Copper Kettle

Great food and service. We love their truffle fries, and appreciate their gluten free and vegetarian options.

Eating out when you have a food allergy is always a challenge, so when we found the Copper Kettle’s menu online we decided to check it out on our recent trip to the area. What a pleasant surprise to find so many gluten free options clearly marked on the menu, including a delicious gluten free salted caramel cheesecake for dessert!

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 will be fine.