If you know, you know. Traveling to Dubuque for the final stop of the RAGBRAI cycling tour across Iowa, I was fortunate to discover Dottie's Café for one last breakfast before beginning the long drive back to New Mexico. The exterior tells you everything you need to know. It's classic, woven into the fabric of the community--a place where locals gather, travelers are welcomed, and good breakfasts are simply expected. The menu item that caught my eye was the Hillbilly Surprise. I'd describe it as the Midwest's answer to Eggs Benedict: an English muffin topped with ham, an egg, and smothered in rich country gravy. Pair it with a side of crispy hash browns, and you've got the breakfast equivalent of "peas and carrots"--they just belong together. I grabbed a seat at the counter, enjoyed the friendly atmosphere, and soaked in one last taste of Iowa hospitality before heading west. If your travels take you through Dubuque, Dottie's Café is well worth the stop. IYKYK read more

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Dottie's Cafe in Dubuque has a cool location, a nice walkable area, and a fun old-school diner feel. I loved the short stools, the counter, and the general vibe of the place. Service was prompt and professional, and the prices were very fair. Coffee was hot, but taste-wise it was just okay. The food was where it fell flat for us. The pancakes were probably the highlight, and those were good. I also ordered an omelet with cheese, and it came with a slice of melted American cheese on top. I am not trying to be a cheese snob, but we were basically across the Mississippi from Wisconsin, the cheese state, so that one hurt a little. The omelet itself was more like mixed-up eggs with peppers and onions folded into shape, but the cheese choice really threw me off. Kim ordered the Hillbilly Surprise for $9.25, and unfortunately, we were a little surprised too. The same American cheese situation showed up on the hashbrowns, and the gravy tasted pretty canned. The three-egg omelet pricing was very fair at $6.25, with add-ins at 40 cents each, so I will give them credit there. The value is good -- I just wish the quality matched the charm of the place. Sorry Dottie's Family - I wanted to like this more than I did. Cool diner feel, fair prices, and decent service, but the food was just very average for us. read more

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This restaurant was recommended to us by a city police officer. It's a small family-run restaurant since 1990. The prices were low for the basics. They make breakfast and lunch and close by 1:30 pm most days. We both ordered coffee, eggs, hash-browns, bacon or sausage and toast. The eggs were cooked perfectly, coffee was good and our friendly server came back to refill our cups frequently. Nothing was greasy, including the hash-browns. Food came out quickly and was hot. Our total bill came to around $25 including tax. We were driving through but will go back if we drive that way again. read more

This place is a gem. Very friendly service, epic counter seating. And the food is exactly what you want it to be- fast, fresh, and with an eye to tradition. If you're in Dubuque, don't miss this most excellent breakfast spot. The atmosphere and food are welcoming and delightful. Old school in the best ways. Even price. read more

Dottie's Cafe - Corned beef hash - American Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

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Classic whole in the wall diner! Locals make up the vast majority of the customers and the waitresses really delivered with the beloved mid-western kindness. The prices are bring affordable by today's standards. A meal here will cost about the same as the McDonalds across the street. Worth a stop for breakfast. read more

Dottie's Cafe - SOS... if you know you know. Roast beef and potatoes on white bread covered in gravy - American Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

The sign out front screams, classic greasy, spoon amazing breakfast, but the meal inside is less than that. The pancakes have zero flavor zero personality and lack everything that a good pancake desires. The server was crabby and we were very disappointed with the food overall. read more

I love the local spots and Dottie's is it. We sat at the counter in this small restaurant which was packed! We had a great breakfast with super friendly service. Skip IHOP and come here instead. read more

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While I was in Dubuque for a couple days. Looking for a place for breakfast I stumbled across this place. Had a regular breakfast, eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast. They had a special on this , $6.50, how can you beat that !! And was pretty good. read more

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!! read more

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Very friendly service, loved the pictures on the wall, nice and inviting. The food was very basic, competently done but not special, if you're looking for high end stuff you aren't going to get it here. That being said, it's also a good value for your money. Super fun sign outside the business. read more

Food is delicious and delivered quickly after ordering. Atmosphere is simple with pictures of Dubuque on walls. They keep your coffee cup filled to the rim read more

A classic greasy spoon. Friendly and efficient service gets two thumbs up from me. I ordered one of the omelettes. I wish I'd understood that the cheese wouldn't be nicely melted inside the omelette but just kind of hanging out on top -- didn't need that. Other than that, it was a perfectly serviceable omelette at a super low price, so I got what I came for. read more

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. read more

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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! read more

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Nice, clean, Old school diner/cafe to enjoy a "no frills" breakfast. Enjoyed eggs,sausage,bacon,hashbrowns, pancakes, with coffee. Good and well prepared with fast friendly service. read more

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 read more

Dottie's Cafe - a cup of coffee on a table - American Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

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

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

Dottie's Cafe - American Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

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

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. read more

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

Dottie's Cafe - American Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

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

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

Great old school atmosphere. Friendly staff. A classic must be seen and appreciated. Plan to try multiple menu items. Lots of on the street parking. Prices are reasonable. read more

we are out of town visitors and stopped at Dotties. The service and food were good. Even more impressive was the kindness shown. I left my glasses on the table. They were so kind and mailed them back to me!! That is the kind of place i would return to. read more

Wonderful breakfast with fast service! My eggs were perfect and the hash browns were nice and crispy. Our waitress took care of the whole restaurant in a friendly and efficient manner! I had never had cheese on hash browns before, but it was really good! read more

Dottie's Cafe - $5 special of the day - American Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

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

Best breakfast in Dubuque. And probably the cheapest! There's nothing fancy about Dottie's. And that's OK! People crowd this small restaurant for the wholesome, delicious food. The wait staff is very attentive and will keep your coffee cup filled. Dottie's is everything you expect from a small, family-owned cafe. read more

Cute little local cafe that is a must have while in Dubuque. They have a great 2x2x2 for 5.95 breakfast specials. Prices are very affordable and the food is excellent just as you would expect for an old school cafe read more

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

Food is standard diner fare, and you can get breakfast or lunch any time. They keep your coffee cup filled. We had the breakfast special of two eggs, has browns, bacon (3 slices) for one of us and sausage (two patties) for the other, and toast for only $5.99). Waitress was nice and friendly. She knew a lot of the customers by name. Bacon was crispy as were the hash browns. Sausage was tasty. There is only street parking but we found a nearby spot easily. Ambience is standard 1960s diner/cafe with tile floor, counter with stools, and several tables plus booths. read more

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

Good service but my hash browns were not cooked well. I like crispy light brown these were all white. Lacked the normal hash-browns I'm used to seeing. Old diner type of feel. read more

I always hit Dottie's when I am in Dubuque. They are a cozy place that caters to their regulars. There can be conversations that can cover the whole dining room (regulars and wait staff), so be prepared. The food is your typical greasy diner and very reasonable for breakfast. We love their Hillbilly Suprise. English Muffin, Ham, Cheese, two eggs (your choice) covered in sasuage gravy with hash browns on the side. read more

Their motto is "a great place for a home cooked meal" and that Describes this quaint little diner. It has a wonderful counter that seats about 10. Booths and tables for a comfortable atmosphere. We had breakfast- corned beef hash with choice of American fries or hashed browns and eggs. I've had better corned beef but it was reasonably priced and tasty. It's hard to screw up breakfast! Our grandaughter was satisfied with Fruit Loops and chocolate milk. Service was excellent and cheery. Clean. I would do this place over a chain or hotel. I'm sure their lunch menu would fit the pickiest eater. read more

Dottie's Cafe - Corned beef hash American fries and eggs. Yum. - American Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

We stopped in because we like trying small cafes. it is a typical little diner. I had to smile at hearing somebody call another person "a pill" and references to euchre tournaments. That definitely took me back to my roots! If you are looking for a basic "greasy spoon" breakfast you can't go wrong here. read more

I ordered the corned beef hash. The corned beef hash was just the stuff you buy from a can at the store. In my mind if a diner doesn't have their own recipe they won't be getting more than 3 stars. I'm giving this one star because I ordered over easy eggs that came out cooked almost completely through, more akin to over hard. Again, if you're a diner at least cook your eggs right. The place is homey but the food is bland, and from what I can tell everything on the menu is just heated up stuff that you buy from the grocery store. If you're looking for good food that you couldn't cook yourself, look elsewhere. Beyond the food, the service was attentive but uninterested which I guess is all you can ask for if you're not a local at a diner. read more

I was excited to find Dottie's cafe. I love these mom and pop shops. This was not that. The service was slow. (Monday at 10:30 am). The coffee was basically hot water and asking for a refill was tough because they almost refused to make any eye contact. This is not the problem. Look at the picture. I'm not sure how anyone could serve a pancake like this. I could see that the the hash browns on other folks' tables were under cooked also. Apparently speed is cherished above proper cooking. They missed on the speed also but that's not the point at a place like this. Coming to Dottie's? Asked for well done and BYO coffee. (Ok, don't do that because that would be rude. Just drink the crappy coffee) read more

Dottie's Cafe - The worst pancake in history - American Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

A wonderful little place that offers a good breakfast for a good price. Daily special of 2 eggs, choice of meat with hash browns or American fries for $4.50. Good coffee and great service. read more

Ended up going here after finding out the place we really wanted to try was closed because the owners went on vacation. Not really much to say, it is your average diner with average food. read more