Recommends

CSMobileUser

Joined 5 years ago

1ofthe BEST Restaurant's, I've Ever Eaten at!!!!. Homemade Dressings,Cheer's Atmosphere,Great Service!!!!

Recommends

rcanale

Joined 4 years ago

best service ever. The waitress allowed us to split a lunch portion without extra charge, and also to split a drink 4 ways! And it was the best banana rum dacquiri ever. The food was awesome too, and we loved those popovers, served warm and fresh with cinnamon butter. We were thoroughly impressed with everything. Bathrooms are very impressive also.

Doesn't Recommend

MaggieRu

Joined 5 years ago

Gone downhill. My fiance and I went to Axels on our first date in the summer of 2006. We've recommended the restaurant to many friends and family and have taken all of our out of town guests there for dinner. After some friends commented that they weren't too impressed with our recommendation, we have gone back a couple of times and now agree that the restaurant has absolutely lost its high rating in our minds.

First of all, we were seated immediately in a booth on a Friday night at 8:00. Not a good sign. My caesar salad was almost flavorless and rather limp. My pasta primavera had about 1/2 a cup of water sitting in the bottom of the bowl. We're sure we could have done better at home. The mo taters that my fiance had looked like they'd been squeezed out of a tube and were hard and old looking. His steak left much to be desired and a better one could certainly be had at any number of local steakhouses. Even my usual cosmopolitan tasted different and wasn't even pink!

We'd heard that Axels was under new management and we can certainly tell. What a tremendous disappointment.

Recommends

designgirl318

Joined 5 years ago

Absolutely Delicious!. My boyfriend and I have been to Axel's River Grille twice now and both times we have left very satisfied and happy with the experience. We were seated right away both times even though we didn't have reservations and our servers were with us right away with waters and to take our beverage order.

Their pop-up bread is excellent and goes perfectly with their brown sugar butter. I got a caesar salad (included with entree) both times and it was excellent. The meals we've chosen (Maria's Chicken, Saltambocca chicken, Spicy chicken penne and the Bone-in Ribeye) have all been delicious. Their Mo'Taters are probably the best mashed potatoes I've ever had and their green beans that come with the meal are perfectly cooked and seasoned.

The prices are very reasonable for the quality of service and atmosphere and you get a lot of food for your money. I had to box the leftovers both times I've been there.

I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants a romantic, affordable date restaurant or is just looking for something new. It is NOT like other Axel's in the Twin Cities--much more classy than the others.

Recommends

ammbrr

Joined 6 years ago

Amazing food and superb service. I went to Axel's on my birthday last year and had the most wonderful experience. Food was to die for - expecially the crab cakes!

Recommends

joleee

Joined 6 years ago

Friendly service!. We were at Axel's Sunday at noon with a party of 9. The experience was a pleasure from beginning to end. The hostess (manager?) couldn't have been more delightful. And our waitress was so friendly without being obtrusive. We felt like we were honored guests in someone's home. Such a delightful change from restaurants where you feel like you're intruding on someone's time to get them to wait on you.

The food was delicious, although the Sunday noon (brunch) menu does feature a lot of eggs and a lot of hollandaise sauce, which the cooks were happy to leave off for most of the members of our party. I'm looking forward to returning on a week night to sample their regular menu.

Doesn't Recommend

pozzotti

Joined 6 years ago

Axel's in Mendota: Talk about rude!!!. Just back from Axel's in Mendota, where my wife and I went to celebrate her birthday. We had a gift certificate that my wife had given me a couple of months ago. Our waitress told us that Axel's would not honor the gift certificate. I spoke to the restaurant manager (not Leslie, the actual [and very friendly] restaurant manager); rather, I spoke to a dark haired young woman in her 20s who called herself the manager and who quickly asked us to leave the restaurant.

Now, we've been going to Axel's since it opened, and prior to that time I often went to the Parker House, which used to occupy the same space. I am a regular at Axel's, and surely have spent thousands of dollars there. I tried to get support from Doc, a long time maitre d' at the restaurant, but the young manager dismissed him by saying the he (maybe 30 years her senior) was merely one of her employees . . . .

I'm one of those St. Paul regulars: I've gone to The Lex regularly for 30+ years. I've gone to Axel's regularly since it opened. But I have NEVER experienced the kind of brusque, rude, arrogant treatment that I found at Axel's tonight.

Now, my wife is angry with me (for reasons I don't fathom). I would be embarassed to return to the restaurant. And it wasn't as though I had too much to drink: my one drink, because of the awkward (but aesthetically appealing) glasses that Axel's uses, I managed to spill on the table top.

Would I recommend Axel's as a place to go to celebrate a big occasion? Well, uh, only if your luck is a great deal better than mine!!! What an unbelievable experience tonight was. I hope that, someday, we'll be able to laugh about it, but I am NOT optimistic.

Recommends

Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

This elegant, small-town eatery serves up hearty, big-appetite fare.. In Short
The tiny river hamlet of Mendota seems an unlikely spot for such an upscale restaurant, but Axel's proves you don't have to be in a bustling urban center to attract customers. The atmosphere is comfortably elegant--deep ocher walls, enormous dark wood beams, sumptuous black leather booths. Red meat rules here. The house specialty is herb-crusted prime rib. Alternatives to beef include creamy fettuccine alfredo or Nick's spinach salad, featuring tangy Gorgonzola, olives and bacon dressing.

Recommends

jsm555

Joined 7 years ago

Excellent food, inconsistent service. When I was spending a lot of time in the Eagan MN area in 2001, I had a lot of trouble finding really good food. Someone put me onto Axel's - the place isn't easy to find for an out-of-towner, but well worth the trip. I'd never eaten walleye pike, and this place is famous for the stuff - excellent! The only problem I had was that the service is very inconsistent - at times very good and at times terrible. Nice atmosphere, though, very cozy on a cold Minnesota night!

Recommends

joanlarson

Joined 8 years ago

Wonderful!. I have been here 3 times. I will go again and again.

The 'Bull Bites' are 'to die for'. So are the Matini's

I love the atmosphere. The service is excellent.

It is spendy, but you get a wonderfull experience.

I will go again and again.