Twin Cities Restaurant Blog

50's Grill ~ Brooklyn Center, MN

Cuisine: American, Bakery, Burgers, Desserts, Steaks
Restaurant Features: Bar (beef and wine), On-Site Parking
Location: Brooklyn Center, MN
Address: 5524 Brooklyn Blvd, Brooklyn Center, MN‎ - (763) 560-4947‎
Hours: Daily 11am-10pm
Links:  Google Map

Atmosphere: As the name suggests, the atmosphere of the 50's Grill is one that takes you back in time.  When you first walk in to the restaurant, you see that all the servers are wearing pink Poodle Skirts!  There is a large bakery counter filled with delicious pies and cakes, and there is also a counter where Old Fashioned ice cream treats are made (complete with black & white tiling and antique malt mixer!)

If you didn't already feel like you were in the 50's just upon entering the building, the dining room will surely do the job with its' black & white checkered flooring, blue and pink neon lights around the edge of the ceiling, and an impressive collection of framed posters and art from the 50's Era.  The space is divided into several four-person hot pink high-backed booths that allow for more privacy.  There is also a section of the dining room near the windows that has tables that can be arranged to accommodate bigger groups.

 

There is also this lounge area to the right when you first enter 50's Grill

Menu:  Appetizers and sides include Shrimp Basket, Chicken Tenders, Onion Rings, Pepper Jack Cheese Fries, Krinkle Cut Fries, and Mashed Potatoes.

Salads at 50's Grill are served with homemade bread and include Grilled Chicken, Caesar, Chicken Caesar, Shrimp Caesar, Orange Almond, Ranch, Garden, Chef and Turkey Salad (mayo based).

Homemade Soups: Mon- Chicken & Wild Rice, Tues-Split Pea & Ham, Wed- Cream of Broccoli, Thurs- Navy Bean & Ham, Fri- Seafood Chowder, Sat/Sun- Beef Barley

Sandwiches offered are the Santa Fe Chicken, Cajun Chicken, Rajun Cajun, Grilled Chicken Club, Turkey Guacamole and Bacon, Turkey Reuben, Walleye, Turkey, Turkey Club, Turkey Salad, BLT, Cod FIsh, and Veggie Burger.

Burgers at the 50's Grill are made from 6 oz. of fresh ground beef include 50's Grill Burger, 50's Grill Cheeseburger, The Big Cheese, Bacon & Smoked Cheddar, Guacamole Burger, Multi-Grain Melt and Patty Melt.  4 oz burgers can also be made and include Hamburger, Cheeseburger, Pepper Cheeseburger, Bacon Cheeseburger, and California Burger.  Bison Burgers are also available made from lean ground Bison.

50's Grill Dinners are all served with fresh baked bread, soup or salad, real mashed potatoes and homemade gravy, and vegetable.  Entrees include Carved Turkey, Rotisserie Roasted Chicken, Homemade Meatloaf, Hamburger Steak, Hot Turkey Sandwich, Canadian Walleye, Jumbo Shrimp, Famous Chicken Pot Pie, and 8 oz Sirloin.  There are a coupe of surf & turf combos as well.

The number of Desserts to choose from is astounding! Handmade Pies baked fresh daily include Apple, Sugar-Free Apple,  Apple Crisp, Wild Blueberry, Cherry, Strawberry Rhubarb, Banana Cream, Coconut Cream, French Silk, Lemon Merinque and Pecan.  Cheesecakes include Plain, Cheesecake topped with strawberries, raspberries, chocolate or caramel, Turtle Cheesecake, and Raspberry Hot Fudge (topped)Cheesecake.  Award-winning Cakes include Carrot, Chocolate Fudge, Turtle, and German Chocolate. 

Ice Cream treats include Old Fashioned Ice Cream Cones or Dish, Old Fashioned Malt (25+ flavors), Sundaes, Banana Split, Root Beer Float, and Ice Cream Sodas.

Price guide: Appetizers    Sandwiches $6-8    Burgers $6-8   Dinner Plates  $9-15  Pie $3.79/slice  Ice Cream $3-5
Weekly Dinner Specials: Monday- Stuffed Rotisserie Chicken, Tuesday- Carved Roast Turkey with Dressing and Mashed Potatoes, Wednesday- Pot Roast with Carrots & Onions Thursday- Hot Roast Beef with Mashed Potatoes, Friday/Saturday- Hickory Smoked Bar-B-Que with Coleslaw and Baked Beans
What I ordered: Many of the many choices looked great but I was in the mood for a burger so I had the Guacamole Burger. The ground beef patty was pretty big and tasty and was served on a toasted bun baked fresh at the restaurant.  The bacon and fresh guacamole added the expected flavor and really made the burger.  I think it would've been even better if I had added Pepper Jack or Swiss cheese and maybe even some jalapenos (I love spice to kick things up a notch).  The krinkle-cut fries were your standard frozen krinkle fries.

 

My companion had the 50's Grill Cheeseburger, topped with American cheese, tomato, lettuce and red onion.

 

I couldn't come to a restaurant like 50's Grill that has so many desserts and not try a few (for the sake of this review of course ;) ), so we also got a couple of slices of pie to-go.  The strawberry rhubarb pie was delicious! You could tell from the freshness of the ingredients and flaky pie crust that this was fresh, homemade pie.  The filling had large pieces of both strawberry and rhubarb, both a little sweet and a little tart.  Delicious!

 

We also tried the Coconut Cream Pie because this is one of my favorite types of pie.  The filling was  thick, vanilla-pudding-based (homemade and not from a box!) with grated coconut shavings mixed within.  The pie had a thick layer of real whipped cream atop the pudding, then topped with toasted coconut flakes.  Delish!

Service: We were shown right to a table when we arrived and were then promptly greeted by our server.  Our server (dressed straight out-of-the-50's with her poodle skirt and bobby socks!) was nice and made some good suggestions about the menu.  Our food was served quickly and beverages were refilled often.
Overall Impression: Fun place! Good burgers and awesome desserts!

Swede Hollow Cafe ~ St. Paul, MN

Cuisine: Deli, Coffee, Bakery
Restaurant Features: Counter-Service, Patio
Location: St Paul, MN
Address: 725 E 7th Street  St Paul, MN 55106 (651) 776-8810

Get Directions

Hours: M-F 6:30am-3pm      Sat 8am-2pm
Links: Swede Hollow Website          Google Map

Atmosphere: Swede Hollow Cafe is nestled into a small brick building on East 7th St, just blocks away from the St Paul campus of Metropolitan State University.  The dining area holds roughly eight wooden tables placed closely together  with a walkway that runs through the middle of the cafe from the door to the service counter.  There is overhead track-lighting but also great natural lighting from the many windows that overlook the outdoor garden/patio area.  I have been to Swede Hollow before during the summer season and the patio is very nice from what I remember.  (I'll take a photo of the gardens later this spring)

Menu: Breakfast includes a Daily Quiche, Baked French Toast, Hashbrowns with Bacon, Sausage and Ham, Breakfast Croissant.  On Saturday the Breakfast menu is extended to offer Potato Cheddar Pie, three kinds of Quiches, and two kinds of Strata. All of the above come with Fresh Fruit, Crisps, Cobbler or Bread Pudding, and a Corn Muffin.

There are just a handful of sandwiches made at Swede Hollow such as the Toasted Three Cheese, Roast Beef and Provolone, Smoked Ham and Swiss, Turkey and Swiss, Turkey & Cheddar, and Mediterranean Veggie.  Any sandwich can be turned into a Box Meal with Chips, Pickle Spear, and Biscotti or Shortbread for $9.  Half & Half Combo also available (soup or 1/2 salad & 1/2 sandwich).

Salads are the Creamy Gorgonzola and Walnut, Spring Greens, and Italian.  There are also two Soups du Jour, one meat and the other vegetarian.

Pastries include  Caramel and Cinnamon Rolls, Scones, Bread Pudding, Apple Cobbler, Fruit Crisps, Tarts, Turnovers, Cookies, and Bars.

Price guide: Coffee $3-4 Breakfast Salads $6 Sandwiches $7-8
What I ordered: It was on a whim that I stopped at Swede Hollow for a sandwich over my lunch break, as I was in the mood for a sandwich of some kind.  I was somewhat disappointed to discover that they had just five sandwich choices and only one of which was served hot. I had really wanted Corned Beef but since they didn't have it, I decided on the Turkey and Swiss and asked that it be served hot.  It was a large sandwich, cut in half.  The French bread that this sandwich is made with was quite dense and hard on the outside from being grilled.  Sliced turkey, tomato, and several large leaves of romaine with a twangy honey mustard were stuffed between the bread.  I liked the taste of this sandwich but between the hardness of the bread and the height of this sandwich, it was too much for my poor jaw to take.  

Service: Although it was a rainy Monday, it got quite busy at Swede Hollow around noon.  I was able to beat most of the rush but it still took 10-15 minutes for my sandwich.  The line had grown considerably by the time my sandwich was ready and most of the tables were occupied.  The gal working the counter was nice, but not overly suggestive about the menu.  There seemed to be 1-2 servers/cooks who brought orders out to the tables.
Overall Impression: Swede Hollow is a cute little coffee shop/cafe, but prices seemed kind of expensive.  The menu is limited but still draws a decent crowd.  Nice garden patio to use during warmer weather.

Keys Cafe & Bakery ~ Minneapolis, Roseville, Spring Lake Park, St Paul, White Bear Lake, and Woodbury, MN

Cuisine: American, Breakfast, Bakery

Locations: White Bear Lake(site of this review), Minneapolis, Roseville, Spring Lake Park, St Paul , and Woodbury

Addresses: Locations with a * serve dinner

*Minneapolis 114 S 9th St  Minneapolis, MN 55402-3308  612-339-6399

*Roseville 1682 Lexington Ave N Roseville, MN 55113-6514 651-487-5397

*Spring Lake Park 8299 University Ave Ne Spring Lake Park, MN 55432-1867

St Paul  500 Robert St N Saint Paul, MN 55101-2246  651-222-4083

St Paul 767 Raymond Ave  Saint Paul, MN 55114-1522   651-646-5756

*White Bear Lake  2208 4th Street White Bear lake, MN 55110 651-426-2885

*Woodbury 1750 Weir Dr  Woodbury, MN 55125-2252 651-731-5397

 Links: Keys Cafe Website 

Atmosphere:  Family dining and a local hot spot, especially at breakfast time!

Menu: Lets start off with breakfast :) Signature breakfasts include a variety of egg/meat combos as well as The "Two Guys" breakfast (named because it is enough food for two!), potatoes with sauteed veggies and cheese, drilled Denver sandwich, egg sandwich, roast beef or Italian hash. Keys is also known for their giant pancakes, french toast and Belgian waffles.  There is also a large selection of omelets, including a "build your own".  Specialty sandwiches include Cajun chicken, BBQ chicken, fish fillet, Monte cristo, grilled Reuben or Rachael, meat loaf, steak, roasted turkey or the club house.  Grilled sandwiches such as the tuna, turkey, bacon & cheese, chicken and BLT are also quite good, as are the homemade soups and salads.  Dinner items include the oven roasted turkey, meat loaf, roast beef, roasted pork, walleye, pork chops and spaghetti.  All dinners are served with mashed potatoes, gravy and bread.

Keys is also famous for their bakery....pies, cakes, scones, muffins, cookies.

Price guide: Breakfast $ 4-9  Sandwiches $ 6-9  Dinners $ 9-11

What I ordered: Combo #2 (two eggs with Italian hash).  Keys famous Italian sausage with mushrooms, onions, green peppers, tomatoes and hash browns.  This is my favorite breakfast!  I love the spiciness of the sausage with the texture of the sauteed veggies and hashbrowns.  The thick sliced homemade bread toasted with keys homemade strawberry jam is also delicious

My companion ordered the farmer's omelet (ham, onions and cheese) with a side of hashbrowns.  This was a very large omelet, stuffed full of ingredients.

Service:  Our visit was at a non-peak hour and was kind of slow.  Took awhile for the hostess to see us and then seat us.

Overall Impression: Large selection of breakfast dishes, reasonably priced.  Good place to meet a group for breakfast (as long as you don't mind waiting to be seated, as it is very busy on Sat-Sunday mornings.)