Cuisine: Pizza, Pasta, Sandwiches, Salads
Restaurant Features: Counter Service, On-Site Parking
Location: Roseville, MN
Address: 1607 County Road C  Roseville, MN 55113   (651)633-3131
Hours: Daily 11am-9pm
Links: ZPizza Website * ZPizza on Facebook * Google Map
Atmosphere: The Roseville location of ZPizza is just off Co. Rd C and Snelling Ave, in the strip mall right next door to Byerly’s.  The inside of the restaurant is bright, colorful and modern.

ZPizza offers counter service, with the counter conveniently located just inside the entrance.  There are menu boards hanging above, but I found the wording to be too small to read.  Like super tiny!! Luckily I was able to look-over one of the take-out menus that was sitting there.

Menu: Appetizers include Garlic Bread, Mediterranean Plate (hummus, feta, Greek olives, roasted peppers, cucumber slices, bread), and Parmesan Flatbread Sticks.

Salads include Arugula with Candied Walnuts, Chicken Caesar, California, Greek, Mixed Greens, Pear & Gorgonzola, Strawberry Goat Cheese, and ZBQ Chicken.

ZPizza also has many sandwiches like the Curry Chicken on Wheat, Meatball Sub, Pollo Latino (chicken with avocado and salsa), Sausage Calzone, Veggie Calzone, Super Sub, Tuna, Yuppie Veggie, and Turkey on Wheat.

Pastas offered are the Chicken Penne Pesto and Penne with Meatballs.

ZPizza Creations come in three sizes: small, large and extra large.  Options include the Berkley Vegan, California (organic tomato sauce, mozzarella, fresh rounds of tomatoes, red onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, black olives), Casablanca (roasted garlic sauce, mozzarella, ricotta, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, parmesan), Provence (garlic sauce, mozzarella, artichoke hearts, capers, tomatoes, fresh basil), Napoli (homemade roasted garlic sauce, mozzarella, fresh rounds of tomatoes, parmesan, fresh basil),  Greek (feta, mozzarella, red onions, Greek olives, fresh rounds of tomatoes, oregano),  Italian (basil pesto, mozzarella, ham, artichoke hearts, fresh rounds of tomatoes, black olives), Santa Fe (chipotle pesto, mozzarella, chicken sausage, red onions, corn, serrano chilies, tomatoes, cilantro), Mexican (salsa, mozzarella, spicy lime chicken, green onions, red onions, fresh avocado, sour cream, cilantro), Thai (peanut sauce, mozzarella, spicy chicken, red onions, cilantro, carrots, bean sprouts, serrano chilies), Tuscan (roasted garlic sauce, mozzarella, cremini, shiitake and button mushrooms, caramelized onions, feta, truffle oil, thyme), and ZBQ (bbq sauce, mozzarella, bbq chicken, roasted peppers, red onions, fresh rounds of tomatoes, cilantro, sweet corn)

Rustica Pizzas include the Mediterranean (mozzarella, feta, artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, Greek olives, oregano, pili pili oil), Curry Chicken & Yam (mozzarella, curry chicken, yams, mango chutney, raisins, fresh cilantro), Chicken Sausage (marinara sauce, mozzarella, arugula, chicken sausage), Moroccan (basil pesto, mozzarella, roasted eggplant, feta, caramelized onions, pine nuts), and Pear & Gorgonzola.

Price guide: Appetizers $3-8   Salads $5-9  Sandwiches $6-7  Pizzas $8-21

What we ordered:My companion and I ordered two pizzas to share, the first was the Italian.  This pizza started with a chewy hand-tossed crust made of 100% organic wheat then topped with basil pesto, mozzarella, ham, artichoke hearts, fresh tomatoes, and black olives.  It is baked in the wood-fired oven.  This was delicious!  The crust was light and chewy, with the pesto slightly absorbed into it then covered with mozzarella. I was impressed by how many artichokes were piled on top, it really added great flavor to the pizza.

We also ordered a small Mexican pizza.  This pizza had salsa, mozzarella, spicy lime chicken, green onions, red onions, fresh avocado, sour cream, cilantro.  The salsa was hardly noticeable but all of the the other ingredients were fresh and plentiful.  I really liked it but wish it was a little more spicy or had more salsa.

Service: ZPizza offers counter service.  The staff working were really friendly and patient while we were trying to decide what to order.  The pizzas took approximately 15-20 minutes.

Overall Impression: ZPizza is a fast, healthy option for pizzas, salads and sandwiches.  The service is reasonably fast and there are many delicious pizza options.

Cuisine: Italian, Fish & Seafood, Steaks
Restaurant Features: Bar, Gluten Free Menu, Happy Hour (Bar only), On-Site Parking, Sunday Brunch
Locations: Burnsville & Roseville, MN
Addresses & Maps:
Burnsville- 14296 Plymouth Ave  Burnsville, MN 55337  952-892-7555
Roseville- 2050 North Snelling Ave Roseville, MN 55113  651-644-2808
Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-12am  Sun 10am-10pm
Links: Chianti Grill Website * Chianti Grill on Facebook

Atmosphere: The new home of the Chianti Grill in Roseville is on Snelling Ave next to Har Mar Mall.  This newly constructed restaurant has been open for about two years now and is a much larger and more modern version of its former home.  The main dining room is large and seems even bigger with the tall ceilings.  The room is divided into sections of high backed booths, which help to keep noise levels under control and also offer some privacy for the guests.

The bar area is another large seating area, with seating at the bar as well as booths along the wall.  The bar is beautiful and runs the entire length of the room.

There is also a little lounge area in the bar near the entrance; a great place to have a cocktail and wait for a table when it gets busy on the weekends.

Menu: Appetizers at Chianti Grill include Spicy Tenderloin Tips, Calamari, Mozzarella Caprese, Bacon Wrapped Scallops, Seared Ahi Tuna, Crab Claws, Bruschetta, and Spinach Artichoke Dip.

Flatbread options include Prosciutto Arugula, Mediterranean, Margarita, and Grilled Chicken.

Pastas include Seafood Canneloni, Lasagna Bolognese, Mostaccioli, Manicotti, Tortellini (ham, mushrooms and peas), Spinach Ravioli, Cappellini al Fresco, Spaghetti with Meatballs, Cappellini al Gamberetti, Spicy Chicken Penne, Seafood Linguini, Chicken Cappellini, Fettuccine Alfredo, Gnocchi alla Crema di Campagna, and Shrimp and Lobster Linguini.

Seafood options include Grilled Tiger Prawns, Walleye Impanato, Bacon Wrapped Scallops, Salmon Taormina, and Crab Claws.  Steaks include 8 oz Filet Mignon, 16 oz Sirloin, 16 oz Ribeye, 14oz NY Strip.  Chicken and Veal options include Marsala, Sorrento, and Parmigiana.

House Specialties include Zuppa de Pesce, Lobster Ravioli, Grilled beef Skewers, Lobster Oscar Filet.

Gluten-Free items include Chicken Spicy Penne, Lobster & Shrimp Spaghetti, Chicken Spaghetti, Penne Chicken Alfredo, Spaghetti and Mostaccioli, as well as all of the steaks and many of the seafoods from the dinner menu.

Price guide: Appetizers $7-13  Flatbread $8-10  Pasta $14-20  Entrees $16-28 (items on lunch menu considerably less)

Happy Hour:

• Served in the Lounge only

Sunday Brunch:

• $12.95/Adults $6.95/ Kids 4-11  Free/ Kids 3 and under
• 10am-2pm
• a variety of homemade pastas, fresh fruit, pastries, salads, an omelet bar, traditional breakfast items and delicious desserts.

What we ordered: What do you do when two different appetizers sound really good and you can’t decide which to get? Order Both!! At least that’s what I do ;) First on that list is the Spinach Artichoke Dip.  This was a large portion of cheeses, artichoke, spinach and onion blended then baked in a ramekin.  It was served with a sliced, toasted baguette.  Delicious! The dip was very flavorful, partially because it had a lot of onions in it, which I thought was great.  You might not love it as much if you aren’t a fan of onions.

We also tried the calamari.  This was good, but nothing out of the ordinary.  The calamari was cooked just right so it was still tender but the breading wasn’t too crispy and was kind of boring in the flavor department.  It was served with marinara and also a  horseradish dip, which were both good and definitely helped spice up the flavor.

Then came the basket of bread with our meals.  We didn’t have any room for this at dinner so I brought it home and had it later.  It was very good and kind of dense.

Our meals also came with a house salad, I got mine with ranch.  I just love fresh buttermilk ranch dressing and this one was really good!

For my meal I ordered the Mostaccioli.  Although this is kind of an ordinary meal for me and I usually order pastas that are more adventurous, I was in the mood for red sauce.  I was too full to eat more than a few bites while we were still at the restaurant, but it was very good.  The noodles were tossed with a zesty red sauce, ground Italian sausage, chunks of mushrooms, sauteed onions, garlic and other spices.  It was topped with a ton of mozzarella then baked.  I also had it topped with freshly grated parmesan.  This was yummy (although I know I could easily make something similar at home) and hit the spot.  The leftovers were just as good the next day.

My companion wanted to have something with seafood and after much deliberation and suggestions from the server, ordered the Crab Ravioli, one of the daily specials.  This was a unique dish; there were about five raviolis stuffed with shredded crab meat.  The bell pepper cream sauce that it was served with was very sweet and contained pieces of the tri-colored peppers.  We both liked it but I admit I think I would like it better with a more savory sauce.

Service: We had good service at Chianti Grill.  We visited at an odd time (3:30pm) on a Saturday and had no problem getting a table without a reservation.  Our server was both friendly and also had a funny sense of humor.  She had several recommendations on the menu and did a good job timing our food so that everything was staggered.  Most of the time our drinks were refilled as soon as needed but there were a couple of times while we were eating that I waited for several minutes without anything to drink.

Overall Impression: I am glad I finally had the opportunity to try Chianti Grill.  I thought the food was decent, as was the service.  Items from the lunch menu are considerably less expensive, so if you want to save a few bucks, visit before 4pm.  Happy Hour offered in the Lounge only.

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

Several of the sandwiches sounded really good to me so I asked the server for a recommendation, who declared the Prime Rib Melt the most popular with the employees. It sounded really good so that is what I ordered.  I loved the flavor of the thinly sliced prime rib mixed with the onions, but the bread got soggy very quickly from the juicy beef and creamy horseradish sauce.  I didn’t even try the au jus because I was afraid my sandwich would fall apart in seconds flat if I did.  It would’ve been better on a hoagie roll or a more substantial bun.  I am also a huge fan of fresh horseradish, so I would’ve loved a little more kick than this creamy mild version served at Joe Senser’s, but that is just a personal preference.  It was still very tasty.  I upgraded to the shoe-string fries which were good but only slightly crispy.

My companion ordered the Mushroom Swiss Burger, which was a thick, juicy 1/2 lb patty made of  freshly ground sirloin.  The flavor of this burger was hearty and beefy, even better topped with thick mushrooms and melted Swiss.  The bun wasn’t much of a match for this big burger; it was very light, fresh and lightly toasted.

Cuisine: American, Burgers, Dessert, Pizza, Pasta
Restaurant Features: Bar, Delivery, Flat Screen TVs, Kids Menu
Locations:

Address: 57 So. Hamline St. Paul, MN 55105 651-698-0353
Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-1am Sun 11am-12am
Links: Green Mill Website * Green Mill on Facebook * Google Map

Outside Green Mill

Atmosphere: The  St Paul Green Mill on Grand Ave is the original restaurant location, where it was once the Green Mill Inn for almost four decades.  The Green Mill as we know it today has been around since 1975 and has been very popular since it became a franchise in 1990.

The inside of the Green Mill has the standard wood-paneled walls that you see in many of its locations, along with padded wooden booths and wood tables.  The bar area is located on one side of the space, the dining area on the other.  There are multiple TVs hanging from the ceiling.

Menu: The Green Mill recently updated its menu in the summer of 2010.

Appetizers include Red Pepper Hummus and Pita Chips, Mozzarella Sticks, Walleye Bites, Sweet Potato Fries, Asian Pot Stickers, Coconut Chicken Fingers, Chicken and Bacon Quesadilla, Crispy Chicken Chipotle Wontons, Chipotle Chicken Nachos, Fried Green Beans, Buffalo Bites, Thai Eggrolls, Spicy Chicken Quesadilla, Spinach Dip and Onion Ring Cyclone.  The Green Mill is also famous for their Chicken Wings, which can be served with bone or boneless, drenched in any of the following sauces: Jim Beam, Diablo, Sesame Teriyaki, Garlic Parmesan, Peking Zing, Dixie or Extreme Jamaican.

Salads at the Green Mill incude Warm Smoked Salmon, Coconut Chicken, Bangkok Chicken, Chipotle Chicken Chopped Salad, Blackberry and Grilled Chicken, Chicken Stir Fry, Thai Chicken Salad, Cilantro Lime Shrimp Salad, Cobb Salad with Chicken, Caesar salad, or House Salad.

Sandwich offerings are the Asian Chicken Wrap, French Dip, Cashew Chicken Salad, Parmesan Walleye, Millhouse Club, Greek Gyro, Crispy Chicken, Chicken Caesar Wrap, Buffalo Chicken Wrap, Turkey Bacon and Avocado Wrap, and Italian Ciabatta.  Burger s are 1/2 lb and served with fries, fruit, or chips.  Options include Build-Your-Own, Black Angus 1/4 lb, Summit Bacon, Blaze Burger (jalapenos and pepper jack), 4-Cheese Bacon Burger, Western Mill Burger, Cheeseburger and Veggie Burger..

Pizza options are extensive, with four crusts including Thin N’ Crispy, Pescara, Classic, and Chicago-Style Deep Dish.  You can Build-Your-Own from a variety of ingredients or order a pizza from the menu like the Margherita, Chipotle Chicken, MVP (Pepperoni and Canadian Bacon), Romano, Low-Cal Chicken, Extreme Supreme, Triple Meat and Cheese, and Il Primo (sausage, pepperoni, mushroom and 4 cheeses). Thin N Crispy Pizzas include Positano, Jalapeno Bacon and Garlic Chicken, Pepperoni, 4-Cheese Spicy Italian, and Sausage and Pepperoni.  You can also Build-Your-Own Calzone.

Pasta Options include Seafood Cannelloni, Five Cheese Lasagna, Mostaccioli, Butternut Squash Ravioli with Asparagus, Spinach Tortellini, Desert Fire Pasta, Wild Mushroom and Chicken Penne, Spaghetti, Lobster and Shrimp Linguine, and Fettuccine Alfredo.

Entrees include Bourbon Flat iron Steak, Summit Battered Fish and Chips, Chicken Parmesan,Chicken Marsala, Chicken with Crab Stuffing,  and Pan-Fried Walleye.

Desserts at Green Mill include Chocolate Pyramid, Chocolate Molten Martini, and Skyscraper Cheesecake.

Kids Menu items include Hamburger, Mac N Cheese, Quesadilla, Spaghetti, Personal Pizza, Corn Dog, and Chicken Strips.
Price guide: Appetizers $5-10  Wings $7/10 Salads $5-10  Burgers/Sandwiches $8-11  Pizza $9-18+   Pastas $10-14  Entrees $10-16  Desserts $6-7

Happy Hour: 3-6pm and 9pm-12am

• $5 appetizers include Red Pepper Hummus and Pita Chips, Mozzarella Sticks,  Sweet Potato Fries,  Coconut Chicken Fingers, Chicken and Bacon Quesadilla, Crispy Chicken Chipotle Wontons, Buffalo Bites, Thai Eggrolls, Spicy Chicken Quesadilla, Spinach Dip and Onion Ring Cyclone.

Weekly Specials:

• M-F 11a-2pm  Bottomless Soup and Salad or Salad and Pizza $8.99

What we ordered: We started with an order of Boneless Wings with Sesame Teriyaki Sauce.  These were delicious! The pieces of white-meat chicken were very lightly breaded and fried to a golden brown.  They were lightly tossed in the sweet yet tangy sesame teriyaki sauce and topped with sesame seeds, served with both ranch and bleu cheese dressings for dipping.  Excellent choice!

Service: My party of 3 adults and one small child arrived shortly after opening on a Sunday and we were the first customers of the day.  Needless to say there was no problem getting a parking spot or a table!  We had great service, our server was very accommodating to our needs.  Food and drinks were brought promptly; service with a smile.
Overall Impression: Green Mill is a great restaurant with a varied menu that appeals to just about anyone. Their Deep Dish Pizza is awesome.  Many locations to choose from!

Cuisine: Pizza, Delicatessen (hoagies)

Restaurant Features: Catering, Counter-Service, Delivery, Kids Menu, On-Site Parking (at many locations)

Locations: Arden Hills, Bloomington, Brooklyn Center, Burnsville, Coon Rapids, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Edina, Golden Valley, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Richfield, Rogers, Roseville, Savage, St Paul, Woodbury
Addresses: (Click here for Maps of Davanni’s Locations)

Arden Hills: 3673 Lexington Ave N Arden Hills, MN 55126 651-481-7100

Bloomington:
8605 Lyndale Ave S Bloomington, MN 55420 952-888-6232

Brooklyn Center:
5937 Summit Dr Brooklyn Center, MN 55430 763-566-8220

Burnsville: 14639 CR 11 Burnsville, MN 55337 952-431-1500

Coon Rapids: 3430 129th Ave NW Coon Rapids, MN 55448 763-712-1000

Eagan:
1960 Cliff Lake Rd Eagan, MN 55123 651-688-6111

Eden
Prairie: 8061 Flying Cloud Dr Eden Prairie, MN 55344 952-941-4444

Edina: 5124 Gus Young Ln Edina, MN 55436 952-920-9090

Golden Valley:
663 Winnetka Ave N Golden Valley, Mn 55427 763-398-0303

Minneapolis: 1242 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN 55403 612-338-0000

Minnetonka: 15200 Highway 7 Minnetonka, MN 55345 952-938-4243

Plymouth:
3015 Harbor Ln N Plymouth, MN 55447 763-550-0003

Richfield:
2312 W 66th St Richfield, MN 55423 612-866-3324

Rogers:
14165 James Road Rogers, Mn 55374 763-428-2990

Roseville, 1905 W Perimeter Dr Roseville, MN 55113 651-636-3411

Savage: 14125 Highway 13 Savage, MN 55378 952-440-1200

St Paul:
310 White Bear AveSt. Paul, MN 55106 651-738-6992

St Paul:
41 Cleveland Ave S St. Paul, MN 55105 651-690-4848

Uptown Mpls: 1414 W Lake St Minneapolis, MN 55408 612-822-3111

Woodbury: 1905 Donegal Dr Woodbury, MN 55125 651-739-1010

Links: Davanni’s Website

Atmosphere: The East St Paul Davanni’s location is just off I-94 and White Bear Ave.  Like all other Davanni’s location, customers order at a counter and then wait for their name to be called when order is ready.

There are several different seating areas, each with booths that can accommodate up to four people.  There are also a  couple of tables in the very back section of the dining room.  There are many windows throughout the restaurant, leaving it very well lit during the day.

Menu: Appetizers include Potato Chips, Breadsticks and Garlic Cheese Bread.

Salads at Davanni’s are the Garden Salad, Side Garden, Chicken Cobb, Italian Chef, Oriental Chicken, Southwestern Chicken, Spinach Chicken, Chicken Caesar, and Side Caesar.

Hoagie sandwiches are served on either white, whole grain, or ciabatta roll with lettuce, tomato, onion and mayo.   Options include Southwestern Chicken, Chicken Bacon Honey Mustard, Chicken Breast, Turkey/Bacon/Cheddar, Turkey, BLT w/ Cheddar, Club, Roast Beef, Pastrami, Ham, Salami, Tuna Melt, Veggie, and Three Cheese. Hot subs made with meat, marinara and cheese only include Chicken Parmigiano, Meatball, Sausage, and Pizza.

Davanni’s Pizza can be ordered with a choice of three different crusts (thin, traditional and deep dish) and two sauces (red and white).  Sizes pizzas come in are Solo, Medium and Laqrge.  Toppings choices are Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, Sliced Chicken Breast, Canadian Bacon, Hamburger, Red Onion, Green Pepper, Garlic, Mushrooms, Hot Peppers, Green Olive, Black Olive, Pineapple, Bacon, Gorgonzola Cheese, Anchovies, Roma Tomatoes, Cheddar Cheese, and Jalapeños.

Davanni’s also has Penne Pasta (with chicken, meatballs or sausage), Lasagna and Stuffed Calzones.

Kids menu items include Hlaf Pasta, Solo Cheese Pizza, or Half Ham Hoagy.

Desserts include Brownies, Rice Crispy Treats, and Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

Price guide: Hoagies $3.25-7  Salads $4-7   Pizzas $5-20  Calzones $5.50+

What We ordered: My companions and I ordered a variety of pizzas, including this large Chicago-style deep dish pizza with pepperoni and sausage.  Davanni’s deep dish is a treat for those who like real Chicago-style pizza and has been my one of family’s favorites for many years.  The buttery brown crust is at least 1″ deep yet it is light.  The lightness of the crust is deceiving because the pizza is actually very filling.   The cheese and meats were baked directly on top of the crust with pizza sauce spread out on the very top to prevent the crust from getting soggy.  The large pizza had 10-12 wedges.

Our party also ordered a Large Thin Crust Pepperoni Pizza.  The crust on the thin crust pizza was also pretty good, crispy but slightly chewy.  It was loaded with melted mozzarella and a fair amount of pepperoni (although I personally like more).

c and olive oil)

This is a solo deep dish pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms and “pink” sauce.  Pink sauce simply means that it has both white sauce (garlic and olive oil) and red sauce.  If you like garlic, you would love either the white or the pink sauce.  This pizza was also very good, the mushrooms were fresh and there was a lot of pepperoni.  The light and buttery deep dish crust practically melts in your mouth.

One of my companions ordered a half pizza hoagy on whole grain with a special request for the sauce to be served on side.  This is a good sandwich but it doesn’t have much substance, just a thin layer of pepperoni and a thin layer of melted cheese on one half of the bread.  You better order the whole sandwich if you’re hungry!

Another companion ordered a pepperoni and veggie calzone to-go.  Safe to say that this thing was loaded with melted cheese, meat and veggies.

Service: You can call ahead for pick up or delicery, otherwise Davanni’s offers standard counter-service.  There are typically 2-3 cashiers taking orders during the lunch and dinner rush but you can still expect to wait a few minutes before placing your order. It was fairly busy during my visit and it took about 30-40 minutes for our pizzas, which seems a reasonable amount of time for the deep dish pizzas to bake.
Overall Impression: Davanni’s has excellent deep dish pizza and is conveniently located in several places around the Twin Cities.  Service is reasonably fast and menu prices aren’t going to break the bank.

Cuisine: Mexican, Kids Menu
Restaurant Features: Banquet, Bar, Catering, Happy Hour Specials, On-Site Parking,
Location: Roseville, MN
Address: 1754 Lexington Ave North St Paul, MN, 55113 (651) 487-2847
Hours: Kitchen: 11a-Midnight  Bar : 11a-2a

Links: Ol’ Mexico Website Google Map

Atmosphere: Located just off Hwy 36 in Roseville, Ol’ Mexico is easy to get to from either Mpls or St Paul.  Ol’ Mexico has been open since 1979 and is an enchanting restaurant that is quite reminiscent of its namesake.  The restaurant itself is quite large with many different seating areas, the center if which is a beautiful indoor courtyard complete with a fountain at its center.

In the areas surrounding the central courtyard there are two tiers of additional seating.  The lower level has large round tables within semi-private alcoves that are perfect for parties of eight. The lighting is dim and romantic throughout the entire restaurant.

Ol’ Mexico also has a large open bar area with great Happy Hour drink specials and a taco bar every Friday.  There is also Karaoke ever Thursday night from 9p-1a and nightly Buzztime Interactive Trivia.  There are also several HD TVs that play local games and ALL NFL Football games, as well as Nascar races.

The Bar also has a Dining area with tables to seat around fifty or so.  The lighting is just as dim as the rest of the restaurant but it just doesn’t have the same ambiance as the more formal dining room.

Menu: Appetizers at Ol’ Mexico include Nachos, Black Ben Nachos, Fresh Guacamole & Chips, Shrimp Cocktail, Mexi Wings, Chile Verde with Flour Crisps, Taquitos and Chile con Queso.

Salads offered are the Taco Salad, Tostada Salad, Grilled Chicken with Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette, Caesar, Santa Fe Chopped Salad, and Dinner Salad.

Ol’ Mexico has a “Eating Fit” menu as well that includes Spinach Salad (with chicken or salmon), Grilled Marinated Salmon with Steamed Asparagus, Grilled Chicken Breast with Steamed Vegetables, and Lettuce Burger Wrap.

Burgers and sandwiches at Ol’ Mexico are Cheeseburger, BBQ Bacon Cheddar Burger, Mexican Sandwich and Veggie Sandwich.

Entrees include Four Cheese Quesadilla, Steak or Chicken Fajita Quesadilla, Pocket Taco Enchilada Style, Pocket Taco Platter, Chimichangas (choice of ground beef, ground chicken, spicy seafood, shredded beef and bbq beef), Sizzling Fajita Platter, Southwestern Spicy Seafood Enchiladas, Diablo Shrimp tacos, Pollo Fundido, Grande Burro, Macho Burro, Fajita Burro, Bean & Veggie Burrito.

There are number of combination Mexican dinners and you can also create your own combo.

Grilled Entrees include 14 ox t-Bone Steak, Fresh Grilled Salmon with Mango Salsa, Fresh Grilled Tilapia covered in Jumbo Shrimp, Grilled steak, Chicken, Shrimp or Vegetable Skewers.

Desserts at Ol’ Mexico include Mexican Fried Ice Cream, Brownie Sundae, Fresh Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Caramel Lava Cake, Fresh Fruit Plate, and Fresh Strawberry and Banana with sweet cream, walnuts, raisins and coconut.

Kids Menu includes Chicken Strips, Chhese Melts, Taco, Mexi Dog and Hamburger.

Price guide: Appetizers $4-8  Salads $9-13  Sandwiches $10  Entrees $10-16   Grilled Entrees $15-17  Desserts $ 7-8  Kids Menu $5

What I ordered: My visit to Ol’ Mexico was during Happy Hour so I took advantage of the 2-for-1 special and ordered peach margaritas.  These are so amazing!!! They are the best peach margaritas I have had anywhere.  They use some sort of fruit syrup for all of their fruit margaritas (other choices include strawberry, raspberry, watermelon, wild berry, blue raspberry, pomegranate, banana, melon) and they are packed with tartness and flavor.  The chips were also very good, warm and freshly fried to a crispy golden brown.  I am not sure if my taste buds were off on this visit, but I did not care for the salsa as it tasted way too salty and not very spicy.  The chips and the margaritas made up for the salsa though!

For dinner I made my own combo with a Chile Relleno, a Cheese Enchilada and Mexican Rice.  This was a great choice! The Chile Relleno was stuffed with shredded beef and cheddar cheese then breaded and fried and baked with cheese on top.  The beef was tender and was seasoned to give it a lot of flavor, especially when paired with the spice of the pepper.  The enchilada was stuffed with cheddar and topped with enchilada sauce and even more melted cheese.  Rice was decent.

My companion had the build your own combo as well, with ground beef hard corn taco and ground beef enchilada.  The ground beef was only slightly seasoned and very boring, and had several pieces of onion mixed in with it.  Would rather have had the shredded beef than the ground beef.  The beans were good.

Service: My companion and I met at Ol’ Mexico around 3:30 on a snowy Tuesday afternoon and the happy hour crowd was only just beginning to arrive.   We were seated in the bar area although had we been given the option, I would have preferred any of the tables in the courtyard or formal dining room.  Our server was nice and was great about letting us know that the Happy Hour specials included 2-for-1s on all their drinks.  Food came really fast.
Overall Impression: Ol’ Mexico is one of the few restaurants I ate at while growing up and it was always considered my family’s “favorite” Mexican restaurant in the 80′s and 90′s.  In the past decade I have come to eat better Mexican food at other restaurants, but I still love the charm and atmosphere of Ol’ Mexico in Roseville.  The fruity margaritas are so good and the 2-for-1 happy hour drink specials are a pretty good deal.