Just to be clear, I've only been here once and it was about a year ago for sunday brunch while in town visiting my family. I really hoped it would be great, as the interior is beautiful and definitely adds to the charm of the Hotel. Brunch is kind of a tough one for lots of restaurants, yer slammed, your staff is hungover, and people want their eggs and bacon! Well Caroline's was not what I had hoped for. My omelet arrived nice and browned on the outside. When I asked the waitress for a new one she was dumbfounded and couldn't understand what was wrong with it. Everyone else was somewhat fine with their food, but come on, you're working brunch, figure out how to make a proper ham and cheese omelot. And while you're at it maybe teach the front and back of house what a proper omelette is supposed to look like. As a side note I've pretty much given up on ordering eggs out for brunch and just make my own at home with clarified butter and top notch ham and cheese. But if you're in Dubuque, do yourself a favor and just go to Sunshine Family Restaurant or Dottie's Cafe. Good "greasy spoon" fare that doesn't disappoint. read more

Disappointing breakfast. I decided to try the biscuits and gravy (as recommended), and the gravy was so salty as to be almost inedible. I mentioned it to the server and he cleared my plate with half the meal still uneaten, but did not offer to compensate in any way. The décor is lovely, but too gloomy for breakfast. Kudos on getting OJ that tastes like fresh-squeezed, even if it wasn't. read more

Christmas Day, we waited for 45 minutes for a breakfast table with no results. We are staying at the attached hotel. Called at 8:50 am, no answer, left a message requesting a table at 9:45 am. Arrived at 9:35, no one got the message. We were told it would be a 15-20 minute wait. We left 45 min later. There were a couple empty tables, but we were told the kitchen couldn't handle the crowd. GET YOUR act together! Hire enough staff when you know you will be busy! Double time wages will get plenty staff in on Christmas. From a previous visit I know the food is good. But the service has always been slow. No service at all on Christmas Day is inexcusable. read more

I enjoyed the service and their club sandwich was to die for. And their fries were amazing. Service was quick and friendly.

Loved the Eggs Benedict. Beautiful restaurant & very clean. If we are ever back in the area we would love to stay at the hotel it's in.

We ate lunch here after a massage at the spa. The menu looked great and had lots of options. I had a grilled chicken sandwich and my friend had soup and salad. We waited over 45 minutes for our food. My chicken was incredibly dry and overcooked. Also, my meal came with housemade chips which had potential to be good but they seriously lacked seasoning. The waitress was practically nonexistent and rarely came back to check on us. We will not be back! read more

The Beef and Bleu fondue is excellent! Very tender steak bites skewered and served with a tasty bleu cheese dipping tray made an excellent appetizer. Jenn H was our server and she was great. Let us take our time, while being very helpful with suggestions and pairings. Nice beer selection and good wines. The only non-positive for me was that nearly every entree is served with asparagus. My least favorite green vegetable. But I have to say that they serve grilled asparagus and it was as good as it gets in my limited experience. I've been served ribeye steak from coast to coast and border to border and you cannot beat good Eastern Iowa beef. Exceptional quality, well marbled and grilled to my specification. 5 stars would go back. read more

Loving the treatment I have received at Caroline's. Last night's lamb was fabulous. Excellent wine pairing. Not thrilled with chocolate creme brulee and I do prefer a crustier dipping bread, but I nitpick. Let's see what tonight brings. Special was prime, but I chose the NY. Tasty, done to my liking. Peach and goat cheese flatbread....meh. And garnish.... Gordon would have sent plate back. But... steak was well seasoned, service excellent and I will definitely come back to Caroline's to visit Fiona, Rachel and Dallas. Thank you. read more

We were there this morning. Waited about half an hour for a table. Had to tell the hostess that there were 4 people ahead of us when they tried to seat us. After that we watched as tables were cleared and cleaned, some tables cleaned multiple times. Even though we were next to be seated, no one even acknowledged us. After about 15 minutes of standing there watching the staff clean off tables, we left. Will never ever step foot in that place again. read more

We stayed at the hotel and tried the breakfast buffet in the morning. It was way over priced for what you got. The food was very bland and tasteless and they didn't even offer waffles, pancakes or French toast on the buffet for $12. From the moment we sat down we got a front row seat to the restaurant manager lady bitching and yelling loudly at the waitress staff to the point our waitress came over in tears trying to serve us. I was very disappointed in our experience here and won't be back. read more

Located in the elegantly restored Hotel Julian, Caroline's is the go to place for a quiet business lunch in Dubuque. The locally sourced mac and cheese with chicken is a delicious entree, in that it is not too large and perfect for a cold day. Caroline's is also open for a buffet Sunday brunch, but I prefer the taste and quality of the freshly cooked menu items, such as the french toast and the french dip sandwich. read more

I would have in past always Given it a 5 star. It's a nice treat for my daughter and I and the food is by far delicious. Food is five starts!!! Was favorite when coming to Dubuque. The thing is, when we go to a nice restaurant we expect the staff to be amazing. And usually it's over and beyond. Last night we order the spinach artichoke dip with pita chips. Amazing!!! For meal we order the seafood capellini and ribeye with potatoes. Again amazing. Then my daughter got the powdered chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream. Here is the problem. We came in ( it was not busy) we were told we would be seated as there was one party of 6 ahead of us by hostess. So we waited. And waited. Finally I said,let's get you a Shirley temple and myself a mixed drink until they decide to seat us. (Still confused as why we are not being seated) Finally I got back up. Went to hostess station and asked again when someone was finally going came over and seat us. We then are seated. Our waitress seemed irritable. When bringing our bread she asked if we wanted House oil with cracked pepper. She got upset and rolled eyes as the cracked pepper was moved from her station. We ordered. ( never asked if we would like something else aside from our old bar drink to have. No wine list to compliment my meal. Nothing. So we figured water it was. We had to ask for a refill. And she mentioned how they get in trouble if glasses aren't constantly over half full. ( why share that with paying guests?) when food came I told her my daughter would also like the dessert menu. She did bring it over but never asked to see what she wanted. Instead she started clearing our plates and we were not done. I told her we were not done and just wanted to order dessert so it would be ready when we were done. She then walked away and left ( with our bread and oil on tray next to us, and my daughters meal. She walked away with tray to pack our food that we were not down with next to table. we grabbed it again to finish eating. Finally I had to track down a bus boy to get our waitress so we could order my daughter dessert. Instead of her checking??? In the past we have been treated with so much respect. This round. We had to ask for everything. There was no "enjoy your meal" I was half done with steak by the time she finally brought my A-1 out that I asked for. The hostess usually comes and asked about our meals and is very friendly. She was there but never came out. . And was given check by waitress and no thank you. When bringing check back for me to sign. Never said thank you ladies. Never said hope you enjoyed your meal. Never said have a good night. Even while leaving no one wished us a good night. Very disappointed this round on service. Next time in town I feel it's time to do some research on another fine dining. We treat eating out as a treat and experience it with the way the food served and payed out. It is a art. This time was no treat, just out 70.00. This is after 20.00 voucher and free dessert from staying at hotel. Prior would have been well over 100 for 2 people. When paying that kind of money, you would expect better service from waitress. We saw our old waiter and was so jealous of the others who he was serving with class and professionalism. This waitress we had showed no personality and didn't care about making customers first. Maybe she was having a bad day however, we paid for it at our expense. read more

Neither Rick nor I would be caught dead in a restauraunt tonight, so last night we went to Caroline's in Dubuque at Hotel Julien. It was sooo good, and both of us even ate BREAD--- with garlic and rosemary infused olive oil. So worth it! Our shrimp cocktail appetizer was super high quality-- the shrimp were jumbo, plump and juicy and the cocktail sauce had a little chili sauce in it--- very unique and really good. Their white bean chicken chili is our all time favorite-- but do you think they give out the recipe? Of course not. I keep trying to figure it out, but I'm missing something. I had a rib eye-- huge and cooked perfectly. Rick had chicken cordon bleu with creamy mustard dill sauce which was also fantastic---I even stole a little and dipped my steak in it. The flourless chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream was outstanding. I was so full I only had 2 bites, but they were heaven. The service was professional and personal--we enjoyed the waiter very much. Heck, I'd order that same meal all over again, even tho it was $92-- PRE tip. read more

Short ribs are amazing. Very tender with nice sweetness. My wife had flank steak. Very tender and delicious. Big portions.

We should have left when there were no prices on the menu . Where ever I eat breakfast at , I have a ham and cheese omelet . It was one of the worst I have ever had . 1/4" of egg cooked in a pan with about 4 pieces of Oscar Myer ham and some cheese tossed at it and folded over .It had almost no flavor . Where was the fluff and the thin folded egg loaded with ham and cheese at ? The wife had some kind of French toast banana bread . She and I both pushed our plates away without eating ever 1/4th of it . I asked for a check and was asked if the food was ok . I told her no and she offered to have it remade . Who in their right mind would ask to have bad food replaced . We were not offered any discount . Only a sorry from the waitress . By the time we were out of there we were down 30.00 and were mad and still hungry .. God awful food is what I told the waitress . read more

Came for breakfast with family and our waitress was Angel. She was phenomenal!! Nicest , yet efficient waitress and while the food was great, she made our experience even better. read more

This was a really nice surprise! Excellent selection and very reasonable prices. Absolutely try the white bean chili, it is amazing. Pork chop was good and the salad with fruit was not only pretty but tasted great. We also ate there for breakfast. Try the potato wedges but ask for them crispy. The panini was a bit disappointing and the coffee service a little slow but we were pushing the limit on closing time. If you are in a big hurry sit at the bar. Definitely worth a second visit when we are back this way. read more

When my friends invited me to eat at Caroline's I was skeptical, but I was completely blown away! The atmosphere was beautiful and I loved the mood lighting. Special shoutout to Will for being a 10/10 waiter in every way. Also the dessert is delicious, could eat flourless cake every meal for the rest of my life. Definitely made my night! read more

Why bother making reservations when even two wéeks out you get the table just inside the door. Shitty seats. Hostess could give a shit less. Strike 1&2. Find a place with better service. Good waitress but shitty hostess and seats just inside the door when tons of open tables. Take your money down the street to the fireside or to Vinny's Italian. On the positive side the food was excellent but hostess was a D- read more

They said "oh, we get a lot of vegans here". A few minutes later the waitress came out and said "the chef can't think of anything to make for you". I was quite unimpressed as I had to describe how to grill some veggies and put them over rice. And it didn't taste all that good after all that. read more

My sister and I went looking for a breakfast place in Dubuque while in town for a wedding. I saw this while we were driving and it was a great stop! The service was a bit slow, but overall it surprised me. I got an Iowa breakfast which was eggs (I had mine scrambled, looked more like an omelette), 2 slices of toast, bacon and hash browns, all for $8. We opted not to go for the buffet, and I wouldn't recommend it. At $10 per person, its not as good of a meal when compared to their menu options. It was super affordable and absolutely delicious! read more

I've had lunch here at Caroline's just a couple of times on a weekday. It's a very comfortable and open space, as i find is often the case with hotel restaurants. I am a fan of these in general and I like to hang out in hotel lobbies, too. (Chicago was a great place for lobby hangs.) Anyway, I will reiterate what you already know from others, that white chili is a real treat. Smoky and spicy like Chipotle or maybe a Buffalo spice addition? Do order the bread sticks with as they are parmesan good too. So you could have a nice lunch with chili, bread sticks and drink for around $10.00. A bigger lunch will run you closer to $15-20.00. Still a good value and with decent food and service. read more

We stayed at the hotel and was a bit reluctant to try the restaurant as I'm not a big fan of hotel restaurants, however it was too cold to walk to some of the other restaurants in the area with better reviews. I'm glad I took the chance and tried Caroline's, my family and I enjoyed the friendly attentiveness of the staff, we were a group of six and we kept our server on her toes. We all enjoyed are meals, I ordered the filet which was perfect. We shared three different desserts which were delicious. I'm not sure why they don't have more stars but we'll definitely return! read more

Amazing food and atmosphere! The staff are great. Fiona is so sweet and made the meals I had there special! Must go if you are in town!

Based on the choices within walking distance of the Five Flags center, Caroline's is a 4 star! Lots of good wine choices, we had a group of 8 who all enjoyed their meals. Artichoke appetizer was a favorite at the table, salads were fresh and nor just ice berg lettuce, both tutors of potatoes were yummy, & the steaks were tender and cooked just right, there was even an option for the vegan in the group. read more

This review is for their breakfast buffet. Mediocre selection, just one step above the "free breakfast" offered by major hotel chains. $12/head. Mediocre service, have to ask for coffee refills, 35 min wait to get table, definitely not worth it. read more

Arrived early for 7pm Fri night reservation. Place was almost empty. Comfortable setting. Good wine offerings & chose a somewhat expensive Napa blend. Wait person Ashley was both attentive and friendly and recommended stuffed mushroom caps which we enjoyed. Warm bread with infused olive oil was well presented. Salmon special with rice and vegetables was tasty, not over cooked, and like most of the entrees offered, very reasonably priced. Coffee was freshly brewed and good. Strawberry shortcake dessert rounded out the meal. The hostess - Fiona was also attentive, warn and friendly. Before we knew it we were there 2 1/2 hours and enjoyed the experience immensely. We will be back. read more

What passes for fine dining in Dubuque is considered a form of torture in other countries. This is one of the worst restaurants on the planet. The wait staff is not only indifferent to your pleas for food and water, they are combative as well. I have NEVER seen more hostile wait staff in my life and I have lived and travelled around the world. They need to all be fired and new ones brought in to understand that is it NEVER acceptable to disagree with a patron, nor state that they are wrong. This is the whole premise behind service and the dining experience. read more

Our first experience here was for my birthday. The restaurant I originally wanted to try was closed and so I went back to reading what was available in the area. I am so glad we were able to experience this place as our time spent was perfect in just about every way! The host was very pleasant as was our server, Dawn. Cocktails were good, not too weak nor too strong. Our salad greens were fresh and crisp and we both liked the dressings offered. Our meals, rosemary chicken and for me a tenderloin were done as requested, flavorful, juicy and I wanted my plate to never empty (believe me, portions leave little room for dessert). My only desire would be for butter on the table as I am just not a convert to the oil on my bread-especially bread that was excellent all by itself. Would we recommend this place- Yes! Are we looking forward to going back and taking friends with us- Yes! read more

Our first time staying in Dubuque and at the Hotel Julien. Dinner at Caroline's was such a great experience. Great dinner, drinks, dessert and coffee. One of the best steaks I've ever had, cappuccino was a treat, and the service was stellar. We look forward to visiting again soon. read more

Good food and many options, both sweet and healthy options. 4 stars because I got scrambled eggs and I wouldn't consider them scrambled.

Enjoyed a lovely brunch with my extended family today! We were in a side room all to ourselves for our party of 15. Our waitress was great! The brunch buffet offered a variety that met the needs of all (Vegetarian and Keto). We did not feel rushed and were able to enjoy each other's company. Thank you for being part of a special day with our family. read more

The food was very good. The service was good. The atmosphere left a little to be desired to me, although I'm sure it's just a matter of personal taste. I didn't like having to confirm my reservation on Yelp. read more

We always have a great breakfast here! No wait, fast friendly service and the quantity of food for the price is a good deal. Plus it's a lot quieter than usual breakfast places. Past dinner experiences have been great as well! read more

Stayed at the Hotel Julien, so we had breakfast at Caroline's as well as some drinks at the bar. Staff was friendly, food was great, beer selection was surprisingly awesome. We'll be back if we're ever in the area. read more

Daughter got the rib-eye with ancho (supposed to be on the side but came on), wife a club (loved it) and I had the seafood mac n cheese. All was pretty good, service was prompt but there weren't many people being served. Nice place, good food but will say it was the most expensive mac n cheese I have ever had. read more

The restaurant is hotel-quality in decor, the servers are young but friendly, the menu is very straightforward, and my breakfast croissant with egg, cheese, and sausage was quite big on size and average on taste. Not an "elevated" establishment, but perfectly satisfactory. read more

Terrible service, never saw our waitress after the meal was served. Had to ask another passing employee for an item, had to wait about 15 minutes for it. They were not busy by any means. Will not be coming back read more

Food was delicious, service was extremely slow. Many apologies were given along with free deserts, but dinner with friends was spoiled by the service. Appeared to be short on help. read more

Ate breakfast here when staying at Hotel Julien. Food is very good - just make sure you bring a good appetite with you! The portions are very big. I tried the banana bread french toast - two very thick large slices of bread! The bananas that are served with the french toast are good, but skimpy portion - you might have a 1/4 of a banana on top. My partner had the eggs, hash browns, etc & he said it was as if he had 4 eggs instead of two. Neither one of us were able to finish meal. Would be nice if given option of one or two slices on the french toast. Service was attentive. Think I'd find a local breakfast diner option instead of eating here next time. read more