This wine bar is a little treasure in Dubuque…read more The wine selection is outstanding, the service is excellent and the guests are friendly, warm and endearing.

I really like the coco chanel. It's a sweet drink which was perfect for me! Love the vibe! There is…read morelive music from 7pm-10pm. They have a cheese board but no other food.

So ridiculous. Our server was very sweet, but charged us TWENTY TWO DOLLARS for one less than…read moremediocre drink: an old fashioned. We were amazed--or, rather, DISMAYED by this. We checked to be sure there wasn't an error, and nope. 22 bucks for a bad drink. So disappointing.

Definitely check this place out! Max (owner) and Dan are great, and the craft cocktails are…read moreoutstanding. The vibe is super cool and jazzy...lady jazz. The food from Foundry is great. Good wine and local beers. It almost had a speak easy feel. The whole building and area is cool. Definitely stop by ASAP.

This is the coolest bar I've ever been to in Iowa, if not one of the coolest bars I've ever been…read moreto- PERIOD! The Sanity Room takes "theme" bar to a whole new level. There is a state mental facility outside of Independence, Iowa, and hence the theme of the Sanity Room. But don't think it's cold and creepy. No. The owners have gone to great lengths to make this an inviting place complete with the unique chairs, private small booths, and kitschy motto signs surrounding the place (one of my faves: "I can only please one person per day. Today I choose me."). They serve shots in pill bottles and syringes, and the staff will even make you don a patient gown, sit in the old hospital bed (vintage and they claim it came from the state hospital), and then administer the shots while wearing a doctor's coat. Genius! After you are vaccinated, you get a sticker. As if the booze wasn't awesome enough! And let's talk about the booze. This is a full bar that also features some great craft and local beers, as well as a local wine. Iowa wine, you ask? It was by far the best I sampled and I bought a bottle. Yeah, you can buy their stock too, if they have enough. As for specialty cocktails? Look no further than the bloody mary made with Chardonnay. That's right, I said the bloody mary is made with wine. And it's delicious. Since wine doesn't have as much alcohol as vodka, you might have to drink a lot to get the same effect, but with a taste like this you won't mind. The Sanity Room does seem to be a work in progress as they only have one unisex bathroom but they are working on more accommodations. Still, it's small so you can't imagine there would ever be a long line. It also sits in the back of an antique store, so blink and you might miss it. I know we did the first time we walked by, but the second time we took a chance and walked in and I am so glad we did! There's even a back patio area that overlooks the Wapsipinican River. The only bad thing would be that there are no TVs in the Sanity Room. I question if this would change the integrity of the bar, as it might compromise the theme and inviting nature. But I am a sports nut and there would be nothing better than belly up at the bar, drinking a glass of La T Da & watching the game! Seriously, if you're ever in Independence and you don't stop in here, you're missing out. I can't wait to get back and get my dose of Sanity!

Such a great name for the town that includes the mental hospital. Eclectic, fun decor and the…read moreowner/managers obviously love their work! A deck in the back gives a nice view of the Wapsie River, and an antique shop with all sorts of fun things, from tools to quilts. Thanks for the hospitality!

This is the standout in East Dubuque. Michelle & Kevin renovated an old hotel into a sleek modern…read morespace. The room with the bar features a repurposed tin ceiling from a century-old bank. An adjoining room has a ceiling of reclaimed doors, very clever. They have an outstanding craft beet selection and some creative cocktails. We really enjoyed the Black Currant Mojitos on a hot early October day. Much classier than its neighbors. Definitely worth a visit!

From the owner: Looking for a local bar in East Dubuque, IL? How about visiting a classy, jazzy joint decked out…read morewith prohibition-era displays? Gather your friends and head on over to our local 1920s-themed bar. Incognito Bar offers a variety of craft beers on tap and signature cocktails that you can customize with your favorite flavors.

We read about the specials online and were pretty excited to go here. Our excitement was short…read morelived. The restaurant itself is decorated like a saloon from the past, which is pretty neat. It's a "seat yourself" business so we went to do just that only to find out the smallest table holds six people and there were only two of us. I'm not talking about the only tables open, I'm talking about any of the tables. We felt bad taking up that big of a table for just two people but there were no other options. We both ordered the special - all you can eat walleye with a side (we chose hash browns) and salad bar. The salad bar was decent but nothing extraordinary. Your normal mix of lettuce salad and toppings, salads, cottage cheese, that sort of thing. Now for the main course. Our fish was way overcooked. It was dark brown and crispy. You got a lot but it was almost burnt. It had good flavors and would have been good were it not overcooked. The hash browns were ok but had a slightly off taste. As for the service. The waitress was abrupt and borderline rude. She never smiled, looked our heads when talking to us, she acted like we were bothering her. The bartender, who someone said was the owner, was snapping at her staff and snapped at two people checking into the hotel. Just not pleasant staff overall. I don't expect to be bowed down to, but a little common courtesy goes a long way. And as a heads up, they only take cash or local check. There is an ATM on site with a $2.50 charge. All in all not a horrible place to eat but far from the best.

Patio is a great area. If you're going for a casual/fun night out to hang out with people then this…read moreis a great place. Food was left to be desired though. Chicken was super dry and over cooked. Fries were plain. Cheese curds were decent though. Service was very friendly. Staff was attentive too.

Our valentines dinner was a huge success. Servers were busy but they did a great job managing…read moretables needs and exceeding expectations. A community senior quartette was allowed to sing from management and it added to our romantic ambiance. Drinks and entrees were delicious, loved the innovative mango hot honey margarita. Perfect spot for a date night!

While in town for a college visit with our son, we walked from our hotel down to The Vault for…read moredinner. We have a restaurant locally (in Southern Illinois) with the same concept and name. It's also located inside of an old bank, so we wanted to check this one out. We were seated immediately and received great service. The waitress was new, but already familiar with the menu. She made recommendations and was very attentive. We started with the pretzel and I can't wait for you to see the photo of how huge this thing is! We all three ate some of it, and there was enough for two people left once we were all done. It's massive! For the entree, I had the chicken quesadillas, my husband had the salmon bowl, and my son had the French dip. The food was all very good and if he chooses Dubuque for college, we will definitely be back!

As usual Great Food! Outdoor Bar is great! Nakoh was fantastic! Never had bad service ever!read more

This was an unexpected surprise...we were driving from the Crystal Lake Cave back to Galena and I'm…read moreso thankful we found this gem. Everything was delicious...the steak bites were our favorite (well, until I tried the mini donuts for dessert ;)) and we would be happy to come back to try more of the menu. The ambiance was family friendly & chill. The staff were super friendly and helpful. It was a gorgeous day with gorgeous views that made us feel like we were on an island further south than we were!! Definitely worth a stop!

Went to B-Spoke for dueling pianos and was really looking forward to it. The dueling piano group…read morewas very interactive and talented. Unfortunately, the speakers were too loud (where I could not hear my friends at our table). We also tried their speciality cocktails and our group personally did not enjoy them. In the future, I would stick to a classic, simple drink or a beer!!

We called ahead a couple days before to verify hours for fish Friday, was told we wouldn't need a…read morereservation. Apparently you don't when no one is there to open. We arrived shortly before opening hours (4pm), and no one was inside nor ever showed up by 415. Place looked "dirty", and we ended up moving on to a camping resort up the road and enjoyed a fabulous dinner on the water, watching the river flowing. We all agreed and it was mention more than a few times, we were all glad they weren't open.

We stopped here for a drink and some dessert because the place on the next black we had dinner at…read morehas no dessert options. The decor is that old school Wisconsin wood bar and restaurant with a bar one one side and a dining room on the opposite. Service was great and the bar tender was friendly, one of the very few who didn't panic when I said surprise me with a cocktail and she gave me a dirty gin martini. We ended with some donut ice cream plate which looked good but I didn't try it. The place is a friendly rural Wisconsin bar and restaurant.