Making your trip to Wells Fargo Arena even better!

The view from our table in the River's Edge Restaurant.

We had a great time at the Iowa Energy Basketball game the other night.  With the Groupon, three tickets (great seats) plus hot dogs, popcorn and soda for all three of us was only $45.  Check out their website for other ticket options and specials like all-you-can eat group tickets for $20.   They even have birthday party packages.  They do a nice job keeping everyone entertained during the game by throwing out prizes, members of the audience playing games for prizes on the court and dance routines throughout, a lot like an ICubs game.  It was a little tough for the littler ones since the game didn't start until 7pm, but if you don't mind taking off a little early, the low ticket price and fact that you beat the rush out of the parking lot still make the trip worth it.

The thought of parking at Wells Fargo Arena along with thousands of other people makes me nervous though. Will we get a spot in the lot before it fills up? Will we have to park really far away and walk with the kids or in the rain? Well, we've found a tasty solution to this problem.  Whenever we go to a concert, or other event at the Arena, we get there early, get a great parking spot and have dinner at the Principal River's Edge Restaurant located inside the Arena.  It is open to any ticket holder on the day of the event.  They take reservations so you can secure your table the day of the event in advance.

Our appetizer sampler. The plate was
almost as big as our table.

Menu

They serve appetizers and sandwiches, but huge portions. This visit we got the appetizer sampler for $17 and it was enough to serve at least 4 people, for dinner.  It has buffalo wings, mac & cheese bites, chips and salsa, taquitos, Iowa corn nuggets (very tasty) and onion peels.  They had 3 beers on tap and dessert as well.  The view of the arena is great and if you get a table overlooking the arena you can sit there throughout the game/event or until you are ready to head to your seats.

They don't have a specific kids menu but our waitress told us they offered mac & cheese and chicken fingers with fries.  The desserts weren't very kid friendly, but ours opted for dippin' dots on the main concourse anyway.

If you're looking to beat the crowds, have a fun dining experience and don't require a healthy meal option, try out The Principal River's Edge restaurant on your next trip to the arena.  And let us know how it worked out for you!