the Webster
Iowa City, IA · Contemporary American
Tier 3 · Menu claim only What the tiers mean
Wagyu from $32 on the menu we read
This listing's current published materials advertise Wagyu, but the offering does not meet our full verification standard for provenance. It carries no authenticity badge; undisclosed details remain explicitly unverified.
Why it's listed
A small contemporary American room on North Linn Street in Iowa City, open Tuesday to Thursday 5:30pm to 9pm and Friday and Saturday until 10pm, with a live Resy calendar. Chef Sam Gelman's card changes daily and credits its Midwestern growers throughout. Three Wagyu dishes ran on the August card: a $24 wagyu beef tartare, a $32 wheat noodle plate with crab paste braised wagyu, and a market price large plate billed as johnsoncounty wagyu beef. No grade, breed generation or farm name is printed for any of the three.
Authenticity flags
- This kitchen rewrites its menu daily, so the Wagyu dishes it was running in August may not be on the card the night you visit. The large plate is priced at market rather than a set figure, and while the menu names Johnson County as the source it prints no grade, no breed generation and no farm name. Ask what is running, and where it came from, if that matters to you.
Wagyu on the menu
- Wagyu
- Brand / Prefecture
- Not listed
- Grade
- Not listed
- Producer
- Not listed
- American
- Brand / Prefecture
- Not listed
- Grade
- Not listed
- Producer
- Not listed
| Origin | Brand / Prefecture | Grade | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| American | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
Menu rotates This kitchen changes its menu, so the cuts above may vary by night. Confirm with the venue before booking around a particular one.
Evidence on file
“wagyu beef* tartare, caruso's giardiniera, calabrian chili, oregano 24”
thewebsteric.com “wheat noodles, crab paste braised wagyu beef, bok choy, basil 32”
thewebsteric.com “johnsoncounty wagyu beef, fioretto, smoked potato, sauce chasseur m/p”
thewebsteric.com
+2 more quotes on fileShow fewer
“*Please note, our menu does change daily and this menu is to serve as an example of what might be on offer. All items are subject to change due to market availability.”
thewebsteric.com “The Webster 4.8 (4.7K) reviews Contemporary American $$ Northside ... Dinner 5:30 PM Patio 5:45 PM Dining Room 6:00 PM Dining Room”
resy.com
Quoted from the venue's own menu or site. A Wagyu claim on a menu is not the same as documented provenance.
Something wrong with this restaurant? Tell us
Common questions
- Does the Webster serve real Wagyu?
- Its own current menu advertises Wagyu, and that claim was read directly on August 18, 2026. What the menu does not do is say which Wagyu: no prefecture, grade, breed status or producer is published, so the sourcing cannot be checked from outside. That is a gap in what is written down rather than a suggestion that anything is wrong with the beef, and plenty of kitchens buy carefully without printing the details.
- What kind of Wagyu does the Webster serve?
- Its menu discloses American. Each of those is taken from the venue's own current materials rather than from a review or a listing site, and the evidence behind it is quoted further down this page.
- Why is the Webster listed without a Wagyu badge?
- Because a badge here means the sourcing was checked, not that the food is good. This listing is published because the venue genuinely advertises Wagyu on its own current material, and it carries no badge because that material does not say which Wagyu. If the venue publishes the prefecture, grade, breed status or producer, the listing can move.