The Jitney Wine Bar

Such a relaxing escape. One of those perfect places you hear about but never see. The theme of trains is tastefully done. Not over the top. Atmosphere takes you back to simple times. A true breath of fresh air. I will be back!

This place is so awesome and such a pleasant oasis of a surprise in this quaint little town. Great beer selection from breweries all over the country. The moscow mule they made for my wife was delicious. Definitely strong enough. They also have phenomenal coffee from arguably the best coffee shop in America: Intelligentsia, based in Chicago and LA.
The interior of this place is so cool: very woodsy, and the bar-​top has these little train tracks inlaid with little placks of surrounding towns all down the bar. They have a cool little front patio too. The owner was in there bartending when we came in between a wedding ceremony and reception and was super friendly and helpful. She’s from Chicago and brought a lot of the culture and class to establish this place!

I grew up in Monticello but haven’t been back in 4 years. We were pleasantly surprised to find Jitney here. It holds its own with similar places in Pittsburgh where I now live… Good food and great atmosphere. And the owners couldn’t be nicer. My husband wishes it had been around the last 20 years of visits — he would have been here every night!

This place rocks and is in my hometown. The place has an amazing décor and vibe. I am so glad that a fancy beer and wine bar exists in my hometown. It provides a place to go when visiting the family. Some small plate snack items are available too. Beers are craft ones chosen for their taste, and are generally top tier rated ones. I’ve not had the wine here, but understand that it is pretty tasty.
My brother and I chose this establishment to throw our parents their 40^th Anniversary party, and boy were we happy with it. Prices were reasonable and manageable with choices preselected when arranging the party. All in all, the party was a hit and everything was enjoyable. They were willing to work with us on allowing a musician to play some background music. We hired Bryce Janey and were pleasantly surprised by the quality of his work.

The Jitney brings a much-​needed mix of local and international wine and beer, hosting a wide variety of Iowa brews — perfect for those looking to sample what the region has to offer.
The décor is rustic (with exposed brick) and chic, with polished wood, large wall clock, local art, train whistles, and an embedded train track in the long wood bar. The train theme isn’t over the top, it’s just perfect, really. It avoids being mistaken for a dusty antique mall while maintaining a theme throughout.
If you’re looking for macro-​brew light beer and a plate full of processed meat and potatoes, this isn’t your scene. Here you’ll find charcuterie, cheeses, artisanal pizzas, and light snacks like the «fancy» popcorn we nicknamed and ordered last time we were in.
You would expect to find a wine bar/​gastropub of this nature in Portland, Vancouver, Brooklyn, and other hip up-​and-​coming areas of major metropolitan areas in North America. We get to Iowa about twice a year and The Jitney is always on our «go to» list.

Make sure your train makes a stop at the Jitney, a new wine and craft beer bar in Monticello, IA.
After the owners spent some time far and away in LA and NYC, they moved back home to bring their knowledge of food, wine and craft beer to this small, Iowa town.
They offer an impressive draft and bottle beer list as well as a diverse selection of wine and craft cocktails. There are also cheeses priced by the ounce, small bar bites with big flavor and other snacks like gourmet popcorn and hummus with veggies — all perfect for conversation and enjoying the evening. On some weekends the Jitney also offers live music.
The décor was also great and took into account the beauty of the turn-​of-​the-​century building with exposed limestone walls and tin ceiling to the newly installed bar with a locomotive twist; a play on the history behind the bar’s name. The staff was also friendly and attentive. Most patrons were already regulars — they know when to spot a good thing when they see it. I will be sure to return on my next stop in town as well.
Other points of interest: There is a cute patio in the works for summer and plenty of street parking too.