I'm going to be honest with you... I think I'm spending more on going out to eat now than I was before the coronavirus pandemic hit! I don't feel bad about it, though. Now more than ever, it's important to keep ordering food from locally-owned restaurants so that they are able to stay in business. With no dine-in option, many restaurants are struggling to make ends meet. Lucky for everyone, carry-out and delivery options are still available at many Eastern Iowa eateries.

In the past five weeks or so, I've ordered carry-out from at least six different Cedar Rapids restaurants, and I've had a great experience at each location. So far I've had Rock Bar American Grill, The Blind Pig, The Local Craft - Ale House, Bushwood Sports Bar & Grill, Runt's Munchies, and BurgerFiend. I will definitely be ordering from each of them again in the future! Here's a look at some of the meals, courtesy of my Instagram CourtlinEatsIowa:

Cedar Rapids Restaurants Courtlin Has Ordered Carry-Out From

If you're not sure if a locally-owned restaurant is open and what the new hours are, just check out its official Facebook page. Most businesses have been keeping those up to date with the latest information. If you need ideas, there is a Facebook page to support businesses in Cedar Rapids HERE, and one for Marion HERE. I should also note that you can also order from a lot of these places through delivery services like DoorDash, CHOMP, Uber Eats, Grubhub, MyTown2Go, and Bite Squad.

What local restaurants have you ordered from these past few weeks? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to share photos if you have them!

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