Reviews of Breitbach's Country Dining (Restaurant)

Michael Shupe

This place is not only the oldest continuously running restaurant in Iowa but it is also, in my opinion, the friendliest as well. Fantastic full menu with outstanding buffet option, separate full bar if you just want to unwind with a drink. Family owned business - once you visit you will never be a stranger again. Equal to all of this greatness is the view - stunning overlook that has panoramic view of three states and a river valley. Be sure to check out wine store and the Feed Store that has a bit of everything. A destination for sure!

Lisa Hoppman

The good was over the top. Great service. We meet Mike Breitbach. Great man. Friendly and humble.. thanks for a great dining pleasure. Well done Mike and team!

Linda Winter

There are no words to describe it. The food and the servers was terrific

Lennie Churchill

Great food and service with some old decor to look at.

Rob Carlyle

Awesome place great food.

Robert Drews

Been there when Jesse James..been a regular ever since..not all true but love the place..food atmosphere

Gene Kirschbaum

It was fantastic, had the buffet,one of the best around

Justin Scott

Service and staff were fantastic. Food was okay, but not amazing. The quality of the buffet options could have been better. If you enjoy a relaxed visit to a historic spot in Iowa, while taking care of your hunger, this is the spot!

Randy Hunter

Great place to visit

Greg Miller

A pleasant experience, for sure. Our group of 4 stopped in on a Wednesday evening and all enjoyed the buffet. Even though they weren't very busy, everything was fresh, at proper serving temperature, and the buffet area was nicely kept and clean. Our host, and waiter (the owner's son), did a great job of keeping our used dishes bussed and our glasses full of beverages. I can't say that anything was particularly amazing, but it was certainly a good meal and we all enjoyed ourselves. While the restaurant is a little bit off the commonly traveled path, the scenery along the drive there is about as picturesque as you can find anywhere in the Midwest, and the food is just a nice cap to it all. Certainly recommended.

SLW Muffin Grace

Charming place, elegant decor, wonderful staff, great food. Only possible negative is gravel parking lot. Lovely grounds. Their buffet is exceptional. It is the best and most popular menu items....Not at all a typical buffet. The night we went, Prime Rib was the Special. Very thick cut. They really want to make sure you are happy. Great for couples, small groups of friends, large family gatherings, or reserve a room for Special Events. Kid friendly. The staff was fully trained on do and don't list for guests with Service Animals. It is walker or wheelchair accessible, but gravel parking could be an issue. I plan on going back. Call ahead for large groups at peak times, or if you want a private room. Reservation required for their big Thanksgiving Dinner.

Larry Tibbott

Busy everytime we've gone. Wait period is long. Food is good.

Robert Luebke

This was the first time for us at Breitbach's Country Dining at Balltown. We had heard about it for some time and I must say it lived up to its great reputation! We stopped at noon on a Wednesday and had the soup and salad bar. The quality of the food at the salad bar was superb with it also being some of the tastiest food I ever have experienced. To top off this great lunch, we were served by Lynn, our waitress who was the most pleasant, efficient, and courteous waitress my wife and I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Even though we live almost a hundred miles away, we certainly plan to be back again!

Dutt Dutt

Good food

Farfum Ladroma

Did we just drive almost for hours to eat here? Well yes we did! Saw this place from a Netflix documentary and wanted to check it out. The food was fantastic! Had the pork tenderloin while the rest of the family had the buffet. Kids eat free with the buffet which was a plus! Great little town with a nice overlook. Other than that there is a antique shop in town but that's about it.

Sherry

Good food good atmosphere

jeffrey regan

Owned by wonderful family that doesn't quit. Nearby view (short walk) of Mississippi River valley is beautiful.

Igot This

Excellent in Every way!!!

David Deuth

Have been here several times, always excellent! Highly recommend.

Anne Powell

Our daughter brought us to Breitbach's for her graduation dinner 7 years ago; all the kids had their graduation dinner here from then on. Our family loves Breitbach's for everyday dinner and our special occasions. Breitbach's offers some of the best, freshest home cooked comfort food in Iowa. Visiting Eastern Iowa, add Breitbach's to your must eat list.

Byron Kolz

Good food and value

Yvonne Hart

Wonderful! We go several times a year and food is always fantastic! Service is great a d a beautiful Restaurant!

Carl Higgins

One of the best breaded tenderloins I've ever had clean place with small town feel.

Dan Bublitz

Excellent place to eat good atmosphere service is great

Tim Diesburg

Excellent pla e to eat and take your family!!?

tony berger

Absolutely love this place!! Best seafood buffet in the area on fridays...and the nicest people!!

Thorsten Richardson

Amazing as always. Best german brats... Just missed the mustard!!!

Michael Daniels

Another great meal at Breitbach's, thanks to Mike and the wonderful staff.

Jeanine Pate

Definitely an unforgettable place to have lunch! Great service and the food was delicious!

Melody Henderson

The food is amazing

Thomas Birkett

Great atmosphere and excellent food. The salad bar was as complete as I have seen in a long time

Michael Chandler

Great buffet restaurant! Loved there fried chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy! Pretty view also down into the valley the goes toward the Mississippi River!

Leah Farrey

The food is so great here and their staff is phenomenal. We had a reservation, but ended up having a few members of our party flake out and they still managed to get us seated pretty quickly. Best Lent buffet around!

Tonya South

This place was phenomenal. We enjoyed their tenderloin sandwich, which was HUGE and their spaghetti soup. We also walked away with six bottles of wine after enjoying their wine tasting in the antiques shop. Will definitely go back when we are in the area.

Pamela Elsinger

The best people. Great food

Christina Wilson

Nice people and love there cod fish.

D Ramsey

food was excellent, service was amazing, really great place

marilyn ploessl

This has to be one of the best places for Primerib. Everyone here is so very nice and always has a bright smile. The owner Mike is awesome. One of my favorite places to go.

Jan Bayliss

Best place I have visited in a long while

John Kirk

Food and service was great. Always a good time.

constance sweeney

Excellent good and great service by wonderful people! Highly recommend.

Derek Stoneking

Great food!

Tim Thunell

Great Iowa food! Great view of the Mississippi River just down the street!

Kim Kluga

Never had a bad experience here

Tim Beecher

Best ribs anyplace!!

Kendall Schneider

Do you ever have a destination restaurant? We met up with family here just because of the atmosphere and the great food + the great price! Love the Easter decorations and took several photos. We got some great ideas for our own decorations! We also did a little wine tasting next door of the local vintners, yes we did buy some! We have to do this more often!

Joe Mast

Good food. We prefer the Friday night buffet.

Glenda Sue Vize

Always greeted with a smile and curiosity. Love the food and pies!

Melissa S

Everyone was very friendly and I highly recommend the tenderloin!! The buffet looked really good, too.

j webb

Great food and service, will go again definitely

Debbie Dekeyrel

I surprised my husband for Father's Day by taking him to Breitbach's! We had a wonderful buffet lunch! My husband has ridden his motorcycle there several times over the years & I have been there a few times. Wonderful buffet meal (can order off the menu also), very pleasant staff & servers! We always make a day of it by driving through the beautiful country. Always take a different route home from the way up! You will have a wonderful time!

Elizabeth Trautsch

Always excellent food - their salad bar is my husband's favorite. And what a view of the Mississippi River Valley!

Sue W

This historic cozy place had delicious food, generous servings, and fabulous service! It is definitely worth the drive, and the settings is lovely. I was told they had a great buffet, but was blown away when I read the buffet menu board. If you think of the best homemade cooking, and several choices no matter your diet or what your taste buds are craving, it is included on the buffet. ( Under $16) We went on Saturday, and opted for their Special, Prime Rib ($22). This came with the extensive salad and soup bar, which had unique home made options. My friend had the spaghetti soup. I told you this place was special. The interior has beautifully crafted woodwork, and unique Antique Furnishings. The Christmas/ Winter Holiday Decorations are really several steps above. Even better than some of the finest dining in Chicago. They have a large room for special gatherings. This is a 'don't miss' dining destination.

David Schmitt

The food bar if the best!

Steve Stewart

Super friendly! Nice food not great food. Historic as hell.

Rodney Reints

Great food and service. The best pork tenderloins we have ever had. Hand battered with a side of onion rings. We will be back. The waitress was extra nice.

Gary Wolters

Very good everything was delicious

Charlie P

Excellent food and Mike the owner is always friendly.

Leonard Doolan

Awesome pork tenderloin sandwich... Crispy breading and huge. Fries were awesome as well.

Gina Neve

Best Mother's day meal EVER!!!

Larry Tupper

Great food.

Parke Obrien

Breitbachs Country Dining is my favorite restaurant ever. It is a place where you can still get home cooked dinners like your Grandma made. Mashed potatoes and gravy . Roast beef that is cooked to perfection. Fresh vegetables. The broasted chicken and cod fish are exceptional. A wide ranging salad bar too. It is a place where you step back in time to a simpler time ; away from the hustle and bustle of the modern busy world. Mike and his crew always offer wonderful service. The pies are as good as it gets. Breitbachs tenderloins are the BEST you will ever eat . They are a delicacy that you would have to see to believe. All this in the small town called Balltown . The drive there is one of the most beautiful you will ever see . Just a few steps North of the restaurant is a many mile panarmic view that is right out of a postcard of the pastoral beauty of nature. Do yourself a favor and make sure you go to Breitbachs and treat yourself to some of the best food you will ever eat.

Alan Vaske

Good service and good drinks

David White

Excellent food. Great staff. Worth the drive.

Caroljean Dennison

Very good food. Nice scenery too.

B Williams

Great buffet for lunch.

Dave Holub Sr

Atmosphere is amazing, food is average, staff is really nice

Kerri Carter

The buffet was great. The staff was very friendly & help. Went twice in a few day span, both times with large groups. Their say is true. "Come in as guests, leave as friends." Definitely will return

Bill Mayne

Awesome food and service. Well worth the drive. Great place.

wendell hunter

Great food and service! Off the beaten path and worth it!

Tonya South

This place was phenomenal. We enjoyed their tenderloin sandwich, which was HUGE and their spaghetti soup. We also walked away with six bottles of wine after enjoying their wine tasting in the antiques shop. Will definitely go back when we are in the area.

Beverly Barker

Love this place! Great German buffet the night we were there.

Ron & Connie Schneider

We've been here several times now. Sometimes reservations are a good idea, but we had plenty of room today at 2pm for our table of 7. Generous portions or a nice buffet.

Hugh

Almost always stop in for some good food, whenever in Door Co.

Ken Runde

Great place go for family and friends. The food is great and the friendly staff is even better. Mike visits with every table to ensure your satisfaction. Don't forget to save room for dessert, excellent home made pies that are out of this world.

Abbey Breiner

Great food and service

The Captain

Came as a guest left as a Friend !! Food was Outstanding Service was Excellent and upon leaving had an opportunity to meet Mike. Wow what a nice gentleman he noticed how much I enjoyed the Chocolate Cake and made sure I had some to take home What an Enjoyable Discovery of this Fine Restaurant Don' Miss It !!!!!!!!!

Jason Metcalf

Fish was great! Chicken and soup were really good too!

Beth Wetzel

Let me just say that Breitbach's has the best buffet we have ever eaten anywhere in the United States. Mike the owner comes to each and every table to ensure his customers are satisfied. We would give ten stars instead of five. We travel several hundred miles just to eat there once or twice a year.

tanya sisaleum

Food is good & service is friendly. I like that they switch it up more now. Desserts are good. Sometimes a very long wait if you don't call ahead.

Mickie Launspach

So welcoming that you often feel like family. My favorite two meals here are the prime rib and the catfish. Their fries are honestly the best I have ever had. The fries are not overly crispy where they're hard, not soggy, but just the perfect crunch. You cannot go wrong with any of the pies, but I love the raspberry! This place and the Breitbach family have really kept things kicking after 2 building fires in the past. I have eaten for as long as I can remember with my family, and it's always a pleasure. The involvement of family is awesome.

David Jackson

Excellent menu and buffet items. Super friendly staff. It's a great stop while cruising and seeing the sights. It's located a short walk away from an amazing overlook view of the Mississippi valley

Darla Golden

Good atmosphere. Buffett was nice but would like more variety soup and sides. Very disappointed that dessert is no longer included with price of buffett.

Donna Digman

Simply beat food ever. Worth the 45 min drive for a great meal! Service was awesome

Michael Heiderscheit

Great food, great service, wonderful friendly people. Top-notch. Highly recommend

Jeffrey Norris

Roadside restaurant in Balltown, IA. Quite the history. If you like pork tenderloin sammiches, this is worth the drive. The buffet looked delicious as well.

Lisa Fox

WONDERFUL good and BEAUTIFUL atmosphere!!! Owner Mike even took the time today to take a picture of our group out in the beer garden

Nic Loux

Really cool place. Great food, awesome bar. A must stop if you are checking out the Mississippi!

Ron Pierce

Great place to stop! Food is homemade and crazy good. Had the seafood buffet on Friday.

Tristan Miles

Nice place! Great food! Super friendly owner!

mary west

Always a wonderful dining experience! Buffet is excellent, fresh and healthy foods!

T Remy

Fantastic place in the middle of the most scenic ridge drive of IA farm country!! Great homemade food!! We got sample several items on a Tuesday buffet of broasted chicken, deep fried cod and shrimp, ham slices, mashed potatoes and gravy, and corn on the hot selection. Nice salad bar with homemade red beets and a cold carrot salad in a nice vinegarett. Tasty chicken noodle soup... homemade of course. If that wasn't enough, I had walnut pie for dessert, husband had cherry!! Neither was to sweet, which I attribute to the German heritage...they don't use as much sugar in baked items as Americans (which is a good thing)! Beautiful inside seating with various antiques decorations hanging or furniture pieces. Nice German style "beer garden" outdoor seating too, surrounded by flowers. Definitely check out Balltown's famous restaurant (for burning down twice years ago), and being a super place to recharge your batteries for food and scenic overlook of Mississippi River at edge of town!! Breitbach means wide Creek in German, guess that can describe the river too

Jane Weber

Great food & service. Great atmosphere. Mike is a super person

Marc Myhre

Valentine's Day buffet. Arrived at 6pm at peak dining time and was seated within 5 minutes. Prime rib buffet tasted very good along with the fried fish. Drove over an hour to try this place. I would definitely go again if I was in the area.

Nathan Peters

This is a small family-owned restaurant on top of a bluff in a tiny town. But by far the best food that we have had in our 4 day stay in the Dubuque Iowa area. We did the Sunday brunch buffet. Again some of the best food that we've had. Went back for three helpings. Really tempted us to go out of her way, back home, just for breakfast. The owner was also there to greet us when we arrived. 4 the brunch buffet, it was a very reasonably priced. I would have paid more than what they charged just on how good the food was.

Kayle Neegaard

Fast service and delicious food. Great atmosphere for our big group.

LymZeee

Our waitress was Nice and she knew what she was doing, she checked up on us like every 10 minutes. Food came in like 5 minutes and it was scolding hot and it was so great. Their pie is made fresh everyday.(Get The Snickers Cream Pie. 10/10

Angus McKay

Well worth the one and a half-hour drive to get there. Perfectly cooked stake and bid portions of fish also bountifully cooked.

Carlene Grissom

Very good food and service. It was our 1st visit.

Roger Hunt

Great food. Great buffet

Andrew Lapage

Awesome food, very friendly staff, great place

dave mcquiggin

Always good food and friendly service

Elizabeth Garcia

This is what you call home cooking. Everything was fresh and homemade by the owners wife. Very nice staff.

Dakoda D Sellers

Best tenderloin you will ever have!

William Crosby

My friends and I have been coming here since they rebuilt 10 yrs. Great food and the main man Mike is a wonderful host! It is a must go place!

Chris Sweet

Cool history and neat atmosphere. Excellent home cooked food. Pumpkin pie was the bomb, wanted to try them all. Maybe next time.

Tim Newman

Friendly Staff. Great Service.

Dale Strong

It was every good food with very helpful people. The only thing is that I would add more things to the salad bar like cottage cheese, eggs,bacon bits. Otherwise everything was very good Thank you.

Janet Brincks

Will definity go back when we get a chance.excellent buffet. Great wait staff and the owner made sure to say hi.

Erin Reynolds

Food and service Amazing!! One of the best places to go in Iowa for a good meal!!

Jo Schumacher

Pork tenderloin sandwich was excellent. Service fantastic. Atmosphere calming. Please consider a second place closer to Cedar Rapids.

John Schilling

Was great back in the day, but it's been slipping food is ok. Its. Its. Ot bad but I'm not going out of my way for it either

Denise Daniels

The Breitbach family are awesome people, and serve up some great down home cooking. Love going to Breitbachs for their buffet. Mike and his family make you feel just like one of their own.

Tom Lansing

Awesome tenderloin

Cindy Meyer

It was amazing

Jan Helgeson

Fantastic atmosphere, best pork tenderloin ever!

Marcia Buttgen

Breitbach's did not disappoint last Saturday. You always feel like family when you are there. The food was wonderful, and I even met a new friend that grew up in my old neighborhood. Worth the drive.

Dave Selle

They treat people like family

Tracy Fuchs

Excellent dining experience! Wonderful food and ambiance! The drive there is breathtaking. Highly recommend!

Kevin Oldham

Wow, great food!!

beverly penne

Very good food....very good service ..we will be back.

Dave Pfiffner

Iowa's oldest tavern with great river valley views, decent food, great atmosphere, nice people!

Peggy Miller

Great service. Great food. Great location!

Paul McGrew

Great food.Great atmosphere. Great people

Mona Adams

It was delicious food and great atmosphere, thanks Mike, not everyday the BOSS will come and sit down and talk to you.

Tim Reynolds

Excellent food great service

Penny Manthey

Very friendly staff and great bloody Mary's

Deb Gann

Great food and even better staff

Nic Loux

Really cool place. Great food, awesome bar. A must stop if you are checking out the Mississippi!

mondragon078

Nice sit down restaurant

Sandy Neuhaus

Excellent food service- Very tasty dinner

Chris Stangl

Superb! Great food, friendly staff, rustic decor and comfortable.

Deb Hoover

Very enjoyable but a little disappointed with bar tender/waiter

Greg Wilhelmi

Excellent food. Love the beer garden. Best place to stop in a motorcycle ride. Breathtaking views on the way there and just down the road.

April Matheny

Excellent food. Great pie! They were extremely busy so service was slow but we loved it!!!!

Denise Warren

First time there. Est in 1852, this is Iowa's oldest Restaurant & Bar with wonderful country dining. This establishment is run by 6th generation of family. Food is excellently made from scratch, with a full menu offered from breakfast to dinner. Atmosphere is warm & welcoming. Just a few blocks (walking distance) from the restaurant is a breath-taking scenic valley view. I'm so looking forward to returning.

Isabelle Ku

Excellent food and great service. We went for the Saturday night buffet: ribs, cod, chicken, popcorn shrimp, corn, mashed potatoes, soup, salad bar, and rolls for $15.95. I really liked everything except for the soup (spaghetti that day), too peppery for me. I wished I had gotten more of the cod and shrimp, though my stomach was protesting by the time we left. I believe the bbq ribs was actually t-bone steak meat, but it didn't really matter to me. The meat was cooked perfectly: tender, juicy, and falling off the bone. The chicken was excellent, though the breast was a little too dry. The salad bar was great, with yummy pasta and potato salads

Mark Zimmerman

Always 5 star food and 5 star service. The food alone is worth the drive but the view puts it over the top.

Kristy Fenwick

Best local "hometown" restaurant in our area!

Cathy Mumm

The food on the buffet was ok. The prices of their other menu items are kind of steep. Waitress never came back to our table to see if everything was ok and then we had to track her down to get our bill. We could have very easily left without paying but we are honest people!

Tom Hogan

Good buffet with home cooked meals

Jason Sensation

Best food and service around! They are the nicest people!

Linda Lehman

We enjoyed a delicious meal!! Great atmosphere and all the people who work there are amazing!!

Gene Fairchild

Buffet was great. Outstanding Broasted Chicken. Wait staff were great and owner was walking around to make sure the dining experience was good.

victoria stoffel

Best food in country Dinners.

Jo Halstead Gruenwald

Buffet food just so so

Robin Sprague

Well worth a drive in the country! Amazing food. Friendly staff. Make sure to head across the road and sample some wine.

JoDee Stoneking

Amazing food and cool place

Tom Suchomel

Finally made it to Breitbachs! Super service and great food. Good reputation is well deserved.

Shelly J.

Buffet was very good, soup was delicious! Friendly staff, very scenic area, worth the trip!

Michele

The food was good, the pie was wonderful, but I had just started my salad and the main course was served. Felt like they were running us threw! Owner was a delightful man, yummy

Julie

We went to Breitbach's for the Friday night seafood buffet. It was a great meal, with full salad bar, soup, and plenty of seafood! I especially enjoyed the crab legs! Great small-town and friendly atmosphere!

Jane Robbins

Very good food and friendly staff to serve all!

Connie Leete

Fantastic food!!!!!!! All the staff is VERY friendly and helpful. GREAT atmosphere!

William Heath

It was great it always is

Pam Lenz

I don't normally like a buffet, but this was absolutely the best buffet ever.

Sherry Boland

Was very good. Great food for the most part

Cesar Gonzalez

This is one of my favorite places to eat what I usually don't tend to go as often because the weekend buffets are almost $20 a person

Kellie Block

Super good food and service

Seeta Mangra-Stubbs

I'd always wanted to visit this restaurant, and I was not disappointed. The food was surprisingly good, the building is beautiful, the server was wonderful . . . worth the stop!

Carla Assell

Great food. Best vegetable beef soup I've had.