Axel's River Grille Mendota

05/05/09

1ofthe BEST Restaurant's, I've Ever Eaten at!!!!

by CSMobileUser

Homemade Dressings,Cheer's Atmosphere,Great Service!!!!

03/20/09

best service ever

by rcanale

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.

• Pros: service, food, accommodation
• Cons: NONE!

11/30/08

Gone downhill

by MaggieRu

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.

09/26/08

Absolutely Delicious!

by designgirl318

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.

• Pros: Great Food, Great Service, Good prices
• Cons: Can be a little tricky to find

04/17/08

Amazing food and superb service

by ammbrr

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!

• Pros: food and service
• Cons: a little hard to find at first

08/06/07

Friendly service!

by joleee

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.

07/22/07

Axel's in Mendota: Talk about rude!!!

by pozzotti

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.

• Pros: Pretty good food.
• Cons: Management !!!

This elegant, small-town eatery serves up hearty, big-appetite fare.

by Contributor

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.

01/19/06

Excellent food, inconsistent service

by jsm555

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!

• Pros: walleye pike, desserts
• Cons: service (sometimes), hard to find

08/11/05

Wonderful!

by joanlarson

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.

• Cons: last time seated near