LP Street Food - Cedar Rapids, IA

 A mediocre tour around the world . . .

While researching restaurants for our short stay in Cedar No Rapids, LP Street Food popped up a number of times.  After a matinee at the Paramount Theatre, it was walking distance, so we gave it a shot

LPSF . . . is seemingly trying to be wild and crazy and inventive.  Gets points for trying, but it's not crushing it on the items we tried.  The menu reads like style marketers instead of chefs sitting around spitballing ideas, and one of them at least has Cotija and Pepita Dukkah fetishes (the former shows up in six dishes, the later seven)

Seeing as I order over the top when travelling to try as much as I can, the three of us made a fair dent in the menu.  Their Poutine rif was more like a big bowl of Tot Casserole, dry on the top and wet on the bottom.  An example of taking a great thing and screwing around with it to ill effect.  "Tater Tots, Philly Beef, Roasted Tomato Demi-Glace, White Queso, Fresh Herbs & Cotija Cheese".  It felt like a Participation Shot where each person in the kitchen got to pick an ingredient to go in.  Tots instead of fries, trying to be cute.  Demi-Glace instead of gravy, meh.  White Queso instead of cheese curds, straight up dumb.  The Philly Beef may may may have been Philly beef run through a meat grinder, and not much flavor.  I dig the herbs and the Cotija, but put them on Fries, Gravy, Curds . . . why mess that up?

 

Their Pizza Puff was a commendable recreation of Iltaco's Original Pizza Puff, gussied up with some cilantro and Cotija.  It did Chicago proud, and at $6 during Happy Hour went reeeeeeeal nice with the BOGO+$1 NA beers we had (a few nice NA selections to choose from as well).  The side of Applesauce didn't come with it, btw.  We ordered that separate for the kiddo

 

On to the somewhat strange yet delicious Foot-Long Corn Dog, "House-Battered, Sweet Chili Ketchup, Whole Grain Sesame Mustard, Dusted with Powdered Sugar".  There was a nice fat red dog in there with a hint of spice.  The kid didn't care for it, but I sure did.  The batter was somewhere between cornmeal breading and pronto pup . . . or maybe it was just the powdered sugar throwing me off to think pronto pup.  Could have used a thicker and crisper coating if I'm picking nits.  The Grainy mustard was lovely though, and the Black Bean Salad was simple yet perfect for what it was (and I'm surprised they didn't add Cotija to it)

Their Lettuce Wraps were probably adventurous for Iowa, but a flavor letdown for us.  "Lettuce, Bulgogi Chicken, Chili Paste, Pickled Radish, White Rice, Soy Dipping Sauce".  The chicken looked, felt, and tasted like it came Bag & Boil from Sysco, the rice couldn't have been whiter, and even the chili paste and pickled radish failed to do much to liven things up.  Kudos for nice large uniform lettuce leaves to wrap them in though.  Frankly I was eating the leftovers just not to be wasteful, and even then ended up throwing away a whole wraps worth

The seating continues the theme of trying to be all things to all people.  Inside is a funkily designed thrift store aesthetic-by-numbers (and inauthentic compared to say the real deal eclectic mix of decades collecting dust at Little Bohemia) with bar seating, high tops, and booths.  Outside, there's a quiet plant-enclosed front patio, and a party patio out back.  Plenty of different styles of tables and seating, with cozy fire pits.  Menu's conveniently clipped to the table, saving them from blowing all over the place.  I even dig that it's nearly in the shadow of The 380.  An urban cool that . . . I don't know, do they pay less or more for that nowadays?

The unkempt 'play' area out back is either an afterthought or neglected.  Like management just said go ahead and do whatever.  Half-assed at best with a set of bags, three foot high Connect 4 on gray landscaping rock with shabby shrubbery

* I'll add a special note that a couple of young ladies were very kind to us, offering to move to sit by the fire pits so that us three could have their table on the busy back patio.  THANK YOU wherever you are

So, what to make of LP Street Food?  The menu reads exciting and interesting and chaotic and schizophrenic, but from what we had, doesn't always deliver exciting flavors.  As an out-of-towner, I wouldn't be opposed to going back and trying more, but I'd likely give other places a shot first.  If I lived in town though, I could see coming back here and there, especially if they freshen up the 'play' area

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www.lpstreetfood.com  

LP Street Food - 302 3rd Ave SW, Cedar Rapids, IA  

319-364-4042