Julien's Journal May 2016 (Volume 41, Number 5) | Page 58

RESTAURANT
REVIEW
by Heather HutchinsonSchuster and Becca Dargatz

This is an adult version of the comfort food
at its best. The penne noodles are cooked
to perfection, covered in a creamy sauce,
and served in a crock with a side of buttery
garlic bread. The cheesy and gooey noodles
may be topped with grilled chicken, grilled
Scottish salmon, grilled shrimp, or braised
short ribs.
If ribs are your favorite, try the short ribs
on top of your Herky’s Mac and Cheese,
or order the Chipotle Barbecue Baby Back
Pork Ribs. These fall-off-the-bone ribs are
available in a half or full slab and are not
only thick, but meaty and slathered with
the perfect sweet, yet spicy, smoky sauce.
The expertly prepared ribs are served with
your choice of side and Iowa Corn Bread.
The Iowa Corn Bread melts in your mouth
and is served with a maple butter that will
have you licking your butter knife.
Other popular menu items include the
Amish chicken, steaks, Heritage Breed
Double Cut Pork Chop, and the burgers.
All of the burgers at River Rock Kitchen
and Tap are hand pattied and made with
an 80/20 blend of USDA Choice Angus

beef, seasoned with salt and pepper. One
burger that caught our attention was the
Play All Day Sunrise Burger. This is not
your standard burger by any means! The
patty is topped with crisp hash browns,
Chorizo, cheddar cheese, and of course a
sunny-side-up fried egg. The toasted bun
absorbs the creamy yolk of the egg and it
glazes over the hash browns and complements the spice of the Chorizo. The fresh
cut, perfectly salted French fries work well
to sop up the yolk that drips off the sides.
For the first time in eight years, the restaurant is open for lunch from 11:00 a.m.
until 4:00 p.m. The lunch menu features
many of the same items as the dinner
menu, including salads, sandwiches, and
wraps. All of the salads may be made into a
wrap, served with your choice of fresh cut
fries, chips, side salad, or a cup of soup. The
comfortable atmosphere and excellent service make the River Rock Kitchen and Tap
and excellent choice to entertain business

professionals and gather with friends or
co-workers. If you are in a hurry, call ahead
to place a lunch order for carry out.
Don’t forget about the most important
meal of the day! The River Rock Kitchen
and Tap has eggs, skillet recipes, omelets,
and griddle favorites like French toast and
pancakes, as well as wholesome selections like fruit and oatmeal available for
breakfast.
The menu is continuously evolving and
more exciting selections are being added.
Stop down today for breakfast, lunch, or
dinner.
The Kinseth Group loves being involved
with Dubuque and the rest of the state
of Iowa. They recently opened four new
hotels in the state with hopes of opening
and renovating even more hotels in the
upcoming years.
“We just like doing what we do and having
fun doing it,” said Bruce. ❖

Heather Hutchinson-Schuster’s love for writing and food comes from
many days spent cooking and dining with friends and neighbors. She
invites you to share in some of her favorite restaurant experiences each
and every month in her column. If you have a personal favorite restaurant
that you would like to share with her, please email suggestions to Feature@
juliensjournal.com.

FAMILY BEER & LIQUOR
Huge Craft and
Import Beer Selection!
Expanded by over 40% and now featuring
over 1,200 varieties of beer including:
• Over 200 Seasonal/Limited Release Beers
• 88 Belgian Beers
• 20 Gluten Free Beers
• 63 Ciders
Every bottle we sell can be purchased as a single bottle
in our hugely popular mix-a-6pk craft beer program.

www.FamilyBeer.com • East Dubuque • One mile into Illinois on Hwy 20 • 815-747-6335
54  ❖  Julien’s Journal ❖ May 2016