Cuisine: American
Restaurant Features:  Bar, Games, Flat Screen TVs, On-Site Parking, Patio, Sports Bar
Location: Saint Louis Park, MN
Address: 5916 Excelsior Boulevard  Minneapolis, MN 55416 (952) 922-9515
Hours: Mon-Thurs: 8am-1am Friday-Saturday:  8am-2am Sun: 10am-1am
Links: Bunny’s Website * Bunny’s on Facebook * Google Map

Atmosphere: Bunny’s Bar & Grill is located on Excelsior Blvd in Saint Louis Park, just west of Hwy 100.  The space has been renovated since 1998 when Bunny’s first moved into this location, it is big and open for the most part, with nearly 30 TVs hung up around the restaurant and bar area.  There are round tables in two sizes spread throughout.

Menu: Appetizers include Chicken Wings (cajun or buffalo), Onion Rings, French Fries Mexican Style Nachos, Artichoke Dip, Potato Skins, Catfish Fingers, Chicken Strips, Garlic Cheese Bread, Mozzarella Sticks, and Chicken Drummies.

Soups include Chicken Noodle, Tomato Basil, Chili and a Soup du Jour.

Bunny’s Salads include Taco, Grilled Chicken, Texas Steak, Cobb, Oriental Chicken, Spinach, Caesar, Chef and Dinner Salad.

Sandwiches come with fries, coleslaw, potato salad, cottage cheese, kettle fries or fresh fruit.  Options include Taco Burrito Wrap, Steak Wrap, Clubhouse, BLT, Veggie Sandwich, Southwest Wrap, Chicken Caesar Wrap, French Dip, Triple Grilled Cheese, Grilled Reuben, BBQ Beef, Pork tenderloin Sandwich, Poprk Chop Sandwich, Dante’s Inferno, Tuna Melt, Jumbo Hot Dog, Original Chicken, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Hawaiian Chicken, Buffalo Chicken, Broccoli Chicken, and Cajun Chicken.

Burger options at Bunny’s Bar & Grill include Build-your-own, Rack Attack, and Grilled Garden Burger (black bean).

Pizza options include Build-your-own, Deluxe or Margherita.

Pasta selections include Spaghetti Marinara, Fettuccine Alfredo, Cheese Tortellini, and Pesto Fettuccine.

Entrees include 12oz Sirloin, Pan Fried Walleye, Jumbo Shrimp.  Low Carb Entrees include Grilled Burger Platter, Grilled Chicken Breast Platter, Chicken or Tuna Salad, and Cajun Pork Chop Platter.

Desserts include Ice Cream Sundae, Ice Cream Pie, Hot Fudge Brownie Sundae, and Bunny’s Football Float.

Price guide: Appetizers $  Salads $5-10  Sandwiches $8-9 Entrees $9-16

Weekly Specials:

• Monday- Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, veggie and roll $8.50
• Tuesday-Roast Pork with Mashed Potatoes and Dressing $8.50
• Wednesday- Hot Turkey on sourdough with mashed potatoes and gravy $8.50
• Thursday- Lasagna with garlic toast $8.50
• Friday- Hot Roast Beef with mashed potatoes and gravy $8.50

What we ordered: We started with an order of Artichoke Dip, a creamy blend of artichokes, roasted red peppers, chiles and parmesan cheese.  It was baked in a ramekin and served with garlic toast.  Delicious and flavorful!

I was having difficulty deciding what to order and ended up with a French Dip.  The sandwich was alright; it was piled with deli-style roast beef on a toasted french roll with a side of au jus.  It was decent but not the greatest; would have been better with real shaved roast beef rather than the processed deli stuff. I’ve gotten really picky about my meats in that regard.   I had the choice of side and went with the french fries.

My companion ordered the Rack Attack Burger with American cheese, bacon, sauteed mushrooms, lettuce, tomato and mayo.  This burger was much better than the french dip! The burger was 1/2lb and had an impressive amount of freshly sauteed shrooms.  It was served with a side of barbeque and fries as choice of side.

Service: We had no problem finding parking in the big lot or a table inside, although it was a busy Saturday afternoon.  Our service was alright; it took a little longer than usual to get drinks refilled and meals were served before we had finished our appetizer.
Overall Impression: The atmosphere was lively and the Artichoke Dip was very good.  Service was kind of slow.

Cuisine: American, Burgers
Restaurant Features: Bar, On-Site Parking, Pull Tabs
Location: St Paul, MN (North End)
Address: 1220 Rice Street St Paul, MN 55117    (651) 487-7967
Hours:  Daily 11am
Links: Google Map

Atmosphere: Tin Cup’s is located at the northeast corner of Rice Street and Maryland Ave, in St Paul’s North End neighborhood.  I have worked just blocks from this restaurant for five years and never gave it a second glance until one of my readers recommended it after it was recently remodeled.

The first time I stepped foot in Tin Cup’s was two weeks ago.   I  have no idea what it looked like previously, but I hear it was a very dark and dingy place.  The restaurant closed down for about two years, and reopened earlier this year with a newly remodeled interior.  It is bright, clean and modern.  The bar runs along one side of the room but the rest of the space is occupied with tables and booths along the wall of windows.  There are a few flat screen TVs lined up over the bar and in the back near the kitchen.

Notice the sign below? Man Vs Food Nation recently visited Tin Cup’s to take the Tin Cup’s Lucifer Challenge:  two 1Lb Lucifer burgers plus two lbs of fries in 45 minutes or less for $25 (unless you actually eat it all in which case it is free!!)  The show airs Oct 5th, 2011

Menu: Appetizers at Tin Cup’s include Onion Rings, Memphis Nachos, Walleye Fingers, Chicken Quesadilla, Chicken Wings, Buffalo Wings, Chicken Tenders, and Wisconsin Cheese Curds.

Salads include the Tin Cup House Salad and the Chef Salad.  There is also a Soup du Jour.

Burgers include fries and coleslaw.  Options are the Classic Burger, Smokey Bacon Cheeseburger, Pstty Melt, Mushroom & Swiss, and the Tin Cup Burger (with cheddar, pepper jack, bacon, onion rings and steak sauce).

The Tin Cup is also well known for their Juicy Lucy’s, including the Cedar Ave (stuffed with American), Lucifer ( stuffed with pepperjack and jalapenos with diablo sauce), Dirty Lucy (stuffed with olives, jalapenos, onions and bleu cheese), The Inside-Out California (stuffed with American, pickles and tomato), The Eggcellent Lucy (stuffed with Swiss and bacon, topped with an egg and American cheese), and the French Dipper (stuffed with swiss and caramelized onions, served with au jus).

Sandwiches also come with fries and coleslaw. Choose from Classic Grilled Chicken, Smokey Bacon Chicken, Pulled Pork, The Northender (chicken topped with pepperjack and bacon), Perfect BLT, Reuben, The Governor (steak with swiss, mushrooms and onions), and the Pot Roast Melt.

Wraps include the Minnesota (walleye, lettuce, tomato wrapped in potato lefse), Maryland Avenue (turkey, bacon and cheddar wrapped in potato lefse, and the Chicken Finger Wrap.

Tin Cup’s is also well known for their Fried Chicken.

Desserts include the West 7th (salted nut roll wrapped in cookie and the fried, drizzled with caramel) and Decadent Bites (deep fried brownie bites coated with powdered sugar and caramel sauce).

Price guide: Appetizers $5-8  Burgers $7-9  Sandwiches $6-9

What we ordered: I actually visited Tin Cup’s on two occasions within a few weeks of each other and will be writing about the food on both visits.

Visit #1

We started with an order of Wisconsin Cheese Curds, nuggets of white cheddar cheese curds breaded with a cornmeal mixture and served with ranch dressing.  Very tasty! They were hot and gooey, with an excellent crunchy crust.

We also tried an order of Walleye Fingers.  I personally didn’t care for these at all but my companion liked them.  I thought they were kind of fishy and had obviously been frozen until the moment they hit the deep-fryer just minutes earlier.

I ordered the Dirty Lucy which comes stuffed with bleu cheese, jalapenos, onions and olives.  Each patty is hand stuffed per order, so I was able to order mine without olives (one food I just do not care for).  This burger was awesome!! It exceeded my expectations, in fact.  The burger itself was so tasty and big and it had a ton of peppers and onions inside.  All burgers are cooked over charcoal and then finished on the flat-top so you get the heavenly flavor of the grill.  It also came on a big toasted bun with coleslaw and french fries.

My companion ordered the Cedar Avenue Lucy, which is the Classic Juicy Lucy stuffed with American Cheese.  Normally it comes with caramelized onions but it was requested to leave them off.  I didn’t try this burger but my companion thought it was awesome, ranking just behind The Nook for best Juicy Lucy in town.

Cedar Ave Juicy Lucy at Tin Cups ~ St Paul, MN

Visit #2

My second visit was for lunch with a few of my colleagues.  I loved the Dirty Lucy that I had on my first visit to Tin Cup’s  but wanted to try one of the Juicy Lucy’s that I hadn’t tried yet so I got The French Dipper.  Yum!! This giant burger was cooked medium well and was stuffed with swiss cheese and caramelized onions and served with a side of au jus.  This was so good!  If you like French Dips you would love this Burger.

One of my companions ordered the Dirty Lucy, the same burger I ordered on my first visit.  Check out the size of this burger and how stuffed full  it is with jalapenos, onions, and olives.  The bleu cheese kind of melts into everything and the flavor lingers.

Another companion ordered the Eggcellent Lucy, stuffed with swiss and bacon, topped with American cheese, caramelized onions and a fried egg topped with hot sauce.

A peek inside the Eggcellent Lucy

Another companion ordered the Pot Roast Melt.  It looked wonderful and my companion loved every bite.  There was a hefty amount of pot roast  along with swiss cheese piled between two slices of grilled sourdough bread.  Served with thick gravy for dipping.

Service: We had pretty good service on both visits to Tin Cup’s.  I had a different server on each occasion but both were friendly and quick to respond to any requests.  The food service was a little slow, understandably as the food takes awhile to prepare, especially the Juicy Lucy’s which are all lovingly made-to-order.

Overall Impression: Most under-rated Juicy Lucy restaurant in the Twin Cities!  They have a great variety of huge burgers, and I would love to try the Fried Chicken very soon.  If you are in the mood for a Man Vs Food type challenge, try the Tin Cup’s Challenge of two 1Lb Lucifer burgers plus two lbs of fries in 45 minutes or less

Cuisine: American, German, Steaks
Restaurant Features: Bar, Flat-Screen TVs, On-Site Parking

Locations: White Bear Lake, Oakdale, Inver Grove Heights, Hastings, Red Wing
Address: 2670 E. County Road E,  White Bear Lake, MN 55110 651-773-5854
Hours:  Daily 11am
Links:  Bierstube Website * JJ’s Bierstube on Facebook *  Google Map

Atmosphere: JJ’s Bierstube is located at the far end of a large strip mall at County Rd E and Century Ave.  The space inside is big and open, with sports memorabilia and drink promotions plastered all over the walls.  There are also large TVs broadcasting various sporting events.  You can choose from a large number of both wooden tables or booths.

The bar runs along the entire length of the side wall and seats several.

Menu:Appetizers include Wisconsin Cheese Curds, Ber Battered Onion Rings, Garlic Toast, Breaded Mushrooms or Cauliflower, Jalapeno Poppers, Breaded Cod Strips, Colossal Buffalo Shrimp, Chicken Drummies, Mozzarella Sticks, Reuben Bites, Brat Medallions, Mini Burgers, and Chicken Cordon Bleu Bites.
Sandwiches offered at the Bierstube include Filet Mignon, French Dip, Ham & Cheese, Pork Loin, Chicken Breast, Buffalo Chicken, Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Turkey Club, Weiner Schnitzel, Cof Filet, Crispy Chicken, BLT , Deluxe Grilled Cheese, Bratwurst with Sauerkraut and the Reuben or Rachel.  There is also a selection of specialty burgers.

Authentic German Dishes include the Sauerbraten, Weiner Schnitzel, Schweine Haxen, German Meatballs, Bratwurst Platter, Gebratene Leber (Liver Steak), Jaeger Schnitzel or the Taste of Deutschland sampler platter.

Steaks include quality Sirloin, Angus Porterhouse, New York Strip, Rib Eye, Filet Mignon, as well as a small Hamburger Steak.  Baby Back Ribs are also a popular dinner feature.

Specials include: Half-priced Burgers on Monday, Surf & Turf on Saturday and Sunday is Family Day (Free soda to kids under 16 with purchase of burger or hot dog)

If you’re still hungry after your meal, try the Hot Fudge Choclate Volcano Cake  or the Bavarian Rhubarb Pie (both served with Raspberry Sauce), Vanilla Ice Cream served a la carte.

Price guide: Appetizers $ 6-8 Sandwiches and Burgers $6-8.50 (does not include fries) German Dishes $10-18 Steaks $10-22

Weekly Specials:

Sunday- $18 All-You-Can-Eat BBQ Ribs

Monday- $5 Burgers or $9 for 6oz Sirloin Dinner

Tuesday- $7 Reuben or Rachel  or $5 Bratwurst with Sauerkraut

Wednesday- $9 Chicken with Rice or Asparagus

Thursday- $7.50 Turkey Club

Friday- $13 All-You-Can-Eat Cod with French Fries, Coleslaw and Toast

Saturday- $18 Porterhouse Steak Dinner

What we ordered: I ordered the French Dip for my entree.  It had thinly sliced deli-style roast beef and canned mushrooms served on a toasted french roll and a side of au jus that might have come straight out of a can.  I thought it would’ve been a lot better than it was.  It did not come with fries.

One of my companions and I shared a basket of French Fries, a great value during Happy Hour when they’re half off.  They were crinkle cut fries that were hot and crispy.

Two of my companions shared the Taste of Deutschland Platter.  This platter came with Bratwurst,  Mettwurst, Schwein Haxen, Sauerbraten, and Weinerschnitzel.  Served with Spaetzel, Red Cabbage and Gravy.  I did not try anything but the red cabbage, which was good, but my companions raved about everything they tried.  A very good value for only $20.

A closer look at some of the meat…

Another companion had the Weinerschnitzel Sandwich.  I am not positive but I think this breaded pork cutlet was the frozen variety.  It was served with shredded lettuce and mayo on the bun.  I had a bite of this and I wasn’t too impressed.  It would’ve been better with a little of the gravy on it, minus the lettuce and mayo.

Service: We had a very friendly server who was good about refilling drinks and everything was prepared in a reasonable amount of time.

Overall Impression:  This was my first visit to JJs Bierstibe since my original review in July 2008 and I think I enjoyed what I ordered more the first time.  I would not order the French Dip again but would get a burger instead.

Menu: Appetizers include Sushi Grade Tina Dip, Gorgonzola Table Bread, Surf and Turf Sliders, Jalapeno Skillet Cornbread, Edamame, Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes, Fish Tacos, Deep Fried Walleye Fingers, Coconut Shrimp, Fresh Fried Calamari, Champagne Mussels, Cajun Beef Bites, Oysters Rockefeller, Hot Crab & Spinach Dip, Crispy Fried Chicken Wings.

Stellas also has a Prestige Oyster Bar with a variety of fresh raw oysters including Blue Point, Malpaques, Hog Neck Bay, Hawks Point, Oyster Bay, Totten Inlet, Japanese Style Oysters (topped with ponzu and chives) and Mexican Style Oysters (topped with citrus salsa and pico de gallo).

There are also a variety of fresh sushi rolls including Salmon Explosion( marinated wasabi salmon, cucumber and avocado topped with salmon), White Tuna Roll, Stella Roll (spicy tuna and cucumber), Crunchy (shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumbers), Tuna Poke Roll (ahi tuna, pineapple, asparagus, cilantro, topped with toasted sesame seeds and wasabi mayo), Baked Lobster Roll (crab and asparagus rolled in soy paper topped with baked lobster), Spicy Tuna Palooza (tuna, avocado, carrots, topped with tuna and chives), California Roll and Dragon Roll (tempura shrimp, cucumber, spicy mayo, topped with fresh eel, avocado and teriyaki).

Other Raw Bar items include Peel N Eat Shrimp, Daily Razzle Dazzle Ceviche, Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna, Spicy Tuna Crisps and The Spicy Oshi.

Soups include New England Clam Chowder with Bacon and a Soup du Jour.  Salads offered at Stella’s include Walnut Salad, Caesar, Roasted Beets over Mixed Greens, Miced Field Greens, and Asparagus and Prosciutto.  There are also two larger salads meant for sharing: Caesar and  Grilled Tuna Nicoise.

Stella’s Signatures include Stuffed Tilapia, King Crab, Blackened Swordfish, Stella’s Fish Sampler, Jambalaya, Blackened Ribeye, San Francisco Cioppino.

Fresh Fish selections vary from day to day but may include Grey Snapper, Halibut, Ahi Tuna, Altantic Salmon, Swordfish, Diver Scallops, and Maine Lobster.

Pasta options include Linguini Shrimp Scampi and Blackened Chicken Fettuccini.

Stella also has steaks for those who prefer turf over surf.  Choose from 8 oz Filet Mignon, 16 oz Ribeye, 16 oz New York Strip, and 16 oz Bar Steak.

Platter and Basket options all come with french fries or garlic mashed potatoes and include Barbeque Ribs, Beer Battered Walleye, Coconut Shrimp, Lobster Roll, Fish N Chips, Cornmeal Crusted Catfish and Beer Battered Shrimp.

Price guide: Appetizers $6-15  Oysters $2.50+/ea Sushi $15 Salads $5-15  Signatures $22-55  Fresh Catch $22-35  Steaks $20-35

Happy Hour:

• Mon-Friday 3-6pm
• Sat-Sun 12pm-5pm
• Sun-Thurs 9pm-11pm
• Fri-Sat 10:30pm-12:30am
• $5.25 Appetizers: Salmon Burger Sliders, Philly Cheese Steak Sliders, Buffalo Wings, Fat Tire Frickels, BBQ Rib Basket, 1/2 lb Peel & Eat Shrimp, Hot Crab & Spinach Dip, Spicy Fried Calamari, Champagne Mussles, Cheese Curds, Taco of the Day, Ahi Tuna Crisps,
• $1 Oysters on the half shell
• 2-for-1 Rails and Taps

Weekly Specials:

Thursday- Crab Feast $24.95

Sunday- 1 1/4 lb whole live lobster $19.95

What we ordered: There was no doubt in my mind that we would be eating fresh oysters to start, the question was which kind we would order.  Opting to eat in the dining room instead of having Happy Hour in the bar where the oysters were much cheaper, we ordered a dozen of the Blue Point Oysters because they seemed to be the best value and they came recommended by our server.  These were tasty and tender without any hint of fishiness and even better when dressed with lemon, cocktail and fresh horseradish.  My only complaint was that the size of the oysters was not consistent and some of them were very small.

There were many items on the menu that sounded delicious and the server had many good suggestions but when it came down to it, I ordered the Fish & Chips, a regular feature.  These thick pieces of flaky cod were very enjoyable; the batter that was used had a pleasant mix of seasoning and the perfect amount of golden crispiness without being too greasy.  There were three pieces of the cod which didn’t seem like an overly big portion for the price but it was truly excellent fish.  The fries were fresh-cut and also very good, as were the tartar sauce and cole slaw.

After hearing a lot about Lobster Rolls recently, that is what my companion decided to order for dinner.  The large pieces of cold lobster were tossed with mayo, celery, and a dash of lemon, then topped onto a warm, toasty baquette.  This sandwich was quite good, especially to eat on a warm summer day.  I personally prefer my lobster hot and buttery but this was a very refreshing way to eat it.

Service: We had pretty good service at Stella’s Fish Cafe.  Our server was knowledgeable of the menu and had many recommendations.  Our drinks were refilled in a  decent amount of time but our meals were served to us too soon after the oysters were brought out.  It is a pet peeve of mine to have the main course served before the appetizer is finished or taken away, the experience just isn’t as enjoyable when I feel rushed.

Overall Impression: I had been wanting to try Stella’s for years and finally made the trip to Uptown specifically to have oysters and fish.  The oysters were good and the fish and chips were also excellent.  Next time I will try to make it out on a nice day to take advantage of the rooftop patio and the cheap happy hour oyster specials!

Cuisine: American, Burgers
Restaurant Features: Bar,  Flat Screen TV’s, Games, Late-Night Dining (until 12:30am), On-Site Parking
Location: St Paul, MN
Address: 857 Grand Ave St Paul, MN 55105  (651) 292-9140
Hours: Daily 11am-1am  Food served until 12:30am
Links: Billy’s On Grand Website * Billy’s on Facebook * Google Map
Atmosphere: Billy’s is on Grand Ave at Victoria, with entrances in the front (through the patio) and from the Victoria Crossing mall.  Billy’s is a pretty big place, with quite a few different rooms.  We sat in the bright and sunny atrium at the front of the restaurant.  This room has several tables, which are frequently pulled together to accommodate large parties.  There is also a cozy fireplace as well as live plants.

This is the main bar, which has seating around it, as well as booths along the wall. Not pictured is the large entertainment room in the back, complete with bistro tables, TV’s and dart boards.

The patio at Billy’s is a popular place when the weather turns nice around here.  Soon these tables will all be covered with umbrellas and filled with patrons.

Menu: Appetizers at Billy’s include Wings (Buffalo, Dry-Rub, Cajun, Honey-Chipotle and Jerk), Potato Skins, Mozzarella Sticks, Onion Rings, Vegetable Plate, Chips & Salsa, Chili Cheese Fries, Nachos, Chicken Fingers, Brie Amandine, Quesadillas, Southwest Eggrolls, Jerk Chicken Quesadilla,, Garlic Cheese Bread and Spinach Artichoke Dip.

Soups include Chili, Chicken Noodle and a Soup of the Day.  Salad options include Cobb, Chef, Grilled Chicken and Strawberry, Crispy Chicken, Taco Salad, Grilled Steak and Mixed Greens Salad.

Billy’s Burger options include Cajun, Billy the Kid (bacon & cheese), Guacamole, Patty Melt, Wild Bill (lettuce & tomato), The Firehouse (habanero sauce bleu cheese and bacon), and the Spicy Melt (stuffed with pepper jack and jalapenos).  All burgers come with chips and pickle.  Upgrade to fries for $1.50

Billy’s also has a large selection of sandwiches including the French Dip, Reuben, Southwest Chicken, Spicy Jerk Chicken Breast, Turkey Avocado, Walleye, Tuna Melt, Honey Chipotle Chicken, Wenglerwich (chicken with cheddar, bacon and mushrooms), Veggie Sandwich, Billy’s Club, and the BLT.  There are also a couple of wraps including Chicken Guacamole, and Buffalo Chicken.  All sandwiches and wraps come with chips or you can upgrade to fries.

Billy’s also serves 10″ pizzas, build-your-own from a selection of toppings.

Entrees include BBQ Ribs, Walleye, Rotisserie Chicken, 10oz NY Strip, 10oz Center Cut Sirloin, 6 oz Petite Sirloin.

Price guide: Appetizers $6-11  Salads $10-11  Burgers $8-9  Sandwiches $9-10  Entrees $10-20

Happy Hour:

• All Appetizers are $5

Weekly Specials:

• Sunday Brunch Buffet 11am-2pm  $9.95
• Tuesday $3 Tacos 8-11pm

What we ordered: I really wanted something spicy but I wasn’t craving anything in particular.  I thought the Spicy Melt stuffed with pepper jack and jalapenos sounded like a good choice.  The burger was good but I was somewhat disappointed that it wasn’t spicy enough for me.  It did have a small amount of pepper jack stuffed inside, as well as the equivalent of two tiny slices of canned jalapenos chopped up.  I expected it to have a lot more flavor and would have liked some jalapenos on top of the burger as well.  I asked for a side of Billy’s cilantro mayo and that made it much better.   Burgers are always better with bacon, especially when it is thick and crispy like this was. The burger came with chips but I upgraded to the fresh cut fries for an extra charge.

My companion ordered the Buffalo Chicken Wrap with fresh cut fries.  There were several pieces of white meat chicken strips coated in the spicy buffalo sauce, then wrapped inside a tortilla along with lettuce, tomato and bleu cheese chunks.  It was also served with bleu cheese dressing on the side.  Very good!

Service: We arrived at Billy’s for lunch, shortly after they opened so we had no problem getting a table or parking spots in the side lot.  Our service was pretty good; our drinks were refilled when needed and the food came out reasonably fast.
Overall Impression: Billy’s on Grand is a good place to have drinks and a bite to eat; at any time of the day or night, rain or shine.

Cuisine: American, Bar & Grill, Fish & Seafood,  Steaks
Restaurant Features: Bar, Flat Screen TVs, Happy Hour, Kids Menu, Live Music, On Site Parking, Sunday Brunch
Locations: Brooklyn Center & Bloomington, MN
Addresses and Maps:
Bloomington- 5001 American Blvd Bloomington, MN 55437 (952) 746-8887
Brooklyn Center- 2590 Freeway Blvd Brooklyn Center, MN 55430 (763) 503-3561
Links: Oak City Website * Oak City on Facebook

Atmosphere: The Brooklyn Center location of Oak City is located next to Country Inn & Suites Hotel, on the frontage road that runs along the north side of 694.  The building is a decent size (formerly TGIFriday’s), with the dining room arranged into several distinct eating areas to allow for more privacy.  The section my companion and I sat in had several two-person booths, other sections had bigger booths and also some tables. The decor of Oak City is sophisticated contemporary, with gold accents and fun quotes throughout the restaurant (hanging on walls and also embedded into the backs of the booths).

Above the booths in the middle of the restaurant are these cool metal sculptures made to resemble Trees.

There is also a large bar area when you first walk into the Brooklyn Center location, with seating at the bar and also several high-topped tables.

Menu: Appetizers at Oak City include Walleye Fingers, Captain Crunch Chicken Strips, Mini Black Angus Burgers,  Cheese Curds, Mile High Nachos, Pot Stickers, Chicken Wings & Boneless Wings (6 sauces).

Oak City also serves Flatbread Pizzas including Margherita, Signature Sausage, Spinach & Artichoke Heart, and Traditional (sausage or pepperoni).

Appetizer Salads include House, Caesar, Candied Walnut and Spinach and Applewood Bacon.  Entree Salads include Chicken Caesar, Portabella, Peppercorn Tenderloin, Candied Walnut, Spinach & Applewood Bacon, and Cashew Chicken.

Specialty Sandwiches at Oak City include Chicken Ciabatta, Oak City Philly, Walleye, French Dip, Hickory Chicken, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Gyro, Reuben, and Oak City Club.

Burgers include Bourbon Teriyaki Bacon Cheeseburger, Hickory Burger (smoked gouda and chipotle bbq sauce), Sauteed Shroom Burger, Bleu Cheese Burger, Cajun Ranch Burger, Cheeseburger and Basic Burger.

Entrees include Fajitas, Fish ‘n Chips, Baby Back Ribs, Broasted Chicken, Choice Top Sirloin, Peppercorn Sirloin, Tenderloin Medallions, Gulf Shrimp, Cajun Chicken Alfredo, Ribs & Chicken Combo, Shrimp Scampi, Canadian Walleye, and Grilled Salmon.

Oak City’s Desserts include Chocolate Lava Cake, Banana Cream Pie, Turtle Cheesecake, Inside OutSundae, and Cheesecake.

There is also a lunch menu served M-F 11am-3pm

Kids Menu includes Walleye Fingers, Fettuccine Alfredo, Grilled Cheese, Chicken Fingers, Macaroni & Cheese, and Mini Burgers.

Sunday Brunch:

• $10.95/ Adults   $5.95 Kids 5-12   Free/ Kids 4 and Under
• 10am-2pm
• Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, French Toast, Bacon, Sausage, Cheesy
  Hashbrowns, Mashed Potatoes, Pecan-Crusted Walleye, Tilapia, Shrimp
  Alfredo,
  BBQ ribs, Swedish Meatballs, Steamed Broccoli, Pork Tenderloin, Clam
  Chowder, Pasta Salad, Lettuce Salad, Cakes, Pies, Cheesecake, Chocolate
  Mousse

Price guide: Appetizers $ 7-11   Salads $ 4-13    Sandwiches/Burgers $8-11  Entrees $10-25  Desserts $5-7

Happy Hour:

• Daily 3-6:30p & 10p-12a
• $2 Appetizers (Buffalo Wings, Rock Shrimp, Walleye Fingers, Mini Burgers w/ Fries, Fresh Tortilla Chips & Salsa
• $4 Flatbread Pizzas )margherita, BBQ Chicken, Oak City Signature, Spinacc & Artichoke, Traditional)
• $2 Rail drinks & 16 oz Domestic Taps  $3 Vodka Redbull  $4 Long Islands
• $1 off all other drinks

Weekly Specials served 4-9pm:
Monday- Any Burger on Menu $5.95
Tuesday- Any Pasta on Menu $9.95 and 1/2 price bottles of wine
Wednesday- All You Can Eat Snow Crab $19.95 (includes bread, soup or salad, veggie and choice of potato
Thursday- All You Can Eat baby Back Ribs $12.95
Friday- All you can eat Walleye Fingers $11.95
Saturday- 12 oz NY Strip $10.95
Sunday- Roasted Chicken $8.95 and Kids 12 and under eat free off Kid’s Menu (one per paid adult)

What we ordered: We started with a round of cocktails.  One of my companions ordered this Bloody Mary,

One of my companions ordered an Irish Bulldog.  This drink tasted good but it was obvious that Coke was one of the main ingredients (rather than a splash).

I had a margarita which was okay but it tasted too much like bottled margarita mix.  For dinner  I had the Beef & Chicken Fajitas, a large portion served with grilled chicken breast and a steak over a large pile of sauteed peppers and onions.  The fajitas were served with a basket of flour tortillas and a plate of shredded lettuce, cheese, tomato, salsa, sour cream and guacamole.  I thought the fajitas were very good; the meats were seasoned nicely and the peppers and onions were the perfect compliment.

One of my companions had the Mushroom Swiss Burger.  The grilled patty was covered with sauteed mushrooms and melted Swiss cheese, the bun was fresh and substantial.  Great choice!

Another companion ordered the Candied Walnut Salad with Chicken.  This salad had dried apricots, fresh pears and apples on a  bed of spring greens.  There were chunks of bleu cheese and also candied walnuts mixed with a honey vinaigrette.  The salad itself was very good but the chicken that was added-on for an additional price was a big disappointment; rather than being chicken breast, the chicken was of the shaved deli-variety (roughly three slices).  My companion would not have ordered the chicken if the menu had stated the type of chicken.

Service: We were greeted by the hostess within a few minutes of arriving and were shown to our table.  The restaurant wasn’t too busy after the dinner rush on a Monday and we were promptly greeted by our server.   Our food was served reasonably fast and overall the service was decent.

Overall Impression: Good burgers! Would love to try Oak City’s Sunday Brunch and the weekly specials look great too