I've been doing this thing where I'd go to aster on my birthday weekend because I love music and the vibe is just perfect--cozy yet intimate. This time around I decided to try their charcuterie and spicy Mediterranean lamb and I must say of all the charcuteries I've tried this one has been my fave. The lamb flatbread tasted like somebody's grandma cooking! It was too delectable to even be considered a flatbread! It tripped my brain hard because of all the yummy flavor; y'all should make it a rice bowl too. We also had the best waiter in Mn! I can't remember his name but he was exceptional! And of course the bands were great per usual. Can't wait to go back for both items. Try their flatbread and your tastebuds will thank you :) read more

Aster Cafe - Charcuterie Board - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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The patio here?? Muah muah muah chef's kiss. The food? Not super impressive, but good for an appetizer. I'd definitely recommend this spot if you're looking to get a drink or have an app. I wouldn't really say it's a great spot for a full meal...although I only went for dinner so maybe their other meals are better. We got a cheese flatbread and the spinach artichoke dip. The dip was so yummy, and the bread that came with it tasted fresh. The flatbread did what it needed to do. Like I said, more of an experience spot than a big foodie one. Still worthwhile to stop by just for the patio honestly. The views are gorgeous. read more

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Aster Cafe's location and building/grounds are second to none. This is where you want to be on a nice summer evening. The food, however, is just average. I had the spicy chicken flatbread and it was tasty enough, but nothing special. I would recommend this place to grab a drink and some apps or something, but not for a nice dinner out. read more

Aster Cafe - Amazing patio - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Nice little spot by the river. Sadly, one of the few left in this area. Great for a Sunday bloody or light beer on the patio with an indulgent desert to top it off. Service was also prompt and reliable. There is a heavy bee presence on the patio. A little boy was stung while we were there and they were landing on us constantly. If you have any allergies or fears of bees please do not sit on this patio! read more

Aster Cafe - drinks - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Had brunch with a friend at Aster. Patio seating was beautiful, customer service was good, and the food was also great! I do feel the pricing is somewhat high, as my baked French toast and drink was $38 with tip (20%) and service fees. I know this is comparable to other places nearby, but for some reason, it felt a little steep for what I got... Parking was metered street parking. read more

Aster Cafe - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Aster Cafe has an incredible atmosphere and food. We experienced great service too. This is a special place to go.

I've been here a few times for different meals but finally got to experience their patio so it's time for a review. The patio is perfection but always packed. We went for a late brunch around 1:30 so were able to score a table almost immediately. The service wasn't great, which is why I docked a star, and I don't love that they hover over you while you pay/tip. I had the brisket grits which was good, but my friend had a quiche which is what I'll get next time and looked even better. Brunch menu is small but decent. We also had a few cocktails which we liked I've also been inside for brunch as well as pre-movie snacks/drinks at the bar and it's a cool vibe! read more

Aster Cafe - Brisket grits - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Alright, Minnesota, patio season is here. This is an Unforgettable Food Adventure! Ice-cold tap beer, taste-bud fireworks, and an ambiance that'll make you smile like never before! This restaurant has it all. Prepare for mind-blowing flavors, refreshing sips, and an atmosphere that keeps the good times rollin'. #FoodieFun #ColdBeersGoodVibes read more

Aster Cafe - a plate of food and a glass of beer - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

I already know I'm going to make another post about Aster because I just love it. Both times I've gone, the weather has been Devine so we had the privileage of dining on the lovely patio. They also have great happy hour deals; come for the wine, stay for the food. The e pizza is always a solid choice -we've gotten a variety in the past and can't go wrong with any of them. But the curry bowl really shined too. The last time we went, we brought my dog and it was his birthday so we (obviously) had to get him some chicken to celebrate. The waiter kept checking on us (and the dog) to ensure we were happy and well nourished; which we were. read more

Very busy area of town and we were there on a weekend so we had to wait about 30 min for a table. Service was good and the food was ok. We sat on the patio which was nice. read more

Aster cafe is a fun place to see live music and grab a drink. I would recommend getting food elsewhere as it's mediocre. However, the service and music make the venue worth it. I also appreciate the location right on the river. read more

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I love sitting on the patio at the Astor café in the summertime drinking their sangria. The service was great as well as the food. read more

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Great atmosphere, service and food. On the banks of the Mississippi, a nice outdoor patio table is a must to enjoy an afternoon out. The menu isn't huge, but everything on it fills a need. We ordered brisket tacos and pepperoni flatbread. A glass of sangria was perfect for the casual atmosphere. Food was quick and tasty, the server was friendly and attentive. Parking is always a challenge in the St Anthony Main area, so be prepared to walk a few blocks. Give it a whirl! read more

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Unfortunately, came down with some sickness this week that's leaving me trapped in my room. However, I've been blessed with a great roommate who is willing to pick up some food for me and drop it by my door. Last night, he picked me up an Aster Nouveau sandwich for takeout for me. Since he picked it up for me, I really can't comment on the service or the ambiance, although I have heard that the location is prime. What I can comment on is the food I ate - we live pretty close by so I was able to eat it almost immediately which is great. When I opened up the box, I was immediately a little disappointed. Having paid $21 (incl tax and tip) I was expecting a beautiful, thick sandwich, but it was a bit average looking in aesthetics and fillings. However, it all comes down to the taste. The sandwich is filled with spring greens, grilled chicken, prosciutto, tomatoes, and "balsamic mayo". I was disappointed as there was only like 2 slices of prosciutto and not that much chicken or spring greens. When I took a bite I was underwhelmed - the ratio of fillings to bread was too low and I thought that made the whole sandwich taste a little bland. On top of that, I thought the chicken was pretty dry. Considering it was just a sandwich and it cost over $20, I'd definitely pass on this. Overall, a disappointing meal for me, I'd be willing to give it another try if there was a reason, but not sure that will be anytime soon. read more

Aster Cafe - Aster Nouveau (Takeout) - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Was invited to a Bluegrass brunch here and enjoyed! The space is definitely cozy, maybe even a bit cramped and a little dim. This didn't really bother me, but wanted to be clear in the review if it's not a good thing for others. Brunch had both breakfast and lunch items, traditional with a little flare. The two I brunched with had the brisket grits, I went with the Thai peanut noodles. Noodles were good, a hair spicy. Our server was excellent, knowing when to come over between music as to not interrupt that experience. Would recommend a visit during music or not. read more

Food 4/5 - This is such a cute spot in St. Anthony Main. The patio is always crowded. I loved the pepperoni pizza and the fresh roasted acorn squash salad. They have some yummy brunch options as well but I didn't love the fennel sausage on the eggs Benedict but everything else was great. Service / Ambiance 4/5 - We got our food within a timely manner and our server was very nice and helpful. Overall great experience at Aster Cafe! read more

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Super cute! Allergens clearly labeled, gluten free bread available for all sandwiches

I FINALLY got to check out this amazing patio. My friends have been raving about this place and we finally decided to meet up here on a beautiful October afternoon. Unfortunately our service was horrible -- waiting over 15 minutes to even get acknowledged, then our food coming out well before our drinks. The server wasn't even apologetic ... very odd. My brother got a salmon salad ... it was the saltiest "salad" I'd ever tasted. With a tiny sliver of salmon. I did like the humus platter-- amazing and fresh flavors. Our drinks were good - especially the specialty cocktail: the midlife crisis with gin and ginger. Fortunately, the setting makes up for the crappy service. I'd like to give it another try sometime... read more

One of the best places to have fun & good food, with your family, your love and friends! Hi recommend! Thank you so much for making our night! read more

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Ambience - 5/5 Service - 3/5 Food - 4/5 Value - 4/5 The food was good, cafe menu with salads, flatbreads, and sandwiches. The service was slow and our appetizers came out the same time as the meal. Outdoor seating was beautiful and shaded and inside was old and unique. read more

I didn't realize how beautiful mpls was until I sat here and watched the sunset over the skyline. Perfect patio on a nice summer day, and the Hawaiian sandwich didn't miss -1 : Wouldn't recommended the flatbreads. Friend had an upset stomach after. Oh! And the refreshing non-alcoholic drink (The Mirage) was a hit. My friends ordered it after trying mine ;) read more

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The patio makes the spot. The food is meh as is the service too. But for a bright sunny day the outside atmosphere and the weirdo people watching is the best, P.S. don't eat inside you will be sad. read more

Had a pretty good brunch at Aster Cafe on Sunday morning at 10:00 am. The brunch menu is super tiny but thankfully I was able to find something that I really liked! I ordered the Brisket Grits and my friends ordered the Veggie Quiche and the Lox. Brisket Grits were super good and the grits were surprisingly thick. Per my friend, the Veggie Quiche was nice and fluffy, eggy, and said she would get it again. My other friend liked the Lox and said it was a step above Bruegger's Bagels. They also have a bunch of great looking cocktails! (Pro tip: order a cocktail called "Old Cuban" which is off the menu and it's sooo good! Not sure what all is in it but it's fantastic). All in all it has a great outdoor seating area nearby the river. I would come back! read more

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Immersed in the warm embrace of the basking sun, we reveled in the enchanting view of the Minneapolis skyline. Our leisurely afternoon was graced by the presence of dear friends and made even more delightful by the exquisite culinary offerings. What more could one possibly aspire to find in such a splendid convergence of nature, friendship, and culinary mastery? Service is prompt and attentive too. read more

Aster Cafe - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

A favorite past-time the summer is to sit outside enjoying the lovely view of the Mississippi at Aster Café. Well for the first time, I proposed to my friends to visit Aster in the winter. Which turned out to be just an awesome experience and a new favorite past time for winter! First the parking - there is a parking ramp that you just take an elevator down straight to the restaurant, so there is no need to park outside and walk through the nasty snow and sleet to arrive at the restaurant. When we visited, Patty and the Buttons, who preaches the gospel of hot rhythm and happy feet was playing, and they were awesome! Food was wonderful. Myself and another friend got the Salmon salad, which was delish and another friend got the Amish sandwich which he said was delish as well. We really enjoyed a lovely Sunday afternoon lunch in mid winter of Minnesota. Highly recommend! read more

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Finally got to check out Aster Cafe and I was not disappointed. I stopped in to take advantage of the deal they have with The Main Cinema - (eat at Aster on Wednesday and get BOGO movie tickets on the same day). I ordered the mushroom flatbread and street noodles to share, two beers, and a chartreuse swizzle. My partner and I both enjoyed the food and drinks. My favorite of the two entrees were the street noodles - they had a nice bit of spice to them and the peanut sauce was tasty. The flatbread was my partner's favorite, and it was also a deal as flatbreads are only $10 on Wednesdays. One thing to note is that the food came out very quickly, which was awesome as we were hungry and hoping to get to the movie on time. The aesthetic of Aster was very cool, but very moody. Even with the large windows, it was very dark whereas I felt like I was sitting in a cave. I would come back as I hope to visit the patio and take in the views I hear about or to catch some live music! An artist was setting up to play, but unfortunately we didn't get to stay for it. read more

I recently went to Aster Cafe for brunch with my partner's family. I've been wanting to try Aster Cafe for a while, I've heard wonderful things about the patio. Also, the views of Minneapolis from the restaurant are incredible. I got the brisket grits, which was definitely a menu item I'm not used to seeing in Minnesota. I'm not a huge poached egg fan, but I really enjoyed it in this dish. The addition of the brisket and roasted peppers added another level of flavor. I would definitely not skip this unique dish! I also had a bite of the french toast bake, which was pretty good. I was hoping for a bit more traditional tres leches flavor. I want to go back to try dinner and cocktails! Service was quick and food was also out pretty fast. *Notes: -We were not able to make a reservation for 6 online and needed to call ahead. -There's street parking around the restaurant. -It's a little tricky to find the way in! read more

Aster Cafe - Interior. - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Such a wonderful patio for summer night. Nothing bad to say. Food was yummy(not out of this world, but yummy) and ambiance was so fun. Service was good. read more

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Food pretty good. Not crazy about being charged an extra $6 each for sitting inside because an average band happened to be playing. But our server Kiernan made up for it. Super friendly & welcoming. Thx! read more

Great patio which is dog friendly The tuna appetizer bka Romantic sharable plates good Korean bbq pull pork sandwich good, but not enough of the seaweed salad to taste it A cider on tap and one in a bottle. read more

Many years after my first review, I'd still rate Aster Cafe as a-okay (hence three stars, which is NOT a bad review in my book). The space is old-timey, dark and rustic. Inside an historic property in St. Anthony Main, you get lovely views of downtown Minneapolis and the Mississippi River. The outdoor patio is also a nice refuge. The restaurant finally offers a couple labeled vegan options, albeit in a hard-to-discern way (an uppercase V is vegetarian and a lowercase v is vegan, but the two look nearly identical, so you end up asking lots of questions no matter what). We got the banh mi ($17) which can be made vegan if you omit the mayo and substitute Herbivorous Butcher Korean BBQ ribs. The bread on this was dry and maybe over-toasted; the Korean BBQ ribs taste okay, but didn't feel appropriate for a banh mi. Herbivorous Butcher's roast beef would be a better option. All together, this sandwich didn't quite come together for me. The chicken curry bowl ($17) can be made vegan if you ask for the Herbivorous Butcher chicken instead. I thought this was a tasty curry with nice, deeply savory undertones. My only gripe is that they used deli slice chicken, which felt odd; cubed or shredded chicken would have been a more logical texture for a dish like this. Aster Cafe also makes strong cocktails but doesn't have a great beer/cider selection. Stop by Aster for a meal and the patio. read more

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Beautiful setting and respectable service but the food is not good. The first time I went to the Aster they served a good flatbread mushroom pizza and good drink. That was in October of 22. The second time we had the burrata salad which was good but nothing special. Last night we had the same salad and a basil(?) flatbread (they were out of mushrooms), I didn't see any basil in fact, it was a greasy cheese pizza with a limp crust not a flat bread at all. We had to blot the oil off the top. Our drinks were also substandard. I'm so sad because the setting is amazing. Oh well, maybe new management and a good chef will come there someday. read more

Update! Aster Cafe is still one of the most scenic patios in the city, and I'm happy to report that their brunch was fantastic. Our patio brunch was one of my favorite meals of the summer (though we have not really been to many places to due COVID but still...). You really can't beat the location on a brick street with a skyline view along the river. We had a party of 3.5, with our 10-month old in tow. The staff was accommodating with seating us where there was room for his stroller and high chair. Good news: I found my favorite bagel + lox in the cities. Aster's iteration currently has: lemon and green peppercorn cream cheese, microgreens, aged balsamic, fried capers, and a soft cured egg yolk on an everything bagel. It's ingenious!! I tried a bite of the Aster Benedict with housemade sausage and that was wonderful too, especially the hollandaise. We went on a Saturday but I see that they sometimes have live music during Sunday brunch. Which I realized that earlier in the season! read more

Aster Cafe - Lox - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Beautiful location and place! We came here for some cocktails before a wedding reception and love the different vibe between inside and outside. The patio had some lovely people out and about for a late Saturday afternoon with quite a few other weddings taking place - not sure if that's why, but it was still lively! We chose to sit inside due to the light brisk fall weather and loved the warm wood and cozy feeling. After getting a group of tables together our group had a great time with even better conversation. All of which felt fueled by the tone of the place! And, our waitress was both sweet and helpful. Would definitely revisit when I come back to Minneapolis the next time! read more

Aster Cafe - Inside the bar - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Nice place, cool vibe, beautiful old building but I really didn't like their pricing. We went there to here a band last night - we each had two drinks and the cover charge was $10 a person. The bill was $100! $19 for the weakest, wateriest martini I've ever had - just had one and switched to a beer. Then they put the ticket costs on the food /drink tab so the tip gets figured out based on that total. I won't be back - plenty of other options :) read more

Ordered flatbread. Large size. Great taste. I also got Bloody Mary / spicy and love it.

Best patio in Minneapolis! If you're looking for a gem of a place with a great patio, this is it. They have great food and a patio full of community members every time I'm here. It's somewhere I always bring my out-of-town guests. The Mirage cocktail is my favorite. Come for their live music too throughout the year. They have a happy hour you can take advantage of and do not take outdoor reservations. read more

The atmosphere and ambience is special. It feels like a café in Europe. They have live music and great food options. You can't beat the view of the river. Went for brunch for the first time, small menu but the Lox was delicious; I would definitely order it again. My friend got the Benedict and would order something else next time. Indoors is best for small groups. Their outdoor patio is large but doesn't take reservations so there might be a short wait at busy times and beautiful days. We each got two drinks and two brunch entrees for about $56 (includes tax, tip, and $5 Cover charge per person for the swing band) read more

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Came for happy hour turned dinner on the river and wasn't disappointed. Signage was confusing trying to find the host. But we found it eventually. Drinks: the nitro sangria on tap 10/10 would recommended! We got a pitcher and sooooo satisfied about it. Food: We ordered the Chile Colorado and the Street Noodles (added chicken). Both were impressive with the flavor profile. Different flavors all together. The noodles were seasoned well. You could tell the chicken didn't come w the meal - it was a shredded salt and pepper chicken. From a family of Asian decent we were satisfied with the flavors but disappointed in the chicken. The Chile Colorado was very good - we did miss a vegetable in the meal something green and lively would have been a great addition. Mole flavor wasn't overpowering but it is a darker Mexican seasoning and I enjoyed it. Husband disappointed in portion size, I was satisfied splitting both entrees. He was still hungry so ordered an artichoke dip. Was highly impressed - focaccia, was really airy and delightful. Service: fine - I asked for entree recommendations and the answer was "artichoke dip" - not an entree. Did redeem themselves but recommendations were taken with a grain of salt. Ambiance: the live guitar music on the patio was beautiful read more

Food was really good here, if you don't mind not getting everything you ordered or having to pick items off that you requested not be there. They automatically add a 4% "hospitality fee" to your bill but then also expect a tip for mediocre service. We waited 25 minutes for our food order to be taken, had to get our own waters, and my friend waited 20 minutes to have his coffee refilled. There was a nice man playing accordion outside though so that was nice. Will not ever go back. read more