Copper Kettle — Restaurant in Dubuque

I digested my disappointment and waited 3 weeks before writing this review to make sure it was not a rush decision out of the moment.

Copper Kettle is a nice place with great atmosphere that could really be something, however, this is Dubuque, Iowa and not San Francisco or New York City. My biggest issue is with the value of the meals: 1. The food is of okay and average quality; nothing to really complain about but also nothing to rave about. 2. Portions sizes are on the smaller end which is unfortunately not at all reflected by a lower price. 3. The prices are absolutely ridiculously high for the quality of the food and the size of the meals, though their July 2024 prices for beer on tap are very fair; no complaints on that end. Our group of 4 felt cheated out of our money. In retrospective I should not have given a tip, but that's on me. I am particularly disappointed because my wife asked the waitress if their Fish Tacos would be gluten-free (they usually are) before ordering. The waitress went back to the kitchen to double check (very professional) and we placed our orders after this confirmation. When the meals came, my wife received a plate with the content of a taco for $17.95 before taxes with the waitress informing her that the cook now suddenly decided that the tacos were not gluten free. While this can happen, I think that paying full price for what is only a fraction of a complete dish, is NOT okay. My wife would have been happy to order a different dish if the kitchen had determined that this dish contains gluten when they waitress first checked-in with them and BEFORE we ordered. Alternatively, a salad option or a larger portion should have been served to justify a full price. Her uncle got a peppered Ribeye which basically was a piece of meat without anything. Again, at the premium of $32.95 I expect more than a piece of meat. Sure beef is not cheap, but if we wanted just a piece of meat, we would hit the local Hy-Vee and grill food ourselves. The coleslaw that came with my fish & chips was literally two table spoons worth of slaw. Come on, salad in a farming area is not that expensive to source. We went later that week to L'Mays and Pepper Sprouts and had much better experiences at the same price point in both instances. This is really unfortunate, because the atmosphere and potential of Copper Kettle are absolutely great! You currently just do not get what you pay for, given that Dubuque is not a high-priced metro area in California or New York. There are definitely better dining options in town and we will have a hard time returning in the future. Maybe think of Copper Kettle as a really nice beer bar that also serves some bar-style food and you...

While the food was fairly good, I'd probably never go back 4 a variety of reasons. Their garlic mashed potatoes that my son got were extremely dry and tasteless. Very little garlic flavor at all. And they were SO INCREDIBLY STIFF AND DRY...U could actually either cut them with a knife and fork or simply BREAK OFF A CHUNK!! My son and I ordered Cokes with our meal. I asked for grenadine on the side so we both could control and adjust the amount 2 our individual tastes. We got a plastic kiddy water cup with MAYBE an ounce in it. We both used it...and used it up. We got seconds on our Cokes. Asked 4 more grenadine. I KID U NOT...WE GOT MAYBE A TABLESPOON!!! Just lackadaisical, preposterous and ridiculous. So I asked 4 more AGAIN, as we both wanted some. AGAIN, WE GOT A TABLESPOON AT BEST!!! SERIOUSLY?? Our bill was around $85 for 3 people...and U literally R being stingy with our request for GRENADINE?? If U R thst strapped for cash and supplies, just frigging CHARGE US 4 THE GRENADINE AND B DONE WITH IT!! I have absolutely no problem paying for grenadine. PATHETIC as all heck. Then the waitress suggested I try their Supper SPECIAL which was mushroom risotto with steak pieces. OK.. fair enough. It came with 5 pieces of small cut up mushrooms and 4 SMALL PIECES of steak. The steak was tender and the sauce yummy...but the steak was grisley and chewy. Not a good piece of steak at all. And the sauce...I got perhaps 2 tablespoons of sauce sparsley drizzled over my entire plate of risotto and steak. I got a side salad made with various types of lettuce on a plate. If it had been in a Salad bowl, it might have been easier to eat. Or if I had gotten a spoon perhaps. The pieces of lettuce were virtually impossible to eat unless you used your fingers to plop it on the fork or help scoop it on the fork. A very messy and embarrassing eating experience with the salad. Then they charged me $32 for the supper SPECIAL. This restaurant is EXTREMELY STINGY WITH THEIR SUPPLIES AND FOOD. Then turn around and charge you Galena prices for what little you get. Ummm...a total disappointing and failure of...

Stopped into the Copper Kettle based on the reviews and photos we saw on different online platforms. We passed through Dubuque on a Tuesday afternoon shortly after lunchtime. The place was not very busy during this time. So we were immediately greeted with smiles and then seated. Our waitress told us the specials for the day and got our drinks promptly. We took a look at the menu which had some impressive choices and decided right away. We felt the place had a very clean presence, nice atmosphere and cool ambience to it. Perfect choice for a stop we both felt. My wife and I both have a deep passion for food and the people behind the scenes that make these types of restaurants work smoothly. So we always look for places when traveling that Excell in food. Being a trained chef and owner of our own successful Restaurant for over 12 years now we fully understand what it takes. We are honest in our critiques. Regardless we would stop again anytime we are passing through town. So here are our honest opinions... Service A+ Restaurant A Cleanliness A Presentation A- Freshness A+ Prices A Food B- Salads were fresh and tasty. I ordered the Scallops and Risotto. Scallops were seared perfectly, nice color, fresh, and seasoned well. The Risotto was cooked correctly but needed some seasoning or a little more broth for some added richness. My wife ordered the Fish and Chips which looked the part. Nice batter, big chunks of fish. However it was under seasoned and under cooked. It needed another minute or two even in the fryer to get crispy. Or the oil turned up just a bit. It was very mushy and disappointing. Everyone had a bad day once in awhile. We were still impressed. We said nothing about this to our server because we did not want to make a scence or be those people. Best of luck and see ya next...