Such a cool spot! So cozy. Amazing style and character. First coffee shop in Dubuque. Been there for 20 years. Great cold brew and hot coffee. Delicious scones. Fantastic service! Must check out especially if you are staying at the Julian. read more

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Service was good. Really cool spot. Super chill and unique. Definitely recommend. Has coffee and alcohol. read more

Monks Kaffee Pub - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

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I wish that I had known about Monks the evening before when I hit Dubuque cause I would have loved to had a few pints at the bar and enjoyed the ambiance. Alas, I only learned of it in time to get a doubleshot of espresso in the morning on our way out of town. Set in an old home in the historic district in downtown Dubuque and right around the corner from the Fenlon Elevator; Monks is the real deal in old school neighborhood vibe. With full coffee and alcohol menu, live events and front porch seating; Monks would surely be a regular spot for me if I lived here, and top of the list whenever I return. read more

Review Visit: September 26th, 2021 Monks blessed us with some coffee... er... kaffee. It was time to leave the Galena area. We couldn't do that without getting coffee. My friend Ying is the one who discovered Monks and said we should go there. Those of us who were up and able hopped in the car and headed that way. It was but a 10 minute drive from our hotel. Monks was, in my opinion, difficult to spot from the road. It wasn't until we were right in front of it that I realized we were there. We took the rickety steps up and headed in. Monks has the feel of a house mixed with a bar mixed with a coffeehouse. A pretty unique combination for what seems to be a pretty unique place. From looking around, it seems like there is a downstairs/basement where they have a stage for events. I didn't go down there so take that with a grain of salt. There was a singular barista (possibly the owner) serving drinks behind the bar. Yep, this place has an espresso machine next to a fridge full of beer. Alcohol being served at a coffeehouse isn't a new idea but the fact that this place seems to marry the two ideas seamlessly is... fun! The vibe I got from this place was that it's a place with no inhibitions. You can come in and get coffee or beer and just chill with whatever drink you get. The place was pretty quiet for a Sunday. The barista was making some drinks as we came in so we had to wait a few minutes before getting our orders in. We were ordering drinks for everyone, even those back at the hotel, so we hit the unfortunate fella up with a large order. Since each drink seemed to be an espresso, it took the barista forever to make them as he had to start from scratch on each of them. This lead to there being a small line of people behind us. We apologized to them for having such a large order. But, at long last, we had our drinks and I snagged some jalapeno cheddar chips to go with my iced caramel latte. The chips were going to be a snack for the ride home, so don't think of me as a monster who snacked on them while drinking my drink. As for the drink itself, it was decent. I really can't think of how to describe the drink besides it being just decent. The caramel flavor was there but it wasn't at the same time. I'm truly at a loss for words on how average it was. But, it was full of caffeine and that's what we all needed to get us geared up for the drive home. I would definitely love to revisit Monks for a beer and/or a show, to really get a feel for the kind of unique place that it seems to be. Side note: The jalapeno cheddar chips didn't survive the trip home. I was hoping to save half the bag for my work lunch the next day but once I started snacking on them, I knew they wouldn't last that long. Shame we don't get those chips in my area. We lack some good spicy chips in Central Illinois that isn't a national brand. read more

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An awesome blink and you'd miss it coffee joint! Visiting from Arizona and we had to try out this place. It has a upstairs and downstairs area, also a back patio area to hang out. Local art covering the walls, lots of local love and flavor. We came here two mornings in a row. The first time the barista was so friendly and welcoming! He was the best. The second day a different barista looked like they would rather leave, than make our coffee order. The coffee was still so good, the rude service didn't matter. We would've gone back a third day but they weren't open around 9am on Sunday. Not sure about the hours or if they're accurate, so we had to sadly get coffee elsewhere our last day in Iowa. Do not pass this place up, I'm an avid coffee drinker and will miss getting their coffee in the morning. read more

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One of the coolest hidden gems in Dubuque. We stopped by late night on a Saturday. Eclectic crowd of young and old. Awesome sever. Had Basil Hayden. very reasonable. Will go back for sure. read more

True local feel at this cafe that doubles as a bar. I had a latte and it was made so well, delicious and hot and perfect to start my morning. The barista was kind and I had enjoyable customer service. I'd return. read more

The most non descript place ever. Is it a bar? Is it a coffee shop? Yes to all of the above. Friendly owner, cool old building and lots of drink choices! read more

Had a fun time visiting this unique place while passing through town. Monday night was their local stand up comedy night. We had a great time! Would stop back again if ever passing trough. Nice craft beer menu! Cheers read more

Monks Kaffee Pub - Monday night local stand up comedy night! Good time! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

Super hip combination of bohemian coffee shop and neighborhood brew Haus. Solid customer service.

Monks is the best place in Dubuque to drink alcohol or coffee. Eclectic selection of brews, and tons of hotties with boom bodies, dayyyuuum! They ain't playing, shiihhh, Monk for real! That Monk game strong. The bartenders all got hands too! Seriously tho, Monkey Bones Kaffee Pub n' Saloon holds it down with the best products, patrons, proprietors and auxiliary bartenders. It's like a family. The environment is a total safe space and void of bullies or tough guy energies, except when I'm there 3 pbrs deep. M'Bones is responsible and will cut off the rowdies and disown the nasties. Best bloody Mary's. If you're lost in Dubuque, find yourself there on 373 Bluff St. Tell them that Baby Vic sent you. Wahhhhhhsahhhhppp. I'm not checking for typos read more

This is hands down the best espresso in Dubuque. Unique place which has a bar just as you walk in the front door. Will always grab my 4 shot espresso as I travel though this area! read more

Great coffee and brews. Always a chill vibe. Friendly staff. Margs on Thursdays keep 'em coming back!

Great local coffee place. My mocha was delicious. They are for food as well but I just picked up a couple of quick premade items made by another local bakery. The homemade granola was excellent too. Super friendly barista. They serve alcohol here too if you are interested. Outdoor seating on the front and in the back a nice private outdoor deck. read more

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My favorite spot for a Carmel latte. And if you have some nice weather there are two porches to sit and relax.

Comfortable and friendly. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. If you don't feel like caffeine or dairy, they have plenty of alternative options: try a Sprecher's Blueberry Soda or a bottle of Delirium Tremons. This is a great spot to take an afternoon reading break if you're on a site-seeing trip. Bathroom was sufficiently clean. Don't hang out too long - you'll overhear talk about who all the local drunks are. read more

Monks Kaffee Pub - Relaxing on a bed is optional here. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

Stopped in for a quick drink on the way back to our B&B. What a cool place! Small but cozy; even though it's tight we wouldve spent more time reading there if possible. Coffee was great but not hot; it was kept in a 'pump' dispenser, which doesn't insulate well. Otherwise, loved my time here. read more

Monks Kaffee Pub - View from the bar - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

Very cool atmosphere. Stopped in to kill some time waiting for the art gallery down the street to open. Local joint. Cool stuff on the wall. Would def frequent here if I were staying longer, given that they seem to have lots of live music. That being said, this is a no frills coffee joint. I would have loved to order something here that I can't get anywhere else. Menu is just the basics. But I can be into that too. read more

Monks Kaffee Pub - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

When in Dubuque be sure to stop in and say hi to Trish, Casey and Randy for a great cup of coffee or something harder. Relaxing atmosphere and lots of outdoor seating, capped off by the great staff and the ecclectic customers make this a can't miss spot read more

Monks Kaffee Pub - If you want a chill spot to grab a coffee or something harder this is the spot an eclectic clientele and staff Great place - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

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Over the last five years I had work trips to Dubuque (I lived here from 1986 to 2000). I always stayed in the heart of downtown and always landed in Monks to finish my evening. A quiet, comfortable place to end a busy day, A great selection of craft beers..a coffee drinks if that is what you need to wind down your evening. Tonight asked for an eastern Iowa craft brew. They brought the "Toppling Goliath Brewing Co.'s Pseudo Sue, city hop brew with great aromatics and citrus notes. In my previous visits I have found the Monks to be great curators of craft beers! I wish I had a place like Monk's near my home near Knoxville, TN! read more

Very cool and funky eclectic place with a nice owner and his wife working the coffee and bar. Nice coffee and wide beer selection.

Cool little place to have a cup and relax. I stopped in midday so my review is more towards the coffee house end of things. Eclectic atmosphere with tables and a bar and little niches where you can kind of melt out of sight while you share some quiet time with a friend or a book. read more

I needed to kill some time and find a spot to get some work done, and found Monk's on Yelp. I get the other reviews about it being hipster-ish, but I thought it was cozy and very chilled. At the bar you can get a variety of coffee drinks and they also have beer. They had a fridge of canned/bottled beer, and it was a decent selection of craft beers. Was happy to have some Toppling Goliath. I saw a sign that had tapped beers, and I think that was at a bar in the lower level. Besides the bar area, there are a couple of smaller rooms with tables, chairs, and couches. It's basically the coffeehouse side. I love their wifi password. Let's just say...don't be a freeloader and buy something. Overall, it's a good place to relax and enjoy a beer or coffee! read more

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I'm a fan of this place. I love the interior and ambience - rock & hip & cool. We stopped by in the afternoon and had a cup of americano. I would love to go back hanging out at night. read more

This is a cool space but I never felt welcome here. It is very much a townie place and has that kinda cliquey closed off thing going on that Dubuque can be bad about. read more

I love this place. The people are great, and the atmosphere is funky. A great place to get a coffee, beer, or cocktail.

After we rode the incline elevator down here we found this place just a few doors down where we could grab some iced coffee. They had some special cold brew that was delicious and just what we needed. The bartender working was very friendly and we were in and out very quickly with our to go order. They also had some friendly patrons in there for short chit chat while we waited. It was an interesting spot that I will check out when I go back to Dubuque. read more

Amazing Coffee shop/bar/music venue.. We choose to work here on a tip from a local walking on the street and what a great tip it was! We arrived to what looked like a coffee shop in a house, a very friendly group of people both staff and owner were present. We had no idea it was a music venue so the owner showed us the venue down stairs and it rules, real upright piano, good looking sound system! We sat and worked drinking coffee which ruled, and I loved that the internet password was "atleastbuyacoffee" which I thought was pretty classic! We stay here a few hours working so after our coffees we each got a PBR to finish the work today! The bottle of PBR and Coffee were both priced at 2 bucks. I love this place! And they were playing T-Rex records all day, so in other words I got into a pretty good groove here working! read more

Unique spot with interesting decor. Many local beer options to choose from. And of course coffee. If did have any but lots of people came in and it smelled awesome. Small area but definitely worth stopping. read more

One of the coolest places I have ever been, a combination, coffee shop and bar. Excellent coffee drinks and micro-brews, people behind the bar are always super friendly and very knowledgeable. An excellent laid back atmosphere with the bar and couches chairs and tables to hang out at. Whether you need a coffee in the mid-day or a beer with some friends at night, this is an excellent place to go. read more

An oasis in Dubuque! What a enjoyable and relaxing time. Many beer choices and not run of the mill or homogenous! A friendly staff and comfortable surroundings away from the meat heads down the street at the pick up bars. The only thing I can complain about is the TV behind the bar. There's just no need! Anyway, My girlfriend and I enjoyed it so much, we went back after our hotel bar turned into a barfing Bon Jovi fest. I'd come back to Dubuque again just to go to Monks! Monks Monks Monks! New song. Just wrote it! :^) read more

Monks Kaffee Pub - a person holding a glass of beer - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

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I've been coming to Monk's coffee since moving to Dubuque 9 years ago when they used to be the only coffee shop open on Sunday mornings. It's a hip fun and relaxed atmosphere and their Mexican hot cocoa is to die for. read more

Nice neighborhood place with two personalities, coffee by day, and something strange at night. We found the straight up coffee bar. Latte was smooth and enjoyable. read more

A hidden gem! This little place has a won a soft spot in my heart. Great little place for morning coffee or an evening cocktail, yes they have a liquor license! They also do a great job of connecting with the local community with there art and music scene. Hope to be back soon! read more

Super chill, friendly staff, great music (mostly jazz). He's got some good bourbon, too; but I was here early in the day. Oh - and did I mention comfy? read more

Great prices and a wonderful ambiance, too. I enjoy that kids are allowed there until 9 pm (so my family and I could take my 14-year-old niece to an "adult" place where we could all relax and have a drink to wind down.) If you're lucky, you'll have Beth as your bartender. Very friendly and offers good recommendations for your drinks based on your taste preferences -- there's a lot of great options to choose from; both beer and nonalcoholic! :) read more

This place is pretty awesome! When you first walk in you can smell the coffee. If you look to the right there's a room with cozy couches, cool wooden art on the walls, it pretty homey! If you go downstairs they have a pool and foosball table. Overall awesome place! read more

Monks Kaffee Pub - Bar scene! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

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I loved this place -- good coffee and good beer, and a nice homey space. I wish this coffee shop were in my home town! Across the street from the home-brew store and a block away from the Fenelon elevator, it is a really charming neighborhood as well. Will definitely be back. read more

Monks Kaffee Pub - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

There was a time when I would have considered a place like this as threatening due to its originality. It's simply not something you see much of in coffee houses, in one way or another they all seem to hug a sturdy plan for success. Monks, is different. You would be forgiven, as I was, for asking if it was ok to come in as you entered. Aside from the coffee bar in what I assume was once a kitchen or a den, the first floor of this cafe appears to merely be the domicile of some eccentric roommates. And what at first made me uncomfortable about Monks made me fall in love with it soon after. Sitting in a wing back chair surrounded by local art, it was simply that much easier to enjoy the caffeinated creation that was freshly ground for my consumption. A true credit to the port city of Dubuque, and near as I can tell, the best place anywhere to drink coffee in a wingback chair. In someone's house. That is a business. read more

I love this place. I used to live across the street and I went all the time and I still stop in when I'm back in town. It's quirky but that's what makes it great. Definitely stop in! read more