Cuisine: American, Breakfast, Delicatessan, Ice Cream
Restaurant Features: Bar (beer & wine only), Catering, Counter Service (in addition to table service), Free Wi-Fi, Patio Dining
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Address: 3019 Minnehaha Ave So. Minneapolis, MN 55406 (Mosaic Building) 612-746-1504
Hours: Mon-Thurs 8am-9pm Fri-Sat 8am-10pm Sun 8am-7pm
Links: Glaciers Cafe Website Google Map
Atmosphere: Glaciers Cafe is conveniently located on Minnehaha Ave at East Lake St in the beautiful Mosaic Building, just a couple of blocks from the Light-Rail Line. The inside of the cafe is somewhat small but modern and trendy with a variety of seating arrangements including wooden tables, an over-sized booth, and bar-height seating that looks outward along the wall of windows. There is also small counter where guests can order or pick up coffee, food or frozen custard to-go. The lighting at night is just right, not too dim and not too bright.
One thing that I think is really cool about Glaciers Cafe is that it is an eco-friendly restaurant. All fruits and vegetables are organic, they serve fair trade organic coffee, meats are vegetarian fed and antibiotic free, and all to-go items are served in biodegradable disposables. Save the Glaciers!
Menu: Breakfast is served all day and includes Fresh Fruit, Granola, Breakfast Burrito (eggs, meat, peppers, cheddar, salsa, and sour cream served with cumin dusted potatoes), Three Egg Omelet, Muffins and Scones.
Appetizers at Glaciers Cafe include Mini Burger Sliders, Buffalo or
Sesame Teriyaki Wings, Bruschetta, Mozzarella Sticks, House Salsa &
Chips, and French Fries. There is also Homemade Chili and a Soup du Jour served every day.
Salads are served with breadsticks and include Greek, Buffalo Chicken, Albacore Tuna, or Classic Caesar. Side green salad also available. Add chicken to any salad for $1.75.
Glaciers Cafe also makes Flat Bread Pizzas. Build your own starting with either the House Marinara or Roasted Garlic Olive Oil and then top with ingredients such as the standard pepperoni, sausage, or go with chicken, bacon, pepper mix, roasted veggies or kalamata olives. The "Glacier Goodie" Flatbread is the house specialty with BBQ Chicken, Caramelized Red Onions, Cheese Blend, Chiffonade Basil, and Applewood Smoked Bacon.
There are a handful of really delicious sandwiches and burgers at Glaciers Cafe, all made with lean, hormone-free meats. Sandwiches are served with pickle, and choice of kettle chips, roasted veggies or upgrade to french fries (trans fat free!) for just $.75 more. Options include Marinated Char Broiled Chicken on Ciabatta served either: California Style (cheddar avocado, lettuce, tomato, roasted garlic mayo), Buffalo Style (buffalo sauce, lettuce, tomato, caramelized red onions and bleu cheese dressing), or the Glacier House Chicken (melted cheddar, smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, caramelized red onions and roasted garlic mayo). Burgers are char grilled and served on a multigrain bun, either Buffalo style or the Glaciers House Burger (melted cheddar, smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, caramelized red onions and roasted garlic mayo).
Other sandwich options include All Beef Vienna Hot Dog (plain, Chicago-style, or chili-cheese), Turkey/BLT/Swiss, Roasted Vegetarian Wrap, Toasty Cheese (grilled cheese with cheddar, swiss and tomato), or the Mexi-Cali Burrito (jalapeno cheddar tortilla stuffed with beans, rice, cheeses, lettuce, tomato and avocado. Chicken additional. Served with choice of cumin dusted potatoes, roasted veggies or chips and salsa).
New to the menu are Oven Roasted Turkey and Coleslaw.
Glaciers Cafe also has Weekly Specials: Soup, Salad and Entree that changes each week
One of the best reasons to visit Glaciers Cafe is for the Frozen Custard. You will always find chocolate, vanilla, and a Flavor of the Week or you can create a custom flavor by adding "mix ins". Frozen custard can be served in a cake cone or cup, or buy a quart or pint to-go. Other options include Malts, Shakes, Floats, Smoothies and Sundaes.
Mix in and topping options include Gummy Worms, Heath Bar, Marshmallow, M&Ms, Oreos, Reeses, Snickers, Sprinkles, Butterfinger, Chocolate Chips, Whoppers, Butterscotch, Caramel, Chocolate Sauce, Hot Fudge, Hard-Shell, Marshmallow Sauce, Peanut Butter, Blueberries, Bananas, Pineapple, Strawberries, Raspberries, Pineapple, Almonds, Chopped Peanuts, Coconut, Pecans and Spanish Peanuts.
Glaciers Cafe is also a great stop for coffee and espresso. Drinks include Dark & Light Roast Coffee, Latte, Cappuchino, Chai Tea, Iced Latte, Mocha or Caramel, and Coffee Coolers.
Price guide: Appetizers $2-6 Flatbread $9 Sandwiches/Burgers $6-8 Salads $7-8 Frozen Custard $2.75-4.75 Coffee Drinks $1.50-$3.50
What We Ordered: My companion and I started with an order of Buffalo Wings. The order came with eight very large chicken wings and a generous coating of Buffalo sauce. The sauce was thin and mildly spicy with just a hint of sweetness. The portion size is just right for two people if you plan to have a meal as well.
For my dinner I ordered the Glaciers House Chicken sandwich served on a ciabatta roll. Great choice! The main star of this huge layered sandwich was a large breast of chicken marinated in a blend of fresh herbs and spices, then char broiled. The meat was wonderful- very tender and flavorful. I enjoyed it even more knowing it was hormone and antibiotic free! The chicken sat atop lettuce and tomato and was then topped with melted cheddar, thick applewood smoked bacon, and caramelized red onions. The sweet, soft caramelized onions provided a sweetness that perfectly complimented the smokey flavor of the applewood bacon and the zesty herbs of the chicken. The roasted garlic mayo was delicious as well and added to the party of flavors. I upgraded to the trans-fat free fries for $.75 more (what a deal!). The golden fries were hot and crispy.
My companion ordered the Glaciers House Burger, the ground beef version of the chicken sandwich I had with melted cheddar, thick applewood smoked bacon, and caramelized red onions. The burger was served on a multi-grain bun. The patty was 1/3- 1/2 lb of lean, vegetarian-fed beef, that was still slightly juicy but not at all greasy. The toppings on the burger were enjoyed every bit as much as on the chicken, as were the fries.
Frozen Custard is a specialty of Glaciers Cafe, so I made sure to save room for a Turtle Sundae. This sundae was bigger than I expected, served parfait-style in a large glass. The sweet, creamy vanilla custard was layered with caramel, hot fudge and pecans then topped with whipped cream and a cherry. So heavenly! Have I mentioned that ice cream/frozen custard is probably my favorite dessert?!
My companion ordered the Banana Supreme Sundae, a parfait of frozen vanilla custard, chocolate sauce, slices of banana, and Spanish peanuts, then topped with whipped cream and a cherry. The custard is so creamy and smooth! Yummy.
Service: I had no problem whatsoever in finding a place to park during my dinner-time visit, but please note the only nearby parking is metered so bring your quarters! A sign greeted us at the door to " Please Seat Yourself" and since the restaurant had only a few other diners at that time of the night, my companion and I chose the large, over-sized booth. Our server was very nice and admitted right away that she was a new employee, but she did great! Our drinks were filled in a timely manner and we were given plenty of time to look over the menu before ordering.
Overall Impression: Glaciers Cafe is a great place to stop at any time of the day, whether you want a coffee, an appetizer, salad, sandwich or the delicious frozen custard. The prices are extremely affordable for the portion sizes you get and the food is prepared with only quality ingredients. Quick and friendly service.
Recent Comments