Modern Cafe

Went there 3rd week of Feb, Friday, and waitress ignored me. She brought me 2 menus and never returned. After 15 min's I couldn't even get her attention by waving my arm, calling out to her , etc. Called manager to.table and told him I couldn't get my waitresses attention. He expressed absolutely no apology or concern and merely said. curtly. ""what do you want?"". I said, ""Aren't you concerned or anything?"" He.replied blankly ""YesIamWhatDoYouWannt?"" He later came to me and said, ""The waitress thought you were waiting for someone else."" She never did ask how many there would be.The manager ended up having to wait on me. more

How could green beans and tofu be this good-yum! They were very tasty as an appetizer along with the risotto cakes.The Big Bowl and the Berkshire short ribs (not traditional) were very tasty with plenty of chewy bread to sop up the sauces - hmmm. The wine was reasonably priced and went well with the meal. It was a relaxing enjoyable evening. A definite place to revisit. Pros: The new menu has great flavors! more

This place is supposed to be sourcing locally and paying attention to detail - then why serve orange juice concentrate? Oranges are always out of season in MN, but why not at least squeeze from a source you know? We ordered two pots of hot tea. One came acceptably hot, the other wasn't even lukewarm. We asked for another pot and this one came lukewarm. What's so hard about serving hot water? TERRIBLE SERVICE culminated by the waiter walking over to fill a glass of water, unsolicited, when we had already waited 10 minutes to get the bill. Another 10 minutes to process it and no thank you for coming or departure greeting when this place is so small, normally part of its charm, that everyone can see who's coming and going. Pros: Can get breakfast tables easily Cons: Food quality, terrible service more

Loved the experience!! Quaint little shop but has amazing food! I tried the beans (appetizer) and got an extra packed before I left. The server was absolutely wonderful (unfortunately I forgot her name) and helpful! She even gave me some bread that I loved. Great recommendation for wine too. My friends tried the roast and the veggie ravioli. I tried the asparagus risotto. All food was wonderful. Must go. Pros: Best bread I've ever eaten, great server!!! more

This is a small and at times can be a rather crowded place. If you are particular about the food you eat, you have come to the right place. You will quickly realize that the food is well thought out and well prepared. The quality to price ratio is outstanding.\r \r Now a few words about the wait staff. I have never found them lacking. They demonstrate excellent knowledge about the food and are very helpful about selections. Face it, when people are busy you may not be the center of the universe. My wife and I have been going to this restraunt for more than ten years. As she will attest, I am not a man that tolerates inconsiderate, rude or plan uncaring service. I am well pleased with the service at the Modern Cafe. more

After a long weekend in Minneapolis, we wanted to stop at Eva's Europol cafe on 13th. Called ahead of time, and it opened at 11 (on Sunday) arrived at the shop, sign said open at 11, however it was closed and no one in sight. We were going to go to erte, but the line out the door at the Modern peaked our interest, we waited a little bit and made our way inside. The place was packed, and smelled of delicious Midwestern breakfast. And to our surprise there was room at the bar. Snuggled into our seats, were immediately given water and our beverage order was taken. We had to ask for menus which wasn't a big deal, but I can imagine stuffy republicans wouldn't like that (as they like to be waited on hand and foot). We ordered our breakfast, my husband ordered two eggs, bacon and pancakes, and I had the sausage and biscuits. While we waited for our food, we chatted with the wait staff, were offered the Sunday paper to read, my husbands coffee was constantly refilled. Everyone was polite and friendly. And seemed to enjoy their job, but also enjoyed the slow times so they could just relax and chat with locals. Our food was up in about 30 minutes...First off, the eggs were the BEST I've ever had. They were fresh, and probably from free range birds. They were bright yellow and delicious. The bacon, again, was the best I'd ever had. The pancakes were good, definitly in the top 5. I was all excited for my sausage gravy and biscuits. However when it arrived, and the gravy was a brownish color (and not gray, like traditional sausage gravy) and I was excited. It was cutting edge breakfast. ANd it was delcious. It had bit of veggies, sausage, and bacon, and bacon fat (not my favorite, but gave it flavor) and the sauce was more of a chili taste, it had parmesan cheese in it also, and it was poured over two delicious hand made cheesey chive biscuits. SO GOOD. I couldn't even finish it. We made sure the waitstaff knew we were happy, full, and cafinated. In return we were treated well. Pros: Innovative food, and favorites, cute and kitschy. Easy to find, ample parking Cons: Potential for long waits. more

I'd love to say that I loved this place but....well, we never got the chance: We Came. We Sat. We Left. Notice what's missing? Yeah, the 'We Ate' part...That's because, as we rudely learned this past Saturday, Modern Cafe serves ONLY breakfast *all day long* on Saturday and Sunday. Could we get lunch (it _was_ 1:30 pm afterall)? Nope. A plate of panckaes? Heck yes! But no lunch...very disappointing since no where on their pathetic website, or in their front window, or anywhere that I or my wife could see does it say ""We only server breakfast all day long on the weekends"". We drove from waaaay out in the 'burbs to try this place too. Would I go back? Well, yes I guess...but ony if I happen to be in the area. Pros: The place looked nice Cons: breakfast all day long and that's it?? more

Everything that people say about the potroast being the best in the Twin Cities is right. I even went in slightly cynical because the press is so good and has been for so long, surely this dish can't be THAT good. Simply put, it is. \r Overall we had a pleasant night but be prepared for service that feels more like a greasy spoon breakfast joint versus a neighborhood bistro. Also, the hours are strange in that they were closing the doors on a Saturday night at 9:30 and we were the last ones out the door a little before ten. For a funky Minneapolis diner, these hours seem out of line with similar restaurants in this category. \r (Amusing City Search issue: it won't let you us the word that rhymes with tot in a review so the space in potroast is eliminated to get through their filter.) Pros: Potroast is that good. Cons: Service? more

This is one of my favorite restaurants. It's a nice place when you want to have a cozy meal, a glass of wine and good conversation. Sometimes you have to wait for a table, but it's worth the wait. The food is hearty and the atmosphere comfortable. Pros: Ambience, food Cons: Wait for table more

Had this twice for breakfast in the last couple weeks, so tasty, it has the pot-roast mixed in. Cool server also. Check it out! Pros: Good food and service more

After reading and hearing about the Modern Cafe, my wife and I decided to head over from south Minneapolis to check it out. We didn't feel like waiting for a table so we sat at the beautiful bar. The service was great. I think that's an advantage of sitting at the bar at any restaurant, you're not forgotten. The bread was delicious and our meals, awesome. I had the pot-roast that just melted in my mouth and my wife had the ravioli which had the best cream sauce we have ever tasted. She also had a wonderful glass of Pinot Grigio.\r \r Our only disappointment came at the end. One reason we chose the Modern Cafe was because it was on our Minnesota Public Radio Member card. Since I'm in the process of looking for a job, we figured we could use it and save a few bucks. Well, the Modern Cafe stopped taking the MPR card. Its no big deal, the meal was well worth the cost. Its just that it would've been nice to know that ahead of time. We checked MPR's website for updates and it said nothing about the Modern Cafe. The Modern doesn't really have a website to check. I guess we should have called. more

Best food in town!!!! Fresh, local ingredients. They are in a class all their own! We have always had great service. Good wine/beer list. Pros: Everything Cons: Restrooms not handicap accessible (in basement). more

I'd read all the reviews complaining about the service and have to say that was certainly not our experience. We found the food terrific and the server friendly with good advice on selections. We spent about 3 hours and truly savored both the food and the experience. The lamb shank with cilantro/mint pesto and lentils was exceptional; my friend's pork tenderloin with cabbage and butternut squash was wonderful. The half-price wine was much appreciated plus they also let us use our MPR discount in combination with the half-price wine (which isn't always the case). I would absolutely return. Sorry to hear the other reviewers had such a negative service experience - our evening was far from that and one of the best dinners we've had in a long time. Pros: fantastic food and service Cons: none really more

The Pot-Roast was great. Stay FAR away from the beef sandwhich. The SERVICE was also VERY BAD! We would go back for a second try, but if we find they have not hired friendly and approachable staff it will be the last time. Its not worth the trip to have the service staff make you feel like your not wanted, even if the food is good. Pros: Comfort Food Cons: Service more

Read the other reviews ... bad/rude service, uneven food, overpriced, etc. Here's a little secret. If you like good food, show it. If you like to try new things, ask about them. Ask the staff to recommend a wine for your order. If you like your meal, pop your head into the kitchen on your way down to the restroom & tell the chef. When you return, pop by again and tell the chef you've returned because the food was great the last time. If you thought the food was lacking, tell the chef why, without cussing at him.\r Do that a few times and you will see how amazing this place is. Get to know the people that cook and serve you, and all of a sudden you can ask for half-portions because you want to try a couple of dishes. You get a glass of bubbly one day, unasked.\r The food's as inventive as any of the big guns (Belle Vie, Auriga, Levain, etc) ... but within the limits of its budget/ingredients/etc. Just don't keep ordering that Potroast. Don't just go for the weekend Brunch. The prices, well it depends what you compare it to. Sure, it's more than the chain restaurants ... if that what you expect to pay, then you should consider sticking with those. I did some internet checking, and it's on par (and probably less when the final bill arrives) than Barbette, Emma's, Craftsman, Pane Vino Dolce, etc ... less than Salut Bar Americain, Margaux, 112 Eatery, A Rebours, Corner Table, etc ... and just a couple more than the Duplex.\r Bad days, I'm sure they have some. So do I. So do you. Yeah, I wish there was a city ordinance banning bratty loud kids, AND their parents. Focus on the food and that will make the difference.\r We get nothing but a great ""nice to see you again"" welcome, great service, fantastic food ... it's not heavy, it lets the ingredients shine, the wine pairing elevates the experience (ask Amy for recommendations) to well beyond its price range. Give it a try.\r Pros: Innovative food, great wine list, bar counter for busy nights Cons: the chef needs a bigger kitchen more

Breakfast...we both placed a similar order. 40 minutes since we first arrived. We politely asked our server about our food, to which she immediately became snotty and replied, ""It is a restaurant, and as you can see we are very full."" Finally, almost one hour later we received our breakfast (two eggs, hash browns, toast). The hash browns had obviously been sitting around all morning, so they obviously required no preparation. Eggs and toast were fresh, meaning that the cooks waited 45 minutes to begin cooking eggs, and operating the toaster. We received no apology for the poor service, nasty comments, or the extremely long waiting period. Our bill for two breakfasts (two eggs, hash browns, toast), soft drinks and a horrific experience...$19.00. Our server single handedly shaped our decision never to return, but the entire experience left a poor lasting impression. Cons: bad bad service, depressing interior, food was inedible more

The food is good, they have that going for them. The Pot Roast, not like mom made, is wonderful. Really. You must try it. But the service is lacking in the accomodation area, but my advise is trust the Chef and skip the substitutions. She/He knows what they are doing. more

The employees in this restaurant answer questions and requests with ""no"" quite frequently. Be prepared to not be able to ask any questions, ask for any assistance, or ask for any substitutions. Need honey for your tea? Don't ask the servers at the Modern. They will sneer at you with evil eyes. I despise going to restaurants in which the waitstaff tries to make you feel guilty for being there. They are simply rude and unhelpful. Pros: food, location Cons: service, waitstaff more

We arrived early enough to be seated promptly and enjoy the ""ambience"" before other patrons arrived and the noise level reached it's peak. ( The little children didn't help) The pot roast, is indeed, tasty, but not worth the $18. We felt rushed to finish and leave. Pros: parking Cons: service, price, crowded more

I used to love them (I was a Modern customer their first week), but no more: 1) POOR VALUE partly because no reservations and a rather cold (if funky) loud atmosphere. They're charging gourmet prices but for that I want the amenities of a fine restaurant, and I dont want to be rushed during my meal by impatient servers either. 2) UNEVEN FOOD used to show reliable care in preparation, but lately I've had food delivered cold, or sloppily assembled. 3) UNPLEASANT STAFF I waited tables, and I expect no one to fawn over me. Still, I don't like feeling like its a privelege to even be served. They've gotten snotty, but lack the fine dining chops to be so. In short--the Modern is resting on it's laurels; there are many better choices northeast where you will feel welcome, pay less, and eat a meal of equal quality. Pros: can be delicious, funky Cons: rushed, uneven food, poor value more