This is a lively irish pub with a mid-western feel. The place had multiple private parties, and the…read morestaff seemed to be running around like chickens, but our party of three didn't have to wait ling to be seated in the outdoor patio. The dining space was pretty dark, they could use a little more lighting, but not a deal breaker. Service was sufficient. I ordered the chicken pub pie, and it was delish! The gravy mix with veggie and chicken pieces was so satisfying, and the puff pastry on top was thick and fluffy with a buttery flavor I enjoyed. Also learned what a walleye is, since my coworker got the fish n chips with walleye instead of cod. This plate got a thumbs up too. Overall, we had a positive experience.

I stopped by The Local for lunch on a Thursday afternoon and was seated right away with no wait…read more There was plenty of patio seating available, but I opted to sit inside--and I absolutely loved the atmosphere! The interior has that classic vintage pub feel with lots of character and natural light. There are tons of booths and different seating areas that could accommodate parties of all sizes. I especially liked the glass dividers between some of the booths, which give you a little extra privacy without making the space feel closed off. My booth also had coat hooks and easy access to outlets, which I appreciated. I could definitely see myself coming here for a working lunch. My server was incredibly friendly and helpful, especially as I was trying to figure out how to use a couple of rewards I had on my account. I specifically came in wanting to try the fish and chips. Their lunch menu offers smaller portions of several dishes from the dinner menu, including a fish and chips option for around $15. I really wanted to try the walleye, though, so I ended up ordering the full dinner portion for around $28. The fish was absolutely the star of the plate. The breading was fantastic--crunchy around the edges while still light and fluffy--and the fish inside practically melted in my mouth. The tartar sauce was also really good and paired perfectly with it. The sides, unfortunately, didn't impress me nearly as much. There were plenty of fries, but they were pretty average, and the coleslaw was mostly cabbage with a light dressing. It felt like it was missing some acidity or lime to give it a little more personality. For almost $30, I also expected the meal to be a bit more substantial. I left satisfied, but found myself hungry again a couple of hours later, so I'm not sure the dinner portion felt worth the price for me. If you're mainly curious about their fish and chips, I'd probably recommend trying the smaller lunch portion first rather than committing to the more expensive dinner version. Would I come back? Absolutely--the atmosphere, service, and location alone make The Local worth another visit, and I noticed several other dishes on the menu I'd be interested in trying. I just don't know that I'd order this particular meal again. The fish itself was excellent, but for me, the sides and overall value didn't quite match it.

Wow, this place was cool!…read more The entry is pretty hidden and parking requires a bit of work unless you do valet. We went on a Saturday night, so we had to wait a bit in order to be seated. However, it was worth the wait for us. There is a dark moody vibe and while my group went in for drinks, there are also options for food. The place itself is pretty loud - both with music and talking, so maybe not the best location for a first date. The drinks are expensive, but the experience was worthwhile for us. I enjoyed the meditteránea. I'll very likely be back! What a neat spot.

Flora Room is a gorgeous cocktail bar located behind and beneath Chef Del Prado's steakhouse…read morePorzana. Fortunately, I arrived at 5:30 PM on a Saturday, which was early enough to avoid a line and a velvet rope. I don't wait in line for anything unless I'm at a pharmacy, bakery, post office, or airport. Lines at restaurants and bars strike me as pretentious or bad management, and I don't tolerate either. However, I'm old, and at my age, nothing is worth waiting for unless it's a necessity. I found a seat at the beautiful and expansive bar and looked around at the Del Prado design. The colors might be different, but Flora was reminiscent of Minari and Noma. All three add to the Twin Cities' cachet. However, I was taken aback by the attire I saw around me. People were dressed in shorts, T-shirts, and sneakers. It's friggen Saturday night Minneapolis. Have some class! Flora Room was a lovely cocktail lounge, perfect for wooing, but don't expect to strike up a conversation with any of the bartenders. At these Del Prado joints, the staff must be trained not to engage. I'm out alone and enjoy talking. Bartenders used to be part of a lounge's attraction when I grew up in NYC. They learned your name, knew what you did, and gave you a hearty welcome. That, I guess, is not part of the culture in Minneapolis. Well, at least not at the Del Prado restaurants and bars. Chef Del Prado is from Argentina, and certainly, Argentina is one of the warmest and friendliest countries in the world, so I don't get it. I now live up the block from the Flora Room. I'm a neighbor and would like to be treated like one. Neighborly and the Flora Room are distant concepts.

On the 27th floor, the top floor, of the W Hotel. If you're looking for an old school lounge with…read moreloads of character, this is it. Lounge wraps around the entire floor with lots of little rooms, nooks, and spaces for privacy. Great for a date night. Elevator opens up right at the bar. Not a large bar, but busy. Bartender makes some great concoctions and is a true mixologist. Dirty martini with blue cheese olives was the choice of poison tonight. Hit the spot. Wasn't that hungry but needed something in the belly. Bartender recommended the chicken sliders with a side of fries. She didn't steer me wrong. The order comes with two sliders that are more the size of a sandwich than a slider. Large fried chicken cutlets with a delicious, vinegar based slaw that was delicious. Fries were also excellent. Too much food for appetizers but who's to complain.

We had heard about Prohibition before, and given its historical significance in the Foshay Tower,…read morewe had to check it out! Located inside the Foshay Tower, there's street and valet parking available! We entered through the W hotel lobby and took the elevator up to the 27th floor! We were met by a fun, retro-inspired lounge with many couches and tables available in a 360-degree set up. It has Prohibition-themed decor, but I wouldn't quite call it a speakeasy, as there wasn't any guise to entering or accessing the space. My only critique is that the space is quite dated, but not in a cool way. It could really use an update to the paint and interior to maintain itself as a "destination" versus just another hotel bar with a view. The bartenders were quite friendly and helpful during our visit. We had an Old Fashioned and a Paper Plane during our visit! Both cocktails were absolutely delicious and perfectly made. Now, at around $26 each, I would expect that level. Overall, a cool, historical spot to grab a drink!

Old school style for a bar, food was solid enough but forgettable, the variety of drinks was quite…read moresolid, as one would expect for bar. Was here for a vendor party so didn't really have control over the menu, but the experience overall was quite good, and the round/conical main entry room definitely felt like a 50s or 60s throwback that was kept in immaculate shape, at least enough to leave us impressed.

A delightful meal. The atmosphere is classy and casual at the same the time. The service was good a…read morevery friendly but not overly friendly server took excellent care of us The food was spectacular. The blackened shrimp was flavorful with a bit of a kick. My wife really enjoyed the Earth bowl. Prices were a bit of a shock when the bill came but good food, good drinks and service made it worth it

Stopped here to grab drinks prior to our dinner reservations at Nolo's. It's a smaller space but…read moredefinitely a nice vibe. They had a DJ but was playing some pretty unique music that didn't really match the vibes of the crowd in my opinion. The drinks were good. If you're able to grab a table they have waitstaff who will take your order. You can also order food which is a scaled down menu from Nolo's. We tried the whipped feta which was good. Overall had a good time and great views.

Recently visited the rooftop bar, as a group celebrating birthday. Love a rooftop vibe!! We went on…read morea Monday night and we basically had the place to ourselves. Quick heads up the menu and bar options do differ slightly as they don't offer everything up top. (Smaller bar and few less food options/no French fries) The group enjoyed our foods!! Pizza was good sized, burgers/sandwiches had nice flavors. We had a quick little issue with the bill but it was handled fairly quickly. Enjoyed our summer night in the roof top. Added the review to NOLOs as well.

- Cowboy Jack's Downtown Minneapolis…read more I recently visited Cowboy Jack's during the Ryan Meetup, when the restaurant temporarily changed its name to "Cowboy Ryan's" for the day. They went above and beyond to make the event feel special and deserve recognition for how much effort they put into accommodating such a large group. They had a custom flag made, created special menus for the event, and allowed our group to take over much of the second and third floors. The large, open layout worked perfectly, and the staff were great sports about the entire experience. The bartenders were fantastic, the food and drink selection was strong, and the staff handled the crowd impressively well. There really was not much more we could have asked from them. After the game, many of us returned for more fun. There was a short line to get back inside, but it moved quickly. At night, the different floors had different types of music playing, which gave the place a lively and varied atmosphere. Overall, Cowboy Jack's did an excellent job hosting the Ryan Meetup. They were welcoming, organized, accommodating, and clearly put real effort into making the event memorable. I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone looking for a fun night out in downtown Minneapolis.

We stopped in just after 6 after being downtown. Been to maple grove one a few times. We ordered…read moreboneless wings and nachos and a few bottles of beer. Items that are hard to screw up. Boneless wings were burnt with bbq sauce on top like you could see scorching under bbq sauce. Nachos were safe/ok chips melted cheese and dry chicken on top. Beer warm. They are only open few nights a week. Evidently they just stocked warm beer before we came in. Bathrooms were absolutely disgusting. Reeked like urine and floor sticky and gross like hadn't been cleaned. Waitress was nice, didn't remove burnt wings from tab but was checking in and cleaning the whole time. She was cool. Keep cleaning girl!!!

Best. Old. Fashioned. in Minneapolis; hands down - not up for debate…read more In the top three things that I miss about working from the office, is stopping by Apothecary on the way home for an Old Fashioned. Their Old Fashioned is definitely not typical; I believe they use some sort of floral liqueur along with a wash of walnut as well. The setting is serene, great for conversation or just unwinding after the day, with occasional good people watching opportunities if it's a weekend or some sort of event is in town. These Old Fashioneds are also HUGE; probably at least double the size of some places and have never failed to get me just the right level of tipsy before continuing the rest of my journey home.

Honestly kinda bummed, the drink I got was recommended, then the server was changed out and I was…read morenever checked on. I had to ask 2 people for a bill (for one drink.) Also there was another patron who was really loud and kinda taking over the calm ambience. The older gentleman was my initial server and was lovely, easy to converse with and very friendly. The two younger women seemed annoyed to be working so not sure why they were left on shift...

Visit by from Los Angeles!! Phenomenal ambiance, The staff is friendly and the food is amazing and…read morereasonable! The drinks are out of this worked The bartenders could be more stunning and SO friendly!!!

If you're a man looking for men. This is your bar! There is…read morea strict code of conduct that Women are not allowed to compete in the shower competition, or trans men. All of the artwork is men. The bathrooms are horrible so don't drink too much. Sometimes the music is recognizable in the dance room, but mostly edm cyberpunkish The bar music has music videos and that is known music The food is fantastic though

I've tried coming to this place at least two other times and it's always full…read more It was worth the wait and every penny spent! I love the menu design and drink break downs. I hope they can expand and hire a couple more servers. Strongly recommend

Went here to grab drinks for my friend's birthday. She had been here before but it was my first…read morevisit. She made reservations but it was nice out so we decided to sit on the patio which was fairly empty. The drinks were definitely interesting and fun! We all got different drinks the first round. My friends shared a few apps. Overall it was a nice time. The server gave us some bday shots (my bday was right before my friends) so that was really nice. The space inside is smaller so I definitely recommend making reservations! Plenty of street parking.

Damian was our bartender Class dude! Very friendly and made…read moresome tasty drinks too! The apps were mighty tasty The pina colda shots wete the bomb

Delightful tropical oasis in downtown Minneapolis. Tiki…read moredrinks are well made, try the jungle bird! The popcorn machine is a a rare find :) and there's also a food menu. A variety of rums are available by the pour, including some interesting aged ones. I was greeted first by two regulars at the bar, then the bartender, who was happy to orient me to their menu.