So we came here for anniversary dinner. I’m 7.5 mos pregnant and it has been taking me longer to walk to and from my car/into buildings than usual, sometimes I have to stop in my tracks and wait a sex due to jabbing pelvic pain(sorry tmi), and we had to park over a block away. We arrived at 7:20pm for 7pm reservation. We should have called! Inside hostess looked perplexed and sent us outside. We get outside and wait for outside hostess. She comes and it’s now 7:24, and they have cancelled our reservation. We mention it’s our anniversary and she just smiles blankly at us and she tells us we could make a reservation for 8:30. But you know what, I’m hungry, and you’re not helpful, so we’ll go somewhere else thankyouverymuch. I overheard another patrol state that the patio is this restaurant’s «only saving grace.» Reading these other reviews, sounds like truly this beautiful patio might be the only thing they have going for them. While I haven’t tried the food, this might run me the wrong way enough to stay away.
Allison S.
Rating des Ortes: 3 North Dallas, Dallas, TX
I have been to WAF at Christmas time about 5 years ago and had a very memorable experience, so I was looking forward to going back. This visit brought us back during prime patio season, so we decided to sit out back and enjoy the beautiful patio — It huge!!! Gorgeous, great people watching. The main entrees all sounded appealing, but this particular day was hot and humid. All of the main dishes were heavy and hot, so we opted instead for the sandwiches and salads portion of the menu. I’m not sure if this is a patio-only option, but it’s nice that they have this lighter and more affordable menu option. We each started with a salad. I had the strawberry salad and my husband had the cob. Both were nice sizes, fresh, and delicious. My husband had the burger with fries. The fries were more memorable than the burger. You can definitely get a better burger in town. I ordered the bahn mi, as did another guest at our dinner, and we were both disappointed. Neither had cilantro on them, and while they did have shaved carrots, they weren’t picked(or if they were you couldn’t tell) and I feel like both of these ingredients are staples on a bahn mi. Neither of us said we would order this again and we both agreed it was probably our mistake to order a bahn mi at a non-Vietnamese restaurant in a city that has multiple delicious bahn mi around. The drinks and the company that were with were the shining stars of this meal. The food and service were definitely not.
Jo K.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Saint Paul, MN
Post-Grad & on a budget, I come here for drinks and happy hour. Personally I won’t be buying the $ 55 Prime Rib, but the patio and happy hour suits me nicely! The best part of this place is the ambiance, without a doubt. Inside of the restaurant is beautiful and historic, and the patio is an absolute joy in the spring/summer. You could not ask for a nicer place to share a drink and some food with friends. The wine selection is excellent, and the beer list is fairly impressive for a place that is not known to be a «beer bar». I’m not much of a cocktail drinker but my friends routinely order drinks here and enjoy them. The happy hour is competitively priced for the area, offering up $ 5 – 6 drink options, and some light food. The best happy hour food choice is by and far the Korean BBQ wings. The serving is a little small(approx 6 wings) but the chicken is good sized and the sauce is to die for. I’ve never had bad service here, but as some of the other reviewers have noted, the service is slow. Basically– don’t come here if you’re in a rush to get in and out– the service doesn’t allow for that kind of experience. If you come knowing what to expect, it is a great place to get some nice drinks on a beautiful patio & enjoy your evening.
William F.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Rochester, MN
I think this place is living on reputation and not much more. After a warm fake beer, I had a bowl of pork soup. It looked good and tasted good but there was as much pork in it as one would find in soup served at a concentration camp. The dessert, apple cake with ice cream and some other stuff, was served on a long, narrow plate. The food was cut up into small portions and looked pretty sparse and lonely on it. I’m told that this is how dessert was served in Leningrad during the darkest days of the 900-day siege in WWII, when the citizens were starving to death and starting to eat one another, like in the Donner Party. For some bizarre reason, this place makes me think of war. You know, the never-ending war between high-priced restaurants and people searching for value.
Saad A.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Rochester, MN
The place is good but the service is a nightmare. I don’t recommend this place for anyone.
Krystle G.
Rating des Ortes: 4 South Saint Paul, MN
Beautiful building and friendly service. I appreciated they didn’t constantly interrupt dinner and allowed time enjoy the meal without feeling rushed. We started with a cheese plate trio which was my favorite part of the meal. Such a variety of cheeses to choose from and plated wonderfully with fruit, nuts, and apricot spread. We also had the oysters and the shallot sauce paired perfectly. For dinner I had the spiced shrimp sandwich and my fiancé had the chef burger. The fries were phenomenal! Sandwich was good but slim since there were only 4 shrimps on the whole thing and there was no spice. My fiancé said the burger was good but not best ever. Then, came dessert. We got the trio of Panna cotta, crème brûlée, and ice cream sandwich. The ice cream sandwich was wonderful and the«sandwich» was chocolate cake with ice cream and chocolate salt. The other desserts were mediocre in comparison. The brulee was too thick and burnt and the mint garnish atop of the pana cotta threw off the flavors. Overall I’d visit again.
Jean Y.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Minneapolis, MN
Reserve over phone if you want their patio dining. The building is beautiful! We had cocktails in their bar prior to dining in their dining room. Menu was simple to read, not overwhelming with too much food. The portions are reasonable and food was delicious. Will go back this summer!
Emily H.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Saint Paul, MN
Love love the patio! We only had drinks there and they were good but of course on the pricey end of things. Would love to try their food one day. Otherwise I wouldn’t mind relaxing on the patio with a couple of drinks again.
Andrea G.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Shakopee, MN
After being excited about trying WA Frost for weeks we were terribly disappointed. We went on a Tuesday evening and it was not very busy which was good. The ambience is really is nice. The patio looks amazing! It was a little chilly to enjoy when we went but we heard it’s the best place to enjoy happy hour cocktails. The slowest service we have ever had. When paying a pretty hefty price for a meal the expectation of how long it takes to get ur meal should be less than 45 – 60 minutes! It was pretty brutal. The food… So disappointing! I ordered a pork chop, for $ 27& a side salad for $ 6.50. The pork chop came with a celery purée &3 little potato like balls. The potatoes were good, just chintzy on the quantity. But the pork chop was dry! U don’t pay $ 27 for a dry chop! I would have made it better at home. It needed more sauce to help with the dryness. The mixed salad was nothing special but my expectations of it weren’t too high. It was just a salad. My husband ordered the scallops. They were really good but again for the price of $ 34 there were only 3. Oh, for an appetizer we ordered the wings that had really good flavor! Nothing to rave about but they were probably my favorite thing we had! We won’t be back for dinner but we want to hit up the patio when it warms up for some apps & drinks. Unfortunately, we’ll be doing dinner somewhere else!
Abby T.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Burnsville, MN
I love the patio so much but I won’t return often because it was a bit of an older crowd which is great but not my scene. Also I was tempted by the homemade candy bars but was not impressed. Stick to the other desserts.
Ally W.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Green Bay, WI
I’m a sucker for any restaurant in a beautiful historic building and this was no exception. The French toast was delicious and I loved the tea selection and glass teapot. This place offered Saturday brunch, which is not always easy to find!
Kate M.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Saint Paul, MN
I love WA Frost! No doubt, the patio is wonderful when weather permits. That being said, I’ve spent many days and evenings frequenting the lower basement. It is such a cool little spot to enjoy some of their delicious food and drinks! My go dishes: the cheese plate, burger, scallops, Asian wings and mussels(although I’ve never had a dish I didn’t like). My favorite bartender, Chris is pleasant and attentive — it’s always nice to frequent a bar where you feel welcomed and the patronage is clearly appreciated. I live in the heart of cathedral hill and spend plenty of time out and about. WA is one of my regular stops!
Ryan R.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Osseo, MN
Beautiful space!!! Stunning step back into the gilded age. Staff is friendly and attentive. Sunday brunch offers standard fairs with an upscale finish. Don’t be put off by the upscale finish to the space and the food, the atmosphere and guests are all very casual. A great place to kick off a Sunday off to explore Summit Avenue or visit the Science Museum.
Michael M.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Pittsburgh, PA
This was a wonderful restaurant with beautiful dining rooms, fireplaces and great food. A 4 course special menu for $ 40 to commemorate 40 years in business was excellent. This was a business dinner so I didn’t take pictures, but their site does have some attractive and representative photos. This is an upscale restaurant from which you should expect upscale service. Appetizer was delayed because t was dropped in the kitchen the first time. OK, honest mistake and appetizer was comped. However, dessert was late because the order was not placed in the kitchen, oops lose a star. Get it together and you can offer a four and perhaps 5-star performance.
Carol A.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Saint Paul, MN
I liked everything about my lunch experience yesterday. When we arrived shortly before noon, the dining room was nearly empty, so we got a nice seat by a window and near the fireplace.(It’s January.) waitress took our order promptly and it came out with very short wait. She also was helpful in describing various dishes. I had the bouillabaisse which was wonderful, and a fairly low calorie choice. My friend had the wild rice ragoût, which she liked, but was caught off guard by the curry flavor she wasn’t expecting. By the time we left around 1:00 pm, the dining room was full. So a word to the wise is to come early if you want best service and seating.
Jennifer K.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Little Falls, MN
From the unbelievable food to the gorgeous ambience, this place is one of the best! My husband had the oysters to start, and I had the mushroom bisque, which was delicious. For entrees, I enjoyed the pan roasted chicken with couscous and Brussel sprouts. The chicken was amazing, but the flavor of the couscous(spicy), was what I loved best. My husband had the duck with pork belly, which he describes as f*n awesome! He said the duck was so tender and delicious and every bite he took had so many flavors. For dessert, he had the ice cream sandwich, and I tried the apple pie, which was amazing! So different from what I expected. The service was great, and the staff were attentive, helpful and friendly. We are already making plans to go back!
Trish L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Saint Paul, MN
My review is for the lounge area(downstairs). I have never been to a place like WA Frost. It gave me such a warm and welcoming feeling immediately upon entering. No doubt this is a upscale establishment, however downstairs is a bit more casual. I loved the historic building, the cozy nooks and the break out seating areas which are really quite nice for having a nice conversation. I think they do a really nice job of representing the true vibe of Saint Paul. As for the food we ordered drinks and sampled appetizers. The pork belly was hands down the groups favorite. Enjoy.
Wendy K.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Minneapolis, MN
Went here for our anniversary last night and could not be more disappointed. Here is why: 1. My husband called ahead to tell them this was a special evening(our anniversary & we planned to do our gender reveal(I’m 30 weeks pregnant) and was treated indifferently on phone 2. Drink order placed 20 minutes after seating(tried flagging down server, almost impossible). 3. Food took about 40+ minutes to arrive. Barely checked on during the wait. 4. Server seemed indifferent, unpleasant and overall just like she had better things to do.(her tip reflected this) 5. Food was ok but on the luke warm side. 6. Discovered their basement lounge, so decided to try and a second chance. 7. Waiter was attentive down here(yay!). Gave him a heads up about our gender reveal of baby #2 and that we wanted a photo taken during the envelope opening. 8. Ordered a dessert which took at least 25 minutes to arrive. Brought out wrong dessert after I had an extensive conversation about what to order with our server(I’m pregnant and this is the only indulgence I get). They told us they would pay for our dessert which I did not eat, and 1 drink my husband ordered(which, again, I did not enjoy). 9. Told our server was too busy to take our pic but his colleague could. Ended up deciding the night was so horrible to do gender reveal at home instead. We told the general Manager of our troubles and were told, «we comped your(wrong) dessert and drink. Please come back.»… Never. Ever. Again. Sticking with Manny’s or Murray’s or some other Minneapolis establishment.
Mat K.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Minneapolis, MN
Really awesome laid back, intimate, classy atmosphere in the seat yourself basement. Invites you to stay and talk awhile. Food is not cheap, but also very good. I’m in the program so no booze for me, but the mocktails were well made and hit the spot. Good service for how busy they were. Will be back, hopefully with more company!
Melaney S.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Cathedral Hill, St. Paul, MN
With WA Frost it depends on what your in the mood for and what time of year. The patio in better weather is beautiful. A glass of wine or a mimosa with friends under the trees in this space can take you away form real life for a couple of hours. In the basement they have lovely cozy nooks and conversation areas. Getting together with a group for some nibbles and good conversation here feels so perfect. The main dining room is beautiful and romantic. When your in the dinning room you can expect your server to give wine service on par with a Sommelier. They will make you feel like your a VIP. The bar is lively and so classy with the marble bar and brass fixtures. Speaking of the bar don’t miss the signature cocktails they are delightful. Your likely to meet people form all walks of life sitting at historic spot. Tommy mans the bar on Friday nights and makes a mean espresso as well. The food is always topnotch. I honestly have never had a complaint. I live across the street so I have been eating here for 20 years. I will tell you in this neighborhood parking is a challenge, but the have valet parking. Also it is directly on the 21 bus line.
Eva D.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Minneapolis, MN
Beautiful, romantic ambience in the general restaurant area. The patio, during the summer time, is one of the best. The basement area is a great place to share drinks and appetizers with smaller groups. Unfortunately, the food and the service are not up to par with the ambience. I was there last week on a week night with a couple of colleagues. The food was okay — there were really good aspects, such as the brussel sprouts side dish — delish! The beef skewers were pretty good. But the main dishes(we tried the scallops, chicken and lamb burger) were okay but nothing compelling or special. Dessert was tasty and it’s great that they offer smaller portions to let you sample a few different kinds of desserts. Service was incredibly slow and I don’t know if that is typical, given it was a Monday night. It took an hour to get our entrees. Our water was not refilled regularly… a bit disappointing. I would recommend the patio or the basement for drinks and appetizers but not necessarily having dinner at the restaurant.
Audrey P.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Mantorville, MN
Very fun place — beautiful. Food was very good. They were very busy. Definitely will come back. We ate on the patio. The inside is also beautiful.
Rick S.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Tracy, CA
Was visiting from California and had a wonderful lunch on October 1st … Food was great … Service could have been taken up a notch … Although we were waiting for one more person to arrive we were never asked if we wanted cocktail while we waited, and with this party one could have easily gotten two rounds from us while we waited … It was a good 15 min before she checked back in and took cocktail orders at our suggestion! Dessert was disappointing … The saving grace for this review was the entrees were all wonderful !
William C.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Nokomis, Minneapolis, MN
This is always a safe bet. I had the Cod and it was very nicely cooked. Good wine recommendation from the server Good chicken wings were reported by my daughter. Not downtown but close enough to get there quickly if you have or had something there.
Tim D.
Rating des Ortes: 4 St Joseph, MN
If you’re looking for something a truly unique for a special event, W.A. Frost is a great option. It’s among one of my favorite, romantic, historic, St. Paul restaurants. It holds a special place in my heart because it was here that my wife revealed that we were expecting our first child. It’s a restaurant like that — perfect for an engagement, an anniversary, a special surprise or announcement. The various rooms, the historical and beautiful ambiance and architecture, the eclectic, but delicious cuisine make it great for lunch, brunch, or dinner. I can say that I’ve never had a bad meal here. I’ve had salads, burgers, appetizers, and more… and they have all been great. Tasty, classy, unique. The patio outside is absolutely wonderful during decent weather. When it’s not nice outside, the cozy interior is a great place for dinner and conversation with someone you love.
Molly C.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Saint Paul, MN
This place is gorgeous! Stopped in today for an afternoon cocktail and appetizer and was blown away. There is a reason they win«Best Outdoor Seating»…this place is magical with a touch of elegance. The appetizers and drink were good(a little pricey), but really the experience was all about their beautiful patio.
Foodie L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Saint Paul, MN
Ahhh! my favorite place to hang out in summer because of their gorgeous garden and delish cocktails and my favorite place to hang out in winter time because its so cozy downs stairs with fire place. The food always been good here. But mostly the bar atmosphere is great! Close to my place, it takes me 10 minute walk. Love Love!
Josh K.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Minneapolis, MN
A place I was looking forward to for so long, and now I’m hard pressed to head back. I decided to have a family brunch here because if there is one place that you wouldn’t expect to drop the ball, it’d be this place. Brunch for 11 confirmed, booked, reserved and set for noon almost a month in advance. Lets start with the location, free parking in their small lot just east of the entrance on Selby before Virginia. Huge plus to that. But, I reiterate, small parking lot. Inside, it’s one of the most beautiful buildings you can imagine. A mix of old time classical aesthetics with modern touches to bring it all together. Service was disturbingly slow throughout. Water glasses routinely went empty with ridiculous wait times to having them filled. My coffee cup was empty for almost the entire occasion without being asked for a refill until after the meal was done. And then there was the wait time for the food. I get it, it’s busy, we’re a large group. However, we waited for over a half hour. No exaggeration to that, at all. A table behind us(of 4) put in their order after ours, got their food before us, and left before we got our food. Worse yet, our server never once stopped out to give us an update on why the food was taking forever or give us any sort of reassurance the food was actually coming. At the 30 minute mark, a couple family members asked me to track her down to find out what was going on. However, I didn’t see her anywhere and after my search yielded no results, a runner finally came out with some plates. Was the wait worth it? Some dishes tasted amazing. Lets start with that. However, we get into issues like my steak and eggs… which tasted great, but, the eggs and American Fries were cold. Clearly, they’d been sitting for a good amount of time. The braised pork hash, again, tasted great, but, was barely warm. French toast was warm, but the sausage it was served with(which was amazingly tasty) was near cold. Food quality and taste was there for some, however, everything else certainly wasn’t. After trying nearly every breakfast item(literally, the family eats about half of everything, and then — for some reason — it ends up in front of me for disposal) my thoughts are that the steak and eggs are hands down one of the better ones you can have, anywhere. The steak was done perfectly, the jus that is then smeared all over the dish is fantastic. Just sucks it was barely warm. The french toast severely lacks any flavor(vanilla scented is great, put a little vanilla in with the egg wash and throw some crème or something on it to give it some flavor). Maple breakfast sausage was very tasty and made the lifeless french toast actually worth getting, just for that. Brie-asparagus omelet was a ok, I wouldn’t recommend it. Just another dish that screams«I’m missing something!» Po Boy was very good, a great sandwich for sure. Braised pork hash was awesome. Even cold, this was good. The hint of lime you get at the end with the pico was fantastic. Black angus burger was a lifeless burger. I don’t think it helped that arrived cold, but, even by the time I got my meat hooks on it, you can tell there was not much to it. EDIT — oh yeah, forgot about the child menu short stack I ordered, which should tell you how good it was. It was nothing special, at all. Cakes were thick and doughy. Taste was meh, not much going on there at all. All in all, disappointed would be an understatement. We were all disappointed to the point we didn’t bother with dessert and actually went to Cosetta’s to get a proper dessert… which helped get over this. Sorry WA, you fumbled and much like a rookie running back with fumblitis, I’m not sure I can trust you with the rock when the time comes again. You’re benched.
Jay A.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Rosemount, MN
I wish I could give 3.5 stars for this place, because I absolutely would. And, honestly, the food itself would warrant a 5 star review– everything we ate and drank was wonderful. The service was a rollercoaster. It sucked, and then it was great! And then it suuuuuuucked. Here’s the story: Took the missus out for our 10 year anniversary tonight. Made my reservation through Open Table, found parking a block away in a 2 hour unmetered section, and walked in the front door. First off, Open Table said the dress code was business casual, and we were dressed to the nines. We walk in sort of confused, like, where do we go? No greeter or host? Weeeeiiiiiird. After we walk through the bar a server dude thumbs towards the right and we saw the door to the patio. August 10th, 5PM, hot as hell outside when you’re all dressed up. No bueno. Told the dude, it was too hot out for it, when you’re well-dressed(scene: skinny hipsters in muscle shirts, people looking like they got done garage sailing, sandals! Like wtf kinda place IS this?) I couldn’t believe I trimmed my Scott Ian goatee to nearly nothing for the occasion! Hell, I could have not even showered and fit in with the crowd like a champ! I thought the place was supposed to be classy… so why did I feel SO out of place for, ummm… looking classy? But I digress. Dude seated us in the bar, and left us with drink menus. He came back, took our orders, and brought us our drinks… but no food menus? We asked, he did, everything was golden from then. Had an old fashioned(fantastic), and a glass of chardonnay(happy hour, it was good enough). Lady had 2 glasses of brut(happy hour) and we ordered the artichoke dip. Probably the best I’ve ever had. After the aura of confusion subsided and the booze started working its magic things got better. We moved to the dining room. My reservation specified 10 year anniversary and a nice quiet spot was preferred. Which is exactly what we got. Until they seated a couple right on freaking top of us! There were PLENTY of open tables too– I didn’t get that. Whatever, though, right? We were drinking wine, I ordered the mussels for us to share(fan-fucking-tastic by the way), all was still good! We ordered the chef’s tasting menu for $ 65/ea with no wine pairings. We were doing just fine on our own for that! By the time we received the 3rd course I asked our server how strict the 2 hour parking was, cuuuuuuuz we were at the 2 hour mark already, and still had 3 courses to go! She said 2 — 2 ½ hours would be risking a ticket. Boooooo!!! I went out for a smoke and checked my car. No ticket. Looked around, no open places to park… didn’t move my car. Continued with the tasting, asked for the bill before our dessert course was even dropped at the table. Got it WELL after dessert was finished and she really took her sweet time coming to get my card. Then she disappeared again. Lots of waiting. I asked my girlfriend wtf is taking so long? Are they tying the charges to the leg of a pigeon and sending it to fucking Chase Manhattan itself? She(our server) knew the parking situation was a concern of mine– and with that looming over my head it was hard for me to REALLY enjoy my meal. Which is a shame because the food was wonderful. But this is the part she should be fastest at anyways, right? Getting paid! 3 hours and 20 minutes total. No ticket on my car. A win for me. But I really wish I could have savored the meal comfortably and enjoyed it at an un-rushed pace. At a shade over $ 250 in food and drinks for a 10 year anniversary, having private parking is something I will never again take for granted. I’ll post pictures because the food was truly wonderful.
Mel B.
Rating des Ortes: 4 River Falls, WI
This is one of my favorite places to stop for lunch on a nice day in between pleasant wanderings around neighborhoods with pretty houses. It pairs well with the fact that parking is a nightmare, because you really don’t mind the walk. The patio is one of my favorites in all of the Twin Cities, and their menu seems forever changing. This is also one of the best places to come around Christmas, because their decorations inside are BEAUTIFUL. This is not an inexpensive restaurant, but I’ve never had a bad meal here so give it a try if you’re looking for a nice, sit-down experience, and feel good about the food you are eating.
Nancy N.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Manhattan Beach, CA
I really really like this place! On my last day, my friend and her hubby took me here for lunch because they knew I’d love the architecture and history and of course the food! First off the parking is really a nightmare. Amidst the multi-million dollar homes(we saw a house for sale on the same street for $ 1.2 million, any takers?), you will find this place. We parked on the streets about a block away. The place has lots of character! And I love the underground rooms! This was someone’s resident back in the day(?), that was converted into a pharmacy and now it’s a restaurant! Much if not all of the original work(including art pieces) are still present through the place. We sat outside as it was such a beautiful day! I had their oven dried tomato pasta(different from sun dried tomatoes which I have decided I prefer sun dried tomatoes more). Give the tomatoes their Vitamin D please! My friend had their bacon and eggs over toast dish, and her hubby had their omelette with sausage. We all loved our dishes. To start brunch with their mimosas! Service was very very slow, I don’t know if it’s because our waitress was new or if this is how it usually is. I did not comment as my friends didn’t seem to notice anything out of the blue.
Monica C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Los Angeles, CA
I wanted to take my mother out for a nice dinner and this place was the perfect choice. The restaurant is located in a historic building in Cathedral Hill and you feel like you’re stepping back in time when you walk in the door. The service and food are phenomenal. I had the Torchio Pasta, which was really special. The flavor of the mushrooms and sage were wonderful, and the pumpkin seeds added a little something extra. My mother really enjoyed her Smoked Chicken Cobb Salad. The highlight of the evening, however, was dessert. The S’mores Bar was one of the best desserts I’ve had any any restaurant. It was plated beautifully and the passion fruit sauce and marshmallow were divine. Overall, we really enjoyed our meal and it was a pleasant dining experience. I would recommend W.A. Frost to anyone looking for a nice meal.
Gretchen B.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Minneapolis, MN
I came here with a friend one evening to split some plates on the patio. The patio is amazing – huge, beautifully landscaped, and a much more casual environment than the dining room inside. For patio seating, go behind the historic building, along Western Avenue. If you’re coming for happy hour, make sure you ask to be seated in the bar area. I normally stick to beer, but this just felt like the kind of place I should order a cocktail. And it was delicious. Delicious enough to justify spending $ 10 on it? TBD. Although most of the imported beers weren’t much cheaper than that anyways. For food, I ordered a cup of the carrot soup. I don’t know why; I’m generally fairly anti-soup. I like to chew! But this soup was gooooood. I would definitely get it again. My friend and I split the artichoke dip which was nothing special. But we also split the mini trio dessert plate. For a first time visit, I think this is a really good choice. I was at first tempted to order a «kit kat bar» for myself, but after getting the trio plate, I found I liked the cheesecake best(another odd occurrence for me). The kit kat bar was paired with a chai ice cream that I didn’t think worked too well all together, but the bar and the ice cream were delicious separately. All in all, a delicious meal. Less one star for price; ended up splitting the bill at $ 40/piece! I’ll come back again for a more full meal but with my mother so it’s on her tab.
Jessica S.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Minneapolis, MN
Had the privilege of joining two lovely fellow Unilocalers and their girlfriend at W.A. Frost for HH. I’ve been longing to experience the patio here, supposedly one of the Cities’ most beautiful. HH specials are only permitted in the bar and lounge. So we grabbed drinks at the bar before the clock struck 6p and HH prices go *poof*. I just got a drink. None of the snacks appealed to me, as I’m not a huge fan of traditional bar food. The bar area itself was empty… just us 4 girls if I recall correctly. Ultimately, we relocated to the patio. It was very spacious, but I yearned for the greenery and flowers that make it so picturesque. Nowhere near as impressive when everything is still icky winter brown and grey. For dinner, I ordered the gnocchi. A micro plate. I was expecting small but accompanied by big taste. Nope, not the case. The gnocchis, resembling cheddar cheese puffs, were not much bigger than marbles. There was, like, 10 of them, all of them falling flat on flavor. Even the sauce was only a step above water in terms of taste and texture. Insulting to pay $ 10+ for this dish. I’m still feeling irked writing about it 2 weeks later. Service was fine. The space was beautiful and historical, but too old-fashioned and antique-y for my liking. Would potentially visit again for the alluring summertime patio and cross my fingers for better luck with my meal.