Cuisine: Mexican
Restaurant Features: Bar, Happy Hour, Nightclub,
Locations: St Paul and Minneapolis, MN
Addresses & Maps:
St Paul- 235 E 6th Street St Paul, MN 55101 651-222-3250
Minneapolis- 925 Nicollett Mall Mpls, MN 55403 612-333-9953
Hours: Mon-Thur 11am-1am Fri 11am-2am Sat & Sun 4pm-2am
Links: Barrio Website
Atmosphere: The St Paul location is in lowertown, on E 6th St and Wacouta, next door to The Bulldog and across the street from Mears Park. The space is big and open, with wooden floors and festively decorated walls and bar-height tables throughout. On the eastern wall there are also a couple of large, semi-circle booths that can seat up to six people. The western wall has a very long bar running the length, holding at least 125 varieties of tequila in addition to the popular liquor brands they carry.
Menu: Tacos and Enchiladas include Pork Carnitas with Serrano Chile Salsa, Red Chile Enchilada with Chorizo and Fried Egg, Fried Mahi Mahi Taco with Citrus Cucumber Pico de Gallo, Grilled Skirt Steak with Roasted Poblanos, Potato-Chorizo Taco, Chicken Enchilada with Salsa Verde and Crema, and Spiced Shrimp Taco with Tomato-Mint Salsa.
Small Plates include Barbeque Pork Sopes, Diver Scallop Ceviche, Black Bean & Chicken Tostada, Fresh Corn Chowder, Jicama & Citrus Salad, Crab Empanadas with Salsa Verde and Avocado, Potato Sopes with Goat Cheese and Red Chile, Tequila-Cured Salmon with papaya and Avocado, Mushroom Quesadilla, Sugarcane Skewered Tequila Shrimp, Queso Fundito with Tortillas, Spicy Crab Soup, and Guacamole.
Price guide: Tacos $3.50-4 Small Plates $7.50
Happy Hour: 2-6pm Mon-Sat 10-Midnight Sun-Thurs
- Small Plates $5: Black Bean & Chicken Tostada, Fresh Corn Chowder, Queso Fundito, Chips & Dips
- Tacos $5: 2 Pork Carnitas, 2 Grilled Skirt Steak, 2 Potato Chorizo
- Specialty Drinks $5: Barrio Margarita, Sangria, and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
- Pitcher of beer $12: Dos Equis, Summit Extra Pale Ale, Miller Lite
- Carafe of Barrio Margarita $18
- $1 off Rails
What we ordered: We started with a couple of the Happy Hour appetizers, including the Queso Fundito. The hot, melted Mexican cheese was baked with green chiles and then served in the hot cast iron skillet with a side of warm flour tortillas. Delicious but cools quickly and the cheese starts to harden again so eat it while its hot! Especially yummy with salsa or even guacamole.
We also ordered the Chips and Dips, which came with a large bowl of hot, thick crunchy corn tortilla chips, three different salsas and fresh guacamole. Each salsa had a unique flavor and ranged in spiciness from mild to hot. I loved the habanero one especially but the salsa verde was especially yummy too.
I also had a Barrio Margarita. Tart and strong, just the way I like my margs. Have I mentioned how much I like margaritas? They are my all-time favorite drink.
When I saw that they had fish tacos, I knew I had to try them even though they were deep-fried. Oh so glad I did, they were wonderful! The crunchy batter actually made it easier to eat the fish because it didn’t flake apart like fillets often do. There were two mahi-mahi fillets in the order for $3.50 and I was able to make two tacos with the extra tortilla. What a deal! I loved the fresh pico and jalapenos that topped the tacos, and also the crunch from the cabbage.
I also ordered the Carnitas (to-go for lunch the next day). The pork was moist and flavorful, shredded yet tender. They were served on white corn tortillas and topped with the traditional cilantro and onions, and salsa verde. Try ‘em, you’ll like ‘em!
One of my companions ordered the Jicama Salad, which was a basic salad with thin strips of Jicama. Have you had Jicama? It is kind of like a potato, starchy and very mildly flavored. This salad was not a big hit. At least not the jicama!
Another companion ordered the Tequila Shrimp Skewers. There were 3-4 large shrimp impaled by the sugarcane skewer, topped with asparagus. I did not try these but it looked great!
Another companion ordered the Chicken Enchilada, topped with salsa verde, fresh Mexican queso, and raw onion.
Service: I met with a group of friends during Happy Hour, arriving before the crowd when I could still find an open meter on the street. After 4:30 meters are free. There were still many tables to choose from and we picked one near the door. Our server gave us Happy Hour menus and told us that dinner doesn’t start until 5. Our drinks arrived pretty quickly and we ordered a couple of appetizers. We had to ask for dinner menus so that we could order once dinner officially started. Later as our meals were coming out, they brought each item out separately, spaced apart in time. We thought that was strange, not sure why they couldn’t wait and bring them all out at once? Our group was there for several hours and we didn’t see our server very frequently. We were not ordering many drinks so the server stepped back and let us have our social time (I will assume that is what she was doing, rather than just ignoring us).
Overall Impression: The atmosphere was great and so was the food. The food menu is somewhat limited but they have over 125 different tequilas!! The service could be better but like I said, I think our server was just letting my companions and I enjoy our social time. I’ll definitely be back.
Cuisine: American, Burgers
Restaurant Features: Bar, Happy Hour, Kids Menu, On-Site Parking, Patio
Location: St Paul, MN
Address: 1811 Selby Ave St. Paul, MN 55104 (651) 493-1865
Hours: 11am-Midnight
Links: Blue Door Pub Website Google Map
Atmosphere: Located on Selby Ave at Fairview, Blue Door Pub is a small neighborhood bar/restaurant known for their Juicy “Blucy” hamburgers. The inside space is divided into two sides; the Pub on one with the bar and a few tables and then there is the dining area with a few tables and three large booths. The room is literally so small that I could not capture it with my fixed 50mm lens, but I was able to get a shot of the famous Blue Door which leads into the kitchen.
Menu: Blue Door Pub has a brand new menu as of today and I have not yet seen it. I will revise this menu (pre 6/5/10) as soon as I get a copy of the new menu. Appetizers include Spam Bites (Breaded, deep fried Spam, cream cheese and pickle), Beer-Battered Green Beans, Hand-Cut Fries, Tator Tots, Chicken Wings, Cheese Curds, and Deep Fried Pickles.
Salads at Blue Door Pub include House Salad, Cobb, Blue Cheese, and Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps.
Specialty offerings are the Jiffy Burger (peanut butter, mayo, pepper jack, bacon and pickle), The Pub Sandwich (bacon, egg, pepper jack, lettuce and tomato on bread), Chicken Strip Basket and Black Bean Burger.
The Blue Door Pub is well-known for the many varieties they have of “Juicy Blucys”, which are what they call their version of the locally known cheese-stuffed burgers. Options include the Blucy (bleu cheese and garlic), The Luau (stuffed with mozzarella and pineapple, Canadian Bacon on top), The Classic (cheddar cheese), Breakfast Blucy (cheddar, bacon topped with fried egg), Bangkok Blucy (mozzarella soaked in coconut milk and topped with pickled carrots, cucumbers, red onions and ginger), Cajun Blucy (pepperjack and jalapeños), Mushroom Swiss, Bacon Blucy (cheddar and bacon), The Frenchy (swiss and caramelized onions witha side of au jus), and The Merriam Park (bacon, bleu cheese, garlic and topped with red currant jelly). Fries and tator tots are $2 extra.
You can also Build-Your-Own Burger (or chicken!) with a long list of cheese, toppings and sauces.
Kids Menu includes Grilled Cheese, Chicken Strips, Mac & Cheese, 2 Mini Cheeseburgers, PB & J.
Blue Door offers Pie Bites for dessert (homemade cheesecake bites)
Price guide: Appetizers $3.50-8.50 Salads $4-9 Burgers $6.50-8.50 Kids Menu $4-5
What we ordered: This was my first time to the Blue Door Pub and the long list of different stuffed burgers was very intriguing; several of them sounded like something I would try but I ended up going with the Merriam Park Burger. This 1/2 lb of Angus beef was stuffed with bleu cheese, chopped garlic, and bacon. It also comes with red currant jelly which I asked for on the side. It seemed a strange combination but our server made me promise I would try it with the jelly because it was her favorite. I was skeptical at first but with just one bite of the jelly on the burger, I became a believer! I actually ended up eating my entire burger with the jelly! The combination of the sweet with the stronger flavor of the blue cheese was a winner. If you like the salad dressing combo of French/Bleu cheese, you would like this. Even without the jelly it would’ve been an excellent burger. Loved it.
My companion ordered the Bacon Blucy, an Angus burger stuffed with bacon and cheddar. We were surprised to see that the Blue Door Pub did not make any of their stuffed burgers with American cheese, which is what a traditional Juicy-Lucy is made with. That is fine with me since American cheese is the one food in the world that I have an aversion to and just simply cannot stomach, but my companion was disappointed. This Bacon Blucy was still very delicious, with gooey sharp cheddar melted inside with thick cut bacon bites.
Fries can be added on to any burger for an additional charge, or you can get a basket of fries for half-price during Happy hour ($2!). Was very happy when the server pointed that out to us. They were fresh, home cut fries fried to a golden brown with a generous amount of salt.
Service: My visit was on a Saturday in the middle of the afternoon and I was able to get a spot in the parking lot. This was my first visit to the BDP and I wasn’t sure if they had a hostess or not but we were ignored when we walked in, so after standing there for a minute or two, I went and sat myself at the one of the few tables to choose from. It was starting to get busy by the time our burgers came out. The drinks were a little slow to be refilled but the food came out within 15 minutes of ordering. Our server was busy and only stopped to check on us at the end of our meal. We were given our check and when I paid, the original receipt was missing so I asked for another copy. The server came back five minutes later and said she had forgotten to add one of our drinks to the original bill ( a $2 soda) so she presented us with a 2nd bill to pay for that drink. I was a little annoyed since I had already paid for our original bill and didn’t want to have to run my card again for a measly $2. Thought it would’ve been nice to leave that one on the house and just reprint me my original receipt.
Overall Impression: I thought the burger was excellent and I don’t hesitate to say it was best “Juicy Lucy” that I have had around town (however remember I will only eat those that don’t include American cheese so I am biased). The service wasn’t too great but the burgers made up for it.
Cuisine: American, Bar & Grill, Chicago-Style
Restaurant Features: Bar, Happy Hour, Patio, Nightclub, On-Site Parking
Location: St Paul, MN
Address: 788 Grand Avenue St Paul MN 55105 651-291-2525
Hours: Daily 11am-2am
Links: Wild Onion Website Google Map
Atmosphere: Located on Grand Avenue in St Paul, Wild Onion is a full-service restaurant that also moonlights as a nightclub. During the day, Wild Onion is a casual, relaxed restaurant that has become a popular place for lunch by local residents, shoppers, and also people who work around St Paul. The restaurant is fairly large and has many tables and booths around the edges of the space. The brick walls have a variety of beautiful original canvas paintings hanging about.
At night the Wild Onion turns into a really fun place to hang out with a large, centrally located Bar and dance floor. Most nights there is a DJ playing after 8pm so it can be quite loud, as expected. Very popular with the 21+ crowd, especially local co-eds, birthday celebrations, and bachelor/bachelorette parties.
Menu: Appetizers at Wild Onion include Singapore Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Nachos, Walleye Fingers, Grilled Chicken Quesadilla, Cheese Curds, Onion Rings, Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna, Pot Stickers, Italian Fries, and Chicken Wings (Double Diamond, Buffalo, Wild Fire, Baked Cajun Wings, and Asian Battered Wings).
Soup and Salad options include Mixed Green, Caesar, Black and Blue Shrimp, Wild Onion Signature Chopped Salad, and Buffalo Chicken Salad. Soups include French Onion, Chili and a Soup du Jour.
Chicago-Style Specialties include Chicago Hot Beef Sandwich, Chicago Dogs, Hot Italian Sausage Sandwich, Michigan Ave B.L.T., Windy City Fettuccine, and Spaghetti and Meatballs.
Sandwich options are BBQ Pork, French Dip, Walleye Fillet, Reuben, Widow-Maker Club (chicken, bacon, avocado and spicy Scorned Woman sauce), Prime Rib, Bad-to-the-Bone (shaved ham with sauteed peppers, jalapenos and onions), Turkey Melt, Superheater Sandwich (grilled chicken with pepper jack, habanero peppers and diamond sauce), and Turkey Burger. Tortilla Wraps include Thai Chicken, Fresh Veggie, Walleye, Tijuana Chicken and Blackened Ahi Tuna with Avocado.
Wild Onion also has a variety of burgers (served with kettle chips) and sliders including Original Beef Sliders, Walleye Sliders, Blackened Chicken Sliders, Grand Avenue Burger, Chipotle Pepper Jack Melt, Juicy Lucy (stuffed with Swiss cheese), Onion Mac, and the Steakhouse Burger.
Handmade Pizza options include Four Cheese, Wild Onion Combo and Buffalo Chicken.
Entrees at Wild Onion are the Bricked Chicken, Dijon Marinated Sirloin, Steak Frites )fries topped with Bistro steak and Bordelaise sauce), Canadian Walleye, Steak and Eggs, and Szechuan Chicken Rice Bowl.
Price guide: Appetizers $7-9 Salads $5-12 Sandwiches/Burgers $7-9 Pizza $8-12 Entrees $10-16
Happy Hour: Monday-Friday 3:30-6:30pm
- $1 Off Domestic Bottled Beer, Cocktails, House Wines
- $1 Off all 20 oz. Mugs
- $2 Small Plate Menu available in Bar Area
- $2 Off all Martinis, Manhattans and Gimlets
Weekly Specials:
Monday- Hot Chicago Beef Sandwich $6.99, $2 Off All Steaks and Wings, $1 Off All 20 oz. Mugs, Shake Dice for Drinks @ the bar, Super 34 oz. Mugs – $5.50 Domestics, $6.50 Imports
Tuesday- Birthday Specials
Wednesday- $9.97 Steak or Chop Plate. Choice: A 10 oz NY Strip or 12 oz Bone-in Pork Chop served with house salad and signature cheesy scalloped potatoes.
Thursday- (Italian Night) Porketta $9.49, Fettuccine Alfredo $7.49, Chicken Parmesan $7.49, Macaroni and Cheese $7.49, Spaghetti & Meatballs $7.49, $2 off glasses of wine
Sunday- $3.50 Build-you-own Bloody Mary Bar (11am-3pm), $6.99 Signature Burgers (5-11pm),
What I ordered: I did not want to order a full meal for lunch so I opted to get the chicken quesadilla appetizer. Very flavorful choice! The two large flour tortillas were stuffed with bites of grilled white meat chicken, roasted sweet corn, sauteed peppers and onion, cheddar and jack cheeses, and then grilled until everything was hot and melted. The tortillas were a crispy golden brown and slightly buttery, then topped with chipotle ranch, sour cream and crumbled Mexican cheese. It was served with sliced fresh peppers, salsa, and chopped greens on the side.
One of my companions ordered the Ahi Tuna and Avocado Wrap. This wrap had Sushi-grade yellow fin tuna seared rare and wrapped inside a tortilla with shredded carrots, avocado, tomato, wasabi and a white-balsamic vinaigrette. Served with a side of avocado ranch and fresh fruit. (Comes standard with kettle chips or you can upgrade to fresh fruit or french fries for $1.50 extra)
Another companion ordered the Veggie Wrap with fries (upgrade from standard kettle chips). This wrap included Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, avocado, green and red onions with Swiss cheese. Tossed in a white balsamic vinaigrette and served with a side of avocado ranch.
Another companion ordered the Juicy Lucy, which was stuffed with Swiss cheese and served on a toasted bun. I didn’t try it but it looked great and my companion enjoyed it very much.
Service: Our visit was on a Friday for a late lunch but we were luckily able to find a parking spot in the attached lot. As soon as we arrived we were greeted by a friendly hostess and then seated. Our server was patient as we took our time looking over the menu, and offered a few suggestions to make ordering easier. It took at least 20 minutes for our meals to be served, but drinks were filled in a timely manner.
Overall Impression: The Wild Onion is a happenin’ place to eat or drink on Grand Avenue, with good food and great birthday specials. Check out Wild Onion at night with a group of friends if you’re looking for a fun place to dance and have cocktails.
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 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!
Davanni’s Pizza ~ Arden Hills, Bloomington, Brooklyn Center, Burnsville, Coon Rapids, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Edina, Golden Valley, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Richfield, Rogers, Roseville, Savage, St Paul, Woodbury
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: Pizza
Restaurant Features: Bar, Flatscreen TVs, On-Site Parking,
Location: St Paul, MN
Address: 421 East 7th Street St Paul, MN 55101 651-227-1437
Hours: Mon-Sat 11a-11p Sun 11a-10:30p
Links: Google Map
*Red's Savoy Pizza in Coon Rapids, Hugo, St Paul, and Uptown are all Delivery/Take-out Only
Atmosphere: Red's Savoy Inn is the original Savoy location, found just on the edge of downtown St Paul at the corner of 7th St. and Lafayette. There are two entrances into Savoy's on the west side of the building, one near the parking lot in back and one one the side near the front. The restaurant is divided into two sides, with the Bar Area being what you see when you first enter. The bar stretches the length of the room, which has tables and booths as well.
The main dining room is adjacent to the bar area with an open walkway in between. Also between the two rooms is a giant aquarium with live tropical fish. It is quite dim inside Savoy, there are no windows and the only lighting comes from the soft yellow glass orbs overhead.
ea
Menu: Appetizers at Savoy Inn include Buffalo Wings, Deep Fried Cheese Ravioli, Mozzarella Sticks, Jalapeño Poppers, French Fries, Onions Wings, Garlic Cheese Bread.
Sandwich options are the Meatball Dip and Hot dago with Cheese.
Pizzas come in two sizes, 10" or 14", Hand Tossed Thin Crust. Topping options include Sausage, Pepperoni, Hamburger, Mushrooms, Onion, Green Pepper, Green Olive, Black Olive, Sauerkraut, Pickles, Canadian Bacon, Banana Peppers, Jalapeños, Pineapple, Bacon, Shrimp and Anchovies.
Price guide: Appetizers $5-7 10" Cheese Pizza $8.45 Toppings $1-2/ea 14" Cheese $11.40 Toppings $1.50/2 ea (premium toppings more)
What We ordered: My companions and I started with an order of mozzarella sticks. They were just as mozzi-sticks should be, crispy golden brown on the outside and hot melted mozzarella inside. It came with a side of sauce.
Our group ordered a variety of pizzas. The pizza has a very thin crust at the base of each creation, then covered with spicy pizza sauce, toppings and mozzarella cheese. This was a 10" Pepperoni, Mushroom and Shrimp. I have really come to enjoy shrimp on pizza over the past couple of years and this was the first time I had tried it at Savoy. The shrimps were very little and there were plenty of them covering the pizza. The not-too-thick-not-too-thin pepperoni had great flavor while not being too greasy. We ordered our pizzas "well-done" so the cheese on all the edge pieces was browned and crispy.
Another pizza was a 10" Pepperoni, Banana Pepper and Onion. Great combo of toppings! The banana peppers spiced it up a notch and the onion added a touch of sweetness, perfectly complimented by the zesty pepperoni. The crust is very thin and crispy, but not at all chewy. Overall the Savoy pizzas were a success and a few of my companions even declared Savoy pizza to be their favorite or "the best".
We also had a 14" Special Pizza with Sausage, Pepperoni, Mushroom, Onion, Green Pepper and Green Olive. This pizza was loaded with ingredients and cheese.
One of my companions also ordered a side of Rigatoni with sauce. I thought the portion size was just right for a side order.
Service: It wasn't very busy on the late Wednesday evening of my visit, so we had no problem getting a parking place in the small lot in the back of Savoy's and easily found a table inside the restaurant. Our server was nice but took her time checking on us even though there were very few other customers. Food was prepared in a reasonable amount of time.
Overall Impression: Savoy pizza is one of the better thin-crust pizzerias around St Paul, especially if you like a spicier sauce and pizza loaded with toppings and cheese. The prices are comparable to many other local pizzerias but you get a hefty amount of toppings for the money.
