St. Petersburg Restaurant

11/02/2007 Posted by cingarsnvino

It's really too bad, because this place has all the potential in the word to do something with itself, but continues to disappoint. Here's some things that they could take to heart. FIRST, if the manager/owner is in a crabby mood... tell him to go home. I don't know what it is with this guy, but he either loves you or treats you like dirt (we're not coming back for that reason alone, but many exist). Second, the food is ok, some things are great, like the borscht, but others leave you scratching your head wondering "why did I order that" (crepes appetizer). Third, consistence... sometimes they are open on Saturdays... other times they are closed to the public. What is going on there??? All is not lost however, if you want a true Russian vodka, this is your place (you will pay the price - but it's worth it). The bartender, Johnny... very funny guy. Likes to go by Spicy, and will make you laugh... Too bad his surroundings can't support more business.

Pros: Bar & Borscht

06/04/2007 Posted by sanuginz

This joint looks really run down on the outside. Most of the parking lot is old cars with rust on them. My first impression inside was many people at the bar with casual dress. My party was reluctant to eat here because it seems like the type of place that we would "get the stare". It's really too bad. Some other restaurant got my $200 instead.

Pros: We decided to leave

Cons: Negative Ambience

04/30/2007 Posted by galarson

The previous review for this restaurant was written by one of their employees. Look at all the other unhappy dining experiences. Spend your money at a restaurant that actually cares about their customers (especially when charging top dollar for entrees). You'll be glad you did.

Pros: Parking

Cons: You could get a lot of the same entrees at happy chef for a fraction of the cost

03/04/2007 Posted by keefe506

I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought it was a working class bar with some food on the side. I couldn't have been more wrong. You can wear jeans but you will be more comfortable in something more upscale. This would be a great place to dress to the 9s on a budget. The restaurant has bright and well-maintained crystal chandeliers, flocked wallpaper and heavy velvet drapes that tell you that you have traveled to somewhere beyond your backyard. Our service was a delight. Olga was from Southern Russia and quite helpful. If you want to practice your Russian, I expect you could do it with any of the wait staff but Olga took time to try to understand our broken phrases. This is not a restaurant where you want to get in and get out quickly. Plan to spend the evening if you have the time. Olga was willing to get our orders in when we asked her, but in retrospect I wish we had taken our time. An hour and a half is not enough. To get the real Russian experience you need to start with some Vodka. We tried a sampler. It is interesting to taste the many flavors. The food was all very good and reasonably priced ($13-20). Lots of starters and salads in the $3-8 range, but for the big spenders, there are the high-end caviars that goes into the stratosphere. We were there on a Saturday night. One end of the dining room is a stage and dance floor. A male/female singing duo did a pop-eclectic montage for the first half hour. At about 8:00 they turned on the disco ball and all of the selections were in Russian. This would be a great place to sit, drink your Vodka, and dance into a cold winter night. My only complaint would be the coat-check. It was not until I came to claim my coats and tried to tip $1 for 2 coats that he produced a sign that said $1 a coat. It was the only part of the evening where I would say I encountered a less than pleasant attitude. Maybe it adds to the authentic Soviet experience?

Pros: Mini Russia in Robbinsdale

Cons: Not so much

02/26/2007 Posted by mistique_22

Group experience: AWFUL customer service!!! Management can truly ruin a party if they want to. Watch your bill, as they will jack up prices if they want to...doubling the on-line menu price. I asked for the official price list and got the following response from the manager" These are guidelines, the price is what i say it is"... We decided to celebrate a birthday party there - what a mistake!!! We spent well over $500 on a party for about 15+ people and at the end they did not allow us to bring in a birthday cake for the celebration telling us they will charge an enormous fee for doing so on our bill. We did put the cake away, but I guess it wasn’t enough. Following this incident, the waiters rapidly collected all of our dining utensils and refused to serve us coffee or any other food, as this "will teach us a lesson"....They also gathered up all our food and cleared the table….We had to leave.... I am stunned. I cannot believe this way of conducting business could be possible in USA. This is a true Soviet mentality...The owners certainly do not believe in customer satisfaction. If they continue on this path, i don't think they will last in the restaurant business. …. And I am hoping someone will open a nice Russian restaurant with truly world-class customer service that would put St. Petersburg out of business. Private Dining: Food is not so good! The menu at St. Petersburg’s is boring, fish and steak dishes are better at upscale restaurants downtown/uptown Minneapolis. Authentic dishes are cafeteria style. Honestly, Kramarchiuk's deli could serve you a better authentic meal. Not worth it.

Pros: Parking

Cons: Service, Prices, Terrible Group Party experience

12/12/2006 Posted by ilikefruit

Food took over an hour after we had sat down. Elements of our meal were "forgotten" (the potatoes) and our entrees were cold. They don't even have most of the beers listed on their menu. My girlfriend's vodka martini was awful because the bartender had "run out" of one of the ingredients. No apologies from the staff/management. I also tried booking a wedding event to no avail. It seems as though they are not interested in the business since they don't return calls, and when you do try to set something up-you never hear back from them. I heard this used to be an extremely good restaurant, but I would recommend spending your money elsewhere.

Pros: Ambience, parking

Cons: Poor service all around

11/27/2006 Posted by julls420

The reservations I made for my party were forgotten, upon our arrival the waitress and owner had to scramble to put tables together. We sat at the table for an HOUR until our water was poured and menus were given. Our party witnessed a couple sitting next to us get up and leave 45 minutes after we arrived....they DIDN"T GET SERVED!! An hour and a half later, the food came out in waves, the person we were celebrating for that evening.....her order didn't even get entered.....she didn't get her food until 15 minutes after we done eating, no apologies! After giving her name to the waiter for the song request......THE MC SAID THE WRONG NAME!!! It was very embarrassing. As far as I'm concerned, the whole tab should have been comped, or at least a portion.... It was a horrible experience, I will NEVER go back!

08/29/2006 Posted by mswka

St. Petersburg is hands down one of my favorite places in the Twin Cities. My husband and I have visited St. Petersburg on several occassions while I've also enjoyed dinners with my girlfriends. Always top notch service and excellent, excellent food. It's a must if you haven't been there!

Pros: Everything is great!

06/23/2005 Posted by JJ

5 of us had a ladies night out and chose St. Petersburg. We were there on a weekday afternoon, so it was quiet for us. The chef and staff seemed to be waiting for us though. We had a great time. We ordered a variety of appetizers to share so we were able to sample quite a few different things. Everything was wonderful! Our server was attentive and helpful with the menus, checked our needs regularly and made us feel very special. I will go back, and I'll take more of my freinds.

Pros: Food, Service, Ambiance

Cons: none

05/07/2005 Posted by fireyram

From the outside it doesn't look like much - I didn't even want to go in at first, but we did and it was very classy. Out waiter was very good and friendly and helped with questions about the menu. It was a very fun atmosphere, there was live music (russian) and a dance floor, very classy but laid back and fun. The food was absolutely awesome, my boyfriend had the steak with vodka butter, and I'm not a meat eater but I could have ate the whole thing! I cant get over how good it was!

Pros: ambience, food

Cons: expensive, exterior