Cuisine: Barbeque, Southern-Style
Restaurant Features: Catering, Counter Service, Take-Out ONLY
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Address: 2814 E 38th Street Minneapolis, MN 55406
Hours: Tues– Fri 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Sat– Sun 1 p.m. – 10 p.m. Monday- CLOSED
Links: Ted Cook’s Website * Ted Cook’s on Facebook * Google Map
Atmosphere: Ted Cook’s is a small operation located two blocks west of Hiawatha on E. 38th St, a quick walk from the Lightrail. The small size does not afford room for dining, therefore all orders are take-out only. Half of the space serves as the ordering/waiting area and the other half is the kitchen/pit area. I could smell the strong pit smoke the second I walked in the place and there is no doubt I smelled like it when I left. The room is equipped with the bare minimum; the service counter and a bench.
Menu: The heart and soul of Ted Cook’s is the Barbeque. Choose from Half or Full Slab of Pork Ribs, Rib Tips, Barbequed Beef, Barbequed Pork, Barbequed Half Chicken, and Beef Ribs. All meats can be ordered ala carte or in a dinner combos with Jo Jo Potatoes, Coleslaw and Bread.
Side Dishes include Coleslaw, Baked Beans, Potato Salad, Jo Jo Potatoes, Collared Greens, Black Eyed Peas, Red Beans and Rice.
Desserts include Peach Cobbler and Sweet Potato Pie.
Price guide: Dinners $10-13 ($20 full rack), Side Dishes $2-4
What we ordered: We ordered a feast full of almost everything Ted Cook’s has to offer, starting with a couple of slabs of Pork Ribs in medium sauce. These were meaty and tender, with a wonderful smoky flavor embedded into the meat. I am a big critic when it comes to barbeque sauces and tend to prefer mustard-based sauces over tomato-based, but I really liked this medium sauce from Ted Cook’s. It was slightly spicy, tangy.
The Barbeque Beef is where it’s at at Ted Cook’s. This beef was not like your typical beef brisket, instead it was very thinly sliced and extremely tender and moist from being tossed in the sauce. The serving size was also extra big. I loaded it up on the bread that came with it and had a big ol’ sandwich. Excellent!
We also got the Rib Tips, which were tender and meaty.
We also had a couple of the Pulled Pork Dinners. The pork was smoky, tender and very moist. Another huge portion.
One of the sides we ordered was the Baked Beans. I thought these were really good, they were like classic baked beans with a hint of brown sugar, chunks of pork and the pleasantly surprising taste of garlic.
The Potato Salad was also good, standard deli-style with chunks of potato tossed in mayo, mustard, onion, celery.
We also had the Coleslaw which was very creamy.
I became a fan of Peach Cobbler while working in Texas the past two summers and had to try the version at Ted Cook’s. This was pretty good, the peaches were swimming in a tart yet sweet syrup and had strips of pie crust floating on top. It was served cold but I think it would be better served warm with vanilla ice cream on the side.
We also ordered a piece of Sweet Potato Pie. I did not try this and I didn’t see anyone else try it either so I am unable to report on the verdict. Hopefully next time!
Service: I live at least 40 minutes away from Ted Cook’s and I had a giant order so I wanted to call it in ahead of time. No such luck at dinner time on a Saturday, when it gets busy at Ted Cook’s, they don’t bother to answer the phone. We arrived to find a line about 8-10 people long, which went fairly fast. Once we were able to order, our food was ready in about 10 minutes. The man working the register was very nice and helpful too.
Overall Impression: I had been hearing about Ted Cook’s 19th Hole Barbeque for quite some time so I jumped on the chance to try it after buying a Deal from LivingSocial. Very good barbeque at very reasonable prices for the large portion sizes. I really wish they had a dining room to eat in, it was a very long drive just for take-out (but worth it!)
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*** Abetto’s Deli is closed as of 10/14/11***
Cuisine: Deli, Italian, Pizza
Restaurant Features: Banquet, Catering, Counter-Service, On-Site Parking
Location: St Paul, MN
Address: 560 Como Ave St Paul, MN 55103 651-488-4040
Hours: Mon-Thurs 11am-8pm Fri-Sat 11am-10pm
Links: Abetto’s Website * Abetto’s on Facebook * Google Map
Atmosphere: Abetto’s Deli is located on Como Ave in St Paul ( at Kent St) with an attached liquor store. There is a counter to order at when you first walk in, with the food preparation area just behind the safety glass. The dining room in back is nothing fancy, but it is spacious and has wooden floors. There are several red & white-checkered banquet tables spread throughout.
Menu: Appetizers at Abetto’s include Garlic Toast, Garlic Cheese Toast, Italian Fries, and Chicken Wings.
Salad options include Chef, Garden and Italian.
Subs and Sandwiches include Cheese or Veggie, Corned Beef, Smoked Turkey, Roast Beef, Ham, Pepperoni, Tuna, Italian Salami and Meatball. Hot Sandwiches include Pizza Sub, Hail the Vulc, North of the Border, Meathead, Heartburn, Tuna Fetish, Mr Magoo, The Titan, Lunch Box 360, The In’Vince”ible,
Hot entrees include Baked Rigatoni, Hot Dago, Mostaccioli, Reuben, and Spaghetti & Meatballs.
Pizzas come in either 6″, 10″,12″ 14″. Build-your-own or choose from one of the following specialty pizzas: Canadian Bacon/Pineapple, Veggie, Reuben, House Special, Taco and Super Works.
Price guide: Appetizers $1-6 Salads $4-5 Subs $4-7 Hot Entrees $6-7 Pizza $4-18
Weekly Specials:
What I ordered: On my first visit to Abetto’s, I wasn’t sure what to try so I asked for a recommendation. The cook immediately replied with “Hot Dago” so the Hot Dago is what I got! My order came with a thick patty of Italian sausage sitting atop a fresh hoagie roll, then smothered in red sauce and mozzarella and baked until the cheese and bread were golden and toasty. This was pretty good; there was a substantial amount of all ingredients. I would get this again but next time I would see if I could get sauteed peppers and onions added to it to spice it up a little, I would also probably add crushed red pepper and parmesan.
One solo tasting of Abetto’s was not enough for me, so a few days after I ate the Hot Dago above, I went back and ordered a sub to-go. There were many appealing options but I ended up getting the Heartburn Sub. It wasn’t much more money to get a 12″ vs a 6″, so I went with the larger sub. Totally unnecessary, 6″ was almost too much for me! The heartburn sub has pepperoni and cheddar as well as roast beef and pepper jack, both of which are toasted along with the bread. There was a significant amount of both meats; this sandwich was seriously Stacked. The pepperoni was great but I didn’t care as much for the roast beef, it seemed too processed for me but I still ate it and enjoyed the sandwich. The sandwich also had plenty of shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and banana peppers, and then was drizzled with mayo and oil. Potentially a very very messy sandwich, which is why it is smartly cut in half and wrapped tightly in paper.
Service: I visited Abetto’s over the lunch hour on two separate occasions within one week and had consistent, friendly service on both visits. Toasted Specialty Subs are ready in 5-10 minutes, depending on how busy it is.
Overall Impression: I am glad to have discovered Abetto’s Deli after a reader recommended it, it is very close to where I work which makes it very convenient to stop to pick up a sandwich. They also have a great Pizza Special on Wednesday nights where a large 1-item pizza is only $5.60. That’s cheaper than DiGiorno!
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Cuisine: Authentic Mexican
Restaurant Features: Catering, Counter-Service
Location: Minneapolis & St Paul, MN
Addresses & Maps:
Minneapolis- 417 East Lake Street Minneapolis, MN 612-823-5398
Minneapolis- 809 East lake Street Minneapolis, MN 612-825-4978
St Paul- 895 Arcade Street St Paul, MN 55106 651-384-9959
Hours: Open Daily
Links: Los Ocampo Website * Los Ocampo Facebook Page
Atmosphere: Los Ocampo offers counter-service; a large counter with a colorful menu greets you as you enter the St Paul location.
The dining room has a sprinkling of tables, with Mexican decor gracing the walls and shelves.
Menu: Appetizers include Chips and Guacamole, Nachos, Pozole, Menudo, Sope de Mariscos,
Taqueria Los Ocampo has a variety of Tacos, Gorditas, Huarache, Burritos, Quesadillas, Tortas, Torta al Gusto, Torta Cubano, Enchiladas, Platillo Costilla, Sope, Huarachazo, Sincronizada, Churrasco, Tiacoyo, and Alambre. Meat options are plenty and include Chicken Tinga, Carnitas, Carne Asada, Carne Lengua, Chorizo, Chorizo con Papas, and many more.
Desserts include Flan, Chocoflan, Tiramisu, and Platanos con Lechera.
Price guide: $2-$10
What we ordered: There were many items that looked good on the menu but I wanted to try something a little different, so I ordered the Stuffed Poblano Pepper (aka Chile Relleno). The pepper was battered then fried, the inside contained a small amount of a particular Mexican cheese that was light and almost spongy in consistency and didn’t have a ton of flavor. I LOVED the rice and veggies that came with the Chile Relleno, the rice was very flavorful and was topped with sauteed peppers and onions. Mmmm! I also ordered a carnitas taco ala carte, which I loved. Los Ocampo has this really awesome creamy avocado sauce that is a dream atop your tacos.
One of my companions ordered the Chicken Quesadilla, a large corn tortilla fried and stuffed with stewed chicken, lettuce cheese, sour cream and slices of radish.
Another companion ordered the Carne Asada Tacos platter, which came with three tacos, beans and rice. Delicioso!
Asada Tacos at Los Ocampo ~ St paul, MN
Another companion ordered a Quesdilla with Papas y Chorizo, filled with potatoes that had been cooked with chorizo, making it extra flavorful. Stuffed with lettuce, sour cream and mexican cheese.
Papas con Choriz Quesadilla at Los Ocampo ~ St Paul, MN
Service: We ordered at the counter and despite it being quite busy at lunchtime, our food was prepared and brought out to our table in less than ten minutes.
Overall Impression: Quick and cheap Authentic Mexican
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Cuisine: American, Barbeque, Dessert, Ribs
Restaurant Features: Catering, Counter-Service (at many locations), On-Site Parking
Locations: Apple Valley, Bloomington, Burnsville, Coon Rapids, Duluth, Forest Lake, MOA, Mankato, Maple Grove, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Rochester, Roseville, St Paul, St Cloud, Stillwater, Woodbury
Addresses:
Apple Valley - 7593 147th Street Apple Valley, MN 55124 952-891-6400
Bloomington- 5101 West 98th Street Bloomington, MN 55437 952-832-0500
Burnsville- 2721 County Road 5 Burnsville, MN 55337 952-882-9933
Coon Rapids- 3211 Northdale Boulevard Coon Rapids, MN 55448 763-421-9467
Duluth- 355 Lake Avenue South Duluth, MN 55802 218-740-3180
Forest Lake- 43 19th Street SW Forest Lake, MN 55025 651-464-4400
Mall of America- 320 South Avenue, Mall of America Bloomington, MN 55425 952-854-0225
Mankato- 291 St. Andrew Drive Mankato, MN 56001 507-385-1223
Maple Grove- 7825 Vinewood Lane Maple Grove, MN 55369 763-416-4600
Minneapolis- (Calhoun BBQ & Blues Club) 3001 Hennepin Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55408 612-822-9900
Minneapolis- 4264 Upton Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55410 612-929-1200
Minnetonka- 14601 Highway 7 Minnetonka, MN 55345 952-933-9600
Plymouth- 11308 Highway 55 Plymouth, MN 55441 763-525-0500
Rochester- 431 NW 16th Avenue Rochester, MN 55901 507-282-4200
Roseville- 2131 Snelling Avenue Roseville, MN 55113 651-633-4800
St Paul- 1930 West 7th Street St. Paul, MN 55116 651-699-8800
Stillwater- 14200 60th Street North Stillwater, MN 55082 651-439-5200
St Cloud- 310 3rd Street NE Waite Park, MN 56387 320-217-5900
Woodbury- 1940 Donegal Drive Woodbury, MN 55125 651-501-1900
Hours: Daily 11am
Links: Famous Daves Website * Famous Dave’s Facebook Page * Map to Famous Dave’s Locations
Atmosphere: Most of the Famous Dave’s locations around the Twin Cities look very similar in decor, where the entrance leads you right to the counter where you order your food. Wooden structures are built to resemble old shacks around the kitchen area. Tables are spread throughout the space (pictured below is the Forest Lake location), all covered with red and white checkered tablecloths. Antique memorabilia adorns the walls.
The Famous Dave’s BBQ & Blues at Calhoun Square has a stage for live performances. Cool place to see a small, intimate show!
Menu: Appetizers at Famous Dave’s include Smoked Salmon Spread, Chicken Fingers, Catfish Fingers, Ribs Tips, BBQ or Buffalo Chicken Wings, and Onion Strings.
Side dishes at Famous Dave’s include Wilbur Beans, Coleslaw, Potato salad, Dunkin Apples, Fries, Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes,
Famous Dave’s has salads! Options include Smoked Salmon Caesar, Grilled Chicken Caesar, Crispy Chicken, and Dave’s Sassy BBQ Salad. Soups include Chili or Wild Rice.
Sandwiches come with one side and include Beef Brisket, Chopped Pork, Barbeque Chicken, Texas Manhandler, Hickory Chicken, Cajun Chicken and Char-Grilled Chicken. Burger options are the Char-Grilled Burger, Cheeseburger, Ultimate BBQ, Devil Spit, and Bacon & Jack Favorite Burger.
Barbeque Classics at Famous Dave’s are the Texas Beef Brisket, Georgia Chopped Pork, Barbeque Chicken, Rib Tips, Chicken Tenders, Country Roasted Chicken and Sweetwater Cajun Catfish.
Award-Winning Ribs are smoked in the pit then finished on the grill. Size options are 1/3 slab, 1/2 slab or full rack (12 bones).
Kids Meals include Roasted or BBQ Chicken, Chicken Tenders, Chopped Pork, Hamburger or Cheeseburger, Ribs, and Mac & Cheese.
Dessert selections include Famous Bread Pudding, Pecan Pie, Hot Fudge Kahlua Brownie, and Ice Cream, Sundae with Hot Fudge or Pecan Praline Sauce.
Famous Dave’s has a variety of different sauces that are sure to please just about anyone!
Price guide: Appetizers $6-9 Sandwiches $9-10 BBQ Meats $12-13 Ribs $13-22 Desserts $6
What we ordered: I had the two-meat combo with Catfish Fingers and Texas Beef Brisket. The four medium-sized catfish fingers were hot and crispy, fresh out of the fryer and seasoned with semi-spicy Cajun seasonings. It comes with to sauces to dip in, a sweet & sour type of sauce and a seasoned mayo tartar. I thought these were especially yummy with the seasoned tartar. The Texas Beef Brisket was also pretty good. This combo came with corn, a corn bread muffin and two sides. I love the corn bread at Famous Dave’s! It is more moist than typical corn bread and slightly sweet. I am not a fan of the overcooked boring corn, which is a far cry from the sweetcorn we harvest in Minnesota. The two sides I got were the garlic smashed potatoes and coleslaw, both very good.
My companion ordered the XXL Rib Platter, a 12-bone rack of St Louis Style ribs. The ribs were meaty and quite tender, full of smokey flavor from the Pit. The two sides were fries and cinnamon apples.
Service: The Forest Lake location of Famous Dave’s offers counter-service, and we were able to order within minutes of arriving. We got ourselves drinks at the self-service station and waited approximately ten minutes before our food arrived. Staff walk the dining room and check with guests from time to time to determine if they need anything, and bus tables when necessary.
Overall Impression: I really like the variety of menu choices at Famous Daves, although I think their prices are slightly high for the amount of food you get. They have several great choices of sauces and despite being a large chain-restaurant, I think they do have pretty decent barbeque (you can’t go wrong with the ribs!). If you register to be a part of the P.I.G. Club you can get special offers, so go sign up here
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**** This restaurant is closed as of March 2011****
Cuisine: Burgers
Restaurant Features: Counter-Service, On-Site Parking
Location: White Bear Lake, MN
Address: 4735 HWY 61 White Bear Lake, MN 55110 651.426.2521
Hours: 11am
Links: Burger Time Website * Burger Time Facebook Page * Google Map
Atmosphere: Burger Time has made its way from Fargo to the Twin Cities with its first local restaurant in White Bear Lake. Located downtown White Bear in a little shopping area at the Southwest corner of Hwy 61 and 4th Street, Burger Time has taken over the former home of Einstein’s Bagels.
I had driven by this place every day since it opened a few months ago and was curious what it was all about, since I love a good burger. The set up of the restaurant leaves no doubt upon first impression that it is a fast food joint. You order at this counter and then pick your own seat.
The Dining Room is set up with tables as well as bar-style seating along the windows. The decor is very modern and vibrant. The lighting is very bright, with large pendants hanging overhead, illuminating guests who sit near the windows just feet away from the cars parked in the lot. Nothing like feeling like you’re onstage while you’re eating!
Menu: Side items include French Fries, Onion Rings and Apple Pie.
All Burgers at Burger Time are flame-broiled 1/3lb patties. You can get a 2/3lb (two patties) or a 1 lb burger (three patties). Burger options include Cheeseburger, Bacon Cheeseburger, BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger, Hawaiian BBQ, and Mushroom Swiss. There is also a Chicken Sandwich. Make any a combo for $1.80 extra
Items on the Kids Menu include Chicken Chunks and Jr. Burger
Burger Time also has shakes: Strawberry, Chocolate and Vanilla.
Price guide: 1/3lb Burger or Chicken $3-4 2/3lb Burger $4-6 1 lb Burger $9 Shakes $3
What we ordered: I had a 2/3 lb Bacon & Swiss Burger with Onion Rings. Typical of fast food, each item was individually wrapped in paper. The burger was quite large with two large, 1/3lb patties stacked on a grilled bun. The meat had good flavor and was pretty juicy, if not slightly greasy. The quality was somewhere between fast food burger and restaurant burger. Much better than McDonald’s! The bun wasn’t quite sturdy enough for all the meat, barely containing the patties. I was not a big fan of the cheese or bacon on this burger, which was definitely fast-food quality. I hate American cheese with a passion so I ordered the Swiss instead, but this was basically processed Swiss cheese, not the real-deal. I guess I should’ve expected that when I saw the prices, but now I know that next time I will just order a California Burger sans cheese and bacon. The Onion Rings were pretty awesome, thick cut onions battered and fried until hot and crispy. The order was huge! I could only eat about half my meal before I was very full.
My companion ordered the Mushroom Swiss Burger with French Fries. This burger was nearly identical to the one I ordered, just swap the bacon for mushrooms. I actually liked the mushrooms much better than the cheap bacon. The fries are very similar to McDonald’s.
Service: Nobody was at the counter when we first walked in for a late weekday dinner and the dining room was also a ghost-town. After just a very short wait a very friendly employee came from the back to take our order. I suspect that there may be only 1-2 people working each shift because the employee disappeared back into the kitchen once again and then we didn’t see her again until about 10 minutes later when she brought our food out to us. She was very nice and later came back put to the dining room and asked us what we thought of the food. They have a soda fountain for self-serve beverages, very typical fast-food service.
Overall Impression: Decent fast-food burgers at very reasonable prices, all orders are custom made so it takes a little longer than typical fast food. No drive-thru.
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Cuisine: Pizza, Salads
Restaurant Features: Counter Service
Locations: Eden Prairie, St Paul, Minneapolis, Wayzata (MN)
Addresses & Maps:
Eden Prairie - 8353 Crystal View Rd Eden Prairie MN 55334 952.943.9557
Calhoun Village Shopping Center - 3226 W Lake St Minneapolis MN 55416 612.929.0006
Grand Ave- 769 Grand Ave St Paul MN 55105 651.602.6068
Highland Park- 704 Cleveland Ave S St Paul MN 55116 651.696.1066
Northeast Minneapolis- 210 E Hennepin Ave Minneapolis MN 55414 612.623.8114
Stadium Village- 802 Washington Avenue SE Minneapolis MN 55414 612.331.3122
Wayzata- 1313 Wayzata Blvd E Wayzata MN 55391 952.476.7991
Hours: Open Daily 11-10pm
Links: * Punch Pizza Website * Punch Pizza Facebook Page *
Atmosphere: The Punch location on Grand Ave is bright and energetic, with mosaics gracing both the walls and the outside of this glorious wood-burning pizza oven.
The space inside is not very large but they have gotten creative with using the space. There are a mix of both booths and tables, with the tables all strung together forming a large community table that anyone can sit at.
Menu: Salads at Punch include Punch Salad (pine nuts, prosciutto and balsamic vinaigrette), Chopped Italian, Greco, Caesar, Gorgonzola and Walnut, Artichoke Dip and Focaccia Bread.
Classic Pizzas include Margherita (basil), Napoli (oregano), Adriatico (feta, caper, onion, olive), Borgata (goat cheese, sundried tomato, eggplant), Bruni (salami and sausage), Milanese (roasted red pepper, ham and gorgonzola), Palermo (salami and sundried tomato), Puttanesca (anchovy, caper, onion and olive), Quattro Formaggi (fontina, goat cheese and parmesan), Salame E Funghi (salami and mushroom), Siciliana (prosciutto and artichoke), Toscano (sausage and roasted red pepper), Toto (prosciutto, garlic, goat cheese and arugula), Vescuvio (spicy salami, olive and pepperoncini), Bufalina (mozzarella and olive oil), Cortina (mushroom, garlic, olive oil and prosciutto).
You can also Craft-Your-Own-Pizza, starting with the crust for $6 and adding your toppings of choice ($1.25-1.95 per ingredient)
Price guide: Salads $4-9 Pizzas $6-11+
What I ordered: This was my first time at Punch pizza and I wasn’t sure how or what I should order, there were so many options! I went with the Salame and Funghi pizza, but I substituted pepperoni for the salami. It had a base of San Marzano Italian tomatoes, then layered with slices of fresh garlic and oregano and was topped with fontina cheese, which is stronger and more flavorful than the traditional mozzarella. I loved the flavor of the toppings and I liked the crust, but the top just did not get crispy enough for me. The cheese was runny and just barely melted, I prefer it brown and bubbly which is harder to accomplish in a wood-burning oven.
Service: I arrived on a Friday just before noon and the line was not very long which is great for many but didn’t afford me much time to decide on my order. I was lucky to find one booth that had just opened up after I ordered, and I had barely sat down and grabbed a drink when my pizza showed up not even five minutes later. That was record time for a pizza! (It actually only takes 90 seconds to cook the pizza in Punch’s wood-burning oven). I ate half my pizza and was out the door about 20 minutes after my arrival. The line was almost out the door by that time and people were waiting for tables to open.
Overall Impression: I had high expectations for Punch and can see why it is a popular pizza place, with everyone ordering their own individual pizza how they like it. I thought the prices were a little high and would have preferred the top of my pizza to be a little crispier, but I still enjoyed the flavor of the ingredients.
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Cuisine: Authentic Mexican, Fish & Seafood
Restaurant Features: Counter Service, Live Music, Market, On Site Parking,
Location: St Paul, MN (District del Sol)
Address: 175 Cesar Chavez St. St. Paul, MN 55107 651-227-2192
Mercado Hours: Mon-Sat 7a-9p Sun 7a-8p
Links: El Burrito Website * El Burrito Mercado on Facebook * Google Map
Atmosphere: El Burrito is not only located within the heart of St Paul’s Westside “District del Sol”, but is arguably the “Heart” itself. El Burrito Mercado is the place to go for anything you would need for preparing Mexican Cuisine and located within is also a wonderful little restaurant.
The Express Restaurant is open all day and offers counter service. This is where you must order breakfast and lunch.
There are a couple of tables in the seating areas near the service line, if you’d like to take in the action of the Mercado around you, otherwise there is a great dining room tucked around the corner to the back. The room is decorated more like a traditional Mexican restaurant with tiled floors, earth-colored walls and royal blue accents. The walls are hung with Mexican artwork. The Restaurant offers table service at dinner only.
There is a self-service bakery counter in the middle of the Mercado, near the restaurant.
El Burrito Mercado has just about anything you would find in a market in Mexico. They have a selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, a variety of Mexican cheeses, creams, chorizo, a big selection of meats and seafood, corn and flour tortillas, and a large selection of imported non-perishable groceries. I discovered you can even buy mango flavored lollipops that are coated in chili! (However after trying one, I do NOT recommend)
Express Menu: Items are served with Mexican or Cilantro Rice, Frijoles Ranchera, Fried Pinto Beans or Fried Black Beans. Includes Burrito Original (filled with choice of meat, beans, rice and cheese), Burrito Ahogado (burrito smothered in sauce and cheese then baked), Burro Gigante (2 ft burrito!), Tamal en Hoja Platano, Tamales, Milanesa (thin chicken or steak breaded and fried), Torta Minnesota, Torta Mexico, Quesadilla, Tacos, Nachos Supremos.
Meat choices include Puerco en Verde, Barbacoa (shredded beef), Birria (shredded beef in spice and chile), Carnitas (shredded pork), Pollo Mexicano, Pechuga de Pollo, Carne Asada (marinated steak), and Cecina (thin, cured steak).
Restaurant Dinner Menu: Appetizers include Chips & Salsa, Chipotle Chicken Wings, Chicken Flautas, Quesadilla, Fiesta Chicharron, Chips with Guacamole and Pico de Gallo, Molletas (bread with beans and cheese), and Queso Fundidio (melted Mexican cheeses).
Salads include Nopalitos (sliced cactus, onion, tomato, cilantro and jalapeno vinaigrette), Verde con Cilantro Aderezo (romaine with cilantro vinaigrette), Chicaharron (pork rinds on top), and Caesar Salad.
Entree Specials that are made with Masa (corn) include Gorditas (small thick tortilla made with corn dough), Quesadillas made with Corn dough (and choice of meat), Huarache (corn dough fried and topped with beans and choice of meat) and Sopes (corn dough fried and topped with meat).
Beef Entrees include Carne a la Tampiquena, Carne Asada, Molcajete de Carnes Mixtas (steak, chicken, pork, carnitas, cactus, chorizo), Bistec Mexicano, Puntas de Bistec, Lomo Salteado, and Sizzling Fajitas.
Pork Entrees include Chuleta de Puerco Relleno, Carnitas en Comal, and Cochnito Pibil (slow roasted pork served in a banana leaf).
Chicken Entrees include Enchiladas, Chicken Mole, Pechuga de Pollo en Crema Poblana and Fajitas Tropical en Molcajete.
Vegetarian Entrees include Roasted Chili Poblano, Beans & Cheese Tamales and Vegetable Fajitas.
Fish & Seafood Entrees include Pescado en Hoja Platano (tilapia served in plantain leaf), Pescado Empanizado, Tilapia Veracruzana, Camarones a la Diabla (shrimp in spicy sauce), Camarones al Mojo de Ajo (shrimp in garlic butter), Camarones a la Mexicana, Camarones Envuelto en Tocino Relleno de Queso y Chipotle (shrimp filled with cheese and wrapped with bacon), Tacos de Camron y Queso, Coctel de Camaron, Ceviche de Camaron (lime cured shrimp mixed with pico de gallo), and Ceviche de Aquachile.
All items on express menu can also be ordered from Dinner Menu.
Dessert items at El Burrito include Tres Leches Cake, Mango Cheesecake, Chili Powder and Chocolate Flourless Cake, Flan, Homemade Pound Cake with Fresh Strawberries, Gelatina, and Chocolate Cinnamon Cheesecake.
Price guide: Appetizers $5-7 Salads $4-5 Masa $7 Meat Entrees $8-10 Seafood & Fish $11 Desserts $4-5 Express Restaurant Entrees $7
What we ordered: I was really at a loss of how to order, so I went with the Barbacoa Plate with a side of corn tortillas(3). I was given a very generous heaping pile of tender, shredded beef which I wanted to make tacos with. There was enough to make 5 or 6 tacos! The plate comes standard with lettuce and tomato but I also asked for cilantro and onions, and shredded cheese. The meat was really good and the rice and beans were decent (good but nothing too special, kind of on the boring-side). The corn tortillas were small, hot and fresh. I liked that they has a salsa bar and tried both green and red. I liked both but the red just wasn’t spicy enough for me (I like HOT), the green was slightly more spicy.
My companion ordered a Quesadilla con Carnitas, which came with a generous serving of beans and rice. The Quesadilla was made with a couple of large flour tortillas, grilled to a bubbly, golden brown and filled with melted Mexican cheeses and tender shredded pork. Lettuce and chopped tomatoes were served on top.
Service: The line at the restaurant was fairly long at lunch time, but moved very quickly. I basically told them what I wanted and they prepared my order in front of me within minutes. Depending on what you order, some foods like quesadillas and enchiladas take a little longer to prepare. There was a self-service salsa bar and drink station at the end of the line. When we finished our meals we weren’t sure if we were supposed to bus our own trays or not but they did have a couple of servers who came and bussed our table for us. The restaurant offers table-service only at dinner.
Overall Impression: I thought the food was pretty good and reasonably priced but the atmosphere was what made the visit memorable. It is enjoyable to browse around the market and purchase items that you would not find at your local Cub or Rainbow stores. El Burrito is Mexican-Cooking Heaven!! I look forward to warmer seasons and the Corn Roast they have outside El Burrito on the weekends. I also want to go back to the Restaurant for dinner and order off the menu! Live Music on weekend evenings!
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Cuisine: American, Bar-B-Q, Delicatessan
Restaurant Features: Catering, Counter Service, On-Site Parking
Location: St Paul, MN
Address: 919 North Dale St St Paul, MN 55103 651-488-6591
Hours: Monday-Friday 11a-6p
Links: Aesop’s Table Website Google Map
Atmosphere: The inside of Aesop’s is very small, with just a couple of tables and a row of chairs along the back wall. Order at the counter and watch your food being prepared just a few feet away. Outside there is a cute little patio area with an wooden overhang for shade during the warmer summer months.
Menu: Deli Salads include Garden Salad, Chicken Rotini, Vermicelli, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Tuna Pasta and Thai Peanut Pasta.
Cold deli sandwiches are served with pickle and chips. Meats include Roast Beef, Turkey Breast, Smoked Ham, Hard Salami, Pastrami and Corned Beef. Cheese options include Cheddar, American, Swiss, Mozzarella, and Pepper Jack. Veggies include Lettuce, Tomato and Onion. Bacon also available.
Hot Sandwiches include The Porker (shredded BBQ Pork), Beef Brisket, Reuben, Rachel, Philly Style Steak & Cheese, Chicken Philly, French Dip, Philly French Dip, Broiled Chicken Breast, Grilled Cheese, and Grilled Deli Sandwich with Cheese.
Aesop’s also has 1/3 lb burgers with choice of toppings.
Price Guide:
Weekly Specials:
What we ordered: I ordered a Reuben which is usually one of my favorite varieties of sandwich. It was made with marbled pumpernickel bread and despite being grilled, the sandwich was somewhat soggy (which I attributed this to being boxed-up to-go). The corned beef seemed to be of the sliced processed variety rather than real brisket, and was very mildly flavored. The sandwich had several slices of melted Swiss cheese and a mayo-type spread (not thousand island). The sauerkraut was almost non-existent on one half but heavy on the other. It came with a pickle spear and potato chips. Not the Reuben of my dreams.
Upon recommendation from the staff at Aesop’s, I ordered the Porker sandwich for my companion. Very good! The sandwich was piled high with tender pulled pork, tossed lightly in a BBQ sauce that was somewhat spicy and peppery. The top and bottom bun were thick sesame seed buns, toasted. The meal also came with a side of beans that were somewhat sweet yet savory with chunks of bacon and a side of creamy coleslaw.
Service: The staff at Aesop’s Table were very friendly and readily offered suggestions from the menu. Food was prepared quickly in front of me while I waited.
Overall Impression: Very good prices for the amount of food you get, service is fast & friendly. I would get the Porker sandwich again but not the Reuben.
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