♪♪ Perched on Schmitt Island in the Mississippi River, Catfish Charlie's is a great stop for travelers to soak up the views and take a break for a bite to eat.

How are we doing here?

I'll get those.

Well, the people I get to meet is probably the best part of the day.

Kohlsdorf: Opened in 2005, Catfish Charlie's is the brainchild of Charlie Cretsinger and his wife.

Well, enjoy the rest of your day, okay?

The couple wanted to open a restaurant in Dubuque with a menu matching its idyllic location.

Cretsinger: We decided there was maybe a hole for a seafood restaurant, but I didn't want a regular seafood restaurant.

I like local fishes, so we have everything from catfish, obviously, catfish for Catfish Charlie's, catfish, walleye, bluegills.

And then we do have the shrimp and salmon and things like that.

Our menu is very, very wide.

We are located right on the Mississippi River.

So, you can sit here, look out at the river.

[ Printer humming ] [ Sizzling ] ♪♪ Kohlsdorf: Catfish Charlie's has been open for 19 seasons.

For its menu, the operation harvests 9,000 to 15,000 pounds of fish annually from the Mississippi River.

Cretsinger: Yeah, you build a restaurant, and as that restaurant grows, you want to be unique in certain fashions.

So, why not take fish directly out of the river.

We're river to table.

Kohlsdorf: The restaurant also prides itself on introducing travelers to other local businesses.

Cretsinger: We have a general store inside, which we do all local products -- local jams, local candies, local wines, local whiskeys.

Kohlsdorf: Catfish Charlie's has expanded in many different directions since its inception.

Cretsinger: How are we doing today?

Kohlsdorf: Those traveling on the Great River Road can take a break from driving and cruise on the great river itself.

Hey, buddy, are you going to drive the boat today?

Cretsinger: The American Lady -- it's got a capacity of 135 people.

We do a lunch cruise.

We do a happy-hour cruise.

We do a sunset-dinner cruise.

They range anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours long.

Kohlsdorf: Cretsinger celebrates cuisine found anywhere along the Mississippi River.

On weekends, visitors may find unique menu items being smoked on the patio for special occasions.

Cretsinger: Funny to see people's reactions to when they walk out on the deck and there's a whole alligator on a hog roaster cooking.

Dubuque has a lot to offer here.

So, when you come to Dubuque, we have the River Museum, we have the Mines of Spain, we have the tour boats.

We don't care whether you're eating, drinking, talking, having a good time.

All I want you to do is be here and enjoy it.

[ Laughs ] Well, enjoy.

Thanks for coming in.

Appreciate it.