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).

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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.

Casper's Cherokee Sirloin Room ~ West St Paul & Eagan, MN

Cuisine: American, Steaks, Fish & Seafood, Sunday Brunch (Eagan only)
Restaurant Features: Banquet Room, Bar

Location: Eagan & West St Paul, MN
Addresses & Maps:

Eagan- 4625 Nichols Road, Eagan, MN 55122  (651)454-6744

West St Paul- 886 Smith Ave. S  West St Paul, MN 55118 (651)457-2729  8
Link: Cherokee Sirloin Room Website

Atmosphere:  The West St Paul location is a pretty large restaurant, with a couple of dining areas and a separate banquet room.  There are several tables to accommodate large parties and also booths set up along the perimeter of the dining room, all of which are covered with white table cloths.  Nothing about the decor stood out at the Cherokee Sirloin Room, just a collection of random paintings and wall sconces throughout the restaurant.

Menu: Appetizers include Onion Rings, Shrimp Cocktail, Blackened Tips, Ribs & Rings, Crab Rangoon, and Artichoke Dip.

Salads include Grilled Chicken Caesar, Cobb, Seafood Louie (shrimp, crab and scallops), Seven-Spice Prime Rib, and Garden Salad.

Sandwiches include Steak, Philly French Dip, Walleye, Charbroiled Chicken, and three 1/2 lb burgers.

Meat Entrees include Steak of the Millenium (sirloin), Porterhouse, New York Strip, Tenderloin Meddalions, Bacon Tenderloin, Filet Mignon, Chopped Sirloin, Prime Rib, Ribeye, Chicken Breast, Chocken Cordon Bleu, Roasted Chicken, and Barbeque Pork Loin Ribs.

Seafood and Vegetarian Entrees include Mushroom Ravioli, Walleye, Crab-Stuffed Salmon, Buffalo Shrimp, Walleye Almondine, Broiled Salmon, Jumbo Shrimp, Seafood Linguine, Bacon-Wrapped Scallops, Seafood Platter, and Lobster.

There are also a  number of Combo plates that include 8 oz. sirloin and either shrimp, walleye, lobster, crab or ribs.

Desserts offered at Cherokee Sirloin Room are seasonal but current offerings include the Birthday Cake, Chocolate Molten Lava Cake, Turtle Cheesecake, Pumpkin Cheesecake, and Chocolate Pecan Torte.

Price guide: Appetizers $9-11 Sandwiches $9-15 Meat Entrees $15-35 Seafood Entrees $ 20-35 Combos $20-42 Desserts $5-6
What I ordered: To start, we were given these warm loaves of crusty French Bread.

 

I ordered the Steak of the Millenium, (which happens to be the complimentary birthday sirloin), a 16 oz strip of sirloin.  It was thick-cut, but still juicy (cooked medium) and lean.  Steak seemed to be cooked with the barest of seasonings so I had to salt it to my own liking, but many people might prefer it that way. There was a hefty portion of fries that were pretty good, but also lightly salted.  The dinner salad that came with my meal was on the small side but the veggies were crisp and fresh and the homemade croutons were crunchy and flavorful.  I loved the ranch dressing.

 

One of my companions ordered the Bacon Beef Tenderloin with baked potato.  The tenderloin was thick and extremely tender, the bacon cooked but only slightly crispy.  Sauteed whole mushrooms were served alongside.

There was a large amount of people in my group and I chose not to take pictures of all of the entrees, but the Porterhouse looked and tasted amazing, and was a big hit for at least two of my companions. 

We got a complimentary slice of birthday cake for the birthday that was in our party.  Very tasty, like any standard white birthday cake.

 

We also ordered the Chocolate Lava Cake to share.  The dark chocolate was quite rich and had a warm, gooey center which was complimented perfectly with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream a la mode.

Service:  The day of our visit was Thursday Night Birthday Night and it was packed to the gills with people celebrating!  We had a dinner reservation but arrived slightly late and had to wait about 5-10 minutes for our table.  Our server was very nice and accommodating and although it was a very busy night, food was prepared in less than 45 minutes.  Drinks took some time from bar also.
Overall Impression: A FREE sirloin steak dinner on the Thursday night of your birthday week? You can hardly go wrong.  Price of entrees was reasonable for the amount of food you get, and the food was pretty good.  Not much in the way of ambiance but service is pretty good.

Jake's City Grille ~ Eagan, Eden Prairie, Maplewood & Plymouth, MN

Cuisine: American, Pizza, Steak, Chops & Ribs, Steak, Chops, Ribs

Restaurant Features: Bar, Patio Dining, Sunday Brunch, On-Site Parking

Location: Eagan, Eden Prairie, Maplewood, & Plymouth, MN

Addresses & Maps:

Eagan: 1288 Promenade Place Eagan, MN 55121 (651)287.8784

Eden Prairie: 12365 Singletree Lane Eden Prairie, MN 55344 (952)930.3742

Maplewood: 1745 Beam Ave E  Maplewood, MN 55109  (P) 651-366-6440  F) 651-366-6441

Plymouth: 3005 Harbor Lane North Plymouth, MN 55427 (763)559-1595

Links: Jake's City Grille Website 

Atmosphere: Contemporary with warm, rich colors;  very relaxing and inviting. Large dining room split into two sections, with additional seating on large patio.  I found it interesting that the wall between patio and restaurant is a clear-garage door; not sure if/when it is opened. There is also a nice view of the kitchen and wood-fire oven in the back of the restaurant, you can watch your pizza being baked!   

Menu: Jake's has a very large menu! Appetizers include Buffalo Wings, Spinach & Artichoke Dip, Dumplings, Lettuce Wraps, Seared Tuna, Bruschetta, Nachos, and Walleye Fingers. There are a variety of Burgers and Chicken Sandwiches and Specialty Sandwiches like the Prime Rib Dip, Walleye Sandwich, Lobster Clubhouse, or Smoked Turkey Melt.  In the mood for a good steak? Choose from Ribeye or Prime Rib (3 sizes to choose from), or Ribs and Beef Brisket.  Other entrees include Glazed Chicken, Pork Chops, Shrimp, Walleye, Salmon.  Tex-mex selections include Smoked Chicken Enchiladas, Fajitas and Tacos.  Pasta selections include Cajun Chicken Fettucine, Spicy Garlic Shrimp Linguini, and Baked Penne with Sausage.  There are also wood-fired pizzas with many choices of toppings.

Jakes also offers a Sunday brunch.  Items include Mesquite Beef Brisket, Peel-N-Eat Shrimp, Eggs Benedict, Huevos Rancheros, Scrambled Eggs, Jumbo Sausages, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Smoked Gouda, Au Gratins, Southern Fried Chicken, Made-to-Order Omelettes, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Pan Gravy, Ciabatta French Toast, House Smoked Salmon, Fresh Fruit, Bagels and Cream Cheese, Caramel Rolls, Cinnamon Roll

Price guide: Appetizers $7-12  Burgers/Sandwiches $8-12 Entrees $15-21 (More for large prime rib)Pasta $11-14 Pizzas $9-11 Sunday Brunch $14

What I ordered: Smoked Chicken Enchiladas (Herb seasoned shredded chicken, onions and pepperjack cheese wrapped in corn tortillas with ancho chili sauce, pico de gallo and sour cream).  I have to say I thought this meal was really good, better than I expected for a non-Mexican specialty restaurant.  The black beans must've been marinated in spices because they had really good flavor  The rice was also excellent.  The enchiladas themselves were very cheesy, but had chunks of white meat chicken.  The portion was modest, I was actually able to eat the entire thing.

One of my companions ordered the Fire Grilled Chicken Ciabatta
(Caramelized onions, cheddar, Jake Sauce and chipotle mayo). She liked it so much I ended up ordering the same sandwich on a  separate visit a few days later with a different companion.  I was blown away by the amount of french fries that were on my plate!  The sandwich was very good, it had a sweet sauce that was similar to BBQ, but more sweet and not as thick.  Loved it on the ciabatta bread. 

On my second visit to Jake's, my companion ordered the largest Prime Rib (22oz).  Huge steak for the money! It was very tender and cooked perfectly.  The au juis at Jake's was very good 

I was too full to consider dessert on either occasion, but they all looked really good, as you can see from their dessert tray.

Service: Excellent on both occasions.  The servers were very knowledgeable about the menu and made recommendations, or answered all questions.

Overall Impression: Great atmosphere, huge menu of excellent food, prices a little high but comparable to similar restaurants.

Granite City Food & Brewery ~ Eagan, Maple Grove, Roseville, St Louis Park MN

Cuisine: American, Burgers, Steak, Chops, Fish

Restaurant Features: Bar

Locations: Roseville, Maple Grove, Eagan, St Louis Park

Addresses & Maps: 

Eagan-3330 Pilot Knob Road  Eagan, MN 55121 (651)452.4600

Maple Grove- 11909 Main Street Maple Grove, MN 55369 (763)416.0010

Roseville- 851 Rosedale Center  Roseville, MN 55113 (651) 209-3500

*Located next to the AMC Movie Theater.  No Mall entrance- Must enter from outside only.

St Louis Park- 5500 Excelsior Blvd. St. Louis Park, MN 55416 (952)746.9900

Links: Granite City Website  

Atmosphere:

Granite City Food & Brewery is a brand-new trendy restaurant located just outside Rosedale mall.  I think it would be safe to say that the emphasis is not only on the food, but also on their on-site brewery.  Observation windows between the bar area and the brewery allow guests to see the inner workings of the brewery.  This large bar area with several flat-paneled TVs is a a great place to have a drink with friends.  Both the menu and atmosphere seem to cater to the an older, more-established crowd.  Not the type of place to bring the kids.

Menu:

Start your meal off with one of Granite City's Craft Beers- Northern Light Lager, Brother Bnenedict's Bock, Duke of Wellington-Indian Pale Ale, Broad Axe Stout and Two-Pull.

Appetizers include daily soups, Crab & Cheddar Cakes, Crab Wonton, Crab Chalupa, Chicken Caesar Chalupa, Spinach & Artichoke Dip, Nachos and Quesadillas.

A few of the sandwiches featured on the menu include the Reuben, Buffalo Chicken, Smothered Beef, London Broil and Chicken Salad BLT.  In addition to standard burger options, Granite City offers a Buffalo Burger as well.

Signature Entrees include Meatloaf, Rosemary Filet Mignon, Boneless Pork Chops, Chicken Parmesan, Lasagna, Ravioli, Walleye, Salmon and London Broil.

View Granite City Menu

**Please note that Granite City prides itself on updating the menu twice a year, so all selections above are subject to change

Price Guide:

Appetizers: $8-10

Sandwiches and Burgers: $7-10 (additional $2 for french fries)

Signature Entrees: $11-21 (additional $2 for soup or side salad)

What I ordered:

There were many items on the menu that are up my alley, but I wanted to try one of their specialties and the Grilled Salmon Oscar came highly recommended by the server- "Filet of north Atlantic salmon charbroiled and topped with steamed asparagus spears, crabmeat, and béarnaise sauce. Served on a bed of wild rice pilaf with sautéed vegetable medley."  I though the meal was very good- the wild rice was a perfect compliment to the salmon, as were the mild and creamy béarnaise sauce, and steamed vegetables.  The salmon was sliced thick, but was slightly uncooked toward the center.  Overall it was very good. On this particular visit my companion ordered the London Broil sandwich, but was disappointed that the meat was tough.  No pictures were taken :( I would instead like to share with you a picture of the Bedda Chedda Burger that was ordered by another companion on a previous visit.  As you can see, Granite City is very generous with the amount of cheddar they put on this burger!

Service: Our service was excellent- the waitress was extremely patient while my companion and I took our time looking over the menu.  She offered suggestions for ordering both appetizers and entrees, and also stopped back at the end of the meal to tell us about their Sunday Brunch.

Overall Impression: Although I thought Granite City was a nice place with good food, it didn't stand out as a one-of-a-kind restaurant.  It reminded me of several other trendy bar & grills that you see around the city.  I think the fact that the entrance to the restaurant is outside of the mall makes it harder to access and less of a draw to shoppers.