Birthday dinner at Wildfire restaurant in the casino. Horribly disappointing. Calamari was tasteless. Lobster bisque highly over salted: pad Thai sub standard. They do have good bread and someone else in our party had a steak which they said was good. A less than memorable dining experience. read more

Went to Dubuque for a hockey tournament, stopped at the Q casino to have some fun. Lost over 2 grand and nothing no bonus in tha amount of money. Never ever see me again. read more

Even though I have been to Las Vegas, Reno and Atlantic City I'm not a gambler and I probably have spent about $10 at each casino in those city's so since this casino was across from my hotel I stopped by. I thought that it would be a cool way to loose $20 on the slot machines and add another experience to my short visit to the city of Dubuque Ia. The place has tons of machines and some tables but mostly machines. What I didn't know that was so cool is that you can put a $20 bill in one machine and cash out that machine which gives you a slip with your balance to use in another machine so I did the $1 machine. I quickly saw that my $20 wouldn't last long in the $1 machine so I moved to the 25 cent machine so I could play for awhile. I probably won about $7 on the 25 cent machine with various spins but eventually the house took it all back. It's definitely a cool thing to do as an experience on a trip full of experiences but I couldn't sit there loosing my money like the hard core gamblers do and I'm sure that some win sometimes but that's not how casinos make money. read more

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We spent about an hour here. The smoke smell is so overwhelming it gives you a headache. Definitely would've stayed longer if it was no smoking. Also walked out with no money. Besides that it's a fine casino. read more

This is what you call an hillbilly /cowboy casino, lots of cowboy boots and suspenders lol. The casino wasn't bad just kinda small very hard to find off the freeway, its like an adventure getting here. All i can say is i went i lost and not coming back to IOWA lol. read more

Diamond Jo Casino Dubuque - Casinos Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

During a weekend trip to the Dubuque area, we stopped by Diamond Jo Casino. We're not big gamblers, but once in a while, drinking a cocktail at noisy penny slots seems like a fun idea. And, it was. Diamond Jo has a nice variety of slot machines. They have complimentary self-serve fountain drinks for those who are gambling and I did hear a cocktail waitress cruise by once or twice (though not nearly as often as you'd find in Nevada casinos). I'll never get accustomed to or enjoy the fact that you can still smoke in some casinos. I didn't notice a smoke free area in this one (which would be a nice addition). When you're ready to cash out, they have plenty of automated machines where you can do so. The parking lot is expansive and beyond the casino, they have several on site restaurants (ranging from sports bars to the more upscale). A-ok! read more

My wife and I were staying at the Julian in Dubuque for a fun date night away from our kids. Our 1st stop was to have dinner at LMay's prior to arriving at the casino for some fun. We both had a 2 glasses of wine and drove our vehicle back to our hotel to park it for the evening... With the idea of having some fun gambling and drinking throughout the night. We decided to take a cab rather than drive which we felt was the Responsible decision we felt at the time. As we entered the Casino my wife and I were laughing and talking about what we wanted to do amongst ourselves quitely when this security guard told us we had to leave. The casino has a very strict policy when it comes to alcohol. Wait what??? Are you implying something because we are laughing and smiling as we walked into the Casino. Maybe not what they are use to when taking grandma and grandpas social security checks from them. But we were here for some fun. I didn't realize it was a zero tolerance policy when there is a bar inside the casino serving alchol. He stated that he saw us get out of the taxi cab implying what exactly??? So what we took a cab??? I asked him if he assumed we are drunk because we took a cab rather than drive our $150,000 dollar sports car to valet when an ice storm was projected to hit town later. I was treated so differently because we showed up in a cab. I was just about to go off on this guy and ask to speak to management when my wife of 16 years laughed, grabbed my arm and said let's just go... And we did without saying a word. This place is a joke... I would have fired this guy if he worked for me at anyone of my companies on the spot. Poor judgment and stereotyping people... He is clearly costing this Casino a ton of money! I would suggest you not gamble here at all.. Stay away completely if traveling through the Dubuque area. Several other options are better! Or just keep your money entirely... Staff is rude, door security guy was a joke. No personality & very disrespectful. I'll take my friends, my money and my business elsewhere! Funny how every other Casinos that we visited that night let us in, were all extremely busy, but this one was a ghost town! I can tell you why... Maybe ownership should look into this! read more

Just left Diamond Jo and won't be back. I live in Las Vegas and thought I'd check this place out for laughs. I stopped by the players club to get a copy of my Boyd Gaming players club card and spent about an hour and $200 playing. Bad luck for me not only did I lose, my players club card earned me $0.01! That's right I earned 1 penny in comps. My wife had similar luck. So not only will I not return to Diamond Jo I won't be visiting any Boyd gaming properties ever again apparently their loyalty club is useless. read more

Terrible Casino! Never win on slots! I tried 6 different machines and no wins. Never go back.

Very nice looking casino with no smoking, wink! wink! (Place smells like smoke, and I saw several patrons smoking at their machines). Although we are not gamblers, we like to see live performers and couldn't resist a competition of Elvis Tribute Artists (ETA, a new acronym I can use when speaking to know it all ETA groupies). The show was in the Moonlight Bar, a very nice modern stage with some seating and standing room. Our favorite--Young Jailhouse Rock Elvis--didn't win but the show was a lot of fun. The ETAs won small cash prizes and gift certificates to use toward jumpsuits (no lie). The Moonlight Bar also has some shows with headliners, of sorts, last year Jewel performed, and later this summer Bret Michaels, Beach Boys, and Loverboy (that last one always reminds me of the SNL skit with Chris Farley (RIP) and Patrick Swayze (RIP) trying out for Chip N Dales dancer --Lol!) read more

Diamond Jo Casino Dubuque - Young Elvis Tribute Artist performer - Casinos Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

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My husband and I had our wedding rehearsal dinner here last May, 2013. We booked one of the ballrooms (I think we had about 60 guests) and had a buffet style dinner. Lori and Heather (don't think Heather is there any longer) were great to work with. We were able to attend a tasting event prior to our event and selected our menu at that time. Awesome! Honestly, our food at our rehearsal dinner was better than the food we had at our wedding reception at another venue in DBQ the following night! We also rented 'Alley Cats' bowling alley for our guests. I believe it was under $250 to rent the private alley for 2-3 hours or so. Totally worth the money, especially if you're entertaining various ages; toddlers to grandparents. Additionally, we paid extra to have card dealers come up to our ballroom and teach our guests how to play Black Jack, etc. That was a real hit, too! The dealers were super friendly, as well as the rest of the servers and bartender(s). Our family and friends loved it! Eventually people went down to the casino, but we chose Diamond Jo so that people could have options as far as what they wanted to do after dinner. Heather stayed for most of the event making sure that things started off smoothly. We were even able to bring in our own decorations and desserts, which some venues don't let you do. We did have a few guests under 21, but this wasn't an issue as they weren't going on the casino floor. Definitely recommend this venue to anyone searching for a 'party' location; retirement, birthday, baby/bridal shower, reunion and more! I think this would be a good option for a wedding reception as well (the food is great and so is the service). read more

She take my money... When I'm in need.... Now I ain't saying she's a Gold Digger. Nice looking place in the middle of a fixed up part of town. Other than that... Nothing special. Buffett looked good, but I had already ate. Should have saved a few bucks and went to a movie! read more

The Best casino in Dubuque!!! My fiancé, myself and his parents road trip from Anamosa and Hiawatha Iowa to Diamond Jo's Casino because we absolutely love love the slots!!! read more

I have never received worse service at a casino in my life. I was in from out of town and expected the fact that I brought money to gamble with would be well received, but the staff was dismissive and the security staff was outrageous. I saw two people escorted out for, in my estimation, no reason, within the 30 minutes I was there before I decided to take my money elsewhere. My dollars are better spent literally anywhere other than an establishment that doesn't respect its clientele. When I return to Dubuque the idea of setting foot inside this place will not cross my mind. read more

I love this place!! If they had a hotel attached to the casino it would be 5 stars for sure! It's not a really big casino, however it has a great variety of new and old slots and all the table games. Also a great food selection. read more

I walked in, id'd myself, and hung out with my friends on new years eve. I walked outside to have a cigarette, took my sprite from the free services with me, and took a break. After walking back in, the security guard stopped me and told me I was barred from the premises for 24 hours. I explained that it was merely sprite in my glass but the decision had been made and I didn't want to make a scene. Disappointed in the service and I won't be coming back. I don't recommend this casino to anybody. read more

Diamond Jo Casino Dubuque - Casinos Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

The casino is ok. Not many Wheel of Fortune slots or multi-line slots. The bad thing was that the only food at 9am was Subway. I got a breakfast sub. Only thing I ate that day. At 1pm I had terrible cramps and explosive output. VERY bad. Do not eat there. read more

Finally, a Midwest Casino that doesn't suck. I've been going into DJC since my college years visiting friends at UW-Platteville. The original Diamond Jo was an actual riverboat. (Shows you how old I am) Anyway, the newly constructed Diamond Jo is awesome. When entering the gambling hall, you'll notice it's wide open area. Rows and rows of slots. No stink of stale smoke here. It's nice to spend a few hours in the place and not reek like a pack of Lucky Strikes when you leave. There are many blackjack tables with betting limit from 5-25 dollars. The dealers are nice and friendly. Several of them are still the same faces I met nearly 15 years ago when I first entered the DJ. The Asian lady pit boss always remembers me. Odd, since it had been 3+ years since I visited the place. Roulette, Craps and other circus card games are here too. You'd see me enter the place with Storage Wars,Brandi Passante, on my arm before you'd see me play one of those. True players will appreciate the comps here. You can toss a Hundy on the table and be comped a "free" sandwich at the deli, Which tastes awesome BTW. Piled high with fresh cuts of meat and bread that makes you drool worse than Dick Clark after his stroke. The slots are looser than most, but it's a casino, so don't expect to make the family fortune when visiting here. Denominations from 1 cent for the poor folk to $25 per pull for the Rockefeller. There is a nice "High Limit" room for the rollers. The slot floor is nice too, however, you'll probably have to push your way around the bus load of old folks to find an open machine, but what's new. Too bad there isn't a poker room. All in all, if you want to piss away a few dimes on a rainy day, seek out the Jo. It's better than being scalped at an Indian casino, and the staff will make you fee like a king as they milk you for every last dime. EVERYONE's A WINNER at the ATM. read more

Holy heavens, this place is a Sociology dissertation waiting to happen. It must be the depressing place on earth. Come watch people gamble away their house payment and their utility bills! Watch people smoke heaters at the same time as they take canned oxygen. Walk through on the way to one of the decent (and better) restaurants, and come out smelling like a tobacco factory. Heck...just get a drink, walk around, and watch the sin at play. It's rather funny. read more

This review is mainly about the theater inside the casino .. Mississippi Moon Bar. Awesome venue to see a band - convenient bar inside - and nice & spacious! A few negatives: there are no restrooms inside the theater - you have to go out and walk through the casino to get to them (I guess maybe that's convenient planning on their part). Also, if you order a shot, they have to serve it "over ice", which was just bizarre to me! read more

This casino has a really good buffet! My wife enjoys the summer time when the crab legs are offered! I love the strip sirloin during the winter! The games are oretty fun - I am not a gambler but my wife really enjoys the slots and there are many here! I have breathing issues and for the most part the smoke inside the slot area is kept to a minimum - there have been a few times there was more smoke then the filters could handle! The mail promotions are good but really dry up if you are not going to the casino constantly! Should stay steady! One note about the buffet - the staff are excellent and need to be tipped better - it is not very well marked that they are not tipped unless you do it! That is only a very small print on the receipt - they deserve better! Overall - the place is great - have not had a chance to try the other eateries or entertainment but I am planning on it!# read more

It's hard to not like a place that paid me $90 just to hang out and play for an hour, right? The casino is nice. A little dated but decent. However, smoking is still allowed in this place which I find really unusual but eh, it's my choice to go or not so I can't hit them too hard for that. Overall the staff is friendly, everything is clean and I won money. It's all good. read more

Overall a very decent casino that's come a long way since my first visit about 4-5 years ago when it was still a cramped riverboat where I lost my shirt in record time at the craps table. Now it's a sleek spot where I can stretch out and relax. My recent visit was on a sleepy Monday night when there wasn't much of a crowd, but that's certainly not a problem. Plenty of room at the tables, but I'm not a fan of solo craps as camaraderie is a huge part of the craps experience. Slots abound with all the Vegas favorites and I have a soft spot for the Goldfish games after winning many hundreds in Vegas at these fun machines. This night at Diamond Jo I quickly turned $20 into $70+ with some conservative play so this particular machine wasn't as tight as I might have expected in an Iowa gaming parlor. I loved the fact that this place has a bowling alley and enjoyed the sounds of falling pins and cheering crowds as I entered from the parking deck. Vegas could learn something from places like this where the non-gamers can enjoy themselves while their less risk-averse companions head upstairs for some gaming. Can't wait to return once business brings me back to the banks of the mighty Mississip! read more

One of the best about the Diamond Jo is that it has a parking garage attached to the building so you never have to walk very far to get inside. Even more of a perk if it is raining! The casino is nice and clean and has plenty of space to walk around. I do a lot of browsing while I'm waiting for my mom and have already lost all of the money I want to spend. I do think it is weird that the table games are located right in the middle of the floor with slots on both sides. You have to walk right through the games to get to the other side. One thing I dislike about this place is that smoking is still allowed inside. I won't sit next to anyone who is smoking and thankfully there aren't that many. Plus there is always plenty of open machines so I just move if one sits next to me. They are constantly getting new slots and taking out old ones so there is quite the variety. If gambling isn't your thing there is also a bowling alley on the second floor so you can bring your kids along to play there! read more

Over the past year I've started playing table games and have played in casinos from Omaha to Dubuque to Joliet to Gary. Occasionally I'll have a good hand and win $500. or so. I've asked the dealer and pit boss several times at the Diamond Jo to give me a $500 chip instead of 5 $100 chips. My desire is personal and helps me not cash them in to continue playing. I know this isn't necessarily what the casino desires but it may be more important to keep players happy. Tonight I had bought in for a couple hundred dollars and won $500 on my 3rd or 4th hand. My request for the $500 chip was denied so instead of giving it to me (my own money) and me continuing to play and likely losing my buy-in money - I cashed out. I talked to a different pitt boss employee who gave me some excuse about policy and needing to get the cage involved to give out the purple chip. I don't believe this is true, however, as I've had other supervisors tell me its no problem. After casing out I went over to the Q casino and witnessed two different players get paid out as requested. Admittedly this is a trivial issue but one that makes me want to visit the Q as my first choice. read more

Terrible rude staff! Unfair mask policy enforcement. Announcement stated that mask could be off if actively drinking. We were actively drinking and we were confronted. Stated that we had to be sitting while actively drinking, and not standing. Half of the people in there were not wearing masks. We were targeted unfairly. We left with all of our money The ringleader of our harassment reminded me of Lord Farquaad from Shrek (about the same size) read more

Absolutely the worst casino I've ever been to. Rude staff and the mask policing was off the chain. The staff looked miserable.

Right on the river across from the Grand Harbor Resort right in downtown DBQ. Nice new building. Average Casino size. Smaller then Riverside, Jumers, and Tama. Comparable to Isle in Loo. Staff I encountered were friendly. Took forever to get a drink at the Tree Bar though. There are several bars and buffets and some sit down restaurants. I will have to go back to experience these, as we just went in to lose some quick cash get a night cap and carry on. There is a sports bar and bowling lane on the second floor as well. read more

When visiting my folks, they always like to do a Casino day. This was my first time at Jo's as they usually took me to Mystique. Though the facility seemed smaller, the machines were newer and much looser than at the other casino. I actually had fun playing the slots here, as the more frequent wins meant longer play time with my original funds. Didn't try the food as I dislike buffets, and my experience with Mystique's was dismal. I'll stick with the slots. read more

My cousins wedding here was beautiful and the employees here were lovely and attentive and the building is beautiful. I hate to give a bad review on a place that over all was wonderful. As our happy party left the joyous occasion upstairs to enjoy the casino downstairs, my silly fun uncle made a few steps up the down escalator that we were on and a very grumpy old bald man named Jeff was unreasonably rude to him. This one employee was so incredibly over the top on his response to what we, as adults, can acknowledge was against the rules, that they lost our business for the night. There is a polite way, as an employee to do your job. Unfortunately, it takes one employees disrespect to ruin the image of an entire facility. Word of mouth has always been the best advertisement and hopefully this casino rethinks their employees demeanors and respect to their customers. read more

This is the worst I have ever been treated in a casino in my life. Saturday night we had 4 couples wanting to play some black jack. We waited until we could get a $5.00 table me and two nephews. We were having a ball untill my nephew left the table to my left. This man was a huge drunk ass. He couldn't speak and about knocked me out of my chair. So we played a few games. The Drunks friend was behind me trying to talk shit to get me to fight him at the table. I decided to play a bit more he was really Mad not sure why. After getting pushed in my back and told how he was going to "Beat me down and kill me in the parking lot" I figured it was time to go. So I was playing 21,black jack and was going to cash my chips at the table. So I set out to count for myself, but the lady with the chips HAD A FIT. I just wanted to stack then pass to her. Last I recall it was my $$$$ she got so mad because I wanted to see what I won. Don't you go to a casino games to have a good time. This women was terrible. I talked with Gabe and he was apologetic. His boss saw us and walked on. Just so you know this is how a man in a wheelchair is treated while entertaining 5 of his nephews and wives. This was terrible all I wanted was to play and feel safe. We couldn't feel safe because of the two wanting to fight were outside waiting. I can't believe how UNSAFE I was in their casino. I told GABE about this it seemed like he cared, but was not willing to do anything. Also his colleague walked by and seemed to care but I doubt. It's sad that A MAN IN A WHEELCHAIR FEELS LIKE HE WILL BE BEAT UP WHEN HE LEAVES. If you are worried about safety don't go here. What was really bad was they never even offered a glass of water in the end.we all drove past casinos close to home but came here. I really hope things change for the better, because this was terrible, and yes I won money there. read more

The best kept secret in this grand river city is "The Game" sports bar (on 2nd level near bowling alley). It is a cozy little respite from the hub-bub below with a clean inviting atmosphere. The food is 1st cabin. Most people order burgers or wings as sports bars go and they are very good. However, as I mentioned, the best kept secret at Diamond Jo Casino is their catfish basket. I've had the catfish at least 6 times. Huge fillets with tons of delicious fries for $11.99. Side of slaw included. The fish is the best I've had EVER. ANYWHERE. It is lightly, perfectly tempura battered, served piping hot. The casino also serves catfish as one of their buffet staples-it is very very good; but the catfish in "The Game" sports bar is even superior! They also offer a 1/2 catfish 1/2 shrimp basket for a couple bucks more that is also exceptional. Bottom line: try "The Game"; step outside the burger/wing box and try the catfish. You will NOT be disappointed. My only disappointment is that this little hidden gem is not sufficiently marketed. The place should be packed with all age groups-all the time! It is that good. read more

I'm not big into gambling. But every now and then I like going to a casino. Something different to do. Recently my lady friend and I spent an evening here. And we had a very good time. While not having to spend too much cash. Playing the slots was a lot of fun. Knowing I wasn't going to make it rich coming to the Diamond Jo. I blew $20, walking away with a smile on my face. There's a variety of places to eat at this casino. The buffet we went to was great! They even have a bowling alley. I'll definitely return. At least a few times each year. read more

So I guess the casino was okay I liked that you could just go up to the beverage bar and get a soda, but I don't think they bring alcoholic drinks to the table like they do in Vegas and unlike the other casino I visited I was able to sit down at a $5 dollar table here and actually play a little, but the smoke got to overwhelming eventually and we left. Casinos are also different in Iowa compared to California, they I.D. you at the front and then you get stamped it was different to me. read more

I was at Diamond last year for a wedding and did not have a good experience. The wedding venue area was nice but the staff at the actual casino part had terrible customer service. I'm not from the state so I was not aware of their "public intoxication law". After having a total of 4 drinks over the course of 6 hours at the wedding, I went into the casino with others from the wedding. After eating at a food court area, my female friend were going to walk back through the casino to get to our hotel across the street. We were stopped by a casino staff member asking if we had been drinking. After responding "Yes, we were at a wedding but we're on the way back to our hotel now." I provided the staff member my ID. She told us we were not allowed back in the casino. Without explaining why we were not allowed back in, she called security to escort us out of the building. Again, no explanation was given as to why this was happening. Once the security guard arrived, he told us we were not allowed into the casino and we would need to exit the back and walk through the back, dark, parking lot to get to our hotel. Yes, they made two young females walk through a dark, back, parking lot at 2am. This all happened while another casino patron was literally passed out at a food court table. I understand they need to follow the state's "public intoxication law", but their customer service in this situation was terrible. If a casino staff member cannot allow someone in based on state law, that needs to be explained to that customer, especially when so many of their customers are not from the area -- the same way they would explain to someone it's a non-smoking facility. They also need to train their staff members to treat everyone the same. We were allowed in the casino the first time, but not the second, and there was a man highly intoxicated and passed out in the same area we were in. Overall, very poor customer service. Needless to say I will not be back. read more

Watch out when reserving tables for special events at the Mississippi Moon Bar! This past weekend, 6 business professionals booked a table for $60 next to the owners table. The COO and his obnoxious guests proceeded to dance in front of our table. When his group was too large and he wanted our table, he asked security to escort us out. His group then proceeded to move the extra guests to our table. While we received numerous apologies from the security staff, it was quite apparent that this is a normal practice when this individual visits the casino. read more

Went there for a bacholette party on a party bus. We had a few cocktails but no where near drunk. I walked in, used the restroom and was ready to spend money, but I was stopped by a short bald guy (watch out for him!) who told me I needed to leave. I didn't do anything! My friend told me who was also at the party that she was there a while ago and walked to slot machine to play, she was wearing high heels (which she never does) and the same guy told her she was "swerving". She was staying at their hotel! He told her she needed to leave! She told me that story before we arrived and I couldn't believe it! Then... it happened to me. I'll never step foot in that place again! Glad they got none of my money! What a jerk! Little man, huge complex! My husband had to drive an hour to pick me up! Unbelievable!!!! What a joke! If I didn't have to give a star rating I wouldn't have at all! read more

This was our third stop in Dubuque, and given the temperature outside it was a necessary one. I've been to a fair amount of casinos, both in the Midwest and in Vegas, and Diamond Jo faired pretty decent among them. The main hall is very spacious, with a huge assortment of slot machines and a smaller section of table games. While the casino does permit smoking, it actually wasn't a bother at all for my girlfriend and I. The space is pretty well spread-out and there is fragrance emitted from the vents so we never really noticed the smokers. The casinos I've gone to in Wisconsin are horrible for smoking, you basically can't breathe when you walk in and your clothes smell like a wreck when you leave. I know Wes mentioned this problem at Diamond Jo in his review, but we did not share this experience. It may have been because we were there at 4pm on a Friday, but I tend to think it was due to the use of space. The bowling alley and sports bar were great. After losing a lot of money in the main area both of us really needed a pick-me-up and the formerly mentioned were just the ticket. We had a few beers at the bar and talked with some local Iowans who had us laughing pretty hard over a coin-flip game they played whenever they had to make a decision as a couple (I also laughed at the sports confusion in the bar, as they had helmets on the wall for the Packers, the Bears, and the Vikings). After our drinks they let you take the beer anywhere in the Casino so we got a pitcher and went bowling. They have about 30 lanes, and everything is in great condition just like a regular downtown bowling alley would be in any big city. It was hard to find a non-kiddie sized ball, but it really didn't matter as we were playing for fun and had a great time. Lots of kids there, kind of surprising given that it's nestled in a casino. Afterwards we decided that we wanted to stay the night in Dubuque, so we got help from the alley employees to try and find a good place. I called literally 10-12 hotels in the area that they recommended and all of them were booked up (weddings apparently?). Finally I saw one in the phone book called Redstone Inn & Suites which had availability and turned out to be quite the romantic steal. BIg thanks to the bowling alley employees there, they were really nice about helping us weed out the bad places and keeping us near the downtown. The only real mar at the casino was the Jo's Delicatessen. Don't go there. I stopped to get a sandwich and was greeted by two old ladies who looked like they needed to be put in a home and weren't at all pleasant. They couldn't hear me, they were coughing and wiping their hands on their aprons, and took forever to get our food (which we probably shouldn't have touched). Quite disappointing, get food outside of the casino (which is generally a good rule of thumb for any casino). And btw, to the guy Wes who posted the other review, Three Card Poker is my game too and you gotta learn to talk to the old folks while you're at the table man! I had a great time and no trouble getting a seat, even though I couldn't get a good hand to save my life. Overall, fun time, would go again. read more

Nice casino with great service but smoking inside the gaming area truly ruins the experience. Let the smokers smoke but I don't need it so my gambling dollar will go elsewhere. read more

In late October, eight of us planned a January trip to Galena for a little R&R. How were we supposed to know it was going to be -8 outside? Since it was too cold walk around town, we decided to head to Dubuque for some bowling and gambling at the new casino. The non-gamblers in our group were disappointed b/c the bowling alley (which looked awesome btw!) was closed for a special event. So they made the trip for nothing (TIP: Call ahead!). The bowling alley has a private room that groups can reserve. It's like a mini bowling inside the big bowling alley! That too was booked but we would have been all about the private bowling alley if it was available. It looked clean, bright and modern, not dark and dingy like most old school bowling alleys. They had super cool retail items in the pro shop (loved the purple bowling shoes w/pink flames!). The casino was open and spacious. Large, non-smoking poker room w/no limit, hold 'em games. Lots of blackjack tables. Only one Three Card Poker table though. Since that's my game I was forced to sit at a crowded table of senior citizens wearing Christmas sweaters. Iowa doesn't have smoke-free casinos so I walked out smelling like an ashtray - gross! I walked away with extra cash in my wallet so I'm a fan of the Diamond Jo Casino! read more