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

Go for the turkey sandwich. I nearly forgot about this until I was back in Excelsior the other day. If you're in a hurry grab it to go. If it's nice out have it on the patio. Enjoy! read more

318 Cafe - New American Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

Stopped in for a quick lunch. Sat outdoors on the deck. Great waitress, fun and personable. I had the caprese salad. It was fantastic! Light and fresh. They serve Gull Dam Raspberry Wheat Beer here. Had a pint, paired perfectly with the salad and sunshine. We will definitely be back! read more

Food here is so delicious. Staff is kind and attentive. This is a go-to for a get together whether a coffee and pastry or lunch. They have entertainment from time to time. Spot is directly off the bike trail in charming downtown Excelsior. read more

Super cute, super fun spot in the west metro for dinner. The 318 always has live music on the weekend making it a chill place to hang out for a craft beer or glass of wine of an epic wine list. Super friendly staff add to the charm of this place. Need a food recommendation? Try the scratch made flatbreads - delish! read more

It's menu is small ..... only 3 sandwiches, 2 Salads, 1 Soup, and 1 Pizza that had potato and chorizo on it. The place tries to be too hip and cool. Just make a freaking Turkey sandwich with cheddar cheese so my kids will eat there. Would have been a great place to stop on our bike ride. Wound up being a place where we couldn't even order anything because the menu is so niche. read more

We LOVED the 318 Cafe. The staff was friendly and attentive, and the food was spectacular. We had the Belgian Waffles and the Breakfast Burrito. Their portions are relatively small, but it is a cafe, so that is to be expected. My friend had a mimosa, made with fresh-squeezed orange juice. It was wonderful. I had the coffee, which was from Dogwood Coffee and had great flavor. Bottomless coffee for $2. You can't go wrong when it's Dogwood! The breakfast burrito was wonderful. Very fresh ingredients with great flavor. The menu is small, but again, it is a cafe. Not overwhelming, which we liked. We loved the "home-y" feel. read more

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Wonderful evening at 318. Michael Monroe concert. Great small venue. Service and food/beverage was excellent.

We stopped in for lunch today with a restaurant.com gift certificate, and even at half price, I still have to give this restaurant a solid "meh." The ambiance is lovely, as in most of the cute little places in downtown Excelsior. Its very small and cozy, but not crowded. There is a fireplace in one corner that wasn't on (would have been so much better if it was) and a tiny stage in the other corner for the live music they have in the evenings. Like previous reviewers, I really wanted to like this place - I love the small town Main Street feel of this area, and there are so many other great restaurants around (Yumi Sushi and Biella, to name two). But unfortunately, it comes down to the food and it just wasn't anything extraordinary. We started with the truffle and gruyere popcorn, which I would say was the highlight of our meal. It was quite tasty and satisfying, although it did take at least 20 minutes from ordering it to get it on the table. They also serve root beer and cream soda from Spring Grove, MN, and that was also super delicious. After that, it was sorta downhill. I ordered a flatbread pizza with prosciutto, and ended up picking the prosciutto off and leaving the rest. The crust was neither soft nor crispy, it was just.... crust. The cheese mix on the pizza was way too creamy, and kinda sogged (yes, sogged - I am not a professional food critic) into the crust. I had two tiny pieces and brought the rest home for my husband, who will eat essentially anything. My lunch date ordered the beet salad and a half tuna melt. She said the salad was decent, but the tuna melt was really unremarkable. Although, I feel like it would be awfully difficult to make a tuna melt anything more than exactly what it is - so maybe we had unrealistic expectations? Regarding the service, I would agree with others who posted that it was a little on the slow side, and way on the inattentive side. Our waitress did the bare minimum required to wait a table - seated us, took our drink order, took our lunch order, brought our lunches, brought our check. We were never checked on in between, asked for refills on our beverages, asked how the meal tasted, thanked for stopping in, etc - all pretty standard restaurant courtesies. It was basically all business. I wouldn't go so far as to say she was "cold," but she was far from warm and welcoming, which is what I imagine the waitstaff at a cute, cozy Excelsior cafe to be. We also weren't offered a dessert menu, which is too bad because I now see in another review that they apparently have a red velvet cupcake?? Could've added a whole star to my review if I had finished off my meal with that.... Oh, well. Like I mentioned, it was half off. We won't go back. read more

Are you a music lover? Are you a food lover? If you said no to either of those, you might as well get out of America. Otherwise, take your time to visit 318 Cafe. This place will give you the experience that most places in the Twin Cities can't. It's the small town feel with the big name local musicians and great food. Unlike most places that try and turn over their tables, they understand that you might want to stick around for the music. That being said, they take their time and let you have a glass or two of wine before the main course. If you'd rather just eat and get out, this isn't the place for you. Check the music schedule before hand, because they do get some big names coming though there. Since the place is about 25 feet by 25 feet (including a stage) you might need to call ahead or make a reservation (which they are VERY good with). The food is all made from scratch and at times, seems like someone went to go buy your food fresh the second you ordered it. Simply an amazing find in the Twin Cities and highly suggested to the music and food lovers in the area. read more

Beet hummus and $4 house wine, good happy hour place. Also music on Friday and Saturday night.

This cafe has an excellent and limited menu. During many evenings it has life musicians of all types and from all walks of life. At first the menu looked like nothing great. The fact that it has a roast beef on ciabatta or a tuna salad sandwich was not impressing me. I felt the more sophisticated outdoor look and the menu did not match. Alas, I was wrong. There are few, if any, items on the menu without some type of unusual "earthy" or organic ingredient. My previous meals in such places left me thinking these were nothing more than gimmicks. 318 changed my view. Everything I have had in this menu is outstanding. They do a great job bringing out the flavors of each ingredient. Their wine and beer selection is good with nothing too "normal" to wreck the ambiance. One unfortunate reality of restaurants this far North is that few have outdoor sitting. (Why pay for the real estate when it is only usable for few months out of the year.) 318 does have four outdoor tables, but they overlook a parking lot. They have tried hard to make them more appealing than it may sound at first glance. I enjoy sitting there, but it is not the main draw for this little cafe. Service at 318 has always been good. They hire personable, pleasant staff, who are talkative without being intrusive. During busy times they have gotten a food or drink order wrong before, but have always been extremely apologetic and have either added what was missing at no additional charge or have prepared a completely new item. I feel any place that has "cafe" in its name should serve good espresso. They do. I am happy to taste it is not as harsh-tasting as in many establishments, but it is also not the water-downed version I have had in others. It is, simply said, a good espresso. Music nights normally have some cover charge after the show starts at 8pm. In addition, space is limited to about 40 persons. Therefore, if you want to have a meal on those nights it is best to make it there before 8pm. 318 Cafe is a nice hidden gem for all those who enjoy a good casual meal. It is also a great stop for persons who enjoy and support life music. read more

First Victim. This place is the ish. Got the truffle oil cheesy popcorn and Guac. uber tasty and brilliant. Had the chorizo tacos. yum. read more

We went here for breakfast during the week a few weeks ago. I appreciate that they serve more than coffee and pastries given the location. The breakfast burrito was very good. The side of guacamole was worth it. The side of bacon was a strange crumbly mess, which may have been because they forgot it then hurried. Maybe it's a turkey bacon? I prefer a thick and hearty bacon - if you're going to indulge it better be delightful. Service was adequate and good for a leisurely morning. The ambiance is like a coffee shop without the noisy machines. read more

We stopped in one afternoon recently for a quick sit on the patio and a bite to eat. To be honest, I wasn't expecting a whole lot and it was better than I expected. Still, it wasn't perfect. I suspected we might be in trouble when our waitress knew pretty much nothing about the beer on tap. The beer list is not extensive -- there are maybe a half dozen tap beers. But she didn't know what the seasonals were, and the menu was printed in such a vague way "Indeed seasonal" that we were forced to ask. She could not answer a single beer question without running into the bar to ask. Foodwise, we got the pork nachos, which were light on the pork and one big glop of melted cheese. They were average I would say. My BLT was also pretty standard, and I was surprised that it was not even an option to order fries. Chips or bust. My husband got the beet salad, which was probably the best thing on the table. A nice generous portion of beets and a very tasty salad. In all, the food quality was better than I thought it would be, and the patio seating is lovely on a nice day. But service was lacking and the food was not memorable or craveable enough to spark a return visit any time soon. read more

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Cute place, but food is way overpriced for what you get and menu hasn't been updated in years. In Excelsior, your much better off heading to Dunn bros for live music, at least there's no cover when the music is mediocre. The sister venue, Aster cafe, has much better quality live music. Also, please, Please have the bathroom in the building fixed, no lie, the whole building smells like raw sewage when I walk in there. read more

Went here on March 18th, which seemed name appropriate. The restaurant is located in charming downtown Excelsior, in the summer this is a fun town to walk around. The ambiance is very sunny, simple, and not too crowded. Food is also 5/5. I had the pear- blue cheese salad with added prosciutto, which I would recommend. Great dressing-green-goodies ratio and taste. Others at my table had a flatbread and turkey sandwich- both gave their meal 5/5 as well. I'll be coming back. read more

Wifey and I decided to have a late lunch at the new cafe in Excelsior before we venture into Adele's Frozen Custard (see my review). I really wanted to like this place. It's a small restaurant away from the crowds in Excelsior. I had Cuban sandwich and Wifey had the turkey sandwich with brie. Simple dishes done well. However. We waited 25 minutes for both dishes. Seriously...sandwiches. I've watched enough Gordon Ramsay to know that pulled pork is cooked ahead of time. We didn't complain because we weren't in a hurry. Also, we noticed that there were only 2 other tables that were being served. Far from a packed house. A simple explanation of why sandwiches took so long to produce would've resulted in a 3 star review. If the server comped Wifey's iced tea, then another star would've been awarded. read more

Delicious fresh lemonade and wonderful chocolate torte. The pork tacos are a treat! And that's putting it mildly. In the summertime, expect great glasses of sangria at bargain basement prices that provide a great break from the Excelsior shopping. The menu here isn't huge, but everything on it is substantial. And on certain weeknights, they have trivia night with pretty good prizes, too. read more

Came in about 6PM to try some place new around the lakes and there was nobody there. The atmosphere was cool but the tables were pretty crowded together (I'm usually dining with my 6'5 boyfriend who needs a little leg room). The house white wine was cheap but pretty bad. The food was nothing to write home about - I had the tacos and tried all three.. the best was the pork. The chicken taco had chicken strip meat that clearly came from one of those "ready-to-eat" packages. My boyfriend had the roast beef sandwich, I believe. He thought the meat was great but the bread was really hard. Maybe it was an off day for them, who knows. We probably won't go back. read more

Had high hopes but was not impressed. We stopped by for a late lunch and there were only about 3 tables occupied on the patio who were already served and we were the only ones inside. Asked for a beer recommendation as we're new to the area, and our waitress' response is, "I don't drink beer so I don't know." My husband politely suggested what were common sellers there and she then supplied two choices. We also ordered sandwiches, I got the half roast beef and my husband got the full El Cubano. We didn't keep track of how much time passed, but the waitresses were having a conversation with a friend who stopped by and another couple got to sit down, have several drinks AND get their food before I could wave down our waitress and ask her kindly where our food was. Again her response was a flat, "Oh it should be right out," because sandwiches take forever and a day to make when the other couple got cooked entrees and were already halfway done right? We finally got them and my half roast beef easily dwarfed my husband's full El Cubano. Each "half" piece was smaller than a playing card. We asked if that was the correct portion size for each sandwich and we got a flippant, "oh yeah." Trying to forget the service and just enjoy the food, we tuck in. The roast beef was rather rubbery like something you'd get out of packaged ziploc bag at the supermarket and I finished it in four bites and I'm not a fast eater by any means. My husband said the El Cubano tasted good for the few bites he got of it. We waved down for our check and promptly GTFO and went to the Patisserie across the street for something to ease our indignation. read more

Food was good but it is sandwiches and salads. Went for the Billy McGlaughlin show- good music and small venue for good live music. Wines were so so - shout out for having Milk Stout on the menu. read more

I just love the whole idea of this place! Warm atmosphere, friendly service, great kitchen, and love the coffee and wine/beer selection! In the summer enjoy the patio and watch the buzz moving into Excelsior over your latte or glass of wine. The food is fresh and delicious--I understand they just hired a new chef so I'll be looking for some new twists. They are part of the hot Twin Cities coffee shop music scene, so make sure you check on musicians--on weekends the music comes with a cover and the place is small so it fills quickly! read more

First time visiting, had a business meeting/lunch. Service was fabulous. Our table order multiple items, we loved the guacamole. My Cuban sandwich was delicious! read more

Great small outdoor patio. Our server has great. Good wine selection, we spent an hour lingering over our bottle and then had a excellent spicy tomato basil soup and two mammoth salads. I had an excellent pear, cashew and spinach salad with balsamic dressing and my wife had a chicken and apple salad. Will definitely repeat. read more

So much promise, but in the end way too small a menu and another place that has a terrible beer selection. They are actually within steps of a local brewery and don't even stock any of their selections. I asked the waitress if they had a wheat beer, she said "is that like a Porter?". The outdoor patio is nice and the Turkey sandwich I had was decent (although small portions). A nice local Wheat Beer and some fries might have garnered at least another star. As it is, they are lucky to get two. BTW: I ended up selecting a "red ale" that ended up being just another Minnesota style over-hopped no balance beer. Why oh why do Minnesotan's think they know their beer but actually have some of the worst taste in it? Balance, people! read more

We have a 15 year-old moody vegan daughter, and an impatient, 13 year-old son who resists vegetables. Happy hour, before a school function, was so satisfying! While parents ate soups (delicious, creamy chicken and wild rice) and the pear, walnut, blue cheese spinach salad (filling!), the kids wandered through Something Safari's pop-up shop. Great spot!. I am loving my town! read more

This cafe is amazing. The people are so friendly, the food and coffee are incredible, and it's dog friendly! read more

318 Cafe - Outdoor seating area - New American Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

My friend and I have been long time patrons of 318. If you want good coffee, great food and super friendly staff, this is the place you want to visit in Excelsior, MN. It will not disappoint! From the wait staff to the management, they make it feel like home. 5 STARS!!!! read more

Wow! We got curbside take out today for lunch and the food fantastic! My husband and I can't believe we had not tried this place before. The veggie and chicken tacos were divine and the cubano melded the flavors beautifully! I strongly recommend trying this place and look forward to experimenting with the different menu options myself. read more

I came out here to see some music, and it's a terrific little spot! In a neat old building neighboring some retail shops. Real art on the walls, by a real artist (revolving?). Short but sweet wine list, essentially the basics done well, probably all you need at a cool little cafe like this. A place you feel immediately welcome (by the owner, no less) and want to return to. I had a trememdously positive experience here based on food (really decent for not having a full kitchen), wine and ambiance. I give them 5 stars for what they are- a fantastic little spot that doesn't try to be anything it's not. read more

This is such a great place to sit, relax, and grab a bite to eat! And if you get there on some nights, you can hear music! read more

Cute spot to grab breakfast in downtown Excelsior. Breakfast portions are definitely smaller, but that means less calories and less expensive... a win- win. I ordered the quiche last time and it was delicious! The quality mirrored that of a breakfast at a European coffee shop. Service was also great... cue "folks", "hon" etc... gotta love that Minnesota Nice! read more

By far best food in Excelsior! ...I got food poisoning. Try their Red Velvet cupcakes and try the Brie, turkey, and apple sandwich! It's the best! read more

Wonderful food and service! A cozy and clean environment with a warm and welcoming staff! ...Not to mention the awesome live music most nights of the week! Truly an awesome place, with friendly patrons and customers! I always feel welcome and have a great time at the 318!!! ~ Matthew Forest P. read more

Great cozy spot to have a light meal. Great drink selection. Awesome live music. So grateful for this awesome spot in our sweet downtown Excelsior! read more

What a yummy cafe! Okay, I'm a bit biased because my Mom works there. However, I liked it since before she worked there! I just like it a little bit better now! The food at 318 is truly really good! The prices are good for the amount of food you get. It's very family oriented and the service is so fast. That is something that I am amazed at! How fast their service is. I really love the veggie or chicken tacos both are so good! There's s something about there chicken, I don't know why it tastes so good but it does! There salads are always a good option. My Mom loves the beet salad! They also have beer and wine! Oh and they have live music Wednesday-Saturday nights every week! It's a really fun place to go anytime of year. They do have a small patio for the summer time. It's a great place to get lunch and then spend the afternoon touring beautiful Excelsior! Enjoy! read more

Never disappoints, great salads, sandwiches, good wine, lattes made to perfection ! Great for ladies night out or lunch/dinner with kids! Always friendly staff and pleasant atmosphere. Your perfect local small town establishment!!! read more

318 Cafe - New American Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

I forget about 318 a lot because it's a bit out of the normal bustle of downtown Excelsior, but every time I go I'm so happy with the food and the atmosphere! It's teeny, but cozy. They have amazing Devils on Horseback (hot dates stuffed with blue cheese, drizzled with honey) and sandwiches. They have a fun lineup of local musicians that play in their dining area, so there's always something new going on. 100% recommend, it's definitely worth stopping for a meal, a snack, or a glass of wine! Staff is friendly and helpful, and super conscious of any food allergies. read more

This place is a total gem. Went there and watched live entertainment. Billy Johnson was awesome. He made you like you were part of his family. He had is sister and niece come up and sing with him. The food is very fresh. I have gluten and dairy sensitivity issues. I ordered the mushroom salad and added chicken. Ask for them to remove the cheese. The salad was a good size, but the forgot to remove the cheese. I told the waitress it was fine. I was just putting it to the side, when the waitress brought a new one. Saying "the cook insisted on making a new one. I will be coming again. read more