Wild Onion

NEVER GO HERE! I normally do not post reviews of places I have gone, but I felt it is needed in this case. To preface, I have been to the Wild Onion once before for drinks/appetizers and the food was ok and the drinks were overpriced. But that did not turn me off enough to never comeback. However when I did come back I was turned away for apparently violating their ""dress code"" which according to their Facebook is listed as ""casual."" I was told that I was not allowed back on their property for 24 hours when I offered to go home and change and come back because I was there for a birthday celebration. I have never been treated so rudely in any establishment, ever. I thought my case may have been an isolated incident, but it appears this happens often. Do not go here, let them run themselves out of business. more

The Wild Onion is the worst example of a ""Birthday House"" that I have ever seen. more

Stay Away! Spend tons of money there and they return the favor by kicking you off the sidewalk while waiting for a cab! Sorry dumb owner's/security, the city of St. Paul owns the sidewalk in front of your establishment...The employees are cold, rude, ignorant and slow as they could care less for your business.. Goto Sweeney's, Muddy Pig or down the street to Bon Fire or Billy's for an excellent night out! more

My family and a friend went here because we were checking out uptown and everyone was hungry so we were looking for some place to eat that is different. The services were TERRIBLY! After the waitress took our order I gave her the menus but she just walk away & go to the next table without taking it. We went there on a Tuesday during lunch and they are not busy at all but it took almost an hour for our foods to come out & the waitress hardly cone by to check on us. When the food came out my our fries looked like it has been sitting around for days already and my son's chicken looked overly cooked and nasty. When we paid the bill the waitress asked how's the food & I said it's ok & she just walked away & looked unpleased that I said that cuz I hardly eat touched my food. The decor to me is not appropriate @ all if you have have kids and does not say anything the restaurant. I just want to let you know that I have never written a review before and this is a first for me. I can still keep going but many on here already expressed their thoughts already. On a finally note though...this place is not classy @ all...one of the waitress was wearing a t-shirt and a stretched pants! more

WORST ESTABLISHMENT TO EVER GO TO ON GRAND AVENUE! These folks are outright racist when it comes to people of color in gaining entrance. I can understand if someone is belligerent or improperly dressed, but the bouncers as well as staff have the poorest display of customer service in trying to maintain an appearance of being a classy bar. As many of the other reviews here state, this is NOT the place you want to go on Grand Ave. late night to have a good time or any time at all for that matter. They turned away a party of law students that was ready to spend good money due to one individual not being in accordance with their outlandish dress code of which isn't even stated on their website. I spoke with Nick the General Manager who basically was of the mindset that it's ok to discriminate against people that look a certain way. I feel really bad for the staff that works there wanting to provide quality service to ALL as I too have worked in customer service before under improper management/ownership policies. I hope Joe & Jay who are the owners read this and take heed in avoiding any further lawsuits they already have pending against The Wild Onion. To make a long story short...save yourself the disappointment and DO NOT EVER SUPPORT THIS ESTABLISHMENT! more

The only thing that Wild Onion does better than the places around it is arrogance - they serve the same drinks, food, and have the same television/music entertainment as a dozen places within walking distance. Maybe if you're looking for smaller crowds you'll end up here as it seems less popular than other places, and the prices aren't bad. more

A group of friends and I planned a memorial toast at the Wild Onion last week. Unfortunately, when one of our group tried to join us, he was told at the door that he couldn't come in because he was wearing workout pants (which were dark gray, tailored, clean and had they not had a string around the waist, probably could have passed for dress pants) and they have a dress code that starts at 9PM. (It was ten after). I explained to the guy working the door why were there and why it was important to all of us. He gave me a smirk and said he'd already talked to the manager who agreed our friend shouldn't be let in. I guess I kind of understand it as they boast a selection of beer such as Leinenkugel's and a menu that contains such delicacies as fried wings and pizza and the entertainment is super high class (they even played us a shake weight commercial between sports games on the televisions!!). And I understand that the waitress serving tables next to us who was working in a pair of black underwear and a tank top must have gotten in *just* before that 9 o'clock deadline. Or maybe this is just a place that practices open discrimination and doesn't deserve any more business from me or anyone else I know. Especially with such a wide variety of other great places to frequent in the cities. more

I've never been to the Wild Onion before tonight. I went there right after my Tai Chi class (which ends at 9pm) tonight to join some friend to toast someone who passed away 4 years ago in a tragic plane accident. I get to the door and the door guy says there is a dress code and my dark gray sweats (dark) were not code. I explain why I am there and he asks me where I live and if I could go change. I said west of Minneapolis so no. He asks the manager (it's 9:20pm now) and the manager says no, don't let me in. So if I had been there at 8:50pm I could have gotten in but now that it's past 9 I can't join my friends to remember someone who has passed on? Wow. Never been there, never will go back. Great way to treat your customers. more

I was at the Wild Onion recently and the staff was extremely rude. They were completely inhospitable and did not even treat me like I was a person; somehow they were above me because they worked there. I called to talk to the manager Laura and she did not even apologize. I later talked to Nick, who did not apologize either. I work in management, and I know that even if the customer is completely wrong or the complaint is unjust, you still listen and apologize and acknowledge why they are upset. There was none of that with either Laura or Nick. Not that I really wanted anything because I doubt I would return, but the fact of the matter is is that he should have tried to win me over in hope of me returning. That's what a good manager should do - a manager that cares about their customers. Show some respect and empathy towards others. This management team needs a course on proper management techniques and customer service. Do not go to WIld Onion. more

I have been to the Wild Onion in the past for birthday?s celebrations that I have gone to. My Boyfriend and I where late to the birthday celebration last night and when we arrived we where advised that he could not enter because his shorts that where very form fitting where to baggy. I spoke with the female manager who stated that that is there policy. I asked where is it posted and I was directed to there 8 1/2 X 11 sign saying ""dress code enforced"" and nothing else. I asked what there entire list of requirements and they could not provider it. We waited across the street waiting for our group to finish eating and while waiting viewed white females and males entering with shorts/skorts longer that allowed and also viewed black couples where the males had the same citation and they where turned away in a 30 minute time period. In conclusion if you want a nice WHITE Dinner go there! more

The Wild Onion is average, a little too average for its ideal location on Grand Avenue. While the happy hour is decent and the food is well priced, it seems more Applebee-esque than ""Chicago neighborhood style."" And while I've never experienced any major problems with the service, it's been lackluster at best. In the future, I think my money's better spent up Dale at Sweeny's or, if I want a big step up, at the Muddy Pig. While some people may like the environment, it's definitely not for me. Pros: Decent happy hour Cons: Very average more

I have been to the Onion many times and always had a good time. I thought it would be a nice place to celebrate my daughter's 21st birthday. I made a reservation, I called a head to make sure we could bring a cake and balloons, no problem. Let them know we would be a group of about 30 people. They asked if everyone was over 21, yes they would all be over 21. They should have asked if they were all 'white' because that seemed to be the real requirement. Of the 25 people that showed up there were 6 blacks in the group, those 6 were not allowed in. They were told the 'dress code' didn't allow - they were in jeans, tshirts and button downs, just like everyone else. Cons: Considering Legal Action more

I HAD A BLAST! MET A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE. THE STAFF ARE SUPER FRIENDLY. GREAT MUSIC. FRIENDLY CROWD. GOOD FOOD! more

Went here for their birthday tuesday promotion they offer to have dinner and some drinks, the waitress was great really friendly and the food was very good. They had a live band playing during there extended happy hour which was fun and gave the place a energetic vibe. After our dinner we finshed up our drinks and as we headed out the door noticed quite a few 21-25 yr olds filtering in, luckily for us we were just leaving as it seemed to be getting quite lively as it gets later in the night. Overall it was a great experience and having never been to Chicago personally I think the Wild Onion captures what I would imagine as a bustling neighborhood bar and restaurant. Pros: Great service, great food, fun atmosphere Cons: Can get a little too loud for some as it gets later more

I went to the wild onion with a group of friends for my birthday. Not only was the waitress extremely rude, she charged us incorrectly and refused to fix our bill. The Wild Onion management also has a rediculous rule that they will not split checks. At the end of the night our waitress dropped off our bill, which was wrong and torn into two peices, and told us we needed to figure out who owed what because she couldn't remember what each of us ordered. I'm a waitress and was infuriated by her poor service and unwillingness to help. You should feel like a guest when you enter a restaurant, not like a burdon. Pros: good martinis but over priced Cons: Horrible service, bad management more

I was very disappointed wasting my money on such poor service and food. My friend and I went to the Wild Onion to grab a bite to eat one evening and had a horrible experience! The hostess was very accomodating from the moment we walked in the door, actually better than the waitress! We had three different waitresses trying to wait on us but all who fell through. Our waitress got our drinks, put our order in and then disappeared! Even before our food came out, we saw her walk out the front door and never come back! Then this other girl by the name KATIE F. served us but came back to our table only once to give more water but the water was warm because it had no ice! We had to ask for ice. We only had one set of silverware so we had to go the wait station to get our own. Our bad experience did not stop there but you get the gist of it. Bottom line....don't waste your money on this place for anything. Pros: Hostess Cons: waitstaff more

The waitresses were very pushy and weren't friendly AT ALL. We were celebrating a birthday and whenever we would make a request, the waitress would do the exact opposite. I felt very embarrassed actually. The servers were not very accommodating. For being a ""Birthday House"" it wasn't very happy. Pros: Good Food Cons: Wait staff more

Please do not throw your hard-earned beer money down the drain at this St. Paul restaurant/nightspot. Its a place I have given MANY chances because of the convenient location. However, each time I have been sorely disappointed. The food is nothing special and the staff is dim. The men are often approaching creepy status and the music is taken directly from your wedding dj's playlist. With so many possibilities in the Twin Cities it would be in your best interest to go somewhere else. Pros: Location Cons: Bland food, poor service and awful music more

Last saturday i went with my boyfriend and a lot of friends from college who lives next door to THE WILD ONION's bar and restaurant to celebrate my birthday,we were having fun, my boyfriend,my friends and me, and every thing was fine and we had fun, till a tall security guy throw my boyfriend's drink and start pushing him very hard without letting him even talk, and i asked him what hapen, he says if u guys wanna kiss go to a hotel ! Pros: bad security guys Cons: bad security guys more

don't go here. the dj is an always will be a piece with his head stuck up his but. maybe that's why he can't hear the terrible music that's he's playing. embarrassing. Cons: terrible dj more