I went here for lunch and I'm glad I did. It made me feel like I was in Italy. The place is very cute, the staff is friendly (my servers name was Meghan, she's a great server!) and the food was delicious. If I'm ever in Galena again I will for sure add this to my list of places to go to. read more

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AMAZING SERVICE!!! Our waiter came in a timely manner and checked in just the right amount of times! The food and drinks were great! Vinny Vanucchi's never disappoints! read more

The server we had was pleasant, welcoming, and efficient. The food was where things fell short. The garlic bread is passable, but not delicious. No better than you could make at home with a day old loaf of crusty bread and some parmesan sprinkled on top. The salad people mention is fine. The baked sausage ragu was flavorful enough, though the serving small. The chicken marsala was sugar chicken. The sauce was super sweet and syrupy, the chicken overcooked and stringy/chewy, and there was clearly barely any salt (if any) added. The mushrooms weren't cooked through. I was hesitant to complain but was not willing to eat something this bad. The server was so nice when she checked in that we mentioned it. She shared my issue with the owner who said they've been doing this for 30 years so it's not her problem. The idea that every single day of 30 years you have perfectly cooked/prepared every meal is asinine. We were told they recently lost some cooks and hadn't yet replaced them. So it is possible that things are a bit off kilter in the kitchen. Even more reason to apologize and offer to make it right. Our server wound up paying for our dessert. The dessert, by the way, was lovely. We had tiramisu and lemon cake. We also had two drinks, both mediocre. One was a prosecco with strawberry puree--so really just pink prosecco given the lack of strawberry flavor. We also had a cocktail with lemonade and liquor which tasted mostly like a country time lemonade (ie artificial). So really the server and the dessert led to the rating here. Location: Galena is a lovely little town and the main street has several adorable restaurants to choose from. We wound up here when several other places were closed. This place is decorated to be a sort of Italian village restaurant, though certainly needs some updating and renovating. It is up a substantial set of stairs (as are several places in the area given the beautiful hilly landscape) or you can take the ramp up the hill. Also, if you are driving by you might miss it. It's probably easiest to park and then walk to it. The restaurant is multi-level and we were brought to the top level. Another person felt it was too noisy (there were a couple of families up there) but I didn't find it to be a problem. The downstairs seemed to have more of the 'ambiance' people mention. There is an outdoor eating area if the weather is cooperating. It's sort of street side, but might still be a nice place to sit. Overall, this was a disappointing experience, especially when an owner doesn't seem to care about paying customers. If you find yourself looking for a nice treat, grab dessert to go or sit outside and enjoy it with a glass of wine. Or, better yet, head down the street to some of the little bakeries instead. read more

The food is ok. I think they are a bit overpriced for what you get. The night my friends and I went it was quite a long wait for our food. IMO there is better Italian food in Dubuque read more

Should have left when salad arrived wilted. Food was less then subpar better off going to Olive Garden. We ordered the spaghetti and meatballs and the seafood fettuccine Alfredo. Both the alfredo and marinara was so watered down not worth the calories. read more

My favorite part about this place is the Parmesan bread-so good! I could eat an entire basket for my meal! On this visit, we ordered the chicken Parmesan and baked ragu which were really good but not the best I've ever had hence the 4 stars. Overall the atmosphere is great and selection of wine decent. read more

Vinny Vanucchi's - Chicken Parmesan - Italian Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

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I am Italian and have been eating Italian food my whole life, at home and at restaurants. This was without a doubt the worst Italian food I've ever eaten, including the chain restaurants. And it is priced similar to upscale Chicago Italian restaurants. The food here, pasta, meatballs and sauces, all tasted like they came out of a box and/or a can. Definitely NOT homemade!! And the wine list is the absolute worst I've ever seen at any restaurant with these prices...EVER!! My guess is the local people that give this place good reviews do not have a good Italian restaurant to compare it to. In addition, the service here was awful. Both the Hostess and our Server seemed bothered and very unfriendly throughout our meal. If they acted that way in any REAL upscale Italian restaurant, in any big city, they would be sent home...permanently. Trust me people, if you're looking for a quality Italian restaurant, that provides great service and real, homemade food, STAY AWAY from this restaurant! read more

Not very good! The way this was advertised we thought it would be packed. Made reservations for 6:45 and an hour and 15 minutes later we still had not received our spaghetti and ravioli. THAT is all we ordered. The garlic bread was cold. The food took that long and we got excuse after excuse. We had to sit at a table right by the kitchen when there were plenty of other empty tables. And we found the food mediocre at best. Disappointed, we should have went to Caroline's instead. read more

Nice enough place. Good atmosphere. Way over the top on how much oil in the pasta dishes. Sopping in the olio. Also seemed carried away with the marsala sauce. Need to tone it down for flavor versus volume. Personal opinion. read more

Service was horrible waited 15 minutes for water. Pasta was not cooked and cocktails were sweet and watered down. Unfortunately we will not go back. read more

Mediocre to fair food. Service is just okay. My primary complaint is they don't split checks. They tell you it is posted everywhere, but there is only a smallish sign you won't see if the hostess greets you. The text on the menu says for a party of 8 or more. We were a party of 4. We even mentioned separate checks when ordering and were never told. Then they want to add a mandatory gratuity of 20% to split the checks. The service and food was not worth a 20% gratuity by a long shot. Splitting checks for a small party is just standard business and should be neither a big deal to do nor require a minimum gratuity. Will never eat here again. read more

Not a fan so far. Came into the area for a getaway and ordered dinner. After making a reservation we were whisked to our table. The interior is so pretty. Italian rustic and romantic but so empty on a Thursday evening. Softly playing Italian music puts you at ease. After ordering calamari and trying to eat my way through over cooked rubber I found the side salad comforting. Luckily for me side salads and bread are edible. Order time. So we ordered Rocky's ravioli and veal parmigiana and what the ???? Ravioli is hard and I mean fossilized and undercooked. Veal is over cooked. We couldn't even cut it. So disappointing. Sent it back and thanked the garlic bread gods again. Order two. Ravioli is finally edible but instead of meat it has ricotta cheese. Now veal is still hard and chewy still. Going to claw my way through it. Asked waitress about ravioli and she stated ummmm. I don't know. The receipt however shows ravioli meat. Lol Sorry guys. :( read more

Good Lord...first, don't eat the bread they bring out prior to the entree--not because it's not good--you'll just need that room for the entree. The salad dressing is wonderful. The food (spaghetti/sausage and baked sausage ragu) was absolutely divine. Make sure you're hungry. I'm just sorry I couldn't eat more. read more

Interior is fun. Great photos, wine on shelves, boxes, cans of sauce etc. service super good. All staff running at top speed. I had penn pasta, baked with sausage . A little short on sausage but very good. Folinari red wine...great $30. So overall worth the trip. read more

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I was in town visiting family and decided to give Vinny's a try. First off, I love Italian food and this place did not disappoint. I loved the atmosphere and you could feel the history in the building. I enjoyed the Italian music playing from Frank Sinatra to Opera. I ordered Rocky's Raviolis and they were delicious as expected. It came with a salad and their garlic bread. They only offer two salad dressings - balsamic and their house dressing a raspberry vinaigrette. I am not big on raspberry so I opted for the balsamic and it was good. I did taste the house dressing and it was good not a strong raspberry taste. The garlic bread was absolutely the best! After the meal, our server asked about dessert and she named off some items that I'm sure were great. I'm a cheesecake connoisseur so I only had one question - is the cheesecake made in house? Sadly, it is not - it arrives frozen. I passed on dessert. If you're in town, be sure to give this place a try. read more

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We were a party of 10. Food was amazing, wait staff amazing and we shall return. Been here before and was pleased.

The food was very good. I had the seafood alfredo. The garlic bread with parmesan on top that came with the meal was divine. Only downside was the exceptionally slow service. read more

Vinny Vanucchi's - Seafood Alfredo - Italian Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

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I ordered the Chicken Pizzaferro and my wife ordered Chicken Vinici. The sauce on mine was obviously burnt and tasted terrible. My wife's dish had chilli peppers in it which was not included in the description and she doesn't like spicy food. Neither of us cold eat our main entrees. The salad and bread which was served first was fine. When the waitress stopped by and noticed that we had both pushed our plates away, she asked if everything was okay. I explained our discontent and she did the right thing and removed both meals from the bill. I left her the same tip she would have received if we had been charged for the entire meal. Great service, bad food. read more

Vinny Vanucchi's - Chicken Pizzaferro. - Italian Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

Great-great-great Italian food! Looks small on the outside but lots of rooms and lots of seating. Inside looks like you are in Italy, brick walls, lots of wood, and old fashion photos. Service was outstanding. All meals come with salad and garlic bread. Portions are a good size but not overwhelming. Kids menu good. Average price meals. Very nice dinner overall. We will be back next time we are in town. Parking-skip the street parking...go to the public garage. Only $1/hour. Very easy and a block away from Vinny's. read more

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Thankfully this place was suggested to us hungry folk! Vinny's has a great atmosphere, great service and even better food. The downside is that basket of bread they bring out, it's so good! The bruschetta was huge and delicious and so was my alfredo and his spaghetti with meatballs! Everything was so good, even as leftovers. read more

Nice sized portions and the garlic bread MELTED in my mouth! That was my favorite part. However, though it was enjoyable, the simplicity of my penne ragu did not seem worth $25. We also ordered a tortellini special that was very salty and overly cheesy. I liked the vibe of the place, but it was overpriced for the type of food it offered. read more

Hey, it's Dubuque - not used to getting this kind of quantity for the price in many other parts of the country! The garlic bread is good though not enough to be a draw to come back. The Fettuccine Carbonara - Fettuccine Pasta in an Alfredo Sauce of Prosciutto Ham, Mushrooms and Peas - however, was outstanding. The downside? Would you believe the water served was horrible? I do not know much about the Dubuque area but something is wrong there. If you are here going with something other than the tap is a must. read more

Love the decor. Looks like a traditional Italian restaurant. Our server however, was a complete ditz. She forgot silverware for the table. We had to ask to clear our dirty plates and I had to ask for my coffee at least 3 times after dinner. Food was ok, but my veal was chewy and the chicken my friend had was overcooked and dry. I know we are I Dubuque, but based on all the hype I was expecting better. read more

My husband and I went for dinner and we were disappointed in the food. The waitress was really good and the atmosphere was very inviting. The salad looks Ike's good untul I realized that the lettuce was old and that was the end of the salad. The bread was amazing, warm and crispy. My husband ordered the sausage penne pasta and it did not have much in it but pasta. I ordered a chicken artichoke pasta and I did not have more than 2 ounces of chicken in it. The flavor was very good but would not order again. read more

I was in Dubuque for an interview last Thursday evening and stopped by for dinner. Requested a seat at the bar and was promptly greeted by my server. After taking my drink order (draft beer), I asked which thin-crust pizza she would recommend. Her response was the pepperoni and cheese and I went with that (was in the mood for something on the light side). The pizza came out about 9 minutes later and was perfect! Nicely crisp with a delicious sauce and extremely tasty pepperoni. Honestly, it was the best thin-crust pizza that I have ever had. So, prompt, friendly service, cold beer, amazing pizza = 5 stars in my book. Will definitely return. read more

Very cool facility with lots of exposed brick, a huge bar area, main dining area with windows to the back deck and the lower area is decorated like an Italian cafe complete with a deli counter in the back. It's located on 2nd & Main next to the Hotel Julian with a number of quaint old shops across the street. The food and atmosphere is slightly upscale but very real and grounded, it kind of reminds you of an old Chicago neighborhood place. We had the bruschetta which was large chunks of tomato, fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil on garlic bread (not toasted baguette). Not my idea of bruschetta, but it wasn't all bad. The meat lasagna came with a large salad (ok) and a basket of garlic bread which is exceptionally good. I had the meatball sandwich - two large and nicely seasoned meatballs on a toasted hoagie roll with green & red peppers, pasta sauce and melted mozzarella. I got it with fries, which were excellent! They use fresh cut potatoes and cook them to the perfect crispness. Our server was prompt and anticipated your needs. Even the tap water was good. I'm not sure what the other two posters were talking about, but mine was fine and the waitress keep my glass full. I hope this place makes it. Dubuque needs some good non-chain dining options. read more

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I wasn't a fan. The pasta was loaded with sauce and it was just a little too much for me. Also I think the food is not up to par for the prices they charge. read more

Awesome food. Never was disappointed. Love there bread.the hole family loves going to this place and eating read more

Food good, music way too loud (they turned it down later in the evening after more patrons arrived) .... Waitress (Megan) was attentive, but mentioned nothing about a $10 fee to split meals (we were a party of 4 and were charged $20)... supposedly small print stating this in the menu somewhere (definitely not obvious). Personally, I think that when this charge is going to occur, the waitress should simply mention it when ordering. read more

My husband and I came here for our anniversary dinner. The service and food was all amazing! 10/10 recommend this place for anyone looking for a nice place to eat. Everything was seriously so amazing. I can't rave enough about how good our experience was! read more

Vinny Vanucchi's - Tiramisu, icecream - Italian Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

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Vinny Vanucchi's is normally known for the atmosphere, food quality, and service. A survey notifies the public of one's experience and the community of their potential future experience. A one start rating is given to the waitress who preformed her duty as expected, earning her well deserved $10 tip. The lack of a rating is only due to the cook who allowed a foreign piece of wood to be obscured within our pizza. My husband Nick Miller was the victim and took a passive role. A child was at the table, our 3 year old nephew Blake and our 70 year old Mother put at risk as well. Manager Mike removed the charge on his call. He was informed this was not my request to rectify thr matter. This doesn't undue their response of food safety, handling, and commitment to the customer's. If Vinny Vanucchi's would like this review dropped I ask only the cook be identified, documented corrective action (The company's discretion), and a thoughtful apology note drawn to my husband and The Millers. This caused great commotion. read more

Great place in Dubuque. This location is just as Unique a the Galena Location. I love when they have Egg plant parmesan. I also have never has a bad red wine here. read more

This was a major disappointment. Staying at a hotel down the street and a fan of Italian food this was a perfect choice. I will say the garlic bread and the salad were very good. We know sooner started our salad and our dinner was brought out. No rushing here.... We both ordered the chicken marsala. After ordering this dish in other restaurants I was shocked when the server brought it to the table. It was a chicken breast on a bed of pasta swimming in a plate of marsala sauce. It looked like brown gravy. Usually it is served with a small amount of marsala. Again, swimming in the sauce. The marsala was over powering as if the alcohol was not cooked off. After we were finished we overheard another server telling her customers what the daily specials were. Our server never mentioned them to us. When she brought our check I mentioned what I overheard. She said sorry I forget and walked away. Yeah ok! We will not be back. read more

We were visiting Dubuque for the day and looking for a local restaurant with a bit of history and local charm. It was everything we hoped it would be -- The food was excellent, the wine list was incredible, and our server, Sunny, completely lived up to her name. She was wonderful! I had the Baked Seafood Italiano and my husband had the Fettuccine Seafood, and we chose a bottle of the Red Diamond Malbec to share. (I know, I know, seafood is usually paired with white, but we really like red!) Sunny told us that the owner is a wine connoisseur, which didn't surprise us given the extensive and well-selected wine list. She recommended the Red Diamond and said it was one of their best sellers. I can understand why! The salad (served family style) and garlic bread that came with our meal were also very good. She mentioned that the dressing was their house brand, a raspberry vinaigrette that they also sell by the bottle, and I'm kicking myself for not picking some up before we left. For dessert my husband had the cannoli and I had tiramisu. He said his was great, and mine was authentic tiramisu with lady fingers, versus the cake that so many use instead these days. It was delicious! This was a wonderful experience in every way. We're already talking about planning another day trip to Dubuque and making it a point to eat lunch there again. One note -- If you park on the street outside the restaurant you can only do it for a maximum of an hour at a time. Plus the parking app won't let you extend the time past an hour. When our hour was almost up and I discovered this, my husband ran out and fed the meter a couple quarters (40 minutes worth) in order to extend the time so we could stay and not have to rush through our meal. read more

Delicious Italian meal and atmosphere was very casual and relaxing. Service was amazing!

This is probably the worst Italian restaurant out there. My husband's lasagna looked and tasted like it came out from the very back of the freezer...freezer burn was visible...gross! I ordered Chicken with pasta and artichokes which was also terrible. All our family's food tasted frozen then microwaved. Nothing tastes fresh. To add insult to injury the server tried to sell us on an order of garlic bread even though it is included with any pasta dish which we were ordering. Lastly she included gratuity and failed to tell us! Do not eat here if you want a decent meal and honest servers. read more

Love the food and decor! We stop in here when ever we visit this area. The staff is very friendly and quick with the service. Vinny's offer a full bar, small deli area, and restaurant dining. The food is great with many options for different types of diets. Stop in for a great dining experience! read more

I love their spaghetti, I get it every time I go their. I tried the veil dinner. Didn't really like it but overall love this place. One of my favorites. read more

Save your money, go to Pizza Hut. Appearance looks good, building and ambiance looks good. Service and food are very unremarkable. We ordered a pizza and Uncle Paulie baked penne. Pizza came out 10 minutes before penne. The best part of the whole meal was the garlic bread. Save yourself 70 dollars by going to Pizza Hut. Same quality food. read more

Wow this place is great at a reasonable price for a huge portion. Glad I walked here from the hotel to check it out. Very quick food and great service . read more

Vinny Vanucchi's - Italian Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa