Good food and ambience at Vagabond…read more Great service with a helpful, attentive server Food was good-not great but good- Nice chill spot right I Excélsior. Decent food. I had the baked fish which was a little one note in flavor and a touch overcooked but still good overall! Great cocktails

First time here and it has been on my punch list for a while. It's a bit out of the way unless you…read moreare out in the extreme west metro but the concept of Sicilian food was a definite attractant. The menu has items on it that are about what you would expect from westernized Italian style eateries. This confused me a bit since the concept is to supposedly display authentic Sicilian food to the diner. Having some experience around Italy, I did not find the menu to really reflect a dominant Sicilian flair. In fact one entire section of the menu was for Neapolitan pizza (Naples is about 400 miles away from Sicily). If you go here expecting typical ingredients from Sicily, you are likely to be disappointed as there were not prominent dishes offering the use of sardines, offals, aubergine, or bottarga. It seemed like a pretty standard menu comparable to most of the Minnesota restaurants serving up Italian based cuisine I have ever been to which is all tasty, but a bit of a let down from what was advertised and expected. The food was good, the service was on par and the setting was casual yet modern. What I think took this down a bit for me was the pricing. It seemed out of line for many of the dishes based on what was served. My best example here was that a Margherita pizza was $28 and "Grandma's Lasagna" (which is all vegetarian and really was layers of shaved vegetables with very little pasta) was also $28 on the dinner menu and was one of the smallest, most compact lasagnas I have ever seen. I elected to add the upcharge for the optional bolognese for $15 because I was hungry. What I got (see picture) was a small portion of lasagna with some sauce in it that contained 2 small, discrete (each about the size of a gnocchi) bites of ground meat within the sauce. If you see the attached image, you will get the idea. So, for almost $50 ($43 to be exact), this was very much not worth it. I'm not sure who's grandma this is named for but she must have been miserly. I probably should have known better since $43 for lasagna just about anywhere seems expensive plus, Sicily is not known for lasagna. But since there really wasn't much in the way of Sicily focused food on the menu and I was hungry, it seemed like a good way to order something that is usually filling and I figured the portion would be large enough for the price. I was wrong on both counts. I get that cost margins on food are small and Excelsior rent is not cheap. It just seemed a little over the top expensive for what I got and the whole Sicily concept was a little bait and switch from what I was expecting. I might go here again if I'm in the area and felt like some pasta but it would not cause me to make a special trip, and I would certainly steer clear of any Grandma related items on the menu.

This past Father's Day my mom and I had brunch at Layline. It was a special place for us because my…read moredad owned the building before it was Gary's first class car care. My dad passed 8/30/2024 so we came to have breakfast in his old shop to celebrate him. I loved how they kept the building as is with some additions and lovely upgrades. The bar area and some seating is located in the previous two stall garage. The staff was very friendly and the food was amazing!

This is it--the perfect place for a summer meal. From the amazing food and great service (thanks,…read moreTheresa!) to the stellar patio, Layline delivers an absolutely amazing experience. If I had found this place earlier this summer, I probably would have spent many happy evenings here. (I truly can't emphasize how well this restaurant captures summer vibes.) The menu was great and ticked all the boxes, taking advantage of the bounty and mood of the season. For our starters, we ordered the arancini and the johnnycake. Both were delicious. The arincini was crispy on the outside and oozed with creamy cheese. The romesco sauce complemented it perfectly. The johnnycake was fluffy and delicious and had the perfect balance of sweet and salty (don't skip the jalapeño infused maple syrup--it isn't spicy; it's just an extension of the sweet and savory balance). For our salads/veggies, we split the last three on the menu: the cauliflower, the Brussels sprouts, and the watermelon salad. My friends, don't skip any one of these. The cauliflower is a cauliflower steak that is perfectly cooked (be sure you get a lovely toasty bit!) and made for delicious savory-salty-tangy mouthful with its tomatoes and onions. Doenjang and tahini? Heck yes! The sprouts were covered in a spectacular mojo verde (imagine what pesto would be if it were Indian and you'd not be far off) that was a creative and absolutely apt pairing. As for the watermelon salad, it was all summer: chunks of watermelon, crumbles of feta, basil, hazelnut, and rings of Calabrian chili. It tasted exactly like relaxing on the porch with your most sophisticated but still totally chill bestie. For my main, I ordered the linguine pomodoro e vodka. Dude. It was so stinking good. I love a good tomato sauce, and this one did not disappoint. Crispy breadcrumbs? Yes. Mint and basil? Yes and yes. Chili oil? Heck yeah! This packed a punch and was an absolutely glorious foil for the burrata. As for dessert, I went for the crème brûlée. It was really good! It was rich and creamy (almost buttery) and absolutely chock-full of vanilla bean. Very good indeed.

We had guests from out of town and decided on Coalition to see the town and Lake Minnetonka…read more They serve brunch on weekends. Free parking right behind in the East lot, it was already more than half full at 10am. They had just opened and there were already a few tables occupied. It felt busy and maybe they didn't have enough staff for that time. There were only 2 staff taking orders. We stayed inside as it was a very hot day. We've been there for dinner before and always liked the modern cozy interiors. Our server took our drink orders and gave us a complimentary order of cardamom donuts, as if they knew it would be a while. The brewed coffees came out pretty fast but he didn't come back to take our order until almost 10:30, when we finally flagged him down. The food didn't take long but he forgot to put in my MILs side order of bacon so that didn't come out until we were mostly done eating. They had a good breakfast selection and lunch was available as well. We ordered: Salmon Eggs Benedict French Toast Avocado Toast Pesto Frittata Grilled Chicken sandwich Crispy chicken sandwich Everyone was happy with their food and we're happy to find another brunch place to take visitors to.

Coalition is one of my go-to spots in Excelsior…read more The patio is such a great vibe in the summer. It feels lively but still relaxed, and it's perfect for sitting and people watching. Service is always friendly however sometimes it is very slow. They have one of the best happy hours in the area. They have great options for cocktails. They do a great job with their drink menu, which makes it an easy place to sit and stay for a while. For dinner, my go-to is the salmon with mashed potatoes. It's consistently solid and something I come back for. Korean tacos are also so delicious. Easy place to recommend.

We went there for my birthday and again this location has to be my favorite for the setting and…read moreservice. The gin cocktail and chicken rotisserie sandwich were just what I needed. But the suggestion to have the Gouda Hashbrowns was so welcome. Forget about fries these Hashbrowns were the best! Hands down. Good for larger parties of six or perfect for two. Can't wait to go again.

The old saying goes "consistency is key", and consistency is what you get at Hazelwood. The…read moreslightly elevated price point matches their slightly elevated menu, vibe, and service. If you want to come here even relatively close to peak hours, I would highly recommend a reservation. My personal favorites here include the Rotisserie Chicken Sandwich and the Minute Chicken. I've gotten both items multiple times and they are consistently great. Do yourself a favor and get the Dessert Flight; the portions are more than fair for the price and the Banana Cream Pie is to die for. We recently did brunch at Hazelwood for the first time. The Monkey Bread is a generous size with a crispy outside and gooey center - exactly how you would want it to be. The Smoked Gouda Hash browns are worth getting on the side with any item that doesn't already include them; they are so creamy and have a rich cheesy flavor with a nice crispy top layer. Unfortunately, I would not recommend the Avocado Toast. The bacon bits, lettuce, and poached egg completely overwhelm the avocado, which is virtually nonexistent. It's served on a very small and boring piece of wheat toast.

I absolutely love Maynard's every time I go! I usually come here with friends for a night out, but…read morethis time I went during the day with coworkers, so I finally got the chance to try more of the food! Maynard's has so much space, making it a great spot for bigger groups, and the outdoor patio is amazing. Plus, being right on the lake makes the whole atmosphere that much better, especially on a nice day! For food, our group tried the Ceviche, Buffalo Chicken Wrap, Cranberry Turkey Melt, and Firecracker Chicken Wrap. Everything was a hit! And you absolutely can't go to Maynard's without getting the fries with seasoned sour cream -- a MUST! Overall, we all loved our food, the service was great, and it was just as fun during the day as it is at night. Definitely one of my favorite spots!

This place is pretty much a staple for Minnesota summers. Being on lake Minnetonka and the size of…read morethis place makes it a VERY desirable place to go! It truly always feels busy here! There is a parking lots but expect to park in the street or down the street. Given how busy it always is, the staff keeps up! Our food was out fairly quick and our server was attentive! I have been here before, but the food quality seems to have gone down hill. At least for the outdoor patio (the menu is different inside) I had the walleye sandwich and it was not good. The quality of fish, the bread tasted stale and there was too much bread and sauce. The burger was a standard burger and nothing special. The ceviche was good!! But it's not chopped up, and was hard to eat with the chips. I did get some alcoholic drinks and those were great! My personal opinion is that the drinks and apps here are good! Anything else is very sub par... The vibes here are awesome! I will be back but sticking to the apps and drinks

We came here for brunch on a Monday and it was quiet. Service was great and friendly…read morerecommendations. 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.

Got the avocado toast and it was delicious. Got my son a…read morepeanut 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.

Our server was wonderful! I was overcharged for a HH beer but not the end of the world. Food was…read morefine. Probably won't go back again. Just not my palate!

Unlike others, we seem to get consistently mediocre food here. I have eaten in several times - the…read morechicken and waffles is OK, chicken overdone and waffle too crispy for my preference - Amarillo Chicken Salad just OK. Recent takeout order was The Trifecta, 3 sliders of their main sandwiches. Common grocery store small buns. Husband picked them apart, ate the chicken and the pork, fed the brisket to the dog. ($18.95). (Honestly, the little slice of brisket looked like the heel off a shoe.) I gambled and had the Coconut Salmon Bowl and it was just OK. ($18.95) Everyone has one now so easy to copy and no excuse to get it wrong. Too much rice, dry salmon. Husband got in a tangle with the host when he picked up our order because I had his name on it but he thought I had it in my name. Had to produce ID. Well, OK. Expensive second chance (Third? Fourth?) Buyer beware. There are plenty of good reviews, I might ask the waiter what is good. Overdone seems to be the rule.

The food is excellent. The coffee is excellent…read more The service is excellent. It's the G D people that go in there, sit at the tables and don't consume ANYTHING. You can NEVER get a seat in this place. It's full to the brim with entitled 20 somethings using the tables as their own personal office space. It's shocking to look around and see all of the people at the Lobby that either don't have a drink or food or have long since finished. One person at a fourtop. One person at a 6 top. It makes me insane

This is such a staple coffee shop to the community. It offers ample space to work or meet friends…read morefor a coffee date. We typically enjoy it for working on weekdays when remote. It can be quite busy at all times, but with good measure since they produce some high quality stuff. Im really impressed with their cinnamon toast latte, and I seem to always come back to it! Definitely make this a stop when youre in excelsior!