Twin Cities Restaurant Blog

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.

Dave & Buster's ~ Maple Grove, MN

Cuisine: American, Steaks, Fish & Seafood
Restaurant Features: Bar, Games, On-Site Parking

Location: Maple Grove, MN
Address: 11780 Fountains Way Maple Grove, MN 55369   763-493-9815
Links: Dave & Buster's Website        Google Map

Atmosphere: The restaurant itself is a decent size, especially when combined with the bar area, which also serves food.  The bar had several flat-screen TV's mounted above it, showing popular sporting events.

Beyond the restaurant and bar area is a giant arcade with everything from old-school favorites like skeeball to recent hits like Deal or No Deal.  Get physical with games like Dance, Dance Evolution or try one of the Trivia Video Games.  Shown here is a horse racing game.

Menu: Appetizers include Philly Steak Rolls, Cheese Fries. Cheese Sticks, Fried Mushrooms, Spinach Dip, Buffalo Wings, Thai Chicken Dippers, Bar Burgers, Potato Skins, Nachos

Burgers and sandwiches include Grilled Chicken and Cheddar, Roasted Turkey Avocado, Philly or Chicken Cheesesteak, Buffalo Chicken Wrapper, Buffalo Bar Chicks,

California Bar Burgers, Garden Burger and several other burgers.

Entrees include Lacy's Chicken, Black Jack BBQ Chicken or Ribs, Chicken Fingers, a large selection of Ribeyes and Sirloins, Grilled Salmon, Fried Shrimp, Blackened Tilapia, Fried Catfish, Fish & Chips, Cajun Shrimp Alfredo, Parmesan Chicken Alfredo, Chicken Marinara, and Blackened Chicken Pasta.

There is also a large selection of salads and soups.

Price guide: Appetizers $6-10  Sandwiches & Burgers $ 8-10  Entrees $ 10-25
What We ordered: We started off with the tempura fried mushrooms.  Lightly breaded and crispy.

 I ordered the Buffalo Bar Chicks. I think maybe part of the purpose of the smaller sandwiches is to make these easier to eat and less messy.  The sauce was standard spicy buffalo sauce, with bleu cheese dressing, fresh lettuce & tomato served on a warm roll.  I thought it was pretty good. 

 One of my companions ordered the Sirloin, served with loaded mashed potatoes and crispy onions.  The steak had really good flavor and the onions and potatoes were a  nice compliment in flavor and texture.

 Another companion ordered the Atlantic Salmon fillet grilled and glazed with a Hawaiian ginger sesame sauce. Served with citrus rice and sautéed green beans.  I did not try, but it looked fabulous!

 Another companion ordered the Mushroom & Swiss Burger.  The burger was quite large, as was the bun it was served on.

Since our visit was in celebration of a birthday, Dave & Buster's gave us this complimentary brownie dessert.

Another companion ordered the Banana's Foster dessert 

Service: The restaurant was very busy and every table was packed with people, so the service was kind of slow.  After dinner we attempted to play a few games, but found it very difficult to get started.  First we had to go somewhere to get a plastic card and then we had to go somewhere else to put money on the plastic card.  It was pretty much impossible to share the card because you had to physically have it with you to swipe it in the card slot.  One of us attempted to play a bowling game, but discovered the $5 only covered 5 frames of bowling.  I thought that was absolutely ridiculous! The arcade was very busy since it was a Friday night and the fun, popular games that I would've liked to play had lines. 
Overall Impression: The restaurant had good food, but the arcade was overpriced.  Cool place if you're into video games (I am not.)

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.

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. 

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.

Fuddruckers Hamburgers ~ Bloomington, Coon Rapids, Eden Prairie, Maple Grove, St Louis Park

Cuisine: American, Burgers, Bakery, Ice Cream

Restaurant Features: Bar (beer only), Counter-Service, Games, On-Site Parking

Locations: Roseville (site of this review), Bloomington, Coon Rapids, Eden Prairie, Maple Grove and Saint Louis Park.

Addresses & Maps:

Roseville 2740 North Snelling Avenue, Roseville, MN  55113 651-636-3833    

Bloomington 3801 Minnesota Drive, Bloomington, MN  55435  952-835-3833

Coon Rapids 8955 Spring Brook Road, Coon Rapids, MN  55433  242-780-2909    

Eden Prairie 11825 Technology Drive, Eden Prairie, MN  55344    952-943-1010                

Maple Grove 14500 Weaver Lake Road, Maple Grove, MN  55311   763-420-6388    

Saint Louis Park 6445 Wayzata Blvd., Saint Louis Park, MN  55426   952-593-3833    

Links:  Fuddrucker's website

Atmosphere: Fuddruckers is decorated with an "Oldies Rock" theme. Vinyl albums, posters and pictures of some of the classic oldies bands line the walls. There are even a couple of large round booths in the corners decorated as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The King. Large back room is a great place to invite a big group or throw a birthday party. Video games and arcade will keep the kids entertained for quite some time :)

Menu: Where else can you go besides Fuddrucker's and order the perfect size burger for your appetite? Choices are 1/3 lb, 1/2 lb, 2/3 lb and the 1 lb burger! Choose your own fixings and decorate your burger from a serve-yourself line adjacent to the pick-up counter. Besides the World's Greatest Hamburgers, they also offer chicken, fish, 1/4 lb beef hotdogs, and a variety of salads. Check out other menu items on the Fuddrucker's website.

All sides come ala carte: Onion rings, wedge-cut fries and chilli-cheese fries, nachos. Fuddrucker's also has a bakery and ice cream shoppe to entice your sweet-tooth. Mouth watering cookies and brownies are available at a very reasonable price! You can also create your own ice cream flavor from a variety of homemade flavors and toppings. Malts are also fabulous, try one! Oh, did I mention that all of their buns are baked fresh on-site daily and grilled to perfection?

Price Guide: Burgers range from $5.50 for the 1/3 to $8.50 for the pounder. This price does not include a side. Sides range from $1.69-$4.00

What I ordered: 2/3 lb southwest burger. Comes with monterrey jack, crispy bacon and guacamole. If you like to spice it up a bit, I highly recommend adding some fresh pico de gallo and/or banana peppers. I like a lot of guacamole, so I also ordered an additional side.

Hungry? You have to be to eat this amazing 1 lb burger with all the fixings!

Service: Order-at-counter-dining. You get a light-up coaster when your food is ready, and then pick-up at the food counter. Usually Fudd's cranks out the food pretty fast, even on a busy night. On this particular Monday night they were not busy at all, but we waited almost 25 minutes for our food. It was worth the wait!

Overall Impression:  Fabulous burgers, fun atmosphere & great bakery!  Exceptional place to bring the kids