Muffuletta Cafe

This is from the Star Tribune. This place ranked #6 in violations. more

Muffuletta?s Caf? offers a great lunch menu. I enjoyed the ambiance and the varied lunch menu. The server was very friendly and offered the better lunch selections. The $5 glasses of wine were a nice addition. I recommend the Muffuletta's for lunch. Pros: High Quality Food, Great Wine Selection Cons: Service was a little slow more

The Dinner-of-the-Month crew ended up in St. Paul for the July dinner. Everyone enjoyed the food and the restaurant itself. Our waitress was professional; at least the few times we saw her throughout the evening. She took a long time to notice that the last two of our group had arrived and needed drinks, was nowhere in sight when our entrees came out, didn't come to check on us until we were almost done, and forgot to bring me the wine flight I ordered (worse, she seemed to know it was missing when I was finally able to get her attention). Heck, the waterboy was the first to notice that some of us needed drink refills. This unfortunately distracted from an otherwise flawless meal. I had the gnocchi with duck confit, which while a little too salty, was very flavorful and lighter than it sounded or looked. My wife had the mufulletta sandwich, which was very good and not at all greasy like they are at some places. We also shared an order of the mac and cheese, which was also very good (and they were nice enough to split it up for us into individual plates. We would definitely go back, and hope for a better server. There was a nice selecetion of wines by the glass at reasonable prices, and the wine flights were well priced at $12 and included some interesting selections. Wish I could tell you how the wines were, but as I mentioned, I never got. P.S. - no attempt was made to comp us anything for the oversight. Pros: Great Food, Good Prices, Nice Atmosphere and Location Cons: Inattentive Service more

I dined here as a guest of a small wedding, so I can't comment on the prices, but the food was amazing. The bride and groom had a custom menu put together for their party and the food was just divine and expertly presented. I had an excellent beet salad that had nuts, a cream dressing and crispy green onions... The flavors of the ingredients were so unexpected, but perfectly complimented one another. The main courses looked equally fantastic. Salmon complimented with a pomegranate glaze and greens was perfect- again an amazing blend of flavors. The other dishes looked equally fantastic. Desert and service were out of this world as well. For a party of 30, I was impressed with Ian, the sole waiter who handled our room! more

Great date place if your trying to get to know somebody. Fantastic mashed potatoes!! I have never experienced bad service from this place. I really feel that Americans are a bit snooty. Complaints of bad service really should be justified with something other than a forgotten glass of wine. Pros: great ambience...calm quiet Cons: A bit spendy but worth it more

Four of us dined here last night. The weather cooperated, and we ate on the outside deck. Very nice. With the minor exception of a temporarily forgotten glass of wine, the server did a good job. Now for the food. We had crab cakes to begin, which had a very fine texture, unlike most others where there are discernible pieces of the crustacean. The flavor was good, but the texture was a bit off-putting. The sweet corn puree, jalapeno oil, and avocado mousse which accompanied it were disappointingly small in quantity; in fact, it must've been ""Minnesota jalapeno"" since there was no kick at all. The roasted beet with horseradish creme fraiche salad was one of the better versions of this preparation. Our entrees were a sea bass special for the night and the duck confit gnocchi. The former was overdone and its sauce was microscopic; the latter was a mish-mash of flavors, which served to mask them all, including the duck. Desserts, mostly chocolate, were quite good and priced much lower than one might expect. The main irritant - aside from two servings of overcooked fish - was the paucity of sauces for the crabcakes and the sea bass. We've seen this many times before in many restaurants in the middle-upper and upper price ranges: Why do chefs seem to think it's sufficient (or even artistic) to drop three quarter-sized micro-pools of sauce on plates? It can't cost the establish a significant amount more to serve more. We're not talking essence of white truffle sauce from Alba Italy here. Sometimes, as in last night, the amount is so paltry that actually tasting it is a challenge. Sauces can do wonders for a prep, but not if they're so miniscule. On balance, a disappointing night out. Pros: Nice deck for dining Cons: Disappointing provender more

While the setting is lovely and the food was above average, our table of seven was treated to sloppy service this mid-week evening. Three requests brought another basket of bread, two for water refills, the dessert menu was presented but the waiter never returned to inquire as to whether we wished to order dessert, no coffee was offered, and several requests were necessary to receive the bill. The 20% tip was automatically added to our check, so there was no means to express our disappointment with service via our tip. Not a good night at Muffuletta. more

This was one of the freshest meals I have ever had. I think this restaurant has a great mission that will make it remain a classic for years to come. Great location, great atmosphere. more

We went there for New Year's Eve dinner. The food and service was wonderful !!!! I had the duck --- yumm-yummm. I will be back!! Pros: Thumbs Up! Way Up !! Ambience-Parking-Service Cons: Non more

We live in the neighborhood and have been going to the Muffuletta Cafe for many years now. The staff has always been good to us, with the exception of an aggressive loudmouth every once and awhile. We miss Mark. He was always filled with great stories, extra attention and an ability to make you feel special. The food has always been very, very good. A new menu is printed every day, so they can offer whatever foods are fresh and tasteful. They explain how their food is prepared so there are rarely surprises. I love their different wild mushroom dishes and their seafood. My 12 year old loves the Muffaletta Sandwich and the garlic served before the meal. Its a great place to meet friends and laugh over wine and dinner. Pros: Atmosphere, Food, Friendlyness more

Muffuletta is the hidden date location for my boyfriend and me. We go because the surrounding atmosphere reminds us of Europe. Every time I've gone, I've felt a little more ""hidden"" from the stress of daily life. Their food is great, service is phenominal, and the small town, romantic feel is perfect. And...even though they recommend that you make reservations, I have walked in multiple times and was seated promptly. Pros: service, food, atmosphere Cons: noisy kitchen tables more

Very nice little place hidden away in St Paul's St Anthony Park. Went there for lunch recently. Waitress was very nice and was honest about the menu and what she knew and didnt know(She informed us she was very new). Soups were above average. Salmon omlet was ok. Prices a little on the high side, but still ok. Was busy for lunch. Nice decor and layout. Many windows and a lot of sunshine which is reat for a summer lunch. I will definately go back Pros: Service, parking, atmosphere more

The staff was very helpful with explaining the menu. The food was very good and had alot of flavor. The staff were very friendly . I look forward to go there again when the weather is nice and sit out on the patio. Its a nice place to have good food and relax with family and friends. The resturant is very nicely decorated . more

What a great place. The food was fantastic (Morocan Chicken) The atmosphere was great. Its like eating at a Bavarian Chalet. The Hostess and Wait staff were professional and kind. This is definitely a place you have to go to!!! Pros: Food, Wait Staff, Atmosphere more

After reading the many positive reviews on Muffuletta, my boyfriend and I decided to try it for brunch. While the service was fine (didn't experience the horrible service many people stated), the food was just ok. And the decor didn't make up for the lackluster food. There's no ambiance, and the (much) older clientele didn't help much. more

I visited Muffuletta Cafe for the first time last weekend. I went there on a date, and felt it was a good choice. The service was excellent. Our waters never reached half empty. I would definatley go there again. more

My husband and I went to Muffuletta Cafe for our first time. It was fine, but nothing spectacular. I really enjoyed the butternut squash and provolone quesadilla -- delicious!! I ordered the rack of lamb and my husband had the pork. He thought his was delicious. Mine was fine, but nothing exceptional. When I dine out, I like to have food that's better than what I can make at home and this just wasn't it. Not a bad meal, but nothing I'd need to go back for. The ambiance needs some help. We sat near the kitchen, which reminded me of a old coffee shop. Somewhat quaint, but not quite there. Pros: Good variety, Decent prices, Decent food Cons: Terrible ambiance, Unspectular food more

I've been going to Muffuletta since 1983, on and off (more off), and gave it another try recently. What a great surprise! Everything is better: the food, the service, and the ambiance. If you, like me, were once put off by the ""attitude,"" give it another try. It's changed...for the better. more

We visited Muffuletta Cafe for the first time today. We took my father and his wife for their anniversary. We were very impressed with the decor.. it was a very airy-comfortable place to eat. The menu selection was one of the best I have ever seen. The service was a bit slow, but the waitress was very pleasant. The food was fantastic. My Grilled Salmon salad was superb. My wife had the egg plant sandwich and was very pleased. We will certainly return more

An unusual spot amidst the hubbub of every day life, Mufflettas is a cafe that defies the catagorizing. I had the greatest opportunity of helping mufflettas open so many years ago as a uniform and towel delivery person. Their food changes not only by the season, but selections are offered and changed alot. Try the spinach salad, or the original Muffletta sandwich If you are more daring, check out the soup di jour or salmon filet. You won't be dissapointed. Pros: location, service, outdoor dining Cons: parking, parking, parking more