A heaping platter of spaghetti and meatballs in glossy marinara on a red-checkered tablecloth, lit by a single candle in a straw-wrapped Chianti bottle
Mario's · Dubuque, Iowa

The Menu

Pasta rolled by hand, gravy that simmers all day, and trays that come out of the oven still bubbling. This is what we cook — the rest, you'll have to ask us about.

See what's cooking Takeout & delivery
From our kitchen

No laminated card, no freezer shortcuts. The specifics shift with the day — that's the point — but these are the corners of the menu Mario's is built on.

Antipasti & Breads To share

Every table starts the same way: warm bread, good olive oil, and something small to pass around while the kitchen gets going. Our garlic bread alone has started arguments over the last slice.

Fresh Pasta Rolled in-house

Flour, eggs, and a worn wooden board. We roll and cut our pasta by hand in the kitchen, the slow way — you can taste the difference before the sauce ever hits the plate.

Sunday Gravy Simmered daily

The pot goes on early and stays on. Our slow-simmered gravy is the backbone of the menu — ask for it over a heaping plate of spaghetti and meatballs, the way Sunday intended.

Baked Classics From the oven

The plates that arrive still bubbling: layered, sauced, and baked until the cheese goes golden. Baked ziti and chicken parmigiana are the ones people come back for.

Daily Specials Ask your server

The specials change every single day, depending on the season and what looked good at the market. There's always something on — and it's always worth the ask.

Dolci & Coffee Save room

Finish the way we do: something sweet from the case and a proper cup of coffee. What's on hand rotates — your server will tell you what's worth ordering tonight.

Ask about today's menu

We cook from the season, not from a printed card — so dishes and prices move around. For today's full menu and today's prices, just ask your server when you sit down, or ask when you call in a takeout order. You'll always get a straight answer and, usually, a strong recommendation.

Flour-dusted hands rolling fresh pasta dough on a worn wooden board in Mario's kitchen, a dented pot of Sunday gravy steaming behind
Made from scratch

Rolled by hand. Simmered all day.

Two things everything on this menu is built on: pasta worked by hand on a flour-dusted board, and a pot of Sunday gravy that never really leaves the stove. It's slower. It's worth it.

Read our story
Family-style catering trays of baked ziti, garlic bread, and chicken parmigiana being passed hand-to-hand across a crowded, happy table
Take it with you

However you're eating, we've got you

Sit down at a checkered table, grab dinner on the way home, or hand us the whole party. Our family-style trays travel well and feed a crowd without any fuss.

  • Dine-in. Candlelight, checkered tablecloths, and no rush to give your table back.
  • Takeout & delivery. The same plates, packed carefully to make the trip.
  • Catering. Family-style trays — baked ziti, garlic bread, chicken parm — for office lunches, birthdays, and Sunday gatherings.
  • Daily specials. Something different every day. Always ask.
Plan an order or event

Come hungry.

Hours, directions, and ordering all live on our contact page — or just come by and ask what's on today.

Contact & directions About Mario's