Minikahda Club

This place has no respect for the neighboring community! I will start off by saying I have never been inside of this club, golfed at this club, or stepped foot on the property. But I can say I was appalled at the lack of concern by management when my car was hit not once but two times by rogue golf balls while driving home near this club.
After the first time it happened, I didn’t call or do anything. I chalked it up to bad luck. The golf ball did leave a dent and a white mark on my black Acura. It resembles something like a hail damage dent.
It happened again two weeks ago as I was driving home from TJ’s. This time I called because it left another dent! I left a voicemail with the General Manager and requested that he call me. I am still waiting for his call, two weeks later!
I wasn’t even looking for reimbursement but rather I wanted to suggest a net around the perimeter of the fence that lines france ave. Apparently, this stuffy golf club doesn’t take time for non-​members who live in the community surrounding the club. If this happened to my car two times in less than a year, I imagine it happens quite a bit! This is not okay! I guess I will keep calling until I hear back… If this is how they treat people, I’m glad I’m not paying good money to be a member.

We had our wedding recently at the Minikahda Club and the experience was incredible. The staff at The Minikahda Club was exceptionally helpful and flexible. Clearly, the culture of The Minikahda Club has been well cultivated over the years, such that the entire Minikahda staff goes out of their way to offer amazing service to both members and their guests. I cannot say enough good things about them, especially Jenni in their catering department and their GM, Jim, who seems to be more than happy to do anything he can, personally, to help. At the last minute we had to move our event indoors due to weather and this was done seamlessly with no stress. The food was the highlight of our experience with them. The chef, Ferris, went out of his way to add a flair of the Brazilian culture to our meal and he did a MARVELOUS job. Simply: A lot of guests said it was the best food they ever had at a wedding dinner.
We would recommend the Minikahda Club enthusiastically!

I live in NYC and when I wanted to «go home» to get married, I realized quickly how complicated that would be. I only had limited amount of times to visit and plan, and really needed a venue that could help me keep things moving while I planned my wedding from a distance. AND — I needed a beautiful venue in which I would be proud to host my closest friends and family from around the country. Thank goodness I found the Minikahda Club!
From the first day I met Jenni and Angie at Minikahda, they were so accommodating. I was at wit’s end after having visited 12 other venues that didn’t have availability or didn’t have the look and feel I desired for my wedding. On a whim I called Minikahda on a Sunday morning in January, and the team there let me come right over to visit just hours later.
The minute I saw the spaces Minikahda offered, I was sold. First, how much more iconic can you get than this beautiful white building overlooking Lake Calhoun and the Minneapolis Skyline? There was a beautiful upstairs porch that serves as a great setting for a wedding ceremony, and multiple spaces around the club for us to get ready for the wedding, entertain guests, etc. Secondly, the ballroom which was just renovated, was stunning. With so many windows, beautiful chandeliers, warm drapes and wallpaper — it was just the perfect space to build my reception within.
I was so lucky to get one of the last remaining dates for summer 2014, and my really positive working-​relationship with the team at Minikahda started from there. Every time I emailed them with a question — they got back to me immediately. I could send them 4 or 5 emails a day, and they never got tired of helping me.
Day of the wedding was fantastic — everything was as it was supposed to be and Angie was there with me to help with anything that came up — making the air conditioner higher, helping set up my name card table up, helping me or last minute snacks for bridal party, you name it. The ceremony and reception were beautiful and there was so much space for our guests. We used the outdoor patio for a fire pit and cigar bar, the sun room for desserts and cocktails, guests stepped to the lobby to sit for a quiet chat, and of course the dinner and dance floor in the main ballroom were perfect.
My only regret is that it all went by so fast. Minikahda is one of the best venues in Minnesota, believe me — I researched all of them. The only other place I really considered was Aria, which was cool, but had no outdoor space, no windows, etc and required you to bring nearly everything you need for a wedding in from outside vendors.
Thank you Minikahda, Angie and Jenny!

As a groom recently married at The Minikahda Club, I cannot recommend this place highly enough.
First of all, there’s the value: because the club’s primary source of revenue is its membership (as opposed to facility rental), they have no need to nickel and dime… so they don’t. Rest assured that this is not the case with many other, similar venues we looked at. At Minikahda, I would venture to say you get far more than you pay for. Even if you’re not a member, you’re treated like one.
Secondly, there’s the service: we forewent the expense of a wedding planner, mostly because the club’s event managers Jenni and Angie were so helpful that we really didn’t need one. Honestly, you could not find two more kind, patient, courteous, consultative, and experienced points-​of-​contact than these two. Not only were they integral to our planning process, they were also on-​site all day, liasing with our vendors and making sure everything ran smoothly. My bride actually cried when she had to say goodbye to them.
And last but not least, there’s the food: Ferris Shiffer, the club’s executive chef, has to be the best-​kept culinary secret in the Twin Cities. He and Angie spent nearly four hours with us at our tasting, carefully crafting a menu that would suit our tastes, budget, and guests’ dietary restrictions (the whole dinner was gluten free, and you’d never have known it). The generosity of spirit, time, and talent was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. We’re still receiving comments about how incredible the food was.
When it came down to it, our day was every bit as perfect as we’d imagined, and a great deal of credit is due to this club. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

This place trumps La Meridian Chambers any day (see my review.) Oh boy, a breathtaking upscale posh club with wonderfully maintained grounds overlooking Lake Kalhoon. First of all, my cousin’s wedding was held on their massive lawn complete with stage which included some gymnastics/​acrobatics & other extras; the only bad thhing was the hot huymid day. Once inside, it was wonderful with nice linnons, plush carpeting, nice table cloths, chandeliers, & so forth. I loved the mini chicken casadillas with onions & salsa on a tortilla chip, salmon on crispy rye bread, & the wait staff who was very attentive & like a well oiled machine. I love their second floor patio with tables complete with umbrellas perfect on a hot twin cities day & also the space waws just plain ample. Once downstairs for dinner, I loved their cranberry & rasin walnut breads which were so fresh they technically did not need butter. My beef was perfectly seasoned & grilled to perfection with creamy savery scalloped potatos & as for the salad, it came with a bowl of guspacho which was cool & refreshing. For dessert, I loved the chocolate cake with white cake, chocolate chips, & marzapan & a double hit when my cousin did not want his & passed it onto me. They even had Folton beer which was new to me & I loved it with its citricy notes. Their stage was ample for everyone to dance; my uncle hired a band who played a great variety of oldies & pop from yesterday & today. They even a kids’ playroom which my cousins’ kids enjoyed & the same was said for their macaroni & cheese, ice cream, & so forth. I would go back & recommen dthat to anyone in a heartbeat. So, for a wonderful special occasion experience with upscale food & attentive sercvice in an upscale posh atmosphere, Manikahta cannot be beat. Keep up the good work guys.

My family rented this beautiful club for a reception. It is gorgeous, but for a top tier venue such as this they are somewhat lacking in professionalism. The director seemed fine, but the large staff under her were not all adequately trained (or vetted).
Here are the details:
Every person had a name place tag that indicated steak or chicken. I was brought the wrong thing and I was at the head table!
Speaking of the place settings; they all contained a takeaway for the attendees to take home if they so desire. While people were up dancing or socializing, I noticed that they were mostly thrown away by the waitstaff. When I asked them about that, they said they took them out and left them. When I looked closer, it was apparent that they’d only done that at half of the tables (or less). A bit later someone brought me out a few, which I only assume she fished out of the trash or her personal bag that she was going to take home with her.
But that wasn’t all that was taken away during the night. My crème brûlée was taken away after I got up snap some instagrams. I was not the only one left wanting with the desire to finish their dessert. I know that they’re always pressed to never have plates left sitting at tables, but it was a bit ridiculous and is a personal pet peeve of mine. Maybe they’d let most of their waitstaff go at that point, so proper monitoring of guests was not happening.
Same happened with beverages; I was never able to finish a drink as they were ALWAYS taken early, even when left next to a bag and still half full. It’s clear they were out to pour as many drinks as possible. Also, they don’t count the drinks, they estimate off of the number of bottles of liquor they go through. Which i mention because it explains why I got a very stiff drink when I specifically asked for a light one (extra coke), since it was getting near the end of the night. But it didn’t matter really, because it was taken from me after midnight when it was still 85% full (despite having the room til 1). When I complained, this is what the server said: «oh, sorry, we’re closed anyway.» Meaning the bar was taken down at midnight.
She was visibly hurried, as they all seemed at that point, getting linens off the tables and whatnot. Despite the fact that we were dancing to a live band followed by a dj for at least another thirty more minutes. A certain amount of decorum should be maintained throughout the night, and the hustle and stress should really be kept out of view of the guests as much as possible. Right?
Want more?
The bars were to not have tip jars out, but my mother was not happy to see cash from people who tipped anyway being left out on the bar to encourage more tips. These were not big bars by the way, just the little mini reception bars, so cash splayed out was not only unprofessional, it was sloppy/​wet.
All of this would’ve been fine if it were a room at the convention center or something, but a venue such as this, and an expense such as this, demands a much higher level of service. Just the way the staff talked to me was enough to write a negative review. Perhaps they were tired from multiple events over the last couple days, but frankly, for this kind of money they can afford to have a new fresh staff. I should also mention that they were adequately staffed in terms of numbers, at least at first, so that wasn’t the problem.
Things that you might be curious about: the food was quite good. A bit cool maybe, but that was our fault for running late. The bartenders were friendly and poured good drinks, despite being younger than I would’ve thought at such a place.
I didn’t attend the tasting of menu items a couple months ago, but my family raved about that. Which I’ve also heard from other people who’ve been through the process.
I guess that’s about it.

I’m VERY lucky that my In-​laws are members, like me, and take me for a great meal when I get to visit.
While I don’t golf (which is probably a crime), they do everything right. I’ve worked in a 5-​star spa with restaurant and B&B in CA wine country, and these folks know what they’re doing.
Always great food.
Always great service.

My husband and I used the Minikahda Club as our wedding venue. The clubhouse is beautiful inside and out. Dinner was excellent. However, the club does have some general issues with professionalism and reliability.
Club rules were changed by member vote two weeks after we signed our contract. Minikhada decided that this vote voided certain parts of our contract.
For example, our rental included the use of a beautiful powder room to change into my dress, do hair and make up, drink champagne (included) and take photos for 4 hours before the wedding. Two weeks before the wedding, this rental space was replaced with 45 minutes of time to change into my dress in the women’s locker room, no extras, no refund. The Club also permanently canceled our appointment to take photos on the club grounds due to members’ complaints about another couple who had gone overboard the week prior.
Professionalism lacked as well. A week after we signed our contract, their 10-​year veteran wedding coordinator Nicole was swapped out with a fresh college graduate who would be completely unavailable until 3 months before the wedding. I’ve since discovered that the club had known for several months that Nicole was leaving but waited until all of the summer wedding dates were booked before breaking the news to clients.
These may seem like minor infractions, but virtually every convenience and unique feature that was used as a selling point for this venue had been revoked by the wedding day, with no apologies from the club.
Overall, this venue is still a wonderful place to get married. I’d highly recommend Minikahda to club members (they were not subject to policy changes) and to couples with flexibility in their planning and budget. If I’d known how flexible the contract terms would be in advance, I would have personally chosen another venue.

It is not everyday that I get to feel like royalty. Each room I was taken in at the Minikahda Club made my jaw drop. From the incredible view of my favorite lake to the ornate chandeliers, to the chic wall paper… It was definitely a fairtale-​like place.
Not to mention the food was absolutely sublime. I had a crisp, clean salad topped with their house dressing, white asparagus, avocado and more. I couldn’t have asked for a better fresh afternoon treat.

I got to play your fabulous golf course growing up because I was on my High School golf team. You occupy some damn sweet property overlooking Calhoun. Your firework shows during weddings and holidays entertain me in the summer as your are in my line of vision.
With all the positives, why only 4 stars? Because you are too rich for my blood and your course taunts me whenever I drive/​walk around home.

What can I tell you about a country club that overlooks one of the most beautiful lakes in Minneapolis?
It’s very stately, very bright and open, there is lots of room to lounge/​eat/​drink/​play cards/​etc, the grounds are lush and the golf must be fantastic here.
It’s a perfect location for a mid-​autumn afternoon wedding and evening wedding reception. The estate is flush with history.