Don't miss it! This is the golden treasure of Washington. Lots of great atmosphere and the food has always been wonderful. Wander around the square. Sit by the fountain. Then, sit down for a great meal at Cafe Dodici. The Chocolate Kahlua Cake is...well, just don't miss it! read more

We drove 600 miles from northern Minnesota for a family visit in Washington, Iowa, last month. The meals we had at Dodici made every LONG mile of that trip absolutely worth the drive. Nothing was amiss: excellent service, warm dining ambiance, spectacular dishes - at least those that we had - and gracious hospitality from Lorriane and all of the waitstaff. We have a very fine, much-lauded Italian restaurant at home, but I have to say Dodici bested it. What a jewel! Our only regret is that we have to wait so long between opportunities to dine there. If only there were a second location of this incredible eatery closer to our home... read more

If you like authentic versus banal, taste over convenience and appreciate staff who care about your experience then go out of your way to dine here. The chicken limone was heavenly and the service outstanding. Cannot wait to come back and I live two hours away. read more

Great food and excellent service! I went for St valentines with my wife and she said that it was the best food she had tasted in Iowa. The manager and service were good. They explained the different options to us really well. The food was ready in a very appropriate time.The dessert was really good. It is pricey, but is an excellent alternative for an special ocassion. read more

My wife and I just returned from Thanksgiving dinner at Cafe DoDici. My duck dish was delicious. My wife had a meatloaf dish, the meatloaf almost looked like a fine filet, it was thick and moist. We learned from our waitress that it was the recipe of the chef's mother. Allesandro, the chef, and his wife Loraine have created a small dining sensation in the middle of Iowa. We go to Italy every year, and Cafe DoDici always reminds us of our dining experiences over there. I would also recommend Sunday brunch. We really like Eggs Benedict, but the 'Eggs Loraine,' a house specialty are even better. Now the down side. We are moving to Virginia, so today was our last meal at DoDici. Fortunately, but not at all surprisingly, it was memorable. read more

A jewel in the midwest. located 40 minutes south of I-80 & I 380 interchange on the SE corner of the square ("the common" in New England terms) in Washington Iowa. The trip is indeed worth every minute of the time spent to travel there. The food is organic and prepared with love and grace. By the way it was delicious!. The service ...impeccable! The decor was arranged from Lorriane's (aunt & half owner) personal collection from her decades in Italy. Needless to say it is very fetching. In my view it reflects taste that can grow one's experience upon with each additional visit, as your eye falls on further details. Upscale dining with small town pricing and personality (e.g. I asked Tsalika [pronounced: Zell ik a] (niece & co-owner) to change the background music to Luciano Pavarotti's Ava Maria and she did! I also wished to know about their soft Jazz collection they were playing at another visit. Loraine's husband/ Chef came out himself to talk to me about their selection... a very impassioned Italian... quite refreshing). btw did i mention the food was delicious with good portion sizes! Also I am exceptionally hard to please as I am a "super taster" and write only if I am inspired to do so (refer to my number of reviews). read more

Had heard about this little restaurant for a couple of years, and had seen the numerous awards they had won in the local press. Well worth the trip. I had high expectations based on the word of mouth, and they were exceeded. We started with the calamari, which was delicious, but the marinara it was served with was incredible. So simple, yet so good. I had my mind set on one of the pastas(they're known for their pasta), but was persuaded by one of the specials to change my mind. It was a roast half of duck with a bourbon cherry glaze. MMMhmmmm. I chose the gnocchi as my side and wow! These were little pillows of perfection! The texture and flavor were incredible. I kept putting them in my mouth one by one, puzzled at how they made these so delectable. My girlfriend had gotten the shrimp asiago pasta(the one I had my mind on, so I still got to try it). My girlfriend remarked, "I could just drink this sauce!" For dessert, we shared the tiramisu. Ok, now I am not an expert, but that was the best tiramisu we had ever had. I have had a few in my time, and even made a few. The texture was so velvety. It was a perfect ending to the meal. Highly recommend this place. Worth the drive from I.C. read more

In my last review i stated how much i loved the experience of this place. my only complaint was that i did not like the pasta dishes very much. So i decided to with a to go order. The first thing i ordered they said was not available. When i changed my order to something else the price was more money than their online menu said. When i mentioned this the guy on the other end he said these are the prices and would not honor what their own online menu said the price was. i cancelled my order all together and went with a cheesecake togo. the cheesecake was tiny for the 7 dollars i spent. while it was quite tasty it certainly was not worth the price i paid. bottom line is it annoyed me they would not honor their own online menu prices. If you're gonna be too lazy to change the prices on your website the least you can do is honor the price for those that order off of it. oh well customer lost read more

My husband, my self and another couple went to Ca[e Dodici on 12 December 2016 for their business celebrating their 12 year 12 month anniversary. Their food was fantastic!! The staff went out of their way to be extremely knowledgeable about the menu, the ingredients and the preparation. The atmosphere was warm and inviting. The owners came out and greeted each table and it felt like we were at home with friends. There was so much laughter and people talking. What a joy for each person to say "ummmm, try mine...it'good! Have been there before and will continue to go each month. So much to try. Thank you Cafe Dodici for coming to a small town and making it great!! I'm telling everyone I know!! LOVE IT!!! read more

Outstanding service, food and atmosphere. The tortellini was fabulous and a great wine selection. A must when in Washington.

The atmosphere is nice,but a little loud. I wanted to love the food but as usual I was disappointed. I'm not sure why I keep coming. I went for their Sunday brunch this time. I ordered their Italian version of eggs benedict. The hollandaise was excellent however they add a slice of cold mozzarella under the egg. This makes the whole dish could and slimy. The food as always would be great if they just tweaked a few things on execution. So sad. read more

Situated on the historic Washington downtown square,across from the park ,the owners of Cafe Dodici renovated two buildings into attractive, inviting establishments that are upscale but not snobbish. The service is warm, friendly and knowlegable, the wine list extensive, and the fresh, tasty food superbly, genuine Mediterranean! The owners are a husband and wife team who bring there many years of living in Italy to the menu. As well as to the decor and the pleasant surprise of greeting patrons by their name and treating them like treasured house guests. The owners often join the diners at their table for a chat and will answer any questions about the food or other topics. The atmosphere is cozy but not cramped, upbeat and friendly but not intrusive. Well worth a visit! read more

We had an incredible dining experience. The food was delicious, ambience was romantic, but not stuffy, the service was wonderful. We will definitely return again and again. read more

We come to Washington a couple times a year usually...visiting friends and my Husband preaches at Marion Avenue Baptist Church. We love to stay at the Dodici Suite while in town and frequent the coffee shop but had not made it to the restaurant until this last visit. Delicious!...And not just because it's in a town with nothing but fast food, pizza and misc Chinese and Mexican restaurants...but because it really is good! We made it in for Sunday brunch. There were 6 adults and 4 kids...probably not a table of patrons that would make you jump for joy but our kids were well behaved and they bent over backwards to accommodate us (even made some apple sauce on a whim for one of the babies because his mom forgot his food at home). The service was great! Lorraine, the owner, was making rounds, checking on tables, as friendly as can be (even noticed me holding my friends baby while she ate her salad and came and carried him around for a few mins when my food came...so sweet). The restaurant had great atmosphere and was clean. Good menu selection for brunch. I ordered the eggs alla Loraine...eggs Benedict with mozzarella and prosciutto and it came with roasted potatoes. It was delicious. Only complaint was that my poached eggs were overdone (but that may have been from confusion...when ordering eggs for my 2yr old the waitress might have gotten requested cooking mixed up). They didn't skimp on the hollandaise (pet peeve) and it was yummy. My husband got the tortellini...he said it was cooked well and good quality but a smidge bland. The Crossaint French toast was yummy...light and not too rich and sweet. Ordered the chocolate almond torte for dessert with a mocha latte. DELICIOUS! The whipped cream tasted like it might have had some mascarpone whipped in maybe?..something was a little different/special about it. I feel like the serving size was a little too small though compared to the serving size of the other desserts I've seen and had from there. (My friend got the tiramisu and loved it. I've had their creme brûlée to-go before...flavor is good but not custardy/creamy enough for me? A little closer to flan-like consistency) Latte was yummers. A wonderful gem for Washington locals and visitors. Sure wish the small town I live in had something of this caliber. read more

We went for a Sunday brunch and we all thought it was really wonderful. I had just been to Italy for three weeks, and this was just as good. Everything about it was superb! Hard to believe that it is in Washington Iowa. The owner's a great! We plan to go back often. Dr. Michael B. read more

This was my first visit and I was very impressed. The lasagna,salad,and rolls I had were fantastic. The decor was beautiful. I never expected such a place in small town Iowa and I have lived in Iowa all of my life. read more

What a wonderful experience. Everything was excellent-food, wine, service, atmosphere. The only downside is the 75 minute drive, but it was well worth it. Better than anything we've had in the Quad Cities. read more

A pleasantly surprising culinary oasis, c.f. the Lincoln Cafe in Mt. Vernon. Warm, eclectic decor & personable, knowledgable staff. The chicken roulades, billed as "one of the 100 things you should eat before you die", had a delicious crust but a somewhat bland Gouda & spinach stuffing, & the accompanying risotto was perhaps over-stirred - mushier than typical arborio rice. The lasagna special was made with very tender ground ribeye, but because it didn't have pork or veal &/or because the restaurant makes a point of not using much salt, onion or garlic, it didn't have quite the tangy "umami" flavor I associate with great lasagna. Tiramisu was terrific, though, & there was a good selection of wines by the glass. The several young children/babies there during our dinner were generally well-behaved, but still disrupted adult conversation a couple of times. Overall, a very good dining experience. read more