Sidekick Coffee & Books

Sidekick Coffee & Books captures the spirit of greater Iowa City's literary culture in a warm, intimate setting just steps from the University of Iowa campus. The store was founded by a former Iowa Writers' Workshop student who wanted to create a space where serious literature and excellent coffee could coexist. The fiction and poetry shelves are curated with an insider's knowledge of the contemporary literary landscape, and the store frequently stocks limited-edition chapbooks and small-press titles not found elsewhere. The coffee program is equally serious, featuring single-origin beans and precision brewing methods. On any given afternoon, you might find MFA students workshopping manuscripts alongside families browsing the thoughtful children's section.