Market Bar-B-Que ~ Minneapolis & Minnetonka, MN
Cuisine: Bar-B-Que, Steak, Chops, Ribs etc,
Restaurant Features: Bar, On-Site Parking
Location: Minneapolis, just outside of downtown
Addresses & Maps:
Minneapolis- 1414 Nicollet Avenue Minneapolis 55403 (612) 872-1111
Minnetonka- 15320 Wayzata Blvd Wayzata 55391 (952) 475-1770
Hours: Mon-Sat 11:30am-2:30am Sun 12pm- 1am
Links: Market BBQ Site
Atmosphere: Established in 1946, the Market BBQ has been one of the Twin Cities most popular BBQ venues for decades. Autographed photos of past celebrities who have visited the restaurant line the walls. There are several tables and booths throughout the restaurant; the U-shaped booths are especially nice for parties of 6 or so, all of which are covered in red/white checked cloths.
Menu: Appetizers include chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, fried calamari, homemade chili, rib tips and potato skins. There are also a variety of sandwiches: sliced pork tenderloin, BBQ pork, BBQ chicken salad, buffalo chicken breast, hamburger, BBQ ham, fish 'n cheese, sliced or pulled beef brisket and a salmon burger. BBQ entrees include spare ribs, baby back ribs, Texas beef ribs (all ribs can be ordered with 4,8 or 12 bones), beef brisket, sliced roast beef, sirloin steak, broiled pork chops and BBQ chicken.
Price guide: Appetizers $4-8 Sandwiches $8-10 Barbeque $13-25
What I ordered: Started with the calamari, thinking it was the same calamari that I ordered and enjoyed thoroughly a few months ago, but it was NOT the same. This calamari had small, chewy pieces and was not well seasoned. The cocktail/marinara sauce that came with was very good though.
I ordered the Texas beef brisket platter....excellent choice! The meat was sliced thin and was very tender and moist. I loved the giant sauteed onion strips that are just under the sauce. The coleslaw and the thin, crispy french fries were excellent sides.
One of my companions ordered the Texas Beef Ribs (saucy) and had this to say, "The Texas Ribs were meatier than the standard spare rib and the bulk of the meat was on top of the bone and not on the other three sides. The sauce was thick but not overwhelming, just enough. A full rack, 7 (?), had too many for one person so I would suggest the 4. The coleslaw was good to. It's truly the only other coleslaw besides KFC that I have EVER liked! You either like the stuff or you DON'T!! I loved the Texas Toast and the fries were skinny, salty and DEEEEE LISH."
My other companion ordered the full rack of pork spare ribs. Lean and tender, more than enough meaty goodness for a couple of people!
Even though the three of us were absolutely stuffed when we finished, one of my companions insisted that we order dessert, the "Tower of Chocolate Cake, a la mode". From the price on this baby ($7.95 + $1.50 for ice cream), I was expecting a LOT, and a LOT doesn't even come close to how much of this fabulous chocolate cake there actually was...it was the biggest piece of chocolate cake I have ever seen, served on a regular dinner plate, complete with 3 scoops of ice cream!!! The frosting was so creamy, it melted in my mouth. This cake could probably feed an entire family of 10!
Service: Very good, as usual. Our server was happy to offer suggestions on which ribs to order and was very thoughtful about which types of leftover containers she brought us when the meal was finished.
Overall Impression: Great service and Best darn BBQ in the Twin Cities!
