Cuisine: American, Chicago-Style, Hot Dogs, Pizza
Restaurant Features: Catering, Counter-Service
Locations: Fridley, St Paul, and Minneapolis, MN
Addresses & Maps:
Fridley- 7429 East River Rd Fridley, MN 55432 (763) 571-0288
Minneapolis- 3101 E 42nd St (612) 729-5507
St Paul- 603 W. 7th St. (651)228-9347
Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-9pm Sun 12pm-7pm
Links: Chris & Rob's Website
Atmosphere: The St Paul location of Chris & Rob's can be found in this cute old dining car on West 7th Street. The entrance to the restaurant is tucked around the side of the building, leading you to the ordering counter, with the kitchen just behind that. The dining area is one long, narrow space with wooden floors and wood paneling on the walls. There are several four-person wooden tables running the length of the space along the left side, and two-person tables along the right, with a walkway between them. The many windows facing W. 7th offer plenty of light but there are also several pretty stained-glass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
Menu: Appetizers include French Fries, Tater Tots, Cheese Curds, Chili Cheese Fries, Bowl of Chili, Onion Rings, Jalapeno Poppers, Mozzarella Sticks, Breaded Mushrooms, Ravioli Dippers, Garlic Toast, Supreme Tamale, Pizza Puff, Cheese Bread, Gravy Bread, Chicken Tenders, Spicy Wings, Shrimp, Rib Tips, and Fish.
All Hot Dogs and Sausage Sandwiches at Chris & Rob's are made with meat that comes directly from Chicago. Hot dogs are all Vienna Brand and include the Chicago Dog (with everything!), Cheese Dog, Chili Dog, Chili Cheese Dog, Polish Sausage, and Maxwell Street Polish. Sausage sandwiches include the Italian Sausage, Meatball and Brat.
Specialty sandwiches include the Hot Italian Beef, Cheesy Beef, BBQ Beef, Beef and Sausage Combo, Gyro Classic and Prime Rib sandwich.
Chris & Rob's also has 12" 14" and 16" Pizzas, made on either Traditional Thin Crust or the Famous Sicilian which has a thicker rolled crust. Pick your own ingredients or try one of the Specialty Pizzas such as the Monster of the Midway or Jordan's Garden.
Chris & Rob's also makes Party Platters! Italian Beef, Hot Dogs, and Pasta can all be ordered as a Platters. Call to arrange specifics.
Chris & Rob's also has an extensive catering menu.
Price guide: Appetizers $1-6 Hot Dogs $3-4 Sandwiches $6-9 Pizza $10-20
What I ordered: I was in the mood for a chili cheese dog, so a search around St Paul brought brought me to Chris & Rob's. I had never been there before but heard they had Vienna hot dogs and wanted to see what the big deal was about. I assume the hot dog was cooked by either boiling or steaming it. The casing on it was thin and the hot dog itself was good but not as flavorful as I had expected. It was the same size as any other ordinary hot dog and I could probably have eaten two if I hadn't gotten fries instead. Served on a fresh poppy seed bun, the hot dog was topped with chili, cheese sauce and onions. The chili had ground meat and a lot of beans, but was kind of bland and did not seem to be homemade (I could be wrong!) The thick-cut fries were also pretty basic, cut slightly thick so they are soft on the inside, crispy on the outside and just slightly salted.
Service: Incredibly fast! I ordered at the counter and my order was ready literally two minutes later.
Overall Impression: Great selection of Chicago-Style Foods. The hot dog was decent but I would like to go back for a Beef sandwich next time. Prices seem to be relatively inexpensive, no guilt at spending money at Chris & Rob's. Very fast service.
Really interesting interior but the food looks absolutely delish. Wish I could go there right now, especially now since the weather's warming up. Love the cheapness of it too ;)
Good review!
-- Ann
Posted by: Ann Olson | April 14, 2009 at 05:09 PM