on the way home from the bars. The downtown location can be found at 180 E Burlington St and the Coralville location is located within the Coral Ridge Mall food court. Go give them all of your money and feel free to thank me later.
