My first experience with Axel's came at the Tavern in Loretto.and it was disappointing. The place had a saloon/dance hall sort of decor, loud and gaudy with a weird white tile floor but that would have been O K had the steak been great. Unfortunately it wasn't. I ordered the Land and Lake which was an 8 ounce filet cooked rare and a pan fried walleye filet. The filet was dry and mealy and didn't generate one drop of juice.The texture of this steak didn't lend itself to a rare presentation. Now I know that a filet is not the juiciest cut, but really. Maybe I should have tried the Porterhouse at $38, nah. The walleye was a perfect cut with a nice thin breading but it was sitting around for several minutes after it was cooked and/or not fried in a hot enough pan. It came out cool and the breading was not even near crispy. So much for their specialty. Although this wasn't a cheap plate, $32.50, I guess you get what you pay for. Next time I'm looking for a great steak in the western burbs, I'll pay the ten dollars extra per plate and try the steaks at Gianni's Steakhouse in Wayzata.\r
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For the record, this is the same basic menu as the other Axels.
Pros: Not much to distinguish this as an upscale menu
Cons: disappointing steaks for the price, food preparation wanting
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