Tried Marma in Lake Elmo for the first time and overall - there is a lot to love here, with a couple things to be aware of. First, parking is very limited - plan ahead! Now the good: the food was absolutely incredible. Easily a 10/10. Our group of five had a variety of dishes; the Marma burger, Rosa fettuccine, pesto penne, walleye, and Bang Bang shrimp - and every single one was excellent. The whipped feta and Brussels sprouts were standouts and a must-order. The atmosphere is beautiful and inviting, and our service was fantastic; attentive, friendly, and seamless. That said, the 90-minute table limit made the experience feel rushed. With five people ordering drinks, appetizers, and entrées, it's just not realistic to have a relaxed dinner in that timeframe. We didn't even have time for dessert before being asked to wrap up. What made it more frustrating was that tables of four across from us were seated before we arrived and were still comfortably enjoying their meals while we were being rushed out. Bottom line: amazing food and great service, but if you're looking for a leisurely, relaxing dinner - especially with a group - this may not be the best fit. Go for the food, just be prepared for the pace. read more

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Ambience: small interior, modern, vibey. It can be chilly (if it's not warm out), with the doors opening often in a small space. Service: Quick, attentive, friendly. However, the 1.5 hour limit for dinner feels rushed, so wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for a place to socialize for any longer than that. Food: We enjoyed our dishes overall. The hoisin sauce was pretty strong, even by our standards, and overpowered the tuna. But overall, it was good. read more

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WOW! This place is something else. A real gem and with the drive if you aren't on the east side. A very nice patio but it has a subset of the main menu. Go there!! :) read more

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Marma is a wonderful local restaurant with a welcoming atmosphere and delicious food! I met a friend a week or so before Christmas and we chose to sit at the bar. We had excellent service, recommendations, food & drink. The restaurant is busy and as is the case with many local owner operated small to mid size spots in the area they do have a time limit on tables on evenings when they are booked with reservations. I can respect that and they are clear about it. Bar seating is on a first come first served basis. My husband & son are regulars at Marma. It never disappoints! read more

Intimate setting, great for a dinner date, awesome outdoor area that is dog-friendly. Fancy cocktails and unique menu. I've enjoyed the ceviche, Parmesan fries, Brussels, burger appetizer, Caesar salad and Thai noodles. Parking lot fills up quick but there's free street parking. If you are a Caesar fan, the dressing isn't heavy on the anchovy flavor & it's very mellow. The Thai noodles are my favorite menu item, I do order them extra spicy with the ponzu on the side as I found them to be too 'smothered' originally. I wouldn't say family friendly, I wouldn't bring my young kids due to the intimacy and limited space. read more

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Really,tell you the good and the bad?? The walleye was mushy particularly with the mashed potatoes. The sword fish was better, but still dry. Not impressed. read more

Simply fabulous food. This is a place where many items on the menu are amazing and it's a challenge to pick one favorite. I'm the type of person who generally finds a fav at a restaurant and I stick with it any time I go to that restaurant. Not so here, loved the whipped feta, Bengal chicken sandwich was dripping with tasty goodness, Bahn Mi sandwich, elote brussels, You can't go wrong. Nice ambiance and yes like most St. Croix towns, parking is a challenge so grab a res for a fantastic meal. Service was great and bartenders make delicious cocktails. Elderfizz, um yes please. You can't go wrong with this menu and a read more

Marma - Elderfizz Cocktail - Bars Near Me - Lake Elmo, Minnesota

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My first visit to Marma was such a wonderful experience! The place is small but they really utilized the space to offer great seating options. The staff were very welcoming and very attentive! My group shared the Whipped Feta, Elote Brussels and Beef Bulgogi. Our favorite was the Feta but they were all delicious! We also got a couple cocktails and mocktails. All equally delicious. The star for me was my main dish, the Salmon. It was cooked perfectly, the presentation was beautiful and the sauce was so good! Definitely in my top ten meals I've had. We shared a few desserts and I was so sad our evening had to end. Can't wait to check out the patio once the weather gets a little warmer. 10/10 highly recommend. read more

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Marma's eclectic menu and atmosphere is a welcome addition to the East metro. It's hard to pin down Marma's menu - there are some American bar staples, a couple of steaks, pastas, among Asian and Indian dishes. The scallops, Thai chili noodles and Marma burger are all dishes I'd happily have again. The banh mi and chicken sandwich are also good, but there's plenty of other places to find a better version of either of those dishes in the metro area. Along with the food, you'll find a handful of local beer options, some wine and creative cocktail options. The interior is well decorated and I'm looking forward to the weather improving to finally get out and enjoy their patio. Service has always been very friendly - definitely a place worth checking out on this side of town. read more

Love the vibes and even better food! Service was great too! They have a great burger, we loved the Bang Bang Shrimp, and the ribeye was cooked to perfection. read more

Can't get any better than this! Full and delicious flavors in every dish, exquisite cocktails, and phenomenal service!

Good food, the services is hit or miss. Nice ambience, hard to get a booth. Need to make a reservation. read more

Great place in a location you wouldn't expect. The food was top notch and great cocktails too.

Went again in May with some friends from Milwaukee and California. They LOVED marma. Everything was so delicious I can't wait to take more friends and family. read more

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So angry to have a 4% fee tacked on at the end of the meal on our bill. They call it a market fee. I wish they would just raise their prices. No one likes getting hit with junk fees at the end! Think about Ticketmaster, they had to end this practice because it was deemed deceptive. That's what this is too. Until this gone, we will not be back. I thought this was illegal in MN?? Ridiculous. (Note this is not a credit card fee. It's just a fee on the food and drinks just because) read more

I would not actively seek this out again. Service was great. It was a cool atmosphere. The restaurant was super loud. Our dishes were good but not amazing. They also have a bunch of fees at at the end of dining. Overall they had good food and glad we tried it but would not come here again. read more

Marma - Chicken sandwich and Thai chilli noodles - Bars Near Me - Lake Elmo, Minnesota

Hostess reminded us, more than once, we had our table for 1-1/2 hours. Then seated us. Service was excellent. Parmesan fries were cooked is super old oil, we could taste previously fried foods, like fish(ick), on these fires which would have otherwise been excellent. The beef sliders were recommended but were dry and tough. The Pesto Pasta was good, I ordered extra sauce which is highly recommended. This is our 4th try here... disappointed. Again. Have had their filet and fish entrees in the past... just ok. For the $100-$150 it just isn't that great. read more

With the food and the service was excellent. I had the tenderloin with mushroom gorgonzola sauce and garlic mashed potatoes. Very flavorful and filling. I will visit again for sure. Remember to make reservations or you may not get in. read more

Marma - Tenderloin - Bars Near Me - Lake Elmo, Minnesota

The food was wonderful and the presentation was very impressive as well! We all ordered something different for our entree's and both the food and cocktails did not disappoint! We will definitely return! read more

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This is a new spot in Lake Elmo. The atmosphere is clean, open, and atheistically pleasing. I look forward to going back soon. The menu has a good variety of options, and the cocktails are invented and delicious. They have some NA options as well. The Ganesha NA drink was refreshing and not overly sweet, which tends to be the case with many NA options. The service is wonderful. The waitress was attentive and friendly. She was able to answer all of our questions and provide insight according to our wants. One of the owners also checked in on us, and recommended the tostada. I am very glad he did, because it was excellent. The pork and vegetables were flavorful, and the tortilla was cooked perfectly and had a great crunch. For an entree, I had the Linguine Rosa. The vodka sauce was robust and delicious. I think it would have been even better if I had added the shrimp option. Our favorite part of the meal was the Rum Banana Cake. The cake was moist and full of banana flavor. The sauce drizzled over it was not overly sweet and added another great element. I can't wait to try it again. read more

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Ambiance is great! Lively and very loud. We had a reservation and the hostess made sure to let us know we had 90 minutes before the next seating. She told us this out of the blue as she sat us at a table next to the entrance. I mention the entrance because it was cold out and every time someone opened the door a whoosh of cold air came in at our table. We survived the cold, but expected a warmer welcome and environment. On a positive note, it was well ventilated. The drinks were great, food was great and the coconut cheesecake is tdf! We're planning to go again in warmer weather. Also, for those that keep track, there was a 4% market charge on our check, which was not a service charge or gratuity as far as we know. Maybe it was due to being a holiday weekend or maybe the market was not going well for the chef that day. read more

Marma - Partially eaten and exceptional coconut cheesecake. - Bars Near Me - Lake Elmo, Minnesota

One of my favorite restaurants within a 5 min drive! Food was delicious, they have a lot of seafood dishes. Drinks are great, service is always amazing! Love the back patio with the fire pits! read more

This restaurant checked all the boxes for us. The actual building is fairly small so it's kind of tight space wise; but the ambience was great and we liked the decor too. It had a bit of an upscale vibe so you could dress semi casual or semi fancy easily and fit in either way. The food was fabulous! Both our appetizer (Beef Bougogi) and main dish (Ahi Tuna) was played beautifully and absolute palate perfection. The nuanced flavors were lovely and we thought both were well done. Lastly, the staff was friendly. We say at the bar because reservations were two weeks out and we received excellent service from one of the bar tenders. It was fun to watch them make drinks as well. All in all I would highly recommend this as a great date night restaurant! read more

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My sister lives within walking distance of here, so we decided to finally give it a try as we've heard nothing but positive comments about the place. We walked in without a reservation on a Thursday night around 7:30pm, unable to get a table inside until 9:00pm, but were able to find room at the bar. It was a busy evening, but after waiting a few minutes, bartender Jonathan welcomed and introduced himself to us. Brought us waters and offered us another beverage. We decided on Mocktails-- Isla and Ganesha. Both very tasty and refreshing. For an appetizer, we shared the whipped feta and let me tell you don't skip it (I'm still thinking about it almost a week later!). The wings were also recommended and I think I'll try those next visit... someone got them and they looked SO good. For our entrees, I enjoyed the pork sliders with horseradish and cheese, and side of fries. Both excellent. The fries were one of the best I've had in a very long time. My sister enjoyed the Thai Chili Noodles with chicken and that was also tasty. Even though we were stuffed beyond capacity, we decided to indulge in the Rum Banana Cake which I was honestly blown away by. I'm a chocolate lover but decided to go out of my comfort zone because it sounded so yummy and it WAS. Fantastic! Highly recommend this place and treat yourself to dessert. The place is not huge, but there is outdoor seating on first come first serve and they serve apps and drinks out there. Nice bar area as well. Cute little spot in Lake Elmo. read more

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We've been here three times and we are three for three for great food, drinks, and service. The filet melts in your mouth. The apps are all amazing. The pasta was delicious. It can get crowded, but worth the chaos. read more

We have always had such great service, fabulous food, and really creative cocktails at Marma. It is one of our favorite places. The only bummer is if you go on a Saturday night, you might have to wait quite a long time or never have a refill on your drinks read more

Wonderful atmosphere, tasty drinks, friendly staff, and delicious food! I got a Marma Burger with a chicken breast substitute and my boyfriend had a special request for his ribeye that was also fulfilled to incredible delight! Definitely good any day you go but weekends can get crazy so i would recommend making a reservation read more

This place is pretty small, but if you make a reservation, you will enjoy great service, food and drinks. We really enjoyed our visit and will be back for sure. read more

Looking at other reviews from different places, what happened to us apparently has happened to others. We had reservations there on Saturday at 4:30 for my wife's birthday dinner. Upon seating us we were informed we have to leave the table by 6 PM because of reservations at that time. And then they warned us again as we were sitting there with drinks that we have to put our food order in because we have to make sure we are out of that table by 6 PM. I'm not sure what type of training these people have in the food service industry but that was wrong! This was supposed to be a nice birthday dinner out but we all felt stressed being rushed! This is supposed to be a nicer restaurant not fast food! read more

Great food and service. We tried an appetizer of shrimp fritter, great seasoning, a great dipping sauce and delicious. I tried the salmon dinner, Salmon potatoes, basil, lemon, tomato relish, shrimp fritter was delightful. My wife had a salad, Berry & Chèvre spring mix, berries, onion, almonds, chèvre, vinaigrette plus chicken and she loved it. Once again it was everything we hoped for and more. We can't wait to go back. read more

Food was perfect and atmosphere was great. Staff very nice and helpful! Only issue is that there should be more parking, although I do understand that there is limited space. I would return. read more

We were so excited for Marcus and Max and for this to open. You two are so creative with your food menu and there is never a dull option. Drinks are always amazing, Marcus you are a true mixologist! Greatest atmosphere ever, great outdoor area, this place will be a true gem to the community. You picked the greatest crew to represent you, best service ever! read more

Food outstanding. Limited menu but that allows all to be done well. Pasta dishes unique. Service outstanding. It's noisy, but not overwhelming. When I return, will sit at bar or one of the booths. read more

Very high quality food. Nice atmosphere and great service. My penne al limon was a bit lack luster unfortunately

It was Very loud and food was just ok. The outside space is great and would be a great summer hangout

It was a very happy accident to find Marma on a Friday night. We didn't have reservations so we sat at the bar. The bartender was pleasant and attentive and had great recommendations. We had the ahi tuna and mahi mahi dishes as well as the salmon appetizer and everything was amazing. The cocktails were fantastic as well. We will definitely be back!! read more

Food, service and ambiance were all excellent. We had the delicious Brussels sprouts which were a special for the night, fried chicken sandwich, Thai noodles , banana rum cake and tres leche cake. All excellent. Sat at the bar and had great service! read more

Love Marma restaurant! We've been hearing twice within a month, second time brought friends to experience the fantastic service, ambiance, craft cocktails and delicious food. Everything we tried was absolutely delicious (including the mediterranean and bacon/beet salads, scallops, ahi tuna, and beef tenderloin)! Finished the meal with tum banana cake. This is our new favorite go-to spot! read more

Wonderful, delightful dining experience at Marma. Whipped feta starter is a great opener with creamy texture and bright, herb-filled chimichuri. The Bengal chicken sandwich is tasty. The slaw and pickle really bring a flavor pop. Get some fries dusted with parm and dip in basil aioli. So good! Lively atmosphere and really attentive service too. We will put this in our regular restaurant rotation. I'm excited to hang on the sunny patio soon. read more

Food is flavorful. Service was great. Good parking lot close by. Great find in Lake Elmo and eastern burbs.