Modern Cafe

While it may be a little more pricey than your restaurant chains it's still pretty economical. The food is great. Few selections per day but they do them so darn well you have to admire the concentration. Try the potroast people. It just doesn't get better than that anywhere! Pros: good food Cons: a bit small more

Whoa! I don't know what Citysearch considers a cheap eat, but this certainly was not. Entrees range for dinner from $ 15 to 22. The famous pot roast is around $18. Don't get me wrong, the food is as yummy as they say, the pot roast as tender, and it definitely has character, but the food is too expensive for me to class it as ""comfort food."" If you're looking for rich, beautifully prepared food, and are willing to dish over the cash, don't miss their rissotto and truffle oil. Mmmmm.... more

Other things at this unique space in NE Mpls are good. Well, better than good! My suggestion, though, is to skip all food and go ONLY for the AMAZING pot roast. Seriously, magically delicious. while a bit overpriced, you'll definitely be wanting more. more

I love the Modern. It is absolutely perfect to have a neighborhood place where you can go to grab a tasty meal. A few reviews mention attitude, (and most places do have that person who works in the service industry in reality, but apparently not in their mind..) but my all-time favorite waitress is a Modern staple. Love her personality, speed, & intelligence. 2 things to know though: there is a big ol sign that says once youve sat down, thats your seat..and I dont blame them. If you had a good reason to need a different seat, Im sure they would accommodate you. If youre just miffed that there wasnt a booth open when you got there & now there is...get over it. Cell phones arent appreciated either vibrate it. One thing I wish though: bring the entree prices down by $2.00 across the board. Pros: service, parking, food Cons: prices more

The food (perhaps not the pot roast) is quite sophisticated, on the same level as your typical Four Seasons restaurant. However, in the winter it is somewhat cold in the restaurant and the food is placed on rather cold plates, so that is somewhat dissapointing. Pros: down to earth more

I went here for a brunch date back in the fall, and it was quite pleasant. Probably not worth driving miles to experience, but if you happen to be in the neighborhood, it's solid. I had their ""pampered eggs,"" which were to die for... so now I'm mimicking the recipe at home! Pros: unpretentious, good food, easy parking Cons: limited brunch menu more

When I think ""modern"", I think, ""avant-garde"", ""sparse"", ""cold"", and ""overly dramatic lighting"". The Modern, thankfully, is none of these. Decorated in crazy artist grandpa cabin chic, the burgundy curtain framing the makeshift foyer felt dramatic, like i was making an entrance. We loved the stuffed swordfish (not an entree) and the blue and white painting. The crowd varied from young hipsters, to retired locals, and extended families. The service was fantastic, entree descriptions were spot on, and recommendations were honest. Wine list is simple and varied from the same old we've been finding lately. Pot roast, supurb. Grilled caesar, inventive and delish. Green beans were boring however. I only wish I'd had room for dessert. We shall return! Pros: Food, Atmosphere more

The pot roast was wonderful!! The service was excellent. I liked the very casual atmosphere with flavorful, delicious food. Usually you have to go to a stuffy restaurant to get that quality! more

On those cold days when your in need of comfort food this is the place to go for lunch. For $7 you can get the best pot roast in town, with garlic mashed potatos, some vegatables and horse radish sour cream. You won't leave over stuffed but you will be satasfied. Only thing is I would skip dinner as the food doen't change only the price. Except for Tuesday when the half price wine makes up for it. Pros: Great comfort food, good lunch value, small town decor Cons: no non-smoking area, small town decor more

A NE MPLS diner style gem that reeks of tacky decor and haughty servers. The food is upscale comfort with mostly imaginative meat/potatoes offerings (e.g. Lamb Shanks and Pot Roast on interesting starch/veg preparations). There is midwest fun on the menu with specials such as artisanal WI cheese and artery clogging mac & cheese. The wine list is decent with value present, especially on 50% Tuesdays. The only losing proposition is the server's schizophrenic attitudes (ours was very friendly and engaging when explaining the menu to us but when we asked to change tables, she snapped, ""that is not how we do it here. If you get up from this table, you are done here for the evening."" (I thought she was joking, unfortunately she was not). My conclusion: If you go for the decent food and drink lots of good value wine, the snotty service won't seem that bad. Pros: Upscale comfort food, 50% off Wine Tuesdays, Free Parking in lot Cons: Haughty Servers, Cheesy Decor, Smoking is allowed more

We went on Tues night which is 1/2 price bottled wine night - what a deal! Modern Cafe has a good variety of wines. We decided to order what they are known for - the pot roast and the gnocchi. The pot roast was soooo tender. The service was great too. Even though it wasn't too smoky, we would like a non-smoking section. We will certainly go back. Pros: close parking, good wine list, great service Cons: smoky more

First of all, the food is overpriced and the portions are small. The attitude of the owners is very pretentious in a ""chef snob"" sort of way. The wait staff will give you an unfriendly and pretentious ""cooler than thou"" attitude. The menu is supposed to have some sort of kitchy charm by serving things like Meatloaf and Potroast -- those things we were forced to eat as children --ICK! Speaking of Meatloaf, let me emphasize that the key word here is MEAT. You'll find virtually nothing to be meat free. Last but not least, the ambience is awful. I live about a block from the Modern and I still won't eat there. Pros: Good appetizers Cons: Overpriced, Pretentious, Poor Atmosphere more

hard to beat the pot roast. the soups are always delicious. I really love that they left the decor like that of a small town cafe. superb wine selection!! (and its half price on Tuesdays) Pros: wine list, good deal more

I visit the modern frequently. You can't miss with mainstays like the pan-fried chicken breast with garlic mashed potatos or the meat loaf. The pastas are inventive and tasty. Half-priced wine night on Tuesday is a religious experience! Desserts are uneven, but occasionally you hit the jackpot. Service is professional, but sassy. Cons: smoky more

I had a garlic mayo BLT that sounded great, but when my BLT came it was garlic oil. Their own creation. I asked if they had regular mayo the answer was no. What kind of restaurant serves BLTs without regular REAL mayo. more