We finally watched the episode of The West Wing that features Iowa City’s famous Hamburg Inn No. 2 (after randomly finding it at the Iowa City Public Library).  It had been on my list for quite a while!

Some context:

The Hamburg Inn No. 2 is a small family diner located near downtown in Iowa City, Iowa, in the United States. The Hamburg Inn is a regular stop for presidential candidates during the Iowa Caucuses. Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama have visited, and the restaurant was featured on the TV show, The West Wing. (Wikipedia)

We were happy to see Iowa City represented, but were a little disappointed that the episodes at Hamburg were filmed in Pasadena, CA.  However, it took two locals watching the Hamburg scene more than once and listening to the commentary to be able to tell.  That someone on that show took the time and effort to recreate Linn St as well as they did is commendable.  They certainly could have just put some signs on any diner, and most of the country would have been none the wiser.