Twin Cities Restaurant Blog

Sneakers Bar & Grill ~ Duluth, MN

Cuisine: American
Restaurant Features: Sports Bar
Location: Duluth, MN
Address: 207 W Superior St, Duluth, MN‎ - (218) 727-7494
Hours: Opens 11am Daily

Links: Website   Google Map

Atmosphere: Located within the Holiday Inn complex in downtown Duluth, Sneakers Sports Bar can be accessed on the 2nd floor of the adjacent mall area.  Like its name implies, Sneakers is a Sports bar that has tons of local UMD and professional Minnesota sports team memorabilia.  The bar take a main portion of the restaurant space, with bar-height tables surrounding it.

Menu: Appetizers at Sneakers include Quesadillas, Mozzarella Sticks, Chicken Fingers, Potato Skins, Chicken Wings, Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Super Nachos, Onion Rings and Chili.

Salads offered are Caesar, Buffalo Caesar, Team Captain (chicken breast, egg, bacon, etc), The Driver (ham, turkey, egg, etc) and  Taco Salad.

Sandwiches at Sneaks include Grilled Chicken Breast, French Dip, Fiesta Chicken Pita, Gyro, Ham & Cheese, Turkey Cranberry Panini, Ham and Cheddar Panini, Roast Beef and Gouda Panin, Tuna Melt, Reuben, Chicken Cesar Wrap, BLT Wrap, and Fire Cracker Chicken Wrap.  Burgers are build-your-own.

Entrees include Ribeye Steak, Ground Sirloin topped with Mushrooms and Onions, Fish & Chips, Chicken & Cheese Enchilada, and Chicken Fingers.

Price guide: Appetizers $7-9  Salads $7-9  Sandwiches $8-10  Entrees $9-12

What I ordered: I was in the mood for a sandwich and followed the server's suggestion of the Roast Beef and Gouda Panini.  While the description sounded good to me, this ended up being a poor choice.  The roast beef tasted like it had been sitting around for way too long, to the point of almost tasting "bad".  The smoked gouda and horseradish mayo conglomerated into thick globs of tasteless creaminess.  I honestly couldn't get past more than 2-3 bites and I was starving.  The fries were good and helped ease my hunger.

My companion ordered the Ribeye Entree which turned out to be a much better experience than my Panini.  The steak was only 8 oz but was flavorful and somewhat tender.  It came with a side salad that I shared and the fries that were hot and crispy.

Service: There was almost no one in the restaurant on this Sunday during lunch time, which I can attribute to the fact that 1. The Vikings were not playing that day, but rather the following evening for Monday night football and 2.  Another of the Holiday Inn restaurants, Porter's, was also serving their popular Sunday Breakfast.  Our waitress was nice and meant well by giving her suggestion for the sandwich and only charged me half price when she discovered that I did not care for it.  Drinks were sometimes slow to be refilled.

Overall Impression: Avoid the Roast Beef Panini unless you know the meat is fresh.  I am leery to ever go back for the food but it seems like a cool place to have a drink and watch a game.

The Coachman Supper Club ~ Baldwin, WI

Cuisine: American, Steak,
Restaurant Features: Bar, On-Site Parking
Location: Baldwin, WI
Address: 503 Us Highway 63, Baldwin, WI (715) 684-3355
Links: Google Map

Atmosphere:  Located off of the Baldwin exit to I-94, The Coachman is a giant building that stands alone.  There is nothing fancy about the decor inside of The Coachman Supper Club, very little has changed in the 40+ years it has been open.  The tables and chairs are very basic, covered with vinyl table cloths.

There is also a bar area that is quite large and seats many guests both at the bar and at the many bar-height tables.  There are a couple of TVs above the bar as well.

What I ordered: My companions and I each ordered the King-Cut Prime Rib, which came with au jus and horseradish, steamed veggies and choice of potato.  The cut of meat was indeed quite large but was very tender and had just a typical amount of fat.  This big cut was too much for me, but I ejoyed every bite that I did eat.

Service:  My companions and I stopped for an early dinner on a Saturday night and the dinner crowd had not yet started to file in.  Our server was nice but not overly friendly.  Drinks and food were served in a reasonable amount of time and anything else we needed was taken care of promptly.
Overall Impression: The Coachman has a family-friendly environment and is a great place to have prime rib if you ever find yourself in Baldwin, Wisconsin, which is just 30 minutes east of the MN-WI border, conveniently located off the exit to I-94.

Fatty's Pizzeria & Pasta ~ Breckenridge, CO

Fatty's Pizzeria & Pasta

106 S Ridge Street Breckenridge, CO 80424     970-473-9802

 

Fatty's Pizzeria is located just a block off of Main Street in Breckenridge. The main bar area/dining room has a ton of memorabilia of sorts hanging from the walls.

This is another of the dining rooms....

 

My companions and I ordered Artichoke Dip as an appetizer.  This was awesome! The artichoke hearts were blended with a mix of cheeses and herbs and served with several fried flatbread wedges.

 

We also got some of the Cheese Bread ( I did not try this but it looked really good.  The kids loved it!)

For dinner we ordered several Pizzas:

Pepperoni & Cheese on traditional white crust

 

Pepperoni, Sausage and green olive on Wheat crust

 

Supreme Pizza on wheat crust:

This is the pizza that I ate.  The crust was traditional hand-tossed, and was somewhat soft instead of chewy or crispy.  The sauce was mild but the ingredients were fresh and it had a decent amount of cheese.  The slices were big and filling!

 

Overall Impression: Decent pizza, but nothing fancy.  Our server was great about getting drinks refilled, etc.

Clint's Bakery & Coffee House ~ Breckenridge, CO (Side trip)

Clint's Bakery & Coffee House

131 S. Main St. Breckenridge, CO 80424 970-453-2990

While I was in Breckenridge, I was told I had to get a cookie at Clint's Bakery & Coffee Shop.  Clint's is on the small-side, but has fresh baked-goods, old-fashioned ice cream, and coffee.  There is also a sandwich shop on the lower level. 

My companions and I tried a few varieties of Clint's colossal-sized fresh cookies.  Delicious!

The cupcakes also looked delicious...

 

Overall Impression: The cookies are awesome and the service is pretty fast and pleasant.  Free samples of ice cream upon request!  You can also access free wi-fi.

Lazy Dog Sports Bar & Grill~ Boulder, CO (Side Trip)

Lazy Dog

1346 Pearl Street (at 14th) Boulder, CO 80302 (303)440-3355

This is one of the dining rooms at Lazy Dog.  There is a stage in the back of the room where there is often live music.

The rooftop patio is the place to be on a nice day!  There are many tables lined up on the rooftop patio, with both umbrellas and a misting system to help keep guests cool.

One of my companions and I shared the Reuben and the Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches.  Both were excellent! The Reuben had just the right amount of corned beef and sauerkraut and the bread was perfectly toasted.  The fries that came with the sandwiches were also very good!  They were very crunchy and had a seasoning mix of parmesan, rosemary and garlic baked into it.  So flavorful and good!

The Philly was loaded with tender slices of beef, sauteed mushrooms, peppers and onions and covered with melted provolone.  Messy but delicious!

Several of my companions ordered the Po' Boy Sandwich, which had smoked brisket, smoked pork, beans and coleslaw piled on a hoagie roll

Another companion ordered the Smoked Chicken Hoagie

This was the Greek Salad with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, gyro meat, tzatziki sauce and wedges of pita bread.

Alpine Burger with sauteed mushrooms, onions and melted Swiss cheese.

Smoked Beef Brisket

 

BBQ Ribs

Our service at Lazy Dog was pretty good.  A few members of our party had stopped the afternoon of our visit to see if we could make an advance reservation for 15 people on the rooftop patio.  The manager was very nice but explained that they do not take reservations on the rooftop patio, but that they would do their best to try to accommodate us.  When we arrived at 5:00, there were enough tables set aside for our party that we were all able to sit together.  That is good service!  Our server had great suggestions, was good about getting drinks to us in a timely fashion, and was cool about separating the check for our big party.

Overall Impression: Excellent food and fun atmosphere on the rooftop patio.  Great service.

Bar Louie Tavern & Grill ~ Westminster, CO (Side Trip)

Bar Louie Tavern & Grill

10661 Westminster Blvd Suite 900 Westminster, CO 80020 720.214.3300

On weekend evenings Bar Louie turns into a night club with a DJ.  There was a class reunion going on the night of my visit, it was very busy and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

For dinner one of my companions and I shared the Southwest Burger.  The beef patty was thick and seasoned on top of a toasted bun, with melted pepper jack cheese, a generous scoop of guacamole and fresh sliced jalapenos on top.  The burger was great!  The seasoned fries were also very good, nice and crispy but soft on the inside.

My companions shared the BLTT, a turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread, topped with bacon, melted cheddar, lettuce, tomato and mayo.

Our service was really good considering the restaurant was very busy with a Class Reunion.

Overall Impression: I thought both the food and service were very good, and the atmosphere was laid back yet fun.

Que Bueno Mexican Grille~ Westminster, CO (Side Trip)

Que Bueno Mexican Grille

10633 Westminster Blvd # 600 Westminster CO 80031 (303)464-1171

**Mexican Cuisine**

 

Que Bueno is located in a shopping area near a grouping of other restaurants.  Inside the restaurant there are several dining spaces throughout the large room.  The walls and ceiling are adorned with decorative and artistic lighting.

 

There was a Mariachi Band playing, they sounded great!

During the late-night hours, Que Bueno turns into a night club.  This upstairs seating area is open  during the "club" hours

My party and I stumbled upon Que Bueno as we were walking near our hotel.  The  Happy Hour drink and appetizer specials were advertised at 1/2 price so we stopped for several margaritas, glasses of wine and also a few appetizers.

This was the quesadilla, which came with a side of beans and guacamole.  We ordered a few other appetizers that I was unable to get photos of, but the food was all pretty decent.

Our service was pretty good, they were quick with our drinks and the appetizers were prepared quickly.

Overall Impression:  Happy Hour Specials were a good deal, appetizers were decent.  Good service.

Maria Maria (Carlos Santana) ~ Austin, TX

Maria Maria

415 Colorado Street Austin, TX 78701 (512)687-6800

**Mexican Cuisine**

Maria Maria is a lovely restaurant located in downtown Austin, on Colorado St, just a block off the famous 6th Street.  The lighting is soft and romantic with candles lit throughout the restaurant, as well as lighting set up to highlight the gorgeous paintings on the walls.

The giant paintings mimic the artwork on several of Santana's albums, very bright and colorful.

I enjoyed the complimentary chips and salsa (and a margarita!) until my entree arrived.  Many things sounded good but I really wanted to try the carnitas and since it came recommended, I went ahead with ordering it.  So happy that I did! The carnitas were different than most I have had before because they were bite-sized chunks of tender pork that had been cooked in a tangy, spicy Adobo sauce.  I made tacos from both corn and flour tortillas, they were both very good!The portion was very big and I had a lot leftover.

A couple of my companions ordered the Chicken Enchiladas Suizas, covered with a tomato cream sauce.

Another companion had the Chicken Flautas, covered with to kinds of chile, cilantro, sour cream and cheese.

Chicken Mole

Service was really good, considering we had a group of around 16 people.  Our server had good suggestions for entrees and was friendly and efficient.

Overall Impression: Cool place with a great atmosphere, good drinks and good food.

Cafe Mangu ~ Pflugerville, TX

Cafe Mangu

15200 FM 1825 Pflugerville, TX 78660 (512) 990-3121

**Caribbean Cuisine**

My companions and I enjoyed the complimentary Mariquitas, which are thinly sliced plantains that are deep-fried until they are crunchy.  They come served with a side of melted lemon butter seasoned with garlic for dipping.  Very good!

We also tried the shredded beef Arepas for an appetizer.  The tasty beef was served on a thick corn tortilla-like bread.  The shredded cheese was served cold, but seemed like it would have been better warm, so we asked the server to heat it more for us.

 

For my entree I ordered the mahi-mahi which came with my choice of three sides which were arroz con gandules, black beans and sauteed vegetables.  The small piece of mahi-mahi was covered with mango salsa and had plenty of flavor, but it was slightly dry and overcooked.  The vegetables and rice were very flavorful and filling, a nice compliment to the fish.

 

One of my companions ordered a dish that had pan-fried shredded beef with onions and peppers.  It looked good but was extremely salty

 

Another companion ordered this marinated chicken breast which was seasoned with paprika, giving it the orange appearance.  Tender and flavorful but on the salty side.  Came with sliced fried plantains, rice and beans.

 

For dessert we all tried some of the flan.  The flavor of this flan was very rich and tasty, but the texture was lumpy instead of creamy and smooth. It was topped with a sweet sauce of some kind, as well as raisins.

 

We also ordered the Tres Leches cake, which was a giant slice of sweet, moist goodness.  As tradition, the sponge cake was soaked with evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream.  Heavenly!

 

Our Service was very good, the server was helpful with ordering and had good suggestions. When a minor problem arose it was handled with care

Overall Impression: Decent Caribbean food at reasonable prices for the large portion sizes you get and   Good service

Saltgrass Steak House ~ Austin & Round Rock, TX

Saltgrass Steak House

Arboretum

10614 Research Blvd. Between W. Braker Lane & Great Hills Trail  512/340-0040

Round Rock
2300 N. I-35 (Between 3406 and 79) 512/238-0091

 

Having a good steak was a priority for me while in Texas (it is the top-beef-producing state after-all).  Several Austin locals suggested Salt Grass Steak House, so I made my way there during the last week of my stay.

 

 

My companions and I tried the Range Rattlers,deep-fried jalapenos stuffed with shrimp and monterey jack cheese.  These were really good, but quite spicy.  (Nothing a little ranch dip can't compensate for!) The jalapenos were big and seemed to have been fresh before being fried (rather than pickled).  The shrimp and cheese inside the jalapeno paired with crunchy breading was a great combination of flavors and textures.  They were served atop a bed of fried shoe-string onions. 

 

For my entree I ordered the Ribeye (as almost always!)  The cut was very tender and cooked a perfect medium, as I like it.  It was seasoned well and also had garlic butter melted on top.  There was a minimal amount of fat on the cut, considering that ribeyes can be fatty.  I can't say whether the beef was Texas-raised or not, but I sure enjoyed it! I The entree came with a choice of sides and I got the fries, which were pretty good.

 

One of my companions ordered the Surf and Turf, which was a sirloin steak with a lobster tail. 

 

Another companion ordered the New York Strip with baked potato

 

Our service was really good.  We each changed our minds somewhat while ordering, but the server was cool and patient about it.  Timing of the food was right on and drinks refilled as needed.

Overall Impression: The Salt Grass Steak House was a hit for my companions and I.  The food was really good, especially the steaks, and priced right.  I would definitely visit this location or another if I ever find myself back in the area.