Breitbach’s Country Dining Menu

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  • Derrick T.

    After watching the movie "Spinning Plates", how could I not want to come here and check out the restaurant that has survived two fires, been rebuilt by the town that loves them, and that serves food all made from scratch?! Got here on a Thursday early dinner and excitedly opted for the buffet with my wife. Thursday's are their "German" style days, and boy was it delicious... Some standouts: Fried chicken: Seriously good stuff. My wife circled the fried chicken pan like a hawk waiting for the new batch to come out.. because people kept emptying it like there was an upcoming fried chicken shortage! Needless to say, we got our share... Smothered Pork: Oh man.. this was by far the best thing on the buffet line. Pork so tender, gravy so good... I think I had about two pieces per plate, and four plates of food. Phenomenal. Pickled veggies: I have no idea how they get the beets to be perfectly rounded and so small every time. All their pickled veggies were pretty damn good. Pineapple mousse: An excellent, "light" final bite that's part of the buffet! Nice to include some version of dessert! Raspberry Pie (not on buffet): Easily one of the best fruit pies I've ever hadi n my life. My wife doesn't like raspberries, and she was itching to eat more of this! Some not as good: Mashed potatoes: Personal preference here... I like my mashed potatoes a bit chunky... this were nearly as smooth as silk. If you're a smooth potato fan, perfect! If not, save your stomach for other amazing buffet options. Amazing service, from scratch delicious food, you can't go wrong here! This will definitely become a regular spot for us!

    (4)
  • Brian K.

    We have been coming here since the original building was standing. It is not gourmet but if you want the best comfort food around, here it is! It's like going to Mom's for dinner. The soups rate as the best ever. The chicken is incredible. Anytime we find ourselves in this area, we eat here!

    (5)
  • Gonzalo D.

    The warm greetings and inviting atmosphere makes Breitbach's a welcome change from City restaurants. On top of the friendliness, the good food and bakery items are attractions! Definitely worth the trip. (just avoid during bad winter storms. The hills can get your car in trouble) Also, if you can track down the film/documentary "Spinning Plates" please view ahead of visit. Gives you a wonderful insight into the family who has run the "oldest restaurant in Iowa" and the obstacles they faced.

    (5)
  • Sam M.

    An oldie but a goodie. Breitbach's is located just 10 miles or so out of Dubuque. The drive is scenic and worth the trip all by itself. Next door is a marvelous overlook. This place is huge. You could feed an army here. The army was just beginning to muster when we entered. They have a nice buffet with fried chicken, roast pork, and fried shrimp as the features. Don't miss the fridge pickles, they are so good. The food overall is good solid country fare. Bring your appetite. I missed it, but they actually have Potosi Ale on tap. Next time.

    (4)
  • John W.

    This place is a must for us when in this area. A real treat. Great food, friendly service, great decor. Beautiful scenic overlook nearby.

    (5)
  • Bradford H.

    I'm glad to see my Yelp buddy gave them a good review as well... (Thanks for the review Ed!) I dined here while passing through on a van trek in search of good food and fishing fun. What a wonderful place! The lady who assisted me, Lynn, was super friendly. The food was outstanding with some of the best fried chicken and fried cod I can remember. "Homemade with love" came to mind when I savored their fare. I won't rehash the food choices on the buffet (just look at the detailed review by Ed F.) The creamy chicken soup featured today was yummy. I liked the salad bar as well. Pickled beets.. YUM! The decor is gorgeous. I am going to put some photos on my personal blog. The interior is tastefully decorated... heck, you need to see it. Breitbach's had the most beautiful Christmas displays I have ever seen. It's a class act. For outstanding midwest food, friendly service, and a comfortable dining experience, this is a "must visit" place. Take the Great River Road and enjoy some classic, timeless country dining.

    (5)
  • Steve T.

    If you're into pork tenderloin sandwiches...this is the place for you. Stopped by while out on the bike, the views of the Mississippi River in this area are amazing. Anyway, back to the tenderloin...deep-fried goodness in a batter that is very light and crispy...the best ever! Burgers delicious, too; the place is a landmark...you gotta go if you're anywhere near the area...simple as that.

    (5)
  • Rory D.

    When we arrived we were offered to wait 10min or immediate seating downstair. We took the poor option and sat downstairs. We were told the buffets were the same but the salad bar was smaller and i had to walk upstairs to det my dressing of choice. i read on other reviews that they missed on desert, and so did we, we were done with supper at 5:30_kind of early to run out of desert. I had the prime rib, which looked better than it tasted, but overall was ok. My wife had the buffet- and I am glad I didn't_ looked similar to bonanza. They also are not set for kids very well, they dont have any activities or even a kids menu. The view on the overlook was by far the highlight; breathtaking!

    (2)
  • Ed F.

    Breitbach's is back. We just dined here on Sunday with some guests from Panama. The buffet started with homemade creamy vegetable soup. Then to the well-stocked salad bar - I hadn't had braunschweiger in years. The main course included baked ham, roast beef, fried shrimp, mash potatoes and gravy (yum!), corn, hush puppies and their famous fried chicken. All for just $12.95 including dessert. Mike Breitbach came out and thanked everyone for coming. He made some mention about re-opening and told a story about a speech by Gen. Patton that his father heard while serving in WWII. He said, "Never, never, never give up!" And Mike said he won't ether. Thank God for his persistence, any normal person would've given up by now.

    (5)
  • Merrill N.

    I think we just had the salad bar. Or maybe it was the "buffet" ... ? Either way, I know my Austrian lady friend and I enjoyed a great-tasting meal here after enjoying the nearby view of the Mississippi valley. We found that the salad bar/buffet far exceeded "pedestrian." Don't like my lack of details? Du bist ein Dummkopf.

    (5)
  • Naoko M.

    This is just one awesome restaurant :) As you know, this is the oldest restaurant in iowa... Has been burnt down. Okay besides all the well know facts, the place serves good food and the interior decor is well done :) if you like Midwest style, you will like this place a lot!

    (4)
  • Amy P.

    This is a beautiful restaurant, and far bigger inside than I thought as we pulled up. Its perched on a bluff in a very small town.. and I believe I heard about this when reading an article about driving trips in the fall. When we found ourselves here at 5pm we thought we just had to try it. Walking in the first thing that struck me was it feels very warm and inviting. Beautiful woodwor and antiques - and very clean! Staff was friendly and seated us right away. There was quite a list of sandwiches on the menu but I wasn't in the mood for that. I opted for the buffet... it seemed like it had simple basics that looked good. Warning though: it was basically all friend food. The fried chicken caught my eye & it was good! They also had fried cod and shrimp, corn & potatoes (not sure if they were real or not, but they were decent). There is also a salad bar that comes with the buffet and also your regular entrees. Its ok. More what I would consider old-school salad bar with very basics for a green salad, and a lot of cream type salads. Did try the pie - Im a true believer that you always have to partake in pie at places like this. I had to choose something that could stand a warm car for a bit since I took it to go... so I went with walnut (its basically pecan, change the nuts). It was good..I enjoyed the crust quiet a bit!. Overall I just loved the atmosphere here... and the food was pretty decent. If we went back, i'd probably just get the fried chicken entree rather than buffet since I didn't enjoy a lot of the other items enough to justify buffet eating.

    (4)
  • Laurence K.

    Spinning plates has nothing on this place Really really good home cooked food . From the salad bar to the best beef soup I've had in a long time!. The fried chicken strips was excellent and the onion rings were good too. It's good to see this place still going strong. Need to make another trip but try dinner instead of lunch Oh the pie!!!;) a must have

    (4)
  • Sarah S.

    Excellent service and food. Salad, soup, meat and dessert were very flavorful however stuffing and instant potatoes were blah. Beautiful decor and ambiance. Would recommend to friends. Wine tasting next door and polka music outside were fun.

    (4)
  • Rufus M.

    Get the pork tenderloin sandwich! Onion rings were great. Steaks were cooked as asked. Watch out with the add on mushrooms, we suspected they were canned. Also, we weren't thrilled that the gravy tasted so much like beef bullion. The salad bar was very minimal, and not a great side dish for the entrees.

    (3)
  • Sue F.

    I have lived in Dubuque for years but have never gone here. I ordered broasted chicken and mashed potatoes. The chicken had good flavor but the breast was small and very, very dry. The mashed potatoes were watery and certainly tasked like they were instant. That's just not "home cooking" if you ask me, and that is what they advertise. The only thing that got this place 2 stars from me was a decent salad bar.

    (2)
  • Jennifer K.

    I am absolutely NOT a fan of buffets....with a very rare exception! Bishop's at the mall in Dubuque (when it was good and prior to the nastiness of the kiddie buffet), back in the day....and Texas de Brazil in Chicago is about as buffet as I am ever willing to get.....and here I found myself at Breitbach's with my favorite woman in the world (my Auntie) on a Saturday in July. I was born in Dubuque at Finley Hospital and have kin in that area....and find myself on that side of the Mississippi several times each year. I am a HUGE fan of the supper club ideal.....and of the going to visit my Auntie ideal.... Spinning Plates is an amazing documentary that I truly enjoyed and that is what clued me onto Breitbach's. The morning of my visit to B's there was an impromptu run to Kennedy Mall, where we ran into one of my Auntie's choir buddies....not an uncommon occurrence. Choir Buddy was so excited to hear that we were heading out to Balltown, IA and asked if we had seen Spinning Plates.....yes, I had and no, Auntie had not. Choir buddy was extremely excited about the pie! Highly recommended it. Finding Breitbach's at the top of the hill, overlooking the Mississippi......it truly is a diamond in the "bluff". The view alone is remarkable. The small and quaint town will happen upon you so quickly and you will certainly miss it if you blink an eye.....and yet, there are Harley Motorcycles EVERYWHERE....coming and going. At one point I told Auntie that I would ride on the back of her Harley with her, just to come to this amazing place :) She does not actually have a Harley or would know what to do with one.....but I am a jokester. You can see the mist drifting off of the river many miles below and the miles and miles of beautiful farms and landscape are absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. And then you walk into Breitbach's front door......FIRST STOP.....the bathroom! No self respecting middle aged woman is going to say no to a potty. Well stocked, exceptionally clean, beautiful slate tiled floors (this is the oldest restaurant in Iowa???? )....and then we walked a maze looking for the front area or a hostess stand...I would say this is one of my only critiques We had no clue where we were going once we left the ladies room. We stumbled into a dining room area and we were immediately greeted and the table we were going to sit at was POINTED out to us. YOU'SE guys are going to sit over there in the middle. And so we did. :) The level of attention to service is bar none. At this point we were kind of star struck.....with the owner's children directing people and being so friendly and accommodating....we sat where we were told to sit and then opted for the buffet.....which had amazing vittles! The fried chicken was incredible....and I was born in Iowa but raised in Georgia, so I do feel that I am an expert witness.....and the homegrown pickled beets were second to none. This was not the buffet of your nightmares, people. Everything was so fresh and homemade and fluffy and crispy and delicious. This was my Grandma Frederick's kitchen, only on a large scale. Antiques here and there, the smell of coffee and chicken and love. I LOVED IT!!!! We had pie. We should not have had pie but we had pie....one raspberry, Momma Breitbach's specialty, and one slice of coconut pie. We should not have done that. SOOOO.....2 buffets, 2 homemade pies, 2 iced teas and the tally was $36. In true Jen and Linda fashion, we tipped very generously and fought over the tab......Mike greeted us and shook our hands and was so happy that we had heard about his place on Spinning Plates....no ego or pretension....AT ALL! Thank you for coming and I appreciate your business......We felt like we were at our Momma's house. Isn't that the point?

    (5)
  • Jeremy M.

    Stopped in on the bikes for a couple of beers. It was a very nice place with neat history. Very good service.

    (5)
  • Amanda B.

    Fret not, Breitbach fans. FYI: Breitbachs will be rebuilding yet again. They are hoping to reopen June 1st, 2009.

    (3)
  • Catherine D.

    The decor here is very nice. The food is standard mid western fare. My husband and I had lunch here one day and we each ordered the buffet. The vegetable tortellini soup was good. The salad bar was alright. I would have liked fresh cucumbers and red onion slices, but was at least pleased to find beets there. The entree choices were typical mid western food options...fried and more fried (fried fish; fried shrimp; fried chicken; fried chicken tenders). Canned corn and what tasted like instant mashed potatoes, but I managed to make a meal by removing the skin on the fried chicken. I've heard ravings about their pies, so we had a slice of their raspberry pie. It had a nice strong raspberry flavor, but the slice was on the small side. My favorite pies still remain at the Bluebird Cafe in Hopland, Ca.

    (2)
  • Paul D.

    We eat at Breitbach's once a year. The best aspects are the nice drive and beautiful views, the ambiance, and the friendliness of the staff and owners. The food is generally pretty average. Last time there I had the catfish; it was awful. Nothing but mush and bones. The buffet is okay but nothing special. Salad bar comes with soup, which is usually very good. Stick to steaks and burgers, and you won't be disappointed.

    (3)
  • Melinda B.

    I don't know why the original poster would give less than five stars. This place has been in the family for four generations. It was featured on the food channel on several shows. I had the best cherry pie of my life here, along with a rock solid all you can eat buffet of some of the best fried chicken I've ever had. If you are in the area, make an effort to check this place out. It's a piece of Americana, a gentle and sweet reminder of a simpler time. ....and I did I mention that the buffet was only $14.99?? This place is a steal. UPDATE 12/30, as poster below mentioned, the place burned to the ground. boo hoo. :(

    (5)
  • Michael W.

    Located about 15 minutes north of Dubuque, Breitbach's is Iowa's oldest bar and restaurant, founded in 1852. It's known for old-fashioned, down-home cooking, including steaks, prime rib, chicken and seafood. Everything is made from scratch and may remind you of your grandmother's cooking (at least, if you're lucky!) The restaurant is filled with antiques - kerosene lamps hang from the ceiling, quilts decorate the walls, and there's even supposed to be a horse blanket left at the tavern by a member of the outlaw James gang! The cozy, casual atmosphere is a perfect match for the comfort food. While you're there, be sure to spend some time at the outlook just north of the restaurant, which has a spectacular view of the Mississippi River valley.

    (4)
  • Dean K.

    Breitbach's Country Dining has been a local favorite for generations, even after suffering two disastrous fires in less than a year. I was lucky enough to eat here in the original building and came back again shortly after the second rebuilding to see how things have changed. The new interior still has a country decor albeit less rustic than originally. I ordered lunch from the menu instead of hitting the buffet. The fried chicken was moist and had good flavor without being too greasy. Dessert was a slice of English caramel walnut something-or-other pie that was dense and rich and amazing. Next time I might skip the meal and go right for the pie. I'm looking forward to going back and grazing at the buffet in the near future. And, as others have said, you should walk a block to the overlook for great views of the Mississippi Valley, even if it's not far enough to work off those calories you just consumed.

    (4)
  • Paul David W.

    We stopped here on the way home to Chicago hoping to get an authentic country experience. We found the buffet pretty pedestrian, with lots of fried food (fried chicken tenders, fried shrimp, fried bone-in fish, hush puppies) and salads that seemed premade, processed and canned. They were out of dessert, so we didn't get to experience the great desserts. The owner and family were around and very friendly. About 100 yards down the road is a don't-miss breathtaking view of the Mississippi River Valley complete with coin-operated telescope.

    (2)

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Opening Hours

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Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Has TV : Yes
    Waiter Service : Yes

Breitbach’s Country Dining

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