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    Dottie's Cafe

    3.7 (61 reviews)
    Closed 5:30 am - 1:30 pm

    Dottie's Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    DOTTIE'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Dottie's Cafe

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    Cinnamon roll--only available on weekends--with perfect bacon!
    Mary P.

    Wow! What a fun place to eat!! A fun diner in a cool building! The waitress was awesome--energetic & humorous!! The food was fairly priced. Two had biscuits and gravy & thought it was good. Two others had bacon, eggs, hash browns & toast. The bacon was crispy, as were the hash browns. Friend's skillet was tasty. My cinnamon roll--only served on weekends--was yummy & big. Waitress kept us up in drinks. We'd love to come back!!

    a sign for dottie's cafe
    Steven T.

    This place has been on my radar for a couple years now but with so many choices in town it took a while to get here so I stopped by for lunch. It's nothing fancy with a breakfast counter and cafeteria cheap booths and tables. The menu is not huge but it's a simple cafe. I had the hillbilly surprise which I re arranged by removing the English muffin and adding biscuits, removing the ham and adding sausage patties, removing the Swiss cheese and adding American topped with two eggs and sausage gravy which sounds so much better. I had hash browns with onions topped with American cheese. WOW all that re arranging and they got everything right. My food came quickly and it was piping hot and delicious.

    Breakfast skillet
    Maria T.

    I love classic breakfast diner food, it is my favorite type of breakfast food and Doties has always pleased me. It's always consistent every time, cheap compared to other places and I'm always greeted by the same friendly servers each time. The only thing I wish was better is the size! It gets seriously busy on the weekends so plant to get there super early!

    a cup of coffee on a table
    Stevie S.

    Atmosphere was amazing, lots of food for the low prices and the staff is so funny! Quiet place, not a lot of traffic going by. One of the only restaurants that doesn't have a single Tv, which is so nice

    Jeni H.

    Quintessential small town diner. Great food. Great service. Will definitely come back when I'm in town.

    Rohan D.

    I love this place. You might want to have some context to see if you'll also love this place. When I was a kid this sort of diner was where America went out for breakfast. When I was a young man, diners like this was where my workday started and finished (I worked 24 hour shifts). And now that I'm middle aged, my breakfasts at home have to be high fiber, low in fat and calories. Here, I can pretend it's somewhere between 1968 and 1978 and still don't have any idea what a cholesterol ratio is. Three women can handle a crowd filling every table and no one has to wait. Every order is perfect. Nothing fancy about the high octane bottomless black coffee, but it's fresh and hot and always topped off. Traditional American breakfast, and when I left I wanted to say, "You don't wanna get mixed up with a guy like me. I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel." But I couldn't. The waitress wasn't named Dottie and I knew I would be back the next day.

    Marchal P.

    Just a very small old school dinner. It has great service and great food at a fair price

    $5 special of the day

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    12 days ago

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    1 month ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great food great service nice little restaurant with some old time feel definitely would go again if I'm in town

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    3 years ago

    Fabulous breakfast, great and friendly service. A great, hometown diner experience. Love the downtown location!

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Breakfast was good. Hard to mess up. Service was friendly and good. It's a dive for sure, but clean.

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    3 years ago

    Great breakfast! Great Prices!!! The cinnamon rolls are a must! This place doesn't have frill, but it is definitely worth the trip!

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Great simple old school breakfast place. Cute n clean !!! Would stop by again for sure

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Good breakfast offerings. Very busy on a Sunday morning. Price was in line with food. No complaints. Interesting place. Would go back.

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    3 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Such a nice quaint breakfast place. Food was good. Two sisters run this place and they do a great job. So happy we stopped.

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    12 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

    If you get to Dubuque, you need to stop in and eat breakfast. This is a small town diner that has great food.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Dottie's Cafe

    Review Highlights - Dottie's Cafe

    The Hillbilly Surprise caught my eye coming out of the kitchen.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Convivium Urban Farmstead

    Convivium Urban Farmstead

    4.3
    (71 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    Recently, some close friends, my wife and I drove over to Dubuque for a weekend getaway. We love…read morefarm-to-table restaurant concepts and in-city dining, so we thought Convivium would be an ideal spot to have breakfast on our first day in town. As great as this place could (if not should) be, it will never reach it's potential with the lousy customer service that we experienced. Why do I say this? Read on Yelper. We arrive for breakfast around 9:45 am on Saturday. There was a little bit of a line, which is to be expected at any well known breakfast/brunch establishment, right? The young lady working the register asked if we wanted to pick a table outside, handed us four menus and told us that someone would be out there to help us shortly. We sat at an empty, yet still dirty with plates from the last customers, table that was in the shade. Annnnnd we waited. As staff came out to attend to other customers sitting in the same patio area, the four of us sat there waiting for water, coffee, a smile... heck even an acknowledgement that we were there would have been nice. Seriously, if the Invisible Man was real and sitting at the table, he probably would have had a better chance of being noticed by the servers working that morning. We ended up busing our own table because no staff would bother to do it - I'm very serious. Nearly 20 minutes pass. As another couple comes into the patio, sits down and gets near immediate service with their drink orders, we had it! We entered the restaurant to find out what the problem is for such terrible service?!? The tall, head service member (did not catch her name) had an attitude for sure with her question "Did one of us seat you?" and we answered that "No, your host teammate told us to grab the table." She damn near rolled her eyes. Finally, lightening struck... someone showed up to give us water, wipe the table, and take our order. But don't get your hopes up that this was the end of bad service. Regrettably, it was not. We waited nearly 25 more minutes to get our order of eggs, potatoes, bacon, and sausage. Tough order for a breakfast place, don'tcha think? Out comes the food... without utensils to eat with. 4 mins of watching your food get cold motivated us to good inside and get our own utensils. As we did, the head member walks out with the items. Now - let's shift to the one positive part of the experience and that of course is the food. To show you that I am a reasonable reviewer, I will tell you that the meal was very tasty, cooked to order, and satisfying (especially when you're starving!). When I said at the beginning that this place can be great, the food is the reason why. After a Friday night of fun, a place like Convivium is just what you want for a Saturday breakfast before an afternoon of NCAA College Football - you know what I mean? But until management decides to hold the staff accountable for this terrible customer service, Convivium will be closed in less than 5 years (my prediction). Read some of the other reviews... we share the same general opinion. And this is coming from someone that values restaurant concepts like this one. Get it together before its too late, Convivium.

    What a disappointment. Yelp usually leads me to amazing spots, but this was a fail…read more I loved the concept and the cool vibe of the place but the food and the service were lacking the same luster. My dad, sister, and I stopped in on a Sunday afternoon. My sister enjoyed her chicken pesto panini but Dad found his pulled pork to be dry and bland. I ordered broccoli cheese soup with sourdough toast. The soup was absolutely disgusting. It was so thick, overcooked, and tasted like it had been on a back burner for three days straight. Not to be gross, but it looked like congealed dog vomit. When I mentioned to our server, she was very condescending. I would like to try again and hopefully it was just a tough day.

    Photos
    Convivium Urban Farmstead
    Convivium Salad with chicken
    Convivium Salad with chicken
    Thanks but no thanks.

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    Thanks but no thanks.
    Birdie Bistro

    Birdie Bistro

    4.4
    (29 reviews)
    0.4 mi

    We've eaten here several times, and it stays our top pick. It is the best breakfast in Dubuque…read more The room feels like a Midwest family diner. You walk in and feel welcome right away. The staff treats you like you belong there. A good share of the waitstaff is family, and it shows. This place runs on care and pride. It is a true family restaurant, run by a great family. Service stays quick, kind, and steady every visit. Prices stay fair for the portions and quality. The hollandaise sauce steals the show. It comes rich, smooth, and balanced. It lifts every plate it touches. Want a breakfast spot that feels like home and delivers every time? Birdies Bistro does.

    Heading out of town after a weekend of shopping, drinks, and good times, we stopped by Birdie…read moreBistro for a hardy breakfast ahead of the ride. There was a 20 minute wait, which was expected at 9:30 am on a Sunday morning. Once seated, we were promptly given water and coffee, which we appreciated as we decided on our meals. As tempting as it is to try something different, I felt drawn to the same type of breakfast I had the day prior (see my review on Convivium); eggs over easy, sausage and bacon, with roasted potatoes. I also decided to order a side order of pancakes - after all, a growing boy needs his calories. As you can see by the photo, it came out perfect... and delivered 15 minutes after we ordered (is that a long time? It can always be faster, but I was ok with it). All of us enjoyed what we ordered and the coffee service was constant. I especially loved the sausage patties!!! Yummy! So I would definitely recommend Birdie Bistro when you're in Dubuque. Is it the best ever (5-star), no - I won't bore you with my reason why (to each their own). But Birdie should be proud.. Opened since 2023, you deliver in every important way: Great food, fair price, attentive service, clean, and welcoming. Great job!

    Photos
    Birdie Bistro
    Chicken and biscuits
    Chicken and biscuits
    View of the farmers market

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    View of the farmers market
    Charlotte's Coffee House

    Charlotte's Coffee House

    4.4
    (153 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    I think my old coworker told me about this place;);)....or Lance...Mai 1st crush at The University…read moreof Iowa....keep wearing tha key ring full of keys...might need some Cutay eye candy if we're playing the Devil Wears Prada....And you aren't the Chinese guy from 16 candles...Have your people call my people...ya still need sign language...I got choo:) ...."Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." ~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. When in doubt; Wave in collaboration with Krista Young... The club no one wants admittance to... The club that provides the best care in the State.... The club that once you become a part of you become a forever member. WHAT IS THE CLUB YOU ASK? The University of Iowa Children's Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa In 2018, my daughter was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease and was admitted immediately.... And it was hard, it was hard, it was hard... Savannah our nurse told me my daughter took her medicine well and I thought she was crazy....but it was a boy in the elevator that planted the seed about where to go for stuffies and my daughter pivoted... After we got a stuffie my daughter agreed to go to the 12th floor. The 12 floor had different air up there like #23.... The 12 floor restored my faith with my daughter Adrian (named after #94) and her cousin Madisen showed me family IS the best medicine... So every Hawkeye wave I remember the struggle; not only this hospital visit, but my childhood, #32, Jon Mai, my Ss who think I'm the most beautiful teacher, anyone who has walked where I've walked my whole life, the Entire ICCSD community, the JaguArs Softball Program, and my principal Mr. Andy Gahan at Coralville Central who is my why....honorable mention for those that suit up for Grandma & Moms...I see you....and remember I am a part of the club... The club no one wants admittance to... The club that provides the best care in the state.... The club that once you become a part of you become a forever member. Thank you Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital for always welcoming me back to the house that the WHOLE community built with your help, It's ok to ask for help....I even signed the beam...I see you gymnasts.... I not only wave to the Children's Hospital, but I wave to the hospital that saved me, and try to wave to anyone because you may be the reason someone stays... Even if it takes years to create your own wave, that's still better than riding someone else's--Unknown;);) Constance Eva #Advocate #32 #Always #45 #lovelove ""History doesn't remember who was easy to manage; they remember who changed the game.""Unknown And the rest is still Unwritten... Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield

    Charlottes makes their Spark Walmart Driver carry a dozen gallons of milk up their stairs into…read moretheir kitchen, at least once a week and only leave a tiny little tip of just $2 or less. And guess what you think you're having good quality food and drink there, you're actually drinking the cheapest quality Walmart milk, and Walmart eggs and walmart fruit in all their meals. This place in nickels and dimes and serves you the lowest quality, you might as well get your coffee at McDonald's. It's probably better quality standards. I'm giving you one star as guess what I'm a Spark Driver and you guys need to tip more because you guys make tips yet you don't share any of the pie for making us bust our asses. shame on you.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Latte Hot - Over Sweetened
    Latte Hot - Over Sweetened
    Super cozy and cute area for 2

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    Super cozy and cute area for 2
    Hotel Julien Dubuque

    Hotel Julien Dubuque

    3.4
    (143 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$$

    Hotel Julien Dubuque is one of those classic grand hotels that immediately leaves an impression. I…read moreabsolutely loved the atmosphere from the moment I walked into the lobby. It has that traditional old-world charm, and it's amazing to see how well the historic architecture and interior details have been preserved over the years. The building has so much character, which makes the stay feel unique compared to modern hotels. The front desk staff were friendly and accommodating, and the hotel also offers a large parking area behind the building, which was very convenient. Our room overlooked the river, and the view was fantastic, especially in the evening. We only stayed for one night before continuing our trip, but we thoroughly enjoyed our time here. There are also several restaurants within walking distance, making it easy to find different dining options. Overall, it was a wonderful stay, and I would gladly return the next time I'm in Dubuque.

    What on earth?? My friend and I stayed here not long ago…read moreand had a nice trip (see previous review). But today 9/11) she (who booked the hotel) got an email saying "In honor of September 11, here's a discount!" (See picture) What kind of tone deaf marketing is this? It's like saying "Remember Pearl Harbor, here's a discount!" Your marketing team should be fired.

    Photos
    Lobby flowers
    Lobby flowers
    Large relaxing chairs and older furniture with rich  tones adorn the large lobby
    Large relaxing chairs and older furniture with rich tones adorn the large lobby
    Hotel Julien Dubuque

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    Dottie's Cafe - tradamerican - Updated August 2026

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