Friday night we loaded the family in the car and headed down to Hy-Vee on South Locust Street for what turned out to be a treat!

Somehow they quietly opened a Wahlburgers earlier this month, but from the dinnertime crowd that was in there, it isn't much of a secret.

Wahlburgers, now open inside Hy-Vee on South Locust Street in Dubuque
Wahlburgers, now open inside Hy-Vee on South Locust Street in Dubuque
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So yeah, you know Mark Wahlberg and Donnie Wahlberg, the singers and actors... but you're probably unfamiliar with Paul Wahlberg, or Chef Paul as he's known. He's their brother who created a family restaurant with recipes based on the childhood eats that he and his more famous brothers enjoyed as kids.

Jacob hanging with the Wahlberg family... (or at least their cardboard cut-outs).
Jacob hanging with the Wahlberg family... (or at least their cardboard cut-outs).
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There are a number of appetizers to get you started, like the Cheese Curds, Crispy Fried Pickles, or the Cheese & Bacon Tots.

Wahlburgers cheese curds, served with a side of tomato jam.
Wahlburgers cheese curds, served with a side of tomato jam.
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There are plenty of sides and salads, or you can try their Wahlbowls, which are the veggies and proteins without the carbs of a bun.

As you can see above, my son had The Our Burger, with a 1/4 pound burger, lettuce, tomato, onion, government cheese, Paul's signature wahl sauce, and pickles.

My wife, Lisa, wanted the Crispy Chicken Ranch Sandwich. It features Paul's own crispy fried chicken recipe served with tomato, lettuce, pickles, and ranch dressing. (You can also have it tossed in buffalo sauce if you choose.)

The 'Crispy Chicken Ranch Sandwich' from Wahlburgers
The 'Crispy Chicken Ranch Sandwich' from Wahlburgers
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Her sandwich also included the Wahlburger onion rings, which were awesome! They're not too coated with breading but seasoned just right. (They reminded me of the onion rings at Jack's Chicken Palace.)

I wanted to try the Juicy Lucy, with two 1/4 pound burger patties stuffed with swiss and government cheeses and Worcestershire sauce, with lettuce and mayo.

The 'Juicy Lucy' from Wahlburgers.
The 'Juicy Lucy' from Wahlburgers.
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It was big and delicious! The real treat was cutting it in half to see all that ooey gooey cheesy goodness!

The inside of the 'Juicy Lucy' at Wahlburgers.
The inside of the 'Juicy Lucy' at Wahlburgers.
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The food was pretty outrageous. I definitely recommend it.

If for some reason you still find yourself hungry after all that food, they do have a dessert menu, too. There are shakes, floats and cupcakes... or if the table wants to share you can try a Wahl-Skillet, like their Chocolate Chip Cookie with Ice Cream or their Grandma's Apple Crisp.

(And yes, there's a kid's menu, too!)

You might like it so much you'll want a t-shirt to show your affection. Yes, they have that, too!

Wahlburgers swag is available for fans of their burgers!
Wahlburgers swag is available for fans of their burgers!
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The next time you have the craving for a burger, Wahlburgers inside Hy-Vee on South Locust Street in Dubuque will definitely fill that void.

~Chris Farber

 

 

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