A staple in Excelsior for years. Variety of tasty food choices and fun coffee drinks. Amazing wait staff with genuine friendly service. Small town vibe - a true gem for Excelsior! read more

We came here for brunch on a Monday and it was quiet. Service was great and friendly recommendations. Prices were ok. The frittata was good but a little too salty. The soup was good. The chips and guac was perfect for snacking while we wait on our food to arrive. The portions are generous and I didn't even finish my frittata. It's a nice to stop for a bite before heading down the lake front for a walk. They had a gift stores attached so it was fun to see what is being sold there. The place is not very loud for conversations. read more

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Got the avocado toast and it was delicious. Got my son a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and he was a huge fan, especially with the chips. We sat in the window table and he loved looking out at the people walking by. Service was super quick, very kind helpful in choosing items from the menu 10 out of 10 recommend. read more

Ordered the breakfast tacos for $16 dollars and this came out. The photo doesn't do justice to how small it truly is. I asked the waiter if I could get another taco or potentially exchange for something else on the menu. He said I could add another taco for $6 dollars! Then another waitress ruthlessly brought the food back out to me and raised her voice making a scene saying it will fill me up and overall just humiliating. I've had both of these servers in the past and have never raised and issue like this before. We've come here for years. Needless to say I am not in fact full, and I will not be coming back. read more

Tiny cafe in the Mill, always busy. The seating is tight but friendly and they have a small terrace on the parking lot so you don't have to deal with the cars whizzing by. I love their salads but their sandwiches are delicious too. The breakfast menu has my favorite lox and bagel sandwich and they serve weekend brunch. Grab a large cookie or bar for your sugar rush on the way out. Oh yes, good coffee and there is wine. Park in the back of the Mill and enter through Provisions and shop your way up to the cafe. Music on weekends. read more

Very cute spot in Excelsior! Everyone working was super kind. Had a lavender lemonade which may have been the best lemonade I've had in quite some time! I had the grilled peach and prosciutto flatbread and it had great flavor! Would definitely get again. Friends had the tacos (chicken tinga and carnitas). They both enjoyed them. read more

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Absolutely love Suzie and her crew. So inviting! Love the vibe and my cappuccino. Did I mention the live music?! Oh, yeah.....

Great food and service. Cute place- loved that it was attached to a toy store as I was with my grandson!

Great food and service! Had the fig flatbread and the Lola latte. Will definitely stop by for live music.

Greetings. First, would offer that we are always very nice, polite and not overly critical, but this was a bit much. In their defense, they were rather busy, but that did not necessitate the waitress being rude at our very first contact (she maintained this attitude throughout our time there...until the end when she came for the payment, then she became "kind of" friendly). Our drinks took forever (my wife's large mocha....she ordered a small....tasted very watered down, and was awful), our soup was barely "warm", and the Rueben we shared was mediocre. We asked to have our soup heated (we never eat "barely warmed" soup....botulism can be ugly) and the server (different server) grabbed the bowl on the top rim (big no-no). By now we had pretty much formed our opinion and finished our meal, paid (left a 10% gratuity) and left. On a score of 1 to 1000, we would rate the "318" as barely a 218....you could do far worse than to avoid this cafe and maybe just grab a "real mocha" and sandwich at the coffee shop 500' down the avenue. read more

My favorite local cafe! The 318 is a great place to grab an early morning coffee and pastry, have lunch with the family, get work done at the bar, or catch some live/local music in the evening. I've been coming for years and the menu (and ownership) has changed, but if anything I think the food has gotten better! My favorites are the avocado toast (a little spicy and one of the best in the metro!), the roasted beet and goat cheese salad, the garden turkey sandwich, the El Cubano, and the TAB... lastly, 100% order the carrot cake, which is PHENOMENAL and homemade. Honestly, everything is good! Coffee drinks are also fantastic and in my opinion the 318 is the only place to get really high quality coffee and tea beverages in town (and that isn't a chain!). read more

318 Cafe - Great coffee! - New American Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

Food is pretty good and the atmosphere is nice and chill. However their big issue are the workers. Very slow service and they aren't friendly. Not sure what is causing that but the culture must be poor or hiring the wrong people. read more

Stumbled upon this place driving home from the airport, but I'm happy it was open so I could stop in! The decor inside and out is so cute and welcoming. Staff is friendly, and food is solid! My chai latte with amazing and was the best way to start my day. We ordered the breakfast sandwich with ham and the avocado toast. The sandwich was LOADED and was so good. The avocado toast was fresh and full of flavor. Great place! read more

The ambience was nice. The mimosa was nice. The service was fine. But the food was sooooo bland! No flavor. I'm kinda still mad about it. Those carnitas deserve better. Justice for those potatoes. Those beans had dreams. But no. Not even a grain of salt. read more

We have had good food at 318 Cafe before, but breakfast this morning was a dud. I had the two breakfast tacos for $14. It was literally $6 0z. of cold food. Each taco was your normal size small street taco size, one tortilla each. This is a bit unusual, most place serving tacos, regular or breakfast use two per taco to hold the fillings. I had to eat it with a knife and fork as it all fell apart. Needless to say the scrambled eggs were dry and odd, like they were made with egg product from a carton, bacon cold as well. No potatoes or beans. No cilantro as advertised. My wife's frittata was cooked to death, I had one bite and that was enough. Bill plus tips was $50 which include on latte. Being a local, I want to love this place but understand why there was no wait and half the tables were empty. Having been in the restaurant business for 20 years, there needs to be some tweaking as far as food and services goes, McDonalds would have been a more satisfying meal at a 1/3 the price. read more

I love the 318 Cafe! Sitting outside on the patio during the summer just feels so right. Staff (shoutout to Bailey, Kate, Alex, Halia, and Suzie: owner) are always warm and welcoming, and food is usually out quickly! Cute atmosphere, and a great place to work or meet with friends. If I had to narrow it down, my top three choices are: *TAB: Turkey, apple, brie. This is a combo I didn't know I needed in my life, but having it has changed how I view sandwiches. So yummy and always hits the spot. *Carrot Cake: WOW WOW WOW. I don't usually like carrot cake, but this one has changed my views (for the better). The hint of chocolate pairs so well with the carrot, and the icing on top brings it all together. A must try! *Quiche: I recently had the tomato and mozzarella quiche, and dang, it was delicious. No surprise of course! The crust had a nice crunch, and I definitely think cheese was baked into it. You really can't go wrong with anything at the 318. The wine and beer selection is also fantastic. Make sure you stop at the special spot in Excelsior! read more

You people do music, food, drink, service and atmosphere right. Beet salad and truffle popcorn are so nummy. We enjoyed open for our first time a few weeks ago-what a great evening. Thank you so much. read more

318 Cafe - Beet salad so good! - New American Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

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318 is all about the ambiance. Unfortunately there are two seats (the penalty box) at the bar where patrons are expected to routinely slide or stand to allow servers and customers to pass. A bit of an ambiance killer. The owners would do well to sell a couple less tickets. If you go--do yourself a favor and make sure you're not in the penalty box. read more

El Cubano. I am visiting from CA . Wow this place is fabulous. Absolutely top knotch. The fantastic atmosphere and friendly folks is a treat. read more

Small and local feel in excelsior. Food was delicious, menu is very small. The Cuban sandwich was phenomenal.

Quaint little coffee house/restaurant in the heart of downtown Excelsior. They also have a beer and wine license, but no booze. Mostly brunch, flatbreads, and sandwiches on the menu. I'm partial to their quiche which is available all hours. It's a rotating variety of flavors on this. Today the quiche was spinach, ham, potato, and parm. Each serving also comes with a delicious side of field greens topped with a lovely lemon vinaigrette. Minus one star for spotty service. This can happen from time to time here. To their credit on this day it was shift change time and one server had to cover the whole place. read more

318 Cafe - Quiche of the day. - New American Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

I love this small intimate cafe. They have a wonderful menu and great hot and cold drinks and a nice variety of wines! I enjoy watching their concerts which is such a great setting!! I have never received bad service or food. The staff is so great also!! read more

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Americanna iced coffee was not good I had to dump it! They charged $12.00 for 3-shots of espresso!

I've visited 318 numerous times for various performances. They host open mikes, and tons of other performances. It is a quaint little place with good drinks and a nice variety of food. At my most recent visit I got a cider, salad and popcorn while watching my friend perform. It's a very comfortable setting to hang out at and the service is wonderful as well. read more

318 Cafe - OPEN MIKE NIGHT - New American Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

Huge fan of the musical line up, the service, the beer and wine selection and the food! An epic place with charm and personality! Don't miss it! read more

Came here for brunch with a friend last Saturday. We got the Avocado Toast & Breakfast Sandwich. The chipotle mayo on the toast was absolutely amazing. The croissant for the sandwich was impeccable. Our meals were accompanied by two delicious mimosas. The service was a bit slow but okay since we were in no rush. Definitely recommend! read more

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Very cute wholesome feeling places and the food is always delicious- I love their tacos and homemade simple syrup!

Tonight this was a great oasis on a busy Friday night. We caught them before they got crushed for their dinner and live music scene. Solid bunch of tap beers, tasty vino and friendly peeps. Meatballs w slightly spicy BBQ sauce and chips and guac are not remarkable, but serviceable. read more

This place was very cute and very busy on the day after Christmas. I don't think they are very used to take-out orders and the coffee drinks aren't listed on a chalkboard behind the bar like I was hoping (but the beer was), but we found a menu and made our order. They also don't have the full coffee drink menu on their website, so I'll try to remember what I ordered. I got this really yummy cinnamon latte drink that tasted just like a snickerdoodle cookie! It was very good and they could make it decaf - much appreciated for an afternoon drink. My sister got a caramel mocha drink (decaf as well) and she really liked it. The space is darling. We were shopping around for the day, so we didn't want to stop, but it was very cute if you needed a cute, cozy place to get some work done or have a date planned or hope to catch up with one or two friends. The space is small and has a cozy cabin-like feel to it. It was pretty crowded on the day after Christmas though, so I'm glad we got our coffees to go! Very cute though! read more

So found this small cafe to try in Excelsior since the weather is nice. A bit hard to find where to enter as it's part of a complex but was able to grab a table quickly. Wait staff was nice and attentive. Started with chips and guacamole, while the chips were standard rounds, the guacamole was flavorful. My daughter had chicken tacos (not pictured). Wife and I shared pork sliders and the turkey flatbread. The pork sliders were moist with a nice tang in the slaw. The turkey flatbread had a good combination of thurkey, bacon, and veggies on naan. The sandwhich options come with chips or greens, both opted for chips. Overall a nice small cafe that is hopping with customers. Appears they have live music sometimes as well as there are speakers and a stage so something to keep in mind. read more

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I asked for a water refill -- never got it. The staff acts like they are drugged or just too bored to work -- especially after the apparent manager left this morning. It's also way overpriced for what food you get but the ambiance is cute and quaint. read more

I love 318! I come here at least 2 times a week and it's always perfect. The best place to relax and enjoy breakfast, brunch, or lunch. The servers are all incredible and friendly and making sure you feel welcomed & are enjoying your meal. The food is yummy and always freshly made. read more

SOooooOo Good! Yummy food, super friendly service. The gals that were working there let us stay a little past close and we're very friendly about reminding us. Perfect place to meet a friend. read more

My review is old so I thought I'd give an update. I really loved the quiche. In fact I'd say it's the best I ever had. Their tacos are good and they have some good sandwiches. But the last time I went here the quiche was overly salty and my coffee was luke warm. Actually luke warm coffee has always been a problem. However this time service was really bad. Before they closed for covid it was great. They must be struggling. Makes me sad. read more

Basic breakfast in Excelsior. A nice place to sit inside or outside. The menu is sparse, but what they do make they well. Old favorites such as waffles no longer on the menus. The service is slow due to understaffing. So don't be in a hurry. read more

Holidays now in the past, we tried again to experience the 318 Cafe. Glad we did! Service was very attentive without being intrusive. Our server was very congenial and knowledgeable about the menu items. We selected sandwiches: two chose Cubans and I chose the beef with tomatoes and Gorgonzola. Two of us had the field greens as a side, the other chips. Excellent experiences with everyone's dishes, including a cup of Tomato Lentil soup....which was very well seasoned and very tasty! Two enjoyed the house chardonnay at a very reasonable $6 per glass. The fine food, reasonable prices, and--now--attentive and personable staff have made this an experience to revisit. Now...let's check out the live music in the evenings!!! To be continued.... read more

The cafe is smaller than I thought as it looked bigger on a TV show I saw from their open mic night. I visited on a late morning and it was very quiet. It's a little crowded with tables and chairs in a small space. I sat at the bar and used them in their coffee bar mode, as they also serve beer and wine with their menu, however it was still breakfast time and that's too early even for me to sample craft beers. There is a handy menu of beers on a chalkboard showing the alcohol content. The coffee is from Dogwood and I raved about the dark roast. I've had Dogwood at other places and it wasn't as good as this one. An Egg Sandwich for breakfast with a surprise of fresh apple slices-nice touch. The sandwich was soft in a croissant bun, sort of, with pressed ham and cheese. Service was fairly prompt and direct, no small talkin' just thanks here's your order and I have no problem with that. Minus a star as the entrance is not from the sidewalk but from the street, I mean you have to walk directly in the outgoing lane from what is an exit street turned into a partial parking lot. The cafe opens to a gift shop and I would hope someday they could expand into that room. Typically these type of places tend to be low key lighting, but I found it a bit too dark inside. read more

318 Cafe - Clock and antique sign. - New American Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

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I have always loved 318, so last night was surprising to me. We were there for a comedy show, and the place was packed, but there were only two servers. We got there at 630, and our dinners were served as they dimmed the lights at 8 pm. I am sure it's hard to find help, but then you need to make accommodations. read more

The food at 318 is delicious. Dine in for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner! They've got yummy egg sandwiches, quiche, waffles, tacos, burritos, sandwiches galore, salads, flatbread, and many more great choices! Not to mention they've got a nice happy hour with great beers on tap and a good selection of wine. The live music is also a really nice touch to such a cute little cafe right on Water St. Plus the decor makes it feel warm and cozy and welcoming. The downside of 318 is the service. It just depends on the day you're there I guess, because once I was there with barely any customers and our breakfast took a long time, however, the last time I was there it was pretty packed and we got our food in a fair amount of time. So if you're willing to look past the waiting, then this is a great place to try! read more

Four of us were heading to The Old Log Theater, we wanted to try a new place I hadn't gone before. I called for RSVP's, Sat 6PM, it's a date. We got to 318 just before 6, checked in to find no RSVP, sorry not on the list. Thankfully, they weren't busy yet, so they sat us at a table by the door, then had us get up and move to another table right after we were seated, they needed the room for a disabled person, no problem. They moved us to the second table and unfortunately totally forgot about us. The "lets try a new place" wasn't going well so far. After talking to one of the staff they had a waitperson help us. We ordered wine and beer, things were looking up. The beer selection is focused on locals microbrews and the wine list had a good choices. We were running late now, so we had to skipped an appetizer. We ordered salad's and dinner. The salads aren't marked on the menu as available in a half sized, we were all glad half-sized orders were available and that's what we chose. We ordered the roasted beet, avocado, the pear, and the queso fresco salads. They were all very good. For dinner we ordered the roasted pork taco's, the roasted vegetables flatbread, the open-faced roasted vegetable sandwich and the chicken taco's. Again, they were all very good. After we ate dinner we were in a rush to get to the Old Log, we needed to go get our check from the server and head out. All-in-all, had the service not had a very rocky start it would have been an extremely pleasant "let's try a new place", sadly the service kind of mucked up the experience. Thankfully we made the play with seconds to spare. read more