If you are not a MN State fair goer. Come here for the fair food. If you are a fair goer come here for better food. Can't go wrong on any item. My favorite was the Chicago Dog. Original and perfect down to the poppy seed bun. read more

North Coop - The State Fair menu. - Southern Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

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Unlike others, we seem to get consistently mediocre food here. I have eaten in several times - the chicken 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. read more

My family and I have been to North Coop a few times, and it has been great every time. This visit I ordered the Veggie Bowl and added grilled chicken, and it was so good. All of the ingredients were fresh and the flavors worked really well together. The inside has a rustic, modern bar feel, and the service has always been wonderful. It's a great casual spot, and I'll definitely be back. read more

North Coop - Veggie Bowl with Grilled Chicken - Southern Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

We visited North Coop on Monday, June 2 around 5:45pm after seeing it on TikTok. The food looked incredible in the videos (the crunch in the chicken), and we had to check it out for ourselves. After a 40-minute drive, we were more than ready and the experience totally delivered. We started with the spinach artichoke dip, which our server Katherine highly recommended as her favorite. She was spot on--it was buttery, creamy, and so flavorful. If our food didn't come out so quickly, we would have been scraping every last bit. I had the Tennessee chicken sandwich with fries, and asked for the collard green slaw on the side. Honestly, I wish I had just put it right on the sandwich because after trying it with a bite, I really liked it. The Louisiana hit I did not find to be spicy, more so flavorful. Almost, kinda sweet. Others in our group ordered: The classic chicken sandwich with onion rings, The fried chicken with mac & cheese and cornbread, and a side of collard greens, which were seriously delicious--super well-seasoned and flavorful. Our service was excellent--Katherine chatted with us and made the whole experience even better. She was friendly, helpful, and just had a great vibe. She was blown away at how far we drove to come here. The menu is huge with tons to offer, and the drink menu has a wide variety, including non-alcoholic options, which I appreciate to see. All in all, a fantastic visit. Great food, great service, and a fun spot--we'll definitely be back SOON and you should go, too! read more

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1st time here. Took forever to get a drink ordered, very slow service in general. Did not get the crispy red potatoes wr ordeted. We only ordered 3 things so it wasn't complicated! Slow service - not very busy so can't blame it on that. Not impressed, high prices.. won't be back. read more

The service was fine. The inside had the air so cold, that we needed sweatshirts. The food was average.

This was a cute little brunch spot and I was excited to try something new! They do have a big menu and you can order off the brunch menu or the regular menu which is nice, something for everyone. The highlight of the meal was the cinnamon roll that they make with their biscuit dough, I'd return just for that! However, for my entree I got the croissant breakfast sandwich with bacon and was a little disappointed. The croissant didn't seem freshly made, it wasn't even warm or toasted, and the sandwich itself was pretty basic. I had higher expectations but I would give this place another try and get another one of those cinnamon rolls! read more

North Coop - Cinnamon roll - Southern Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

Drove out to Excelsior after watching some influencer videos about this place (do not be fooled like I was!!). I'll say it was very mid, for being a place that makes everything from scratch, the breakfast sandwich had a store bought croissant which is really odd to me. If everything is scratch made, wouldn't the croissant also be? Seems like a big claim to ''make everything from scratch" but the basic components of the sandwich are not. I did however split the cinnamon bun with a friend and it was tasty, but nothing out of the ordinary. Wish I had more to say, the atmosphere was cute, but if you're coming from the twin cities, definitely not worth the drive. read more

North Coop - Cinnamon roll - Southern Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

I would say the pulled pork hash was a 4.5 star. It was tasty, but it was too salty. Eggs Benedict were great. Don't ask for extra crispy hash browns. Paige was our server. She was great. She helped pick our food and smiled a lot. This is a perfect bar. Not too fancy, but it is very nice. read more

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We ordered "takeout" for three persons for dinner. We were very disappointed. The traditional, southern fried dark chicken with maple Sriracha dressing was dry and seriously overcooked. The French onion Smashburger was similarly overcooked to the point of being burnt and charred around the edges. We ordered a side of macaroni and cheese. There was no cheese in the cup, only a pile of wet, soggy noodles with no taste. The cornbread was wrapped in aluminum and also dry. Though their on-line menu said sides would be included with these orders, the ones we did order all added additional costs. We will not be returning to North Coop for any food in the future. read more

This place has a welcoming sports bar vibe upon entering for Sunday Brunch. The place was pretty busy, with a Packers/Bears game playing on the TVs. We were greeted at the door and quickly seated. Our waitress was kind and stopped by at regular intervals to take our order, check on our food, and provide the bill. While everything looked delicious when food was being served to neighboring tables (waffles, eggs Benedict), we went for the chicken so we ordered 2 half chickens. One Nashville Hot and the other was our waitress recommendation of Honey Hot. Nashville Hot was delicious, not as spicy as I had anticipated, but feel it was more oily than the Honey Hot -- the plate had a puddle of oil under the chicken pieces. The Honey Hot was mostly Honey. Needed more 'hot' in that balance. Overall, the chicken was very juicy and cooked well! Solid fried chicken. The collard greens and cornbread were exceptional! read more

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The inside of this place is cozy on one side with a nice bar area on the other. Been a few times and really enjoyed our experiences. The service has been on point and the meals are really good. The breakfast sandwich was huge and so good! read more

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I'm a Girl Raised In The South (GRITS) and I was excited to order grits as a side, but this pablum textured, unseasoned offering was quite disappointing. Maybe some cheese or onions would have made it better. The BLT is quite good but has way more stuff on it than BLT. Lots and lots of flavor, though, so definitely 5-stars. The Beet Salad is lots and lots of greens and a few chunks of beets and goat cheese. I threw most of it away. I suggest they half the greens and double the beets and goat cheese to call this a "beet salad," the dressing was yummy. Overall it was just okay, not something I'd order again. read more

North Coop - BLT and side of Cheese Grits. - Southern Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

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

We ventured here after a family Christmas a few miles away. I have a big family and only a small group of us wanted to do dinner after. (Party of 13!!). I gave them a call at 6pm on a Saturday and told them we were on the way. They had a big table almost ready for us when we arrived! The host / management staff are rockstars! Thanks again! Our server was also amazing. He was a little crabby at first (maybe focused/ stressed having a big group and his area?) and warmed up and did a great job with multiple tickets and drink/ food orders. Drink: they have an interesting drink menu. Many of the specialty cocktails were creative. I wanted the Rose mule and my other half got the passionfruit Mojito. They both were tasty and went down fast. Food: we shared a few things. Chicken strips: these were tasty and had a nice crisp breading with tender chicken inside. The bbq sauce had a nice smokiness. You could tell it was made well. Cheese Grits: under cooked and no flavor. I was raised on grits and I think it was the main chefs night off. They tasted like flour. I mentioned this to the server and he said "oh... everyone loves them" but didn't do anything or ask if we wanted to swap for something else. Mac and Cheese Balls: these were tasty and gooey cheesy. Everything I was hoping for. There was a vinegary dipping sauce that added a ton of flavor. We tried the fried catfish and it wasn't my favorite. It was a thicker cut and felt crispy and mushy inside. My mom loved them! My teen got a burger and fries and those fries were super yummy. She scarfed the burger so I'm sure it was good! This was a perfect spot to find something for everyone without being super adventurous but still foodie. We will plan to come back here next year too! Thanks again to the staff for making our night better. read more

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North Coop is simply awesome. A well oiled machine! The menu has so many great options, and their specials offer 2-3 additional delicious options. Bartenders are engaging and friendly - and pour cold beer and good drinks. The owners and staff know how to make casual dining enjoyable for customers of their non-chain establishment. Keep up the good work! read more

This was my husband and I's first time trying the food here. We weren't sure if we wanted to try it because of the reviews, but we thought let's just try. We ordered the southern fried chicken tenders and they were exactly what I was craving. We liked the flavor, the chicken was nice and juicy and the skin was crispy (only some of it got a little soggy in the to-go container on the drive home). And we liked the ranch we got on the side. 4 big plump chicken tenders, worth the $! My husband also mentioned it was cute inside when he went to pick up the food. Someone answered our phone call right away and gave us an honest review of the food, was nice, and took our order. It was ready when my husband got there. No complaints :) I would include a picture but I scarfed it all before I thought about taking a pic. Lol. read more

The drink we ordered was mostly ice. The chicken tenders were anything but tender, very rubbery (for lack of better word). I had one and left the rest. Disappointed and unsatisfied. read more

We stopped I. Wednesday the 21st and sat at the bar. This place has a nice ambiance. The service was fine, but the ribs that I ordered as my main entree were inedible. I struggled to get the park off of the bone. When the bartender asked how was our meal, I just told her the ribs were poor at best. I don't like to sting restaurants we paid the bill and left with a to go box of ribs. I could bring them back to life at home, either. P.S. I'm my career I trained chefs & Cookson how to slow cook, and hold ribs in my equipment read more

Nice spot for breakfast! Stopped by early sat for brunch after a run and it was already packed! Once we got a table, we all got drip coffee which was good. A little lukewarm on the first cup, but steaming on the second. For a meal, I got their breakfast sandwich which was huggeeeeee but really good. Nothing crazy, but a solid classic breakfast. My group all enjoyed their meals as well. It wasn't world stopping, but it certainly was a good, solid breakfast. read more

Southern hospitality at its finest. Greeted promptly at the door with a smile. The shrimp po boy was very tasty. Breaded shrimp are very light and topped with a lemon aioli. And if you're leaving without having the grits, you're missing out. read more

Hey listen, there's nothing like a good chicken coop or a place that speciaizes in chicken. After a long hard day, at the golf course, fried chicken seems like a no-brainer. I got the fried chicken and ribs special platter with cornbread and a brisket appetizer. Fried chicken: it tasted like it was brined in salt all day but I actually loved the slightly salty flavor but it was barely warm. 3.75/5 Ribs: They tasted OK but again they needed to be hot off the grill and not lukewarm 3/5 cornbread: it tasted like famous Dave's sweetcorn bread and very fresh and of course warm. 4/5 Smashed potatoes: tasted fresh off the grill but needed a little salt. 3.5/5 brisket appetizer: pretty small quantity but tasted OK and again room temperature. The raspberry barbecue sauce taste like a compote because it was super sweet like a sugar bomb. 3/5 I would go back but I would choose what I ordered carefully. read more

North Coop - Fried chicken and ribs special combo with smashed potatoes - Southern Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

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I came to North Coop, just west of Excelsior in Shorewood), for brunch on a warm summer day. Perfect for sitting outside and socially distanced. The Southern-inspired menu is refreshing for the western suburbs, but know this is not an upscale Cracker Barrel. Owners Roger and Shannon have added a personal touch to their offerings with outstanding results. The brunch menu contains typical brunch items but includes "Southern" items such as Shrimp and Cheese Grits and Caramel Pecan Waffle. Their take on "corned beef hash," which I had, is called "Brisket Bark Hash" and contains chunks of their brisket bark along with onions and potatoes, and topped with eggs of your choice. Delicious. Others in our party ordered the huge Coop Breakfast (eggs, choice of meat, toast, and hash browns). Some added a "biscuit," which is the size of a giant popover and as crumbly as cornbread. The waitstaff was friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. The lunch and dinner menu is quite different. Yes, there are sandwiches, catfish, and burgers. The featured item, of course, is Southern Fried Chicken, and you can customize your order with a variety of flavored seasonings. A shout out is also due the coffee. Minnetonka Mud is a blend created and roasted by Sweetwater Roasters in Excelsior. It's the best coffee I've had in a local restaurant. I am looking forward to our next visit. read more

North Coop - Brisket Bark Hash - Southern Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

The food was good, The fried chicken sandwich could have been a little more tender. The sweet potato fries were very good. The service and ambiance were great. I will eat here again but it has to be better to become a regular place for me. read more

North Coop - Buffalo fried chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries/ - Southern Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

Love the shrimp and grits! It's a nice place for good comfort food and good service.

This neighborhood restaurant is the bomb! It's a cute place that is family friendly but also has a nice size bar (where we usually sit) If you like fried chicken this is the place to go! Don't mess around order the Nashville hot it's delish! It's light, crispy, tender, and so flavorful. We also enjoyed the fried chicken sandwich. The pulled pork is great too! There are so many entrees to choose from you can't go wrong. Looking forward to next time! read more

North Coop - Nashville hot fried chicken - Southern Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

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I really like this place for brunch. Great, varied menu with chicken & waffles tops on my list.

Great service, good food. The staff was outstanding. I hope they do well. Great family spot, the littles loved the moon pies and to go sodas. read more

North Coop - Half chicken $20 - Southern Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

It's a nice spot for western Minnetonka. The space is dominated by 9 large TVs, but otherwise surprisingly pretty and airy. Great service, quickly got food to the table. Lots of fried options, but also tasty healthy choices such as the roasted turkey sandwich. Fried pickles were sweet/spicy. I like the regular ones better, but these were interesting. The fried chicken sandwich was really good; crisp exterior,moist interior. Nice bun, good with pickles inside. The grits were not creamy enough, and a bit smoky for my tastes. But many would like the smoked bacon flavor. Very pretty garnish of corn on top. A good value, more sports bar than I was expecting. I would return since it's close to home, but not drive way out of my way to go. read more

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What a gem! On my tour of covid take out, this is a top five. Great variety, well packaged and food travels well. We have not had a bad meal, but we have had delicious apple crisp or strawberry shortcake. Prices are reasonable. Sandwiches are well prepared and ingredients are very fresh. Highly recommends. read more

Good food and great service. Center island bar and seating around it bathrooms clean and greeting when you arrive and leave. Truck Parking friendly too. Happy hour prices pretty good too! read more

North Coop - Pork grins Fried and Green Tomatoes - Southern Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

Staff was great. Adjusted their plans to accommodate a large group. Food came out efficiently, and the service was great. Food is very good.

OMG yum. Great southern food offerings: casual, fun, the food is 100% on target. It's the south supplanted in the burbs & a perfect fusion. Happy hour is just on point. The rhubarb crisp is a lucky strike, when in season (August is auspicious, indeed (you'll appreciate that if you're into entomology)! The oven baked daily offerings with ice cream on top is a very fine finish. read more

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Stopped in for late lunch-not many other folks stopping in. Food was good, menu has quite a variety. Sweet tea was very good-could be that Southern influence they talk about. Service was a little slow for the few of us that were there. Loved the "Star-like" black ceiling, read more

Stopped in for a lunch visit with my wife. More of a dinner spot apparently, as the place was pretty slow. We were immediately seated and a server greeted us with water within a minute. So far, so good. My wife and I both enjoyed an adult beverage. I went the beer route. Their tap selection covers a lot of ground with just 10 taps. Something for everyone and two sizes, pint or giant. I went giant and it should be noted that it's going to cost you $10. Not sure how I feel about that price. You decide. For food, I ordered the "Kentucky Brown". My wife got the salad but subbed the fried chicken instead of the pulled chicken. With this we figured we could share and get a sampling of their chicken (specialty) and a sando that not everyone else offers. The part we didn't see coming was the $10 up charge to order your salad like that. All told with tax and tip, we had $80 into a lunch. Just didn't feel like we got $80 worth. I'd return once more and maybe just stick to the scripted menu items. read more

North Coop - Kentucky Brown - Southern Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

Love their fried chicken. We sat on the patio with the grandkids. The server was okay, but the drinks were slow in coming. Could be they were having staffing issues. The server was really nice. read more

I have always enjoyed eating at the North Coop--never had anything that wasn't top notch. This year, for Thanksgiving, I ordered some sides to add to our dinner at home. I want to rave about the food AND the service! Everything was packed perfectly to be picked up a day in advance and then assembled (the beet salad) from component parts that were packed separately to keep them fresh. I've never liked collards, but I love theirs. I even ordered them for our Thanksgiving celebration. As I said, the food is top notch. The service has always been great. The North Coop has become a regular dining place for us. We'll definitely return and I'll be ordering from their catering menu again. read more

North Coop restaurant in Excelsior Minnesota Went to the North Coop on Friday 28 June 2019 with six adults and a well-behaved wee tot; five of us have lived in the south, and the sixth has spent road warrior travel time in the south. (The tot loved the grits and the pimento spread, and she also has a fondness for lemons and limes, and our server kept those coming.) I found out about this restaurant from a Yelp! suggestion for places to try. The restaurant is located on the southwest corner of Highways 7 and 41. For dog lovers, it is in the same parking lot as Fido's Pantry. I like that the restaurant is located outside of downtown Excelsior and the large parking lot made finding a space simple. I had contacted the restaurant about reservations, and they do not take them, but probably should consider that option. I was told a party of 6 on Friday at 5:30PM would be able to sit down right away. We waited for about 40-minutes to be seated and were happy that the seating out front was in the shade. We bought drinks and had some ice water while we were waiting - the group thought drink prices were on the high side. (Lots of choices for local breweries available if you're a beer drinker.) There is a giant metal rooster outside near the entrance - and that fits with the whole chicken coop theme. The awnings also have chicken on them, so you'll know you're at the right spot. We drove past the outdoor seating initially, and under a pergola are low tables and chairs. Perk for outdoor seating is well-behaved dogs are allowed to sit out there too. Inside offers booths, high tops, and low tops. We opted for a regular table. Bathrooms were clean, and the women's restroom has two stalls. The restaurant touts "southern inspired," and for purists, that is a critical part. Our group had a variety of former residents of the south at the table, South Carolina, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas and plenty of south and deep south travelers. Be prepared that this is southern inspired with a Minnesota twist. Lots of variety on southern cooking styles and expectations. This particular group of folks are all excellent cooks and bakers in their own right too. Let's talk about food! APPETIZERS - Pimento Cheese Plate ($8.95) Toast Points, Pickled Green Tomatoes. This was good, and we all liked it, including the tot. Worth trying. Fried Wickles Pickles ($9.95) Deep fried Bread and Butter pickles. These were an unusual combination of sweet Bread and Butter pickles. Worth trying. Louisiana Hot Ranch Cracklins' ($6.95) Spicy House made Pork Rinds. A HUGE plate of these came to the table, and they were approved by all. If you like the bagged pork rinds, these will make you happy as a huge step up from mass produced. MEALS - Southern BLT ($12.95) Bacon, Lettuce, Fried Green Tomato, Spicy Mayo, White Toast. Lots of bread, I ate one-half slice. The green tomato had a light breading and was not greasy. So much bacon... if you love bacon this is the right choice for you. Wedge Salad ( $11.95) Iceberg Lettuce, Bacon, Bleu Cheese, Green Onion, Tomato, Cucumber, Corn Bread Croutons. Three GIANT wedges of iceberg lettuce. This will fill you up. Brisket Bark ($10.95) Burnt Brisket Ends, Blueberry BBQ Sauce. The sauce is sweet and comes on the side - that's a plus for me. Traditional Southern Fried Chicken Served with Cornbread and choice of Side 1/2 Chicken ($17.95) ¼ White ($10.95) ¼ Dark ($8.95) This was tasty enough, but a little on the greasy side. Some of the sauces are good, and we really liked the Habanero Catfish po boy ($14.95) Louisiana Hot Ranch, Tomato, Shredded Lettuce, Hoagie. It was okay, probably not a reorder for any of us. Catfish Nuggets ($11.95) cornmeal crusted, Louisiana Hot Ranch. Same catfish as in the Po Boy. Breading could be a bit lighter. Likely not a reorder. SIDES - All $3.95 Beans (Brown beans and pork in pork stock and a minimal hint of Bourbon sauce, topped with 2 croutons) I handed these around for everyone to try and the consensus was not to order on subsequent visits. Sweet Cornbread (Honey butter topper. Consistent pieces and a nice sponge texture.) This is a sweet cornbread, more than just the sweetness of the cornmeal. Collard Greens (No vinegar/pepper vinegar available) These were "okay" None of us would order them again. Cheese Grits (These had a distinct smoked flavor (reminded all of us of Liquid Smoke) that was not a hit with the adults at the table. That smoked flavor changed the orders of 3 people.) None of us would order these again. Fresh Biscuit (They had a beautiful glazed top. I did not taste these, but they looked good.) Our server, Josh, was fantastic and we met both front and back of house folks, and all were very cordial. We were well taken care of, and I hope North Coop recognizes Josh's value. Service 5 stars Food 3 Stars read more

Enjoyed this place and the southern flair food very much. Had the Fried Green Tomatoes with a side of collard greens. The tomatoes had a drizzle of spicy sauce on the top...just enough to give them a little extra zip. The collard greens were the BEST I have had in a long time!! Excellent flavor and as good as you will get down south (which true southern food is hard to find up here). I would come back simply for the collards!! For dessert I had the strawberry shortcake that was recommended by the waitress. It was made with their homemade biscuits. It was soooo good! Overall, good service and nice atmosphere. The prices were in line with what restaurants typically cost in this area. Definitely a place I would come back to as there are several menu items I'd still like to try. Looks like they have a weekday happy hour with some good drink and appetizer specials. read more

North Coop - Fried green tomatoes w/collards - Southern Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

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This place is quite good. Located at the intersection of Hwy 41 and Hwy 7, spitting distance from downtown Excelsior, North Coop is easily found on the Southwest corner. Overall, the decor is not something one may oh and ah over, but it is clean and open, and one is not far from the horseshoe bar wherever one sits. TVs also adorn most of the muted grey/green walls to keep an eye on a game you might be interested in, or bored with the present company. We were here from brunch, and the menu is plentiful and awesome. It was truly difficult to make a choice here, and I will state right now, I am coming back for an opportunity to try a number of other items. After agonizing over my options I went with the Chicken and waffles. You have the option of flavoring your fried chicken with options such as Nashville Hot, Maple Bacon, Buffalo, Firebird, and a couple of others that I can't recall. I opted for Nashville Hot, which was quite good. There was a little heat to it...what I might call Minnesota Hot. The waffle? Well, it was a waffle and tasted as such, and not much to say about it. Overall really enjoyable. The other entrée at our table was the Southern BLT. This was really good. Historically, I have not been a big fan of fried green tomatoes, but their preparation of the fried green tomatoes might have changed my outlook on them. They were lightly floured/battered and cooked lightly brown. Adding these to the slabs of bacon made for a wonderful sandwich. The sandwich is sizable enough that one could share it with another and walk away sated. Being first-timers here, we also splurged on a couple of sides just to see how they were. The grits were awesome and would eat those any day with a fried egg on top. Brisket bark was really good too. It had a good smoke on it and I LOVE their blueberry BBQ sauce! It looks like their specialty drinks have promise. Since it was brunch we tried their bloody Mary, and it was pretty good. Next time I will be in for their KY coffee which looks pretty awesome. Looking forward to coming back here, even if it is a way out of the way. You should certainly make a trip out here and give it a shot. I don't think you will be disappointed. read more

North Coop - Woot!! Finally got here. - Southern Near Me - Excelsior, Minnesota

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