Highest-rated fine dining restaurants in the Dubuque area by diners

Written by:
August 28, 2024
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Highest-rated fine dining restaurants in the Dubuque area by diners

Fine dining in the United States isn't what it used to be. Many customers are no longer interested in classic white tablecloths and 16-ounce New York strips; these days, it's all about cutting-edge culinary experiences.

Although steakhouses have defined fine dining in America since the 19th century, that started to change in the mid-1990s. Elite chefs like Thomas Keller and his three-Michelin-starred restaurant, French Laundry, unearthed a whole different kind of tasting experience (with 40 courses), and a new age of fine dining was born. Soon, prix fixe meals—a French style of serving with a set menu—became the norm for fine dining in the U.S.

Between the rise of chefs' tasting menus and consumers' continued desire to have diverse culinary experiences, the restaurants that grace the pages of top-tier restaurant reviewers like Zagat or the Michelin Guide look very different today than they did 30 years ago. Restaurant goers aren't just looking for high-quality food. They want the type of menu that will tell a story. They want creative ingredients they've never tried before. They want to be transported into a whole new world.

With so many innovative menus and restaurant experiences popping up across America, it can be challenging to choose where to go for a special evening. Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated fine dining restaurants in the Dubuque area using data from Yelp. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself.

Only businesses with at least five reviews and at least level 2 pricing (i.e., $$ to $$$$) were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with five or more locations nationally (based on Yelp data) were not included. Restaurants in certain lower-cost categories (like "diners," "buffets," and "food trucks") were excluded. Data is as of June 25, 2025.

Read on to find a potential restaurant for your next special meal out!

#6. Caroline's Restaurant

- Rating: 3.3/5 (141 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 200 Main St. Dubuque, Iowa
- Categories: New American, Salad, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

#5. Woodfire Grille

- Rating: 3.9/5 (73 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 301 Bell St. Dubuque, Iowa
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Wine Bars, American
- Read more on Yelp

#4. Copper Kettle

- Rating: 4.1/5 (461 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2987 Jackson St. Dubuque, Iowa
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#3. Pepper Sprout Midwest Cusine

- Rating: 4.2/5 (150 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 378 Main St. Dubuque, Iowa
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp

#2. L May Eatery

- Rating: 4.4/5 (397 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1072 Main St. Dubuque, Iowa
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Pizza, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

#1. Brazen Open Kitchen Bar

- Rating: 4.6/5 (422 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 955 Washington St. Ste 101 Dubuque, Iowa
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 319 metros.

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