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    Paul's Tavern

    4.1 (87 reviews)
    InexpensiveBars, American
    Open 11:00 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)

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    PAUL'S TAVERN ATMOSPHERE

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    Ralphie S.

    After chatting with a Dubuque native at the top of Fenlon Elevator, he suggested that a visit to Paul's tavern was a must if I wanted a true Dubuque experience. Coincidentally it just so happened to be National Cheeseburger Day when I popped into Paul's just as they opened for the day. What can I say about Paul's? Old school, dive bar, authentic, taxidermy museum, friendly, inexpensive... I could continue with positive adjectives but I think you get the vibe and why this place gets an easy 5 star review. Cooking off a 1930's era grill that has been here since opening day in the 1940's the simple menu of cheeseburgers and ham and cheese sammys is all you need. For $4 this is unquestionably the best bargain of our five day road trip. A fat patty with some grilled onion and pickles and melted cheese along with a bag of chips (no fries - chips) is as American as it gets. Not only was it the perfect lil burger, there is so much eye candy to wander around and look at while the grill master plys his trade. Mounted wildlife are in display cases surrounding the bar, including a polar bear on the ceiling. This kinda collection usually charges an admission fee, but not at Paul's. Think of it as paying $4 for admission and getting a free cheeseburger! A great deal no matter how you look at it! The seasoned female behind the bar was quite pleasant and eager to talk about the history of Paul's but also seemed like the professional that could bounce someone out of there in a heartbeat for being a jerk. Fresh popcorn is 50 cents for a small grocery bag and provided a cheap snack to take with for the drive to the Quad cities later that day. One of my all-time favorite burger and dive bar experiences! I'm so glad that I chatted with Evan the night before for the recommendation.

    Local Beers available  in can
    Patti C.

    A local dive bar with nothing fancy but very nice patrons and bartenders make you feel right at home. Make sure you order a hamburger as it is extremely inexpensive and the talk of the town. It is a simple burger served on a paper plate, yet has amazing flavor and is cooked to perfection in a specialized oven which is older than the hills . For a dive bar it is quite a treat with no grease

    Cheeseburger
    Kimberly K.

    Growing up in the Midwest corner bars, dive bars, and basement bars were everywhere. I walked into Paul's Tavern and was immediately taken back to my grandparents basement. I let out an audible gasp when I saw the Pabst Blue Ribbon lamp hanging from the ceiling. My grandfather had the same one in his basement bar. The only thing that was missing with the lingering smell of cigarette smoke. But I digress cigarettes and smoking is bad but dive bars, cheeseburgers and beer is not. The Menu is simple: burgers, potato chips (pick your flavor from the bags hanging on the wall), hot ham and cheese sandwich, or a tuna salad sandwich. That's it. Simple and to the point. Cheeseburgers were $4 and came with diced onions and pickles. Ketchup, mustard, and mayo were on the table. Our burgers were a tad well done but it still tasted good and hit the spot. While it's mostly a beer establishment they did have a full bar. My husband, the south Texas born and raised lad that he is, made the comment: there's a lot of bars in Iowa. Bless his heart he didn't grow up in the Midwest. I explained to him when you live somewhere where it's cold and dumb half of the year you need places to warm up and have a few drinks. Paul's Tavern is one of those places. While we were there a group of four older ladies came in, had a round of drinks, and were off to the next bar. They were doing a holiday pub crawl. I could see why Paul's made the list. Paul's Tavern is a solid choice for a burger and a beer. 3.5 stars for me but rounded up to 4 for the nostalgic Pabst Blue Ribbon lamp and cool dive bar ambiance.

    The menu
    John M.

    If you want simple, quirky and local, this place is great. A damn fine double cheeseburger and cold Coors stubbies with great service. No fries, only chips. I didn't try the hot ham and cheese or tuna salad sammy but I was stuffed after my burger. I would hang here regularly if this were local to me.

    Restaurant exterior
    Evan F.

    After all these years and returning to Dubuque, I finally righted a wrong and stopped by for my first-ever bar burger! Grilled onions, why of course. Melty American cheese, don't mind if I do. Sliced dill pickles, why did you even ask? They grill these simple burgers in a grilling contraption that has to date back to the 40's (maybe 50's)? It produces a fantastic burger that comes in a plain bun and topped with the aforementioned goodies. Accompany that with a bag of chips (or Funyuns as one does!) and a cold can of PBR and you got yourself one heck of a meal. Extra hungry...order two...they're super inexpensive and you'll be in a food come in no time. One last thing...pretty sure they are CASH ONLY, so come prepared.

    Norge broilator, New in 1935 and still what they make the burgers on today
    Steven T.

    I do a lot of research when I plan my trips to find the cool things that are off the beaten path and this was one of my stops that I really wanted to stop at but they were temporarily closed. I was so disappointed that I was not going to get a an old fashioned cheeseburger here so I decided to call one last time and OMG the phone was answered, this was opening day after the shut down. The place is an old school bar with a few booths and a small bar that serves famous burgers cooked on a 1935 Norge broilator so I'm stopping for a cheeseburger and I'm going to do a PBR to wash it down. The place is filled with all kinda of taxidermy animals which is also unique and just adds to how cool this place is. The burgers come with onions and pickles only but you get ketchup and mustard to put on them. I asked for a rare cheeseburger with pickles and onions and they said ok. The cheeseburger was cooked perfect rare with pickles and onions on a generic white bun and pretty good. The cheeseburger was not very large but it was juicy and looked like a fresh hand formed patty and delicious. No it's not the best cheeseburger in the world but it's the whole experience of eating in this old school bar.

    Nice little local bar, dive classification. Cheeseburger chips no fries just chips! Worth the stop for lunch and a beer.

    Ed W.

    What a fun place and a real landmark in Dubuque. Folks are friendly and all reasonably priced. Limited menu but a must visit kind of local bar. Lots of trophy animals from the past. The bar hasn't chanced much in 50 years. We were looking for a fun place to grab a burger and a beer. We were not disappointed. Not sure but this has to be one of the oldest bars in Dubuque. Enjoy!

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    10 months ago

    Great customer service. Great food excellent prices. Come grab a Paul's burger and a cold beer enjoy the hospitality.

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    10 months ago

    Where gloves when handling food after touching money. Smells like smoke.Wash hands after touching raw meat.

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    3 years ago

    Who doesn't love a broiled burger at midnight! Pure joy when you've had a couple drinks under your belt ;)

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    Review Highlights - Paul's Tavern

    Grab yourself a cheeseburger loaded with pickles and onions along with your choice of a wide selection of drinks.

    $3.25 Cheeseburger

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    Timmerman's Supper Club

    Timmerman's Supper Club

    4.1(218 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    Timmerman's is one of those special locations that has managed to keep the ambience back from the…read more60s. I used to drive by this restaurant for years I was going from Iowa over to Chicago. It took my retiring to finally start dying dining here. It's about a 70 minute ride from Cedar rapids Iowa to this location but we do it over and over and over again. That should tell you something about how good they are. Their service is outstanding. The food is great never had a bad meal. My wife has Alzheimer's and she always enjoys the ride up in the view overlooking the river. I had to ask for tables along the outside to get the best view of the river. It was suggested I might want to make a reservation to be sure I would get one if available. We've eaten various items all over the menu you can't go wrong with anything it's all great. If you haven't tried it you should.

    Let me break this down: The service is 5 stars, the ambiance is 4 stars and the food is 3 stars, so…read moreI'll give it an average of 4 stars. This is a classic supper club, straight out of the 70s with all the good and bad. The food is hearty and hasn't changed since the 70s I suspect. It's hearty and rich and probably everything my cardiologist would advise me to avoid. In other words, yummy! The place itself is great - nicely open, with nice music and great views. We were there late, so we got a nice view of the lights, but I can only imagine what it would be like in the day or at sunset. The standout is the service. They are incredibly nice and helpful, and willing to take various customization requests. Seriously, the staff is awesome and I love them. I will definitely be back.

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    Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives!

    Paul's Tavern - bars - Updated May 2026

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