Unfortunately for us we were served two under cooked meals in a row. The first being a chicken dish which is dangerous. Thankfully my husband had not consumed much of his chicken before we noticed this. The waitress asked us what else she could bring for us, my husband asked for beef stroganoff well done. The beef was rare and not cooked at all in many spots. We were then charged for this more expensive entree. I was just at a loss after all this.
(1)
Esse T.
Never been somewhere like this. Great staff, food, and vodka flights are awesome. Overall a unique pleasant lounge!
(5)
Eric J.
The food was absolutely outstanding as were the cocktails and the service. Great little place to stop in for a drink or to have some good hearty food. The lamb kebabs are my favorite but the pierogies were pretty darn good also
(5)
Scott E.
I so want to give this place a four or five star, but maybe on our next visit. I am so convinced this place could be awesome, We will give it another try. It has only been in business one year. A modern open bar with a warm feel. One side of the room and the back are away from the televisions. The bar has big screens. Sports on!. Kitchen is open. A full bar with a great beer and vodka list. We were excited about the menu. Then the reality set in. The place was semi full on a Thursday night and only one waiter, with a newbie shadowing her. Frustrations began. Horrible way to start off. Such a long wait for water and menus. She was an amazing waiter. They need to clone her. Explained everything. We ordered some beer and vodka, the meat, cheese and pickled grapes platter with the Russian egg (think of it as a pickled deviled egg). This was FANTASTIC. We would come back for this platter and a beer. Once the order was in, it didn't long for someone to deliver it to us. We also ordered two of the six different perogis. Disappointing. There are different ways to make a perogis, I prefer the dough to be more like a bun and then baked, their version resembles a pot sticker. Five to an order. They are ample in size. Inside of both the traditional and asian perogis tasted the same and could only be described as mush. The only taste was the dipping sauce. That is all we tried. The bathrooms are super clean. The decor is fun. Parking is in a pay lot or city street (depending on the night, could be a three block walk). This is a very safe and clean park of the city. I would recommend you check this place out if in Uptown. Just be prepared to wait for service and even longer to pay your tab. We will be back.
(3)
Rhonda G.
The cold war is over, and they come up with this name to lure you in. What's next, Auschwitz? From all my experiences, beet vinaigrette salad is usually 95% beets. Not here, mostly filler and a few chopped beets, not enough to taste. I attune this to laziness. We sampled a lot of items. First, I took Jessica's advice and am in total agreement about the meatballs. We got beef and lamb kabobs, The Polish pirogi, Cabbage rolls, and beef stroganoff. Everything is good, tender, and generous portions. Not crazy about their sauces.The oddity is that everything has an under taste. It's very dark inside and is all high top tables, and some booths. If you park in the lot you can conveniently exit out back. There is a lot of competition around here and finally located all the places all the Yelper's hang. In general we liked it, but time will tell about this concept.
(3)
Josh S.
Hammer & Sickle in Uptown Minneapolis (1300 Lagoon Avenue) is a great little place to experience a different part of the world. I went there over a year ago with one of my Estonian-born friends from work and he told me the food was pretty authentic and close to what you'd get if you were in Russia. This is a place that nobody seems to know much about. There are many, many good things about this place and the food is really good. I'm particular to my pierogis (being of E. European background myself) and these are about as good as they get. I'd put them up with Kramarczuk's (on Hennepin) any day of the week. You really can't go wrong with the food when a native of the region is happy with it. The only downside I can see is that the drinks are way overpriced. Several of them are over $10 and that's hardly worth the price. They have some drinks I think don't belong on the menu (a Cuban mojito in a Russian restaurant? Really?) and the Russian drinks they do have appear to be made from cheap vodka. Otherwise, I love this place. I've never had bad food or service and the comfort level feels just right for me most of the time. My wife Krystyn loves going here and she is seriously the pickiest eater on the planet. She doesn't like Kramarczuk's (yeah, she's a little messed up in the head) but loves Hammer & Sickle. We recommend this place and if my recommendation isn't worth much, I think the words of my Estonian co-worker do the trick, "Reminds me of home." Great little place here.
(4)
Mary Jo C.
Had post dinner drinks here and was confused/amused by the setup. Nothing really screams vodka bar about this place other than the mural. I think it's a bit too much like its former cool asian spot space, Kinson? The menu is very unique offering several traditional Russian dishes. They make their own infused vodkas, including horseradish, cherry, honey, and many others. I was curious about the house flavors so tried a half honey half cherry with soda. It was sickly sweet but the honey came through like crazy! It's be kind of amazing in a tea. Nice little trendy after spot in uptown that doesn't really exist today.
(3)
Reggie F.
Overall we were completely impressed and would definitely return. We dined here around 5 on a Sunday, and used a Groupon. We were a little skeptical, but so glad we tried it. Ambiance--Cozy, modern, cool, semi-industrial feel. Fun atmosphere. Both booths and bar tables. Service--Excellent! Our waitress was very friendly and attentive, and let us know right away that our groupon would not work with the happy hour specials--no problem. Food--A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. We're not sure if this food is authentic Russian fare, but it certainly had personality and unique flavors. We started with the meatballs which were served in a delicious red sauce with cheese--would definitely recommend. We also shared the pickled beet salad which was very flavorful, bold, and delicious. The salad was much larger than we expected, and both appetizers were served with slices of rye toast. Next we shared two orders of perogies--the Comrade & the Latin. We loved both, and though we haven't had many perogies, we thought they were very well done with good toppings or sauces. The portions are quite large for what you pay, and sharing these plates was way more than enough food. We left with full tummies and smiles on our faces :) They have great happy hours deals every day from 4-7, and we can't wait to return and try more! We're really happy to have discovered Hammer & Sickle.
(5)
Rhonda j.
What an absolute pleasure to visit your restaurant. I live in San Diego and came to Minneapolis for a few days of cold weather. Thank you for providing that Minneapolis...5 degrees tonight! AWESOME! I purchased a groupon for your restaurant thinking what the hell, never had Russian, let's check it out. I am normally a wine drinker coming from San Diego and I was really pleased with the recommendation from my waitress of the Soviet Butterfly....smooth and delicious, dangerously so, easy to drink more than one, and I did. Next came pierogi...Comrade style...oh yes delightfully filling and yummy. Never cold enough to enjoy a potato dumpling in SoCal...but so good here. Who cares about calories!?! Next was the assorted fish appetizer (another waitress recommend)....I had no idea pickled herring would taste so good...seriously who would have thunk it? And the pickled grapes and carrots...is that cloves? Cinnamon? Allspice? Whatever it is yum! Thanks so much for great service and truly simple culinary affair that pleases the pallet. I hope to find myself in Minneapolis again soon and when I do, I will be sure to come by your restaurant again. Good luck to you, keep up the good work!
(5)
Maurissa M.
Absolutely awful experience. Went here with two friends on a Thursday evening, around 7:30. Our waitress was rude from the get go... Brought us to a table and brought waters, but it was a good 10 minutes before we got menus. We ordered a first round of drinks which came promptly, and ordered an app, after which our waitress tried to take away our menus. we explained that we planned on having dinner as well, as she walked away as if annoyed! I ordered a second drink at the same time that we ordered dinner.... Five minutes later, our waitress walks over and says "oh sorry, I forgot to ring in your drink" and walks away. Waited roughly 20 minutes for our food, which was brought to our table warm at best (we could see it sitting on a counter directly across from our table, waiting to be served). Waitress brings over our food, and doesn't even acknowledge that I STILL haven't gotten my drink. I finally walk up to the bar (I've now been waiting 25 minutes for a drink) and find the waitress leaning against the bar watching the game on TV. When I remind her that I haven't gotten my drink, she simply says "ok, that ones on me" and walks away. I did finally get one, and it wasn't on my tab, but I expected AT LEAST some sort of an apology, and probably a table visit from a manager. We were never checked on and no one ever asked us how the food was. The only reason I give the second star is because had the food been served hot, it would've been wonderful. The drinks were delicious but very overpriced. We will not be back.
(2)
Jessica S.
No sign marks the spot, but the iron Hammer & Sickle door handle is a dead giveaway that you've arrived at the right spot. The mysterious lack of signage coupled with the Siberian cold (what has been dubbed the "Polar Vortex" aka a run-of-the-mill Minnesota winter) may lead you to believe that you're soon to cross the threshold into the Russian mob's top secret lair, so long as you ignore the floor to ceiling windows allowing passerbyers on Lagoon to peer in and catch a peek of the "illicit" activities underway inside. But, fear not, the revolver used in this game of Russian roulette is nothing but a mere plastic toy discharging a harmless, albeit startling, "pop" (inquire with the server/bartender if you desire to satisfy your risk-taking urges) and the mobsters here are your average millennial dressed-to-impress plucked from the Uptown/Downtown districts. The music pulses over head. The little space is full at 10 pm on a Saturday night. Bodies congregate in the bar and entry leaving minimal room to navigate. The dim lighting, a red glow from the back lit bar [think Social House], conceals flaws and imperfections. This screams "date night"! [The ratio of men to women, about 4 to 1.] ...Or, for the single ladies, "meat market"! Cocktails (ranging from $8-$12) and infused vodkas (flights offered) seem to be the drinks of choice here. The cocktail I sipped was called Forbidden Fruit, essentially an Appletini, rimmed with cinnamon sugar and smelling too temptingly much like a straight-outta-the-oven apple pie. Good, but a tad pricey at $12. On the eats front, small plates or entrees are available. If you're not jonesing for a ton of grub, then I think you might just find the small plates adequate. I've had the opportunity to sample... -Meatballs: Fat and juicy! (Ew, feels so wrong to describe anything that way.) Loaded with flavor, both from within the meatball itself and the sauce. Hearty bread for dipping on the side. -Pierogies: Potato-stuffed dumplings boiled and pan fried. Lots of flavor combos available with primarily meat-centric toppings. Don't even remember exactly what we ordered, but it was flavorful. Skewers: I ordered the eggplant skewer. Others ordered meat on a stick, which garnered approving nods and grunts. I found my eggplant and veggies to be unnecessarily slathered in oil. Because the veggies weren't covered in enough gunk (has anyone invented an emoticon for sarcasm yet?), I further dressed it with layers of creamy horseradish sauce (sour cream), which distracted from the slimy oil. The bed of rice that cushioned the skewer was not entirely soft and fluffy, specked with some crunchy grains. Undercooked rice is not excusable. I've yet to master this, but Cooking 101, am I right? -Pelmeny: Bite-sized stuffed pasta, either with finely shredded and sauteed veggies or meat in the middle. When inquiring about the meat filling, I insist the server said "beef, pork, and oyster." My BF assures me that the third meat she listed was "lamb" not "oyster." You say toMAYto, I say toMAHto. We opted for veggie because pork just is not our cup of tea. However, vegetarians beware, a few of the porky pastas found their way into our plate of veggie pelmeny. Aside from this mishap, I enjoyed the veggie version, mostly after dousing it in the accompanying vinegar and sour cream. (Sour cream is a lot like ketchup or sriracha. It makes everything taste better.) Without these condiments, the pelmeny would be lacking as the boiled pasta "flavor" (anti-flavor?) dominated over the tasty yet minimal veggie stuffing. And, I'm not one to let food go to waste, so I did sample those sneaky meat pelmeny that had infiltrated our dish. Too spicy, like sausage spicy, not hot spicy. All in all, the food was not exactly memorable and the kitchen made a few beginner blunders (undercooked rice, meat finding it's way into one of the few veg-friendly dishes--both of which I alerted the staff). Typically, after such an experience I'd award only 3 stars (which is certainly not bad, just average). However, I really do appreciate the concept underlying H&S (trendy vodka bar+Soviet bites) and its bringing of something new and different to Uptown. Plus, during both of my visits, I was quite pleased with the service [who (1) on one occasion went above and beyond to aid our group of 8 in the obnoxious task of splitting the bill among 8 people who were sharing dishes, and (2) during my most recent visit were very receptive and apologetic toward my negative feedback, though I'm somewhat surprised that no apology offer was extended, i.e. an on-the-house dessert, in exchange for crunchy rice and a meat-contaminated veggie dish). I expect to be back. However, if I do not see improvements, I'll be dropping a star and making less frequent visits. H&S, I bet that leaves you shaking in your Valenki boots now.... : )
(4)
Michelle W.
Here for late night drinks. Drinks are very good. I'm a big fan of vodka cocktails. These were a little weak, but delicious. The service, however, was quite terrible. Our server was too busy doing shots and flirting with the bouncer to be bothered to check on us or bring us drinks that we ordered 30 minutes earlier. Side note: Russian roulette cap guns are annoying. Ear drums serve an important purpose, unbeknownst to this bar.
(2)
Valerie H.
Poor Hammer & Sickle, you are unintentionally hilarious. This location used to be known as Kinsen Noodles; to make a transition to Russian themed vodka bar it looks like the owners painted the walls red and added some sconces. We looked but couldn't even find a picture of the Kremlin. Perhaps the ambiance becomes more like Moscow once you down a few vodkas? Be prepared to pay a lot for cocktails, but it is Uptown. I had a cinnamon apptletini that was delicious, but probably not worth $12 outside of happy hour ($2 off cocktails) If you are feeling mildly adventurous, order the Drago shot- horseradish vodka, Jagermeister, and caviar at the bottom. Bonus! When someone in your group orders this vile concoction, you all get to play Russian roulette with a pop gun. This game proved a little anticlimactic as our first gun failed to pop after going around the group. According to our waitress this "happens a lot...." Cheers for her enthusiasm, but the speed and menu knowledge left much to be desired. I wish Hammer & Sickle luck, because it will need Putin-sized amounts to stay afloat for more than 6 months. Damn good pierogis though!
(3)
Anon X.
We went out for dinner on a Wednesday evening. Our bill was $39 total. We ordered the meatballs to start and then dined with Chicken, Lamb, Pork and Lobster Shashlik. The meatballs were excellent, very soft and flavorful. However, the entrees were a big disappointment. The Shashlik all came together on one plate over rice. The rice was hard and not edible. The chicken, pork and lamb were extremely dry and the lobster was overcooked so it was rubbery to eat. We ate here with a Groupon, but most likely will not return. The service was fast and extremely friendly though. We were in and out in less than an hour.
(3)
Alan H.
Love the happy hour until 7pm-2-4-1! Great deals on small plates during happy hour as well. Their Moscow Mule is spot on and served legit in a copper cup. Small plates are tasty. Have been there a few times now and had great service once, had a server in training another time and had a pretty unfriendly one the last time. I'll keep going-it's quiet and feel a bit like a diamond in the rough.
(4)
Cheryl B.
First time to Hammer & Sickle tonight-had a fabulous dinner from -the borscht , beef stroganoff , pork kabob to the vanilla custard w/ginger apple chutney our dinner was incredible-the beef and pork were cooked to order and very flavorful-will definitely be back!! Happy hour till 7 too!!
(5)
Christina Q.
I decided to come here a little after dinner time with a few friends. My first impression of walking into the restaurant was a very modern and chic vibe. It would be fun for a date if you wanted to try something new like Russian food (which I never had). In regards to the service. it was quite a mess. There was no host, and the bartender told us to seat ourselves. No one came around to grab a menu or even noticed us for the first 10 minutes. So, I basically grab the menus for ourselves. We never had one specific server, and they never checked on us either. The service was bad, and no one likes bad service. 1/5 In regards to the food, we decided to try their "famous" pierogies, the chicken kiev, and cabbage rolls. I'm kind of a stickler when it comes to pierogies because I have polish friends who make delicious home-made ones. However, dang, these were soggy. They looked brown and crispy, however, it felt like I was eating a pile of mush. The insides kind of reminded me of a KFC bowl. Definitely disappointed because it seemed like a popular choice. 2/5 The chicken kiev was actually pretty good. The chicken was still tender and crispy on the outside. I absolutely loved the roasted vegetable medley they added to their mash potatoes. It was the only thing I would probably recommend out of everything we ate that night. 4/5 The cabbage roll was drowned in tomato sauce that tasted like pizza sauce. There was basically zero to none cabbage as well? The meat was quite dry, and the "pizza" sauce couldn't save it. 1.5/5 Thank god, we had a groupon. Otherwise, I would have been very very disappointed especially at the prices since it wasn't that cheap. There are so many other restaurants to try especially in Uptown, so I would definitely recommend to pass on this place. However, if you have the Groupon and want to try some Russian food, why not?
(2)
Erin G.
This has been on my list for a while, and finally stopped in with a friend. We chose seats by the window. I guess it's a seat-yourself joint. A server came over with menus after a couple minutes and we ordered moscow mules right away. The mules were good but didn't seem overly strong. We also got the lobster skewer and the spicy pierogies to share. Both were delicious. The service was pretty slow but I liked the little place and the food was good. I'd come back for the pierogies and to try some of the other plates.
(4)
Alli Q.
Surprisingly fantastic! I've walked past this place a hundred times and finally decided to walk in for late evening drinks. We stumbled upon the late night happy hour, which is from 10-12pm, and $2 off signature cocktails. The cocktails are a bit pricey, normally priced $12, but are nonetheless delicious and unexpected in Uptown. I had the Russian Honeybee, Petite Ginger, and Sochi Breeze. The Petite Ginger tasted a bit like soap, but I highly recommend the Russian Honeybee and Sochi Breeze. Perogis, infused vodka, and fantastic servers/bartenders in a Cold War theme makes this place a necessary stop. Can't wait to be back and highly recommend!
(4)
Timothy F.
What more can I say than the food from Hammer & Sickle was absolutely impressive. The pierogies were so much better than I had imagined they would be. The stuffed cabbage rolls were huge and flavorful, and the lamb skewer was juicy and delicious. And I can't forget to mention how delicious the borscht was, especially with a dollop of sour cream. Hammer & Sickle has definitely won me over so far.
(4)
Nick H.
The food here is what really shines. The pierogis are wonderfully done. My favorite item however, was the escargot. It was sooooo good. Whenever I come back it is something I will order every time. The cocktails were OK. I would recommend the Miracle on Ice as it was the best one that my friends and I ordered.
(4)
Alex T.
Having lived in Russia for several years, my girlfriend and I went to this bar thinking that we knew what to expect. What we actually got was food that far exceeded our expectations on every level. This is not just a specialty restaurant for when you're craving vodka and pirogi. This is a restaurant/bar for any night on any occasion. First, the atmosphere was nice; not kitsch or overdone with Soviet propaganda, but chic with good music and a good feel overall. The staff was very friendly and made good suggestions. The drinks were amazing as well. We tried the Moscow Mule and the Hangover Cure which were both well done, but the best part was the vodka infusion flight that we got. It included cherry, honey, dill and horseradish infused vodkas, with the last two stealing the show. A must-try if you go. But the best part by far was the food. These aren't your babushka's pirogi; every plate was beautifully presented and tasted even better. The food was very high quality, especially considering the price. Some of the best parts were: --Beef stroganoff --Vinaigrette salad --Meat/fish appetizer platter --Comrade pirogi --Lamb/pork skewers But really, from our experience, it seems that if you try anything you'll be satisfied. If you're in Uptown Minneapolis, definitely stop by for drinks at least, but dinner if possible.
(5)
David A.
Eat anything here. It's all great. The Chicken Kiev got a 10 from my companion - a Chicken Kiev fanatic. The Easterner pirogues were off the chart. The lamb skewer was the least interesting thing we tasted, and even that got an 8! Oh, and we're not drinkers so we ordered ginger ale. Delicious. I forget to ask about it, but it's sure not Canada Dry.
(5)
Sarah L.
I will start by saying two things: 1st I am not a huge fan of Russian food and 2nd. I did not get the vodka. I tagged along with friends, one of whom is Russian and 2 of whom have spent considerable time in Russia. The aps were very pretty and tasted pretty good. I was really impressed with their take on French fries (and I'm not a fry person). The fish plate was very pretty but I can't comment on taste since I'm vegetarian. My friends agreed that all was good but questioned the authenticity. We asked about the owner and cook's connection to Russia and they apparently "researched it a lot." The atmosphere was Uptown chic. The wait staff was very friendly if a little bit over enthusiastic to bus our tables and help more. Every time we turned around they asked if needed something. Better that than ignoring us though. A fine place.
(3)
Debbie W.
As a vegetarian, they lost points. Borscht came with lamb even after stating I dont eat meat. Perogies had an amazing bacon.....really! But after getting it corrected...food was delicious!
(4)
John W.
Pleasantly surprised how good the food is here! Everything we got was really good. The meatballs were homemade in an awesome sauce. I believe they are beef and pork mix. The lobster skewer was really good and the mushroom stroganoff was better than mom makes. The drinks were pretty weak and cost $12 but food made it a worth while visit. I bought a 2nd groupon just to go back again.
(4)
Sarah Marie B.
I was incredibly disappointed by this place. Living nearby, I had seen this place but never had a chance to stop by, so I was pretty excited to finally try out something seemingly unique to the area. My boyfriend and I arrived early-ish (read: pre-dinner rush) on a Saturday night and were greeted by the male host. While the bar was full, there were only 3 or 4 tables full, so the host told us we could sit at any of the high tops and we thanked him and took a seat. We sat down and started looking through the drink menu, getting excited about all the interesting cocktails when I realized I actually had had time to read through all of them and nobody had yet come by. So we continued talking, slowly getting more concerned, as I watched the 3 waitresses and host that were about 10 feet from us hang out and chat. After 10 minutes of being ignored (the host glanced our way and did nothing) we put on our coats and walked out without anyone even attempting to take our order. Had this place been good we probably would have returned frequently, too bad.
(1)
Rik O.
Every time I have ever been here I have had a wonderful experience. The staff is awesome and the food is out of this world. I often joke that I am in a relationship with this bar since I think of it so often. The weekend brunch is something to write home about for sure and the caviar is better than sex. The craft cocktails (Moscow mule especially) are note worthy and you can't beat 10 dollar mimosas on weekends. I recommend this place to literally everyone I meet. Hammer and sickle is doing everything right and you should just go there. Now. Seriously get up and get dressed order a cocktail and have a pierogi. Try some infused vodkas and don't be shy of the beet juice Bloody Mary, it's amazing, trust me.
(5)
Brent S.
Nice layout and great service. The Perogies were a huge disappointment; just not good and really overpriced. Russian Tea House and Moscow on the Hill are the measuring stick here and this place does not even come close. Don't waste your time.
(2)
Scott K.
This place is awesome. You've got to know what to expect as far as ambiance. It has a slight Russian Mafia feel to it. It's also little hard to find because there is not much of a sign more of a symbol. I'll tell you what though. I couldn't find a pierogi or beef skewer on the menu I didn't like. The large plate meal they offer are very good as well. The food is hearty (meat and potatoes). Throw in the good selection of Vodka and specialty cocktails and you really can't go wrong... well maybe if you have too many Moscow Mules.
(4)
Brent M.
Groupon was what drove us to explore this place. Food was great and service was good. Without question, the meatballs were the best. I will be back again this winter. The good strikes me as a winter type of comfort food.
(4)
Bryan M.
If you love Vodka this is the place. A wide variety to choose from and moderate prices great wait staff and scenery.
(4)
Dan M.
Tonight was my second time at Hammer & Sickle and it was just as good as the first. This is a great place to share several different items on the menu. They have a cocktail menu focusing on vodka drinks, not surprising as this is a Russian joint. I had their signature red hammer which was a little too fruity for me. Then I had the Moscow mule which was a bit more up my alley. Tonight a buddy and I started off by sharing the Kobe beef sliders and the mini Reuben sandwich sliders. The beef sliders were pretty good and the Reuben sliders were excellent. Next we shared some perogis. One was the spudnik and it was fantastic. According to the waitress there were ghost peppers in it. As a spicy food fan I had to try it. It was decently spicy but probably not ghost pepper spicy. We also split some lamb skewers. The lamb was tender and juicy. Definitely go to this place if you enjoy Russian food, good cocktails, and a fun environment.
(5)
Kseniya N.
I really enjoyed dining here. The atmosphere is pretty chill and I liked the decor. Growing up on Russian food I must admit that not everything is true to taste but lots of things still give you a good idea of what the food is like... Think comfort food. What we really enjoyed were the comrad and the polish. I wish you could order blini with something other than caviar. The chicken shashlik was the best. We were a bit disappointed with the lamb shashlik, not the best cut of meat and too chewy. Mixed drinks were delicious and the happy hour prices for food are really reasonable.
(4)
C P.
Well we were going to go there this evening with another couple. We had coupons to use. But they have a policy of only one coupon per table and told us we would have to sit at separate tables. How absurd. They seem more nazi than russian. So we are not going and will not go in the future. Besides, I noticed their vodka menu does not even include Russian Standard Platinum. And they call themselves a Russian vodka bar!
(1)
Sharon R.
Fantastic beet salad,eggplant skewers,pudding,cocktails and friendly staff.
(4)
John G.
My wife burned the crap out of her finger after ordering a skewer. The server should have warned us that they are served extremely hot. When she told the server about it, the server asked if she wanted a band aid. No she doesn't want a band aid, she wanted an "oh I'm sorry what can we do for you to make this right" With all the choices in Uptown never going back there!
(1)
Keith M.
Minneapolitans love their bland, characterless bars and this one is just one small step above with a slightly detectable Russian theme. The borscht was fine and came with bits of lamb and sour cream with dill. As for the ambiance, I couldn't see hanging out here much, since the decor is about the extent to which you're (barely) reminded you're in a Russian themed bar-restaurant. I mean, at least break up the top 40 crap with an occasional nationalist Soviet ballad to Mother Russia. Stop in for a bite and move on elsewhere: the further from Lake & Hennepin the better.
(3)
Nicole M.
Hammer and Sickle is AMAZING. Exactly what Uptown needed. We tried many different dishes-the Russian Fingerling potatoes for an appetizer-I'd suggest asking for the homemade dill dip to go with them, it's delicious!! We had the lobster kabobs, which were to die for. The lobster was so tasty. We also had their escargot, my first time having such a dish, and I've been craving it ever since. You must end the night with their infused rum cake-hands down the best I've ever had. And the cocktails are incredibly unique (homemade infused vodka-amazing), I'd suggest asking for a splash of their homemade grenadine in your drink, it's so light compared to regular grenadine. The atmosphere of this place is great too. Dark lighting and cozy candles makes you never want to leave. Not one moment of our incredibly long night here was a disappointment. I've actually never had a reason to write a review about a restaurant until now, that is how incredibly good Hammer & Sickle is.
(5)
Leah G.
I was unaware of what a pierogi was before I came here and boy was I missing out! I came here on a Friday night for their late night happy hour. We sat outside and even though it is not much of a patio, it is nice to have an outdoor option. During happy hour is the pierogies are $2 off and their moscow mules are 2 for 1! (As well as draft and rails). I thought this was a great deal. I ordered the Polish pierogi that comes with potato, ground beef, kraut and comes with a creamy horseradish sauce - it was SO good! The sauce added a nice light taste to the heavy potato and meat and they were so filling! I ordered the classic moscow mule, which was very good. I would love to try some of their other kinds. With the happy hour specials it came out to be pretty affordable, especially since we were there for snacks and not a meal.
(4)
Jen L.
This place is so wonderful! We were greeted when we entered and were told we could sit wherever we liked. We chose to sit at the bar and just order some drinks and apps. They have a fun drink menu with a lot to offer, and if you're feeling adventurous you can try a vodka flight or ask the bartender to play roulette where you either get horseradish vodka with jagermeister and caviar, ghost pepper and jalapeno vodka, or the better of them all a honey vodka with sweet & sour. For food we got pierogis! Holy smokes they were good. I've still been thinking about them. We tried two kinds. The first is called the comrade which is filled with potato and cheese, then topped with caramelized onions, sour cream and bacon! The second kind we tried was called the yankee which was filled with cheddar, bacon, and ground beef which was topped off with pickles. They were both so good! I want to go back and try more! We got russian fries (potato wedges) on the side which were seasoned and honestly, the pierogis were so filling we didn't need them with three of us! I hear they have a stellar happy hour (and late night happy hour too!) that has some good drink specials and $2 off pierogis (maybe on other foods too!). They have bingo (Drago) on Wednesday nights that I want to try! Prizes include gift cards that I am aware of.
(5)
Allison W.
I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! The food is absolutely incredible, trumped only by the service. We sat at the bar, all-though the high top tables were a tempting option, I like being able to look through into the kitchen as they prepare your food, and the bar seating provides the perfect vantage point. A zillion stars for the bartender [tall and lanky with a tat on the inside of his forearm] who convinced me to try gin I have never been a big fan of gin, but he assured me the gin mule, dubbed 'Manchester Mule' was the way to go. He was right, it was fresh, clean, and not too sweet, one sip and I was hooked! Which can be especially dangerous as their be-famed mules are 2-4-1 on happy hour! My friend ordered a different mule 'Miracle on Ice' [their menu names are quite clever] and it too was fantastic. For an app we split THE SPUTNIK pierogis, or as I'd asked for them 'the spicy ones'. WOW! they are not messing around, so much flavor for what I was expecting to be meat-and-potatoes. Quite impressive. Dinner I had Beef Stroganoff and she had the Chicken Kiev, both amazing. So amazing that we I went to take a picture we had pretty much cleaned our plates, hence no picture evidence, but I assure you it was phenomenal. Did I mention all this was $35 dollars because we happened to venture on Thursday dinner time Hammer & Sickle 'Date Night'! Like what! 3 courses for under $50 in uptown!! Start to finish one of the best dining experiences I've had! Cheers and Sickle I'll be seeing you again soon :)
(5)
Emily R.
Vodka.. you had me at vodka bar. This Russian vodka restaurant is so punny I love it. Not only do they have awesome Pierogis, their drink menu is AWESOME. They have an awesome honey vodka drink with cider mixed it, their s'more martini actually comes with a big marshmallow in it, and their mules are great! If you like Jamison they have the best Jamison mule. Happy hour is two for ones on mules, rail drinks and beers. It used to be on the martinis and specialty drinks which makes me sad. This venue is small so try not to plan big groups of more than 6, unless you get there really early. Lastly, they have Russian roulette. They give you a toy gun with one more bullet/load noise left and whoever gets it has to take a shot! Very very fun time.
(5)
Mary N.
The first thing I noticed when I came here was the nice red accent they've added to the entrance of the restaurant. The next thing I noticed after I entered was that all the tables on the left and right side were 2-tops, which makes it a little hard when you have more than 2 people. Behind the bar, next to the kitchen where you can see where they make your food though, were booths where you can fit 4-6 people. The place has a nice atmosphere but I don't recommend it if you're going with more than 4 people. Service wise-There was no host at all, the bartender basically told us to seat ourselves, which is fine but no one ever came around to give us menus. My friend had to go up to grab menus for us. I don't even think we had a specific server? No one ever introduced themselves as our server. We had a different person take our order, bring our drinks, and check us out; I'm a little confused on that part. Point is, I have no idea who our server was. Food wise, we ordered the yankee peirogi, chicken kiev, and cabbage rolls. The peirogis did not have that little crunch on the outside that they were suppose to, they were kind of soggy.. :/ the chicken kiev was good! I recommend this dish out of everything we got. The outside was super crispy, &the inside was juicy. The vegetable on this dish was the best part of the meal and it all comes on top of a bed of mash potatoes.
(3)
Marilyn C.
If you were going to give up all meat for at least a year, where would you eat your last burger? For me, I chose the Hammer and Sickle. Whenever I would go to the movies, I would stop by here for their amazing sliders. I love what they do here and I love their kitchen staff, I never forget to compliment them and to tell them they are kings back there. My whole body smiles at eating their food. However, I have some adjusting to do with my dietary changes and this cleanse is very necessary for me. I have to say that I enjoyed and savored every bite I have taken at the Hammer and Sickle and love their vodka flights. I highly recommend them and if you are going out to the Lagoon theater, stop by the Hammer and Sickle and have a wonderful time. The service is fast and friendly and ask questions! The servers know the menu and can help you make a solid choice.
(5)
Zeke T.
Aside from things like Pussy Riot and Rocky IV I know very little about the Russian culture so I was stepping outside of my comfort zone to try out this place. I joked about the high ceilings and copper plated walls attributing to an overall cold war theme. The food was spectacular, and you can peer right into the kitchen to watch as it is made. I have pretty mixed feelings towards some of the plates, but overall I enjoy the food here. I was disappointed by the meat assorti. I was hoping for something a bit more than what seemed like sliced salami and pan fried ham with an assortment of pickled sides. I love The Comrade pierogi though and I'll come back just to try the other pierogis. It was my first time trying out pierogi and I am now a fan. The beef and lamb skewers were supposed to be the highlight of their dish, but they were mediocre in comparison to the pilaf. Then again it has to be pretty hard to outplay that sweet and savory pilaf. The last dish we tried was a steak cooked medium-rare placed on top of spetzl. Spetzl is delicious and I would take that over spaghetti any day. Sorry spaghetti night, but you've been replaced. The steak was cooked to perfection, but perhaps the grill needed to be cleaned a bit more. The char taste from the grill was too strong. I'm not sure what the overall theme is supposed to be, but from what I understand Russia, or what used to be known as Soviet Russia, is pretty diverse with a lot of Asian fusion cuisines. I'd return right away if they started making some of those dishes.
(3)
Mike B.
Came here on a Friday night with some friends for vodka and pierogies. Surprisingly empty for an Uptown bar on a weekend night...but maybe that's just this time of the year in Minnesota. The atmosphere is in one word, cool. From the lack of any glaring sign outside to the hammer and sickle door knob to the Soviet-crimson light permeating out onto the street, this bar oozes hipness from the time you walk up to it on Lagoon. The food and drinks almost live up to the atmosphere. Late-night happy hour specials are good -- 2 for 1's on Mules, wells, and beer, as well as $2 off pierogies. Now, my mother is part Russian, and I grew up eating all kinds of homemade pierogies. These aren't quite your Russian mother's pierogies (and really, does anything ever touch your mom's cooking?), but they're still pretty impressive, especially for a cuisine not readily available in the Cities. I tried three different ones: The Sputnik, The Latin, and The Polish. Sputnik -- Potato, ground beef, and most importantly the 3-chili relish. This thing is HOT but absolutely bursting with flavor. You will cry, and you will be happy about it because you will be delirious from the super spicy deliciousness. You will also use the sour cream. A lot. Fortunately, it goes really well with the rest of the flavors. Top notch. This isn't your typical Minnesota spice. Also, eat this one last, as your taste buds will be burnt out after devouring it. Latin -- Another pierogi with great flavor. Chorizo, jalapeno, and potato mix to concoct what tastes like a potato taco, complete with surprisingly good salsa. Polish -- My least favorite of the three pierogies I tried. Just felt like something was missing here or wasn't balanced, or they just missed on the flavor mixing. The idea is good...a Polish/German medley with ground beef and kraut, served with horseradish on the side. I think it needed more kraut, as the taste wasn't brought out to it's potential. The horseradish wasn't the greatest combination with the rest of the flavor profile. I think it would be better served with more kraut and possibly a hollandaise or some kind of mushroom, white wine sauce to go with the German theme. The two different Mules I tried were tasty but not very strong. I wasn't even slightly buzzed after finishing off two of my Moscows and trying out one of my friend's Milanese. A little more alcohol kick wouldn't hurt here at $10 a pop! Overall, the atmosphere is great, the drinks are tasty (though not strong enough), and the pierogies are legit and unique. If you want exceptional Russian cuisine, hit up Moscow on the Hill in St. Paul, but if you're looking for something a little different with a great ambiance in Uptown Minneapolis, check this place out!
(4)
Cindy S.
I have been here twice and I like it. They have a simple menu, but that's all I'm really looking for when I am putting around uptown. They make several types overstuffed perogis and they are heaven in my mouth(seems that these are a hit or miss). My favorite one is the easterner. Although a bit on the spendy side they make a pretty good beef stroganoff as well. The drinks were strong when I went and service is very polite. I have no complaints at this point. Go give them a try and don't forget to get those Russian fries! And yes, it can get spendy, but it's uptown right? No, it may not be athentic russian, but if you like it, you like it.
(4)
Daisy N.
Pierogi's -YUM! We had the Polish. So good! Skewers-tried both the lamb and the lobster. Both were melt in your mouth -the Bomb. Service was awesome. Will be back!
(5)
Amy C.
I was very pleasantly surprised by Hammer and Sickle. After reading the Yelp reviews I was worried, but I needn't have been. Our server was attentive, friendly and helpful. Our food was excellent, fresh and affordable. The atmosphere was good. We ordered the Easterner pierogi, Baltika Baltic porter, the beet salad, the chicken skewers, rice pilaf and garden vegetables. There were two of us and there was too much food for us. The beet salad was beautiful and had micro greens and I believe goat cheese and was formed into a log. The chicken skewers came with rice pilaf so no need to order that separately. The garden veggies were only a side dish but were a good size and included mushrooms and brussel sprouts. Everything was excellent. Definitely give it a try. We mostly had the place to ourselves because we were there between happy hours. It seems like most people come for the happy hour for the Moscow Mules. They did look good, but I highly recommend the Baltika Baltic Porter if you like dark beers. It's a big enough bottle for two people to share.
(4)
Monica N.
Went here for Drago (every Wednesday) and for HH! It's totally worth it. Order their Moscow Mule and you wont be disappointed. They have a good selection of drinks, beer selection is ok. Now their food is really good! I tried their kobe sliders, Russian potatoes, and their pirogies! Everything was delicious. This place is worth a try :)
(4)
Jason K.
My wife and I had a $40 Groupon here in Uptown, which we had been to about 3 years ago, when it was an Asian Fusian place and had some of the best drunken noodles ever. This Russian place has no sign outside, but we grabbed hold of the hammer and sickle door handle and entered. It looks a lot like the old place, very modernistic and sleek. We sat near the window and there was a group of 6 there and another group of5, but other than that, pretty sparse. I did like the open kitchen in the rear corner, a nice touch. There are 6 infused vodkas here, so I chose the lemon infused martini, very solid. Not too boozy, and tasted a lot like lemoncello. I really enjoyed it, and my wife even said she would like it, and she normally hates beer and booze. I ordered some borscht to start off, which was warm and had delicately chopped beef in it, very good! I really loved this stuff, and perfect for a cool fall day. I then ordered a Summit Oktoberfest and an order of the chorizo filled pierogi. How could this go wrong, my favorite dumpling dish, with my favorite sausage? 5 filled dumplings with slices of jalapeno adorning it with some salsa on the side. It was just fantastic! Just the right amount of heat. Homemade pierogis, aIways are a winner! The chicken skewer was full of about 5 chunks of juicy chicken and really smoky veggies like pepper and onions. It tasted like they came right out of a BBQ smoker. Awesome for $5. Great dinner with the wife and I finished off the $40 with a delicious Surly Furious. What a night!
(4)
Rhonda H.
Excellent service! The server made excellent recommendations and was very friendly. The Russian meatball small plate contained four good sized meatballs. It would work for four people. They had great flavor and a little spicy. The pork kebab was served over a citrus pilaf. The pork was perfectly cooked and included zucchini, red onion and red & green peppers. This would be okay to share for two people. The Latin pierogis were flavorful and spicy with the jalapeños, but I'd probably try a different version next time. An order contains five pierogis. The beef stroganoff with spaetzle again was plenty for two people. The sauce was a little too salty and sour for me.
(4)
Ali J.
I've never really had Russian food before, but with a good deal on Groupon I figured this was a good time to try it. We stopped in at the end of happy hour and started off with a few drinks - I stuck with wine while my boyfriend was daring and tried one of their specialty drink - holy vodka. The waitress had warned us beforehand how strong it would be...that was a major understatement. He ended up liking it but I was happy to stick with wine. We ordered a few pierogis, shashlks (Russian style BBQ skewers) and the meatball appetizer. The meatball app was amazing - I was so surprised at how spicy and flavorful it was! Never really having Russian food before I didn't think it'd really be spicy but this was a nice surprise. The pierogis were another hit, especially the latin one. The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the lamb shashliks because of how dry it was and it seemed like part of it wasn't cooked thoroughly. The place was surprisingly pretty quiet for a happy hour but about 1/2 way through a large group of people came in. They were fine at the bar until the bartender pulled out a toy pop gun and kept shooting it and having them do it and scream - this got obnoxious FAST! Other than that the restaurant was really nice and service was good. Definitely worth checking out in Uptown.
(3)
Kelly S.
Hammer & Sickle is a stylish, new vodka bar in Uptown that serves a flavorful array of Eastern European inspired dishes. They serve food until 2am, so it's a great place to stop into for a bite with friends after a show. Here's the breakdown of the dishes I tried on my recent visit: Meatballs: 3 hearty meatballs in a sauce that is exploding with flavor, served with toast points to savor every drop of that delcious sauce Chicken Skewer: served on a bed of rice pilaf, it comes with peppers & mushrooms & was a nice savory plate Cholo Perogies: the best item of the night! clearly made from scratch with a lot of thought put into each ingredient, my husband & I fought over who got to eat the last piece! Moscow Mule: served in a copper cup, a classic drink made right! The plates are fairly small, but they work great for sharing. The flavors are complex & the food is fairly filling. The staff is super friendly & knowledgable & the vibe is nice with dim lighting & great music. This is definitely a place you will want to check out!
(5)
James M.
Simple pros and cons bullets! No babble essay! Note: this review is for the dinner menu. Buffet here is somewhat unpleasant but cheap. Pros: I'm Russian so trust me its the cheapest Russian restaurant in the Midwest. Prices very good Good decor and date friendly and romantic Good attentive friendly staff Menu 80% authentic Russian Taste 80% authentic Russian Easy parking and great trendy location Con: Just one. Not fully authentic taste though close and good food but not orgasmic great P.S. Don't listen to 1-2 star reviews here. They came to either drink happy hour or for random food eats. If you want a good taste at a great restaurant at great prices for near fine dining and want to experience Russian dishes this place is for you!
(4)
Julie T.
Came here for Happy Hour last night. At first, I didn't have high hopes for this place since it was practically empty till about 630pm. Mind you, this is one of the few places in Uptown that has HH till 7pm...so I am guessing the deals are really not that great to entice people in. It is basically a few bucks off here and there. The drinks were good though. I had a Cuban mojito with homemade blueberry vodka and my friend had the dirty hammer and sickle vodka which she liked. I ordered the borscht soup and it was good. The smoked and pickled fish platter was surprisingly good, I could eat it all day. We were so full by the end of the night. Thanks for a good time!
(4)
Ali D.
I'll be honest - I didn't have high expectations for this place, and I wasn't proven wrong. The boy and I went here for dinner a few weeks back - he was super excited, since he's somewhat of a Russian culture geek (don't ask me). We started off with a round of drinks - a Miracle on Ice for me, a Moscow Mule for him. Both drinks tatsed fine and were noticeably alcoholic, but both were just a little too sweet for my liking. Next stop: the Tour de Pierogi. We ordered the Comrade (potato, cheese, caramelized onion, bacon, topped with sour cream), the Latin (potato, chorizo, jalapeno, served with salsa and sour cream), and the Easterner (ground pork, ginger, green onion, carrots, served with soy sauce). Potato pierogi are decidedly not really my thing, but the flavors were well balanced and the dumplings themselves had a nice sear on the outside. Grease was definitely the #1 ingredient in the potato/chorizo dumplings. Thank goodness I had a dining companion who'll basically eat anything, because these were nearly inedible. Speaking of inedible, we ordered one of their shashlik (skewer) options as well - the beef was gristly, chewy, overcooked, and I actually had to discreetly spit out the undigestible beef into my napkin. I've NEVER done this in a restaurant before. "Not enthused" is an understatement. The best menu item of the night were the Asian-influenced dumplings, but we all know that those are available in so many other restaurants, for much cheaper. To top it all off, there was confusion between servers about who was managing our table, so there were a few details that were missed in our orders as well. Needless to say, I don't think I'll be returning. I'll get my Asian dumplings from an authentic restaurant, thank you very much.
(2)
Patti K.
Who would have thought that a Soviet Union theme would be cool for a restaurant! The ambience reminded me of what yuppie sushi restaurants try to do nowadays--high ceilings, fusion food, over-the-top menu item names, pulsing hip music, low lights, and a knowing too-cool attitude. Socialist realist decor would have been more amusing to me than the Spaghetti Factory-style red tasseled lampshades, but perhaps that would been a bit much. We ordered borscht, assorti fish, chicken kiev, and varenyky/pierogi dubbed "Sputnik." The borscht was very good with the freshly-toasted dark bread. I tasted bits of meat (probably beef), which made it more substantial. The chicken kiev was also good, and artfully presented. I thought the fish plate was the best item. Pickled herring, pickled lake trout, and smoked salmon lovingly arranged with pickles, microgreens, mustard sauce, dill spread, and brown toast points. The fish plate was a meal in itself, and I was surprised to find that it was a serving supposedly for only one person. the smoked salmon was a surprise--I thought it was a heap of pickled vegetables, but it was smoked salmon crumbled and sprinkled generously over hard boiled egg whites and tiny potato cubes. I never had pickled grapes or eggs before, so the whole plate felt like an adventure. Out of curiosity, I tried the pierogi called "Sputnik" described as "Potato, ground beef, 3 chili relish, served with sour cream and tears... " They were not kidding. The 3 chili relish overpowered the flavors of everything else. I usually order medium spicy at restaurants, and I needed a tall glass of orange juice to put out the fire in my mouth. (I really wanted a lassi or horchata, but although they had Kobe beef sliders and pierogi with chorizo, their fusion did not continue to beverages.) Overall, it was a fun experience. The server was cheerful and attentive. The Happy Hour prices were very good. The one downside was the parking--the website indicated a pay parking lot, but there was no validation. Next time, we'll park on the street if we get there early enough.
(4)
Chris L.
Decided mixed reviews had me apprehensive but came with the wife and two friends. Good start with Paulaner Hefe-weizen available. Service was very attentive albeit we were only one of two groups there on an (Easter) Sunday. We all thought the food was great (in part thanks to Yelp reviews). Best was the Sputnik pierogis, cabbage roll and smoked fish plate. Comrade pierogi good but boring. Mini reubens OK. Skewered meat we found a bit boring and overcooked. Russian crepes good for dessert. Full length windows open on a nice day made it feel less oppressive. We all planned to return soon to get more of the best dishes we had.
(4)
Sean N.
Amazing specialty cocktails. The pierogi are great and so are the kabobs. Definitely recommend this place.
(5)
Ani D.
I was really excited to try this place, and finally made it in last night. The food was good and the server was sweet. The physical environment was nice, dim lighting and open kitchen, with some booths tucked in the back. The music, however, was really offsetting. I was hoping for a bit more of a traditional Russian restaurant experience, but the awful top twenty pop music really clashed with the environment. It would be nice to hear Russian music or even non-Russian more mellow or tame music would be really beneficial to the dining experience.
(3)
Jesse D.
We just had brunch here and we could not have been more disappointed. We arrived to a 75% empty dining area and 1 server. He greeted us and told us to sit anywhere. When we sat, he assumed we were there for brunch and dropped off 2 plates. Unfortunately, one of the plates was very dirty and needed to be replaced. He didn't even look at it. The server didn't take any time to explain what the brunch consisted of or the price was and when I asked for a regular menu, he told us that it was brunch only so we decided it might be a good way to try the food. He didn't even explain any of the Vodka specials and this place is supposed to be a vodka bar. We got our plates and walked over to the buffet. The food seemed like it was a step or 2 above a Hampton Inn breakfast buffet. The bacon was sitting in a server full of grease and was barely cooked, there was dry meat under a light with a knife sitting by it but it looked inedible. The fruit was dry and gross. The rest of the food was ok but all of it seemed like it had been sitting out for too long. If I get a stomach ache later, I know where it came from. It was all you can eat and we barely had one serving. When the time came to get our bill, the server was too busy talking with his friends in the corner and was inattentive. For $12.50 per person, I would go somewhere else for breakfast/brunch in uptown. I don't think we will be going back.
(1)
Colin S.
Wonderful food. Great atmosphere. Attentive and helpful service. They even split our bill so we could get happy hour on our apps/drinks and use a groupon on our meal.
(5)
Jen G.
The groupon deal of drew me in to this place that I would have typically passed by. I live in the neighborhood but find myself avoiding Lake street near Hennepin. I went on a Monday night and there were only a few tables of people in the place. It has a cool, dark atmosphere and awesome 2 for 1 happy hour specials! The Moscow mule was great. Happy hour that lasts until 7pm (not that 3-6pm stuff) is also great. We ordered escargot, yankee pierogies, and the cabbage rolls for 2 people to split. Escargot was weird. It came with a fork for poking snails out of the shell, but there were no shells... Just a dish with a layer of cheese and bread crumbs and some mushroomy snail meat hidden underneath. Confusion. Pierogies were okay. This place is probably supposed to showcase the pierogies, but I thought they were bland. Maybe I need to try the other kinds? Cabbage rolls were really good. I almost missed this item because I had my heart set on pierogies, but I'm so glad that I ordered this - it's a big roll on top of mashed potatoes covered in a red sauce with a dollop of sour cream. That's some comfort food right there.
(3)
Andrew C.
A mixed result here: 1. Smoked fish platter was bountiful, fresh and skillfully plated. 2. Chicken skewer was good but veggies on veggie skewer were scorched on outside but onions and eggplant still raw :( 3. Wanted to like the pierogies, but the meat in them tasted really old. ( quality control fail!) 4. Server was friendly, attentive and helpful. 5. Happy hour prices are great. Still, I probably won't be back, the food just wasn't good enough.
(2)
Troy P.
I thought this place was pretty cool. The menu is very affordable and has a lot of things I really enjoy. The pirogi seem to be their claim to fame, other than caviar and of vodka of course, and are simple yet tasty little bites. We had the Yankee and the Cholo which were both great for sharing along with the lamb and pork skewer. There was good distinction between the two pirogi which in my opinion can taste the same if the ingredients aren't strong enough. The Yankee was a straight up American pleaser while the Cholo was their Mexican version with Jalapenos and Chorizo. I was really excited for the lamb skewer after reading some great things but ended up enjoying the pork more. The lamb was kind of tough and really chewy although it did have great flavor, the pork was just easier to eat and seemed like it was done a little better. They serve them on rice with a dipping sauce and grilled veggies which make sharing even more inviting. They have a pretty decent specialty cocktail menu also for $10-12. I'm not a big vodka drinker and although the majority of drinks are focused on vodka they do have some bourbon to keep everyone satisfied. The St. Petersburg seemed to be their version of a cross between a Manhattan and an Old Fashioned which was pretty good. Our server suggested the Moscow Mule which was tasty as well, the drink we didn't like and wouldn't recommend was the HoneyBee I believe it's called. Not good, both of us felt immediate stomach aches upon taking a sip, the apple juice just doesn't work. Our service was really good, the atmosphere is fun and different although they could stand to turn the music down just a little. I know it's Uptown and all but I never had to repeat myself and say what so many times when within such close proximity. Altogether worth a visit, we'll be back to try some of the large plates on another visit
(4)
Mezzo D.
The cocktails were imaginative, and the food was what I would call "Russian Trendy". Well prepared, very filling. The menu is on the heavy side, so we would be more likely to go in cooler weather. Nice al fresco locale. I'm curious if the servers all must wear short-short black skirts, because they did. Kinda bugged me. It's worth a visit, but nothing amazing.
(3)
Jeff S.
Not a drinker so I can't comment on what for some is a major draw (vodka bar). The food, however, impressed. First the atmosphere is nice and the staff was friendly. Ordered the classic potato and cheese pierogi ("The Comrade") as an appetizer. Very tasty. I then had the chicken kiev, my wife ordered the beef stroganoff. Both were excellent. I'd only had chicken kiev one other time, at St. Paul's Moscow on the Hill, and I think Hammer & Sickle's is better. Finished with chocolate pumpernickel bread pudding, which as a big fan of bread puddings I can say was also excellent. I will return.
(4)
Joshua G.
This restaurant is a good example of why groupon is on its death throws. Even though we were 3 couples paying 3 separate checks we could only pay with one groupon due to our proximity to one another. I guess that would be ok if the food is good but that is almost never the case. Restaurants that have this one groupon per table clause know that their food sucks and are banking on the fact you will never claim the remaining groupons. On a positive the staff was very good and the drinks were well done. Also the one appitzer that did not require cooking was very good. The stroganoff was very tuff and had way to much vinegar. It was basically a shoe leather vinaigrette. The lamb was also very tuff. The meatballs were very bland but had a nice sauce. we had 3 different perogees and the were either flavorless or so hot that you tastbuds could not taste anything. Basically the food was so bad we would rather surrender our 50 bucks worth of groupons then put ourselves through that again. This will probably also be our last groupon.
(2)
Bob J.
Good food, at least good enough for the Uptown crowd. The bar attracts garbage, and the kids occupying the place kept screaming about doing more shots, then they moved on to the next bar. The server was pretty friendly, but approached us with all the rules about Groupon in case we had one, then got down to the business of taking our order. We had dinner early, and upon hearing the vegetarian special we ordered one, only to find out they "ran out". We were probably the first table in the restaurant, so that was pretty tacky. The place never filled up on a Saturday night. Food was ok, not authentic, not bad, just pretty good.
(3)
Quinton B.
Great service. Enjoyed the Lobster & drinks. Lots to choose from. Sharing with a group of friends isn't a bad idea as well. Rich, filling menu.
(5)
Michael R.
I brought a group here for happy hour a few weeks ago and all 10 of us soundly agreed it was the worst happy hour we'd ever had. We left after the first round for another bar. Our main complaints were the high price-point for mediocre drinks, lackluster service, and poor menu. The drinks do not have prices on the menu, at the start I asked the waitress what the pric-epoint was approximately. She said $8-12. Somehow, even though we ordered nearly all the cocktails between the ten of us, all but one were $12 (the mule was $10). We don't mind paying more for a good craft cocktail, but these were not speciality drinks. Their craft cocktails consist of standard bar drinks (the "Miracle on ice", for example, is an old-fashioned, and a small one of average quality at that). Better cocktail bars like Nightingale and Boneyard, who are mixing up really unique drinks, set their price-point closer to $8. Service was poor. Ignored for long periods of time by the waitress, had to flag her down on several occasions. The menu. $10 for 5 peiorgis, all of which were at best "okay". The lack of a vegetarian option in this part of town was bewildering. The skewers were the best thing we had and they were just all right. Anyway, if you want to pay $12 for an old-fashioned made with mid-tier rye, eat a potsticker pretending to be a pierogi, in the ambience of blaring televisions, be my guest.
(1)
Renu B.
The food- amazing!! Wow the food is so good! All of it! The drinks- the drago is so good and weird, has a horseradish in it! The rest of the drinks are great! The service- really good service, everyone is very nice! Great place, I hope it lasts
(5)
Nathaniel J.
I attempted to visit Hammer & Sickle on a Saturday night. It's Uptown so I know it's crowded. But we sat at a table for 15 minutes and not a single server approached us. We tried flagging some down, but they were just too busy. We left and I won't ever try this place again.
(1)
Anna K.
Indifferent service and unappealing ambience. Our server was not tuned in to our experience at all, yet the place was nearly empty. The staff could be seen texting. What's up with that? Weird, unpleasant feeling that no one really cared. My Moscow mule was cute, but not particularly good for $10. Worse: there was a rotten lime wedge on the edge of the copper cup! Really gross. Our silverware seemed dirty, our table was dusty, the music was just wrong and too loud, and the TVs were distracting and out-of-place. The decor feels cheap and not at all in a campy/ironic/hip spirit that one would expect from the name. We ordered several small plates. Nothing to write home about, unfortunately. The "fish assorti" included pickled herring, smoked salmon, and smoked trout, and was served with pickled mushrooms, an egg pickled in beet juice, and pumpernickel toast. The egg was delicious and unusual, but everything else was of the quality of Cub foods. Despite a cute presentation on a small cutting board, the salmon was dyed and cheap, the herring blah, and the trout dry, dry, dry. We did enjoy the meatballs in tomato sauce very much, but not so much that we'd go back.
(2)
Sara W.
Seriously, the food is awesome. Had the perioges, meatballs, and beef stroganoff. All were totally delicious. Loved his place so much, we went back like 3 days later for more. Highly recommend!
(5)
Kelly S.
Hammer & Sickle is a stylish, new vodka bar in Uptown that serves a flavorful array of Eastern European inspired dishes. They serve food until 2am, so it's a great place to stop into for a bite with friends after a show. Here's the breakdown of the dishes I tried on my recent visit: Meatballs: 3 hearty meatballs in a sauce that is exploding with flavor, served with toast points to savor every drop of that delcious sauce Chicken Skewer: served on a bed of rice pilaf, it comes with peppers & mushrooms & was a nice savory plate Cholo Perogies: the best item of the night! clearly made from scratch with a lot of thought put into each ingredient, my husband & I fought over who got to eat the last piece! Moscow Mule: served in a copper cup, a classic drink made right! The plates are fairly small, but they work great for sharing. The flavors are complex & the food is fairly filling. The staff is super friendly & knowledgable & the vibe is nice with dim lighting & great music. This is definitely a place you will want to check out!
(5)
James M.
Simple pros and cons bullets! No babble essay! Note: this review is for the dinner menu. Buffet here is somewhat unpleasant but cheap. Pros: I'm Russian so trust me its the cheapest Russian restaurant in the Midwest. Prices very good Good decor and date friendly and romantic Good attentive friendly staff Menu 80% authentic Russian Taste 80% authentic Russian Easy parking and great trendy location Con: Just one. Not fully authentic taste though close and good food but not orgasmic great P.S. Don't listen to 1-2 star reviews here. They came to either drink happy hour or for random food eats. If you want a good taste at a great restaurant at great prices for near fine dining and want to experience Russian dishes this place is for you!
(4)
Julie T.
Came here for Happy Hour last night. At first, I didn't have high hopes for this place since it was practically empty till about 630pm. Mind you, this is one of the few places in Uptown that has HH till 7pm...so I am guessing the deals are really not that great to entice people in. It is basically a few bucks off here and there. The drinks were good though. I had a Cuban mojito with homemade blueberry vodka and my friend had the dirty hammer and sickle vodka which she liked. I ordered the borscht soup and it was good. The smoked and pickled fish platter was surprisingly good, I could eat it all day. We were so full by the end of the night. Thanks for a good time!
(4)
Mezzo D.
The cocktails were imaginative, and the food was what I would call "Russian Trendy". Well prepared, very filling. The menu is on the heavy side, so we would be more likely to go in cooler weather. Nice al fresco locale. I'm curious if the servers all must wear short-short black skirts, because they did. Kinda bugged me. It's worth a visit, but nothing amazing.
(3)
Leah G.
I was unaware of what a pierogi was before I came here and boy was I missing out! I came here on a Friday night for their late night happy hour. We sat outside and even though it is not much of a patio, it is nice to have an outdoor option. During happy hour is the pierogies are $2 off and their moscow mules are 2 for 1! (As well as draft and rails). I thought this was a great deal. I ordered the Polish pierogi that comes with potato, ground beef, kraut and comes with a creamy horseradish sauce - it was SO good! The sauce added a nice light taste to the heavy potato and meat and they were so filling! I ordered the classic moscow mule, which was very good. I would love to try some of their other kinds. With the happy hour specials it came out to be pretty affordable, especially since we were there for snacks and not a meal.
(4)
Erin G.
This has been on my list for a while, and finally stopped in with a friend. We chose seats by the window. I guess it's a seat-yourself joint. A server came over with menus after a couple minutes and we ordered moscow mules right away. The mules were good but didn't seem overly strong. We also got the lobster skewer and the spicy pierogies to share. Both were delicious. The service was pretty slow but I liked the little place and the food was good. I'd come back for the pierogies and to try some of the other plates.
(4)
Jen L.
This place is so wonderful! We were greeted when we entered and were told we could sit wherever we liked. We chose to sit at the bar and just order some drinks and apps. They have a fun drink menu with a lot to offer, and if you're feeling adventurous you can try a vodka flight or ask the bartender to play roulette where you either get horseradish vodka with jagermeister and caviar, ghost pepper and jalapeno vodka, or the better of them all a honey vodka with sweet & sour. For food we got pierogis! Holy smokes they were good. I've still been thinking about them. We tried two kinds. The first is called the comrade which is filled with potato and cheese, then topped with caramelized onions, sour cream and bacon! The second kind we tried was called the yankee which was filled with cheddar, bacon, and ground beef which was topped off with pickles. They were both so good! I want to go back and try more! We got russian fries (potato wedges) on the side which were seasoned and honestly, the pierogis were so filling we didn't need them with three of us! I hear they have a stellar happy hour (and late night happy hour too!) that has some good drink specials and $2 off pierogis (maybe on other foods too!). They have bingo (Drago) on Wednesday nights that I want to try! Prizes include gift cards that I am aware of.
(5)
Christina Q.
I decided to come here a little after dinner time with a few friends. My first impression of walking into the restaurant was a very modern and chic vibe. It would be fun for a date if you wanted to try something new like Russian food (which I never had). In regards to the service. it was quite a mess. There was no host, and the bartender told us to seat ourselves. No one came around to grab a menu or even noticed us for the first 10 minutes. So, I basically grab the menus for ourselves. We never had one specific server, and they never checked on us either. The service was bad, and no one likes bad service. 1/5 In regards to the food, we decided to try their "famous" pierogies, the chicken kiev, and cabbage rolls. I'm kind of a stickler when it comes to pierogies because I have polish friends who make delicious home-made ones. However, dang, these were soggy. They looked brown and crispy, however, it felt like I was eating a pile of mush. The insides kind of reminded me of a KFC bowl. Definitely disappointed because it seemed like a popular choice. 2/5 The chicken kiev was actually pretty good. The chicken was still tender and crispy on the outside. I absolutely loved the roasted vegetable medley they added to their mash potatoes. It was the only thing I would probably recommend out of everything we ate that night. 4/5 The cabbage roll was drowned in tomato sauce that tasted like pizza sauce. There was basically zero to none cabbage as well? The meat was quite dry, and the "pizza" sauce couldn't save it. 1.5/5 Thank god, we had a groupon. Otherwise, I would have been very very disappointed especially at the prices since it wasn't that cheap. There are so many other restaurants to try especially in Uptown, so I would definitely recommend to pass on this place. However, if you have the Groupon and want to try some Russian food, why not?
(2)
Allison W.
I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! The food is absolutely incredible, trumped only by the service. We sat at the bar, all-though the high top tables were a tempting option, I like being able to look through into the kitchen as they prepare your food, and the bar seating provides the perfect vantage point. A zillion stars for the bartender [tall and lanky with a tat on the inside of his forearm] who convinced me to try gin I have never been a big fan of gin, but he assured me the gin mule, dubbed 'Manchester Mule' was the way to go. He was right, it was fresh, clean, and not too sweet, one sip and I was hooked! Which can be especially dangerous as their be-famed mules are 2-4-1 on happy hour! My friend ordered a different mule 'Miracle on Ice' [their menu names are quite clever] and it too was fantastic. For an app we split THE SPUTNIK pierogis, or as I'd asked for them 'the spicy ones'. WOW! they are not messing around, so much flavor for what I was expecting to be meat-and-potatoes. Quite impressive. Dinner I had Beef Stroganoff and she had the Chicken Kiev, both amazing. So amazing that we I went to take a picture we had pretty much cleaned our plates, hence no picture evidence, but I assure you it was phenomenal. Did I mention all this was $35 dollars because we happened to venture on Thursday dinner time Hammer & Sickle 'Date Night'! Like what! 3 courses for under $50 in uptown!! Start to finish one of the best dining experiences I've had! Cheers and Sickle I'll be seeing you again soon :)
(5)
Emily R.
Vodka.. you had me at vodka bar. This Russian vodka restaurant is so punny I love it. Not only do they have awesome Pierogis, their drink menu is AWESOME. They have an awesome honey vodka drink with cider mixed it, their s'more martini actually comes with a big marshmallow in it, and their mules are great! If you like Jamison they have the best Jamison mule. Happy hour is two for ones on mules, rail drinks and beers. It used to be on the martinis and specialty drinks which makes me sad. This venue is small so try not to plan big groups of more than 6, unless you get there really early. Lastly, they have Russian roulette. They give you a toy gun with one more bullet/load noise left and whoever gets it has to take a shot! Very very fun time.
(5)
John W.
Pleasantly surprised how good the food is here! Everything we got was really good. The meatballs were homemade in an awesome sauce. I believe they are beef and pork mix. The lobster skewer was really good and the mushroom stroganoff was better than mom makes. The drinks were pretty weak and cost $12 but food made it a worth while visit. I bought a 2nd groupon just to go back again.
(4)
Alli Q.
Surprisingly fantastic! I've walked past this place a hundred times and finally decided to walk in for late evening drinks. We stumbled upon the late night happy hour, which is from 10-12pm, and $2 off signature cocktails. The cocktails are a bit pricey, normally priced $12, but are nonetheless delicious and unexpected in Uptown. I had the Russian Honeybee, Petite Ginger, and Sochi Breeze. The Petite Ginger tasted a bit like soap, but I highly recommend the Russian Honeybee and Sochi Breeze. Perogis, infused vodka, and fantastic servers/bartenders in a Cold War theme makes this place a necessary stop. Can't wait to be back and highly recommend!
(4)
Mary N.
The first thing I noticed when I came here was the nice red accent they've added to the entrance of the restaurant. The next thing I noticed after I entered was that all the tables on the left and right side were 2-tops, which makes it a little hard when you have more than 2 people. Behind the bar, next to the kitchen where you can see where they make your food though, were booths where you can fit 4-6 people. The place has a nice atmosphere but I don't recommend it if you're going with more than 4 people. Service wise-There was no host at all, the bartender basically told us to seat ourselves, which is fine but no one ever came around to give us menus. My friend had to go up to grab menus for us. I don't even think we had a specific server? No one ever introduced themselves as our server. We had a different person take our order, bring our drinks, and check us out; I'm a little confused on that part. Point is, I have no idea who our server was. Food wise, we ordered the yankee peirogi, chicken kiev, and cabbage rolls. The peirogis did not have that little crunch on the outside that they were suppose to, they were kind of soggy.. :/ the chicken kiev was good! I recommend this dish out of everything we got. The outside was super crispy, &the inside was juicy. The vegetable on this dish was the best part of the meal and it all comes on top of a bed of mash potatoes.
(3)
Marilyn C.
If you were going to give up all meat for at least a year, where would you eat your last burger? For me, I chose the Hammer and Sickle. Whenever I would go to the movies, I would stop by here for their amazing sliders. I love what they do here and I love their kitchen staff, I never forget to compliment them and to tell them they are kings back there. My whole body smiles at eating their food. However, I have some adjusting to do with my dietary changes and this cleanse is very necessary for me. I have to say that I enjoyed and savored every bite I have taken at the Hammer and Sickle and love their vodka flights. I highly recommend them and if you are going out to the Lagoon theater, stop by the Hammer and Sickle and have a wonderful time. The service is fast and friendly and ask questions! The servers know the menu and can help you make a solid choice.
(5)
Zeke T.
Aside from things like Pussy Riot and Rocky IV I know very little about the Russian culture so I was stepping outside of my comfort zone to try out this place. I joked about the high ceilings and copper plated walls attributing to an overall cold war theme. The food was spectacular, and you can peer right into the kitchen to watch as it is made. I have pretty mixed feelings towards some of the plates, but overall I enjoy the food here. I was disappointed by the meat assorti. I was hoping for something a bit more than what seemed like sliced salami and pan fried ham with an assortment of pickled sides. I love The Comrade pierogi though and I'll come back just to try the other pierogis. It was my first time trying out pierogi and I am now a fan. The beef and lamb skewers were supposed to be the highlight of their dish, but they were mediocre in comparison to the pilaf. Then again it has to be pretty hard to outplay that sweet and savory pilaf. The last dish we tried was a steak cooked medium-rare placed on top of spetzl. Spetzl is delicious and I would take that over spaghetti any day. Sorry spaghetti night, but you've been replaced. The steak was cooked to perfection, but perhaps the grill needed to be cleaned a bit more. The char taste from the grill was too strong. I'm not sure what the overall theme is supposed to be, but from what I understand Russia, or what used to be known as Soviet Russia, is pretty diverse with a lot of Asian fusion cuisines. I'd return right away if they started making some of those dishes.
(3)
Amy C.
I was very pleasantly surprised by Hammer and Sickle. After reading the Yelp reviews I was worried, but I needn't have been. Our server was attentive, friendly and helpful. Our food was excellent, fresh and affordable. The atmosphere was good. We ordered the Easterner pierogi, Baltika Baltic porter, the beet salad, the chicken skewers, rice pilaf and garden vegetables. There were two of us and there was too much food for us. The beet salad was beautiful and had micro greens and I believe goat cheese and was formed into a log. The chicken skewers came with rice pilaf so no need to order that separately. The garden veggies were only a side dish but were a good size and included mushrooms and brussel sprouts. Everything was excellent. Definitely give it a try. We mostly had the place to ourselves because we were there between happy hours. It seems like most people come for the happy hour for the Moscow Mules. They did look good, but I highly recommend the Baltika Baltic Porter if you like dark beers. It's a big enough bottle for two people to share.
(4)
Monica N.
Went here for Drago (every Wednesday) and for HH! It's totally worth it. Order their Moscow Mule and you wont be disappointed. They have a good selection of drinks, beer selection is ok. Now their food is really good! I tried their kobe sliders, Russian potatoes, and their pirogies! Everything was delicious. This place is worth a try :)
(4)
Mike B.
Came here on a Friday night with some friends for vodka and pierogies. Surprisingly empty for an Uptown bar on a weekend night...but maybe that's just this time of the year in Minnesota. The atmosphere is in one word, cool. From the lack of any glaring sign outside to the hammer and sickle door knob to the Soviet-crimson light permeating out onto the street, this bar oozes hipness from the time you walk up to it on Lagoon. The food and drinks almost live up to the atmosphere. Late-night happy hour specials are good -- 2 for 1's on Mules, wells, and beer, as well as $2 off pierogies. Now, my mother is part Russian, and I grew up eating all kinds of homemade pierogies. These aren't quite your Russian mother's pierogies (and really, does anything ever touch your mom's cooking?), but they're still pretty impressive, especially for a cuisine not readily available in the Cities. I tried three different ones: The Sputnik, The Latin, and The Polish. Sputnik -- Potato, ground beef, and most importantly the 3-chili relish. This thing is HOT but absolutely bursting with flavor. You will cry, and you will be happy about it because you will be delirious from the super spicy deliciousness. You will also use the sour cream. A lot. Fortunately, it goes really well with the rest of the flavors. Top notch. This isn't your typical Minnesota spice. Also, eat this one last, as your taste buds will be burnt out after devouring it. Latin -- Another pierogi with great flavor. Chorizo, jalapeno, and potato mix to concoct what tastes like a potato taco, complete with surprisingly good salsa. Polish -- My least favorite of the three pierogies I tried. Just felt like something was missing here or wasn't balanced, or they just missed on the flavor mixing. The idea is good...a Polish/German medley with ground beef and kraut, served with horseradish on the side. I think it needed more kraut, as the taste wasn't brought out to it's potential. The horseradish wasn't the greatest combination with the rest of the flavor profile. I think it would be better served with more kraut and possibly a hollandaise or some kind of mushroom, white wine sauce to go with the German theme. The two different Mules I tried were tasty but not very strong. I wasn't even slightly buzzed after finishing off two of my Moscows and trying out one of my friend's Milanese. A little more alcohol kick wouldn't hurt here at $10 a pop! Overall, the atmosphere is great, the drinks are tasty (though not strong enough), and the pierogies are legit and unique. If you want exceptional Russian cuisine, hit up Moscow on the Hill in St. Paul, but if you're looking for something a little different with a great ambiance in Uptown Minneapolis, check this place out!
(4)
Cindy S.
I have been here twice and I like it. They have a simple menu, but that's all I'm really looking for when I am putting around uptown. They make several types overstuffed perogis and they are heaven in my mouth(seems that these are a hit or miss). My favorite one is the easterner. Although a bit on the spendy side they make a pretty good beef stroganoff as well. The drinks were strong when I went and service is very polite. I have no complaints at this point. Go give them a try and don't forget to get those Russian fries! And yes, it can get spendy, but it's uptown right? No, it may not be athentic russian, but if you like it, you like it.
(4)
Daisy N.
Pierogi's -YUM! We had the Polish. So good! Skewers-tried both the lamb and the lobster. Both were melt in your mouth -the Bomb. Service was awesome. Will be back!
(5)
Jason K.
My wife and I had a $40 Groupon here in Uptown, which we had been to about 3 years ago, when it was an Asian Fusian place and had some of the best drunken noodles ever. This Russian place has no sign outside, but we grabbed hold of the hammer and sickle door handle and entered. It looks a lot like the old place, very modernistic and sleek. We sat near the window and there was a group of 6 there and another group of5, but other than that, pretty sparse. I did like the open kitchen in the rear corner, a nice touch. There are 6 infused vodkas here, so I chose the lemon infused martini, very solid. Not too boozy, and tasted a lot like lemoncello. I really enjoyed it, and my wife even said she would like it, and she normally hates beer and booze. I ordered some borscht to start off, which was warm and had delicately chopped beef in it, very good! I really loved this stuff, and perfect for a cool fall day. I then ordered a Summit Oktoberfest and an order of the chorizo filled pierogi. How could this go wrong, my favorite dumpling dish, with my favorite sausage? 5 filled dumplings with slices of jalapeno adorning it with some salsa on the side. It was just fantastic! Just the right amount of heat. Homemade pierogis, aIways are a winner! The chicken skewer was full of about 5 chunks of juicy chicken and really smoky veggies like pepper and onions. It tasted like they came right out of a BBQ smoker. Awesome for $5. Great dinner with the wife and I finished off the $40 with a delicious Surly Furious. What a night!
(4)
Rhonda H.
Excellent service! The server made excellent recommendations and was very friendly. The Russian meatball small plate contained four good sized meatballs. It would work for four people. They had great flavor and a little spicy. The pork kebab was served over a citrus pilaf. The pork was perfectly cooked and included zucchini, red onion and red & green peppers. This would be okay to share for two people. The Latin pierogis were flavorful and spicy with the jalapeños, but I'd probably try a different version next time. An order contains five pierogis. The beef stroganoff with spaetzle again was plenty for two people. The sauce was a little too salty and sour for me.
(4)
Ali J.
I've never really had Russian food before, but with a good deal on Groupon I figured this was a good time to try it. We stopped in at the end of happy hour and started off with a few drinks - I stuck with wine while my boyfriend was daring and tried one of their specialty drink - holy vodka. The waitress had warned us beforehand how strong it would be...that was a major understatement. He ended up liking it but I was happy to stick with wine. We ordered a few pierogis, shashlks (Russian style BBQ skewers) and the meatball appetizer. The meatball app was amazing - I was so surprised at how spicy and flavorful it was! Never really having Russian food before I didn't think it'd really be spicy but this was a nice surprise. The pierogis were another hit, especially the latin one. The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the lamb shashliks because of how dry it was and it seemed like part of it wasn't cooked thoroughly. The place was surprisingly pretty quiet for a happy hour but about 1/2 way through a large group of people came in. They were fine at the bar until the bartender pulled out a toy pop gun and kept shooting it and having them do it and scream - this got obnoxious FAST! Other than that the restaurant was really nice and service was good. Definitely worth checking out in Uptown.
(3)
Ali D.
I'll be honest - I didn't have high expectations for this place, and I wasn't proven wrong. The boy and I went here for dinner a few weeks back - he was super excited, since he's somewhat of a Russian culture geek (don't ask me). We started off with a round of drinks - a Miracle on Ice for me, a Moscow Mule for him. Both drinks tatsed fine and were noticeably alcoholic, but both were just a little too sweet for my liking. Next stop: the Tour de Pierogi. We ordered the Comrade (potato, cheese, caramelized onion, bacon, topped with sour cream), the Latin (potato, chorizo, jalapeno, served with salsa and sour cream), and the Easterner (ground pork, ginger, green onion, carrots, served with soy sauce). Potato pierogi are decidedly not really my thing, but the flavors were well balanced and the dumplings themselves had a nice sear on the outside. Grease was definitely the #1 ingredient in the potato/chorizo dumplings. Thank goodness I had a dining companion who'll basically eat anything, because these were nearly inedible. Speaking of inedible, we ordered one of their shashlik (skewer) options as well - the beef was gristly, chewy, overcooked, and I actually had to discreetly spit out the undigestible beef into my napkin. I've NEVER done this in a restaurant before. "Not enthused" is an understatement. The best menu item of the night were the Asian-influenced dumplings, but we all know that those are available in so many other restaurants, for much cheaper. To top it all off, there was confusion between servers about who was managing our table, so there were a few details that were missed in our orders as well. Needless to say, I don't think I'll be returning. I'll get my Asian dumplings from an authentic restaurant, thank you very much.
(2)
Jesse D.
We just had brunch here and we could not have been more disappointed. We arrived to a 75% empty dining area and 1 server. He greeted us and told us to sit anywhere. When we sat, he assumed we were there for brunch and dropped off 2 plates. Unfortunately, one of the plates was very dirty and needed to be replaced. He didn't even look at it. The server didn't take any time to explain what the brunch consisted of or the price was and when I asked for a regular menu, he told us that it was brunch only so we decided it might be a good way to try the food. He didn't even explain any of the Vodka specials and this place is supposed to be a vodka bar. We got our plates and walked over to the buffet. The food seemed like it was a step or 2 above a Hampton Inn breakfast buffet. The bacon was sitting in a server full of grease and was barely cooked, there was dry meat under a light with a knife sitting by it but it looked inedible. The fruit was dry and gross. The rest of the food was ok but all of it seemed like it had been sitting out for too long. If I get a stomach ache later, I know where it came from. It was all you can eat and we barely had one serving. When the time came to get our bill, the server was too busy talking with his friends in the corner and was inattentive. For $12.50 per person, I would go somewhere else for breakfast/brunch in uptown. I don't think we will be going back.
(1)
Colin S.
Wonderful food. Great atmosphere. Attentive and helpful service. They even split our bill so we could get happy hour on our apps/drinks and use a groupon on our meal.
(5)
Patti K.
Who would have thought that a Soviet Union theme would be cool for a restaurant! The ambience reminded me of what yuppie sushi restaurants try to do nowadays--high ceilings, fusion food, over-the-top menu item names, pulsing hip music, low lights, and a knowing too-cool attitude. Socialist realist decor would have been more amusing to me than the Spaghetti Factory-style red tasseled lampshades, but perhaps that would been a bit much. We ordered borscht, assorti fish, chicken kiev, and varenyky/pierogi dubbed "Sputnik." The borscht was very good with the freshly-toasted dark bread. I tasted bits of meat (probably beef), which made it more substantial. The chicken kiev was also good, and artfully presented. I thought the fish plate was the best item. Pickled herring, pickled lake trout, and smoked salmon lovingly arranged with pickles, microgreens, mustard sauce, dill spread, and brown toast points. The fish plate was a meal in itself, and I was surprised to find that it was a serving supposedly for only one person. the smoked salmon was a surprise--I thought it was a heap of pickled vegetables, but it was smoked salmon crumbled and sprinkled generously over hard boiled egg whites and tiny potato cubes. I never had pickled grapes or eggs before, so the whole plate felt like an adventure. Out of curiosity, I tried the pierogi called "Sputnik" described as "Potato, ground beef, 3 chili relish, served with sour cream and tears... " They were not kidding. The 3 chili relish overpowered the flavors of everything else. I usually order medium spicy at restaurants, and I needed a tall glass of orange juice to put out the fire in my mouth. (I really wanted a lassi or horchata, but although they had Kobe beef sliders and pierogi with chorizo, their fusion did not continue to beverages.) Overall, it was a fun experience. The server was cheerful and attentive. The Happy Hour prices were very good. The one downside was the parking--the website indicated a pay parking lot, but there was no validation. Next time, we'll park on the street if we get there early enough.
(4)
Chris L.
Decided mixed reviews had me apprehensive but came with the wife and two friends. Good start with Paulaner Hefe-weizen available. Service was very attentive albeit we were only one of two groups there on an (Easter) Sunday. We all thought the food was great (in part thanks to Yelp reviews). Best was the Sputnik pierogis, cabbage roll and smoked fish plate. Comrade pierogi good but boring. Mini reubens OK. Skewered meat we found a bit boring and overcooked. Russian crepes good for dessert. Full length windows open on a nice day made it feel less oppressive. We all planned to return soon to get more of the best dishes we had.
(4)
Jeff S.
Not a drinker so I can't comment on what for some is a major draw (vodka bar). The food, however, impressed. First the atmosphere is nice and the staff was friendly. Ordered the classic potato and cheese pierogi ("The Comrade") as an appetizer. Very tasty. I then had the chicken kiev, my wife ordered the beef stroganoff. Both were excellent. I'd only had chicken kiev one other time, at St. Paul's Moscow on the Hill, and I think Hammer & Sickle's is better. Finished with chocolate pumpernickel bread pudding, which as a big fan of bread puddings I can say was also excellent. I will return.
(4)
Jen G.
The groupon deal of drew me in to this place that I would have typically passed by. I live in the neighborhood but find myself avoiding Lake street near Hennepin. I went on a Monday night and there were only a few tables of people in the place. It has a cool, dark atmosphere and awesome 2 for 1 happy hour specials! The Moscow mule was great. Happy hour that lasts until 7pm (not that 3-6pm stuff) is also great. We ordered escargot, yankee pierogies, and the cabbage rolls for 2 people to split. Escargot was weird. It came with a fork for poking snails out of the shell, but there were no shells... Just a dish with a layer of cheese and bread crumbs and some mushroomy snail meat hidden underneath. Confusion. Pierogies were okay. This place is probably supposed to showcase the pierogies, but I thought they were bland. Maybe I need to try the other kinds? Cabbage rolls were really good. I almost missed this item because I had my heart set on pierogies, but I'm so glad that I ordered this - it's a big roll on top of mashed potatoes covered in a red sauce with a dollop of sour cream. That's some comfort food right there.
(3)
Andrew C.
A mixed result here: 1. Smoked fish platter was bountiful, fresh and skillfully plated. 2. Chicken skewer was good but veggies on veggie skewer were scorched on outside but onions and eggplant still raw :( 3. Wanted to like the pierogies, but the meat in them tasted really old. ( quality control fail!) 4. Server was friendly, attentive and helpful. 5. Happy hour prices are great. Still, I probably won't be back, the food just wasn't good enough.
(2)
Troy P.
I thought this place was pretty cool. The menu is very affordable and has a lot of things I really enjoy. The pirogi seem to be their claim to fame, other than caviar and of vodka of course, and are simple yet tasty little bites. We had the Yankee and the Cholo which were both great for sharing along with the lamb and pork skewer. There was good distinction between the two pirogi which in my opinion can taste the same if the ingredients aren't strong enough. The Yankee was a straight up American pleaser while the Cholo was their Mexican version with Jalapenos and Chorizo. I was really excited for the lamb skewer after reading some great things but ended up enjoying the pork more. The lamb was kind of tough and really chewy although it did have great flavor, the pork was just easier to eat and seemed like it was done a little better. They serve them on rice with a dipping sauce and grilled veggies which make sharing even more inviting. They have a pretty decent specialty cocktail menu also for $10-12. I'm not a big vodka drinker and although the majority of drinks are focused on vodka they do have some bourbon to keep everyone satisfied. The St. Petersburg seemed to be their version of a cross between a Manhattan and an Old Fashioned which was pretty good. Our server suggested the Moscow Mule which was tasty as well, the drink we didn't like and wouldn't recommend was the HoneyBee I believe it's called. Not good, both of us felt immediate stomach aches upon taking a sip, the apple juice just doesn't work. Our service was really good, the atmosphere is fun and different although they could stand to turn the music down just a little. I know it's Uptown and all but I never had to repeat myself and say what so many times when within such close proximity. Altogether worth a visit, we'll be back to try some of the large plates on another visit
(4)
Joshua G.
This restaurant is a good example of why groupon is on its death throws. Even though we were 3 couples paying 3 separate checks we could only pay with one groupon due to our proximity to one another. I guess that would be ok if the food is good but that is almost never the case. Restaurants that have this one groupon per table clause know that their food sucks and are banking on the fact you will never claim the remaining groupons. On a positive the staff was very good and the drinks were well done. Also the one appitzer that did not require cooking was very good. The stroganoff was very tuff and had way to much vinegar. It was basically a shoe leather vinaigrette. The lamb was also very tuff. The meatballs were very bland but had a nice sauce. we had 3 different perogees and the were either flavorless or so hot that you tastbuds could not taste anything. Basically the food was so bad we would rather surrender our 50 bucks worth of groupons then put ourselves through that again. This will probably also be our last groupon.
(2)
Bob J.
Good food, at least good enough for the Uptown crowd. The bar attracts garbage, and the kids occupying the place kept screaming about doing more shots, then they moved on to the next bar. The server was pretty friendly, but approached us with all the rules about Groupon in case we had one, then got down to the business of taking our order. We had dinner early, and upon hearing the vegetarian special we ordered one, only to find out they "ran out". We were probably the first table in the restaurant, so that was pretty tacky. The place never filled up on a Saturday night. Food was ok, not authentic, not bad, just pretty good.
(3)
Quinton B.
Great service. Enjoyed the Lobster & drinks. Lots to choose from. Sharing with a group of friends isn't a bad idea as well. Rich, filling menu.
(5)
Rachel L.
Unfortunately for us we were served two under cooked meals in a row. The first being a chicken dish which is dangerous. Thankfully my husband had not consumed much of his chicken before we noticed this. The waitress asked us what else she could bring for us, my husband asked for beef stroganoff well done. The beef was rare and not cooked at all in many spots. We were then charged for this more expensive entree. I was just at a loss after all this.
(1)
Sean N.
Amazing specialty cocktails. The pierogi are great and so are the kabobs. Definitely recommend this place.
(5)
Eric J.
The food was absolutely outstanding as were the cocktails and the service. Great little place to stop in for a drink or to have some good hearty food. The lamb kebabs are my favorite but the pierogies were pretty darn good also
(5)
Scott E.
I so want to give this place a four or five star, but maybe on our next visit. I am so convinced this place could be awesome, We will give it another try. It has only been in business one year. A modern open bar with a warm feel. One side of the room and the back are away from the televisions. The bar has big screens. Sports on!. Kitchen is open. A full bar with a great beer and vodka list. We were excited about the menu. Then the reality set in. The place was semi full on a Thursday night and only one waiter, with a newbie shadowing her. Frustrations began. Horrible way to start off. Such a long wait for water and menus. She was an amazing waiter. They need to clone her. Explained everything. We ordered some beer and vodka, the meat, cheese and pickled grapes platter with the Russian egg (think of it as a pickled deviled egg). This was FANTASTIC. We would come back for this platter and a beer. Once the order was in, it didn't long for someone to deliver it to us. We also ordered two of the six different perogis. Disappointing. There are different ways to make a perogis, I prefer the dough to be more like a bun and then baked, their version resembles a pot sticker. Five to an order. They are ample in size. Inside of both the traditional and asian perogis tasted the same and could only be described as mush. The only taste was the dipping sauce. That is all we tried. The bathrooms are super clean. The decor is fun. Parking is in a pay lot or city street (depending on the night, could be a three block walk). This is a very safe and clean park of the city. I would recommend you check this place out if in Uptown. Just be prepared to wait for service and even longer to pay your tab. We will be back.
(3)
Rhonda G.
The cold war is over, and they come up with this name to lure you in. What's next, Auschwitz? From all my experiences, beet vinaigrette salad is usually 95% beets. Not here, mostly filler and a few chopped beets, not enough to taste. I attune this to laziness. We sampled a lot of items. First, I took Jessica's advice and am in total agreement about the meatballs. We got beef and lamb kabobs, The Polish pirogi, Cabbage rolls, and beef stroganoff. Everything is good, tender, and generous portions. Not crazy about their sauces.The oddity is that everything has an under taste. It's very dark inside and is all high top tables, and some booths. If you park in the lot you can conveniently exit out back. There is a lot of competition around here and finally located all the places all the Yelper's hang. In general we liked it, but time will tell about this concept.
(3)
Ani D.
I was really excited to try this place, and finally made it in last night. The food was good and the server was sweet. The physical environment was nice, dim lighting and open kitchen, with some booths tucked in the back. The music, however, was really offsetting. I was hoping for a bit more of a traditional Russian restaurant experience, but the awful top twenty pop music really clashed with the environment. It would be nice to hear Russian music or even non-Russian more mellow or tame music would be really beneficial to the dining experience.
(3)
Esse T.
Never been somewhere like this. Great staff, food, and vodka flights are awesome. Overall a unique pleasant lounge!
(5)
Michael R.
I brought a group here for happy hour a few weeks ago and all 10 of us soundly agreed it was the worst happy hour we'd ever had. We left after the first round for another bar. Our main complaints were the high price-point for mediocre drinks, lackluster service, and poor menu. The drinks do not have prices on the menu, at the start I asked the waitress what the pric-epoint was approximately. She said $8-12. Somehow, even though we ordered nearly all the cocktails between the ten of us, all but one were $12 (the mule was $10). We don't mind paying more for a good craft cocktail, but these were not speciality drinks. Their craft cocktails consist of standard bar drinks (the "Miracle on ice", for example, is an old-fashioned, and a small one of average quality at that). Better cocktail bars like Nightingale and Boneyard, who are mixing up really unique drinks, set their price-point closer to $8. Service was poor. Ignored for long periods of time by the waitress, had to flag her down on several occasions. The menu. $10 for 5 peiorgis, all of which were at best "okay". The lack of a vegetarian option in this part of town was bewildering. The skewers were the best thing we had and they were just all right. Anyway, if you want to pay $12 for an old-fashioned made with mid-tier rye, eat a potsticker pretending to be a pierogi, in the ambience of blaring televisions, be my guest.
(1)
Renu B.
The food- amazing!! Wow the food is so good! All of it! The drinks- the drago is so good and weird, has a horseradish in it! The rest of the drinks are great! The service- really good service, everyone is very nice! Great place, I hope it lasts
(5)
Nathaniel J.
I attempted to visit Hammer & Sickle on a Saturday night. It's Uptown so I know it's crowded. But we sat at a table for 15 minutes and not a single server approached us. We tried flagging some down, but they were just too busy. We left and I won't ever try this place again.
(1)
Anna K.
Indifferent service and unappealing ambience. Our server was not tuned in to our experience at all, yet the place was nearly empty. The staff could be seen texting. What's up with that? Weird, unpleasant feeling that no one really cared. My Moscow mule was cute, but not particularly good for $10. Worse: there was a rotten lime wedge on the edge of the copper cup! Really gross. Our silverware seemed dirty, our table was dusty, the music was just wrong and too loud, and the TVs were distracting and out-of-place. The decor feels cheap and not at all in a campy/ironic/hip spirit that one would expect from the name. We ordered several small plates. Nothing to write home about, unfortunately. The "fish assorti" included pickled herring, smoked salmon, and smoked trout, and was served with pickled mushrooms, an egg pickled in beet juice, and pumpernickel toast. The egg was delicious and unusual, but everything else was of the quality of Cub foods. Despite a cute presentation on a small cutting board, the salmon was dyed and cheap, the herring blah, and the trout dry, dry, dry. We did enjoy the meatballs in tomato sauce very much, but not so much that we'd go back.
(2)
Sara W.
Seriously, the food is awesome. Had the perioges, meatballs, and beef stroganoff. All were totally delicious. Loved his place so much, we went back like 3 days later for more. Highly recommend!
(5)
Josh S.
Hammer & Sickle in Uptown Minneapolis (1300 Lagoon Avenue) is a great little place to experience a different part of the world. I went there over a year ago with one of my Estonian-born friends from work and he told me the food was pretty authentic and close to what you'd get if you were in Russia. This is a place that nobody seems to know much about. There are many, many good things about this place and the food is really good. I'm particular to my pierogis (being of E. European background myself) and these are about as good as they get. I'd put them up with Kramarczuk's (on Hennepin) any day of the week. You really can't go wrong with the food when a native of the region is happy with it. The only downside I can see is that the drinks are way overpriced. Several of them are over $10 and that's hardly worth the price. They have some drinks I think don't belong on the menu (a Cuban mojito in a Russian restaurant? Really?) and the Russian drinks they do have appear to be made from cheap vodka. Otherwise, I love this place. I've never had bad food or service and the comfort level feels just right for me most of the time. My wife Krystyn loves going here and she is seriously the pickiest eater on the planet. She doesn't like Kramarczuk's (yeah, she's a little messed up in the head) but loves Hammer & Sickle. We recommend this place and if my recommendation isn't worth much, I think the words of my Estonian co-worker do the trick, "Reminds me of home." Great little place here.
(4)
Mary Jo C.
Had post dinner drinks here and was confused/amused by the setup. Nothing really screams vodka bar about this place other than the mural. I think it's a bit too much like its former cool asian spot space, Kinson? The menu is very unique offering several traditional Russian dishes. They make their own infused vodkas, including horseradish, cherry, honey, and many others. I was curious about the house flavors so tried a half honey half cherry with soda. It was sickly sweet but the honey came through like crazy! It's be kind of amazing in a tea. Nice little trendy after spot in uptown that doesn't really exist today.
(3)
Reggie F.
Overall we were completely impressed and would definitely return. We dined here around 5 on a Sunday, and used a Groupon. We were a little skeptical, but so glad we tried it. Ambiance--Cozy, modern, cool, semi-industrial feel. Fun atmosphere. Both booths and bar tables. Service--Excellent! Our waitress was very friendly and attentive, and let us know right away that our groupon would not work with the happy hour specials--no problem. Food--A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. We're not sure if this food is authentic Russian fare, but it certainly had personality and unique flavors. We started with the meatballs which were served in a delicious red sauce with cheese--would definitely recommend. We also shared the pickled beet salad which was very flavorful, bold, and delicious. The salad was much larger than we expected, and both appetizers were served with slices of rye toast. Next we shared two orders of perogies--the Comrade & the Latin. We loved both, and though we haven't had many perogies, we thought they were very well done with good toppings or sauces. The portions are quite large for what you pay, and sharing these plates was way more than enough food. We left with full tummies and smiles on our faces :) They have great happy hours deals every day from 4-7, and we can't wait to return and try more! We're really happy to have discovered Hammer & Sickle.
(5)
Rhonda j.
What an absolute pleasure to visit your restaurant. I live in San Diego and came to Minneapolis for a few days of cold weather. Thank you for providing that Minneapolis...5 degrees tonight! AWESOME! I purchased a groupon for your restaurant thinking what the hell, never had Russian, let's check it out. I am normally a wine drinker coming from San Diego and I was really pleased with the recommendation from my waitress of the Soviet Butterfly....smooth and delicious, dangerously so, easy to drink more than one, and I did. Next came pierogi...Comrade style...oh yes delightfully filling and yummy. Never cold enough to enjoy a potato dumpling in SoCal...but so good here. Who cares about calories!?! Next was the assorted fish appetizer (another waitress recommend)....I had no idea pickled herring would taste so good...seriously who would have thunk it? And the pickled grapes and carrots...is that cloves? Cinnamon? Allspice? Whatever it is yum! Thanks so much for great service and truly simple culinary affair that pleases the pallet. I hope to find myself in Minneapolis again soon and when I do, I will be sure to come by your restaurant again. Good luck to you, keep up the good work!
(5)
Maurissa M.
Absolutely awful experience. Went here with two friends on a Thursday evening, around 7:30. Our waitress was rude from the get go... Brought us to a table and brought waters, but it was a good 10 minutes before we got menus. We ordered a first round of drinks which came promptly, and ordered an app, after which our waitress tried to take away our menus. we explained that we planned on having dinner as well, as she walked away as if annoyed! I ordered a second drink at the same time that we ordered dinner.... Five minutes later, our waitress walks over and says "oh sorry, I forgot to ring in your drink" and walks away. Waited roughly 20 minutes for our food, which was brought to our table warm at best (we could see it sitting on a counter directly across from our table, waiting to be served). Waitress brings over our food, and doesn't even acknowledge that I STILL haven't gotten my drink. I finally walk up to the bar (I've now been waiting 25 minutes for a drink) and find the waitress leaning against the bar watching the game on TV. When I remind her that I haven't gotten my drink, she simply says "ok, that ones on me" and walks away. I did finally get one, and it wasn't on my tab, but I expected AT LEAST some sort of an apology, and probably a table visit from a manager. We were never checked on and no one ever asked us how the food was. The only reason I give the second star is because had the food been served hot, it would've been wonderful. The drinks were delicious but very overpriced. We will not be back.
(2)
Jessica S.
No sign marks the spot, but the iron Hammer & Sickle door handle is a dead giveaway that you've arrived at the right spot. The mysterious lack of signage coupled with the Siberian cold (what has been dubbed the "Polar Vortex" aka a run-of-the-mill Minnesota winter) may lead you to believe that you're soon to cross the threshold into the Russian mob's top secret lair, so long as you ignore the floor to ceiling windows allowing passerbyers on Lagoon to peer in and catch a peek of the "illicit" activities underway inside. But, fear not, the revolver used in this game of Russian roulette is nothing but a mere plastic toy discharging a harmless, albeit startling, "pop" (inquire with the server/bartender if you desire to satisfy your risk-taking urges) and the mobsters here are your average millennial dressed-to-impress plucked from the Uptown/Downtown districts. The music pulses over head. The little space is full at 10 pm on a Saturday night. Bodies congregate in the bar and entry leaving minimal room to navigate. The dim lighting, a red glow from the back lit bar [think Social House], conceals flaws and imperfections. This screams "date night"! [The ratio of men to women, about 4 to 1.] ...Or, for the single ladies, "meat market"! Cocktails (ranging from $8-$12) and infused vodkas (flights offered) seem to be the drinks of choice here. The cocktail I sipped was called Forbidden Fruit, essentially an Appletini, rimmed with cinnamon sugar and smelling too temptingly much like a straight-outta-the-oven apple pie. Good, but a tad pricey at $12. On the eats front, small plates or entrees are available. If you're not jonesing for a ton of grub, then I think you might just find the small plates adequate. I've had the opportunity to sample... -Meatballs: Fat and juicy! (Ew, feels so wrong to describe anything that way.) Loaded with flavor, both from within the meatball itself and the sauce. Hearty bread for dipping on the side. -Pierogies: Potato-stuffed dumplings boiled and pan fried. Lots of flavor combos available with primarily meat-centric toppings. Don't even remember exactly what we ordered, but it was flavorful. Skewers: I ordered the eggplant skewer. Others ordered meat on a stick, which garnered approving nods and grunts. I found my eggplant and veggies to be unnecessarily slathered in oil. Because the veggies weren't covered in enough gunk (has anyone invented an emoticon for sarcasm yet?), I further dressed it with layers of creamy horseradish sauce (sour cream), which distracted from the slimy oil. The bed of rice that cushioned the skewer was not entirely soft and fluffy, specked with some crunchy grains. Undercooked rice is not excusable. I've yet to master this, but Cooking 101, am I right? -Pelmeny: Bite-sized stuffed pasta, either with finely shredded and sauteed veggies or meat in the middle. When inquiring about the meat filling, I insist the server said "beef, pork, and oyster." My BF assures me that the third meat she listed was "lamb" not "oyster." You say toMAYto, I say toMAHto. We opted for veggie because pork just is not our cup of tea. However, vegetarians beware, a few of the porky pastas found their way into our plate of veggie pelmeny. Aside from this mishap, I enjoyed the veggie version, mostly after dousing it in the accompanying vinegar and sour cream. (Sour cream is a lot like ketchup or sriracha. It makes everything taste better.) Without these condiments, the pelmeny would be lacking as the boiled pasta "flavor" (anti-flavor?) dominated over the tasty yet minimal veggie stuffing. And, I'm not one to let food go to waste, so I did sample those sneaky meat pelmeny that had infiltrated our dish. Too spicy, like sausage spicy, not hot spicy. All in all, the food was not exactly memorable and the kitchen made a few beginner blunders (undercooked rice, meat finding it's way into one of the few veg-friendly dishes--both of which I alerted the staff). Typically, after such an experience I'd award only 3 stars (which is certainly not bad, just average). However, I really do appreciate the concept underlying H&S (trendy vodka bar+Soviet bites) and its bringing of something new and different to Uptown. Plus, during both of my visits, I was quite pleased with the service [who (1) on one occasion went above and beyond to aid our group of 8 in the obnoxious task of splitting the bill among 8 people who were sharing dishes, and (2) during my most recent visit were very receptive and apologetic toward my negative feedback, though I'm somewhat surprised that no apology offer was extended, i.e. an on-the-house dessert, in exchange for crunchy rice and a meat-contaminated veggie dish). I expect to be back. However, if I do not see improvements, I'll be dropping a star and making less frequent visits. H&S, I bet that leaves you shaking in your Valenki boots now.... : )
(4)
Michelle W.
Here for late night drinks. Drinks are very good. I'm a big fan of vodka cocktails. These were a little weak, but delicious. The service, however, was quite terrible. Our server was too busy doing shots and flirting with the bouncer to be bothered to check on us or bring us drinks that we ordered 30 minutes earlier. Side note: Russian roulette cap guns are annoying. Ear drums serve an important purpose, unbeknownst to this bar.
(2)
Valerie H.
Poor Hammer & Sickle, you are unintentionally hilarious. This location used to be known as Kinsen Noodles; to make a transition to Russian themed vodka bar it looks like the owners painted the walls red and added some sconces. We looked but couldn't even find a picture of the Kremlin. Perhaps the ambiance becomes more like Moscow once you down a few vodkas? Be prepared to pay a lot for cocktails, but it is Uptown. I had a cinnamon apptletini that was delicious, but probably not worth $12 outside of happy hour ($2 off cocktails) If you are feeling mildly adventurous, order the Drago shot- horseradish vodka, Jagermeister, and caviar at the bottom. Bonus! When someone in your group orders this vile concoction, you all get to play Russian roulette with a pop gun. This game proved a little anticlimactic as our first gun failed to pop after going around the group. According to our waitress this "happens a lot...." Cheers for her enthusiasm, but the speed and menu knowledge left much to be desired. I wish Hammer & Sickle luck, because it will need Putin-sized amounts to stay afloat for more than 6 months. Damn good pierogis though!
(3)
Anon X.
We went out for dinner on a Wednesday evening. Our bill was $39 total. We ordered the meatballs to start and then dined with Chicken, Lamb, Pork and Lobster Shashlik. The meatballs were excellent, very soft and flavorful. However, the entrees were a big disappointment. The Shashlik all came together on one plate over rice. The rice was hard and not edible. The chicken, pork and lamb were extremely dry and the lobster was overcooked so it was rubbery to eat. We ate here with a Groupon, but most likely will not return. The service was fast and extremely friendly though. We were in and out in less than an hour.
(3)
Alan H.
Love the happy hour until 7pm-2-4-1! Great deals on small plates during happy hour as well. Their Moscow Mule is spot on and served legit in a copper cup. Small plates are tasty. Have been there a few times now and had great service once, had a server in training another time and had a pretty unfriendly one the last time. I'll keep going-it's quiet and feel a bit like a diamond in the rough.
(4)
Cheryl B.
First time to Hammer & Sickle tonight-had a fabulous dinner from -the borscht , beef stroganoff , pork kabob to the vanilla custard w/ginger apple chutney our dinner was incredible-the beef and pork were cooked to order and very flavorful-will definitely be back!! Happy hour till 7 too!!
(5)
Alex T.
Having lived in Russia for several years, my girlfriend and I went to this bar thinking that we knew what to expect. What we actually got was food that far exceeded our expectations on every level. This is not just a specialty restaurant for when you're craving vodka and pirogi. This is a restaurant/bar for any night on any occasion. First, the atmosphere was nice; not kitsch or overdone with Soviet propaganda, but chic with good music and a good feel overall. The staff was very friendly and made good suggestions. The drinks were amazing as well. We tried the Moscow Mule and the Hangover Cure which were both well done, but the best part was the vodka infusion flight that we got. It included cherry, honey, dill and horseradish infused vodkas, with the last two stealing the show. A must-try if you go. But the best part by far was the food. These aren't your babushka's pirogi; every plate was beautifully presented and tasted even better. The food was very high quality, especially considering the price. Some of the best parts were: --Beef stroganoff --Vinaigrette salad --Meat/fish appetizer platter --Comrade pirogi --Lamb/pork skewers But really, from our experience, it seems that if you try anything you'll be satisfied. If you're in Uptown Minneapolis, definitely stop by for drinks at least, but dinner if possible.
(5)
David A.
Eat anything here. It's all great. The Chicken Kiev got a 10 from my companion - a Chicken Kiev fanatic. The Easterner pirogues were off the chart. The lamb skewer was the least interesting thing we tasted, and even that got an 8! Oh, and we're not drinkers so we ordered ginger ale. Delicious. I forget to ask about it, but it's sure not Canada Dry.
(5)
Nicole M.
Hammer and Sickle is AMAZING. Exactly what Uptown needed. We tried many different dishes-the Russian Fingerling potatoes for an appetizer-I'd suggest asking for the homemade dill dip to go with them, it's delicious!! We had the lobster kabobs, which were to die for. The lobster was so tasty. We also had their escargot, my first time having such a dish, and I've been craving it ever since. You must end the night with their infused rum cake-hands down the best I've ever had. And the cocktails are incredibly unique (homemade infused vodka-amazing), I'd suggest asking for a splash of their homemade grenadine in your drink, it's so light compared to regular grenadine. The atmosphere of this place is great too. Dark lighting and cozy candles makes you never want to leave. Not one moment of our incredibly long night here was a disappointment. I've actually never had a reason to write a review about a restaurant until now, that is how incredibly good Hammer & Sickle is.
(5)
Sarah Marie B.
I was incredibly disappointed by this place. Living nearby, I had seen this place but never had a chance to stop by, so I was pretty excited to finally try out something seemingly unique to the area. My boyfriend and I arrived early-ish (read: pre-dinner rush) on a Saturday night and were greeted by the male host. While the bar was full, there were only 3 or 4 tables full, so the host told us we could sit at any of the high tops and we thanked him and took a seat. We sat down and started looking through the drink menu, getting excited about all the interesting cocktails when I realized I actually had had time to read through all of them and nobody had yet come by. So we continued talking, slowly getting more concerned, as I watched the 3 waitresses and host that were about 10 feet from us hang out and chat. After 10 minutes of being ignored (the host glanced our way and did nothing) we put on our coats and walked out without anyone even attempting to take our order. Had this place been good we probably would have returned frequently, too bad.
(1)
Rik O.
Every time I have ever been here I have had a wonderful experience. The staff is awesome and the food is out of this world. I often joke that I am in a relationship with this bar since I think of it so often. The weekend brunch is something to write home about for sure and the caviar is better than sex. The craft cocktails (Moscow mule especially) are note worthy and you can't beat 10 dollar mimosas on weekends. I recommend this place to literally everyone I meet. Hammer and sickle is doing everything right and you should just go there. Now. Seriously get up and get dressed order a cocktail and have a pierogi. Try some infused vodkas and don't be shy of the beet juice Bloody Mary, it's amazing, trust me.
(5)
Brent S.
Nice layout and great service. The Perogies were a huge disappointment; just not good and really overpriced. Russian Tea House and Moscow on the Hill are the measuring stick here and this place does not even come close. Don't waste your time.
(2)
Scott K.
This place is awesome. You've got to know what to expect as far as ambiance. It has a slight Russian Mafia feel to it. It's also little hard to find because there is not much of a sign more of a symbol. I'll tell you what though. I couldn't find a pierogi or beef skewer on the menu I didn't like. The large plate meal they offer are very good as well. The food is hearty (meat and potatoes). Throw in the good selection of Vodka and specialty cocktails and you really can't go wrong... well maybe if you have too many Moscow Mules.
(4)
Brent M.
Groupon was what drove us to explore this place. Food was great and service was good. Without question, the meatballs were the best. I will be back again this winter. The good strikes me as a winter type of comfort food.
(4)
Bryan M.
If you love Vodka this is the place. A wide variety to choose from and moderate prices great wait staff and scenery.
(4)
Timothy F.
What more can I say than the food from Hammer & Sickle was absolutely impressive. The pierogies were so much better than I had imagined they would be. The stuffed cabbage rolls were huge and flavorful, and the lamb skewer was juicy and delicious. And I can't forget to mention how delicious the borscht was, especially with a dollop of sour cream. Hammer & Sickle has definitely won me over so far.
(4)
Nick H.
The food here is what really shines. The pierogis are wonderfully done. My favorite item however, was the escargot. It was sooooo good. Whenever I come back it is something I will order every time. The cocktails were OK. I would recommend the Miracle on Ice as it was the best one that my friends and I ordered.
(4)
Sarah L.
I will start by saying two things: 1st I am not a huge fan of Russian food and 2nd. I did not get the vodka. I tagged along with friends, one of whom is Russian and 2 of whom have spent considerable time in Russia. The aps were very pretty and tasted pretty good. I was really impressed with their take on French fries (and I'm not a fry person). The fish plate was very pretty but I can't comment on taste since I'm vegetarian. My friends agreed that all was good but questioned the authenticity. We asked about the owner and cook's connection to Russia and they apparently "researched it a lot." The atmosphere was Uptown chic. The wait staff was very friendly if a little bit over enthusiastic to bus our tables and help more. Every time we turned around they asked if needed something. Better that than ignoring us though. A fine place.
(3)
Debbie W.
As a vegetarian, they lost points. Borscht came with lamb even after stating I dont eat meat. Perogies had an amazing bacon.....really! But after getting it corrected...food was delicious!
(4)
Dan M.
Tonight was my second time at Hammer & Sickle and it was just as good as the first. This is a great place to share several different items on the menu. They have a cocktail menu focusing on vodka drinks, not surprising as this is a Russian joint. I had their signature red hammer which was a little too fruity for me. Then I had the Moscow mule which was a bit more up my alley. Tonight a buddy and I started off by sharing the Kobe beef sliders and the mini Reuben sandwich sliders. The beef sliders were pretty good and the Reuben sliders were excellent. Next we shared some perogis. One was the spudnik and it was fantastic. According to the waitress there were ghost peppers in it. As a spicy food fan I had to try it. It was decently spicy but probably not ghost pepper spicy. We also split some lamb skewers. The lamb was tender and juicy. Definitely go to this place if you enjoy Russian food, good cocktails, and a fun environment.
(5)
Kseniya N.
I really enjoyed dining here. The atmosphere is pretty chill and I liked the decor. Growing up on Russian food I must admit that not everything is true to taste but lots of things still give you a good idea of what the food is like... Think comfort food. What we really enjoyed were the comrad and the polish. I wish you could order blini with something other than caviar. The chicken shashlik was the best. We were a bit disappointed with the lamb shashlik, not the best cut of meat and too chewy. Mixed drinks were delicious and the happy hour prices for food are really reasonable.
(4)
C P.
Well we were going to go there this evening with another couple. We had coupons to use. But they have a policy of only one coupon per table and told us we would have to sit at separate tables. How absurd. They seem more nazi than russian. So we are not going and will not go in the future. Besides, I noticed their vodka menu does not even include Russian Standard Platinum. And they call themselves a Russian vodka bar!
(1)
Sharon R.
Fantastic beet salad,eggplant skewers,pudding,cocktails and friendly staff.
(4)
John G.
My wife burned the crap out of her finger after ordering a skewer. The server should have warned us that they are served extremely hot. When she told the server about it, the server asked if she wanted a band aid. No she doesn't want a band aid, she wanted an "oh I'm sorry what can we do for you to make this right" With all the choices in Uptown never going back there!
(1)
Keith M.
Minneapolitans love their bland, characterless bars and this one is just one small step above with a slightly detectable Russian theme. The borscht was fine and came with bits of lamb and sour cream with dill. As for the ambiance, I couldn't see hanging out here much, since the decor is about the extent to which you're (barely) reminded you're in a Russian themed bar-restaurant. I mean, at least break up the top 40 crap with an occasional nationalist Soviet ballad to Mother Russia. Stop in for a bite and move on elsewhere: the further from Lake & Hennepin the better.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner, Late Night Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Average Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Thu, Fri, Sat Coat Check : No Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Rachel L.
Unfortunately for us we were served two under cooked meals in a row. The first being a chicken dish which is dangerous. Thankfully my husband had not consumed much of his chicken before we noticed this. The waitress asked us what else she could bring for us, my husband asked for beef stroganoff well done. The beef was rare and not cooked at all in many spots. We were then charged for this more expensive entree. I was just at a loss after all this.
(1)Esse T.
Never been somewhere like this. Great staff, food, and vodka flights are awesome. Overall a unique pleasant lounge!
(5)Eric J.
The food was absolutely outstanding as were the cocktails and the service. Great little place to stop in for a drink or to have some good hearty food. The lamb kebabs are my favorite but the pierogies were pretty darn good also
(5)Scott E.
I so want to give this place a four or five star, but maybe on our next visit. I am so convinced this place could be awesome, We will give it another try. It has only been in business one year. A modern open bar with a warm feel. One side of the room and the back are away from the televisions. The bar has big screens. Sports on!. Kitchen is open. A full bar with a great beer and vodka list. We were excited about the menu. Then the reality set in. The place was semi full on a Thursday night and only one waiter, with a newbie shadowing her. Frustrations began. Horrible way to start off. Such a long wait for water and menus. She was an amazing waiter. They need to clone her. Explained everything. We ordered some beer and vodka, the meat, cheese and pickled grapes platter with the Russian egg (think of it as a pickled deviled egg). This was FANTASTIC. We would come back for this platter and a beer. Once the order was in, it didn't long for someone to deliver it to us. We also ordered two of the six different perogis. Disappointing. There are different ways to make a perogis, I prefer the dough to be more like a bun and then baked, their version resembles a pot sticker. Five to an order. They are ample in size. Inside of both the traditional and asian perogis tasted the same and could only be described as mush. The only taste was the dipping sauce. That is all we tried. The bathrooms are super clean. The decor is fun. Parking is in a pay lot or city street (depending on the night, could be a three block walk). This is a very safe and clean park of the city. I would recommend you check this place out if in Uptown. Just be prepared to wait for service and even longer to pay your tab. We will be back.
(3)Rhonda G.
The cold war is over, and they come up with this name to lure you in. What's next, Auschwitz? From all my experiences, beet vinaigrette salad is usually 95% beets. Not here, mostly filler and a few chopped beets, not enough to taste. I attune this to laziness. We sampled a lot of items. First, I took Jessica's advice and am in total agreement about the meatballs. We got beef and lamb kabobs, The Polish pirogi, Cabbage rolls, and beef stroganoff. Everything is good, tender, and generous portions. Not crazy about their sauces.The oddity is that everything has an under taste. It's very dark inside and is all high top tables, and some booths. If you park in the lot you can conveniently exit out back. There is a lot of competition around here and finally located all the places all the Yelper's hang. In general we liked it, but time will tell about this concept.
(3)Josh S.
Hammer & Sickle in Uptown Minneapolis (1300 Lagoon Avenue) is a great little place to experience a different part of the world. I went there over a year ago with one of my Estonian-born friends from work and he told me the food was pretty authentic and close to what you'd get if you were in Russia. This is a place that nobody seems to know much about. There are many, many good things about this place and the food is really good. I'm particular to my pierogis (being of E. European background myself) and these are about as good as they get. I'd put them up with Kramarczuk's (on Hennepin) any day of the week. You really can't go wrong with the food when a native of the region is happy with it. The only downside I can see is that the drinks are way overpriced. Several of them are over $10 and that's hardly worth the price. They have some drinks I think don't belong on the menu (a Cuban mojito in a Russian restaurant? Really?) and the Russian drinks they do have appear to be made from cheap vodka. Otherwise, I love this place. I've never had bad food or service and the comfort level feels just right for me most of the time. My wife Krystyn loves going here and she is seriously the pickiest eater on the planet. She doesn't like Kramarczuk's (yeah, she's a little messed up in the head) but loves Hammer & Sickle. We recommend this place and if my recommendation isn't worth much, I think the words of my Estonian co-worker do the trick, "Reminds me of home." Great little place here.
(4)Mary Jo C.
Had post dinner drinks here and was confused/amused by the setup. Nothing really screams vodka bar about this place other than the mural. I think it's a bit too much like its former cool asian spot space, Kinson? The menu is very unique offering several traditional Russian dishes. They make their own infused vodkas, including horseradish, cherry, honey, and many others. I was curious about the house flavors so tried a half honey half cherry with soda. It was sickly sweet but the honey came through like crazy! It's be kind of amazing in a tea. Nice little trendy after spot in uptown that doesn't really exist today.
(3)Reggie F.
Overall we were completely impressed and would definitely return. We dined here around 5 on a Sunday, and used a Groupon. We were a little skeptical, but so glad we tried it. Ambiance--Cozy, modern, cool, semi-industrial feel. Fun atmosphere. Both booths and bar tables. Service--Excellent! Our waitress was very friendly and attentive, and let us know right away that our groupon would not work with the happy hour specials--no problem. Food--A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. We're not sure if this food is authentic Russian fare, but it certainly had personality and unique flavors. We started with the meatballs which were served in a delicious red sauce with cheese--would definitely recommend. We also shared the pickled beet salad which was very flavorful, bold, and delicious. The salad was much larger than we expected, and both appetizers were served with slices of rye toast. Next we shared two orders of perogies--the Comrade & the Latin. We loved both, and though we haven't had many perogies, we thought they were very well done with good toppings or sauces. The portions are quite large for what you pay, and sharing these plates was way more than enough food. We left with full tummies and smiles on our faces :) They have great happy hours deals every day from 4-7, and we can't wait to return and try more! We're really happy to have discovered Hammer & Sickle.
(5)Rhonda j.
What an absolute pleasure to visit your restaurant. I live in San Diego and came to Minneapolis for a few days of cold weather. Thank you for providing that Minneapolis...5 degrees tonight! AWESOME! I purchased a groupon for your restaurant thinking what the hell, never had Russian, let's check it out. I am normally a wine drinker coming from San Diego and I was really pleased with the recommendation from my waitress of the Soviet Butterfly....smooth and delicious, dangerously so, easy to drink more than one, and I did. Next came pierogi...Comrade style...oh yes delightfully filling and yummy. Never cold enough to enjoy a potato dumpling in SoCal...but so good here. Who cares about calories!?! Next was the assorted fish appetizer (another waitress recommend)....I had no idea pickled herring would taste so good...seriously who would have thunk it? And the pickled grapes and carrots...is that cloves? Cinnamon? Allspice? Whatever it is yum! Thanks so much for great service and truly simple culinary affair that pleases the pallet. I hope to find myself in Minneapolis again soon and when I do, I will be sure to come by your restaurant again. Good luck to you, keep up the good work!
(5)Maurissa M.
Absolutely awful experience. Went here with two friends on a Thursday evening, around 7:30. Our waitress was rude from the get go... Brought us to a table and brought waters, but it was a good 10 minutes before we got menus. We ordered a first round of drinks which came promptly, and ordered an app, after which our waitress tried to take away our menus. we explained that we planned on having dinner as well, as she walked away as if annoyed! I ordered a second drink at the same time that we ordered dinner.... Five minutes later, our waitress walks over and says "oh sorry, I forgot to ring in your drink" and walks away. Waited roughly 20 minutes for our food, which was brought to our table warm at best (we could see it sitting on a counter directly across from our table, waiting to be served). Waitress brings over our food, and doesn't even acknowledge that I STILL haven't gotten my drink. I finally walk up to the bar (I've now been waiting 25 minutes for a drink) and find the waitress leaning against the bar watching the game on TV. When I remind her that I haven't gotten my drink, she simply says "ok, that ones on me" and walks away. I did finally get one, and it wasn't on my tab, but I expected AT LEAST some sort of an apology, and probably a table visit from a manager. We were never checked on and no one ever asked us how the food was. The only reason I give the second star is because had the food been served hot, it would've been wonderful. The drinks were delicious but very overpriced. We will not be back.
(2)Jessica S.
No sign marks the spot, but the iron Hammer & Sickle door handle is a dead giveaway that you've arrived at the right spot. The mysterious lack of signage coupled with the Siberian cold (what has been dubbed the "Polar Vortex" aka a run-of-the-mill Minnesota winter) may lead you to believe that you're soon to cross the threshold into the Russian mob's top secret lair, so long as you ignore the floor to ceiling windows allowing passerbyers on Lagoon to peer in and catch a peek of the "illicit" activities underway inside. But, fear not, the revolver used in this game of Russian roulette is nothing but a mere plastic toy discharging a harmless, albeit startling, "pop" (inquire with the server/bartender if you desire to satisfy your risk-taking urges) and the mobsters here are your average millennial dressed-to-impress plucked from the Uptown/Downtown districts. The music pulses over head. The little space is full at 10 pm on a Saturday night. Bodies congregate in the bar and entry leaving minimal room to navigate. The dim lighting, a red glow from the back lit bar [think Social House], conceals flaws and imperfections. This screams "date night"! [The ratio of men to women, about 4 to 1.] ...Or, for the single ladies, "meat market"! Cocktails (ranging from $8-$12) and infused vodkas (flights offered) seem to be the drinks of choice here. The cocktail I sipped was called Forbidden Fruit, essentially an Appletini, rimmed with cinnamon sugar and smelling too temptingly much like a straight-outta-the-oven apple pie. Good, but a tad pricey at $12. On the eats front, small plates or entrees are available. If you're not jonesing for a ton of grub, then I think you might just find the small plates adequate. I've had the opportunity to sample... -Meatballs: Fat and juicy! (Ew, feels so wrong to describe anything that way.) Loaded with flavor, both from within the meatball itself and the sauce. Hearty bread for dipping on the side. -Pierogies: Potato-stuffed dumplings boiled and pan fried. Lots of flavor combos available with primarily meat-centric toppings. Don't even remember exactly what we ordered, but it was flavorful. Skewers: I ordered the eggplant skewer. Others ordered meat on a stick, which garnered approving nods and grunts. I found my eggplant and veggies to be unnecessarily slathered in oil. Because the veggies weren't covered in enough gunk (has anyone invented an emoticon for sarcasm yet?), I further dressed it with layers of creamy horseradish sauce (sour cream), which distracted from the slimy oil. The bed of rice that cushioned the skewer was not entirely soft and fluffy, specked with some crunchy grains. Undercooked rice is not excusable. I've yet to master this, but Cooking 101, am I right? -Pelmeny: Bite-sized stuffed pasta, either with finely shredded and sauteed veggies or meat in the middle. When inquiring about the meat filling, I insist the server said "beef, pork, and oyster." My BF assures me that the third meat she listed was "lamb" not "oyster." You say toMAYto, I say toMAHto. We opted for veggie because pork just is not our cup of tea. However, vegetarians beware, a few of the porky pastas found their way into our plate of veggie pelmeny. Aside from this mishap, I enjoyed the veggie version, mostly after dousing it in the accompanying vinegar and sour cream. (Sour cream is a lot like ketchup or sriracha. It makes everything taste better.) Without these condiments, the pelmeny would be lacking as the boiled pasta "flavor" (anti-flavor?) dominated over the tasty yet minimal veggie stuffing. And, I'm not one to let food go to waste, so I did sample those sneaky meat pelmeny that had infiltrated our dish. Too spicy, like sausage spicy, not hot spicy. All in all, the food was not exactly memorable and the kitchen made a few beginner blunders (undercooked rice, meat finding it's way into one of the few veg-friendly dishes--both of which I alerted the staff). Typically, after such an experience I'd award only 3 stars (which is certainly not bad, just average). However, I really do appreciate the concept underlying H&S (trendy vodka bar+Soviet bites) and its bringing of something new and different to Uptown. Plus, during both of my visits, I was quite pleased with the service [who (1) on one occasion went above and beyond to aid our group of 8 in the obnoxious task of splitting the bill among 8 people who were sharing dishes, and (2) during my most recent visit were very receptive and apologetic toward my negative feedback, though I'm somewhat surprised that no apology offer was extended, i.e. an on-the-house dessert, in exchange for crunchy rice and a meat-contaminated veggie dish). I expect to be back. However, if I do not see improvements, I'll be dropping a star and making less frequent visits. H&S, I bet that leaves you shaking in your Valenki boots now.... : )
(4)Michelle W.
Here for late night drinks. Drinks are very good. I'm a big fan of vodka cocktails. These were a little weak, but delicious. The service, however, was quite terrible. Our server was too busy doing shots and flirting with the bouncer to be bothered to check on us or bring us drinks that we ordered 30 minutes earlier. Side note: Russian roulette cap guns are annoying. Ear drums serve an important purpose, unbeknownst to this bar.
(2)Valerie H.
Poor Hammer & Sickle, you are unintentionally hilarious. This location used to be known as Kinsen Noodles; to make a transition to Russian themed vodka bar it looks like the owners painted the walls red and added some sconces. We looked but couldn't even find a picture of the Kremlin. Perhaps the ambiance becomes more like Moscow once you down a few vodkas? Be prepared to pay a lot for cocktails, but it is Uptown. I had a cinnamon apptletini that was delicious, but probably not worth $12 outside of happy hour ($2 off cocktails) If you are feeling mildly adventurous, order the Drago shot- horseradish vodka, Jagermeister, and caviar at the bottom. Bonus! When someone in your group orders this vile concoction, you all get to play Russian roulette with a pop gun. This game proved a little anticlimactic as our first gun failed to pop after going around the group. According to our waitress this "happens a lot...." Cheers for her enthusiasm, but the speed and menu knowledge left much to be desired. I wish Hammer & Sickle luck, because it will need Putin-sized amounts to stay afloat for more than 6 months. Damn good pierogis though!
(3)Anon X.
We went out for dinner on a Wednesday evening. Our bill was $39 total. We ordered the meatballs to start and then dined with Chicken, Lamb, Pork and Lobster Shashlik. The meatballs were excellent, very soft and flavorful. However, the entrees were a big disappointment. The Shashlik all came together on one plate over rice. The rice was hard and not edible. The chicken, pork and lamb were extremely dry and the lobster was overcooked so it was rubbery to eat. We ate here with a Groupon, but most likely will not return. The service was fast and extremely friendly though. We were in and out in less than an hour.
(3)Alan H.
Love the happy hour until 7pm-2-4-1! Great deals on small plates during happy hour as well. Their Moscow Mule is spot on and served legit in a copper cup. Small plates are tasty. Have been there a few times now and had great service once, had a server in training another time and had a pretty unfriendly one the last time. I'll keep going-it's quiet and feel a bit like a diamond in the rough.
(4)Cheryl B.
First time to Hammer & Sickle tonight-had a fabulous dinner from -the borscht , beef stroganoff , pork kabob to the vanilla custard w/ginger apple chutney our dinner was incredible-the beef and pork were cooked to order and very flavorful-will definitely be back!! Happy hour till 7 too!!
(5)Christina Q.
I decided to come here a little after dinner time with a few friends. My first impression of walking into the restaurant was a very modern and chic vibe. It would be fun for a date if you wanted to try something new like Russian food (which I never had). In regards to the service. it was quite a mess. There was no host, and the bartender told us to seat ourselves. No one came around to grab a menu or even noticed us for the first 10 minutes. So, I basically grab the menus for ourselves. We never had one specific server, and they never checked on us either. The service was bad, and no one likes bad service. 1/5 In regards to the food, we decided to try their "famous" pierogies, the chicken kiev, and cabbage rolls. I'm kind of a stickler when it comes to pierogies because I have polish friends who make delicious home-made ones. However, dang, these were soggy. They looked brown and crispy, however, it felt like I was eating a pile of mush. The insides kind of reminded me of a KFC bowl. Definitely disappointed because it seemed like a popular choice. 2/5 The chicken kiev was actually pretty good. The chicken was still tender and crispy on the outside. I absolutely loved the roasted vegetable medley they added to their mash potatoes. It was the only thing I would probably recommend out of everything we ate that night. 4/5 The cabbage roll was drowned in tomato sauce that tasted like pizza sauce. There was basically zero to none cabbage as well? The meat was quite dry, and the "pizza" sauce couldn't save it. 1.5/5 Thank god, we had a groupon. Otherwise, I would have been very very disappointed especially at the prices since it wasn't that cheap. There are so many other restaurants to try especially in Uptown, so I would definitely recommend to pass on this place. However, if you have the Groupon and want to try some Russian food, why not?
(2)Erin G.
This has been on my list for a while, and finally stopped in with a friend. We chose seats by the window. I guess it's a seat-yourself joint. A server came over with menus after a couple minutes and we ordered moscow mules right away. The mules were good but didn't seem overly strong. We also got the lobster skewer and the spicy pierogies to share. Both were delicious. The service was pretty slow but I liked the little place and the food was good. I'd come back for the pierogies and to try some of the other plates.
(4)Alli Q.
Surprisingly fantastic! I've walked past this place a hundred times and finally decided to walk in for late evening drinks. We stumbled upon the late night happy hour, which is from 10-12pm, and $2 off signature cocktails. The cocktails are a bit pricey, normally priced $12, but are nonetheless delicious and unexpected in Uptown. I had the Russian Honeybee, Petite Ginger, and Sochi Breeze. The Petite Ginger tasted a bit like soap, but I highly recommend the Russian Honeybee and Sochi Breeze. Perogis, infused vodka, and fantastic servers/bartenders in a Cold War theme makes this place a necessary stop. Can't wait to be back and highly recommend!
(4)Timothy F.
What more can I say than the food from Hammer & Sickle was absolutely impressive. The pierogies were so much better than I had imagined they would be. The stuffed cabbage rolls were huge and flavorful, and the lamb skewer was juicy and delicious. And I can't forget to mention how delicious the borscht was, especially with a dollop of sour cream. Hammer & Sickle has definitely won me over so far.
(4)Nick H.
The food here is what really shines. The pierogis are wonderfully done. My favorite item however, was the escargot. It was sooooo good. Whenever I come back it is something I will order every time. The cocktails were OK. I would recommend the Miracle on Ice as it was the best one that my friends and I ordered.
(4)Alex T.
Having lived in Russia for several years, my girlfriend and I went to this bar thinking that we knew what to expect. What we actually got was food that far exceeded our expectations on every level. This is not just a specialty restaurant for when you're craving vodka and pirogi. This is a restaurant/bar for any night on any occasion. First, the atmosphere was nice; not kitsch or overdone with Soviet propaganda, but chic with good music and a good feel overall. The staff was very friendly and made good suggestions. The drinks were amazing as well. We tried the Moscow Mule and the Hangover Cure which were both well done, but the best part was the vodka infusion flight that we got. It included cherry, honey, dill and horseradish infused vodkas, with the last two stealing the show. A must-try if you go. But the best part by far was the food. These aren't your babushka's pirogi; every plate was beautifully presented and tasted even better. The food was very high quality, especially considering the price. Some of the best parts were: --Beef stroganoff --Vinaigrette salad --Meat/fish appetizer platter --Comrade pirogi --Lamb/pork skewers But really, from our experience, it seems that if you try anything you'll be satisfied. If you're in Uptown Minneapolis, definitely stop by for drinks at least, but dinner if possible.
(5)David A.
Eat anything here. It's all great. The Chicken Kiev got a 10 from my companion - a Chicken Kiev fanatic. The Easterner pirogues were off the chart. The lamb skewer was the least interesting thing we tasted, and even that got an 8! Oh, and we're not drinkers so we ordered ginger ale. Delicious. I forget to ask about it, but it's sure not Canada Dry.
(5)Sarah L.
I will start by saying two things: 1st I am not a huge fan of Russian food and 2nd. I did not get the vodka. I tagged along with friends, one of whom is Russian and 2 of whom have spent considerable time in Russia. The aps were very pretty and tasted pretty good. I was really impressed with their take on French fries (and I'm not a fry person). The fish plate was very pretty but I can't comment on taste since I'm vegetarian. My friends agreed that all was good but questioned the authenticity. We asked about the owner and cook's connection to Russia and they apparently "researched it a lot." The atmosphere was Uptown chic. The wait staff was very friendly if a little bit over enthusiastic to bus our tables and help more. Every time we turned around they asked if needed something. Better that than ignoring us though. A fine place.
(3)Debbie W.
As a vegetarian, they lost points. Borscht came with lamb even after stating I dont eat meat. Perogies had an amazing bacon.....really! But after getting it corrected...food was delicious!
(4)John W.
Pleasantly surprised how good the food is here! Everything we got was really good. The meatballs were homemade in an awesome sauce. I believe they are beef and pork mix. The lobster skewer was really good and the mushroom stroganoff was better than mom makes. The drinks were pretty weak and cost $12 but food made it a worth while visit. I bought a 2nd groupon just to go back again.
(4)Sarah Marie B.
I was incredibly disappointed by this place. Living nearby, I had seen this place but never had a chance to stop by, so I was pretty excited to finally try out something seemingly unique to the area. My boyfriend and I arrived early-ish (read: pre-dinner rush) on a Saturday night and were greeted by the male host. While the bar was full, there were only 3 or 4 tables full, so the host told us we could sit at any of the high tops and we thanked him and took a seat. We sat down and started looking through the drink menu, getting excited about all the interesting cocktails when I realized I actually had had time to read through all of them and nobody had yet come by. So we continued talking, slowly getting more concerned, as I watched the 3 waitresses and host that were about 10 feet from us hang out and chat. After 10 minutes of being ignored (the host glanced our way and did nothing) we put on our coats and walked out without anyone even attempting to take our order. Had this place been good we probably would have returned frequently, too bad.
(1)Rik O.
Every time I have ever been here I have had a wonderful experience. The staff is awesome and the food is out of this world. I often joke that I am in a relationship with this bar since I think of it so often. The weekend brunch is something to write home about for sure and the caviar is better than sex. The craft cocktails (Moscow mule especially) are note worthy and you can't beat 10 dollar mimosas on weekends. I recommend this place to literally everyone I meet. Hammer and sickle is doing everything right and you should just go there. Now. Seriously get up and get dressed order a cocktail and have a pierogi. Try some infused vodkas and don't be shy of the beet juice Bloody Mary, it's amazing, trust me.
(5)Brent S.
Nice layout and great service. The Perogies were a huge disappointment; just not good and really overpriced. Russian Tea House and Moscow on the Hill are the measuring stick here and this place does not even come close. Don't waste your time.
(2)Scott K.
This place is awesome. You've got to know what to expect as far as ambiance. It has a slight Russian Mafia feel to it. It's also little hard to find because there is not much of a sign more of a symbol. I'll tell you what though. I couldn't find a pierogi or beef skewer on the menu I didn't like. The large plate meal they offer are very good as well. The food is hearty (meat and potatoes). Throw in the good selection of Vodka and specialty cocktails and you really can't go wrong... well maybe if you have too many Moscow Mules.
(4)Brent M.
Groupon was what drove us to explore this place. Food was great and service was good. Without question, the meatballs were the best. I will be back again this winter. The good strikes me as a winter type of comfort food.
(4)Bryan M.
If you love Vodka this is the place. A wide variety to choose from and moderate prices great wait staff and scenery.
(4)Dan M.
Tonight was my second time at Hammer & Sickle and it was just as good as the first. This is a great place to share several different items on the menu. They have a cocktail menu focusing on vodka drinks, not surprising as this is a Russian joint. I had their signature red hammer which was a little too fruity for me. Then I had the Moscow mule which was a bit more up my alley. Tonight a buddy and I started off by sharing the Kobe beef sliders and the mini Reuben sandwich sliders. The beef sliders were pretty good and the Reuben sliders were excellent. Next we shared some perogis. One was the spudnik and it was fantastic. According to the waitress there were ghost peppers in it. As a spicy food fan I had to try it. It was decently spicy but probably not ghost pepper spicy. We also split some lamb skewers. The lamb was tender and juicy. Definitely go to this place if you enjoy Russian food, good cocktails, and a fun environment.
(5)Kseniya N.
I really enjoyed dining here. The atmosphere is pretty chill and I liked the decor. Growing up on Russian food I must admit that not everything is true to taste but lots of things still give you a good idea of what the food is like... Think comfort food. What we really enjoyed were the comrad and the polish. I wish you could order blini with something other than caviar. The chicken shashlik was the best. We were a bit disappointed with the lamb shashlik, not the best cut of meat and too chewy. Mixed drinks were delicious and the happy hour prices for food are really reasonable.
(4)C P.
Well we were going to go there this evening with another couple. We had coupons to use. But they have a policy of only one coupon per table and told us we would have to sit at separate tables. How absurd. They seem more nazi than russian. So we are not going and will not go in the future. Besides, I noticed their vodka menu does not even include Russian Standard Platinum. And they call themselves a Russian vodka bar!
(1)Sharon R.
Fantastic beet salad,eggplant skewers,pudding,cocktails and friendly staff.
(4)John G.
My wife burned the crap out of her finger after ordering a skewer. The server should have warned us that they are served extremely hot. When she told the server about it, the server asked if she wanted a band aid. No she doesn't want a band aid, she wanted an "oh I'm sorry what can we do for you to make this right" With all the choices in Uptown never going back there!
(1)Keith M.
Minneapolitans love their bland, characterless bars and this one is just one small step above with a slightly detectable Russian theme. The borscht was fine and came with bits of lamb and sour cream with dill. As for the ambiance, I couldn't see hanging out here much, since the decor is about the extent to which you're (barely) reminded you're in a Russian themed bar-restaurant. I mean, at least break up the top 40 crap with an occasional nationalist Soviet ballad to Mother Russia. Stop in for a bite and move on elsewhere: the further from Lake & Hennepin the better.
(3)Nicole M.
Hammer and Sickle is AMAZING. Exactly what Uptown needed. We tried many different dishes-the Russian Fingerling potatoes for an appetizer-I'd suggest asking for the homemade dill dip to go with them, it's delicious!! We had the lobster kabobs, which were to die for. The lobster was so tasty. We also had their escargot, my first time having such a dish, and I've been craving it ever since. You must end the night with their infused rum cake-hands down the best I've ever had. And the cocktails are incredibly unique (homemade infused vodka-amazing), I'd suggest asking for a splash of their homemade grenadine in your drink, it's so light compared to regular grenadine. The atmosphere of this place is great too. Dark lighting and cozy candles makes you never want to leave. Not one moment of our incredibly long night here was a disappointment. I've actually never had a reason to write a review about a restaurant until now, that is how incredibly good Hammer & Sickle is.
(5)Leah G.
I was unaware of what a pierogi was before I came here and boy was I missing out! I came here on a Friday night for their late night happy hour. We sat outside and even though it is not much of a patio, it is nice to have an outdoor option. During happy hour is the pierogies are $2 off and their moscow mules are 2 for 1! (As well as draft and rails). I thought this was a great deal. I ordered the Polish pierogi that comes with potato, ground beef, kraut and comes with a creamy horseradish sauce - it was SO good! The sauce added a nice light taste to the heavy potato and meat and they were so filling! I ordered the classic moscow mule, which was very good. I would love to try some of their other kinds. With the happy hour specials it came out to be pretty affordable, especially since we were there for snacks and not a meal.
(4)Jen L.
This place is so wonderful! We were greeted when we entered and were told we could sit wherever we liked. We chose to sit at the bar and just order some drinks and apps. They have a fun drink menu with a lot to offer, and if you're feeling adventurous you can try a vodka flight or ask the bartender to play roulette where you either get horseradish vodka with jagermeister and caviar, ghost pepper and jalapeno vodka, or the better of them all a honey vodka with sweet & sour. For food we got pierogis! Holy smokes they were good. I've still been thinking about them. We tried two kinds. The first is called the comrade which is filled with potato and cheese, then topped with caramelized onions, sour cream and bacon! The second kind we tried was called the yankee which was filled with cheddar, bacon, and ground beef which was topped off with pickles. They were both so good! I want to go back and try more! We got russian fries (potato wedges) on the side which were seasoned and honestly, the pierogis were so filling we didn't need them with three of us! I hear they have a stellar happy hour (and late night happy hour too!) that has some good drink specials and $2 off pierogis (maybe on other foods too!). They have bingo (Drago) on Wednesday nights that I want to try! Prizes include gift cards that I am aware of.
(5)Allison W.
I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! The food is absolutely incredible, trumped only by the service. We sat at the bar, all-though the high top tables were a tempting option, I like being able to look through into the kitchen as they prepare your food, and the bar seating provides the perfect vantage point. A zillion stars for the bartender [tall and lanky with a tat on the inside of his forearm] who convinced me to try gin I have never been a big fan of gin, but he assured me the gin mule, dubbed 'Manchester Mule' was the way to go. He was right, it was fresh, clean, and not too sweet, one sip and I was hooked! Which can be especially dangerous as their be-famed mules are 2-4-1 on happy hour! My friend ordered a different mule 'Miracle on Ice' [their menu names are quite clever] and it too was fantastic. For an app we split THE SPUTNIK pierogis, or as I'd asked for them 'the spicy ones'. WOW! they are not messing around, so much flavor for what I was expecting to be meat-and-potatoes. Quite impressive. Dinner I had Beef Stroganoff and she had the Chicken Kiev, both amazing. So amazing that we I went to take a picture we had pretty much cleaned our plates, hence no picture evidence, but I assure you it was phenomenal. Did I mention all this was $35 dollars because we happened to venture on Thursday dinner time Hammer & Sickle 'Date Night'! Like what! 3 courses for under $50 in uptown!! Start to finish one of the best dining experiences I've had! Cheers and Sickle I'll be seeing you again soon :)
(5)Emily R.
Vodka.. you had me at vodka bar. This Russian vodka restaurant is so punny I love it. Not only do they have awesome Pierogis, their drink menu is AWESOME. They have an awesome honey vodka drink with cider mixed it, their s'more martini actually comes with a big marshmallow in it, and their mules are great! If you like Jamison they have the best Jamison mule. Happy hour is two for ones on mules, rail drinks and beers. It used to be on the martinis and specialty drinks which makes me sad. This venue is small so try not to plan big groups of more than 6, unless you get there really early. Lastly, they have Russian roulette. They give you a toy gun with one more bullet/load noise left and whoever gets it has to take a shot! Very very fun time.
(5)Mary N.
The first thing I noticed when I came here was the nice red accent they've added to the entrance of the restaurant. The next thing I noticed after I entered was that all the tables on the left and right side were 2-tops, which makes it a little hard when you have more than 2 people. Behind the bar, next to the kitchen where you can see where they make your food though, were booths where you can fit 4-6 people. The place has a nice atmosphere but I don't recommend it if you're going with more than 4 people. Service wise-There was no host at all, the bartender basically told us to seat ourselves, which is fine but no one ever came around to give us menus. My friend had to go up to grab menus for us. I don't even think we had a specific server? No one ever introduced themselves as our server. We had a different person take our order, bring our drinks, and check us out; I'm a little confused on that part. Point is, I have no idea who our server was. Food wise, we ordered the yankee peirogi, chicken kiev, and cabbage rolls. The peirogis did not have that little crunch on the outside that they were suppose to, they were kind of soggy.. :/ the chicken kiev was good! I recommend this dish out of everything we got. The outside was super crispy, &the inside was juicy. The vegetable on this dish was the best part of the meal and it all comes on top of a bed of mash potatoes.
(3)Marilyn C.
If you were going to give up all meat for at least a year, where would you eat your last burger? For me, I chose the Hammer and Sickle. Whenever I would go to the movies, I would stop by here for their amazing sliders. I love what they do here and I love their kitchen staff, I never forget to compliment them and to tell them they are kings back there. My whole body smiles at eating their food. However, I have some adjusting to do with my dietary changes and this cleanse is very necessary for me. I have to say that I enjoyed and savored every bite I have taken at the Hammer and Sickle and love their vodka flights. I highly recommend them and if you are going out to the Lagoon theater, stop by the Hammer and Sickle and have a wonderful time. The service is fast and friendly and ask questions! The servers know the menu and can help you make a solid choice.
(5)Zeke T.
Aside from things like Pussy Riot and Rocky IV I know very little about the Russian culture so I was stepping outside of my comfort zone to try out this place. I joked about the high ceilings and copper plated walls attributing to an overall cold war theme. The food was spectacular, and you can peer right into the kitchen to watch as it is made. I have pretty mixed feelings towards some of the plates, but overall I enjoy the food here. I was disappointed by the meat assorti. I was hoping for something a bit more than what seemed like sliced salami and pan fried ham with an assortment of pickled sides. I love The Comrade pierogi though and I'll come back just to try the other pierogis. It was my first time trying out pierogi and I am now a fan. The beef and lamb skewers were supposed to be the highlight of their dish, but they were mediocre in comparison to the pilaf. Then again it has to be pretty hard to outplay that sweet and savory pilaf. The last dish we tried was a steak cooked medium-rare placed on top of spetzl. Spetzl is delicious and I would take that over spaghetti any day. Sorry spaghetti night, but you've been replaced. The steak was cooked to perfection, but perhaps the grill needed to be cleaned a bit more. The char taste from the grill was too strong. I'm not sure what the overall theme is supposed to be, but from what I understand Russia, or what used to be known as Soviet Russia, is pretty diverse with a lot of Asian fusion cuisines. I'd return right away if they started making some of those dishes.
(3)Mike B.
Came here on a Friday night with some friends for vodka and pierogies. Surprisingly empty for an Uptown bar on a weekend night...but maybe that's just this time of the year in Minnesota. The atmosphere is in one word, cool. From the lack of any glaring sign outside to the hammer and sickle door knob to the Soviet-crimson light permeating out onto the street, this bar oozes hipness from the time you walk up to it on Lagoon. The food and drinks almost live up to the atmosphere. Late-night happy hour specials are good -- 2 for 1's on Mules, wells, and beer, as well as $2 off pierogies. Now, my mother is part Russian, and I grew up eating all kinds of homemade pierogies. These aren't quite your Russian mother's pierogies (and really, does anything ever touch your mom's cooking?), but they're still pretty impressive, especially for a cuisine not readily available in the Cities. I tried three different ones: The Sputnik, The Latin, and The Polish. Sputnik -- Potato, ground beef, and most importantly the 3-chili relish. This thing is HOT but absolutely bursting with flavor. You will cry, and you will be happy about it because you will be delirious from the super spicy deliciousness. You will also use the sour cream. A lot. Fortunately, it goes really well with the rest of the flavors. Top notch. This isn't your typical Minnesota spice. Also, eat this one last, as your taste buds will be burnt out after devouring it. Latin -- Another pierogi with great flavor. Chorizo, jalapeno, and potato mix to concoct what tastes like a potato taco, complete with surprisingly good salsa. Polish -- My least favorite of the three pierogies I tried. Just felt like something was missing here or wasn't balanced, or they just missed on the flavor mixing. The idea is good...a Polish/German medley with ground beef and kraut, served with horseradish on the side. I think it needed more kraut, as the taste wasn't brought out to it's potential. The horseradish wasn't the greatest combination with the rest of the flavor profile. I think it would be better served with more kraut and possibly a hollandaise or some kind of mushroom, white wine sauce to go with the German theme. The two different Mules I tried were tasty but not very strong. I wasn't even slightly buzzed after finishing off two of my Moscows and trying out one of my friend's Milanese. A little more alcohol kick wouldn't hurt here at $10 a pop! Overall, the atmosphere is great, the drinks are tasty (though not strong enough), and the pierogies are legit and unique. If you want exceptional Russian cuisine, hit up Moscow on the Hill in St. Paul, but if you're looking for something a little different with a great ambiance in Uptown Minneapolis, check this place out!
(4)Cindy S.
I have been here twice and I like it. They have a simple menu, but that's all I'm really looking for when I am putting around uptown. They make several types overstuffed perogis and they are heaven in my mouth(seems that these are a hit or miss). My favorite one is the easterner. Although a bit on the spendy side they make a pretty good beef stroganoff as well. The drinks were strong when I went and service is very polite. I have no complaints at this point. Go give them a try and don't forget to get those Russian fries! And yes, it can get spendy, but it's uptown right? No, it may not be athentic russian, but if you like it, you like it.
(4)Daisy N.
Pierogi's -YUM! We had the Polish. So good! Skewers-tried both the lamb and the lobster. Both were melt in your mouth -the Bomb. Service was awesome. Will be back!
(5)Amy C.
I was very pleasantly surprised by Hammer and Sickle. After reading the Yelp reviews I was worried, but I needn't have been. Our server was attentive, friendly and helpful. Our food was excellent, fresh and affordable. The atmosphere was good. We ordered the Easterner pierogi, Baltika Baltic porter, the beet salad, the chicken skewers, rice pilaf and garden vegetables. There were two of us and there was too much food for us. The beet salad was beautiful and had micro greens and I believe goat cheese and was formed into a log. The chicken skewers came with rice pilaf so no need to order that separately. The garden veggies were only a side dish but were a good size and included mushrooms and brussel sprouts. Everything was excellent. Definitely give it a try. We mostly had the place to ourselves because we were there between happy hours. It seems like most people come for the happy hour for the Moscow Mules. They did look good, but I highly recommend the Baltika Baltic Porter if you like dark beers. It's a big enough bottle for two people to share.
(4)Monica N.
Went here for Drago (every Wednesday) and for HH! It's totally worth it. Order their Moscow Mule and you wont be disappointed. They have a good selection of drinks, beer selection is ok. Now their food is really good! I tried their kobe sliders, Russian potatoes, and their pirogies! Everything was delicious. This place is worth a try :)
(4)Jason K.
My wife and I had a $40 Groupon here in Uptown, which we had been to about 3 years ago, when it was an Asian Fusian place and had some of the best drunken noodles ever. This Russian place has no sign outside, but we grabbed hold of the hammer and sickle door handle and entered. It looks a lot like the old place, very modernistic and sleek. We sat near the window and there was a group of 6 there and another group of5, but other than that, pretty sparse. I did like the open kitchen in the rear corner, a nice touch. There are 6 infused vodkas here, so I chose the lemon infused martini, very solid. Not too boozy, and tasted a lot like lemoncello. I really enjoyed it, and my wife even said she would like it, and she normally hates beer and booze. I ordered some borscht to start off, which was warm and had delicately chopped beef in it, very good! I really loved this stuff, and perfect for a cool fall day. I then ordered a Summit Oktoberfest and an order of the chorizo filled pierogi. How could this go wrong, my favorite dumpling dish, with my favorite sausage? 5 filled dumplings with slices of jalapeno adorning it with some salsa on the side. It was just fantastic! Just the right amount of heat. Homemade pierogis, aIways are a winner! The chicken skewer was full of about 5 chunks of juicy chicken and really smoky veggies like pepper and onions. It tasted like they came right out of a BBQ smoker. Awesome for $5. Great dinner with the wife and I finished off the $40 with a delicious Surly Furious. What a night!
(4)Rhonda H.
Excellent service! The server made excellent recommendations and was very friendly. The Russian meatball small plate contained four good sized meatballs. It would work for four people. They had great flavor and a little spicy. The pork kebab was served over a citrus pilaf. The pork was perfectly cooked and included zucchini, red onion and red & green peppers. This would be okay to share for two people. The Latin pierogis were flavorful and spicy with the jalapeños, but I'd probably try a different version next time. An order contains five pierogis. The beef stroganoff with spaetzle again was plenty for two people. The sauce was a little too salty and sour for me.
(4)Ali J.
I've never really had Russian food before, but with a good deal on Groupon I figured this was a good time to try it. We stopped in at the end of happy hour and started off with a few drinks - I stuck with wine while my boyfriend was daring and tried one of their specialty drink - holy vodka. The waitress had warned us beforehand how strong it would be...that was a major understatement. He ended up liking it but I was happy to stick with wine. We ordered a few pierogis, shashlks (Russian style BBQ skewers) and the meatball appetizer. The meatball app was amazing - I was so surprised at how spicy and flavorful it was! Never really having Russian food before I didn't think it'd really be spicy but this was a nice surprise. The pierogis were another hit, especially the latin one. The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the lamb shashliks because of how dry it was and it seemed like part of it wasn't cooked thoroughly. The place was surprisingly pretty quiet for a happy hour but about 1/2 way through a large group of people came in. They were fine at the bar until the bartender pulled out a toy pop gun and kept shooting it and having them do it and scream - this got obnoxious FAST! Other than that the restaurant was really nice and service was good. Definitely worth checking out in Uptown.
(3)Kelly S.
Hammer & Sickle is a stylish, new vodka bar in Uptown that serves a flavorful array of Eastern European inspired dishes. They serve food until 2am, so it's a great place to stop into for a bite with friends after a show. Here's the breakdown of the dishes I tried on my recent visit: Meatballs: 3 hearty meatballs in a sauce that is exploding with flavor, served with toast points to savor every drop of that delcious sauce Chicken Skewer: served on a bed of rice pilaf, it comes with peppers & mushrooms & was a nice savory plate Cholo Perogies: the best item of the night! clearly made from scratch with a lot of thought put into each ingredient, my husband & I fought over who got to eat the last piece! Moscow Mule: served in a copper cup, a classic drink made right! The plates are fairly small, but they work great for sharing. The flavors are complex & the food is fairly filling. The staff is super friendly & knowledgable & the vibe is nice with dim lighting & great music. This is definitely a place you will want to check out!
(5)James M.
Simple pros and cons bullets! No babble essay! Note: this review is for the dinner menu. Buffet here is somewhat unpleasant but cheap. Pros: I'm Russian so trust me its the cheapest Russian restaurant in the Midwest. Prices very good Good decor and date friendly and romantic Good attentive friendly staff Menu 80% authentic Russian Taste 80% authentic Russian Easy parking and great trendy location Con: Just one. Not fully authentic taste though close and good food but not orgasmic great P.S. Don't listen to 1-2 star reviews here. They came to either drink happy hour or for random food eats. If you want a good taste at a great restaurant at great prices for near fine dining and want to experience Russian dishes this place is for you!
(4)Julie T.
Came here for Happy Hour last night. At first, I didn't have high hopes for this place since it was practically empty till about 630pm. Mind you, this is one of the few places in Uptown that has HH till 7pm...so I am guessing the deals are really not that great to entice people in. It is basically a few bucks off here and there. The drinks were good though. I had a Cuban mojito with homemade blueberry vodka and my friend had the dirty hammer and sickle vodka which she liked. I ordered the borscht soup and it was good. The smoked and pickled fish platter was surprisingly good, I could eat it all day. We were so full by the end of the night. Thanks for a good time!
(4)Ali D.
I'll be honest - I didn't have high expectations for this place, and I wasn't proven wrong. The boy and I went here for dinner a few weeks back - he was super excited, since he's somewhat of a Russian culture geek (don't ask me). We started off with a round of drinks - a Miracle on Ice for me, a Moscow Mule for him. Both drinks tatsed fine and were noticeably alcoholic, but both were just a little too sweet for my liking. Next stop: the Tour de Pierogi. We ordered the Comrade (potato, cheese, caramelized onion, bacon, topped with sour cream), the Latin (potato, chorizo, jalapeno, served with salsa and sour cream), and the Easterner (ground pork, ginger, green onion, carrots, served with soy sauce). Potato pierogi are decidedly not really my thing, but the flavors were well balanced and the dumplings themselves had a nice sear on the outside. Grease was definitely the #1 ingredient in the potato/chorizo dumplings. Thank goodness I had a dining companion who'll basically eat anything, because these were nearly inedible. Speaking of inedible, we ordered one of their shashlik (skewer) options as well - the beef was gristly, chewy, overcooked, and I actually had to discreetly spit out the undigestible beef into my napkin. I've NEVER done this in a restaurant before. "Not enthused" is an understatement. The best menu item of the night were the Asian-influenced dumplings, but we all know that those are available in so many other restaurants, for much cheaper. To top it all off, there was confusion between servers about who was managing our table, so there were a few details that were missed in our orders as well. Needless to say, I don't think I'll be returning. I'll get my Asian dumplings from an authentic restaurant, thank you very much.
(2)Patti K.
Who would have thought that a Soviet Union theme would be cool for a restaurant! The ambience reminded me of what yuppie sushi restaurants try to do nowadays--high ceilings, fusion food, over-the-top menu item names, pulsing hip music, low lights, and a knowing too-cool attitude. Socialist realist decor would have been more amusing to me than the Spaghetti Factory-style red tasseled lampshades, but perhaps that would been a bit much. We ordered borscht, assorti fish, chicken kiev, and varenyky/pierogi dubbed "Sputnik." The borscht was very good with the freshly-toasted dark bread. I tasted bits of meat (probably beef), which made it more substantial. The chicken kiev was also good, and artfully presented. I thought the fish plate was the best item. Pickled herring, pickled lake trout, and smoked salmon lovingly arranged with pickles, microgreens, mustard sauce, dill spread, and brown toast points. The fish plate was a meal in itself, and I was surprised to find that it was a serving supposedly for only one person. the smoked salmon was a surprise--I thought it was a heap of pickled vegetables, but it was smoked salmon crumbled and sprinkled generously over hard boiled egg whites and tiny potato cubes. I never had pickled grapes or eggs before, so the whole plate felt like an adventure. Out of curiosity, I tried the pierogi called "Sputnik" described as "Potato, ground beef, 3 chili relish, served with sour cream and tears... " They were not kidding. The 3 chili relish overpowered the flavors of everything else. I usually order medium spicy at restaurants, and I needed a tall glass of orange juice to put out the fire in my mouth. (I really wanted a lassi or horchata, but although they had Kobe beef sliders and pierogi with chorizo, their fusion did not continue to beverages.) Overall, it was a fun experience. The server was cheerful and attentive. The Happy Hour prices were very good. The one downside was the parking--the website indicated a pay parking lot, but there was no validation. Next time, we'll park on the street if we get there early enough.
(4)Chris L.
Decided mixed reviews had me apprehensive but came with the wife and two friends. Good start with Paulaner Hefe-weizen available. Service was very attentive albeit we were only one of two groups there on an (Easter) Sunday. We all thought the food was great (in part thanks to Yelp reviews). Best was the Sputnik pierogis, cabbage roll and smoked fish plate. Comrade pierogi good but boring. Mini reubens OK. Skewered meat we found a bit boring and overcooked. Russian crepes good for dessert. Full length windows open on a nice day made it feel less oppressive. We all planned to return soon to get more of the best dishes we had.
(4)Sean N.
Amazing specialty cocktails. The pierogi are great and so are the kabobs. Definitely recommend this place.
(5)Ani D.
I was really excited to try this place, and finally made it in last night. The food was good and the server was sweet. The physical environment was nice, dim lighting and open kitchen, with some booths tucked in the back. The music, however, was really offsetting. I was hoping for a bit more of a traditional Russian restaurant experience, but the awful top twenty pop music really clashed with the environment. It would be nice to hear Russian music or even non-Russian more mellow or tame music would be really beneficial to the dining experience.
(3)Jesse D.
We just had brunch here and we could not have been more disappointed. We arrived to a 75% empty dining area and 1 server. He greeted us and told us to sit anywhere. When we sat, he assumed we were there for brunch and dropped off 2 plates. Unfortunately, one of the plates was very dirty and needed to be replaced. He didn't even look at it. The server didn't take any time to explain what the brunch consisted of or the price was and when I asked for a regular menu, he told us that it was brunch only so we decided it might be a good way to try the food. He didn't even explain any of the Vodka specials and this place is supposed to be a vodka bar. We got our plates and walked over to the buffet. The food seemed like it was a step or 2 above a Hampton Inn breakfast buffet. The bacon was sitting in a server full of grease and was barely cooked, there was dry meat under a light with a knife sitting by it but it looked inedible. The fruit was dry and gross. The rest of the food was ok but all of it seemed like it had been sitting out for too long. If I get a stomach ache later, I know where it came from. It was all you can eat and we barely had one serving. When the time came to get our bill, the server was too busy talking with his friends in the corner and was inattentive. For $12.50 per person, I would go somewhere else for breakfast/brunch in uptown. I don't think we will be going back.
(1)Colin S.
Wonderful food. Great atmosphere. Attentive and helpful service. They even split our bill so we could get happy hour on our apps/drinks and use a groupon on our meal.
(5)Jen G.
The groupon deal of drew me in to this place that I would have typically passed by. I live in the neighborhood but find myself avoiding Lake street near Hennepin. I went on a Monday night and there were only a few tables of people in the place. It has a cool, dark atmosphere and awesome 2 for 1 happy hour specials! The Moscow mule was great. Happy hour that lasts until 7pm (not that 3-6pm stuff) is also great. We ordered escargot, yankee pierogies, and the cabbage rolls for 2 people to split. Escargot was weird. It came with a fork for poking snails out of the shell, but there were no shells... Just a dish with a layer of cheese and bread crumbs and some mushroomy snail meat hidden underneath. Confusion. Pierogies were okay. This place is probably supposed to showcase the pierogies, but I thought they were bland. Maybe I need to try the other kinds? Cabbage rolls were really good. I almost missed this item because I had my heart set on pierogies, but I'm so glad that I ordered this - it's a big roll on top of mashed potatoes covered in a red sauce with a dollop of sour cream. That's some comfort food right there.
(3)Andrew C.
A mixed result here: 1. Smoked fish platter was bountiful, fresh and skillfully plated. 2. Chicken skewer was good but veggies on veggie skewer were scorched on outside but onions and eggplant still raw :( 3. Wanted to like the pierogies, but the meat in them tasted really old. ( quality control fail!) 4. Server was friendly, attentive and helpful. 5. Happy hour prices are great. Still, I probably won't be back, the food just wasn't good enough.
(2)Troy P.
I thought this place was pretty cool. The menu is very affordable and has a lot of things I really enjoy. The pirogi seem to be their claim to fame, other than caviar and of vodka of course, and are simple yet tasty little bites. We had the Yankee and the Cholo which were both great for sharing along with the lamb and pork skewer. There was good distinction between the two pirogi which in my opinion can taste the same if the ingredients aren't strong enough. The Yankee was a straight up American pleaser while the Cholo was their Mexican version with Jalapenos and Chorizo. I was really excited for the lamb skewer after reading some great things but ended up enjoying the pork more. The lamb was kind of tough and really chewy although it did have great flavor, the pork was just easier to eat and seemed like it was done a little better. They serve them on rice with a dipping sauce and grilled veggies which make sharing even more inviting. They have a pretty decent specialty cocktail menu also for $10-12. I'm not a big vodka drinker and although the majority of drinks are focused on vodka they do have some bourbon to keep everyone satisfied. The St. Petersburg seemed to be their version of a cross between a Manhattan and an Old Fashioned which was pretty good. Our server suggested the Moscow Mule which was tasty as well, the drink we didn't like and wouldn't recommend was the HoneyBee I believe it's called. Not good, both of us felt immediate stomach aches upon taking a sip, the apple juice just doesn't work. Our service was really good, the atmosphere is fun and different although they could stand to turn the music down just a little. I know it's Uptown and all but I never had to repeat myself and say what so many times when within such close proximity. Altogether worth a visit, we'll be back to try some of the large plates on another visit
(4)Mezzo D.
The cocktails were imaginative, and the food was what I would call "Russian Trendy". Well prepared, very filling. The menu is on the heavy side, so we would be more likely to go in cooler weather. Nice al fresco locale. I'm curious if the servers all must wear short-short black skirts, because they did. Kinda bugged me. It's worth a visit, but nothing amazing.
(3)Jeff S.
Not a drinker so I can't comment on what for some is a major draw (vodka bar). The food, however, impressed. First the atmosphere is nice and the staff was friendly. Ordered the classic potato and cheese pierogi ("The Comrade") as an appetizer. Very tasty. I then had the chicken kiev, my wife ordered the beef stroganoff. Both were excellent. I'd only had chicken kiev one other time, at St. Paul's Moscow on the Hill, and I think Hammer & Sickle's is better. Finished with chocolate pumpernickel bread pudding, which as a big fan of bread puddings I can say was also excellent. I will return.
(4)Joshua G.
This restaurant is a good example of why groupon is on its death throws. Even though we were 3 couples paying 3 separate checks we could only pay with one groupon due to our proximity to one another. I guess that would be ok if the food is good but that is almost never the case. Restaurants that have this one groupon per table clause know that their food sucks and are banking on the fact you will never claim the remaining groupons. On a positive the staff was very good and the drinks were well done. Also the one appitzer that did not require cooking was very good. The stroganoff was very tuff and had way to much vinegar. It was basically a shoe leather vinaigrette. The lamb was also very tuff. The meatballs were very bland but had a nice sauce. we had 3 different perogees and the were either flavorless or so hot that you tastbuds could not taste anything. Basically the food was so bad we would rather surrender our 50 bucks worth of groupons then put ourselves through that again. This will probably also be our last groupon.
(2)Bob J.
Good food, at least good enough for the Uptown crowd. The bar attracts garbage, and the kids occupying the place kept screaming about doing more shots, then they moved on to the next bar. The server was pretty friendly, but approached us with all the rules about Groupon in case we had one, then got down to the business of taking our order. We had dinner early, and upon hearing the vegetarian special we ordered one, only to find out they "ran out". We were probably the first table in the restaurant, so that was pretty tacky. The place never filled up on a Saturday night. Food was ok, not authentic, not bad, just pretty good.
(3)Quinton B.
Great service. Enjoyed the Lobster & drinks. Lots to choose from. Sharing with a group of friends isn't a bad idea as well. Rich, filling menu.
(5)Michael R.
I brought a group here for happy hour a few weeks ago and all 10 of us soundly agreed it was the worst happy hour we'd ever had. We left after the first round for another bar. Our main complaints were the high price-point for mediocre drinks, lackluster service, and poor menu. The drinks do not have prices on the menu, at the start I asked the waitress what the pric-epoint was approximately. She said $8-12. Somehow, even though we ordered nearly all the cocktails between the ten of us, all but one were $12 (the mule was $10). We don't mind paying more for a good craft cocktail, but these were not speciality drinks. Their craft cocktails consist of standard bar drinks (the "Miracle on ice", for example, is an old-fashioned, and a small one of average quality at that). Better cocktail bars like Nightingale and Boneyard, who are mixing up really unique drinks, set their price-point closer to $8. Service was poor. Ignored for long periods of time by the waitress, had to flag her down on several occasions. The menu. $10 for 5 peiorgis, all of which were at best "okay". The lack of a vegetarian option in this part of town was bewildering. The skewers were the best thing we had and they were just all right. Anyway, if you want to pay $12 for an old-fashioned made with mid-tier rye, eat a potsticker pretending to be a pierogi, in the ambience of blaring televisions, be my guest.
(1)Renu B.
The food- amazing!! Wow the food is so good! All of it! The drinks- the drago is so good and weird, has a horseradish in it! The rest of the drinks are great! The service- really good service, everyone is very nice! Great place, I hope it lasts
(5)Nathaniel J.
I attempted to visit Hammer & Sickle on a Saturday night. It's Uptown so I know it's crowded. But we sat at a table for 15 minutes and not a single server approached us. We tried flagging some down, but they were just too busy. We left and I won't ever try this place again.
(1)Anna K.
Indifferent service and unappealing ambience. Our server was not tuned in to our experience at all, yet the place was nearly empty. The staff could be seen texting. What's up with that? Weird, unpleasant feeling that no one really cared. My Moscow mule was cute, but not particularly good for $10. Worse: there was a rotten lime wedge on the edge of the copper cup! Really gross. Our silverware seemed dirty, our table was dusty, the music was just wrong and too loud, and the TVs were distracting and out-of-place. The decor feels cheap and not at all in a campy/ironic/hip spirit that one would expect from the name. We ordered several small plates. Nothing to write home about, unfortunately. The "fish assorti" included pickled herring, smoked salmon, and smoked trout, and was served with pickled mushrooms, an egg pickled in beet juice, and pumpernickel toast. The egg was delicious and unusual, but everything else was of the quality of Cub foods. Despite a cute presentation on a small cutting board, the salmon was dyed and cheap, the herring blah, and the trout dry, dry, dry. We did enjoy the meatballs in tomato sauce very much, but not so much that we'd go back.
(2)Sara W.
Seriously, the food is awesome. Had the perioges, meatballs, and beef stroganoff. All were totally delicious. Loved his place so much, we went back like 3 days later for more. Highly recommend!
(5)Kelly S.
Hammer & Sickle is a stylish, new vodka bar in Uptown that serves a flavorful array of Eastern European inspired dishes. They serve food until 2am, so it's a great place to stop into for a bite with friends after a show. Here's the breakdown of the dishes I tried on my recent visit: Meatballs: 3 hearty meatballs in a sauce that is exploding with flavor, served with toast points to savor every drop of that delcious sauce Chicken Skewer: served on a bed of rice pilaf, it comes with peppers & mushrooms & was a nice savory plate Cholo Perogies: the best item of the night! clearly made from scratch with a lot of thought put into each ingredient, my husband & I fought over who got to eat the last piece! Moscow Mule: served in a copper cup, a classic drink made right! The plates are fairly small, but they work great for sharing. The flavors are complex & the food is fairly filling. The staff is super friendly & knowledgable & the vibe is nice with dim lighting & great music. This is definitely a place you will want to check out!
(5)James M.
Simple pros and cons bullets! No babble essay! Note: this review is for the dinner menu. Buffet here is somewhat unpleasant but cheap. Pros: I'm Russian so trust me its the cheapest Russian restaurant in the Midwest. Prices very good Good decor and date friendly and romantic Good attentive friendly staff Menu 80% authentic Russian Taste 80% authentic Russian Easy parking and great trendy location Con: Just one. Not fully authentic taste though close and good food but not orgasmic great P.S. Don't listen to 1-2 star reviews here. They came to either drink happy hour or for random food eats. If you want a good taste at a great restaurant at great prices for near fine dining and want to experience Russian dishes this place is for you!
(4)Julie T.
Came here for Happy Hour last night. At first, I didn't have high hopes for this place since it was practically empty till about 630pm. Mind you, this is one of the few places in Uptown that has HH till 7pm...so I am guessing the deals are really not that great to entice people in. It is basically a few bucks off here and there. The drinks were good though. I had a Cuban mojito with homemade blueberry vodka and my friend had the dirty hammer and sickle vodka which she liked. I ordered the borscht soup and it was good. The smoked and pickled fish platter was surprisingly good, I could eat it all day. We were so full by the end of the night. Thanks for a good time!
(4)Mezzo D.
The cocktails were imaginative, and the food was what I would call "Russian Trendy". Well prepared, very filling. The menu is on the heavy side, so we would be more likely to go in cooler weather. Nice al fresco locale. I'm curious if the servers all must wear short-short black skirts, because they did. Kinda bugged me. It's worth a visit, but nothing amazing.
(3)Leah G.
I was unaware of what a pierogi was before I came here and boy was I missing out! I came here on a Friday night for their late night happy hour. We sat outside and even though it is not much of a patio, it is nice to have an outdoor option. During happy hour is the pierogies are $2 off and their moscow mules are 2 for 1! (As well as draft and rails). I thought this was a great deal. I ordered the Polish pierogi that comes with potato, ground beef, kraut and comes with a creamy horseradish sauce - it was SO good! The sauce added a nice light taste to the heavy potato and meat and they were so filling! I ordered the classic moscow mule, which was very good. I would love to try some of their other kinds. With the happy hour specials it came out to be pretty affordable, especially since we were there for snacks and not a meal.
(4)Erin G.
This has been on my list for a while, and finally stopped in with a friend. We chose seats by the window. I guess it's a seat-yourself joint. A server came over with menus after a couple minutes and we ordered moscow mules right away. The mules were good but didn't seem overly strong. We also got the lobster skewer and the spicy pierogies to share. Both were delicious. The service was pretty slow but I liked the little place and the food was good. I'd come back for the pierogies and to try some of the other plates.
(4)Jen L.
This place is so wonderful! We were greeted when we entered and were told we could sit wherever we liked. We chose to sit at the bar and just order some drinks and apps. They have a fun drink menu with a lot to offer, and if you're feeling adventurous you can try a vodka flight or ask the bartender to play roulette where you either get horseradish vodka with jagermeister and caviar, ghost pepper and jalapeno vodka, or the better of them all a honey vodka with sweet & sour. For food we got pierogis! Holy smokes they were good. I've still been thinking about them. We tried two kinds. The first is called the comrade which is filled with potato and cheese, then topped with caramelized onions, sour cream and bacon! The second kind we tried was called the yankee which was filled with cheddar, bacon, and ground beef which was topped off with pickles. They were both so good! I want to go back and try more! We got russian fries (potato wedges) on the side which were seasoned and honestly, the pierogis were so filling we didn't need them with three of us! I hear they have a stellar happy hour (and late night happy hour too!) that has some good drink specials and $2 off pierogis (maybe on other foods too!). They have bingo (Drago) on Wednesday nights that I want to try! Prizes include gift cards that I am aware of.
(5)Christina Q.
I decided to come here a little after dinner time with a few friends. My first impression of walking into the restaurant was a very modern and chic vibe. It would be fun for a date if you wanted to try something new like Russian food (which I never had). In regards to the service. it was quite a mess. There was no host, and the bartender told us to seat ourselves. No one came around to grab a menu or even noticed us for the first 10 minutes. So, I basically grab the menus for ourselves. We never had one specific server, and they never checked on us either. The service was bad, and no one likes bad service. 1/5 In regards to the food, we decided to try their "famous" pierogies, the chicken kiev, and cabbage rolls. I'm kind of a stickler when it comes to pierogies because I have polish friends who make delicious home-made ones. However, dang, these were soggy. They looked brown and crispy, however, it felt like I was eating a pile of mush. The insides kind of reminded me of a KFC bowl. Definitely disappointed because it seemed like a popular choice. 2/5 The chicken kiev was actually pretty good. The chicken was still tender and crispy on the outside. I absolutely loved the roasted vegetable medley they added to their mash potatoes. It was the only thing I would probably recommend out of everything we ate that night. 4/5 The cabbage roll was drowned in tomato sauce that tasted like pizza sauce. There was basically zero to none cabbage as well? The meat was quite dry, and the "pizza" sauce couldn't save it. 1.5/5 Thank god, we had a groupon. Otherwise, I would have been very very disappointed especially at the prices since it wasn't that cheap. There are so many other restaurants to try especially in Uptown, so I would definitely recommend to pass on this place. However, if you have the Groupon and want to try some Russian food, why not?
(2)Allison W.
I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! The food is absolutely incredible, trumped only by the service. We sat at the bar, all-though the high top tables were a tempting option, I like being able to look through into the kitchen as they prepare your food, and the bar seating provides the perfect vantage point. A zillion stars for the bartender [tall and lanky with a tat on the inside of his forearm] who convinced me to try gin I have never been a big fan of gin, but he assured me the gin mule, dubbed 'Manchester Mule' was the way to go. He was right, it was fresh, clean, and not too sweet, one sip and I was hooked! Which can be especially dangerous as their be-famed mules are 2-4-1 on happy hour! My friend ordered a different mule 'Miracle on Ice' [their menu names are quite clever] and it too was fantastic. For an app we split THE SPUTNIK pierogis, or as I'd asked for them 'the spicy ones'. WOW! they are not messing around, so much flavor for what I was expecting to be meat-and-potatoes. Quite impressive. Dinner I had Beef Stroganoff and she had the Chicken Kiev, both amazing. So amazing that we I went to take a picture we had pretty much cleaned our plates, hence no picture evidence, but I assure you it was phenomenal. Did I mention all this was $35 dollars because we happened to venture on Thursday dinner time Hammer & Sickle 'Date Night'! Like what! 3 courses for under $50 in uptown!! Start to finish one of the best dining experiences I've had! Cheers and Sickle I'll be seeing you again soon :)
(5)Emily R.
Vodka.. you had me at vodka bar. This Russian vodka restaurant is so punny I love it. Not only do they have awesome Pierogis, their drink menu is AWESOME. They have an awesome honey vodka drink with cider mixed it, their s'more martini actually comes with a big marshmallow in it, and their mules are great! If you like Jamison they have the best Jamison mule. Happy hour is two for ones on mules, rail drinks and beers. It used to be on the martinis and specialty drinks which makes me sad. This venue is small so try not to plan big groups of more than 6, unless you get there really early. Lastly, they have Russian roulette. They give you a toy gun with one more bullet/load noise left and whoever gets it has to take a shot! Very very fun time.
(5)John W.
Pleasantly surprised how good the food is here! Everything we got was really good. The meatballs were homemade in an awesome sauce. I believe they are beef and pork mix. The lobster skewer was really good and the mushroom stroganoff was better than mom makes. The drinks were pretty weak and cost $12 but food made it a worth while visit. I bought a 2nd groupon just to go back again.
(4)Alli Q.
Surprisingly fantastic! I've walked past this place a hundred times and finally decided to walk in for late evening drinks. We stumbled upon the late night happy hour, which is from 10-12pm, and $2 off signature cocktails. The cocktails are a bit pricey, normally priced $12, but are nonetheless delicious and unexpected in Uptown. I had the Russian Honeybee, Petite Ginger, and Sochi Breeze. The Petite Ginger tasted a bit like soap, but I highly recommend the Russian Honeybee and Sochi Breeze. Perogis, infused vodka, and fantastic servers/bartenders in a Cold War theme makes this place a necessary stop. Can't wait to be back and highly recommend!
(4)Mary N.
The first thing I noticed when I came here was the nice red accent they've added to the entrance of the restaurant. The next thing I noticed after I entered was that all the tables on the left and right side were 2-tops, which makes it a little hard when you have more than 2 people. Behind the bar, next to the kitchen where you can see where they make your food though, were booths where you can fit 4-6 people. The place has a nice atmosphere but I don't recommend it if you're going with more than 4 people. Service wise-There was no host at all, the bartender basically told us to seat ourselves, which is fine but no one ever came around to give us menus. My friend had to go up to grab menus for us. I don't even think we had a specific server? No one ever introduced themselves as our server. We had a different person take our order, bring our drinks, and check us out; I'm a little confused on that part. Point is, I have no idea who our server was. Food wise, we ordered the yankee peirogi, chicken kiev, and cabbage rolls. The peirogis did not have that little crunch on the outside that they were suppose to, they were kind of soggy.. :/ the chicken kiev was good! I recommend this dish out of everything we got. The outside was super crispy, &the inside was juicy. The vegetable on this dish was the best part of the meal and it all comes on top of a bed of mash potatoes.
(3)Marilyn C.
If you were going to give up all meat for at least a year, where would you eat your last burger? For me, I chose the Hammer and Sickle. Whenever I would go to the movies, I would stop by here for their amazing sliders. I love what they do here and I love their kitchen staff, I never forget to compliment them and to tell them they are kings back there. My whole body smiles at eating their food. However, I have some adjusting to do with my dietary changes and this cleanse is very necessary for me. I have to say that I enjoyed and savored every bite I have taken at the Hammer and Sickle and love their vodka flights. I highly recommend them and if you are going out to the Lagoon theater, stop by the Hammer and Sickle and have a wonderful time. The service is fast and friendly and ask questions! The servers know the menu and can help you make a solid choice.
(5)Zeke T.
Aside from things like Pussy Riot and Rocky IV I know very little about the Russian culture so I was stepping outside of my comfort zone to try out this place. I joked about the high ceilings and copper plated walls attributing to an overall cold war theme. The food was spectacular, and you can peer right into the kitchen to watch as it is made. I have pretty mixed feelings towards some of the plates, but overall I enjoy the food here. I was disappointed by the meat assorti. I was hoping for something a bit more than what seemed like sliced salami and pan fried ham with an assortment of pickled sides. I love The Comrade pierogi though and I'll come back just to try the other pierogis. It was my first time trying out pierogi and I am now a fan. The beef and lamb skewers were supposed to be the highlight of their dish, but they were mediocre in comparison to the pilaf. Then again it has to be pretty hard to outplay that sweet and savory pilaf. The last dish we tried was a steak cooked medium-rare placed on top of spetzl. Spetzl is delicious and I would take that over spaghetti any day. Sorry spaghetti night, but you've been replaced. The steak was cooked to perfection, but perhaps the grill needed to be cleaned a bit more. The char taste from the grill was too strong. I'm not sure what the overall theme is supposed to be, but from what I understand Russia, or what used to be known as Soviet Russia, is pretty diverse with a lot of Asian fusion cuisines. I'd return right away if they started making some of those dishes.
(3)Amy C.
I was very pleasantly surprised by Hammer and Sickle. After reading the Yelp reviews I was worried, but I needn't have been. Our server was attentive, friendly and helpful. Our food was excellent, fresh and affordable. The atmosphere was good. We ordered the Easterner pierogi, Baltika Baltic porter, the beet salad, the chicken skewers, rice pilaf and garden vegetables. There were two of us and there was too much food for us. The beet salad was beautiful and had micro greens and I believe goat cheese and was formed into a log. The chicken skewers came with rice pilaf so no need to order that separately. The garden veggies were only a side dish but were a good size and included mushrooms and brussel sprouts. Everything was excellent. Definitely give it a try. We mostly had the place to ourselves because we were there between happy hours. It seems like most people come for the happy hour for the Moscow Mules. They did look good, but I highly recommend the Baltika Baltic Porter if you like dark beers. It's a big enough bottle for two people to share.
(4)Monica N.
Went here for Drago (every Wednesday) and for HH! It's totally worth it. Order their Moscow Mule and you wont be disappointed. They have a good selection of drinks, beer selection is ok. Now their food is really good! I tried their kobe sliders, Russian potatoes, and their pirogies! Everything was delicious. This place is worth a try :)
(4)Mike B.
Came here on a Friday night with some friends for vodka and pierogies. Surprisingly empty for an Uptown bar on a weekend night...but maybe that's just this time of the year in Minnesota. The atmosphere is in one word, cool. From the lack of any glaring sign outside to the hammer and sickle door knob to the Soviet-crimson light permeating out onto the street, this bar oozes hipness from the time you walk up to it on Lagoon. The food and drinks almost live up to the atmosphere. Late-night happy hour specials are good -- 2 for 1's on Mules, wells, and beer, as well as $2 off pierogies. Now, my mother is part Russian, and I grew up eating all kinds of homemade pierogies. These aren't quite your Russian mother's pierogies (and really, does anything ever touch your mom's cooking?), but they're still pretty impressive, especially for a cuisine not readily available in the Cities. I tried three different ones: The Sputnik, The Latin, and The Polish. Sputnik -- Potato, ground beef, and most importantly the 3-chili relish. This thing is HOT but absolutely bursting with flavor. You will cry, and you will be happy about it because you will be delirious from the super spicy deliciousness. You will also use the sour cream. A lot. Fortunately, it goes really well with the rest of the flavors. Top notch. This isn't your typical Minnesota spice. Also, eat this one last, as your taste buds will be burnt out after devouring it. Latin -- Another pierogi with great flavor. Chorizo, jalapeno, and potato mix to concoct what tastes like a potato taco, complete with surprisingly good salsa. Polish -- My least favorite of the three pierogies I tried. Just felt like something was missing here or wasn't balanced, or they just missed on the flavor mixing. The idea is good...a Polish/German medley with ground beef and kraut, served with horseradish on the side. I think it needed more kraut, as the taste wasn't brought out to it's potential. The horseradish wasn't the greatest combination with the rest of the flavor profile. I think it would be better served with more kraut and possibly a hollandaise or some kind of mushroom, white wine sauce to go with the German theme. The two different Mules I tried were tasty but not very strong. I wasn't even slightly buzzed after finishing off two of my Moscows and trying out one of my friend's Milanese. A little more alcohol kick wouldn't hurt here at $10 a pop! Overall, the atmosphere is great, the drinks are tasty (though not strong enough), and the pierogies are legit and unique. If you want exceptional Russian cuisine, hit up Moscow on the Hill in St. Paul, but if you're looking for something a little different with a great ambiance in Uptown Minneapolis, check this place out!
(4)Cindy S.
I have been here twice and I like it. They have a simple menu, but that's all I'm really looking for when I am putting around uptown. They make several types overstuffed perogis and they are heaven in my mouth(seems that these are a hit or miss). My favorite one is the easterner. Although a bit on the spendy side they make a pretty good beef stroganoff as well. The drinks were strong when I went and service is very polite. I have no complaints at this point. Go give them a try and don't forget to get those Russian fries! And yes, it can get spendy, but it's uptown right? No, it may not be athentic russian, but if you like it, you like it.
(4)Daisy N.
Pierogi's -YUM! We had the Polish. So good! Skewers-tried both the lamb and the lobster. Both were melt in your mouth -the Bomb. Service was awesome. Will be back!
(5)Jason K.
My wife and I had a $40 Groupon here in Uptown, which we had been to about 3 years ago, when it was an Asian Fusian place and had some of the best drunken noodles ever. This Russian place has no sign outside, but we grabbed hold of the hammer and sickle door handle and entered. It looks a lot like the old place, very modernistic and sleek. We sat near the window and there was a group of 6 there and another group of5, but other than that, pretty sparse. I did like the open kitchen in the rear corner, a nice touch. There are 6 infused vodkas here, so I chose the lemon infused martini, very solid. Not too boozy, and tasted a lot like lemoncello. I really enjoyed it, and my wife even said she would like it, and she normally hates beer and booze. I ordered some borscht to start off, which was warm and had delicately chopped beef in it, very good! I really loved this stuff, and perfect for a cool fall day. I then ordered a Summit Oktoberfest and an order of the chorizo filled pierogi. How could this go wrong, my favorite dumpling dish, with my favorite sausage? 5 filled dumplings with slices of jalapeno adorning it with some salsa on the side. It was just fantastic! Just the right amount of heat. Homemade pierogis, aIways are a winner! The chicken skewer was full of about 5 chunks of juicy chicken and really smoky veggies like pepper and onions. It tasted like they came right out of a BBQ smoker. Awesome for $5. Great dinner with the wife and I finished off the $40 with a delicious Surly Furious. What a night!
(4)Rhonda H.
Excellent service! The server made excellent recommendations and was very friendly. The Russian meatball small plate contained four good sized meatballs. It would work for four people. They had great flavor and a little spicy. The pork kebab was served over a citrus pilaf. The pork was perfectly cooked and included zucchini, red onion and red & green peppers. This would be okay to share for two people. The Latin pierogis were flavorful and spicy with the jalapeños, but I'd probably try a different version next time. An order contains five pierogis. The beef stroganoff with spaetzle again was plenty for two people. The sauce was a little too salty and sour for me.
(4)Ali J.
I've never really had Russian food before, but with a good deal on Groupon I figured this was a good time to try it. We stopped in at the end of happy hour and started off with a few drinks - I stuck with wine while my boyfriend was daring and tried one of their specialty drink - holy vodka. The waitress had warned us beforehand how strong it would be...that was a major understatement. He ended up liking it but I was happy to stick with wine. We ordered a few pierogis, shashlks (Russian style BBQ skewers) and the meatball appetizer. The meatball app was amazing - I was so surprised at how spicy and flavorful it was! Never really having Russian food before I didn't think it'd really be spicy but this was a nice surprise. The pierogis were another hit, especially the latin one. The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the lamb shashliks because of how dry it was and it seemed like part of it wasn't cooked thoroughly. The place was surprisingly pretty quiet for a happy hour but about 1/2 way through a large group of people came in. They were fine at the bar until the bartender pulled out a toy pop gun and kept shooting it and having them do it and scream - this got obnoxious FAST! Other than that the restaurant was really nice and service was good. Definitely worth checking out in Uptown.
(3)Ali D.
I'll be honest - I didn't have high expectations for this place, and I wasn't proven wrong. The boy and I went here for dinner a few weeks back - he was super excited, since he's somewhat of a Russian culture geek (don't ask me). We started off with a round of drinks - a Miracle on Ice for me, a Moscow Mule for him. Both drinks tatsed fine and were noticeably alcoholic, but both were just a little too sweet for my liking. Next stop: the Tour de Pierogi. We ordered the Comrade (potato, cheese, caramelized onion, bacon, topped with sour cream), the Latin (potato, chorizo, jalapeno, served with salsa and sour cream), and the Easterner (ground pork, ginger, green onion, carrots, served with soy sauce). Potato pierogi are decidedly not really my thing, but the flavors were well balanced and the dumplings themselves had a nice sear on the outside. Grease was definitely the #1 ingredient in the potato/chorizo dumplings. Thank goodness I had a dining companion who'll basically eat anything, because these were nearly inedible. Speaking of inedible, we ordered one of their shashlik (skewer) options as well - the beef was gristly, chewy, overcooked, and I actually had to discreetly spit out the undigestible beef into my napkin. I've NEVER done this in a restaurant before. "Not enthused" is an understatement. The best menu item of the night were the Asian-influenced dumplings, but we all know that those are available in so many other restaurants, for much cheaper. To top it all off, there was confusion between servers about who was managing our table, so there were a few details that were missed in our orders as well. Needless to say, I don't think I'll be returning. I'll get my Asian dumplings from an authentic restaurant, thank you very much.
(2)Jesse D.
We just had brunch here and we could not have been more disappointed. We arrived to a 75% empty dining area and 1 server. He greeted us and told us to sit anywhere. When we sat, he assumed we were there for brunch and dropped off 2 plates. Unfortunately, one of the plates was very dirty and needed to be replaced. He didn't even look at it. The server didn't take any time to explain what the brunch consisted of or the price was and when I asked for a regular menu, he told us that it was brunch only so we decided it might be a good way to try the food. He didn't even explain any of the Vodka specials and this place is supposed to be a vodka bar. We got our plates and walked over to the buffet. The food seemed like it was a step or 2 above a Hampton Inn breakfast buffet. The bacon was sitting in a server full of grease and was barely cooked, there was dry meat under a light with a knife sitting by it but it looked inedible. The fruit was dry and gross. The rest of the food was ok but all of it seemed like it had been sitting out for too long. If I get a stomach ache later, I know where it came from. It was all you can eat and we barely had one serving. When the time came to get our bill, the server was too busy talking with his friends in the corner and was inattentive. For $12.50 per person, I would go somewhere else for breakfast/brunch in uptown. I don't think we will be going back.
(1)Colin S.
Wonderful food. Great atmosphere. Attentive and helpful service. They even split our bill so we could get happy hour on our apps/drinks and use a groupon on our meal.
(5)Patti K.
Who would have thought that a Soviet Union theme would be cool for a restaurant! The ambience reminded me of what yuppie sushi restaurants try to do nowadays--high ceilings, fusion food, over-the-top menu item names, pulsing hip music, low lights, and a knowing too-cool attitude. Socialist realist decor would have been more amusing to me than the Spaghetti Factory-style red tasseled lampshades, but perhaps that would been a bit much. We ordered borscht, assorti fish, chicken kiev, and varenyky/pierogi dubbed "Sputnik." The borscht was very good with the freshly-toasted dark bread. I tasted bits of meat (probably beef), which made it more substantial. The chicken kiev was also good, and artfully presented. I thought the fish plate was the best item. Pickled herring, pickled lake trout, and smoked salmon lovingly arranged with pickles, microgreens, mustard sauce, dill spread, and brown toast points. The fish plate was a meal in itself, and I was surprised to find that it was a serving supposedly for only one person. the smoked salmon was a surprise--I thought it was a heap of pickled vegetables, but it was smoked salmon crumbled and sprinkled generously over hard boiled egg whites and tiny potato cubes. I never had pickled grapes or eggs before, so the whole plate felt like an adventure. Out of curiosity, I tried the pierogi called "Sputnik" described as "Potato, ground beef, 3 chili relish, served with sour cream and tears... " They were not kidding. The 3 chili relish overpowered the flavors of everything else. I usually order medium spicy at restaurants, and I needed a tall glass of orange juice to put out the fire in my mouth. (I really wanted a lassi or horchata, but although they had Kobe beef sliders and pierogi with chorizo, their fusion did not continue to beverages.) Overall, it was a fun experience. The server was cheerful and attentive. The Happy Hour prices were very good. The one downside was the parking--the website indicated a pay parking lot, but there was no validation. Next time, we'll park on the street if we get there early enough.
(4)Chris L.
Decided mixed reviews had me apprehensive but came with the wife and two friends. Good start with Paulaner Hefe-weizen available. Service was very attentive albeit we were only one of two groups there on an (Easter) Sunday. We all thought the food was great (in part thanks to Yelp reviews). Best was the Sputnik pierogis, cabbage roll and smoked fish plate. Comrade pierogi good but boring. Mini reubens OK. Skewered meat we found a bit boring and overcooked. Russian crepes good for dessert. Full length windows open on a nice day made it feel less oppressive. We all planned to return soon to get more of the best dishes we had.
(4)Jeff S.
Not a drinker so I can't comment on what for some is a major draw (vodka bar). The food, however, impressed. First the atmosphere is nice and the staff was friendly. Ordered the classic potato and cheese pierogi ("The Comrade") as an appetizer. Very tasty. I then had the chicken kiev, my wife ordered the beef stroganoff. Both were excellent. I'd only had chicken kiev one other time, at St. Paul's Moscow on the Hill, and I think Hammer & Sickle's is better. Finished with chocolate pumpernickel bread pudding, which as a big fan of bread puddings I can say was also excellent. I will return.
(4)Jen G.
The groupon deal of drew me in to this place that I would have typically passed by. I live in the neighborhood but find myself avoiding Lake street near Hennepin. I went on a Monday night and there were only a few tables of people in the place. It has a cool, dark atmosphere and awesome 2 for 1 happy hour specials! The Moscow mule was great. Happy hour that lasts until 7pm (not that 3-6pm stuff) is also great. We ordered escargot, yankee pierogies, and the cabbage rolls for 2 people to split. Escargot was weird. It came with a fork for poking snails out of the shell, but there were no shells... Just a dish with a layer of cheese and bread crumbs and some mushroomy snail meat hidden underneath. Confusion. Pierogies were okay. This place is probably supposed to showcase the pierogies, but I thought they were bland. Maybe I need to try the other kinds? Cabbage rolls were really good. I almost missed this item because I had my heart set on pierogies, but I'm so glad that I ordered this - it's a big roll on top of mashed potatoes covered in a red sauce with a dollop of sour cream. That's some comfort food right there.
(3)Andrew C.
A mixed result here: 1. Smoked fish platter was bountiful, fresh and skillfully plated. 2. Chicken skewer was good but veggies on veggie skewer were scorched on outside but onions and eggplant still raw :( 3. Wanted to like the pierogies, but the meat in them tasted really old. ( quality control fail!) 4. Server was friendly, attentive and helpful. 5. Happy hour prices are great. Still, I probably won't be back, the food just wasn't good enough.
(2)Troy P.
I thought this place was pretty cool. The menu is very affordable and has a lot of things I really enjoy. The pirogi seem to be their claim to fame, other than caviar and of vodka of course, and are simple yet tasty little bites. We had the Yankee and the Cholo which were both great for sharing along with the lamb and pork skewer. There was good distinction between the two pirogi which in my opinion can taste the same if the ingredients aren't strong enough. The Yankee was a straight up American pleaser while the Cholo was their Mexican version with Jalapenos and Chorizo. I was really excited for the lamb skewer after reading some great things but ended up enjoying the pork more. The lamb was kind of tough and really chewy although it did have great flavor, the pork was just easier to eat and seemed like it was done a little better. They serve them on rice with a dipping sauce and grilled veggies which make sharing even more inviting. They have a pretty decent specialty cocktail menu also for $10-12. I'm not a big vodka drinker and although the majority of drinks are focused on vodka they do have some bourbon to keep everyone satisfied. The St. Petersburg seemed to be their version of a cross between a Manhattan and an Old Fashioned which was pretty good. Our server suggested the Moscow Mule which was tasty as well, the drink we didn't like and wouldn't recommend was the HoneyBee I believe it's called. Not good, both of us felt immediate stomach aches upon taking a sip, the apple juice just doesn't work. Our service was really good, the atmosphere is fun and different although they could stand to turn the music down just a little. I know it's Uptown and all but I never had to repeat myself and say what so many times when within such close proximity. Altogether worth a visit, we'll be back to try some of the large plates on another visit
(4)Joshua G.
This restaurant is a good example of why groupon is on its death throws. Even though we were 3 couples paying 3 separate checks we could only pay with one groupon due to our proximity to one another. I guess that would be ok if the food is good but that is almost never the case. Restaurants that have this one groupon per table clause know that their food sucks and are banking on the fact you will never claim the remaining groupons. On a positive the staff was very good and the drinks were well done. Also the one appitzer that did not require cooking was very good. The stroganoff was very tuff and had way to much vinegar. It was basically a shoe leather vinaigrette. The lamb was also very tuff. The meatballs were very bland but had a nice sauce. we had 3 different perogees and the were either flavorless or so hot that you tastbuds could not taste anything. Basically the food was so bad we would rather surrender our 50 bucks worth of groupons then put ourselves through that again. This will probably also be our last groupon.
(2)Bob J.
Good food, at least good enough for the Uptown crowd. The bar attracts garbage, and the kids occupying the place kept screaming about doing more shots, then they moved on to the next bar. The server was pretty friendly, but approached us with all the rules about Groupon in case we had one, then got down to the business of taking our order. We had dinner early, and upon hearing the vegetarian special we ordered one, only to find out they "ran out". We were probably the first table in the restaurant, so that was pretty tacky. The place never filled up on a Saturday night. Food was ok, not authentic, not bad, just pretty good.
(3)Quinton B.
Great service. Enjoyed the Lobster & drinks. Lots to choose from. Sharing with a group of friends isn't a bad idea as well. Rich, filling menu.
(5)Rachel L.
Unfortunately for us we were served two under cooked meals in a row. The first being a chicken dish which is dangerous. Thankfully my husband had not consumed much of his chicken before we noticed this. The waitress asked us what else she could bring for us, my husband asked for beef stroganoff well done. The beef was rare and not cooked at all in many spots. We were then charged for this more expensive entree. I was just at a loss after all this.
(1)Sean N.
Amazing specialty cocktails. The pierogi are great and so are the kabobs. Definitely recommend this place.
(5)Eric J.
The food was absolutely outstanding as were the cocktails and the service. Great little place to stop in for a drink or to have some good hearty food. The lamb kebabs are my favorite but the pierogies were pretty darn good also
(5)Scott E.
I so want to give this place a four or five star, but maybe on our next visit. I am so convinced this place could be awesome, We will give it another try. It has only been in business one year. A modern open bar with a warm feel. One side of the room and the back are away from the televisions. The bar has big screens. Sports on!. Kitchen is open. A full bar with a great beer and vodka list. We were excited about the menu. Then the reality set in. The place was semi full on a Thursday night and only one waiter, with a newbie shadowing her. Frustrations began. Horrible way to start off. Such a long wait for water and menus. She was an amazing waiter. They need to clone her. Explained everything. We ordered some beer and vodka, the meat, cheese and pickled grapes platter with the Russian egg (think of it as a pickled deviled egg). This was FANTASTIC. We would come back for this platter and a beer. Once the order was in, it didn't long for someone to deliver it to us. We also ordered two of the six different perogis. Disappointing. There are different ways to make a perogis, I prefer the dough to be more like a bun and then baked, their version resembles a pot sticker. Five to an order. They are ample in size. Inside of both the traditional and asian perogis tasted the same and could only be described as mush. The only taste was the dipping sauce. That is all we tried. The bathrooms are super clean. The decor is fun. Parking is in a pay lot or city street (depending on the night, could be a three block walk). This is a very safe and clean park of the city. I would recommend you check this place out if in Uptown. Just be prepared to wait for service and even longer to pay your tab. We will be back.
(3)Rhonda G.
The cold war is over, and they come up with this name to lure you in. What's next, Auschwitz? From all my experiences, beet vinaigrette salad is usually 95% beets. Not here, mostly filler and a few chopped beets, not enough to taste. I attune this to laziness. We sampled a lot of items. First, I took Jessica's advice and am in total agreement about the meatballs. We got beef and lamb kabobs, The Polish pirogi, Cabbage rolls, and beef stroganoff. Everything is good, tender, and generous portions. Not crazy about their sauces.The oddity is that everything has an under taste. It's very dark inside and is all high top tables, and some booths. If you park in the lot you can conveniently exit out back. There is a lot of competition around here and finally located all the places all the Yelper's hang. In general we liked it, but time will tell about this concept.
(3)Ani D.
I was really excited to try this place, and finally made it in last night. The food was good and the server was sweet. The physical environment was nice, dim lighting and open kitchen, with some booths tucked in the back. The music, however, was really offsetting. I was hoping for a bit more of a traditional Russian restaurant experience, but the awful top twenty pop music really clashed with the environment. It would be nice to hear Russian music or even non-Russian more mellow or tame music would be really beneficial to the dining experience.
(3)Esse T.
Never been somewhere like this. Great staff, food, and vodka flights are awesome. Overall a unique pleasant lounge!
(5)Michael R.
I brought a group here for happy hour a few weeks ago and all 10 of us soundly agreed it was the worst happy hour we'd ever had. We left after the first round for another bar. Our main complaints were the high price-point for mediocre drinks, lackluster service, and poor menu. The drinks do not have prices on the menu, at the start I asked the waitress what the pric-epoint was approximately. She said $8-12. Somehow, even though we ordered nearly all the cocktails between the ten of us, all but one were $12 (the mule was $10). We don't mind paying more for a good craft cocktail, but these were not speciality drinks. Their craft cocktails consist of standard bar drinks (the "Miracle on ice", for example, is an old-fashioned, and a small one of average quality at that). Better cocktail bars like Nightingale and Boneyard, who are mixing up really unique drinks, set their price-point closer to $8. Service was poor. Ignored for long periods of time by the waitress, had to flag her down on several occasions. The menu. $10 for 5 peiorgis, all of which were at best "okay". The lack of a vegetarian option in this part of town was bewildering. The skewers were the best thing we had and they were just all right. Anyway, if you want to pay $12 for an old-fashioned made with mid-tier rye, eat a potsticker pretending to be a pierogi, in the ambience of blaring televisions, be my guest.
(1)Renu B.
The food- amazing!! Wow the food is so good! All of it! The drinks- the drago is so good and weird, has a horseradish in it! The rest of the drinks are great! The service- really good service, everyone is very nice! Great place, I hope it lasts
(5)Nathaniel J.
I attempted to visit Hammer & Sickle on a Saturday night. It's Uptown so I know it's crowded. But we sat at a table for 15 minutes and not a single server approached us. We tried flagging some down, but they were just too busy. We left and I won't ever try this place again.
(1)Anna K.
Indifferent service and unappealing ambience. Our server was not tuned in to our experience at all, yet the place was nearly empty. The staff could be seen texting. What's up with that? Weird, unpleasant feeling that no one really cared. My Moscow mule was cute, but not particularly good for $10. Worse: there was a rotten lime wedge on the edge of the copper cup! Really gross. Our silverware seemed dirty, our table was dusty, the music was just wrong and too loud, and the TVs were distracting and out-of-place. The decor feels cheap and not at all in a campy/ironic/hip spirit that one would expect from the name. We ordered several small plates. Nothing to write home about, unfortunately. The "fish assorti" included pickled herring, smoked salmon, and smoked trout, and was served with pickled mushrooms, an egg pickled in beet juice, and pumpernickel toast. The egg was delicious and unusual, but everything else was of the quality of Cub foods. Despite a cute presentation on a small cutting board, the salmon was dyed and cheap, the herring blah, and the trout dry, dry, dry. We did enjoy the meatballs in tomato sauce very much, but not so much that we'd go back.
(2)Sara W.
Seriously, the food is awesome. Had the perioges, meatballs, and beef stroganoff. All were totally delicious. Loved his place so much, we went back like 3 days later for more. Highly recommend!
(5)Josh S.
Hammer & Sickle in Uptown Minneapolis (1300 Lagoon Avenue) is a great little place to experience a different part of the world. I went there over a year ago with one of my Estonian-born friends from work and he told me the food was pretty authentic and close to what you'd get if you were in Russia. This is a place that nobody seems to know much about. There are many, many good things about this place and the food is really good. I'm particular to my pierogis (being of E. European background myself) and these are about as good as they get. I'd put them up with Kramarczuk's (on Hennepin) any day of the week. You really can't go wrong with the food when a native of the region is happy with it. The only downside I can see is that the drinks are way overpriced. Several of them are over $10 and that's hardly worth the price. They have some drinks I think don't belong on the menu (a Cuban mojito in a Russian restaurant? Really?) and the Russian drinks they do have appear to be made from cheap vodka. Otherwise, I love this place. I've never had bad food or service and the comfort level feels just right for me most of the time. My wife Krystyn loves going here and she is seriously the pickiest eater on the planet. She doesn't like Kramarczuk's (yeah, she's a little messed up in the head) but loves Hammer & Sickle. We recommend this place and if my recommendation isn't worth much, I think the words of my Estonian co-worker do the trick, "Reminds me of home." Great little place here.
(4)Mary Jo C.
Had post dinner drinks here and was confused/amused by the setup. Nothing really screams vodka bar about this place other than the mural. I think it's a bit too much like its former cool asian spot space, Kinson? The menu is very unique offering several traditional Russian dishes. They make their own infused vodkas, including horseradish, cherry, honey, and many others. I was curious about the house flavors so tried a half honey half cherry with soda. It was sickly sweet but the honey came through like crazy! It's be kind of amazing in a tea. Nice little trendy after spot in uptown that doesn't really exist today.
(3)Reggie F.
Overall we were completely impressed and would definitely return. We dined here around 5 on a Sunday, and used a Groupon. We were a little skeptical, but so glad we tried it. Ambiance--Cozy, modern, cool, semi-industrial feel. Fun atmosphere. Both booths and bar tables. Service--Excellent! Our waitress was very friendly and attentive, and let us know right away that our groupon would not work with the happy hour specials--no problem. Food--A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. We're not sure if this food is authentic Russian fare, but it certainly had personality and unique flavors. We started with the meatballs which were served in a delicious red sauce with cheese--would definitely recommend. We also shared the pickled beet salad which was very flavorful, bold, and delicious. The salad was much larger than we expected, and both appetizers were served with slices of rye toast. Next we shared two orders of perogies--the Comrade & the Latin. We loved both, and though we haven't had many perogies, we thought they were very well done with good toppings or sauces. The portions are quite large for what you pay, and sharing these plates was way more than enough food. We left with full tummies and smiles on our faces :) They have great happy hours deals every day from 4-7, and we can't wait to return and try more! We're really happy to have discovered Hammer & Sickle.
(5)Rhonda j.
What an absolute pleasure to visit your restaurant. I live in San Diego and came to Minneapolis for a few days of cold weather. Thank you for providing that Minneapolis...5 degrees tonight! AWESOME! I purchased a groupon for your restaurant thinking what the hell, never had Russian, let's check it out. I am normally a wine drinker coming from San Diego and I was really pleased with the recommendation from my waitress of the Soviet Butterfly....smooth and delicious, dangerously so, easy to drink more than one, and I did. Next came pierogi...Comrade style...oh yes delightfully filling and yummy. Never cold enough to enjoy a potato dumpling in SoCal...but so good here. Who cares about calories!?! Next was the assorted fish appetizer (another waitress recommend)....I had no idea pickled herring would taste so good...seriously who would have thunk it? And the pickled grapes and carrots...is that cloves? Cinnamon? Allspice? Whatever it is yum! Thanks so much for great service and truly simple culinary affair that pleases the pallet. I hope to find myself in Minneapolis again soon and when I do, I will be sure to come by your restaurant again. Good luck to you, keep up the good work!
(5)Maurissa M.
Absolutely awful experience. Went here with two friends on a Thursday evening, around 7:30. Our waitress was rude from the get go... Brought us to a table and brought waters, but it was a good 10 minutes before we got menus. We ordered a first round of drinks which came promptly, and ordered an app, after which our waitress tried to take away our menus. we explained that we planned on having dinner as well, as she walked away as if annoyed! I ordered a second drink at the same time that we ordered dinner.... Five minutes later, our waitress walks over and says "oh sorry, I forgot to ring in your drink" and walks away. Waited roughly 20 minutes for our food, which was brought to our table warm at best (we could see it sitting on a counter directly across from our table, waiting to be served). Waitress brings over our food, and doesn't even acknowledge that I STILL haven't gotten my drink. I finally walk up to the bar (I've now been waiting 25 minutes for a drink) and find the waitress leaning against the bar watching the game on TV. When I remind her that I haven't gotten my drink, she simply says "ok, that ones on me" and walks away. I did finally get one, and it wasn't on my tab, but I expected AT LEAST some sort of an apology, and probably a table visit from a manager. We were never checked on and no one ever asked us how the food was. The only reason I give the second star is because had the food been served hot, it would've been wonderful. The drinks were delicious but very overpriced. We will not be back.
(2)Jessica S.
No sign marks the spot, but the iron Hammer & Sickle door handle is a dead giveaway that you've arrived at the right spot. The mysterious lack of signage coupled with the Siberian cold (what has been dubbed the "Polar Vortex" aka a run-of-the-mill Minnesota winter) may lead you to believe that you're soon to cross the threshold into the Russian mob's top secret lair, so long as you ignore the floor to ceiling windows allowing passerbyers on Lagoon to peer in and catch a peek of the "illicit" activities underway inside. But, fear not, the revolver used in this game of Russian roulette is nothing but a mere plastic toy discharging a harmless, albeit startling, "pop" (inquire with the server/bartender if you desire to satisfy your risk-taking urges) and the mobsters here are your average millennial dressed-to-impress plucked from the Uptown/Downtown districts. The music pulses over head. The little space is full at 10 pm on a Saturday night. Bodies congregate in the bar and entry leaving minimal room to navigate. The dim lighting, a red glow from the back lit bar [think Social House], conceals flaws and imperfections. This screams "date night"! [The ratio of men to women, about 4 to 1.] ...Or, for the single ladies, "meat market"! Cocktails (ranging from $8-$12) and infused vodkas (flights offered) seem to be the drinks of choice here. The cocktail I sipped was called Forbidden Fruit, essentially an Appletini, rimmed with cinnamon sugar and smelling too temptingly much like a straight-outta-the-oven apple pie. Good, but a tad pricey at $12. On the eats front, small plates or entrees are available. If you're not jonesing for a ton of grub, then I think you might just find the small plates adequate. I've had the opportunity to sample... -Meatballs: Fat and juicy! (Ew, feels so wrong to describe anything that way.) Loaded with flavor, both from within the meatball itself and the sauce. Hearty bread for dipping on the side. -Pierogies: Potato-stuffed dumplings boiled and pan fried. Lots of flavor combos available with primarily meat-centric toppings. Don't even remember exactly what we ordered, but it was flavorful. Skewers: I ordered the eggplant skewer. Others ordered meat on a stick, which garnered approving nods and grunts. I found my eggplant and veggies to be unnecessarily slathered in oil. Because the veggies weren't covered in enough gunk (has anyone invented an emoticon for sarcasm yet?), I further dressed it with layers of creamy horseradish sauce (sour cream), which distracted from the slimy oil. The bed of rice that cushioned the skewer was not entirely soft and fluffy, specked with some crunchy grains. Undercooked rice is not excusable. I've yet to master this, but Cooking 101, am I right? -Pelmeny: Bite-sized stuffed pasta, either with finely shredded and sauteed veggies or meat in the middle. When inquiring about the meat filling, I insist the server said "beef, pork, and oyster." My BF assures me that the third meat she listed was "lamb" not "oyster." You say toMAYto, I say toMAHto. We opted for veggie because pork just is not our cup of tea. However, vegetarians beware, a few of the porky pastas found their way into our plate of veggie pelmeny. Aside from this mishap, I enjoyed the veggie version, mostly after dousing it in the accompanying vinegar and sour cream. (Sour cream is a lot like ketchup or sriracha. It makes everything taste better.) Without these condiments, the pelmeny would be lacking as the boiled pasta "flavor" (anti-flavor?) dominated over the tasty yet minimal veggie stuffing. And, I'm not one to let food go to waste, so I did sample those sneaky meat pelmeny that had infiltrated our dish. Too spicy, like sausage spicy, not hot spicy. All in all, the food was not exactly memorable and the kitchen made a few beginner blunders (undercooked rice, meat finding it's way into one of the few veg-friendly dishes--both of which I alerted the staff). Typically, after such an experience I'd award only 3 stars (which is certainly not bad, just average). However, I really do appreciate the concept underlying H&S (trendy vodka bar+Soviet bites) and its bringing of something new and different to Uptown. Plus, during both of my visits, I was quite pleased with the service [who (1) on one occasion went above and beyond to aid our group of 8 in the obnoxious task of splitting the bill among 8 people who were sharing dishes, and (2) during my most recent visit were very receptive and apologetic toward my negative feedback, though I'm somewhat surprised that no apology offer was extended, i.e. an on-the-house dessert, in exchange for crunchy rice and a meat-contaminated veggie dish). I expect to be back. However, if I do not see improvements, I'll be dropping a star and making less frequent visits. H&S, I bet that leaves you shaking in your Valenki boots now.... : )
(4)Michelle W.
Here for late night drinks. Drinks are very good. I'm a big fan of vodka cocktails. These were a little weak, but delicious. The service, however, was quite terrible. Our server was too busy doing shots and flirting with the bouncer to be bothered to check on us or bring us drinks that we ordered 30 minutes earlier. Side note: Russian roulette cap guns are annoying. Ear drums serve an important purpose, unbeknownst to this bar.
(2)Valerie H.
Poor Hammer & Sickle, you are unintentionally hilarious. This location used to be known as Kinsen Noodles; to make a transition to Russian themed vodka bar it looks like the owners painted the walls red and added some sconces. We looked but couldn't even find a picture of the Kremlin. Perhaps the ambiance becomes more like Moscow once you down a few vodkas? Be prepared to pay a lot for cocktails, but it is Uptown. I had a cinnamon apptletini that was delicious, but probably not worth $12 outside of happy hour ($2 off cocktails) If you are feeling mildly adventurous, order the Drago shot- horseradish vodka, Jagermeister, and caviar at the bottom. Bonus! When someone in your group orders this vile concoction, you all get to play Russian roulette with a pop gun. This game proved a little anticlimactic as our first gun failed to pop after going around the group. According to our waitress this "happens a lot...." Cheers for her enthusiasm, but the speed and menu knowledge left much to be desired. I wish Hammer & Sickle luck, because it will need Putin-sized amounts to stay afloat for more than 6 months. Damn good pierogis though!
(3)Anon X.
We went out for dinner on a Wednesday evening. Our bill was $39 total. We ordered the meatballs to start and then dined with Chicken, Lamb, Pork and Lobster Shashlik. The meatballs were excellent, very soft and flavorful. However, the entrees were a big disappointment. The Shashlik all came together on one plate over rice. The rice was hard and not edible. The chicken, pork and lamb were extremely dry and the lobster was overcooked so it was rubbery to eat. We ate here with a Groupon, but most likely will not return. The service was fast and extremely friendly though. We were in and out in less than an hour.
(3)Alan H.
Love the happy hour until 7pm-2-4-1! Great deals on small plates during happy hour as well. Their Moscow Mule is spot on and served legit in a copper cup. Small plates are tasty. Have been there a few times now and had great service once, had a server in training another time and had a pretty unfriendly one the last time. I'll keep going-it's quiet and feel a bit like a diamond in the rough.
(4)Cheryl B.
First time to Hammer & Sickle tonight-had a fabulous dinner from -the borscht , beef stroganoff , pork kabob to the vanilla custard w/ginger apple chutney our dinner was incredible-the beef and pork were cooked to order and very flavorful-will definitely be back!! Happy hour till 7 too!!
(5)Alex T.
Having lived in Russia for several years, my girlfriend and I went to this bar thinking that we knew what to expect. What we actually got was food that far exceeded our expectations on every level. This is not just a specialty restaurant for when you're craving vodka and pirogi. This is a restaurant/bar for any night on any occasion. First, the atmosphere was nice; not kitsch or overdone with Soviet propaganda, but chic with good music and a good feel overall. The staff was very friendly and made good suggestions. The drinks were amazing as well. We tried the Moscow Mule and the Hangover Cure which were both well done, but the best part was the vodka infusion flight that we got. It included cherry, honey, dill and horseradish infused vodkas, with the last two stealing the show. A must-try if you go. But the best part by far was the food. These aren't your babushka's pirogi; every plate was beautifully presented and tasted even better. The food was very high quality, especially considering the price. Some of the best parts were: --Beef stroganoff --Vinaigrette salad --Meat/fish appetizer platter --Comrade pirogi --Lamb/pork skewers But really, from our experience, it seems that if you try anything you'll be satisfied. If you're in Uptown Minneapolis, definitely stop by for drinks at least, but dinner if possible.
(5)David A.
Eat anything here. It's all great. The Chicken Kiev got a 10 from my companion - a Chicken Kiev fanatic. The Easterner pirogues were off the chart. The lamb skewer was the least interesting thing we tasted, and even that got an 8! Oh, and we're not drinkers so we ordered ginger ale. Delicious. I forget to ask about it, but it's sure not Canada Dry.
(5)Nicole M.
Hammer and Sickle is AMAZING. Exactly what Uptown needed. We tried many different dishes-the Russian Fingerling potatoes for an appetizer-I'd suggest asking for the homemade dill dip to go with them, it's delicious!! We had the lobster kabobs, which were to die for. The lobster was so tasty. We also had their escargot, my first time having such a dish, and I've been craving it ever since. You must end the night with their infused rum cake-hands down the best I've ever had. And the cocktails are incredibly unique (homemade infused vodka-amazing), I'd suggest asking for a splash of their homemade grenadine in your drink, it's so light compared to regular grenadine. The atmosphere of this place is great too. Dark lighting and cozy candles makes you never want to leave. Not one moment of our incredibly long night here was a disappointment. I've actually never had a reason to write a review about a restaurant until now, that is how incredibly good Hammer & Sickle is.
(5)Sarah Marie B.
I was incredibly disappointed by this place. Living nearby, I had seen this place but never had a chance to stop by, so I was pretty excited to finally try out something seemingly unique to the area. My boyfriend and I arrived early-ish (read: pre-dinner rush) on a Saturday night and were greeted by the male host. While the bar was full, there were only 3 or 4 tables full, so the host told us we could sit at any of the high tops and we thanked him and took a seat. We sat down and started looking through the drink menu, getting excited about all the interesting cocktails when I realized I actually had had time to read through all of them and nobody had yet come by. So we continued talking, slowly getting more concerned, as I watched the 3 waitresses and host that were about 10 feet from us hang out and chat. After 10 minutes of being ignored (the host glanced our way and did nothing) we put on our coats and walked out without anyone even attempting to take our order. Had this place been good we probably would have returned frequently, too bad.
(1)Rik O.
Every time I have ever been here I have had a wonderful experience. The staff is awesome and the food is out of this world. I often joke that I am in a relationship with this bar since I think of it so often. The weekend brunch is something to write home about for sure and the caviar is better than sex. The craft cocktails (Moscow mule especially) are note worthy and you can't beat 10 dollar mimosas on weekends. I recommend this place to literally everyone I meet. Hammer and sickle is doing everything right and you should just go there. Now. Seriously get up and get dressed order a cocktail and have a pierogi. Try some infused vodkas and don't be shy of the beet juice Bloody Mary, it's amazing, trust me.
(5)Brent S.
Nice layout and great service. The Perogies were a huge disappointment; just not good and really overpriced. Russian Tea House and Moscow on the Hill are the measuring stick here and this place does not even come close. Don't waste your time.
(2)Scott K.
This place is awesome. You've got to know what to expect as far as ambiance. It has a slight Russian Mafia feel to it. It's also little hard to find because there is not much of a sign more of a symbol. I'll tell you what though. I couldn't find a pierogi or beef skewer on the menu I didn't like. The large plate meal they offer are very good as well. The food is hearty (meat and potatoes). Throw in the good selection of Vodka and specialty cocktails and you really can't go wrong... well maybe if you have too many Moscow Mules.
(4)Brent M.
Groupon was what drove us to explore this place. Food was great and service was good. Without question, the meatballs were the best. I will be back again this winter. The good strikes me as a winter type of comfort food.
(4)Bryan M.
If you love Vodka this is the place. A wide variety to choose from and moderate prices great wait staff and scenery.
(4)Timothy F.
What more can I say than the food from Hammer & Sickle was absolutely impressive. The pierogies were so much better than I had imagined they would be. The stuffed cabbage rolls were huge and flavorful, and the lamb skewer was juicy and delicious. And I can't forget to mention how delicious the borscht was, especially with a dollop of sour cream. Hammer & Sickle has definitely won me over so far.
(4)Nick H.
The food here is what really shines. The pierogis are wonderfully done. My favorite item however, was the escargot. It was sooooo good. Whenever I come back it is something I will order every time. The cocktails were OK. I would recommend the Miracle on Ice as it was the best one that my friends and I ordered.
(4)Sarah L.
I will start by saying two things: 1st I am not a huge fan of Russian food and 2nd. I did not get the vodka. I tagged along with friends, one of whom is Russian and 2 of whom have spent considerable time in Russia. The aps were very pretty and tasted pretty good. I was really impressed with their take on French fries (and I'm not a fry person). The fish plate was very pretty but I can't comment on taste since I'm vegetarian. My friends agreed that all was good but questioned the authenticity. We asked about the owner and cook's connection to Russia and they apparently "researched it a lot." The atmosphere was Uptown chic. The wait staff was very friendly if a little bit over enthusiastic to bus our tables and help more. Every time we turned around they asked if needed something. Better that than ignoring us though. A fine place.
(3)Debbie W.
As a vegetarian, they lost points. Borscht came with lamb even after stating I dont eat meat. Perogies had an amazing bacon.....really! But after getting it corrected...food was delicious!
(4)Dan M.
Tonight was my second time at Hammer & Sickle and it was just as good as the first. This is a great place to share several different items on the menu. They have a cocktail menu focusing on vodka drinks, not surprising as this is a Russian joint. I had their signature red hammer which was a little too fruity for me. Then I had the Moscow mule which was a bit more up my alley. Tonight a buddy and I started off by sharing the Kobe beef sliders and the mini Reuben sandwich sliders. The beef sliders were pretty good and the Reuben sliders were excellent. Next we shared some perogis. One was the spudnik and it was fantastic. According to the waitress there were ghost peppers in it. As a spicy food fan I had to try it. It was decently spicy but probably not ghost pepper spicy. We also split some lamb skewers. The lamb was tender and juicy. Definitely go to this place if you enjoy Russian food, good cocktails, and a fun environment.
(5)Kseniya N.
I really enjoyed dining here. The atmosphere is pretty chill and I liked the decor. Growing up on Russian food I must admit that not everything is true to taste but lots of things still give you a good idea of what the food is like... Think comfort food. What we really enjoyed were the comrad and the polish. I wish you could order blini with something other than caviar. The chicken shashlik was the best. We were a bit disappointed with the lamb shashlik, not the best cut of meat and too chewy. Mixed drinks were delicious and the happy hour prices for food are really reasonable.
(4)C P.
Well we were going to go there this evening with another couple. We had coupons to use. But they have a policy of only one coupon per table and told us we would have to sit at separate tables. How absurd. They seem more nazi than russian. So we are not going and will not go in the future. Besides, I noticed their vodka menu does not even include Russian Standard Platinum. And they call themselves a Russian vodka bar!
(1)Sharon R.
Fantastic beet salad,eggplant skewers,pudding,cocktails and friendly staff.
(4)John G.
My wife burned the crap out of her finger after ordering a skewer. The server should have warned us that they are served extremely hot. When she told the server about it, the server asked if she wanted a band aid. No she doesn't want a band aid, she wanted an "oh I'm sorry what can we do for you to make this right" With all the choices in Uptown never going back there!
(1)Keith M.
Minneapolitans love their bland, characterless bars and this one is just one small step above with a slightly detectable Russian theme. The borscht was fine and came with bits of lamb and sour cream with dill. As for the ambiance, I couldn't see hanging out here much, since the decor is about the extent to which you're (barely) reminded you're in a Russian themed bar-restaurant. I mean, at least break up the top 40 crap with an occasional nationalist Soviet ballad to Mother Russia. Stop in for a bite and move on elsewhere: the further from Lake & Hennepin the better.
(3)