Cafe Ena

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4601 Grand Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55419

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(612) 824-4441
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Cafe Ena - Minneapolis, MN
Cafe Ena - Minneapolis, MN
Cafe Ena - Minneapolis, MN
Cafe Ena - Minneapolis, MN
Cafe Ena - Minneapolis, MN
Cafe Ena - Minneapolis, MN
Cafe Ena - Minneapolis, MN
Reviews
( 19 )
( 5 )
( 1 )
( 3 )
( 3 )

Best

We recently tried Cafe Ena for the first time. The service was fantastic, very helpful. The food was even better. It was also Thursday, which i guess is half price wine night. Wil...

Worst

Nothing more maddening to have very good food but TERRIBLE service. Have visited 3x hoping that things would change but apparently management is comfortable with the status quo. ...

Service was awful! 2/15/2010

The food was really good(over priced, but good); however, the service ruined it for me and our whole table. My water glass was filled twice before the server even got our drink order (we brought our own wine, so all he had to do was open it). This kept up the whole night. We finished our bread before our Appetizer order was taken and finished the apps before our order was taken. We also had to pour our own glasses of wine. I understand when a server gets busy?I was a server for 7 years. But he never mentioned this or apologized for his slow service and even when the dinner rush slowed he still didn?t seem to care. Don't waste your time. Pros: Food was good Cons: Service, Menu is way over priced more
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Great Neighborhood Gem 11/15/2009

Our dinner of the month with friends found another gem. Cafe Ena has a great energetic feel in a very warm and comfortable space. The latin-oriented dishes were very creative, and very delicious. An appetizer of garlic crostini with smoked salmon, avocado, and goat cheese crumbles was a great start. My wife's scallops with coconut risotto were perfect. My Casorola di Mariscos (essentially a Bouillabaisse) was equally good; although I didn't really taste the saffron. Our friends had the steak special, and also were very enthusiastic. The desserts sounded good too, but we were all too full. Pros: Creative Dishes, Warm Atmosphere Cons: Noisy, Street Parking more
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Service remains an issue 6/28/2009

Nothing more maddening to have very good food but TERRIBLE service. Have visited 3x hoping that things would change but apparently management is comfortable with the status quo. Not a new topic for them, has been since they opened up.......too bad because it could be a great place (atmosphere and food is top notch). Pros: Menu is unique; Food is very good Cons: Service - - multiple visits poor, poor, poor more
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Great Experience 5/23/2009

We recently tried Cafe Ena for the first time. The service was fantastic, very helpful. The food was even better. It was also Thursday, which i guess is half price wine night. Will definately be going back and recommending to friends. Pros: Ambiance, Food, Service more
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fantastic 4/14/2009

My wife and I thought this place was awesome! I had the Ave. and my wife had the halibut with red pepper risotto. The server was very helpful too. more
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soooooooo yummy...it really is mouthwatering 3/1/2009

some of the best food i have ever had!!! i cant stop going back. the service is always amazing, they waitstaff is super knowlegeable, and very good at explaining things to u... their bread and butter basket is anything but ordinary, its not really butter, im not sure what it is but its soooo good!!! in the summer u can even sit outside and bring your dog with u(obviously if its well behaved)they also have really good sangria(one of the guys told me their trick is that theres actually not any brandy in it, just lots of wine)my fave app is the caso fundita Pros: literally everything Cons: its a tad bit expensive if your on a budget but they have great happy hour specials so....... more
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Great food 1/3/2009

This restaurant has great food, loved it. There chicken cordon bleu-like dish that I had was amazing and I'll be sure to come back. Pros: Great food Cons: Expensive more
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Absolutely SUPERB!! 12/2/2008

Truly superb!! Very nice slection of entrees. Excellent brunch on the weekend. Secluded location provides extremly pleasant and comfortable ambiance for relaxing and enjoyment. Pros: Excellent food and diversified menu more
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Can't Miss 10/16/2008

What a great neighborhood restaurant! Took college buddies there and one from St. Paul has been back five times. more
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Great atmosphere - Gem of S Mpls 10/15/2008

My husband and I have been going to Cafe Ena since they opened. It's our favorite place to celebrate milestones in our life and to impress out-of-town vendors and relatives. We're so happy to have this gem so close to home! We brought my parents who are very into their wines and they were pleased with the selection. The food is always amazing and unique. Anything with the coconut risotto is my favorite! Pros: Cozy and intimate without being stuffy Cons: Gets very busy on weekends more
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Great cuisine right in a South Minneapolis neighborhood... 10/13/2008

This is a very comfortable and casually elegant neighborhood restaurant. The service is great...always friendly and accommodating. I usually have numerous special requests and care is always taken to get it just right. Every meal I have had here was excellent..I usually try the fresh fish entree and my daughter enjoys the beef. Price is right...parking easy and what I really like is everything fresh daily ...including the deserts which are delicious and different. I highly recommend Cafe Ena and we will continue to make it one of our regular evenings out. We also used their catering services as organized by Erin (the owner) and this party was in June and I am still getting comments about how good the food was...again I highly recommend you consider Erin and her staff for your catering needs. Pros: Totally fresh ingrediants, good menu choices,location and service more
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Toss up b/w the BEST Salmon/BEST Scallop's EVER! 10/9/2008

Cafe Ena is by far me, my husband, and my sister's favorite restaurant in the Twin Cities. It is even partly responsible for convincing my sister to move all the way from AUSTRALIA back to Minneapolis. She has traveled the world, and thinks that Cafe Ena is some of the best food she has ever had! I think that's a good reason to keep going back. The cardamom blackened salmon and the scallop's with coconut risotto are just a few of the gems on the menu. Everything from the wine list to the appetizers to the amazing desserts are just as awesome. Corn Meal Ice Cream? Get outta here! It's both delicious and incredibly creative. Can't wait until next week. We are going there again, for my sister's birthday of course! Pros: Parking, Ambience, Service, FOOD!! Cons: none. more
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Great food, great wine, great service! 10/4/2008

Last week, I had a friend visiting from New York City, and I chose to bring her to Cafe Ena for dinner. We had a superb meal, we both had fish, and a wonderful bottle of wine. The service was also excellent as was the presentation. My friend, at the end of the meal commented that she was very surprised by the quality of the meal. I wondered why, and she said that she was such a New York snob, and that our dinner was equal to any fine restaurant in New York City. I think that says it all. more
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Amazing neighborhood cafe...great food, atmosphere and service! 10/1/2008

We LOVE Cafe Ena...great atmosphere. Service has always been great...fast, knowledgable, friendly and unobtrusive. Also love the concept of supporting a wonderful local establishment in the heart of a neighborhood. more
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A Minneapolis Favorite! 10/1/2008

We have been to Cafe Ena at least 5 times and have enjoyed every experience there. It is one of our favorite places to bring out of town guests and friends, as it showcases everything an outstanding local, family owned restaurant can be. There are some things on the menu I could become addicted to (key lime pie, honey/chipotle butter, mashed potatoes). The ambiance is very inviting, relaxing and comfortable. I especially appreciate the cozy waiting area (although I've never had to wait more than a few minutes to be seated). All in all, a great night out featuring food with amazing flavors! Pros: Location, Simplicity of Menu more
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Great food within walking distance! Couldn't ask for anything better! 10/1/2008

My family lives walking distance from Cafe Ena and we were so happy to see it being integrated into the neighborhood. We have since had the pleasure of enjoying many meals in the cozy restaurant. In addition to the menu always changing and offering so many different combinations of flavors, the service is superb and the staff is exceptionally personable. Whenever I eat at Cafe Ena I know I will be greeted with warm welcomes and leave with a satisfied stomach! Pros: Take your pick, it's all great more
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Excellent food and great service 9/6/2008

I visited Ena with my wife and we were very happy. Ena offers an intimate decore, an excellent service and a very good menu. The blend in flavours, where an authentic fiesta in my mouth. Pros: Good service and food Cons: A little dark inside and because of the size can get noisy more
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Excellent food and service! 6/16/2008

My husband and I went to Cafe Ena for the first time this past Saturday night. The food was excellent and the service was top notch! Our waiter, Alberto, was very knowledgable about the entire menu and very personable. The menu was very diverse and we had a hard time choosing...everything sounded so good. I decided on the scallops with coconut risotto. It was outstanding! Pros: great food and service, reasonable prices, parking more
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Overall, 9/10! 3/24/2008

Went on a Monday evening, so not very busy. Got a table right away. Our server was prompt from the initial greeting, to bringing us the check. AMAZING food. We fancy ourselves connoisseurs of calamari. It was probably a 7/10. The salads (Cesar and Cardel) were also 7/10. Interesting flavors for the dressings, and not too heavy. The entrees however were a 10/10. I got the seared ahi on mashed potatoes with asparagus and my husband got the scallops on coconut risotto. They were phenomenal. Great textures. Great seasonings. Slightly small for the price. We also wished they had had a larger selection of wine by the glass. Ambiance was quite nice as well, I could actually hear my husband across from me. Overall, this was a surprising little find (I drive by it at least once a week, and decided to give it a try, knowing nothing about it). We will definitely go back, and next time we'll take some friends along! Pros: Free street parking, great service Cons: price more
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They nailed it! 2/10/2008

Thank you for taking the time to read this review - I hope you find it worth the time. Pros: Wide menu, warm ambience, subtle music, good service more
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Menu for Cafe Ena


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Editorial

  • In Short
    Owner and chef Hector Ruiz is making quite a name for himself. The former executive chef of Prima has embarked on bringing the globe to Minneapolis, with El Meson, La Chaya...

  • 10/15/2008 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Mon-Thu 11am-9:30pm Fri-Sat 11am-10pm Sun 11am-9pm
  • Payments: Master Card, Visa
  • Neighborhoods: Kingfield, Southwest
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