Twin Cities Restaurant Blog

5-8 Tavern & Grill ~ Maplewood, MN

Cuisine: American, Bar & Grill, Burgers, Dessert
Restaurant Features: Bar, On-Site Parking
Location: Maplewood, MN  (Sister restaurants include 5-8 Club in Minneapolis and 5-8 Bar & Grill in Champlin)
Address: 2289 Minnehaha Ave S Maplewood, MN 55119 (651) 735-5858

Hours:11a-12a (Kitchen closes at 11p)
Links:  5-8 Website   Google Map

Atmosphere: Located in Maplewood at the corner of McKnight and Minnehaha Ave, 5-8 Tavern & Grill is the sister restaurant to the famous 5-8 Club in South Minneapolis.  The building is divided into two distinct sides, the tavern is to the left when you walk through the front entrance and the dining room to the right.  The dining room  had both tables and booths.  Walls were decorated with a combo of neon lights and 50's memorabilia.

Menu: Appetizers at the 5-8 Tavern include Nachos Supreme, Jumbo Battered Wings, JoJo Potatoes, Extreme JoJos (with chili and cheddar), Deep Fried Cheese Curds, Chicken Fingers, Quesadilla, Onion Straws, Onion Rings, Buffalo Popcorn Shrimp, Potato Skins, Battered Fried Mushrooms, Mozzarella Sticks, and Summit Pale Ale Cheddar Dip.

Salads offered are the Turkey BLT, Grilled Chicken, Taco Salad, Chef Salad and Tossed Salad.  Soups include Chili and a Soup of the Day

5-8 has several basic sandwiches including Clubhouse, Hot Dog, Chili Cheese Coney Dog, Grilled Cheese, BLT, and Corn Dog.  All served with kettle chips and pickle. 

Specialty sandwiches at 5-8 are Pork Tenderloin, Walleye, Chicken Club, Philly, French Dip, Patty Melt, Grilled Chicken, Reuben, Buffalo Chicken, Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap.  Served with French Fries.

Roadhouse Classic Sandwiches include Steak sandwich (served on Texas Toast), West Chicken (grilled with BBQ sauce, pepper cheese, and bacon), and BBQ Pork Sandwich. Served with JoJo potatoes.

The 5-8 is famous for its "Juicy Lucy", a 1/2 lb burger stuffed with melted cheese (choice of American, Swiss, pepper or bleu) and has several other specialty burgers as well.  Specialty burgers include Mushroom Swiss, Bleu Cheese, Santa Fe (guacamole, pepperjack and bacon), Supreme (bacon, pepperjack and bbq sauce), the Speakeasy Burger (Swiss, ranch and bacon), Big Jim (double cheeseburger with 4 cheeses), the Saucy Sally (cheeseburger stuffed with special sauce), California Burger, Montana Jack (Heinz 57, bleu cheese, mayo and onion straws), Pizza Burger (marinara and mozzarella), Roadhouse Burger (bacon cheeseburger with 5-8 sauce), and The GCB (garlic cheeseburger).  All burgers are made with Angus Beef (or substitute any burger with with Veggie or Bison patty (with exception of Juicy Lucy or Saucy Sally).

Dinner Entrees include BBQ Pork Ribs, Walleye Basket, Shrimp Basket, 8oz. Sirloin Steak, BBQ Chicken Dinner, Hamburger Steak, Chicken Delight (melted pepperjack and mushrooms ), and Fajitas.  5-8 also has Genuine Broasted Chicken (cooked under high pressure).

Desserts include Chocolate Supreme Cake, Fried Cheesecake, Grasshopper Pie, and Muddy Paws Cheesecake.

Price guide:  Appetizers $5-8  Salads $7  Burgers $4-7  Sandwiches $4-8  Entrees $7-11  Broasted Chicken $8-15  Desserts $3-5

Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 2-6pm, 

• $3 Appetizers include 2 mini cheeseburgers, 2 chicken sliders, deluxe fries, beef nachos, onion straws and slider of the day.
• $2 Appetizers include garlic cheese bread, chips and salsa

Nighttime Happy Hour: Sun-Wed 8:30p-close

• 1/2 price appetizers
• 1/2 price taps

Weekly Specials:
Monday- Chef's Choice $6.99
Tuesday- Hot Beef Sandwich $6.50
Wednesday- Meatloaf $6.50
Thursday- Hot Turkey Sandwich $6.50
Friday- Broiled Walleye $8.99 or  Beer Battered Cod Lunch $6.50 Dinner $8.99 
Saturday- Jumbo Shrimp $6.99
Sunday- All-you-can-eat Spaghetti $6.95

What we ordered: My companions and I started with the Deep Fried Mushrooms.  The mushrooms had a thick, crunchy, solid breading that had been fried to a dark golden color.  I thought these were very good but the mushrooms inside the breading had shrunk quite a bit while cooking, leaving a lot more batter than mushroom.  It was served with a mild blue cheese dressing for dipping.

My companions also ordered some of the Potato Skins which were covered with melted cheddar and Monterey jack, bacon, green onions and sour cream on the side.  I did not eat these but my companions liked them.

 

For my entree I ordered a Swiss cheese Juicy Lucy with bacon ( because bacon makes every burger even better).  The burger was made with two 1/4 lb patties pressed together with cheese melted in the middle.  It was extremely hot so I cut it in half as seen below (served whole).  There was a substantial amount of cheese escaping the pocket of meat but it sure was great tasting! There was a thin layer of pickles under the patty.  I liked it a lot but honestly didn't have that different of an experience than I would with a traditional bacon and swiss burger.  The french fries were an "add on" to the burger for an additional charge.  Tasty but basic shoe-string fries

 

One of my companions ordered the American Cheese Juicy Lucy with mushrooms in a basket with Onion Rings.  The Juicy Lucy was indeed hot and juicy, loaded with melted cheese.  The onion rings were fried to a crispy dark golden brown and were just the right thickness for my liking
 

Another companion ordered an American cheese Juicy Lucy with Bacon and Swiss melted on top, also in a basket with onion rings and a small side of coleslaw.

Service: This was my first time at this location of the 5-8 and the restaurant was pretty busy, being a Friday night.  I have to admit I was a little confused when I first arrived because there was no hostess stand or a sign anywhere inviting guests to find a seat and there didn't seem to be anyone handy to ask.  My companions and I took the liberty of seating ourselves in a booth and were greeted shortly after by one of the wait staff.  Our server was very friendly and also had a great sense of humor.  The food was prepared in a reasonable amount of time considering how busy it was.
Overall Impression: If you haven't ever had a Juicy Lucy before, what are you waiting for? The 5-8 is a great place to try the famous creation and they have four different varieties of cheese so there is something for everyone.  They also have a variety of other sandwiches and entrees on the menu with very reasonable prices, especially considering the large portion sizes.  My only suggestion is that 5-8 should have malts on their menu because what could go better with a burger basket than a nice creamy ice cream malt or shake?!

Glaciers Cafe ~ Minneapolis, MN

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.

Tiffany's Sports Lounge ~ St Paul, MN

Cuisine: American, Bar & Grill 
Restaurant Features:  Sports Bar, Free Wi-Fi, Games, Happy Hour, Large/Flat Screen TVs, Live Music, Kids Menu, Patio Dining
Location: St Paul, MN (Highland Park neighborhood)
Address: 2051 Ford Parkway St. Paul, MN 55116 651.690.4747  (corner of Ford Pkwy & Cleveland Ave)

Bar Hours: Mon-Sat 11a-2a  Sun 11a-1a

Kitchen Hours: Mon-Sat 11a-11p  Sun 11a-10p

Links:  Tiffany's Sports Lounge Website   Google Map

Atmosphere: Located on the corner of Ford Parkway and Cleveland Ave, Tiffany's Sports Lounge is located in the heart of St Paul's Highland Park neighborhood and is close to many of the local Universities.  Tiffany's first opened in 1971 and has been a cornerstone in the area ever since.  "Lounge" is the perfect name for the big and open space that has a bar, pool tables and games on one side and tables and booths on the other.  It is a fun place with a friendly and energetic vibe.

One thing you will notice as soon as you walk in to Tiffany's is that there are big screen TV's mounted everywhere ~ I think I counted nearly 14 of them! Every seat in the house has a good view of one TV or another.  As you can expect, Tiff's is the happening place to be during just about any sporting event, including all local games. Tiffany's is also the St Paul headquarters for KU Jayhawks games.

Menu: Appetizers at Tiffany's Sports Lounge include Hand-Cut Fries, Quesadillas, Chicken Wings (Asian, Buffalo or Diablo), Chicken Fingers, Mozzarella Sticks, Beer-Battered Onion Rings, Sampler Platter, Chicken Nachos, and Mini Tacos.  Soups include French Onion, Chili, and a Soup du Jour.

Salads offered are Chicken Caesar, Salmon Caesar, Cobb, Buffalo Chicken, and Dinner Salad.

Sandwiches at Tiffany's include French Dip, Grand Avenue (turkey on foccacia), Club, Reuben, Italian Beef, Tiffany Dagwood (ham, turkey, bacon, swiss, cheddar), Ford Parkway (turkey with cranberry chipotle cheese), and Juicy Luigi (Italian sausage stuffed with provolone in marinara).  Specialty sandwiches include Fish & Chips, Salmon Sandwich, Steak Sandwich, BLT, Walleye, Steak Wrap, Buffalo Chicken Wrap, Grilled Cheese, Buffalo Chicken Sandwich and Southwest Chicken Sandwich.

Tiffany's burgers are all made with fresh Black Angus and include Cheeseburger, Hangover (fried egg bacon and cheddar over beef patty), Tommy Burger (Cajun spiced, jalapeños, bacon, pepperjack and chipotle mayo), Ground Turkey Burger, Black & Bleu, Tiffany Melt (sauteed onions and melted cheese on toast), Highland Park Burger (loaded with everything!), and the Infamous Summit Slam (over 1 lb of meat and toppings served with fries and a 24 oz. Summit beer- eat it all and win a T-shirt!).

Tiffany's also has "Sliders" which are mini-sized burgers and sandwiches (3 to an order).  Sliders include Cheeseburger, Italian Burgers, BBQ Pork, Blue Gill Burgers and Fire Dogs (jalapeño sausage smothered in Diablo sauce topped with onions, peppers and pepperjack cheese).

Save room for dessert! Tiff's has Turtle Cheesecake, a Hot Brownie Sundae, Cheesecake and Root Beer Float.

Kids Menu includes Grilled Cheese, Chicken Fingers, Cheeseburger and Mac & Cheese

Price guide:  Appetizers $5-10  Salads $9-11  Sandwiches/Burgers $9-10

Happy Hour:

• Mon-Fri 3-6pm
• Half-Priced Wings (Buffalo, Diablo, Asian) and Mini Tacos
• Top Shelf 2-for-1s
• $3 Tap Beer (24oz) Miller Lite & Premium Grain Belt

Weekly Specials:
Sunday- Build-Your-Own Bloody Mary Bar (10a-6p) $6  Free Kids meal with Adult Meal
Monday-  Double Cheeseburger w/Fries $6.95, MNF Miller Lite or Premo 20oz $3.75
Tuesday- Cubano Sandwich $8.95   Hot Ham & Cheese w/Soup $7.95
Wednesday- Wimpy Basket $6.95  Wimpy Platter w/Fries $18.50  Midwest Pint pf Beer $2.50
Thursday- Sloppy Joe Sliders w/Fries $8.95   Endless Mug of Miller Lite $8
Friday- Homemade Weekly Pasta $12.95
Saturday- Smoked Beef Brisket Sandwich w/ Fries $8.95 Build-Your-Own Bloody Mary Bar (10a-6p) $6

What We Ordered: My companion and I shared a bowl of the Soup du Jour which happened to be Cream of Chicken Wild Rice.  It was a hot and hearty soup, perfect for warming up on a freezing cold day like we have had all too frequently lately.  The soup was very flavorful with the chicken, vegetables, wild rice and and was also seasoned nicely.  It included a hint of some kind of pepper and just a little kick to it that I wasn't expecting but thoroughly enjoyed.  The breadstick was pretty good too; warm, soft and slighty buttered with garlic salt.

 

I love sandwiches and while there were many that caught my eye at Tiffany's, I ordered my favorite sandwich of all, the Reuben.  It seems that I am always on a quest for a really good Reuben and this one at Tiffany's ranks up there with the best! The corned beef brisket is cooked for 8 hrs. in Guinness and special spices and was very flavorful and tender.  The meat was sliced thin and piled high on top of the buttery-grilled, swirled rye bread.  The Swiss cheese was melted perfectly and the sauerkraut and thousand island dressing gave it the extra zip to make it a most delicious Reuben.  The hand-cut fries were also excellent, just like what you get at the State Fair except slightly thinner.

 

My companion had the Blue Gill Burgers, which were three "sliders" AKA mini fish sandwiches.  Each of the three sandwiches had a nice-sized sunfish fillet that was slightly battered with bread crumb's and Leinenkugel's, then pan fried to a light golden brown.  The batter gave it a little bit of a crispy texture but it was very light and the fish was tender.  Each sandwich was topped with a tomato slice, romaine lettuce and garlic aioli sauce.  Very delicious! It is a treat to see sunfish on a local restaurant menu such as Tiff's.

 

The desserts also sounded wonderful so I tried the Turtle Cheesecake.  The cheesecake was layered, with a thin layer of chocolate cheesecake at the bottom that slightly marbles into the main layer of cheesecake, which was rich and smooth and creamy.  The top was covered with a thin layer of caramel cheesecake and then topped with candied pecans.  So good! Too rich for me to eat by myself or in one sitting for that matter, but I would definitely eat it again :)

Service: We were able to get a parking space on the street and a table immediately upon our arrival.  I did not notice a host/hostess the night of our visit so I assume it might be seat-yourself.  Our overall service at Tiffany's was very good!  Our server was very friendly and had several recommendations off the menu for us.  Drinks were brought and refilled quickly, as was our food. 

Overall Impression: Great Sports hangout!!  The recent renovation to the kitchen allows Tiffany's to serve really good food at extremely reasonable prices.  It is a very fun place to get a bite to eat and watch a game or play a round of pool, which makes it a popular place for local college kids as well as for families (anyone would enjoy it at Tiff's!).  There are many other sandwiches on the menu that I would like to try, as well as the burgers and wings.  I will be back to Tiffany's Sports Lounge to eat again very soon!

American Burger Bar ~ St Paul, MN

Cuisine:  Burgers
Restaurant Features:  Banquet, Bar, Happy Hour, Pull-Tabs
Location: Downtown St Paul, MN
Address: 354 N. Wabasha Street St. Paul, MN  55102  651-222-2123
Hours: Mon-Fri: 11am-2am  Sat-Sun: 4pm-2am

Links:  American Burger Bar Website    Google Map

Atmosphere:  Located on Wabasha just one block north of Kellogg Blvd, American Burger Bar is in the home of the former Matty B's Supper Club.  The decor is still rich and masculine with dark wood work throughout.  There are many booths as well as a few tables and a bar area with additional seating.

Menu: Appetizers at the American Burger Bar include Skinny Truffle Fries, Cheese Curds, Onion Rings, American Favorite Sampler, Fried Calamari, American Burger Sliders, Meatballs ona  Stick, Best Damn Wings, Rib Eye Splitter, Chili Cheese tater Tots, and Nachos.

Salads include Caesar, Shrimp Salad, Cobb Salad, and House Salad.  Soups offered are Chili and Clam Chowder.

Sandwiches include Open Face Pineapple Chicken, The Gallivan (grilled ribeye with mushrooms, onions and bordelaise sauce) and Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich.

Build-your-own burger options start with 1/2 lb of your choice of meat: Black Angus, Kobe Beef, Bison, Turkey, Veggie and Lamb.  Over 20 ingredients available to top your burger with! All Burgers come with Skinny Fries.

Chef Burgers at American Burger Bar include American Classic, Cheese Steak Philly-Style, The Experience (Kobe beef topped with foie gras, black truffles, shaved parmesan cheese, braised short ribs, grilled onions and bordelaise sauce), The Wild Range (bison and lamb with fresh herbs, mushrooms and chardonnay) , Juicy Klucy (kobe beef stuffed with cheddar and topped with monterey jack), Rino 911 (Jalapeno) and South of the Border.

Entrees include 14oz Angus Steak, Diablo Pasta, Minnesota Twins (Twin Angus patties), Mac'N Cheese, and Kobe Ravioli.

Desserts include Apple Turnover, Deep Fried Cheesecake, Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich, Bread Pudding, Cheese Cake, Ice Cream Shakes and Malts.

Price guide: Appetizers $5-8  Salads $7-13   Burgers $9-19  Entrees $11-29  Desserts $6

Happy Hour:

• M-F 3:30-6:30p & 10:30-Close  

• $2 Beer $3 Rails $7 Martinis
• $3 Appetizers (skinny fries, onion rings, clam chowder chili, wings, meatballs on stick)
• $6 Appetizers (Burger Snacking, Tuna Tartare, Sliders, Cheese Curds)

What We Ordered: My companions and I were very hungry and ordered a couple of appetizers to start with.  First we tried the Fried Calamari which was very good.  The order was a decently sized, with bite-sized pieces of fried calamari as well as a couple of bites of fried cheese and pepperoncini peppers.  Served with marinara and signature seasoned mayo.

 

We also got an order of buffalo wings.  The wings had great flavor but I was really disappointed with how tiny they were.  There were a dozen of the some of the smallest wings I have ever had served to me at a restaurant.  I would not pay full-price for these again at $8 but the Happy Hour has them priced at $3 which seems much more reasonable. 

 

We also ordered the Sweet potato fries which were crispy and very tasty.  Perfectly salted.

There were many burgers on the menu at American Burger Bar but after hearing the server's suggestions, it was the South of the Border Burger that was calling my name.  This burger was ginormous! Made of Angus Beef, the patty was grilled perfectly and then topped with a patty of chorizo, sauteed onions and mushrooms, pepperjack cheese, jalapeno bacon, spicy salsa and guacamole then served on a ciabatta bun.  There was so much going on with this burger that I don't even know where to begin! The beef patty was juicy and moist and packed with flavor.  The chorizo patty added some spiciness and texture that really enhanced the overall burger experience, as did all the other quality toppings.  Guacamole ona  burger with bacon? Divine.  I loved that it was served on a grilled ciabatta bun which was hearty enough to hold all the toppings.  A sun emblem was branded onto the top and added a personal, fun touch to the burger.  Overall this burger was amazing, although much too big for me to eat all at once.  The skinny fries that came with it were good, and very skinny as the name implies.  I would almost call them matchstick fries because the longest pieces were just 1-2" long.  Crispy but still soft on the inside.

 

One of my companions had the Rino 911.  This burger was quite spicy, a half-pound Angus patty topped with roasted jalapenos, pepperjack cheese, and jalapeno bacon served on an onion bun.

 

Another companion had the Juicy Klucy, the American Burger Bar's take on the famous local Juicy Lucy cheese-stuffed burger.  This burger stands above all other stuffed cheeseburgers that we have tried locally (so far) and the ingredient that put it over the rest is the fact that it is made with fresh Kobe beef.  If you have not had Kobe beef before, you must try it immediately!! It has so much more natural flavor than even the best Angus beef.  The Juicy Klucy at American Burger Bar is stuffed with Wisconsin cheddar cheese and topped with melted Monterey Jack and served on a white bun.

 

Another companion ordered the American Classic Burger.  This truly is a classic bacon cheeseburger made with Angus beef then topped with American cheese and bacon, served with lettuce, onion and tomato on the side.

Service: My companions and I paid a visit to American Burger Bar late one Tuesday evening.  The dining room was closed for the evening so we were seated at a booth in the bar area.  Our server was very friendly and had good suggestions for us.  Like most downtown restaurants you must park at a ramp or at a meter (most meters downtown St Paul are free after 4:30pm). 
Overall Impression: Awesome burgers!! A tad expensive but top quality.

Sak's Sport's Bar ~ Vadnais Heights, MN

Cuisine: American, Burgers, Wings, Pasta
Restaurant Features: Bar, Games, Happy Hour, Pull-Tabs, Sports Leagues ( Volleyball, Broomball, Boot Hockey and Dodge Ball)
Location: Vadnais Heights, MN
Address: 1460 Co. Rd. E. East Vadnais Heights, MN 55110  651.484.6119

Bar Hours: Sun-Thurs 11a-1p  Fri-Sat 11a-2p

Kitchen Hours: Sun-Thurs 11a-10p  Fri-Sat 11a-11p

Links: Sak's Sports Bar Website     Google Map

Atmosphere: Located on County Road E just a block from Hwy 61, Sak's Sports Bar is in the location formerly known as Bentley's restaurant.  The space is pretty big, with a couple of different seating areas.  Pictured below is the gaming side of the restaurant, with dart boards, pull-tabs, several large  flat-panel TVs and bar-height tables.  The other side of the restaurant has a large bar separating two additional seating areas, one of which is the main dining room and the other is a row of booths running parallel to the bar.

Sak's is also known for its Outdoor Sports.  Leagues are available to play Volleyball, Broomball, Boot Hockey and Dodgeball.  Sporting areas not pictured.

Menu:  Appetizers include Buffalo Wings, Ranch Wing's, Crispy Chicken Wings, BBQ Ribs, Spicy Pork Sliders, Boursin Sliders (green chile ketchup, boursin cheese and fried onion strings), Hot Dago Sliders, Classic Sliders, Slider Platter, Pulled Pork Quesadillas, Fried Chicken Quesadilla, Nacho Bar (chips with melted cheese and all other ingredients on the side to make-your-own), Garlic Cheese Bread, Bucket of Fresh-Cut Fries, Walleye Fingers, Onion Rings and Tator Tots Bucket, Warm Chips with Charred Corn and Black-Bean Salsa.  They also have Chicken with Wild Rice soup and a Soup du Jour

Salads offerings at Sak's include Asian Chicken, Chopped Cobb, Cranberry Almond, Chicken Club, Red, White and Blue (red onion, bleu cheese), Beef and Garden Salad, Bird of Paradise, and Side Salad.  Any salad can be halved during lunch M-F.

Sandwiches include Hand Craved Butcher Sandwiches (beef brisket, ham or turkey breast), Italian Chicken Hoagie, B.A.L.T., Crispy Chicken, Grilled Chicken, Battered Walleye, Twisted Tuna (on English muffin with guacamole, bacon and melted Swiss), Honey Mustard Chicken Salad, Cucumber Chicken Classic, Grilled Vegetable Melt, Chicago Hot Dog, The Cuban, Buffalo Chicken Wrap, California Turkey Wrap, Chicken Gyro Wrap, The Monster Club and Millionaires Steak Sandwich.  All sandwiches and burgers come with kettle chips but you can upgrade to fresh-cut fries, onion rings or tator tots for $1.59

Burger options are the Classic Ground Chuck, Cowboy (bbq, bacon and cheddar), Bleu Cheese Lover's, Ranch Burger, Cheeseburger, Shrooms and Swiss, Juicy Lucy, The Big Sak (two patties), and The BMFB (18 oz patty with all the classic fixin's!)

Pasta Specialties include BBC Pasta (broccoli, bacon and chicken with penne and chipotle cream sauce), Chicken Al Fresco and Pasta, Big People Mac and Cheese (caramelized shallots and four cheese sauce), Blackened Chicken Pasta, Chicken Meatballs and Spaghetti.  Half-sized pastas available for lunch M-F.

Entrees at Sak's are the BBQ Ribs, Grilled Top Sirloin, Grilled Marinated Chicken Breast, Beef & Beach (sirloin and walleye), and Beer Battered Walleye Fillet.

Price guide: Appetizers $ 5-9  Salads $7-10  Sandwiches/Burgers $7-9  Pasta $9   Entrees $13-20
Weekly Specials:
Tuesday- Sliders 3 for the price of 2

Wednesday- $.25/wings

Happy Hour M-F 3-6pm  7 days 9-11pm ~ 2 for 1 on all drinks  Select half-price appetizers

What We ordered: My companion and I visited Sak's during Happy Hour and opted to go with a couple of the half-priced appetizers from the Happy Hour menu.  We started with 2-for-1 Blue Moon draft beers and the pork quesadillas which turned out to be an awesome choice!  The shredded pork was tender and flavorful, nestled up with melted cheddar cheese and sauteed peppers and onions.  In addition to the filling being great, the crisp and flaky, buttery flour tortilla was browned to a beautiful, dark golden brown.  It was drizzled with sour cream and cilantro and served with a unique black bean and charred corn salsa.  Delicious!

 

We ordered another half-priced appetizer (why not at that price?), the Alley Cat's Ranch Wings.  The ten wings were fried then tossed with melted butter and ranch seasonings, and served with ranch dressing on the side.  These wings were pretty good if you like ranch flavor, which I thought was a unique but very smart way to season the chicken.

 

There were a number of sandwiches on the menu that sounded good to me, but I decided to order my standard Reuben from the Daily Specials menu.  I thought the Reuben was very good.  The deli-style corned beef was sliced thin and piled high with tangy sauerkraut and melted Swiss cheese on a lightly toasted rye bread.  It came with a generous serving of crunchy, seasoned kettle chips.

 

My companion ordered the Juicy Lucy with fresh-cut fries.  Juicy indeed! The beef was cooked perfectly and inside was a hot cheesey mixture of American cheese, cream cheese and green onion.  The generous helping of fresh cut fries were also very good, not too greasy but just salty enough.

Service: We were able to get a table for mid-afternoon lunch without a problem and were seated at a booth in the bar area.  Our overall service was decent.  The hostess who sat us was friendly and the male server we had was nice but he didn't seem very personable or outstanding in any way.  Drinks were filled as needed and food came reasonably fast.
Overall Impression: Another great sports bar to try in the Vadnais Heights/White Bear Lake area .  Wide selection of appetizers, sandwiches and burgers on the menu all at very reasonable prices.  Great Happy Hour specials!

Freight House Restaurant & Nightclub ~ Stillwater, MN

Cuisine: American
Restaurant Features: Bar, Patio, Live Music, Night Club
Location: Stillwater, MN

Address: 305 S Water Street Stillwater, MN 55082 (651) 439-5718

Hours:

• RESTAURANT Sun-Thurs 11am-9pm    Friday & Saturday 11:00am-10:00pm
• NIGHT CLUB  Friday & Saturday 9:00pm-2:00am

Links:  Freight House Website   Google Map

Atmosphere:  The Freight House restaurant is located near the St Croix River in downtown Stillwater, in a building that was originally built in 1883 as Stillwater's freight depot.  The inside of the restaurant has been converted into a lovely two-story dining room, with a selection of booths and tables.

The decks at the Freight House are vast and spacious, running the entire length of the Restaurant and Adjacent Night Club. There are enough tables to seat several hundred people and also a couple of outdoor bars. Great view of the St Croix!

The Freight House also offers Live Music on the deck over the weekends.

There is also a popular Night Club that is open weekend nights, with a full bar and DJ.

Menu:   Appetizers at the Freight House include Artichoke Dip, Buffalo Wings, Onion Straws, Mini Burgers, Pizza Sticks, Walleye Fingers, Zucchini Fries, Rough-Cut Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Fruit Plate, and Chicken Wild Rice Soup.

Salads offered are the Steak Knife Chicken Caesar, St Croix Cobb and Bistro Salad (with candied pecans, dried cranberries and bleu cheese).

Freight House also has a large selection of 12" pizzas including Margherita, El Taco, Quattro Formagi, BBQ Chicken, Wild Mushroom Brie, Pepperoni, Sausage, and Smoked Brisket.

Sandwiches include BBQ Pulled Pork, Smoked Beef Brisket, Chicken Sandwich, Cajun Chicken, Grilled Reuben, Hawaiian Chicken, Veggie Wrap, Southwest Chicken Wrap, Walleye, Atlantic Salmon, Jumbo Hot Dog, and Fish & Chips.  Burgers include Freight House, MIni Burgers, California Turkey Burger, North Dakota Bison Burger, Black Angus, Swiss Mushroom Black Angus, and Black Bean Veggie Burger.

Price guide:  Appetizers $9-11  Salads $10-13  Pizza $11-13 Sandwiches/Burgers $9-11
Weekly Specials:  Wednesday Night Fish Fry -All You Can Eat Cod, Cornbread, Salad and Rough Cut Fries $12.99 (kids under 12 $6.99)  4pm-Close

What I ordered:  The Artichoke Dip came highly recommended, so my companions and I ordered that to start.  The dip was very good, with several chunks of artichoke throughout the cream-cheese based dip.  The dish was creamy and had cheese baked on top as well. The pita wedges were hot and slightly toasted, a great combo with the dip.

I also ordered a Spicy Bloody Mary, which came with a beer chaser.  I do not often drink Bloody Mary cocktails, but I thought this one was very good.  It was spicy, not too thick, and was garnished with olives & pickle spear.

For my meal I was debating between a couple of different sandwiches.  The server helped to make my decision easy when he explained that Freight House uses real corned beef form the brisket, so of course I went with the Reuben (please excuse this terrible photo, the photo I snapped at the restaurant was somehow damaged so this one was taken at home of my leftovers).  The Reuben was great! The corned beef was indeed the real-deal, slightly shredded and piled on top of the grilled marble rye bread, and the Thousand Island dressing and sauerkraut were plentiful.  I ordered my sandwich with the rough-cut fries and thought they were also very good; hot and slightly crispy.

One of my companions had the Walleye Sandwich with Sweet Potato Fries.  The walleye fillet was large, lightly breaded and pan-fried.  The walleye had excellent flavor but wasn't very crispy on the outside.  It was served on a toasted & buttered hoagie bun.  The sweet potato fries that my companion ordered were awesome. They were thinly sliced and crispy, the best sweet potato fries any of us had tried before!

Another companion had the Smoked Brisket sandwich.  Wow!  This was a monster sandwich, with at least a half-pound of shaved beef brisket and caramelized onions piled onto the sourdough hoagie roll, then covered with melted white cheddar, served with a side of seasoned mayonnaise. Also came with a giant pile of sweet potato fries.

Another companion ordered the Freight House Burger.  This delicious, flavorful burger comes from grain-fed Black Angus and is topped with sauteed onions, wild mushrooms and white cheddar cheese then served on a toasted ciabatta roll.  Sweet potato fries were selected as the side.

For dessert we shared the Turtle Cheesecake.  The cheesecake itself was very creamy and good, but when drizzled with caramel and pieces of cinnamon-roasted walnuts..... we have a big winner!  Extremely delicious and rich, perfect for sharing.

Service: Our service at the Freight House was excellent from the time we arrived.  The hostesses and manager were very friendly and the server was also great.  Our visit took place on a very nice, busy weekend day and my companions and I were all impressed with how quickly our drinks and food were served.

Overall Impression: The Freight House is the perfect place for patio dining, especially if you like a nice view of the water.  The inside is nice as well and the Night Club is a fun place to go on the weekends.  The service was excellent and the food was very good.  I would also recommend checking out the Minus 5' Ice Lounge that is temporarily located on the deck of the Freight House for just a little while longer!

Burger Jones Now Open in Mpls

Grumpy's Bar & Grill ~ Roseville & Minneapolis, MN

Cuisine: American
Restaurant Features: Bar, Banquet Room, Pull-Tabs, On-Site Parking, Patio
Locations:  Roseville, Northeast Mpls, Downtown Mpls, MN
Addresses & Maps:
Northeast Mpls- 220 4th St NE Mpls, MN 55413 (612)789-7429

Downtown Mpls- 1111 Washington Ave Sp. Mpls, MN 55415  (612) 340-9738

Roseville- 2801 Snelling Ave No. Roseville, MN 55113 (651)379-1180

Link: Grumpy's Website

Atmosphere: The Roseville location of Grumpy's Bar & Grill is in a very large building that was first  the home of K-Fan Restaurant and then served as Majors Sports Cafe until Grumpy's took over the location early in 2008.  Within the large space there is a large bar area with several bar-height tables placed around the centrally-located bar, an upstairs seating area, and an enclosed space for playing darts.

 

The Dining Room contains both booths and wooden tables, contemporary decor.

 

There is also a large Patio Area that can be accessed through the bar area.

Menu: Appetizers at Grumpy's include Chicken Drummies, Chicken Tenders, Popcorn Chicken, Quesadilla Gordo, Potato Skins, Mozarella Sticks, Tepanyaki Beef Tidbits, Mac n Cheese, Mac N Cheese Bites, Beer Battered Onion Rings, Nachos El Grumpy, Lil' Grumpy Burgers, Mini Corndogs, Tex Mex Queso Rolls, Sausage Pizza Dip, Gazillion Cheese Dip, Walleye Fingers, and Pepper Jack Spinach Dip.

Grumpy offers the following salads: Grumpy's Chop, Ty Cobb, Aztec Chicken, Bleu Bayou, Greek, Caesar, and Chicken Spinach Flatbread.  Soup choices include Chicken Wild Rice, Chili and a Soup du Jour.

Grumpy's has the largest selection of potato choices I have seen including Grumpy Fries, Tater Tots, Wedge-Style, Shoe String, Criss-Cut Fries, Mashed, Baked and Hash Browns.

Sandwiches include Chicken Cordon Bleu, Buffalo Chicken, BBQ Chicken, Cajun Chicken, Hawaiian Chicken, Build Your Own Chicken Sandwich, BBQ Chicken Wrap, Honey Mustard Chicken Wrap, Chicken Salad, Southwestern Turkey, Walleye, Tuna Melt El Paso, Mock Duck BBQ, Grilled Cheese, Ham N Cheese, Hell on Whells, Grilled Reuben, Grumpy's Rachel, Roast Beef or Chicken Philly, Hot Beef, B.L.T., French Dip, Clubhouse, Pork Tenderloin, BBQ Pork, The Cuban, and St Paul Style Coney Dogs. All sanwiches come with choice of potato.

All Burger Choices are a 1/2 lb of lean Black Angus and come with a choice of potato.  Options include Southern Style "The Elvis" (beef patty topped with peanut butter and bacon), American Burger, Pepper Burger, Burgermeister, Chili Burger, Veggie Burger, Cream Cheese Burger, Patty Melt, The Wyoming, Juicy Lucy, and Build your Own Burger.

Pizzas are made with homemade dough and include choices such as the Straught Up Sausage, Attsa Cheeseburger, BBQ Chicken, Pepperoni, Northern Italian, Aloha This! and Build Your Own Pizza.

Entrees include Ribs, T-Bone Steak, Top Sirloin, Country Fried Chicken or Pork, Homemade Meatloaf, Pork Chops, Fish & Chips, Penne Diablo, Gnocchi, Manicotti, Chicken Penne Carbonara, Shrimp or Chicken Fettuccine, and Tater Tot Hotdish.

Desserts include S'Mores, Home Baked Apple Pie, Chocolate Cake, Carrot Cake, New York Cheesecake, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae.

Price guide: Appetizers $7-10  Sandwiches/Burgers $7-12 Entrees $10-16

What I ordered: I really couldn't decide what I was in the mood for- I just knew I didn't want to get a  burger or sandwich which is usually what I get at a bar & grill.  The server said the manicotti was good so I tried that.  I would say it was decent, but nothing to write home about. The portion was HUGE, with several large tubes of pasta filled with a ricotta cheese mixture.  It was very mild and I could only detect maybe a slight hint of garlic and oregano in the mixture, otherwise it was just plain old ricotta.  The red sauce was tasty but there just wasn't much of it, so I asked for a large side of it so I could adjust it to my liking.  There was a lot of mozzarella baked on top.  It was supposed to come with bread of some kind, but they forgot to bring it to me.

 

One of my companions had the Country Fried Chicken.  The chicken was good, covered with gravy and served with a side of mashed potatoes, variety vegetables, and toast.

 

Another companion had the Quesadilla which comes stuffed with cheese and tomatoes and onions.  My companion ordered it with black beans and peppers added (which was charged an additional $3).  It was an excellent quesadilla but very expensive at $11.

Another Companion (who happened to be the Guest of Honor) originally ordered the Fish & Chips but it had been fried so long that it was hard as a rock.  Since it was inedible it was sent back to the kitchen.

 

Instead of Fish & Chips my companion had the Tepanyaki Beef Teedbits at the suggestion of the server.  These looked and smelled delicious

 

Two of the people in our group shared the Grumpy's Nachos, which was a HUGE order of tri-colored chips piled with melted cheese, tomatoes, jalapenos, black olives, green onions and served with sour cream and salsa on the side.

Service: My party had a reservation (made 3 days in advance) for 15 people at 6pm on a Saturday night.  At 6:10 when the entire party had been assembled, we were told that they could only accommodate us in the dining room for one hour and then we would have to leave so they could set up for another big party who had a reservation at 7:30pm.  Say what?! My companion who had arranged the dinner in honor of a birthday celebration was very upset, as we all were.  Apparently they had overlooked our reservation but could accommodate us all in the bar area with taller tables pushed together.  We were fine with that, as we weren't given much choice.  Our server was nice but not overly friendly and was not very helpful with suggestions on the menu- she told us she only ever eats appetizers. It also took a considerable amount of time to bring little things when asked, although we did have a large party.
Overall Impression: I was not at all impressed with the food at Grumpy's Roseville and the service was pretty bad.  It is very unlikely I'd ever go back

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!

Nook (Casper's & Runyon's) ~ St Paul, MN

Cuisine: American, Burgers
Restaurant Features: Bar, Games
Location: St Paul, MN
Address: 492 Hamline Ave. So  St Paul, MN  55116 (651)698-4647
Links: Nook Website   Google Map
Atmosphere: The Nook is tucked into its' Highland Park neighborhood within a little building just across the street from Ball Field of Cretin-Durham Hall.  The dining room of the restaurant is long and narrow, accommodating approximately twelve tables.  There is a variety of local memorabilia framed and hung on the walls, in addition to a handful of nice flat-screened TVs that are also hung up throughout the restaurant.  I am pretty sure I also saw a couple of video game machines at the very back of the dining room.  There is also a bar when you first walk in that seats about eight.

Menu: Appetizers at the Nook include Jalapeno Poppers, French Fries, Runyon Rings, Cheese Curds, Mozzarella Sticks, Mini Tacos, Mini Corn Dogs, Leprechaun Legs (fried green beans!), Nokie Wings with your choice of eight original sauces, Boneless Wings, Chicken Drummies, Chicken Tenders.

Pizza offerings include Deluxe, Sausage, Pepperoni, and Double Cheese.

The salad choices at the Nook are Dinner Salad, Garden Salad with Chicken, Caesar, and Buffalo Chicken.

Sandwich offerings include the Reuben, Bourbon Bacon Chicken, Charbroiled Chicken Breast, Charbroiled Chicken Club, BBQ Chicken, Buffalo-style Charbroiled Chicken, Chicken Tender Melt, Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, Half Pound BLT, Battered Cod, Salmon Burger, and Grilled Shamrock's Cheese.  All sandwiches come with fresh cut fries and pickle.

Burgers are what the Nook is known for! With many to choose from such as The Mickey's Original, Cheeseburger, Bacon Cheeseburger, Patty Melt, California, Pepperjack Burger, Shwishmushroom Burger, Bourbon Bacon Burger, Alumni Burger (Worcestershire sauce enhanced), Casburger, Nookie Supreme (Double Decker cheeseburgers with special sauce), Juicy Nookie (stuffed cheeseburger), Paul Molitor Burger (stuffed with pepperjack), Matt Birk Burger (two patties with pepperjack), Lodge Burger, Bleu Cheeseburger, Burger of the Month, and Garden Burger.  All burgers come with fresh cut fries or sub for onion rings just $1.50 extra.

Dinner Entrees come with coleslaw, garlic toast and French fries and include 7 oz Filet Mignon, a Surf and Turf Combo, Steak Sandwich, 8 oz. Ribeye, Fish & Chips, Fried Shrimp, Fried Chicken Wings, and Pork Chops.

Price guide: Appetizers $ 6-8 Sandwiches & Burgers $6-8 Salad $4-7
Weekly Specials: Sunday- Kids eat free from Kids' Menu  One child per adult.

Monday- Dollar Burgers from 8:30-10:00 (smaller burgers)

Tuesday-Bourbon Bacon Burger with fries $5.50

Wednesday- Ribeye and the Works $9.95

Thursday- Breaded Pork Tenderloin $5.95

Friday- Fried Shrimp or Fish Fry $9.95

Saturday- 4pm to close 10oz. BBQ Pork Chop Dinner

What We ordered: My companion and I started with the Cheese Curds.  This was a pretty generous helping of cheese curds, which were all bite-sized with a semi-hard outer breading and hot melted Wisconsin Cheese in the center.  Delicious! They came with a side of ranch for dipping.  I would recommend a minimum of three people share these rich treats.  I love them but can't eat too many at one time and I ate way more than I should have before the main course.

Our server told us that the favorite burger of everyone that works at the Nook is the Lodge Burger, so I ordered that to see what it was all about.  The seasoned beef patty was obviously fresh, very flavorful and juicy.  It had two layers of cheddar cheese, one on each side of the beef, plus bacon, tomato, lettuce and a special chipotle mayo.  I crave flavor and this burger did it for me! I was on cheese-overload from all the cheese curds I ate earlier and could have done without the second layer of cheese on my burger, but otherwise it ranks up there as one of the best burgers I have had.  I opted to sub Onion Rings instead of Fries and received a big portion of the golden rings.  The rings were thick-cut and also thickly breaded.  Good stuff!               

My companion had the Juicy Nookie with fresh sauteed mushrooms.  The medium-cooked burger was stuffed with a mound of melted American cheese that oozed out. My companion loved it and agrees that the Burger at the Nook is one of the best ever consumed.  The big pile of fries were fresh-cut and dense in the middle with just a slightly crispy outside and lightly seasoned with cracked pepper and garlic salt.

Service: Great! I had heard that the Nook is one of the few restaurants in town that consistently has a wait for a table, so my companion and I were pleasantly surprised that there were plenty of tables for us to choose from on a Monday afternoon around 4pm.  Our server did an excellent job of making us feel welcome and took his time to suggest different burgers and stayed on top of the drink refills.  Food was ready in a reasonable amount of time.  It started to get more busy as the hour progressed and by 5 pm every table was filled.
Overall Impression: Some of the best burgers in the Twin Cities, at great prices.