Prairie Lights Books and Cafe

A lovely combination of a bookstore and coffee shop. This place has been around a while and is soaked in 90s nostalgia. Baristas were polite and accommodating. Great coffee art and a decent cup of joe.

We LOVE Prairie Lights Bookstore! Perfect every day of the year and wonderful place to shop for Christmas gifts! We always pop in for a mood-lift and the incredible and well-displayed book selections, warm atmosphere, and helpful and knowledgeable employees, always bring us joy and new delightful books to read! We were in two weeks ago and found new favorite books and visited again Dec. 19 and found more delights for the season. It pays to explore ALL of the store (every corner, upstairs and downstairs, and the Children's section in the basement) because you never know what treasure you will find! Thank you Jan, Terry, Suzanne, Karl, and all the rest of the PL staff!

My absolute favorite coffee shop in the area by far! I always get the Black Rider-caramel traditional cappuccino with black sea salt, so good! The staff is wonderful and they have local art for sale.

Prairie Lights is truly a gem , one of the best bookstores in the Midwest. Their collection is beautifully curated, from new releases to a thoughtful selection of used books that always hold surprises. It’s a cultural landmark of Iowa City. They regularly host author readings and literary events : definitely worth checking their website to see who’s in town. I stop by at least once a week; it’s my go-to spot for browsing, reading, or simply soaking up that cozy, creative atmosphere. Whether you’re a writer, reader, or just love the smell of books. Prairie Lights never disappoints.

The best day at Prairie Lights! I always like their specials but the roseberry matcha was AMAZING. Good lighting and art (as always) and even better music, people, and coffee :)