Woodfire Grille is our go-to place for special occasions, and we happily drive an hour from Wisconsin to dine there. The food and service are always superb. We usually splurge on a special bottle of wine and look forward to it all year. Unfortunately, after ordering, we were told it was unavailable. Disappointed, we selected another option, only to have the bar manager/buyer come to our table a few minutes later to let us know that choice was also unavailable. She apologized and explained they were in the process of changing and downsizing their wine selection while still using the old menu, and she suggested a comparable alternative. Reluctantly, we agreed. While the wine was delicious, it simply didn't compare to our usual. Although we were thoroughly disappointed, the team went above and beyond to make things right and ensure we still had a wonderful dining experience--they even treated us to dessert. Thank you, Michelle, for always being so lovely. read more

Woodfire Grille - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

Great food and service, had the prime rib and it was among the best I ever had,the dirty mashed potatoes were like crack on a plate,so good. Cheesecake was great. read more

Classy steakhouse inside Dubuque's Diamond Jo Casino. Ambiance, beautiful room, great steaks and seafood. Service commensurate with the food and setting. A must visit for gamblers and epicureans and an excellent venue for special occasions. read more

Beyond pathetic! Went to the restaurant to simply get a decent glass of wine to go to the casino immediately met by the "who said no more seating at the cannot sit at the bar. We inquired about a glass of wine to go no you cannot even get a glass of wine until 730. It was 5 o'clock then beyond unreal for supposedly a restaurant of that caliber. read more

My husband & I, along with two other friends were very excited to try Woodfire Grille located inside the Diamond Jo Casino (Dubuque, IA) which I. highly recommend having a reservation! Immediately when we walked in, I absolutely loved the beautiful modern fireplaces glowing in a slightly dark but incredible ambience that was very cozy & elegant perfect for an amazing date! There is a beautiful bar near the entrance! I loved that they served a small plate of lemons & cucumbers for our waters at the table along with delicious fresh baked complimentary bread! Their menu mostly consists of high quality USDA prime steaks, prime rib, seafood including lobster, pastas, and a beautiful extensive wine lists along with a fun popular cocktail/beer menu. They have awesome steak enhancements & additions such as lump crab, sea scallops, truffle oil mushrooms, and Maytag bleu cheese! On their menu, they also have other entree items such as New Zealand Lamb, Tasmanian King Salmon, and pan roasted chicken! On their menu the steaks do not automatically come with a side dish or salad included with the price of a steak. Sides and salads are separate additional costs along with the steaks. I ordered the ribeye steak with asparagus & half BLT wedge salad. My friends & husband ordered ribeye steak, lobster tails, and Hungarian pan roasted chicken. The service was pretty good but could be a-lot better. Our server wasn't the most attentive and not super personable. My friend had to wait an extra long time for their chicken because it got dropped by the food runner and the replacement chicken entree took a long time in general because it is roasted. My steak was cooked to perfection, was melt in my mouth tender, & the fat marbling from the ribeye gave it so much flavor! However, I wish they would have seasoned the steak more as I still had to add more salt and pepper. They also didn't cook my asparagus right as it was like chewing hard bamboo and not tender as I had thicker stalks of asparagus. Everybody else said they really enjoyed their dinner! My friend really raved about the French Onion soup!! The server got a little side tracked I think but never asked us how our food was. I only had a couple pieces of asparagus so I didn't make a big deal. We didn't have room for delicious dessert but they offered us small bite size delicious homemade chocolate truffles at the end. My overall impression of Woodfire Grille is the ambiance is excellent with the beautiful, relaxing, exquisite lighting of the modern fireplaces/comfortable seating! The service was not as top notch as I was hoping for such an upscale restaurant. The food for the most part was amazing but a few things got messed up like the hard asparagus! This is still a nice place to go for upscale dining in Dubuque especially when you are looking for steaks and seafood! read more

See all

This used to be my favorite local restaurant. Unfortunately it hasn't been great lately but they advertised a couples special for Valentine's Day and the day before and after so I made reservations and decided to give it another shot. I ordered the special only to find out that they made a mistake in their advertising and they weren't serving it. Server apologized but no offers so I left and ate elsewhere. Pricing has gone way up. Quality and portion size has fallen. Service is hit or miss. And you can't trust the advertised offers. I would try somewhere else. read more

Read reviews. It's sad that such a classy looking place is not what you expect. I hear this is hit or miss.

Steaks so good that it is difficult to try anything else. But the other night during Lent I ordered the Chilean Sea Bass and am pleased to report that it was excellent. One of the others at our table also ordered it and they too were pleased. The other two guests had steak and both stated it was excellent as usual. Our server was efficient, pleasant and attentive. Dining at the Woodfire Grill has always been a most pleasant experience. read more

The Woodfire used to be a top notch destination for drinks and food. The service used to be top notch also. Last Saturday night we had very bad service at the bar and then that same bad service went to our dining table for 4 people. We had to ask the host to get us a server after a 15 minute wait. The server blamed the host for being new. The service was very bad while the food and drinks were mostly good. We won't be going back very soon. Get it right or lose loyal customers. Dubuque couple read more

Terrible experience. Went with a group of 10 to celebrate a birthday. Too many issues to include all of them. First issue, high scale restaurant with high end prices. Reservation for 6:30 and dining experience didn't end until 10:30 (4 hours)! Waitress was clearly new and didn't know how to handle large party. At one point staff (manager?) came to refill water and informed us of difficulties of hiring staff. Long wait at every point of the ordering/ delivery process. Difficulties included asking for a wine list and ultimately having to view the menu off of the servers phone. Finding out after several people had ordered that they only offered a limited menu because of our large group (10). Group ordered drinks and after prolonged delay we ultimately went to the bar and grabbed the drinks and delivered to the tables ourselves. 1 person received the wrong entree entirely and accepted the dish because we just wanted to move on. Other sides arrived only after having to remind service of the order and receiving the side after the meal was consumed. No bread service to the table until we asked another server for assistance, probably wouldn't have occurred otherwise. Lack of drink orders were limited to lack of service. Went to a high scale restaurant looking for high scale service, never more than 30 people in the restaurant. Despite the staff apologies throughout the dinner management was unhelpful in remedying issues offering unwanted free dessert (lol). Because of complaining of the poor service, management wouldn't allow us into the casino because they decided they overserved us and disliked our complaints. Never again. Will go to the Q next time. They continue to improve facilities and offerings. read more

Came here for a romantic dinner with my valentine. We were seated at a cozy booth next to the fire. Our server was so incredibly friendly and was helpful on foods to order on the menu. I also mentioned to her that I was hoping to get a glass of Prosecco, but that I didn't see any champagne offered by the glass on their menu. She went out of her way to ask the bar if it was possible to pour me a glass. I started with a lobster bisque. It was a beautiful color and had some nice spice to it. I will say though that while it was tasty, I didn't get a lot of lobster flavor from it. It tasted more like a chowder than a bisque, but it was still very delicious. For my main entree, I got the Thai pasta that came with shrimp and scallops. The scallops were cooked perfectly and just melted in my mouth. Next time, I think I'll get the scallops entree because two scallops wasn't enough! The pasta was a very generous portion. After eating up all the shrimp scallops, I had to box up the rest for later. Now I will be the first to admit that I'm terrible about eating leftovers. I have about a 25% success rate of eating anything that I've brought home from a restaurant. But this pasta was still calling my name the next morning at home. It may have been the slight hangover from all the cocktails the evening before, but I was ready for round two. A quick reheat and a squeeze of fresh lime juice brought this Thai pasta right back to life. This is a great restaurant for a special occasion or work dinner. I will be bringing my parents here when they come to visit. read more

See all

We have always had great service from the staff. But the last two times the steak was very bland (maybe they assume everyone wants to add toppings to the steak). Also the avacado egg rolls were over cooked and greasy last time. To be fair they are normally amazing. I would say the chop salad is good, but for a steak house the steaks have be lack-luster the past 2 times. read more

Recently dined at Woodfire Grill. Atmosphere is is relaxed and elegant. Fireplace at many tables. Service was quick and excellent. Drink menu was varied and very good. Appetizers and entrees are excellent, with many tasty choices. Manager came to every table and thanked us for dining there. Prices are a bit steep, but food and service did not disappoint. Excellent choice for a special evening. read more

Great service and amazing food! We arrived early for our reservation and they seated us with no issue. Highly recommend! The crab cakes were so delicious and I would even say the best I have ever had. My steak was cooked perfectly and was exquisite. My friend had the beef stroganoff which just melted in your mouth. Loved the whole experience! read more

It's so great to be able to enjoy such a great dinner, great atmosphere and excellent service. Sadie was our waitress and was top notch and secured 5 stars for our evening. read more

Woodfire Grille - Salmon - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

See all

I recently made my third visit to the Woodfire and enjoyed the food and service. Service // Upon arrival I was greeted by the host (Jessica - I think) and lead to a table. My waitress (Courtney) arrived shortly thereafter and took my drink order and she even recommended drinks based on my picky tastes (they have a large wine selection, so there is something for everyone). Throughout the meal she checked in on me and made sure I had everything thing I needed. Excellent service! Appetizer // At the recommendation of my waitress, I got the avocado rolls and they were delicious! The dipping sauce was fantastic and added a bit of zing to them. Highly recommend these! Entree // I ordered the New York Strip and it was cooked really well. It came with a small garnish-size side of asparagus and cherry tomatoes. This is my favorite entree on the menu. Sides // The loaded baked potato is worth a visit alone!! The thing is MASSIVE and so freakin tasty! Dessert // This time around I had the creme brûlée and it was toasted to perfection. The custard had a nice creamy texture and the flavor was rich. The fresh strawberry garnish added the perfect touch to finish off the dish. read more

Woodfire Grille - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

See all

First time diner. Went with a friend. Late evening dining . Had crab cakes and sauteed spinach with Parmesan. The crab was tasty and had plenty of crab served with a creamy mousse "sauce." My friend had the beef and bleu ( beef tips). Thinking she wasn't that hungry, her plate was clean. Had an old fashioned to take the chill out of bones. Was able to take the drinks with us including into the theatre. Ambiance soft and relaxing with the fireplaces glowing. read more

Wonderful Atmosphere & the FOOD!! AMAZING, but our favorite waitstaff isn't there any more:(... but it's beautiful & Cozy( not small) but cozy vibe! The food is AMAZING! Top 5 in the area!! read more

It's been a few years since we visited Woodfire. We used to go several times a year but have not been since Covid. We were very disappointed in our recent visit. The salads were mediocre at best. The salmon was fishy and the rib eye was gristly. I will say the service was wonderful. Our server was extremely attentive. Probably won't be back. read more

We were one of the latest reservations over the weekend and we were greeted and treated like the first customers of the night! Our server was amazing and gave us he recommendations of the food which we took! The crab cakes were divine and the prime rib was to die for!!! Raspberry martini and old fashioned were also delicious! Can't wait to come again! read more

There's no reason to go here. I've been here multiple times and this last experience was by far the worst. The service sucked and our waitstaff could not be any more shitty. I understand that they had a another party going on but why did that become my problem?!?!?!? We got treated like absolute ass. My customer, who is a huge drinker, was not asked if he wanted another drink for the 45 minutes that we sat here. Let alone myself!! Anyone that's reading this knows that I like a cocktail or 20, but I digress. Not only that but a steak joint that does not know what steak au povire is, is fucking ridiculous!! IT'S a cream based peppercorn sauce!!! If they don't know that...they don't know shit!!!! Wanna spend a bunch of money, go here....wanna get a great steak, the way you want it, go somewhere else. I have given these guys enough money, save yours!!! read more

Service was excellent, sadly the food was not. We weren't aware that the wild mushrooms in the saffron risotto were soaked in balsamic vinegar, which made them taste like vinegar sponges. The risotto was greasy and overcooked, when we asked for it remade without the mushrooms, the new risotto was missing half of the components of the dish and instead of greasy, this one was watery and tasteless. Only giving 2 stars because our waitress was great. Such a shame. read more

Great choice for dinner. We had a total of ten people at our table and the server did an excellent job! Our appetizers and entrees were prepared well and were absolutely delicious. I recommend the Wedge salad and the bacon wrapped shrimp over pasta. The dim lighting and fire accents throughout the restaurant make this perfect for a romantic evening with someone special. read more

Woodfire Grille - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

Went on a Saturday night and had a reservation. We were taken to our booth right away and the server greeted us promptly. We split the Bacon Wrapped Shrimp app which was great as usual. There were 3 shrimp total with some sauce drizzled and a few greens. I believe on my previous visits I got 4 shrimp but oh well. The beer I ordered was called Imper Ale Triplo Malto, imported from Italy and very hard to find in the States. It was $18 for 500ml but f*cking delicious! Dad and I both had the King Filet and a lobster tail. They cook the steak absolutely perfect. Im not sure how they get it so tender but it was like cutting through butter. I ordered mine medium rare but it was more like rare. The grilled asparagus on steroids that accompany the steak were tasty and had a nice char. When I got to my lobster I realized it was totally unnecessary because I was full but I ate it anyway. The lobster was medium-sized and nothing extraordinary. Also they serve bread rolls and a tomato jam and whipped butter with your meal which adds to the fullness. Negatives: We had multiple dirty utensils :((( they were out of a couple of beers I wanted :( and my steak was just barely undercooked Overall the experience was very good again. The ambience is tops in Dubuque, the service impeccable, and the food awesome! Yes, it was moderately expensive ($160) and we had a casino comp but I would definitely pay to eat here again. 4.5/5 read more

See all

Visited a year ago everything was perfect, delicious. Couldn't wait to return. Returned 8-14-19. Ribeye was tough, asparagus,stringy to the tip. Lamb was good. Couldn't eat the ribeye. Waitress couldn't have cared less. They packed up my lamb, half of it.For the price, not worth a return for us. Something change in the past year? Too bad. Nice place. Forgot the waitress's name. She was not so capable to work in this pricey restaurant! read more

Woodfire Grille - Tough ribeye and stringy asparagus plus a waitress couldn't have cared less - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

Oh my! The chicken was blood red in the dish. Two people at our table ordered it the explanation as to why it was bleeding was worse than the dish itself. Please don't insult me saying wEll the vein in the thigh causes it to bleed. I am 62 years old, I have ordered chiccken numerous times and cooked chicken many times. A meat thermometer may come in handy there. I have dined at Wood Fire before and it was good. Tonight changed my mind forever. Disgusting and it toook I over an hour by the way. read more

In late May I had occasion to dine at the Woodfire Grille. The interior ambiance (small, enclosed gas fires throughout) was wonderful. The meals were high quality, and my filet was cooked to perfection. I would like to especially praise the wait-staff. Although the restaurant has no children's menu (it is casino-adjacent, after all) our waitress did a fine job anticipating the menu item most likely to be acceptable to my four year-old (truffle fries minus the truffle oil). We all enjoyed our meals and would definitely dine there again if we visit Dubuque in the future. read more

We came to Woodfire for Valentines Day supper. Service was super, though definitely strong on the upsale. We did opt for the extra lobster tail to share. Typically, When eating a whole lobster, I save the tail for last because I feel it has less flavor and is generally tougher/dryer than the rest of the meat. This lobster tail was amazing, so sweet and tender. Hubby had his usual ribeye with the extra large bone. He enjoyed the coffee and peppercorn rub. I enjoyed the Sea Bass with the Chipotle Cream sauce. They really know exactly how to cook their fish and seafood! It was melt in your mouth delicious. read more

Food was fantastic....best steak in town! Had a great server (Lisa)..,she made the night super fun. Had a great wine list and appetizers.

Woodfire is not the place for a group of individuals looking to celebrate an occasion then ask for separate checks. 14 of my friends and I drank and dined to celebrate our friend's birthday. The reservation was made 3 weeks ago. I was told we would have a limited menu, which is the same way it has been when we celebrated many of the others' birthdays as a group. I requested that the birthday person's name be printed on the top of the menus, as has been done many times. The host with whom I spoke said that would be fine and would be emailed to me. It wasn't. I checked back to confirm. Received no confirmation. I got a call the day before from the manager. I confirmed and said I'd like a copy of the menu emailed. He sent the limited menu. I emailed back to request the name on top. No reply. I emailed again and requested separate checks. Some have dietary restrictions. Some are light eaters. Others like a salad and entree. All of these people are good customers and many are big gamblers. We order top shelf drinks and good wine. We also tip well. We have no problem paying our fair share. When we were seated, we received the regular menus because they forgot to put prices on the limited menus. When I asked why we could not receive separate checks, the answer was that it was too hard on the servers to keep track of who had what, placing the onus on the one who made the reservation. In the end they offered to run the total the bill, and divide evenly among multiple credit cards or cash, making the people who ate light subsidize those who ate heavier. Our group will not be going back. read more

First time there and it was awesome, large portions and be prepared to eat well. The food was superior and the service was excellent. Pricey but, way worth it!!! read more

This is my favorite in the Tri-States area. (Five stars regionally; four stars if comparing nationally.) The service is top-rate; the food is seasonal and very good, but they do have permanent dishes. Regardless of what you get, definitely order the chop salad as part of your meal. Their wine list is the best in the area - 600 different labels and usually a couple thousand bottles on hand. The female bartender (Kayla, if I remember correctly, and assuming she's still there) is a total sweetheart and will customize any drink for you and is always willing to experiment with new concoctions. If you go, ask for John as your server. They're all great service staff, but he's the best. Be sure to tip him well (at least 20%. Trust me - he's worth it.) The restaurant is part of the Diamond Jo casino, so you'll see jean shorts and t-shirts in this restaurant, which bugs me a little bit, but don't be put off by that. Enter from the Bell Street entrance so you don't have to walk to the restaurant through the casino floor cigarette smike cloud, which also requires an ID check and a hand stamp. read more

We had another wonderful dinner at the Woodfire Grille yesterday. We shared an appetizer of crab cakes (delicious), generously portioned chop salads, with one of us ordering the plank salmon while I ordered the filet Mignon. The salmon was described as melt in your mouth buttery and my filet was perfectly seasoned and cooked. Sadie was our attentive waitress and did an excellent job making sure that all of our needs were met. We were stuffed but ordered a dessert to bring home and share later. read more

To say this is the most elegant restaurant you've ever visited means you need to move beyond the Dubuque area. It is, however, about as nice as Dubuque gets. And that said, be prepared to pay for it. Dinner last night for four adults (with four adult beverages): $200. So at least according to my own eating budget, it's pretty pricey. But that said, it was a really good experience. The waitress was attentive but not overbearing. The decor was experience appropriate, and the food was really good. The Cute Girl and I started with the avocado spring rolls; very good. I had the ribs, which came with a cornbread muffin and some surprisingly good beans. Both were great, and the ribs really were cooked to perfection. Not too saucy, tender and tasty, and enough of them to where I was full (no room for dessert). In all, it was a really good experience, and I'll be happy to return in the future. read more

Great dining experience, but know that t will be pricey going in. Would certainly recommend. The chop salad here is a must, and try a few different wines, it's always fun to find something new. read more

The Sailor and I came here for my birthday on a Thursday winter evening. We requested a booth (we like the option to sit closer if the mood allows). The flames in the window panes added just the appropriate warmth factor that we needed from the blistering cold winds outside. The place was boppin' with a range of other couples and small groups. Drinks: Cab for me X 2 ($12.50 / glass), Merlot for him X 2 ($10.50 / glass). Very tasty as far as I can compare.(Which is little, I'm by no means a wine connoisseur.) Appetizer: Flat bread with mozzarella & prosciutto ham. $9 (We initially ordered the Avocado Spring Rolls, only to find out they were out at 6:30pm.) Next time, passing on the Flat Bread appetizer because they serve a large amount of 3 different breads at the table with butter and Amaretto infused butter. Delish breads. Sides: Wedge salad: Iceberg wedges, sun dried toms, bacon bits, homemade blue cheese dressing. The tangy dressing, salty bacon and sweet sun ripe toms made my mouth hum with "yummhmmmhmmm". Main Course: Sailor: Queen Cut Prime Rib with grilled asparagus ($28) and garlic mash potatoes ($5). He raved about the spiced crust/rim on the Prime Rib and said the grilled asparagus was standard. Garlic mashed Potatoes are strong with garlic which is precisely to his liking. Me: Braised Beef Stroganoff. ($26) The thick noodles, cream sauce and two (maybe three) different mushrooms is what made this dish for me. The beef was cooked well, but had too much marbleized fat in it than I tend to like. Desert: No room. Bill w/ tip: $122 for two. When it was all said and done, I would say we were both pleased with the evening and meal we had. Even with the prices being a little more (ok, a lot more) than our standard allowance. I hope to go back to try the Avocado Spring Rolls, gnaw on the crusty rustic bread and butter, and have another refreshing blue cheese salad. read more

My husband and I went here for a late Valentine's dinner last February and had a fantastic time -- so much that we ended up showing up again in April. :) The decor is great - modern for Dubuque, but warm and welcoming. The wait staff is WONDERFUL, and our waitress has a wonderful memory (she remembered us after only one visit!). The breads and butters starter is a great touch - small half loaves of different kinds of breads with a variety of compound butters. I don't even remember what all we had, except that we polished it off! The prime rib is freaking awesome -- perfectly cooked (and as someone who loves rare steak: Woodfire *nails* it perfectly!), and the grilled asparagus was wonderful. I had it both times with the horseradish sauce, delish! The first time, I had the lobster bisque (perfectly creamy, deliciously lobstery) as a starter and the mashed potatoes as a side (unfortunately, I savored my steak so much that it was cold). The second time, I had the crab cakes to start (crunchy and the sauces were a great complement) and the lobster mac n cheese as a side (simply delicious). The wine was great, and I was too full to even think about eating dessert. (But some day!) My husband is sampling the menu. I don't remember which meats he got, but his absolute favorite was actually his appetizer (the sirloin sticks, or something like that). We're planning on coming here again for our anniversary, if we're in town. :) read more

My co-worker and I started off, as per the waitress's recommendation, with the lump crab cakes and avocado rolls. Both were delicious. The avocado rolls were crispy on the outside, and delightfully smooth on the inside. The crab cakes tasted fresh and are one of the better crab cakes I have had. read more

I actually ordered Woodfire through one of the local delivery services (Who also did an excellent job). I was a little concerned how the food would be since it was delivery instead of dine in. I need not have worried, it was as excellent had I gone to the restaurant. I ordered their signature bone in steak with Asparagus. I don't like Asparagus, but I tried it anyway and was blown away. It was delicious! I also ordered Au Gratin Potatoes which were creamy and yummy and for desert, Creme Brulee which was also spot on. A 'little' pricey but worth it. There is enough food to have it all again tomorrow. Probably the best food in town in my oppinion. read more

My wife and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary and decided to make reservations at Woodfire Grille for our maiden voyage of the restaurant. First aesthetic impression was great! The decor was nicely done and a continued theme throughout the facility was taken into consideration. The booth we sat at was very nice and seemed "secluded" from the other people in the restaurant. We both ordered wine by the glass; my wife getting Pinot Noir and I getting Pinot Griggio and both were good. We are not winos, but both glasses had great flavor. We ordered the avocado spring rolls for an appetizer, my wife got french onion soup and I got the cobb salad before our meals. All these choices were great! Very good flavor and nicely presented. My wife ordered the filet mignon and I ordered the chipotle sea bass for our meals. I love seafood and this entree was done very well. Great taste and cooked just right. The filet was ordered medium, but was more medium-well to well done, which was a disappointment considering that we both assumed the filet would have been the best choice on the menu. The flavor of the steak was also just ok as well. The disappointment with the steak is the reason for 4 not 5 stars. All in all, I would try this place again, but only on special occasions due to the higher cost of the majority of menu items. Still a lovely evening. read more