A staple in Excelsior for years. Variety of tasty food choices and fun coffee drinks. Amazing wait…read morestaff with genuine friendly service. Small town vibe - a true gem for Excelsior!

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.

Went here for a spontaneous happy hour on a Wednesday afternoon and arrived just in time to put in…read morea happy hour order. This is a newer spot in Excelsior that opened summer 2025. Here's my review of the food we ordered: Cocktail of the hour - aka "Golden Hour" - 8.5/10 Reminded me of mulled cider, notes of honey, very refreshing Pork Belly Steam Buns - 8.1/10 Nice texture, very tender and flavorful Mini Banh Mi - 7/10 Not bad, would have preferred the more traditional pork filling Crispy Chicken- 8.7/10 This really surprised me, from appearance the chicken didn't look that special but it was well seasoned and the sweet chili glaze really stole the show and elevated this dish! Mirabelle Smash Burger - 8.9/10 I'm a sucker for smash burgers and this one did not disappoint. Nice crispy bun and a special mustard sauce that we enjoyed and a different flavor I don't usually have on my burger Sticky Ribs - 5/10 Unfortunately these were quite dry and was comparing to sticky ribs I had last week at CoV that were fall off the bone Overall good spot, service, atmosphere, and would be happy to return. Prices were also great for happy hour.

I wanted to like this place, I really did. But unless they get a different chef in the kitchen,…read morethis place is not going to make it.... Let's start with the positives! The location! Very close to the lake(walking distance) There is a free parking ramp right behind the building. The decor of this place is cute! The details seem like they were well thought out! It feels upscale and cozy! I saw a video of this place and that was what originally drew me in! The seating here is also comfortable and not over crowded. Our server was ok. I saw so many raves about the "amazing service." She did refill our water glasses, which was good because I needed it with the salty steak! Obviously the most important piece is the food. We started with the popovers. The taste was fine but the texture was almost over done. The honey butter was lacking honey flavor. Cinnamon would have really elevated the butter! I got the steak frites and my sister got the spaghetti. My fries were average. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium all the way through! I was impressed. However, it was drowning in a VERY salty sauce! I had push a lot of it off. This should be served on the side, not covering the whole steak. My sister got the spaghetti, which our waitress explained was not a regular spaghetti. I feel she has probably had to do that multiple times and honestly, it should just be renamed. It's confusing for the customer. My sister did say she enjoyed the dish and that the shrimp was ere done well. For dessert I got "Aunties iced latte" which is their version of like an espresso martini. It was just ok. Would not get again. We got the carrot cake which was good!! But then they ruined it by putting fake whipped cream.... This is supposed to be a higher end restaurant and that made the dessert feel so cheap. We also got the creme brûlée. DO NOT ORDER THAT! It is an absolute waste of money! The sugar top was so thick we couldn't eat it! The dessert had the consistency of scrambled eggs, not a smooth custard. The taste seemed ok, but whoever made this does not know what they are doing! Overall, the food was not memorable and a lot of it was done poorly. There are definitely better restaurants in the area.

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.

A clean though I found somewhat cramped space with a not displeasing, straightforward utilitarian…read moredesign. I thought the atmosphere was redolent of great Italian aromas. Serves very good pizza, tasty sandwiches with spicy chips and flavorful, generous pasta with a slice of garlic toast.. I had a large bowl of spicy chicken fettuccine with a slice of garlic toast hanging off to one side. I found the dish to be full of flavor (and to be fair probably calories as well). I devoured the toast but took home enough leftover chicken and pasta to make a nice meal for later consumption. If dining in one orders at the counter, is issued a number stand and grabs a table or booth. Orders when ready (relatively quickly) were promptly brought out by cheerful servers. Fountain drinks, silverware, plates and paper napkins can be found at a separate stations along the wall opposite the order counter (in the midst of the dine-in portion). Ate here with my son who works nearby (shout out to Wilkes Auto) and two old friends from my college days. All left with satisfied looks on their collective faces. Based upon the number of people milling around awaiting their respective orders as well as the steady stream of customers in and out of the main entrance (on a weekday evening no less) Joey Nova's appears to do a brisk take out business.

Having just moved into the neighborhood it was a surprise for me when we found Joey Nova's. Coming…read morefrom St Paul where Cossettas pizza reigns, I was not expecting much. I actually still head back to St Paul for a slice. However, we ordered a veggie pizza extra crispy. Wow....was not expecting a gourmet slice with artichoke hearts, Greek olives and caramelized onions. So glad we gave it a try. Since we Moved into the area about 8 months ago, we are repeat customers for the veggie slice......go and enjoy! Order it extra crispy you will thank me.....

Great pork and slaw sandwich! Loved the pint of stout, too. Also, the bartender was knowledgeable…read moreabout more than just the beer.

They are famous for their burger, and it is really good. Their fries are outstanding, has to be a…read moretop 3 in the cities. The Excelsior location has great cocktails too. The old fashioned is well made and unique. We had the parlour burger and fries, and the chicken sandwich. Delicious. They have five different burgers to pick from. Also had the brownie for dessert which I highly recommend. Service is pleasant and fast. Definitely recommended to get your burger fix!

Stopped in for a quick lunch after exploring the local area. There were 4 of us in the group and…read morewhen we arrived the restaurant wasn't busy and we were able to secure a table on the patio. The inside was pretty deserted apart from a few patrons sitting at the bar but overall the ambiance is nice and fresh and bright. Because I wasn't too hungry try I settle on the G.O.A.T salad with shrimp, my friend got the jerk chicken flatbread, her mom got the chicken egg rolls and we got the kid's cheese pizza for my friend's son. We didn't have to wait too long for our food and when it was brought to the table it looked good. Their choice of plates is an interesting one because the plates have specks that make you think they're dirty. The egg rolls weren't good at all and the inside wasn't fully cooked so you could take the flour in the wrap. The jerk chicken flatbread had no jerk sauce/seasoning on it. The salad was good but again the plate makes the dish appear unclean. We ended up sending the egg rolls back and they took them off our bill which was nice.

I wasn't expecting Caribbean food in the middle of Minnesota and Montego Blu did nothing to change…read morethat. Unfortunately, their menu was totally different than what they advertised online. While I understand food costs and needing a pared down menu, gone were the uniquely Jamaican dishes such as the jerk bowls and the jackfruit, etc (still on the website by the way). So what I tried was a Jamaican Banh Mi. Basically, grilled chicken with some sliced vegetables in an imitation of a Vietnamese banh mi. I really enjoyed the sauce they drizzled on and their mango Cole slaw was one of the first times I actually liked a restaurant Cole slaw. Sadly, a sandwich with a thin slice of chicken breast and some Cole slaw is not worth the $19 price tag. While the service was very good, Montego Blu doesn't stand out anymore given the lack of their Caribbean options.

Thank goodness for Kowalskis! Best place for quality and…read moreconvenience! Love that store: it has saved my life. Super easy and lots of parking!

When my little ones are hungry around lunch time after cruising around Excelsior, there is no way…read morethey have the patience for a sit down meal. Kowalski's comes in very handy. They have an excellent prepared food section to feed hangry. There is a plethora of options for you to build a lunch. I went to the deli where they had even more food and got a couple of chicken finger meals. They were heaping in chicken tenders, fries and mac & cheese. The prices are good for the amount of food you get. Heck, then you realize there is a supermarket attached, lol and a coffee shop and you can get a lot of odds and ends while you are there.

Stopped in when we were in the area. What a nice place! The bread was delicious and fresh and the…read moreroast beef was tender. I had a chocolate chunk cookie for dessert and I could tell it was baked with REAL butter. We sat outside to eat but the inside was very clean also. The owner/manager was friendly too. Would definitely recommend and stop in again if in the area.

If you're looking for an overpriced average, plain sandwich...look no further. 8 inch turkey,…read morelettuce, tomato, mayo.....for 9 dollars! Go somewhere else