Twin Cities Restaurant Blog

Davanni's Pizza ~ Arden Hills, Bloomington, Brooklyn Center, Burnsville, Coon Rapids, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Edina, Golden Valley, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Richfield, Rogers, Roseville, Savage, St Paul, Woodbury

Cuisine: Pizza, Delicatessen (hoagies)

Restaurant Features: Catering, Counter-Service, Delivery, Kids Menu, On-Site Parking (at many locations)

Locations: Arden Hills, Bloomington, Brooklyn Center, Burnsville, Coon Rapids, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Edina, Golden Valley, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Richfield, Rogers, Roseville, Savage, St Paul, Woodbury
Addresses: (Click here for Maps of Davanni's Locations)

Arden Hills: 3673 Lexington Ave N Arden Hills, MN 55126 651-481-7100

Bloomington: 8605 Lyndale Ave S  Bloomington, MN 55420  952-888-6232

Brooklyn Center:  5937 Summit Dr  Brooklyn Center, MN 55430 763-566-8220

Burnsville: 14639 CR 11  Burnsville, MN 55337  952-431-1500

Coon Rapids: 3430 129th Ave NW Coon Rapids, MN 55448 763-712-1000

Eagan:  1960 Cliff Lake Rd Eagan, MN 55123  651-688-6111

Eden Prairie: 8061 Flying Cloud Dr Eden Prairie, MN 55344   952-941-4444

Edina: 5124 Gus Young Ln Edina, MN 55436 952-920-9090

Golden Valley:  663 Winnetka Ave N  Golden Valley, Mn 55427 763-398-0303

Minneapolis: 1242 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN 55403  612-338-0000

Minnetonka: 15200 Highway 7 Minnetonka, MN 55345 952-938-4243

Plymouth:  3015 Harbor Ln N  Plymouth, MN 55447 763-550-0003

Richfield: 2312 W 66th St Richfield, MN 55423    612-866-3324

Rogers:  14165 James Road Rogers, Mn 55374 763-428-2990

Roseville, 1905 W Perimeter Dr Roseville, MN 55113 651-636-3411

Savage: 14125 Highway 13 Savage, MN 55378 952-440-1200

St Paul:  310 White Bear AveSt. Paul, MN 55106 651-738-6992

St Paul:  41 Cleveland Ave S St. Paul, MN 55105 651-690-4848

Uptown Mpls: 1414 W Lake St Minneapolis, MN 55408 612-822-3111

Woodbury: 1905 Donegal Dr Woodbury, MN 55125 651-739-1010

Links: Davanni's Website 

Atmosphere: The East St Paul Davanni's location is just off I-94 and White Bear Ave.  Like all other Davanni's location, customers order at a counter and then wait for their name to be called when order is ready.

There are several different seating areas, each with booths that can accommodate up to four people.  There are also a  couple of tables in the very back section of the dining room.  There are many windows throughout the restaurant, leaving it very well lit during the day.

Menu:  Appetizers include Potato Chips, Breadsticks and Garlic Cheese Bread.

Salads at Davanni's are the Garden Salad, Side Garden, Chicken Cobb, Italian Chef, Oriental Chicken, Southwestern Chicken, Spinach Chicken, Chicken Caesar, and Side Caesar.

Hoagie sandwiches are served on either white, whole grain, or ciabatta roll with lettuce, tomato, onion and mayo.   Options include Southwestern Chicken, Chicken Bacon Honey Mustard, Chicken Breast, Turkey/Bacon/Cheddar, Turkey, BLT w/ Cheddar, Club, Roast Beef, Pastrami, Ham, Salami, Tuna Melt, Veggie, and Three Cheese. Hot subs made with meat, marinara and cheese only include Chicken Parmigiano, Meatball, Sausage, and Pizza.

Davanni's Pizza can be ordered with a choice of three different crusts (thin, traditional and deep dish) and two sauces (red and white).  Sizes pizzas come in are Solo, Medium and Laqrge.  Toppings choices are Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, Sliced Chicken Breast, Canadian Bacon, Hamburger, Red Onion, Green Pepper, Garlic, Mushrooms, Hot Peppers, Green Olive, Black Olive, Pineapple, Bacon, Gorgonzola Cheese, Anchovies, Roma Tomatoes, Cheddar Cheese, and Jalapeños.

Davanni's also has Penne Pasta (with chicken, meatballs or sausage), Lasagna and Stuffed Calzones.

Kids menu items include Hlaf Pasta, Solo Cheese Pizza, or Half Ham Hoagy.

Desserts include Brownies, Rice Crispy Treats, and Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

Price guide: Hoagies $3.25-7  Salads $4-7   Pizzas $5-20  Calzones $5.50+

What We ordered: My companions and I ordered a variety of pizzas, including this large Chicago-style deep dish pizza with pepperoni and sausage.  Davanni's deep dish is a treat for those who like real Chicago-style pizza and has been my one of family's favorites for many years.  The buttery brown crust is at least 1" deep yet it is light.  The lightness of the crust is deceiving because the pizza is actually very filling.   The cheese and meats were baked directly on top of the crust with pizza sauce spread out on the very top to prevent the crust from getting soggy.  The large pizza had 10-12 wedges.

 

Our party also ordered a Large Thin Crust Pepperoni Pizza.  The crust on the thin crust pizza was also pretty good, crispy but slightly chewy.  It was loaded with melted mozzarella and a fair amount of pepperoni (although I personally like more).

c and olive oil)

This is a solo deep dish pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms and "pink" sauce.  Pink sauce simply means that it has both white sauce (garlic and olive oil) and red sauce.  If you like garlic, you would love either the white or the pink sauce.  This pizza was also very good, the mushrooms were fresh and there was a lot of pepperoni.  The light and buttery deep dish crust practically melts in your mouth.

 

One of my companions ordered a half pizza hoagy on whole grain with a special request for the sauce to be served on side.  This is a good sandwich but it doesn't have much substance, just a thin layer of pepperoni and a thin layer of melted cheese on one half of the bread.  You better order the whole sandwich if you're hungry!

 

Another companion ordered a pepperoni and veggie calzone to-go.  Safe to say that this thing was loaded with melted cheese, meat and veggies.

Service: You can call ahead for pick up or delicery, otherwise Davanni's offers standard counter-service.  There are typically 2-3 cashiers taking orders during the lunch and dinner rush but you can still expect to wait a few minutes before placing your order. It was fairly busy during my visit and it took about 30-40 minutes for our pizzas, which seems a reasonable amount of time for the deep dish pizzas to bake.
Overall Impression: Davanni's has excellent deep dish pizza and is conveniently located in several places around the Twin Cities.  Service is reasonably fast and menu prices aren't going to break the bank.

El Loro Mexican Restaurante ~ Burnsville, Eagan & Savage, MN

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Cuisine: Authentic Mexican,

Restaurant Features: Bar, On-Site Parking
Locations: Burnsville, Eagan & Savage, MN
Addresses & Maps:

Burnsville- 2501 Horizon Drive (Cliff Road & 13th) Burnsville, MN 55337 (952) 808-0068

Eagan- 1428 Yankee Doodle Rd Eagan, MN 55121 (651) 405-8244

Savage- 4749 West Highway 13 Savage, MN 55378 (952)736-8307
Link:  El Loro Website

Atmosphere:  The Burnsville location is quite large, with several small dining areas throughout the restaurant.  The parking lot wraps around the building and there are two entrances to the restaurant.  The decor is authentic Mexican, with large bright murals painted on the walls and a sombrero hung up here and there.  There are a mix of tables and booths, as well as a small bar area near the back entrance.  There also appeared to be a small patio area for use during warmer months.

Menu: Appetizers include Nachos, Queso Fundido, Chicken Fingers, Jalapeno Poppers, and Guacamole.

Salads at El Loro include a couple of different Taco Salads, Tossed Salad, and Chicken Salad.

Special dinners (entrees) include Fajitas (Shrimp, Beef, Chicken, Seafood), Carne Asada, Steak Ranchero, Carnitas,teak a la Tampiquena, T-bone Steak, Burritos Mexicanos, Burritos Rancheros, Enchiladas Rojas, Enchiladas Verdes, Enchiladas Poblanas, Quesadilla Ranchera, Enchiladas Rancheras, Pollo Asado, Pollo Loro, Pollo Monterey, Pollo Veracruzano, Chori Pollo, Yolandas, Burritos Deluxe, Burrito Ruleta, Chilaquiles Mexicanos, Taquitos Mexicanos, Shrimp Quesadilla, Shrimp Chimichanga, Quesadillas Veracruzanas, Quesadilla Rellena, Chimichanga, Enchilada Suprema, Chile Colorado, Chile Verde, Combo Special, Special Dinner, Loro Loco, Seafood Enchilada, and Camaron a la Diabla.

There are several combination plates and smaller-portioned lunch specials at reduced prices.

Desserts include Tres Leches Cake, Sopapilla, Flan, Fried Ice Cream, Cheesecake, Churros, Bunuelos (puffy pieces of pastry covered with honey, butter, and chocolate sauce) and Xangos (cheesecake wrapped in a tortilla and fried that dusted with cinnamon and sugar).

Price guide: Appetizers $4-7 Salads $6-9 Lunch Specials $5-6 Special Dinners $9-14  Combination Plates $8-9
What we ordered: We started with the complimentary chips and salsa.  The chips were freshly made; warm, crispy, and lightly salted.  The salsa was slightly spicy and had great flavor, I especially liked the fresh cilantro.  We also were given a side of "Loro" house dressing, which was a thick, sweet and tangy ranch style sauce.  I also ordered the Texas Margarita, which I believe to be Jose Cuervo Gold and lime juice.  Very good but very strong!

For my entree I ordered the Special Combo, which was a chicken chimichanga and a shredded beef taquito covered with nacho sauce and served with rice and beans.  I wasn't sure what to expect from the Nacho sauce when I ordered, but it seemed to be made from melted Mexican cheese, spices and chile peppers and had a lot of flavor.  I thought it was pretty good.  The chicken in the chimichanga was shredded breast meat that was very tender and seemed to be of excellent quality, and the flour tortilla was fried to a nice crispy golden brown .  The beef taquito was also very good, made from a  fried corn tortilla. I also ordered a chicken enchilada a la carte, but substituted salsa verde for the enchilada sauce, which I think turned out to be an excellent idea! The chicken was great and the salsa was also very good.  Beans and rice were also both very good.  The consistency of the beans was on the thicker side, and the rice was flavorful and slightly dry (which I like!).

 

One of my companions ordered the Special Dinner, which was a chicken burrito, shredded beef enchilada, beef taco, chile relleno, chalupa with guacamole salad, and rice & beans.  Everything was very good.  The chile relleno was a spicy poblano pepper stuffed with cheese and deep fried.  The enchilada sauce was okay, kind of sweet & tangy.

Another companion ordered the Carnitas Dinner, which was delicious! The hefty portion of pork was very tender and moist and came with three flour tortillas, guacamole salad and rice & beans.  There was definitely enough meat to make several tacos, but I think corn tortillas would have been better with the carnitas (more authentic!).

Service: Our party of four arrived at El Loro on a very busy Friday night when all but one table near the door were already taken.  I was disappointed we did not get a booth, but we were hungry and did not want to wait for one to open up, so we sat at probably the worst table in the place (which wasn't really too bad).   Food and drinks arrived in a decent amount of time considering how busy the restaurant was.  One thing I noticed was that all of the servers in the restaurant were Latino Males.
Overall Impression: Very good, authentic Mexican food at reasonable prices.

Champps Americana- Burnsville, Eden Prairie, Maple Grove, Maplewood, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, New Brighton, Richfield, St Paul, & Woodbury MN

Cuisine: American,
Restaurant Features: Banquet Room, Bar, Sports Bar, On-Site Parking

Locations: Burnsville,  Eden Prairie, Maple Grove, *Maplewood, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, New Brighton, Richfield, St. Paul, Woodbury
Addresses & Maps:
Burnsville- 1200 W. County Rd. 42 Burnsville, MN 55337 952-898-5050
Eden Prairie- 8010 Glen Lane Eden Prairie, MN 55344 952-942-3331
Maple Grove- 13521 80th Circle North Maple Grove, MN 55369 763-494-4515
Maplewood-1734 Adolphus St  651-487-5050
Minneapolis- 100 N. 6th St. Minneapolis, MN 55403 612-335-5050
Minnetonka- 641Plymouth Rd. Minnetonka, MN 55305 952-546-3333
New Brighton- 2397 Palmer Dr. New Brighton, MN 55112 651-639-0339
Richfield- 790 W. 66th Street Richfield, MN 55423 612-861-3333
St Paul- 2401 W. 7th St. St Paul, MN 55116 651-698-5050
Woodbury- 8418 Tamarack Village Woodbury, MN 55125  651-735-5050

Links: Champps in Maplewood Champps Corporate Website

Atmosphere: Known primarily as a Sports Bar/Restaurant, Champps in Maplewood has Neon Signs and Memorabilia adorning the Logos of our Minnesota Sports Teams throughout the building.  The main dining area has a mix of round wooden tables and booths.  The building is very large, with a banquet room on the lower level and two large parking lots on either side of the building .

The bar area has a number of tall tables in addition to seating around the bar.  There is also an enclosed patio area with multiple windows that wraps around one side of the building.

Menu: Although Champps is a national chain, each restaurant is individually franchised and has control over their own menu.  Here is a link to the Champps Corporate Menu.  The menu that I am going to review is that of Champps in Maplewood, the site of my review.

Appetizers include Garlic Cheese Bread, Chicken Fingers, Spinach & Artichoke Dip, Santa Fe Eggrolls, Buffalo Wings, Asian Pot Stickers, Merlot-Grilled Sirloin, Quesadillas, Nachos, Potato Skins, Mozzarella Sticks, Onion Rings, Cheese Curds, and Waffle Fries.

Champps also has a large selections of salads including Southwestern Chicken Caesar, Caesar, Greek Chicken, Cobb, Buffalo Chicken, Oriental Chicken, Crispy Chicken Tender, Bleu Steak, Chopped, Taco Salad and Pasta Salad.  Soups offered are French Onion Au Gratin, Chicken Noodle and Soup du Jour.

Sandwiches at Champps are served with choice of chips, potato salad, cole slaw or cottage cheese.  Selections include the Mediterranean Tuna Melt, Mile High Turkey, Chicken Cyn, Gyro, Adobe Turkey, Muffaletta Hoagie, Buffalo Chicken, BBQ Pulled Prk, Spinach and Artichoke Chicken, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Champps Clubhouse, Hawaiian Chicken, 3-Cheese Chicken, Reuben/Rachel, Grilled Cheese, Cajun Chicken, French Dip, Walleye, Turkey Bacon Ranch, Buffalo Chicken Wrap, Ranch Chicken Wrap, Club Wrap, Southwestern Chicken Wrap, Philly Cheesesteak Wrap, and the Texas Fajita Wrap.  There are also a large selection of Specialty Burgers.

Specialty Pizzas that are offered are Margherita, Spinach Artichoke and Pepperoni, and Meat Lovers.  You can also build-your-own pizza. 

Pasta Specialties are the Fettuccine Alfredo, Cajun Chicken Fettuccinne, Baked Mostacioli, Roasted Artichoke and Grilled Chicken Penne, Spaghetti and Meatballs, and Jambalaya.

Entrees include the BBQ Rib Platter, Lemon Pepper Walleye, Grilled Fajitas, Kung Pao Chicken, Fish & Chips, and Sirloin Steak.

Desserts include Cookie Espresso Sundae, Brownie Sundae, New York Cheesecake with Berries, Hot Fudge Sundae and Chocolate Cake.

Price guide: Appetizers $6-10  Salads $9-12  Sandwiches $7-9  Pastas $11-15 Entrees $12-19
What I ordered: I ordered the Taco Salad, which came in a fresh, crispy tortilla bowl.  The bowl itself was on the small side, and was packed full of lettuce, seasoned ground beef, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onions and fresh jalapeños, with sour cream and salsa on the side.  It was so packed full of ingredients that there wasn't enough room for me to mix the salad, but I thought it was really good.

One of my companions ordered the sandwich/soup combo, a Grilled Cheese with potato salad and side Caesar salad that they happily substituted for the soup. The bread was thick and buttery, grilled to a nice golden brown.  The salad was a generous portion for a side salad.

Another companion ordered sandwich/salad combo with Grilled Turkey, Potato Chips, and Garden Salad.  The chips they serve are of the kettle variety; crunchy and salty.

Another companion ordered a BLT with Waffle Fries and Seasoned Sour Cream.  The BLT isn't actually on the menu, but the restaurant was more than willing to accommodate the request since they had the necessary ingredients.

Service:  My party arrived at the beginning of the lunch hour, immediately after the restaurant opened and we were seated promptly at our choice of table.  The staff was friendly and more than willing to accommodate a couple of minor changes to the menu, such as substituting a side salad for soup in the sandwich/soup combo, and making a BLT which was not on the menu at all. 
Overall Impression: Decent food with huge portions for the price.  Service is prompt and friendly, great place to watch any of our local sports games.

Buca di Beppo- Multiple Twin Cities Locations

Cuisine: Italian (family style)
Restaurant Features: Bar

Locations: **St Paul (site of this review), Burnsville, Eden Prairie, Maple Grove and Minneapolis
Addresses:

St Paul 2728 Gannon Road  St. Paul, MN 55116  651.772.4388
Burnsville 14300 Burnhaven Drive  Burnsville, MN 55306 952.892.7272
Eden Prairie 7711 Mitchell Road  Eden Prairie, MN 55344  952.934.9463
Maple Grove 12650 Elm Creek Boulevard Maple Grove, MN 55369 763.494.3466
Minneapolis 1204 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403 612.288.0138

Links: Buca di Beppo website  Google Map
Atmosphere: Big, loud, happy and crowded, warm and cozy.  There are many sub-sections to the large restaurant, many of which have long tables to fit large parties.

Menu:  Appetizers include Garlic Bread (with or without mozzarella), Bruschetta, Fried Calamari, and Pan Fried Fresh Mozzarella.

**Buca offers three portion sizes for their entrees: Individual (1 person), small (serves 2 or more) and large(serves 4 or more).

Salads include apple gorgonzola, fresh mozzarella caprese, chopped antipasto, Caesar, warm tomato spinach and the Di Beppo 1893 salad.

Baked pasta specialties include manicotti, stuffed shells, baked ravioli, chicken cannelloni, and lasagna.

Pasta dishes include spaghetti marinara or with meatballs, linguine frutti di mare, ravioli al pomodora, gnocchi al telefono, macaroni rosa, tortelloni, penne arribbiata,  penne campofiore, fettuccine alfredo, and  shrimp fra diavolo.

Entrees include chicken saltimbocca, chicken with lemon, chicken marsala, chicken, eggplant, or veal parmigiana, salmon with pesto, veal limone, and porchetta rustica.

Desserts include tiramisu, double dark chocolate cake, cheesecake, chocolate cannelloni, spumoni, chocolate vesuvio, and apple crostata.
Price guide:
What we ordered:  My companions and I ordered several dishes to share, starting with Buca's delicious garlic cheese bread.  Heavy emphasis on the garlic!! They slice the cloves and put on a very generous amount.  The bread is crispy and absolutely amazing!

Mussels served in-the-shell with Marinara sauce. These were the most delicious, tender mussels I have ever had the pleasure of consuming.  On the small side, but with amazing flavor.  A must-try if you like mussels!

We had the chicken Canneloni  ( Pasta tubes are overflowing with 100% chicken sausage, Italian cheeses and fresh sage. Smothered with provolone cheese and Romano cream sauce. Served on a bed of fresh marinara sauce.)

Macaroni Rosa ( pasta with sliced chicken breast, broccoli, peas, mushrooms and Roma tomato bruschetta. Tossed with marinara sauce, a hint of cream and corkscrew pasta.) This was so much better than it looked! The portion size was huge for a small, and loaded with ingredients and sauce.

Chicken Marsala (Sautéed chicken breasts and fresh mushrooms in a sweet Marsala wine reduction).  Very good, but disappointing to only get two chicken breasts in a small order.

Apple Gorgonzola Salad (Tart Granny Smith apples, spiced walnuts, dried cranberries and Gorgonzola cheese are tossed with fresh Romaine lettuce and our Italian vinaigrette).  Wow!

Manicotti ( Tubes of pasta stuffed with a rich blend of ricotta, mozzarella and Romano cheeses and fresh Italian parsley, topped with creamy béchamel sauce on a bed of  homemade marinara sauce.)

Garlic mashed potatoes

Spaghetti and meatballs (Imported Italian spaghetti with Buca's famous half-pound mouth-watering meatball smothered in  homemade marinara sauce.)

Service: Wonderful! We made our reservations several weeks in advance and requested a space that was a little more private.  They put us in the corner or the restaurant at a round table for 8.  So nice that we could all see and talk to each other! It was a very busy night (as it always is at Buca), but server did a great job making recommendations.  One thing that is slightly inconvenient is Buca's inability to split up checks.  No matter how many people are in your party, they will only give you one check per party.  They will, however, run as many credit card transactions as necessary :)
Overall Impression: Excellent Italian food, as long as you like garlic! Vampires beware of Buca and anyone who has eaten there within 12 hours! Great place to meet for large groups.  Reservations are needed.

Romano's Macaroni Grill ~ Burnsville, Edina, Minnetonka, Roseville, MN

Cuisine: Italian, Pizza

Restaurant Features: Bar, On-Site Parking (for all but Rosedale Mall location)

Location: Burnsville, Edina, Minnetonka, and Roseville, MN

Addresses & Maps: 

Burnsville- 1025 Country Road 42 Burnsville, MN 55337 (952) 898-4366

Get Directions

Edina- 7651 France Ave S Edina, MN 55435 (952) 844-0084

Get Directions

Minnetonka- 11390 Wayzata Blvd Minnetonka, MN 55305 (952) 417-9880

Get Directi

Roseville- Rosedale Mall  1705 Highway 36 W Roseville, MN 55113-3011 651-633-2148

Links: Macaroni Grill website  

Atmosphere: Dimly lit and somewhat romantic, you might not even realize that you are situated within the Rosedale Mall.  There is a mix of tables and booths underneath a wooden faux-gazebo structure.

Menu: Appetizers include bruschetta, fried mozzarella, shrimp & artichoke dip, calamari, crab-stuffed mushrooms and parmesan crusted artichokes.

Pasta dishes include the Pasta Romano, penne rustica, shrimp portofino, vodka rustica, seafood linguine or create-your-own pasta from a choice of pastas and sauces.  Stuffed pastas include lobster ravioli, chicken cannelloni, and chicken marsala ravioli. 

Classic dishes include chicken or veal marsala, chicken, eggplant or veal Parmesan, fettuccine Alfredo, spaghetti with meatballs, chicken and shrimp scaloppine and twice baked lasagna.

Meat entrees include chicken portabello, steak, grilled halibut or salmon, grilled porkchops, and honey balsalmic chicken  There are also a selection of brick-oven pizzas, salads and soups.

Price guide: Appetizers- $5-10   Pastas- %9-16  Meat Entrees- $12-21

What I ordered: Macaroni Grill always provides free loaves of their fresh, hot bread.  Break off a piece and dip it in the olive oil provided.  Delish! The texture is light, similar to ciabatta.

For my entree I ordered the Mama's Trio, a sampler of the chicken parmesan, chicken canneloni, and twice baked lasagna.  The chicken parmesan was very good, as was the lasagna (however the lasagna was warm at best, not hot).  The cannelloni had nice flavor, but the outer shell was pretty dry and crunchy.

My companion ordered the chicken parmesan entree, served on a  bed of angel hair pasta.  The size of this chicken was magnificent!  The combination of textures with the chicken and angel hair pasta was a big hit.

Service: The hosts and serving staff were very friendly and pleasant.  Drinks and food served in a timely fashion.

Overall Impression: Decent Italian food if you like chain-style restaurants. Prices are comparable to other Italian restaurants of the same caliber, good service.

Olive Garden ~ Bloomington, Burnsville, Coon Rapids, Maple Grove, Maplewood, Oakdale, Roseville, and Saint Louis Park, MN

Cuisine: Italian

Restaurant Features: Bar, On-Site Parking

Locations: Bloomington, Burnsville, Coon Rapids, Maple Grove, Maplewood, Oakdale

Addresses & Maps:

Bloomington- 4701 American Blvd W. Bloomington, MN 55437 (952)841-4044

Burnsville- 1451 County Rd 42  Burnsville, MN 55306 (952)898-4200

Coon Rapids- 150 Coon Rapids Blvd Coon Rapids, MN 55443 (763) 786-1089

Maple Grove- 12520 Elm Creek Blvd N Maple Grove, MN 55369 (763) 420-9699

Maplewood- 1749 Beam Avenue Maplewood, MN 55109 (651) 773-0200

Oakdale- 8367 3rd Street N.  Oakdale, MN 55128 (651)264-1447

Roseville- 1525 County Rd C Roseville, MN 55113 (651) 638-9557
Saint Louis Park- 5235 Wayzata Blvd Saint Louis Park, MN 55416 (952) 544-4423

Links: Olive Garden website  

Atmosphere: One look at the house wines lining the walls, and there should be no doubt this is an Italian restaurant!  Cozy, warm and dimly-lit are the words I would use to describe the atmosphere.  Several small sections of the dining area offer privacy and romance.

How cute is this little indoor courtyard that greets you upon entry? The perfect place to have a glass of wine while waiting for your table!

 

Menu: Warm breadsticks and Italian house salad are brought out almost as soon as you place your meal order. 

Appetizers include brushetta, stuffed mushrooms, smoked mozzerella, calamari and shrimp scampi.

Entrees include classic Italian recipes such as lasagna, fettuccini alfredo, ravioli, manicotti, spaghetti and linguini, and chicken or eggplant Parmigiana.

Not in the mood for pasta? No worries...there are a variety of Italian pork, beef and chicken dishes as well.

Price guide: Appetizers: $6-10  Classic recipes $9-12 Meat entrees: $15-20

What I ordered: Baked Manicotti with a delicious blend of cheeses...so much cheese in fact, that I needed to order a meatball to balance it out a little.  Very rich.

My companions ordered the Tuscan Garlic Chicken (Pan-seared chicken breasts with roasted garlic, red peppers and spinach in a white wine and garlic cream sauce, tossed with curly fettuccine).  Absolutely delicious, I will order this dish next time.  The huge cloves of garlic laced throughout the dish are a garlic-lovers dream, a vampire's nightmare. 

and the Stuffed Chicken Marsala (Oven-roasted chicken breast stuffed with Italian cheeses and sun-dried tomatoes, topped with mushrooms and a creamy marsala sauce. Served with garlic parmesan mashed potatoes.)  Another delicious dish!

Service: Our waitress was very nice and friendly, patient throughout the ordering process.  She offered suggestions and offered us samples of the house wines.  She was very friendly and prompt in checking on us.

Overall Impression: The food and atmosphere at Olive garden is pretty much the same at every location you would visit.