Where is the Best Group Dining in Minneapolis, Minnesota?
I have been going to Jax Cafe in Beautiful Nordeast Minneapolis since 1965. Over the years I have had club and business meetings, and business and personal lunches/dinners/brunches at Jax. I had my retirement party in the Cosmopolitan Room in 2002 with 150 guests. My church celebrated our 90th Anniversary with a dinner for 255 happy guests. I continue to see past business associates, who I previously introduced to Jax, coming in to entertain their current business contacts and to enjoy their own personal and family celebrations. The pianist plays my favorite song, “My Way” by Frank Sinatra. That’s what I always receive at Jax is, “My Way”. The food is of the highest quality, the service is excellent and friendly, and the managerial staff is always congenial and professional.
The pork chops are huge, impressive, and way tasty. Being quite large, there is no possible way they could be cooked to order in the time afforded an average patron for dinner. Consequently they are cooked earlier and stored. This seems odd, but it is a common practice with large cuts of meat. Ok, so… I received *my* chop and it was barely warm which was unfortunate because I was quite excited. I sent it back to be reheated and it returned a bit browner but still not warm enough. I almost suggested it be brought up to a core temp of at least 150f but elected to finish it as is. If this chop was to temperature, it would have been the best one I have ever had. The apple and yam side was amazing however the rosemary garnish mildly reeked of mildew. It is the opinion of this writer that a bit more attention to the details would propel this restaurant’s stellar menu to new heights.
I have been here about 5 times. Twice in the dinner area and three times in the bar. The food is good, but the real reason to go is for the atmosphere in the bar (which is loud and usually fun). Sludge and Lake are occasionally in the bar doing their radio program, which provides extra entertainment. The TV’s are huge and the bar is set up well and has many house specialites. The main rooms don’t have any TV’s which is dissapointing for a place the is more of a sports bar then a restaurant. Long story short…skip everything else and enjoy the bar and the great atmosphere!Pros + bar, TV’s, drinksCons – sit down area
My husband & I have been loyal to Solera (we had the luck of making dinner reservations for New Year’s, so we did not get stuck out in the cold or miss out on our money’s worth of drinks). My only reservation with this restaurant is the dessert menu. Being the chocolate person that I am, it’s extremely disappointing to see that 99% of it does not include chocolate (the exception being the dessert sampler, which includes a tiny chocolate cookie ice cream sandwich). I know the owners read these postings, so please add some chocolate! Thanks!Pros + Excellent Food, Service, & AtmosphereCons – The Most Important Part – Dessert!
