I seem to be spending a lot of time in St. Paul (shhh, I don't want to lose my Mpls street cred). This time it was to take an out of town cousin out for breakfast. Even though I had never been to the Colossal Cafe, they seemed to be just what we wanted. The cute cafe (Grand Ave location) is a cozy place and it was easy to find street parking around the corner, not far from the front entrance. We were able to snag a table by the window, so it was also great for people watching. My cousin ordered tea and I ordered coffee and I was pleased that they came by frequently offering refills. The service was helpful, cheerful and friendly, perfect for showing my New York cousin, what "Minnesota Nice" is all about. The food was excellent. I had the bacon, green onion and cream cheese omelet ($16) which I really enjoyed. I also enjoyed the toast with a side of orange marmalade. The omelet was well made (not always the case when I order at a restaurant) and the ingredients they added gave it a cravable taste. In fact, I was so impressed with this combination, I made it at home the following weekend. My cousin had the Greek Frittata ($15.50) with grilled marinated artichoke, spinach, green onion, feta and tomato. She thoroughly enjoyed it. Although the total a bit on the tad on the high side for breakfast ($45.88 before tip) this was a great place to have breakfast, chill, and talk. read more

Green Mango iced tea: 8.5 Maple latte: 8.2 French toast: 5.5 Fruit: 6.8 Vibes: 7.6 Overall score: 7.3 Amazing service, pretty fire place read more

You order up at the counter here, which always makes me a little stressed about how much time I'm taking to figure out what I want to order, but that's a silly me thing. I absolutely love that the things they give you instead of numbers are St. Paul street names. Such a small thing to do that makes the restaurant feel so much more local and grounded. The food here is so good. Last time I went I got their benedict that was a special of the weekend and it was to die for. Needs to be added to their normal menu. I love when I find a really good vegetarian benedict. I always get their nitro cold press with oat and it's always good. I love when you can sit outside and it's so beautiful in the summer. It does get loud in the colder months when everyone is crunched inside. read more

Colossal Cafe - Benedict - Cafes Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Colossal it isn't. After this time I'm never going back. The wait staff is covered in tattoos and multiple piercings. It's not really very appetizing. But that wasn't all. There was a hair mixed in my food. Which made me sick. I tried to tell my waitress, but I only saw her when she took my order and when she brought the check. There was no checking to see if everything was all right in between. There was a young woman there who had multiple piercings, black hair tinted purple. She spent a lot of time running her fingers through her hair. And then she sorted out the silverware. Putting it into napkins to wrap for the table. Without washing her hands first. Yuck. That was just a few of the health code violations I saw. If you're looking for pancakes, keep looking. They call them flappers. It's yeast-based and it doesn't taste like regular pancakes. I've seen people send them back because they don't like them. Just be aware. And they have the audacity to charge extra for maple syrup. It can get very busy and you often see people waiting outside. It's on the corner of Grand and Hamline so parking is difficult. But there is a parking lot across the street on Grand Avenue they share with the Green Mill. Which helps. The Green Mill is in the same building and I would go there instead. It's way less busy and the food is a lot better. They remodeled it fairly recently and it looks really nice. The Colossal Café is kind of grubby. And often very crowded. It's very disappointing because I've enjoyed this restaurant in the past but after this experience I'm never going back. read more

Great food, friendly service, great atmosphere!! Everything homemade! Incredible! We sat at the counter and every one was so friendly

A small local breakfast/lunch spot, this little gem of a diner blocks from the college campus will fill any appetite. Some unique regional choices and all from scratch. It was so good i wanted to come back for lunch the same day (but couldn't). The staff embodies Minnesota Nice and will make your life forget you're in a big city! read more

Colossal Cafe - Smoked trout omelette with chive cream cheese with a biscuit and fresh jams - Cafes Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

We had brunch outside. I appreciated that there was shade over the outdoor tables! Sitting out there was loud though, and we were approached by a homeless person. The server was super friendly. The food was reasonably priced. I had a breakfast burrito bowl and a pancake. Nothing really wowed me with flavor. They have a good extensive coffee menu, alcohol, and my meal-guests raved about the biscuits. Overall 3/5 experience! read more

Colossal Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

The biscuits are to die for. Just so crispy on edges and fluffy inside. Even the next day just put in broil inside oven to heat up. The smoked trout Cobb is a really over the top salad. But in a good way. It's big portion. I was able to take home some leftover and add some salad green for 2nd meal read more

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Best breakfast in St Paul now, at least in my opinion. i like the chorizo burrito breakfast. They serve breakfast through lunch. They have very good hot sauce here. Not just Chalula or Tabasco. The coffee is good but not cheap. And an amazing selection of house baked sweet breads, cinnamon rolls, croissants... for a quick breakfast. read more

Colossal Cafe is my breakfast happy place - they make the classics perfectly and have fun seasonal options if you're feeling more adventurous. Staff are friendly and make sure you have everything you need, and the restaurant tends to be lively and buzzing with happy St Paulites on weekend mornings. read more

This one was a tough one for me to hash out. We got on the waitlist before leaving the hotel. I love when the option is available as it beats walk-ins & reservations. On arrival, we were told maybe 2 minutes to get a table cleaned, which was very accurate. We both offered exactly the same things, with the exception of my eggs being poached and his over-easy. Service was good but slooow. We started with the salted honey latte which started off quite tasty before rapidly turning too sweet to drink. Next, the biscuits and wild mushroom gravy. We both really liked our gravy, though the biscuits were dense, dry and heavy. In a do-over, I'd likely order eggs, hashbrowns and a side of gravy, skipping the biscuits all together. My eggs were cooked perfectly and his had 1 overcooked, which was fine with him. I'm a sucker for a savory scone & immediately bit when offered a blue cheese scone to-go. This beast was huge, which is probably why it was cooked so dark outside, in order to get the inside done. Sadly, this made only about 2/3 of it edible. The inside was tender and tasty, so, that's a plus. Pricing was lower than some comparable spots and on par with others. Overall, fair pricing. Some components were great while others fell short - making the average rather, well, average. read more

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Pancake was okay, a bit too sweet and thick. Love that they have real maple syrup. The bacon cream cheese omelet was good! Not a fan of their toast, can do lots better. I had the pumpernickel. I love dark bread, this was subpar nothing I'd get again. read more

Before heading down to the Twin Cities, I searched for places to have Christmas meals catered. A couple of years ago, I had an excellent experience with Brasa. This year, it had Thanksgiving catering, but maybe decided to take a break doing the same thing a month later. I landed on getting takeout from Colossal Cafe. It has takeout orders twice a week at two different locations. It also featured a special Christmas takeout menu where I needed to pick up my order on December 23. Perfect! I went with this Colossal Cafe on Grand Avenue. It's slightly closer to where I'm staying and would take roughly fifteen minutes to drive over here. I got the following items from its Christmas catering menu: - Orange-glazed ham, with roasted carrots, mashed potatoes with gravy, fluffy roll, and candy cane brownie (two meals - one on Christmas Day and another on Boxing Day) - Chicken pot pie - Egg bake (chives, cream cheese, and spinach) - Triple berry french toast bake with crème anglais The idea is that you pay online. Credit cards work fine, especially when you aren't an American. You specify the time that you want to pick up on Saturday and head over there. Parking was busy on a Saturday on Grand Avenue. I parked briefly on the street and walked into the cafe. As expected, this cafe was fairly busy. I saw all the paper bags with food to my right. I was excited, but patiently waited in line. I had the nicest woman when I got to the front of the line. I said that I was here for an order and pointed to the paper bag with my name on it on my right. She was pleased that I made her life easier. She picked it up and let me know that it was heavy. It was in double paper bags that were extremely sturdy. I thanked her. She wished me a merry Christmas. I did the same and happily lugged my food to my car. I briefly headed back to my hotel room after running a couple of errands. I placed everything in the fridge and then headed to a Wild game. The food lasted a few days, which I appreciated. It was nice to take a break heading downstairs for breakfast and having a comforting bake instead. They all heated up nicely in the microwave oven in my room. I normally do turkey as the main. It was a nice change doing ham with the best orange glaze. The mashed potatoes were fluffy and buttery. The gravy was excellent. I loved the roasted carrots that required little chewing. The fluff roll was so good. The candy cane brownie was fudgy and minty. It was the perfect meal. I'm so glad that I got to relive it the following day! The chicken pot pie was amazing. You got the pie crust all around the pie. There were huge chunks on chicken, potatoes, onions, and peas in every bite. This pie was so filling and comforting as a meal. The egg bake was delicious. I never thought of putting dabs of cream cheese throughout the bake, but it was awesome with the chives and spinach. I'm so glad that I got the triple berry french toast bake. It was everything that I love. Blueberries. Raspberries. Blackberries. French toast. Crème anglaise. Excellent! I looked at this cafe's takeout menu. It has a chocolate chip banana french toast bake that sounds equally as yummy. As tempting as it was to get it, I decided to sit on it. Next time! The food was delicious and comforting. It was everything that I had hoped for and more. It made my Christmas and holidays special while away from home. I looked at the baked goods while I was at the cafe. I want croissants next. It was a fabulous find. I'll be back for more. (2) read more

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My go-to weekday breakfast spot with a girlfriend. I love an omelet with a biscuit with fresh jam. The wait staff are always friendly and attentive and on top of coffee refills. Ambiance is clean and inviting. read more

Great spot for a large brunch dish! The prices are very decent for the portions and quality. We all had the Scandinavian frittata - so yummy! You must get a biscuit , these were incredible! I really want to come back and get one of the colossal cinnamon rolls! read more

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Had a great breakfast here! I am always amazed at how much food you get for the price. I struggled choosing something off the menu as everything sounded so good. Usually I would get the colosal breakfast because their sausage is one of the best. I ended up with a breakfast sandwich with of course the biscuit! This time I opted for a side salad and was very happy with my choice. Service was great and we found easy parking. This is definitely one of our go to breakfast spots. read more

Colossal Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Pros: The food is amazing. Flappers with Brie and apples are awesome but from the reviews I don't think people understand they are not typical pancakes. The sausage in their omelettes is so fresh and tasty. It's a flavor that is hard to forget. Honestly, all the food is amazing. Con's: we had to ask for our coffee cups, jam for our toast and extra plates. I was expecting better since we gave them a nice tip at the register. I'd give them some grace but it wasn't that busy. I also wasn't fond of the sign we didn't notice until afterwards that said ICE was not welcome. It brings in a political aspect, makes it feel discriminatory and overall gives a sense of certain people not being welcome. I'm so sad. read more

I love Colossal Cafe! I so very much miss its tiny spot in south Minneapolis. When I get the occasional chance to make it over to the grand Ave location in St Paul I take it. You can't go wrong with the Brie pancake stack. The flappers here are where it's at for sure. Though I have never had a bad breakfast here. Well worth a stop. read more

We ordered Thanksgiving dinners and extra sides. The service was excellent and the staff were very nice and helpful. One staff person even helped take out bags to the car. The food was rated as very good by everyone at the dinner table. The cranberry sauce was a stand out. The only bad food part were the dinner rolls. They were hard and tasteless, like biting into a tennis ball after a bite no one ate any. The only other downside was that we were overcharged by quite a lot. We looked at the receipt as we drove away and noticed the overcharge. We drove back and they acknowledged the error and gladly corrected the overcharge. All in all, we would certainly order from them again or go there for a restaurant meal. read more

The environment is great, service fantastic, and most of the food is phenomenal! Their current Cuban Eggs Benedict special is really delightful. The biggest negative is their pancakes! They're a yeast based batter so the pancakes taste like you're eating a beer and the texture is way too dense. When our server asked if they were okay, I said that I thought the pancakes were undercooked because of how dense they are. We had three bites of them and attempted to reheat them to see of it was just off with the rest of the food, but no. They're truly just bad. Don't waste your $12 on two bad pancakes! read more

Their yeast-based plain pancake is so hard to chew (like rubber...). It doesn't melt in your mouth at all. If you prefer a traditional simple breakfast like pancake, probably not a good idea to come here and wait for 40 min. But their coffee specialties are not bad. read more

Colossal Cafe - Yeast-based plain pancake - Cafes Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Their version of a pancake called a flapper is wonderful. Order one with fresh fruit and add their sage sausage patties for a delicious meal. I have never had a boring meal there. read more

I have been here for breakfast two times and both the food and the service have been excellent. While their bread is made in-house, you should always select the biscuit option. Highly recommend. read more

One of the favorites for our family. While the wait can get a little long at peak hours for this MN gal, the scratch food is worth the wait. Biscuits are amazing and everyone enjoyed their brunch. We had a mix of i letters, eggs Benedict, colossal breakfast and frittata. I liked the bacon and my daughters pumpkin spice latte. The staff was really awesome and our coffee was always full. Check it out for sure. read more

Colossal Cafe - Colossal breakfast. Eggs, bacon, hash browns toast and homemade jam. Colossal Breakfast - Cafes Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

This place takes reservations for big groups but when I went the AC was blasting so I ended up putting on a sweater. Display of the food looks great but the flappers were very doughy as if it was undercooked. Biscuits and gravy was ok, biscuits are really big and filling so it could possibly be split by 2 people. Service was just so so, our server kept forgetting things and no one really came by to refill our water. There is street parking or else they have a little parking lot next to the gas station. read more

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Went on a Saturday afternoon (12ish). Quite busy, so go early or be prepared to wait. The line went very fast (10 ish min wait). It's order at the counter then sit with a number service. Make sure you order everything you want at once or will have to wait in line again. Colossal breakfast was 10/10 and staff was very kind and helpful. Pro tip: If you want a cinnamon roll order ahead. They run out in the am and they are totally worth it! read more

Love that they have a waitlist so you don't show up & spend an hour waiting for a table! Went on Sunday & watched the cue for waitlist. Added my name an hour babies we wanted to eat & arrived a few minutes after our spit in line came available. We were promptly seated. Service was a bit slow but they were very busy. Drinks came out quickly which was great! My smoked trout frittata was delicious. Loved the toasted coconut latte & they have beer & wine available so my BIL was happy w/ his Urban Growler IPA. Really delightful ambiance c/t the Como location. Will definitely be back! read more

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The food was really fresh and exactly what we were hoping for. They were doing restoration work while open, so be aware of that. The price felt appropriate for the sheer size of the breakfast biscuits. Orange juice was very fresh, and the service got us in and out fast! I love the small cafe and good food vibes. read more

Everything I've tried has been delightfully delectable. The Monte Cristo and Omelettes are my favorites.

Me and my sister went here this morning, everything was good and we ordered pancakes and when they came everything looked okay but when we tasted it! The food was not cooked all the way and that was disgusting!!! They did ask if they could remake it but we left because that's just made us mad. But we did not say anything, the thing was they wanted us to pay for the food as well witch was crazy. Well not coming back anytime soon. You could see the inside is not even cooked all they did was just cook the top read more

Colossal Cafe - You could see the inside is not even cooked all they did was just cook the top - Cafes Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Colossal Cafe, 10-11-2024 We dined at Colossal Cafe several years ago, but this was our first time back since then. Both of us believe the cafe was in a different location during our previous visit. Now, the cafe occupies the front part of the building, with what appears to be a Green Mill pizza restaurant in the back. For breakfast, I had a bacon, green onion, and cream cheese omelet, while Dick ordered the pumpkin pancakes. The omelet was flavorful, offering a refreshing change of taste. It was priced at $15.25. Dick enjoyed his pumpkin pancakes (2), which were packed with flavor and served in generous portions--two large pancakes that could have easily been a meal with just one ($9.00). We also ordered plain black coffee ($5.00), though the cafe offers a variety of specialty coffees geared toward a younger crowd. The restaurant was very clean, with large windows at the front letting in plenty of natural light. It was quite busy during our visit. Seating options included a bar, tables, and about six to eight booths. read more

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Great for breakfast we really enjoyed the bowls of oatmeal with fresh berries then shared the pork and bison biscuits gravy. read more

Colossal Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

The short of it: this is a Minnesota grandparents' bland flavors repackaged in more contemporary dishes made in a scratch kitchen. Is it fresh? Yes. Are the portions big? Yes. Is it good? Meh. I ordered a Poutine Eggs Benedict. Poutine lives and dies on rich, thick gravy. This was watery and bland. The preparation of each item was competent: the poached eggs were done correctly (unlike my recent disaster at Maison Margaux) -- but nothing stuck out. It was bland. Forgettable. Disappointing. They had smoked trout on several dishes so I got a side. It was okay. I don't doubt they're preparing everything fresh. My friend's "Colossal Breakfast" was big, hearty... and bland. Lack of salt, lack of seasoning, and oily -- the lack of flavor is fulfilling the cliche Minnesota food of the past. Their lemonade is refreshing. The cold brew is served in a portion of a large cola (but not bad). The service was mixed. The hostess looked and sounded burned out. She didn't want to be there (I can imagine it's not a fun job there) but sat us quickly. Some servers were talky, others functional, mine was nothing memorable but competent. The atmosphere is not bad, they paid for a good-looking place. This is not a restaurant for people who actually know good food. This is for people who don't want to be shaken by flavors--if you have an elderly aunt who is in that category, she will welcome the pleasant atmosphere, big portions, and brunch favorites. I'm vacillating between 2- and 3- stars, but I'll give it a bump up for putting in the effort to make things scratch is appreciated and the service and atmosphere were right in the middle. There's some irony in this location being attached to Green Mill... both are equally not *awful* but also not really worth it. read more

Colossal Cafe - Tasteless gravy on poutine Benedict - Cafes Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Found out that the name of this place is ironic because the initial location had around 15 seats! This place is in between a diner and an upscale breakfast place with moderate prices and a decent food. They are known for their homemade biscuits, but I find them to be a little plain if I'm being honest. The service is super friendly, and the atmosphere is fairly casual, but not grimy. Similar to French Medow I would say. read more

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I love all the options for homemade biscuits... however, they weren't spectacular. They were very thick and overpowered the breakfast sandwich. They also we're a bit flavorless. This is one of the rare times that maybe the real thing isn't as good as what we're all used to. read more

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Always consistent. Always great service. Wonderful neighborhood spot for breakfast. Their specials are always excellent.

After two trips to Colossal Cafe, I went back and forth on 3 or 4 stars. I stuck to 3 because the food is good, but nothing to write home about in my opinion. My partner got their specialty pancakes- they tasted similar to a glazed donut and very very rich. I went with the Korean beef bowl, it was good but kind of just one flavor. A little spicy kick which was nice but the sauce on it just a little too much. Bulgogi was great. The atmosphere is lovely and the space is gorgeous, just gets a little loud around brunch time. Service was absolutely amazing and very fast. Everyone was super kind! More so 3.5 instead of just 3. read more

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Ordered breakfast through DD this weekend and got the pulled pork as a breakfast bowl and a side of hashbrowns and it was fantastic, the portions were extremely generous and the meat to egg/potatk etc. ratio was beyond any expectations, tons of pulled pork. It was a little bit bland but I used a little salt and cholula and it really helped and the dish was awesome. The hashbrowns weren't very crispy and while I understand that definitely happens with getting food delivered they weren't like a golden brown or anything so I think if they cooked it a little longer it would have been crispier. read more

Got food to-go so it could have been a one off but the chorizo bowl had very little flavor and was grainy. This was after being disappointed by the pork shoulder burrito a few months ago. No sauce for either. I don't know, just not a fan of their Mexican food. Stick to the American dishes, they are very good. read more

Come early before they run out because the real MVP of their breakfast is the incredible cinnamon rolls!! Super flavorful, sweet but not too rich, and just big enough to share and fill everyone's cup to the utmost happiness. We really enjoyed our nice breakfast at the cafe and had a blast walking down grand after. Highly recommend, everyone was super nice and service was great! read more

Colossal Cafe - This is only half! Split it with my husband before taking photo (newb mistake, please forgive me) - Cafes Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota