We called ahead to reserve a table for two at 7pm and were confirmed. When we arrived, it was clear that they had not taken our reservation or anyone else who reserved 7pm as we were all standing in line waiting to be seated and the host was very confused and taking our names down (again). It only took ten minutes for them to find us a table, so definitely not a bad wait. The couple next to us who arrived at the same time and had confirmed reservations for 7pm had to wait 45 minutes, though. The food was delicious, but it was "food truck" delicious, not fine dining delicious. We ordered the tenderloin steak sandwich with matchstick fries and the Chicken Fettucine Alfredo. The sandwich was great, but it felt like you could get the same quality and taste for a $6 sandwich at lunch from a food truck downtown. Also, the fries seemed like they were just Ore-Ida crinkle-cut fries dumped straight in the the fryer from the bag. Again, I love crinkle-cut pre-made fries, but not when I'm paying for a fine dining experience. The view across the river of the city really is amazing, though. Also, the wine at cost can't be beat, either and made up for the inflated prices of the food truck-worthy entrees.
(3)
Jennifer S.
Having eaten here a few times over the past year or so, I've come to the conclusion that the quality of their food is on the steep decline. Their service is unremarkable, wanting improvement. Last night, we shared an order of their lamp chops appetizer (because we've had them in the past and loved them); however, this time, the chops were underwhelming - thin, poor quality cuts of lamb were served luke-warm, instead of piping hot off the grill (like last time). I ordered the BLTA Salad - sickly-looking mixed spring greens from some bag (many slimy bits included on my plate), some sliced cherry tomatoes, large bits of well cooked bacon, and completely absent avocado. All soaked in too much and too sweet salad dressing. Commented to wait staff about absent avocado and was told "that's the second time I've heard that comment tonight". Huh? One good thing, though, their prices on bottles of wine are probably the best around town!
(2)
Carolyn M.
I didn't have the opportunity to eat here, although in reading some of the reviews, it sure doesn't sound like I missed much. The 5-star rating is based on the price of wine (bottles are sold at cost, which means you can drink a full one for $10 or less!) and service. Both EXCELLENT.
(5)
Judith A.
Wine by the bottle is a fantastic deal. We ordered the Acacia Chardonnay. My friend ordered a local blonde ale, which he found to be fantastic. The house salad had a lot of flavor and interesting ingredients, like pineapple and craisins. I would avoid the overly cumin induced Thai salad. All in all It was a extremely enjoyable, kick back place on the river, with excellent service from super cute waiters.
(5)
Elaine H.
Over priced and slow service. 4 tables on the veranda and four servers. Waited 20 minutes to order drinks. Then waitress said, "Just flag me down if you need anything!" Should I have to flag down a waitress when my martini was 13.00(16.73 with tax and tip)? No way!
(2)
Kimberly L.
I've only come for their summer happy hour on the patio! Amazing deals on wine and great service. 2-5pm happy means $2-$4 bottles of wine! Great views of the river and city. Next time I'll have to try some food :)
(4)
Whitney G.
I went to a gathering at this restaurant where we had reservations far in advance. The staff was friendly, but it felt like it took forever for them to come out with our drinks (I had to remind them a couple of times to bring mine). The food was great, but they were also slow to bring out the condiments (salad dressing for the salad and ketchup and mayo for the brats/burgers). I mean, who has a bare burger or dog? It seemed like they were really unprepared.
(2)
Ole P.
It was a very warm Saturday night, lots of people enjoying the deck. There were two empty tables that we saw and we took one of them. Service was good. We had an app, a drink & 2 beers for $49 including tip. That seems a little high to me but it's that kind of area. The Italian Sausage flatbread is basically a pizza without the sauce and it was pretty good. I'd like to see a bowl of marinara for dipping. When we go back to that area we'll try a different place, not because we didn't like it but we want to compare.
(4)
Jan S.
Great evening on the patio sharing a good although inexpensive bottle of wine and a very nice sandwich and salad. We have not tried happy hour but it sounds great.
(4)
Hannah T.
The wine deal happy hour is insane! From 2-3, $2 bottle of wine, 3-4, $3 and 4-5, $4, oh man! Tuesday-Saturday you really can't go wrong with this! It is Barefoot and Flip-flop brands, but for real, you can't even buy those for that cheap in the liquor store. They have almost every type, so if you are snobbing on the brand at least you can get the flavor you want! The view is gorgeous as it overlooks the Mississippi on that beautiful cobblestone Main street. Gosh, it's so romantic over there, I can't even handle it. I went with my roommate and we shared 2 bottles each and just hung out for 3 hours, it was great. They didn't pressure us to order food (which is good because this aspect of Vic's is quite spendy! I think the cheapest appetizer was like $13, yikes for HH anyways!) and our server was very attune to our pace, refilling our water and checking in only occasionally. Overall I was pleased and will definately be frequentinmg this patio for some zany wine adventures!
(4)
Murse Z.
Ive eaten there many times in the past year or 2. I really want to love the place. It has great views, great prices on wine (bottles are at cost, where else can you get a whole bottle of wine for less than $13?! The problem is the service and the food. The food is very flavorful; when you can get it... once they were out of their roasted chicken at 6pm on a Friday! The service - I give their wait staff credit for trying, but waiting 10 minutes to be noticed, then another 5 to get a menu is just a horrible start. When you order food it should be a no brainer that I would like a napkin or silverware. Anyways, I would go back for a drink, but only if I brought a book.
(2)
Simone S.
Unfortunately, there are many reasons for this low rating. I made a reservation for 7:30 yesterday (a Friday). We arrived at 7:15 to find chaos. There was not a host. The chef appeared to be seating people. Through talking to people standing around we found out that he was seating people on a first come firstt serve basis. So this was the first problem. We complied and got in line. Meanwhile went to the bar to order drinks while we waited. It took the bartender 10 minutes to notice us and another 5 to take our order. He did not even have a full bar. This was our second issue. We were sat (2 of us) by 7:50. Not as long of a wait as we were expecting, considering. Our server was Nicole, she seemed a bit overwhelmed, but it was chaotic. She apologized for our wait and was very attentive. We started with the crab cakes. Delicious, but overpriced (2 small ones for $15). We shared the entree Caesar salad to begin, and Nicole kindly had it split for us, but failed in telling us there was a $1.75 splitting charge. Not a huge deal, but we didn't ask specifically for it to be split. For entrees I ordered the ribeye medium rare, it came out well done. I sent it back and Nicole apologized and within a very reasonable amount of time, I got q new one cooked to perfection. My boyfriend ordered the filet medium rare and his was perfect. Nicole then let us know that she took off the ribeye from the bill! She did not have to do that, and we compensated her well for that. We finished with the chocolate cake. This was a $7 disappointment. A chunk of dry, hard cake doused in chocolate whipped cream. Yuck! All-in-all, the service was great (I am in the industry, myself), cannot beat the at-cost wine prices, and the food was good (with a second try). It seems management is really where Vic's falls short. Not being staffed well enough for the first Friday of the patio season is a horrible thing to come into! Also, they should just be one of those places who don't take reservations, instead of taking them and disregarding them. Might go back for the cheap, good wine!
(2)
Annie F.
This is quite possibly our favorite restaurant for date night. Their bottles of wine are priced at cost, so you can get a great bottle for what you'd pay at the liquor store! Every time we've gone we've received incredible service. The windows are floor to ceiling with just breathtaking, romantic views of Minneapolis. And the FOOD...?!? WOW wow WOW!!! Everything we've had has been amazing! Their wings are huge and flavorful. Their rotisserie chicken is so juicy and seasoned perfectly. My fiance says it's some of the best chicken he's ever had. Their flatbreads are sooo good and served on a fun platter. The show stoppers for us are their ribeye with blue cheese which I order every time. It comes out perfectly medium rare every time. I'm such a steak lover and am typically disappointed that barely any restaurants can cook a steak to my liking... But not Vics! They get it every time. The other show stopper is their crab stuffed walleye. Holy cow! My fiance ordered that and we had a fork war over it because I wanted more bites lol. So thanks Vics for being so awesome! We love ya! ;) Oh forgot to mention an item that comes and goes as their appetizer special... They have cream cheese wontons with a reduced berry drizzle and omg! That is all :)
(5)
John W.
The review score for Vic's appears to be driven by service concerns on the patio in the summer not dinner service. We went for a dinner date on a Friday night. The host was very awkward and didnt acknowledge us standing in the entry for at least 5 min. I had to ask him if he was the host while he cleaned menus and ignored us. Awkward intro but our advanced reservation left us with a great table by the window with views of the river and skyline. Classy dinning room. Our server was very friendly and attentive. The wine list was extensive and very reasonably priced. $17 got us a great bottle. Calamari appatizer was very good. The steaks were the best I've had in a long time. Perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked. The amish blue cheese crusted option really brought it to the next level. One of the best steaks around. In all 2 steaks, bottle of wine and appetizer was just under $100. The view from our table and great steaks really made the night memorable.
(4)
Janet M.
So disappointed with this trip to Vic's. Service was horribly slow and not even all that busy (mid afternoon). And the dinosaur kale salad was way overdressed with a sickened sweet honey lemon curd vinaigrette. That was a big mistake.
(2)
Candice B.
Great views! Super cheap wine! Need I say more? Okay, well they also have good food. And I love that you can take your unfinished bottle of wine home with you. Lovely patio.
(5)
Dan C.
If it weren't for the view of the river on a nice day, the great outdoor space and refreshing beverages this place would have never made it this long. Service is courteous and prompt. Wine list looks to be extensive and the menu LOOKS good but the food however is TERRIBLY OVERPRICED for what you get. The quality just isn't there and our table of 4 tried varied items. The ribs were soggy and reminded me of something from a buffet. The sweet corn was soggier with no flavor. The steak was shoe leather and well done when ordered medium. Broasted chicken not bad at all. The spinach dip for a started was pretty good but nothing to unique. This place is all about he view. Enjoy the deck and have a drink with some appies but head someplace else for your main meal.
(1)
Reid S.
Setting is great but service is atrocious and the food is pretty good. Just pretty good. I could've done better out in the suburbs.
(2)
Jessica S.
As suspected from other Yelp reviews, the service was atrocious. Right off the bat, we were ignored for a solid 10 minutes. Refusing to be treated like chopped chicken liver, we opted to take our business elsewhere (Ginger Hop). The main draw here is the sprawling patio offering a lovely view of the quaint, brick-lined streets of St. Anthony Main and its verdant riverfront. But, I'd not subject myself to such crummy service, even if the Super Bowl was playing before my very eyes, let alone for an overpriced mediocre meal.
(1)
Chloe B.
One of the best parts about summer is the return of Vic's Progressive Happy Hour. Select bottles of wine are $2 at 2 pm, $3 at 3pm, etc. While you're enjoying your cheaper than Two Buck Chuck, check out their cheeseboard. If cheap wine isn't your thing, you're at the wrong place because all of their wine selections are available at cost. *Tip: Following them on Twitter and/or Facebook will give you access to their "free bottle" promotions that they run quite often in the fall/winter.
(4)
Eric W.
My wife and I visited on a Friday night. Service was poor, we waited almost 15 minutes to get our drink order in. She had salmon, I had the bison burger. Neither was much better than what you might get at a chain restaurant, and the burger certainly wasn't worth $17. We certainly won't be back again.
(1)
Jason R.
My wife and I came in to celebrate my wife's birthday. Ashley was our waitress, she was awesome. Very informed of the menu, enjoyed working at restaurant, and very attentive and helpful. Wonderful experience. Definitely will come back.
(4)
Tina T.
My friends and I started coming years ago when they featured all you can eat crab legs on some random night of the week. There was also a different chef, I believe his name was Mark. Very nice guy and always came out to chat with patrons. I always thought this restaurant had potential because of the gorgeous location and panoramic river/skyline views. I actually rented out the space a few summer ago and hosted a dinner party for about 150 guests. The previous chef was still there at the time and all I remember was the food being amazing. Unfortunately, that was not the case last night. My friends and I decided to have a little throw back dinner since we saw that is was participating in Restaurant Week. We started with drinks which took forever to order/get but then the food came out... The steak in the pasta dish were like little frozen nuggets of hamburger meat. The noodles were done perfectly but the sauce tasted like spaghetti-o's. We also had the sole which was extremely bland. It had a very faint curry taste but not enough to flavor the dish. The best thing on the entire RW menu was the goat cheese bruschetta and apple pie. Everything else disappointed: (Mini) Duck quesadillas were under-seasoned and looked so sad on the plate. Fried cheesecake was pretty much cream cheese in an eggroll wrapper and drenched in some fruit glaze, terrible, terrible, TERRIBLE. We should have left this place (with our happy memories) in the past.
(1)
Breen P.
Food was good especially the osso bucco. Service is terrible, the waitress didn't know what the soup of the day was and didn't ask how my husband wanted his steak cooked even though they specialize in steaks. Weird sauce on the steaks and green beans completely unnecessary.
(4)
Kathie E.
Most of our guests had the Osso Bucco during Restaurant Week. It was a great presentation. It was quite a large portion that was perfectly cooked. Fall off the bone tender. Nice side of roasted squash. The wine selection was quote nice and we were shocked to learn the wine is not marked up. We had a 2010 BV Georges De LaTour @ $81 (very fair price indeed) followed up with a BV Tapestry @ $37. Great wine prices which is so refreshing. Excellent service!
(5)
Josh T.
Stopped in for lunch more than an hour before a movie. I walked in 2:45 pm and was told to find a seat anywhere and they would send a waitress. I sat for about 5 minutes and was asked if i would like a menu. I'm at a restaurant, correct? I waited 5 more minutes for a menu and water. Then it was 15 minutes until she came back to take my order. I ordered pork sliders and fries. It took 20 minutes, puzzling. The food was great, I would recommend the food to anyone, anytime. Outstanding. I quickly ate my meal, so i could make my movie. The waitress came by about 20 minutes after dropping off the food and took my plate and said she would bring my bill right away. 15 minutes later I walked inside to ask if i could have my bill and pay. The waitress proceeded to watch me as I signed the bill and silently expected a tip. Ridiculous. Eating alone should never take a hour and 15 minutes, I almost missed the movie. Simply ridiculous.
(2)
Payel K.
Over priced tiny pretentious amount of food. We had a banquet and ordered food for about 70 people and paid 55$ per person but there was not enough food to serve everybody once also. Forget about seconds. For desert they had one line tart per person. Unbelievable.
(1)
Joel D.
Service was HORRIBLE. Saturday afternoon, our second attempt to dine at Vic's, both times we never had a server even stop by. Walked next door to Aster's and had a a wonderful time.
(1)
Doug D.
We decided to try Vic's because of their patio and view. Our sever was Ashley and she made our experience very enjoyable. She was pleasant, knowledgeable and made great suggestions. We had a couple of apps., the cheese plate and the pork and pineapple skewers. Both were very nice. For meals we had the turkey sliders, fish tacos and bruschetta ( all appetizers) and I had the Kobe beef burger. My burger was ordered medium rare and was probably medium well but tasted great. Everyone loved their appetizers. We had some craft beers and one reasonably priced bottle of Pinot Grigio. Prices were fair for the food. Nice selection on menu and tasting menu. We enjoyed our evening and the view from the patio is great. Ask for Ashley.
(4)
J W.
Not bad for outside dining, with nice views of the river. Good menu selection, service and prices.
(3)
Coqui B.
Nice place by the water, but the food was ehh.. just ok.
(3)
Steven G.
The manager is a complete asshole, and it shows in the lousy service. Waited over 10 minutes for for my iced tea while several staff were chatting. Add mediocre, overpriced food and this is a place to avoid.
(1)
Alpay B.
Very good location and view. The servers are friendly but the service is terrible!! We have been waiting for an hour and a half and we only have 3 glasses of coke on the table. Because our server forgot about us, we had to order our food to somebody else. We waited like 45 mins to get 3 burgers. One of the sides came wrong and there was no silverware brought before or with the food.. Sorry but the star is just for the nice view of the restaurant...
(1)
Rachel E.
Echoing my review for Tuggs, the best part about Vics is their patio. Second best would have to be their wine specials. I've found that they are typically understaffed on the patio so service can be quite slow, but it has never been a serious issue considering I'm just relaxing with friends. I have only gotten food (chicken flatbread pizza) once while at Vics and have avoided it ever since. It was overpriced for the portion size and the chicken was practically fossilized. I'll definitely go back to Vics but only for some vitamin D and vino.
(2)
Kristi C.
We didn't eat here, just enjoyed the deck, a glass of wine and the conversation with good friends. Vic's is in a lovely location near the river, teaming with lots of other folks also enjoying a gorgeous summer evening.
(3)
Caroline V.
The good: The steak, frites, fish, and Cuban sandwich were all great--above average. The wine is sold to patrons at wholesale, which is really awesome. They have bottles of wine for $9...! The staff is very nice and friendly. The view is gorgeous and the establishment is clean. The bad: Service is a little slow, but if you're just going to have a lazy, relaxing meal, it isn't bothersome.
(4)
Patty M.
After dining here with semi-decent weather, I'll upgrade it a bit. We had a $50 groupon so brought my parents here. Ordered a ton of food, and it was a much better experience. People filled most of the tables, and the ones that were not filled actually had tableclothes and napkins on it, so we didn't feel like we were crashing a ghost town. 2 things bothered me. First, we had 2 bottles of $9 Riesling. My mom wanted 1 more glass, so I asked if we could just get a glass. Waitress said not with that bottle, so I said just bring back a fruity white. She came back and said she twisted the bartender's arm to get a riesling. Yay, right? Well, when we got the bill the glass was $10. At that price, I would have rather had the option to just get another full bottle! Granted, it was a different kind, but the way she said it made it sound like we were getting the same kind. That and the kangaroo burgers were awful. Tried up pieces of leather-like meat smothered in mustard. Stay away.
(3)
Susan R.
Send your worst enemies here! This is an ideal location for your worst enemy. Send them to Vic's on a beautiful summer day for the gorgeous vistas of the river and the weekend foot traffic of all variety. At Vic's your nemesis will be exposed to the most miserable table service ever; and an overall dining nightmare that is sure to ruin ANYBODY's summer day. To be clear: The waitrons are untrained, unfriendly, unwilling to make eye contact lest they have to be "hospitable." We waited 30 minutes then ASKED for a glass of water. Patrons around us nodded in agreement; "Yeah," same thing happened to us.
(1)
Stephanie O.
Husband and I went to Vic's on Friday night for dinner. We had only been on the patio in the summer for the (super cheap!) wine. The dining room is beautiful - we had a table by the window and it wasn't busy since it was still early. We had called a few days earlier to request a vegan entree. The chef/manager was kind enough to accommodate and create a special meal. The server, Emmanuel, was knowledgeable about what could and could not be made vegan. Service and food were excellent. We had the vegetarian flatbread, my entree was stuffed bell peppers, and Husband had the filet mignon. They also bring actual wine bags so you can take your bottle home if you don't finish it. The only odd thing was the music selection - it was a little all over the place and not what you would associate with a fine(r) dining venue. Not a huge deal though. All in all we had a great experience at Vic's and would definitely go back.
(4)
DeAnne E.
I like to try out different places so tonight it was Vic's. I never get down to St Anthony Main and found it to be a beautiful, romantic area with the fabulous river and downtown view and did take a stroll along Main afterwards. Being a Thursday night I anticipated it being more busy, but it wasn't, so service wasn't an issue. I feel the decor should be a bit darker and more cozy and not so bright and cafeteria-like. We decided on appetizers and ordered the flatbread blue and the Minnesota egg rolls. Love, love, loved the Minnesota egg rolls which were stuffed with wild rice and walleye with a delicious sweet chili dipping sauce. The flatbread blue was also pretty good, however I found the flatbread itself to be a bit on the tough side, but if you are a blue cheese lover it's a good choice. Beyond the blue cheese I couldn't detect the basil or much of the toasted pine nut pesto. I am definitely going to recommend the egg rolls to my wild rice loving sibling. Maybe if I go back with him I will try an entree such as the crab stuffed walleye.
(3)
C A.
We booked Vic's for our recent wedding. When the day came the food was good and the bloody mary bar that we requested was wonderful but working up to the event was more than challenging. The event coordinator is completely out of her league and poorly equipped to deal with such large events. In the multiple meetings leading up to the day she rarely and slowly followed up to questions that we had. We would show up to a follow up meeting and she would not have full notes, not have followed up on questions from previous conversations and in the last meetings became defensive and argumentative with us. The service at the wedding ceremony was lack luster. Our mimosa bar quickly ran out and there was no server in sight to replenish. When one of our bridal party finally found a waiter they were told that the alcoholic beverage station was "more of a self serve kind of thing" with obvious minors around. We had a friend DJ for us so they showed up before the event to set the music levels, as arranged prior to the event. They left to attend the ceremony and came back to find that the event coordinator switched all settings back to the "house music" and then left the site for the rest of the day, leaving our friend to readjust our music for the first 30 minutes of our reception. There were many more issues that we experienced through the planning and day of that all revolved around the service. The final piece being that they tried to charge the credit card on file three additional times for the last payment, that was received two weeks prior to the event. The breakfast was delicious although the one plate that we requested to meet a bridesmaids dietary needs had pineapple on it, which we were specifically told would not be present since one of the brides has a sever allergy. The views were great, the food was good but the service was simply bad.
(1)
Rich M.
With a little work, this place could be a gem! I came here at 6 o'clock for dinner with a group of 6 family members and it wasn't awful, just not great... The Bad: - They seemed to be understaffed. Service was really slow. - The Alfredo (which is actually a pink sauce?) lacked flavor and was almost inedible. - The whole chicken was REALLY dry. The Good: - Location, location, location. This place is on the river in a beautiful part of St. Anthony Main. - Cheap, awesome wine list! They sell bottles of wine at list price (what you'd find it for in a liquor store) so you can get a good bottle for as low as $13 - The Walleye sandwich: tasty and a huge portion Overall, I think I'll give it one more try when the weather warms up and I can sit on their awesome patio! I just hope they hire more servers and makes their sections a bit smaller so service can improve.
(3)
Jeffery B.
We were sat outside and waited 1/2 hour without anyone tending to the table before leaving. They thanked us on the way out. Vic's: No service with a smile.
(1)
Joe D.
El sucko. The atmosphere was lively and people filled most of the tables covered by cloth tablecloths and napkins. The room was open and airy with a good-sized bar. On top of that, wine is sold AT COST, without any restaurant mark-up. So, what could wrong? The food. Except for the flatbread pizza that was good but cost $15! that is. I was warned their pastas were terrible and told to stay away. From the salad, fries, sandwich and dessert, it was all terrible. For instance, they have the WORST french fries I have ever had - very thin, over-cooked and hard and served room temperature (cold?) with only ketchup. Then, I ordered chocolate cake with ice cream. It came cold (why???), was dried out and smothered with a super sweet mousse that was sickening. It was so bad I returned it and got the key lime dessert instead. And, that was almost as bad. It was 1 part lime-flavored pudding, 1 part graham cracker crust and 10 parts soupy lemon meringue that covered the entire plate. It was gross and in presentation they get a F. For flavor they get a C-. Come on, if a restaurant cannot make a simple desert and present it well, then everything else they make is suspect. My meal proved this out.
(1)
Jane H.
My husband and I stopped in Saturday early evening to enjoy a glass of wine to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. We were married a year ago at Vic's! We were greeted by Chef Doug and had the most wonderful dinner and great bottle of wine! Victoria, whom was our wedding planner for Vic's was also there and, as always, was so happy and professional and gracious! The atmosphere is so lovely! Beautiful views of downtown and the gorgeous bridges that run from NE to Mpls! I highly recommend the Walleye stuffed with Crab!! Absolutely the best! My husband had the Rib eye, which was also wonderful and cooked to perfection!! As a side note, we also enjoy going for walks in the area and stopping at their patio in the summer to enjoy their wonderful bottle of wine prices! Best in town!! Thanks Vic's for giving us more wonderful memories!
(5)
Jeff J.
Everything was great. Perfect ambiance for a date with my wife. We started out with the crab and caprese wontons with blackberry and wine reduction, which was AMAZING, I could have just eaten these for dinner if there were enough. The scallops dish was INCREDIBLE, seriously it couldn't have been better. I was expecting it to be good, but it surpassed my expectaitons My wife got the beef short ribs, which was a signature dish. The beef ribs were PERFECT, but nothing special, if that makes any sense. It was done to perfection, it tasted great, but for a signature dish I would expect something exciting. The scallops dish was exciting and special, but the signature dish, the beef rib was not. But everthing was still spectacular and this place deserves nothing but a five star review. I am excited to come back again and try some other things off of their menu, it was a great experience and I don't expect to be let down.
(5)
amy z.
I went here today for a wedding celebration. First the service was incredible, from beginning to end. Yes we were a private party but there was still regular guests sitting in the outside area and they seemed to get the same service. The food was very good. Standard bar food but it was very well done. I look forward to going back and sitting on the porch area with friends.
(4)
Brandon W.
Like many, I had the bad vibes on Vic's to start, but a few friends of mine started frequenting the place for the wine (I suppose that makes them winos), which is amazingly cheap, plus the outdoor patio/deck is in a great location. The wine is great, in my opinion, however I'm no expert, but the prices are amazing. The food is more expensive, but they have to make up that booze revenue up somewhere. I've mainly had their small plates, and I've been happily pleased every time. I'm still to have a "knock your socks off" meal, but by no means have I been disappointed. I will note that my wino friends love most everything on the menu and are huge fans. So with good wine, decent food, and a great patio, we're left with the service, which is where Vic's falls flat. I'm yet to have a rude server there, but I'm also yet to have an excellent one. For the menu pricing and the upscale environment they are putting forward, the service definitely misses. Enthusiasm, excitement, happiness, or whatever you want to break it down to is just missing. I hate to say it, but the Jimmy John's crew is usually more excited to see me than the Vic's servers. I think this place has five star potential, they just need a service shot in the butt.
(3)
Ali D.
Wonderful food, great wine menu, good service! My boyfriend and I went on a Saturday night and the place was dead. We were more than satisfied with the quality of our meal, but it just felt weird that there weren't very many people there on a weekend night. What's the deal? Flatbread=yum!
(3)
Claudette L.
I just realized in my last review I gave Vic's four stars. My mistake; definitely five stars!!!!
(5)
Nancy H.
Over priced and underwhelmed. Had to ask for sugar, salt, pepper dining outside. Matchstick fries respectable, BLTA salad easily surpassed by your average chain restaurant.
(2)
Jonathan C.
Went to Vic's for the first time with my girlfriend. We ordered beers, chicken soup, kalamari salad, a bison burger, and some fries. First off the menu's were old and worn. My girlfriend, who works in food service, said it's a bad sign= they never change their menu, nothing is fresh, money is tight, they don't care about their clientele. Everything there is over priced at least 30%. The soup was essentially warm butter water, a few vegetables, and chicken. I found bones in my soup. The fries were from a bag but ok. The bison burger which I ordered rare, was medium, and so greasy it soaked the bun, again from frozen. I also found bones in the burger. The kalamari salad was so salty my girlfriend had tears in her eyes, and she likes salt. She kept finding hard chunks in the kalamari and had to spit them out. We sent it back, and should have sent back more. They took the salad off the bill. The service was fine. This is the worst restaurant experience I can remember. I receive better food and service at a dump in rural Minnesota for half the price. Never going back there.
(1)
Micki C.
I came here with a group of friends on Sunday to grab some drinks and apps on the patio before 4th of July fireworks. Fortunately, my experience wasn't quite as dismal as the other posted reviews. We tried the calamari, veggie flat bread, baked artichoke dip, and chocolate cake. Calamari was a big, big hit. I also enjoyed the flat bread, but it wasn't anything to rave about. Skip the artichoke dip. The best thing about Vic's is the wine and the patio with rockin live music. Wine is provided at cost. You can find an ample selection for under $20/bottle. We particularly enjoyed a Kendall Jackson Pinot Gris for $13...six times over. Happy birthday America!
(3)
Steve T.
What a mess of place. First of all you have the orange and blue accents over the bar. Then you have the white table cloth tables overlooking a beautiful scene consisting of the river and DT Mpls; unfortunately all of it feels pieced together. While we were dressed nice for a Friday evening, other people were coming in pretty dressed up to have a nice quiet dinner. Because of the bar atmosphere and a birthday party of 25-30 people going on across the room, it wasn't going to happen. Everything on the menu could be $2-$3 less. For example, $22 for baby back ribs and Newcastle & Guinness on tap were $5.25. Please. If this place knew what it wanted to be, no problem. But not like is now. Then the service....wow. It really, really sucked. I mean I was able to watch my beer sit at the end of the bar for over 5 minutes. My buddy's order wasn't even put in and I ended up going to the bartender to get him one. I did order the rotisserie chicken soup ($5) and it was very good. It was also the only thing which was priced accordingly to decor and level of service we were getting. Based on our experience with the service around the drinks and appetizers, we skipped ordering dinner and left. Our group of 8 all agree that since we've had Vic's once, there is no reason to to go back in its current state. Take a few extra steps and go across the courtyard to Tuggs.
I had a great time last night, I was super surprised the place wasnt busier but now I see the reviews. They seem harsh but you know yelp..... The tilapia tacos were awesome, the salad was great, the $5 bottle of Flip Flop wine was delicious, the view was superb. I didnt have a full dinner maybe thats where the wheels fall off for everyone, I liked it, I will be back, wine is good.
(4)
Marshall C.
I was pretty hesitant to purchase the groupon for Vics after seeing the reviews here on Yelp. I ended up going for it after I saw their wine list prices. I figured if the food and/or service sucked, at least I'd get a decent bottle of wine out of it. I was pleasantly surprised by the food. Although, I did have low expectations going in because of the reviews. My wife and I started with the black bean and pork shoulder soup, which was incredible! For the entree, I had the steak steak au poivre cooked medium rare. The steak came out perfect and was very flavorful. My wife had the crab stuffed walleye which was delicious. While it wasn't the best meal I've ever had, it was certainly better than the reviews here give it credit for. The service wasn't terrible, but it wasn't super attentive either. Factor in that we went on a relatively slow night, and I can understand some of the complaints here. Also, the server didn't have answers to a lot of our questions: i.e. is it still happy hour. Original answer no. After we challenged her, she found out that it was in fact. Also, she was not familiar with the specials, etc. Finally, what I really like about this place is the wine list. They sell their bottles at cost. They don't have the 3x markup that most restaurants have. They have a pretty good list too. Some of my favorites were on there that I don't usually see at restaurants. Although, they could beef up their cab selection :). I think they do try to make up for this by bumping up some of the other menu prices. The apps seemed to be overpriced, but I though the entree prices weren't too bad. Overall, we had a very positive experience and would likely go here again.
(4)
Karyn P.
Went here for a wedding so the service was great. So was the food. I'm a little leary of trying it when not at a private party. But the food was really good.
(4)
Kari E.
Surprise, surprise - terrible service!! We popped in to Vics to get out of the rain during the Aquatennial fireworks. There were a couple of open tables and no one at the bar (and no chairs which I found really odd!). No one greeted us, no one offered to seat us. Even after we had walked through looking very lost and confused no one bothered! Eventually we asked someone if we should seat ourselves and we did. Then we sat and sat until someone asked us if we had been helped. Nope! Someone else dropped off some menus and we sat and sat some more until finally after about 10 minutes someone came to take a drink order. By this time, fireworks had ended and the bar FILLED up. Wouldn't you know it, that then we had to wait even longer for our beers - waitress came and apologized that the bar was now busy so it would be a minute. If someone had waited on us during those first 15 minutes we could have been done by then! Imagine that. We each had a beer and then left. A peek at the menu prices and the crappy service guarantee we don't be back! ($14 for a tiny flatbread pizza app? No thanks!)
(1)
allie k.
Oh dear, what a spectacular location and view! However, what spectacularly bad service! My husband and I had planned on enjoying a bottle of wine and dinner on a busy Saturday evening. Our server greeted us fairly quickly and gave us menus after we ASKED for them. She then disappeared and NEVER came back. We "people watched" and relaxed together for over an hour....not one server asked us if he/she could take our order. We stopped trying to flag anyone down and left a little over an hour after we sat down. When I walked up to the host's station to notify the manager of our experience he gave me an apathetic "I'm sorry" but did not offer to remedy the situation in any way. We left. This is a beautiful building in an excellent location. It's too bad such an awful restaurant is taking up this space.
(1)
Brooke S.
I came to Vic's last Saturday night for my sister's bridal dinner. We had the entire inside of the restaurant reserved and it was quite a lovely experience. The service was good and the ambiance of the place is very cool. The food does leave a bit to be desired; however, as we had a buffet for 100 people, i would certainly be willing to give Vic's a second chance. The location, right on st anthony main, is super cool and offers a beautiful view. For an event like a bridal dinner, the space is wonderful - it has enough room to give toasts and speeches and accommodated our large group very well.
(4)
Hannah G.
To start off, we (probably) never would have visited Vics if it wasn't for the groupon. We live in the neighborhood but know Vics is pretty pricy. We also checked out reviews ahead of time, and had pretty low expectations going into our visit! We made a reservation for 7:00 a few days ahead of time but decided the day before we might want to go a little earlier. They told us just to come in and we could be put on the list. Well, we got there at 6:15 and got a table AFTER our original reservation! Granted, it was busy on a Friday night but we waited an hour for a table for 2. At Vics. Our server was decent, but our food took forever. We ordered an appetizer, thank god, because our entrees arrived easily 20-25 mins later. My walleye was pretty good, but my date's burger was a far cry from Bulldog's. Certainly not worth the price. It ended up being a 2.5 hour experience and not in a particularly good way. In the future, if we ever went back, it would probably only be for a happy hour drink on the patio. Live and learn, thanks groupon!
(3)
Kimberly T.
I've only been to Vic's for drinks on the patio. The drinks & the people watching are fantastic but the service was meh. They definitely need more servers outside!
(3)
Kat W.
I came here for a private party and as an event space, it was a solid one. There was enough space for about 150 people and a dance floor. Great. But as I tried to imagine myself at Vic's without the music blasing, I found myself most confused by the decor choices. The tables didn't really go with the color scheme, and the bar seems to take over the room. Oh, and my glass of house chardonnay was $9. My mediocre rail drink was $5.75. I just don't get it. But can you say rip-off. Never coming here again.
(2)
Kore P.
I went for a private event the venue has a nice view of the city. The food was buffet style and taste better than your standard buffet food. It was open bar and they had servers roaming the room to take drink orders. They also validate parking in the ramp that is connected by a tunnel which is nice during the winter.
(3)
Sandy Z.
I can't improve on the last two reviews. the service was horrible and when asked if everything was okay, my husband, who would normally say yes no matter what, began to list the problems. However the very cute, young waitress interrupted him and told him that the "place was busy" and walked off. the food was luke warm at best, but since no one came to check on us until after (way after) we were done... I only give it one star because the Caesar salad with the rotisserie chicken was pretty decent.... Not worth going back for.....
(1)
Clinton L.
Man, rough reviews. I on the other hand have had nothing but great experiences here. The food has always been great & the wine is sold at cost. Often there is music inside & on the weekends outside. The balding server dude is probably the best I've ever had. We call him "super server". I certainly hope I never have an experience like the other reviewers to sour the place. Plus, St Anthony Main is great. Use the parking ramp & it's free parking w/validation.
(4)
Brian J.
We recently had our wedding at Vic's and I could not be happier with how the event turned out. The food was delicious. We were planning on having our wedding in the courtyard and unfortunately it rained the day of our event, however the staff was amazing at moving everything inside and getting the show on the road. One thing that always makes you feel better is how well a company can adapt to unforeseen events and I was extremely pleased at how Vic's handled it. If you like good food a great staff and picture perfect venue then this is a great place to host an event. The only downside was some miscommunication on the coordination side the planning and proceeding steps seemed a little unorganized, but after a few Cubans and Steak pasta we forgot all about that.
(3)
JR H.
Stopped in for a refresh after a bike ride. The wine list is pretty extensive and modestly priced. Tried the blue flatbread and found it delicious. The patio seating provides a nice view of the Mississippi River. The next time I'm in Minneapolis I would consider stopping in.
(4)
Andy G.
The wine happy hours are great. The food has a lot of room for improvement. The menu has good variety but was not prepared well. It will stay as the place we go before dinner for wine and than eat somewhere else.
(2)
Jennifer P.
Ok, yeah, the waitress dumped our chicken flatbread on the table and had to go have them make another...but we enjoyed the house salad with cherries, pineapple, and raisins...and when it came back the pesto chicken flatbread was outstanding. Gorgeous view, nice servers...great lunch for a visitor to your city!
(4)
M L.
Go here if you want over priced ok food that was not cooked the way you want it. Bought a burger for $13, nothing remarkeable whatsoever. They even used shredded iceberg lettuce and jar pickles. $13 bucks! But by far the worst thing was the service. We sat so long waiting for the waitress to take our order we actually forgot and thought we ordered already. After we did order, the food came out about an hour later. I don't recommend this place at all. The only pro? Well, I haven't given out a 1 star yet, so this is the first!
(1)
Mindy E.
Went to Vic's for NYE, we had a reservation but the restaurant was only about half full. Our service was okay, the food came out slow and our entree plates were delivered to us very hot, meaning the food had been in the window for a while. The best thing I could say about Vic's is that all their wine is sold to dinners at cost! If the bottle is 8.33, that's how much you pay for the bottle. The crab cakes were great as was my entree, the crab stuffed walleye. My husband had the a steak that was average, nothing impressive.
(3)
Swee L.
Basically no service. I dont know what the servers were doing. Good wine list. It's really cheap too. I think you can bring the wine home if you cant finish it. Good views, it's by the river. Food was ok, not great but not bad. I would go back for wine and view. maybe a summer evening.
(3)
rb l.
$2 for a full bottle of wine! That should take the edge off a mid-afternoon. So everyone agrees about the lousy service. Ours wasn't horrible, but at 2:00pm on a weekday with few customers, our waitress did disappear at times and we didn't know what could possibly be occupying her. But she was reasonably friendly. The walleye plate was pretty good and came with maybe a dozen asparagus stalks so it was the best deal at our table. The other dishes are rather small and just ok. I would come here and accept the compromise just to be out on the deck on a sunny day, but not necessarily for the food.
(3)
Angie L.
Had to update after a couple more visits. This place is really sad when you consider its potential. Every time I go to Vic's service is slow to start (more than once I've been seated and no one has greeted us). If they had maybe a host and an actual floor supervisor this place could be amazing and match the food. Total Bummer
(2)
Melanie T.
I recommend coming here to enjoy sitting out on the patio and enjoy the view and people watching. Do this while enjoying a bottle of wine (prices range from $7 - $30 from some very drinkable bottles. We enjoyed a nice bottle of proseco for $14. In most restaurants in Minneapolis that would get me one glass. Skip the food, we had a cheese plate. Nothing unusual or outstanding. Service is still slow.
(3)
Rae B.
I was glad that I'd read the reviews before meeting a friend at Vic's tonight because I was well prepared for bad service and mediocre food, which is exactly what we got. Fortunately, we had a coupon from Groupon which made the experience tolerable. Somewhat.
(1)
Jennifer L.
What a fantastic location for mediocre food and terrible service. We arrive about 7pm without a reservation. I wandered along looking to see if there was a hostess or if guests should seat themselves. One of the other patrons let us know we should seat ourselves. So there we were, no menus and no drinks (gasp). We attempted making eye contact with the harried waitstaff, but no one even cam close to our table. We finally got up and found menus to look at while we waited. And waited. And waited. There were other folks next to us that were getting food and drinks delivered to their tables, but we could not even get water. After 25 minutes, two servers came to our table and there was still some confusion about who would help us. We ordered quickly, as we did not know when, and if, our order would be served. The waitress was obviously overwhelmed, but did a good job with a smile on her face. But after the rocky start and so-so food, she could not turn our experience around. Good bye, Vic's and Hello, Aster Cafe.
(2)
Katherine M.
I don't normally write a lot of reviews, but I felt compelled to write one for Vic's, after reading the slew of bad reviews before me. My husband and I went to dinner there this weekend and were very pleasantly surprised. The wine, as others have pointed out, is really the big selling point of this restaurant. We had a very decent bottle of wine for $12, which would have probably been the cost of a glass of the same wine at another restaurant. The food itself is a bit overpriced, yes, but we both ordered sandwiches and I would say they were priced comparable with Tuggs and Pracna, two other restaurants on the same block. And my bison burger was fabulous! My husband had the steak sandwich and it was great as well. We finished off with the key lime desert and it was very tasty and huge. Between the two of us, we couldn't finish it. The view was obviously fantastic, right on the water. So, although Vic's is not my new favorite, I would definitely not hesitate to come back. The good food, good service, fantastic view, and wonderfully priced wine selection is worth coming in for!
(4)
Scott O.
My wife and I enjoyed dinner at Vic's on a Saturday night, at least until the rain's came and the band had to tear down and we tried desperately to stay dry. Luckily we did get to eat before the storm rolled through and the food was outstanding. Both my wife and I really enjoyed our food and I felt the value for the price was good as well. We did however have a similar service experience to many of the others. Hopefully they can figure this out sometime soon so the whole experience can be as enjoyable as the food.
(2)
P X.
Let me start off by saying that I have never loved, nor even liked, doing much other than walking in St. Anthony Main. I hate the parking situation, the dodging of segways, the outdated dilapidated buildings, and the overpriced menus. And, all of this was reconfirmed and compounded by a recent trip to Vic's. I met a group of girlfriends at Vic's on Monday to celebrate a birthday and the sun (which are some of the only reasons the ranking is not 2 stars). In addition to my previously mentioned concerns the service, food, drink choices, and restrooms were terrible. The only highlight of the entire visit was the fairly cheap bottle of wine that we got, although it wasn't the wine we had ordered....so I guess it can't really be considered a highlight......sigh.
(3)
Diane M.
I came here for lunch one day and I thought the food was pretty good. I had a walleye wrap and it was pretty good. We had a great view of the Mississippi river. The prices are a little on the high side. The only problem is that the service was really bad.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Garage, Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Romantic Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
J.B. N.
We called ahead to reserve a table for two at 7pm and were confirmed. When we arrived, it was clear that they had not taken our reservation or anyone else who reserved 7pm as we were all standing in line waiting to be seated and the host was very confused and taking our names down (again). It only took ten minutes for them to find us a table, so definitely not a bad wait. The couple next to us who arrived at the same time and had confirmed reservations for 7pm had to wait 45 minutes, though. The food was delicious, but it was "food truck" delicious, not fine dining delicious. We ordered the tenderloin steak sandwich with matchstick fries and the Chicken Fettucine Alfredo. The sandwich was great, but it felt like you could get the same quality and taste for a $6 sandwich at lunch from a food truck downtown. Also, the fries seemed like they were just Ore-Ida crinkle-cut fries dumped straight in the the fryer from the bag. Again, I love crinkle-cut pre-made fries, but not when I'm paying for a fine dining experience. The view across the river of the city really is amazing, though. Also, the wine at cost can't be beat, either and made up for the inflated prices of the food truck-worthy entrees.
(3)Jennifer S.
Having eaten here a few times over the past year or so, I've come to the conclusion that the quality of their food is on the steep decline. Their service is unremarkable, wanting improvement. Last night, we shared an order of their lamp chops appetizer (because we've had them in the past and loved them); however, this time, the chops were underwhelming - thin, poor quality cuts of lamb were served luke-warm, instead of piping hot off the grill (like last time). I ordered the BLTA Salad - sickly-looking mixed spring greens from some bag (many slimy bits included on my plate), some sliced cherry tomatoes, large bits of well cooked bacon, and completely absent avocado. All soaked in too much and too sweet salad dressing. Commented to wait staff about absent avocado and was told "that's the second time I've heard that comment tonight". Huh? One good thing, though, their prices on bottles of wine are probably the best around town!
(2)Carolyn M.
I didn't have the opportunity to eat here, although in reading some of the reviews, it sure doesn't sound like I missed much. The 5-star rating is based on the price of wine (bottles are sold at cost, which means you can drink a full one for $10 or less!) and service. Both EXCELLENT.
(5)Judith A.
Wine by the bottle is a fantastic deal. We ordered the Acacia Chardonnay. My friend ordered a local blonde ale, which he found to be fantastic. The house salad had a lot of flavor and interesting ingredients, like pineapple and craisins. I would avoid the overly cumin induced Thai salad. All in all It was a extremely enjoyable, kick back place on the river, with excellent service from super cute waiters.
(5)Elaine H.
Over priced and slow service. 4 tables on the veranda and four servers. Waited 20 minutes to order drinks. Then waitress said, "Just flag me down if you need anything!" Should I have to flag down a waitress when my martini was 13.00(16.73 with tax and tip)? No way!
(2)Kimberly L.
I've only come for their summer happy hour on the patio! Amazing deals on wine and great service. 2-5pm happy means $2-$4 bottles of wine! Great views of the river and city. Next time I'll have to try some food :)
(4)Whitney G.
I went to a gathering at this restaurant where we had reservations far in advance. The staff was friendly, but it felt like it took forever for them to come out with our drinks (I had to remind them a couple of times to bring mine). The food was great, but they were also slow to bring out the condiments (salad dressing for the salad and ketchup and mayo for the brats/burgers). I mean, who has a bare burger or dog? It seemed like they were really unprepared.
(2)Ole P.
It was a very warm Saturday night, lots of people enjoying the deck. There were two empty tables that we saw and we took one of them. Service was good. We had an app, a drink & 2 beers for $49 including tip. That seems a little high to me but it's that kind of area. The Italian Sausage flatbread is basically a pizza without the sauce and it was pretty good. I'd like to see a bowl of marinara for dipping. When we go back to that area we'll try a different place, not because we didn't like it but we want to compare.
(4)Jan S.
Great evening on the patio sharing a good although inexpensive bottle of wine and a very nice sandwich and salad. We have not tried happy hour but it sounds great.
(4)Hannah T.
The wine deal happy hour is insane! From 2-3, $2 bottle of wine, 3-4, $3 and 4-5, $4, oh man! Tuesday-Saturday you really can't go wrong with this! It is Barefoot and Flip-flop brands, but for real, you can't even buy those for that cheap in the liquor store. They have almost every type, so if you are snobbing on the brand at least you can get the flavor you want! The view is gorgeous as it overlooks the Mississippi on that beautiful cobblestone Main street. Gosh, it's so romantic over there, I can't even handle it. I went with my roommate and we shared 2 bottles each and just hung out for 3 hours, it was great. They didn't pressure us to order food (which is good because this aspect of Vic's is quite spendy! I think the cheapest appetizer was like $13, yikes for HH anyways!) and our server was very attune to our pace, refilling our water and checking in only occasionally. Overall I was pleased and will definately be frequentinmg this patio for some zany wine adventures!
(4)Murse Z.
Ive eaten there many times in the past year or 2. I really want to love the place. It has great views, great prices on wine (bottles are at cost, where else can you get a whole bottle of wine for less than $13?! The problem is the service and the food. The food is very flavorful; when you can get it... once they were out of their roasted chicken at 6pm on a Friday! The service - I give their wait staff credit for trying, but waiting 10 minutes to be noticed, then another 5 to get a menu is just a horrible start. When you order food it should be a no brainer that I would like a napkin or silverware. Anyways, I would go back for a drink, but only if I brought a book.
(2)Simone S.
Unfortunately, there are many reasons for this low rating. I made a reservation for 7:30 yesterday (a Friday). We arrived at 7:15 to find chaos. There was not a host. The chef appeared to be seating people. Through talking to people standing around we found out that he was seating people on a first come firstt serve basis. So this was the first problem. We complied and got in line. Meanwhile went to the bar to order drinks while we waited. It took the bartender 10 minutes to notice us and another 5 to take our order. He did not even have a full bar. This was our second issue. We were sat (2 of us) by 7:50. Not as long of a wait as we were expecting, considering. Our server was Nicole, she seemed a bit overwhelmed, but it was chaotic. She apologized for our wait and was very attentive. We started with the crab cakes. Delicious, but overpriced (2 small ones for $15). We shared the entree Caesar salad to begin, and Nicole kindly had it split for us, but failed in telling us there was a $1.75 splitting charge. Not a huge deal, but we didn't ask specifically for it to be split. For entrees I ordered the ribeye medium rare, it came out well done. I sent it back and Nicole apologized and within a very reasonable amount of time, I got q new one cooked to perfection. My boyfriend ordered the filet medium rare and his was perfect. Nicole then let us know that she took off the ribeye from the bill! She did not have to do that, and we compensated her well for that. We finished with the chocolate cake. This was a $7 disappointment. A chunk of dry, hard cake doused in chocolate whipped cream. Yuck! All-in-all, the service was great (I am in the industry, myself), cannot beat the at-cost wine prices, and the food was good (with a second try). It seems management is really where Vic's falls short. Not being staffed well enough for the first Friday of the patio season is a horrible thing to come into! Also, they should just be one of those places who don't take reservations, instead of taking them and disregarding them. Might go back for the cheap, good wine!
(2)Annie F.
This is quite possibly our favorite restaurant for date night. Their bottles of wine are priced at cost, so you can get a great bottle for what you'd pay at the liquor store! Every time we've gone we've received incredible service. The windows are floor to ceiling with just breathtaking, romantic views of Minneapolis. And the FOOD...?!? WOW wow WOW!!! Everything we've had has been amazing! Their wings are huge and flavorful. Their rotisserie chicken is so juicy and seasoned perfectly. My fiance says it's some of the best chicken he's ever had. Their flatbreads are sooo good and served on a fun platter. The show stoppers for us are their ribeye with blue cheese which I order every time. It comes out perfectly medium rare every time. I'm such a steak lover and am typically disappointed that barely any restaurants can cook a steak to my liking... But not Vics! They get it every time. The other show stopper is their crab stuffed walleye. Holy cow! My fiance ordered that and we had a fork war over it because I wanted more bites lol. So thanks Vics for being so awesome! We love ya! ;) Oh forgot to mention an item that comes and goes as their appetizer special... They have cream cheese wontons with a reduced berry drizzle and omg! That is all :)
(5)John W.
The review score for Vic's appears to be driven by service concerns on the patio in the summer not dinner service. We went for a dinner date on a Friday night. The host was very awkward and didnt acknowledge us standing in the entry for at least 5 min. I had to ask him if he was the host while he cleaned menus and ignored us. Awkward intro but our advanced reservation left us with a great table by the window with views of the river and skyline. Classy dinning room. Our server was very friendly and attentive. The wine list was extensive and very reasonably priced. $17 got us a great bottle. Calamari appatizer was very good. The steaks were the best I've had in a long time. Perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked. The amish blue cheese crusted option really brought it to the next level. One of the best steaks around. In all 2 steaks, bottle of wine and appetizer was just under $100. The view from our table and great steaks really made the night memorable.
(4)Janet M.
So disappointed with this trip to Vic's. Service was horribly slow and not even all that busy (mid afternoon). And the dinosaur kale salad was way overdressed with a sickened sweet honey lemon curd vinaigrette. That was a big mistake.
(2)Candice B.
Great views! Super cheap wine! Need I say more? Okay, well they also have good food. And I love that you can take your unfinished bottle of wine home with you. Lovely patio.
(5)Dan C.
If it weren't for the view of the river on a nice day, the great outdoor space and refreshing beverages this place would have never made it this long. Service is courteous and prompt. Wine list looks to be extensive and the menu LOOKS good but the food however is TERRIBLY OVERPRICED for what you get. The quality just isn't there and our table of 4 tried varied items. The ribs were soggy and reminded me of something from a buffet. The sweet corn was soggier with no flavor. The steak was shoe leather and well done when ordered medium. Broasted chicken not bad at all. The spinach dip for a started was pretty good but nothing to unique. This place is all about he view. Enjoy the deck and have a drink with some appies but head someplace else for your main meal.
(1)Reid S.
Setting is great but service is atrocious and the food is pretty good. Just pretty good. I could've done better out in the suburbs.
(2)Jessica S.
As suspected from other Yelp reviews, the service was atrocious. Right off the bat, we were ignored for a solid 10 minutes. Refusing to be treated like chopped chicken liver, we opted to take our business elsewhere (Ginger Hop). The main draw here is the sprawling patio offering a lovely view of the quaint, brick-lined streets of St. Anthony Main and its verdant riverfront. But, I'd not subject myself to such crummy service, even if the Super Bowl was playing before my very eyes, let alone for an overpriced mediocre meal.
(1)Chloe B.
One of the best parts about summer is the return of Vic's Progressive Happy Hour. Select bottles of wine are $2 at 2 pm, $3 at 3pm, etc. While you're enjoying your cheaper than Two Buck Chuck, check out their cheeseboard. If cheap wine isn't your thing, you're at the wrong place because all of their wine selections are available at cost. *Tip: Following them on Twitter and/or Facebook will give you access to their "free bottle" promotions that they run quite often in the fall/winter.
(4)Eric W.
My wife and I visited on a Friday night. Service was poor, we waited almost 15 minutes to get our drink order in. She had salmon, I had the bison burger. Neither was much better than what you might get at a chain restaurant, and the burger certainly wasn't worth $17. We certainly won't be back again.
(1)Jason R.
My wife and I came in to celebrate my wife's birthday. Ashley was our waitress, she was awesome. Very informed of the menu, enjoyed working at restaurant, and very attentive and helpful. Wonderful experience. Definitely will come back.
(4)Tina T.
My friends and I started coming years ago when they featured all you can eat crab legs on some random night of the week. There was also a different chef, I believe his name was Mark. Very nice guy and always came out to chat with patrons. I always thought this restaurant had potential because of the gorgeous location and panoramic river/skyline views. I actually rented out the space a few summer ago and hosted a dinner party for about 150 guests. The previous chef was still there at the time and all I remember was the food being amazing. Unfortunately, that was not the case last night. My friends and I decided to have a little throw back dinner since we saw that is was participating in Restaurant Week. We started with drinks which took forever to order/get but then the food came out... The steak in the pasta dish were like little frozen nuggets of hamburger meat. The noodles were done perfectly but the sauce tasted like spaghetti-o's. We also had the sole which was extremely bland. It had a very faint curry taste but not enough to flavor the dish. The best thing on the entire RW menu was the goat cheese bruschetta and apple pie. Everything else disappointed: (Mini) Duck quesadillas were under-seasoned and looked so sad on the plate. Fried cheesecake was pretty much cream cheese in an eggroll wrapper and drenched in some fruit glaze, terrible, terrible, TERRIBLE. We should have left this place (with our happy memories) in the past.
(1)Breen P.
Food was good especially the osso bucco. Service is terrible, the waitress didn't know what the soup of the day was and didn't ask how my husband wanted his steak cooked even though they specialize in steaks. Weird sauce on the steaks and green beans completely unnecessary.
(4)Kathie E.
Most of our guests had the Osso Bucco during Restaurant Week. It was a great presentation. It was quite a large portion that was perfectly cooked. Fall off the bone tender. Nice side of roasted squash. The wine selection was quote nice and we were shocked to learn the wine is not marked up. We had a 2010 BV Georges De LaTour @ $81 (very fair price indeed) followed up with a BV Tapestry @ $37. Great wine prices which is so refreshing. Excellent service!
(5)Josh T.
Stopped in for lunch more than an hour before a movie. I walked in 2:45 pm and was told to find a seat anywhere and they would send a waitress. I sat for about 5 minutes and was asked if i would like a menu. I'm at a restaurant, correct? I waited 5 more minutes for a menu and water. Then it was 15 minutes until she came back to take my order. I ordered pork sliders and fries. It took 20 minutes, puzzling. The food was great, I would recommend the food to anyone, anytime. Outstanding. I quickly ate my meal, so i could make my movie. The waitress came by about 20 minutes after dropping off the food and took my plate and said she would bring my bill right away. 15 minutes later I walked inside to ask if i could have my bill and pay. The waitress proceeded to watch me as I signed the bill and silently expected a tip. Ridiculous. Eating alone should never take a hour and 15 minutes, I almost missed the movie. Simply ridiculous.
(2)Payel K.
Over priced tiny pretentious amount of food. We had a banquet and ordered food for about 70 people and paid 55$ per person but there was not enough food to serve everybody once also. Forget about seconds. For desert they had one line tart per person. Unbelievable.
(1)Joel D.
Service was HORRIBLE. Saturday afternoon, our second attempt to dine at Vic's, both times we never had a server even stop by. Walked next door to Aster's and had a a wonderful time.
(1)Doug D.
We decided to try Vic's because of their patio and view. Our sever was Ashley and she made our experience very enjoyable. She was pleasant, knowledgeable and made great suggestions. We had a couple of apps., the cheese plate and the pork and pineapple skewers. Both were very nice. For meals we had the turkey sliders, fish tacos and bruschetta ( all appetizers) and I had the Kobe beef burger. My burger was ordered medium rare and was probably medium well but tasted great. Everyone loved their appetizers. We had some craft beers and one reasonably priced bottle of Pinot Grigio. Prices were fair for the food. Nice selection on menu and tasting menu. We enjoyed our evening and the view from the patio is great. Ask for Ashley.
(4)J W.
Not bad for outside dining, with nice views of the river. Good menu selection, service and prices.
(3)Coqui B.
Nice place by the water, but the food was ehh.. just ok.
(3)Steven G.
The manager is a complete asshole, and it shows in the lousy service. Waited over 10 minutes for for my iced tea while several staff were chatting. Add mediocre, overpriced food and this is a place to avoid.
(1)Alpay B.
Very good location and view. The servers are friendly but the service is terrible!! We have been waiting for an hour and a half and we only have 3 glasses of coke on the table. Because our server forgot about us, we had to order our food to somebody else. We waited like 45 mins to get 3 burgers. One of the sides came wrong and there was no silverware brought before or with the food.. Sorry but the star is just for the nice view of the restaurant...
(1)Rachel E.
Echoing my review for Tuggs, the best part about Vics is their patio. Second best would have to be their wine specials. I've found that they are typically understaffed on the patio so service can be quite slow, but it has never been a serious issue considering I'm just relaxing with friends. I have only gotten food (chicken flatbread pizza) once while at Vics and have avoided it ever since. It was overpriced for the portion size and the chicken was practically fossilized. I'll definitely go back to Vics but only for some vitamin D and vino.
(2)Kristi C.
We didn't eat here, just enjoyed the deck, a glass of wine and the conversation with good friends. Vic's is in a lovely location near the river, teaming with lots of other folks also enjoying a gorgeous summer evening.
(3)Caroline V.
The good: The steak, frites, fish, and Cuban sandwich were all great--above average. The wine is sold to patrons at wholesale, which is really awesome. They have bottles of wine for $9...! The staff is very nice and friendly. The view is gorgeous and the establishment is clean. The bad: Service is a little slow, but if you're just going to have a lazy, relaxing meal, it isn't bothersome.
(4)Patty M.
After dining here with semi-decent weather, I'll upgrade it a bit. We had a $50 groupon so brought my parents here. Ordered a ton of food, and it was a much better experience. People filled most of the tables, and the ones that were not filled actually had tableclothes and napkins on it, so we didn't feel like we were crashing a ghost town. 2 things bothered me. First, we had 2 bottles of $9 Riesling. My mom wanted 1 more glass, so I asked if we could just get a glass. Waitress said not with that bottle, so I said just bring back a fruity white. She came back and said she twisted the bartender's arm to get a riesling. Yay, right? Well, when we got the bill the glass was $10. At that price, I would have rather had the option to just get another full bottle! Granted, it was a different kind, but the way she said it made it sound like we were getting the same kind. That and the kangaroo burgers were awful. Tried up pieces of leather-like meat smothered in mustard. Stay away.
(3)Susan R.
Send your worst enemies here! This is an ideal location for your worst enemy. Send them to Vic's on a beautiful summer day for the gorgeous vistas of the river and the weekend foot traffic of all variety. At Vic's your nemesis will be exposed to the most miserable table service ever; and an overall dining nightmare that is sure to ruin ANYBODY's summer day. To be clear: The waitrons are untrained, unfriendly, unwilling to make eye contact lest they have to be "hospitable." We waited 30 minutes then ASKED for a glass of water. Patrons around us nodded in agreement; "Yeah," same thing happened to us.
(1)Stephanie O.
Husband and I went to Vic's on Friday night for dinner. We had only been on the patio in the summer for the (super cheap!) wine. The dining room is beautiful - we had a table by the window and it wasn't busy since it was still early. We had called a few days earlier to request a vegan entree. The chef/manager was kind enough to accommodate and create a special meal. The server, Emmanuel, was knowledgeable about what could and could not be made vegan. Service and food were excellent. We had the vegetarian flatbread, my entree was stuffed bell peppers, and Husband had the filet mignon. They also bring actual wine bags so you can take your bottle home if you don't finish it. The only odd thing was the music selection - it was a little all over the place and not what you would associate with a fine(r) dining venue. Not a huge deal though. All in all we had a great experience at Vic's and would definitely go back.
(4)DeAnne E.
I like to try out different places so tonight it was Vic's. I never get down to St Anthony Main and found it to be a beautiful, romantic area with the fabulous river and downtown view and did take a stroll along Main afterwards. Being a Thursday night I anticipated it being more busy, but it wasn't, so service wasn't an issue. I feel the decor should be a bit darker and more cozy and not so bright and cafeteria-like. We decided on appetizers and ordered the flatbread blue and the Minnesota egg rolls. Love, love, loved the Minnesota egg rolls which were stuffed with wild rice and walleye with a delicious sweet chili dipping sauce. The flatbread blue was also pretty good, however I found the flatbread itself to be a bit on the tough side, but if you are a blue cheese lover it's a good choice. Beyond the blue cheese I couldn't detect the basil or much of the toasted pine nut pesto. I am definitely going to recommend the egg rolls to my wild rice loving sibling. Maybe if I go back with him I will try an entree such as the crab stuffed walleye.
(3)C A.
We booked Vic's for our recent wedding. When the day came the food was good and the bloody mary bar that we requested was wonderful but working up to the event was more than challenging. The event coordinator is completely out of her league and poorly equipped to deal with such large events. In the multiple meetings leading up to the day she rarely and slowly followed up to questions that we had. We would show up to a follow up meeting and she would not have full notes, not have followed up on questions from previous conversations and in the last meetings became defensive and argumentative with us. The service at the wedding ceremony was lack luster. Our mimosa bar quickly ran out and there was no server in sight to replenish. When one of our bridal party finally found a waiter they were told that the alcoholic beverage station was "more of a self serve kind of thing" with obvious minors around. We had a friend DJ for us so they showed up before the event to set the music levels, as arranged prior to the event. They left to attend the ceremony and came back to find that the event coordinator switched all settings back to the "house music" and then left the site for the rest of the day, leaving our friend to readjust our music for the first 30 minutes of our reception. There were many more issues that we experienced through the planning and day of that all revolved around the service. The final piece being that they tried to charge the credit card on file three additional times for the last payment, that was received two weeks prior to the event. The breakfast was delicious although the one plate that we requested to meet a bridesmaids dietary needs had pineapple on it, which we were specifically told would not be present since one of the brides has a sever allergy. The views were great, the food was good but the service was simply bad.
(1)Rich M.
With a little work, this place could be a gem! I came here at 6 o'clock for dinner with a group of 6 family members and it wasn't awful, just not great... The Bad: - They seemed to be understaffed. Service was really slow. - The Alfredo (which is actually a pink sauce?) lacked flavor and was almost inedible. - The whole chicken was REALLY dry. The Good: - Location, location, location. This place is on the river in a beautiful part of St. Anthony Main. - Cheap, awesome wine list! They sell bottles of wine at list price (what you'd find it for in a liquor store) so you can get a good bottle for as low as $13 - The Walleye sandwich: tasty and a huge portion Overall, I think I'll give it one more try when the weather warms up and I can sit on their awesome patio! I just hope they hire more servers and makes their sections a bit smaller so service can improve.
(3)Jeffery B.
We were sat outside and waited 1/2 hour without anyone tending to the table before leaving. They thanked us on the way out. Vic's: No service with a smile.
(1)Joe D.
El sucko. The atmosphere was lively and people filled most of the tables covered by cloth tablecloths and napkins. The room was open and airy with a good-sized bar. On top of that, wine is sold AT COST, without any restaurant mark-up. So, what could wrong? The food. Except for the flatbread pizza that was good but cost $15! that is. I was warned their pastas were terrible and told to stay away. From the salad, fries, sandwich and dessert, it was all terrible. For instance, they have the WORST french fries I have ever had - very thin, over-cooked and hard and served room temperature (cold?) with only ketchup. Then, I ordered chocolate cake with ice cream. It came cold (why???), was dried out and smothered with a super sweet mousse that was sickening. It was so bad I returned it and got the key lime dessert instead. And, that was almost as bad. It was 1 part lime-flavored pudding, 1 part graham cracker crust and 10 parts soupy lemon meringue that covered the entire plate. It was gross and in presentation they get a F. For flavor they get a C-. Come on, if a restaurant cannot make a simple desert and present it well, then everything else they make is suspect. My meal proved this out.
(1)Jane H.
My husband and I stopped in Saturday early evening to enjoy a glass of wine to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. We were married a year ago at Vic's! We were greeted by Chef Doug and had the most wonderful dinner and great bottle of wine! Victoria, whom was our wedding planner for Vic's was also there and, as always, was so happy and professional and gracious! The atmosphere is so lovely! Beautiful views of downtown and the gorgeous bridges that run from NE to Mpls! I highly recommend the Walleye stuffed with Crab!! Absolutely the best! My husband had the Rib eye, which was also wonderful and cooked to perfection!! As a side note, we also enjoy going for walks in the area and stopping at their patio in the summer to enjoy their wonderful bottle of wine prices! Best in town!! Thanks Vic's for giving us more wonderful memories!
(5)Jeff J.
Everything was great. Perfect ambiance for a date with my wife. We started out with the crab and caprese wontons with blackberry and wine reduction, which was AMAZING, I could have just eaten these for dinner if there were enough. The scallops dish was INCREDIBLE, seriously it couldn't have been better. I was expecting it to be good, but it surpassed my expectaitons My wife got the beef short ribs, which was a signature dish. The beef ribs were PERFECT, but nothing special, if that makes any sense. It was done to perfection, it tasted great, but for a signature dish I would expect something exciting. The scallops dish was exciting and special, but the signature dish, the beef rib was not. But everthing was still spectacular and this place deserves nothing but a five star review. I am excited to come back again and try some other things off of their menu, it was a great experience and I don't expect to be let down.
(5)amy z.
I went here today for a wedding celebration. First the service was incredible, from beginning to end. Yes we were a private party but there was still regular guests sitting in the outside area and they seemed to get the same service. The food was very good. Standard bar food but it was very well done. I look forward to going back and sitting on the porch area with friends.
(4)Brandon W.
Like many, I had the bad vibes on Vic's to start, but a few friends of mine started frequenting the place for the wine (I suppose that makes them winos), which is amazingly cheap, plus the outdoor patio/deck is in a great location. The wine is great, in my opinion, however I'm no expert, but the prices are amazing. The food is more expensive, but they have to make up that booze revenue up somewhere. I've mainly had their small plates, and I've been happily pleased every time. I'm still to have a "knock your socks off" meal, but by no means have I been disappointed. I will note that my wino friends love most everything on the menu and are huge fans. So with good wine, decent food, and a great patio, we're left with the service, which is where Vic's falls flat. I'm yet to have a rude server there, but I'm also yet to have an excellent one. For the menu pricing and the upscale environment they are putting forward, the service definitely misses. Enthusiasm, excitement, happiness, or whatever you want to break it down to is just missing. I hate to say it, but the Jimmy John's crew is usually more excited to see me than the Vic's servers. I think this place has five star potential, they just need a service shot in the butt.
(3)Ali D.
Wonderful food, great wine menu, good service! My boyfriend and I went on a Saturday night and the place was dead. We were more than satisfied with the quality of our meal, but it just felt weird that there weren't very many people there on a weekend night. What's the deal? Flatbread=yum!
(3)Claudette L.
I just realized in my last review I gave Vic's four stars. My mistake; definitely five stars!!!!
(5)Nancy H.
Over priced and underwhelmed. Had to ask for sugar, salt, pepper dining outside. Matchstick fries respectable, BLTA salad easily surpassed by your average chain restaurant.
(2)Jonathan C.
Went to Vic's for the first time with my girlfriend. We ordered beers, chicken soup, kalamari salad, a bison burger, and some fries. First off the menu's were old and worn. My girlfriend, who works in food service, said it's a bad sign= they never change their menu, nothing is fresh, money is tight, they don't care about their clientele. Everything there is over priced at least 30%. The soup was essentially warm butter water, a few vegetables, and chicken. I found bones in my soup. The fries were from a bag but ok. The bison burger which I ordered rare, was medium, and so greasy it soaked the bun, again from frozen. I also found bones in the burger. The kalamari salad was so salty my girlfriend had tears in her eyes, and she likes salt. She kept finding hard chunks in the kalamari and had to spit them out. We sent it back, and should have sent back more. They took the salad off the bill. The service was fine. This is the worst restaurant experience I can remember. I receive better food and service at a dump in rural Minnesota for half the price. Never going back there.
(1)Micki C.
I came here with a group of friends on Sunday to grab some drinks and apps on the patio before 4th of July fireworks. Fortunately, my experience wasn't quite as dismal as the other posted reviews. We tried the calamari, veggie flat bread, baked artichoke dip, and chocolate cake. Calamari was a big, big hit. I also enjoyed the flat bread, but it wasn't anything to rave about. Skip the artichoke dip. The best thing about Vic's is the wine and the patio with rockin live music. Wine is provided at cost. You can find an ample selection for under $20/bottle. We particularly enjoyed a Kendall Jackson Pinot Gris for $13...six times over. Happy birthday America!
(3)Steve T.
What a mess of place. First of all you have the orange and blue accents over the bar. Then you have the white table cloth tables overlooking a beautiful scene consisting of the river and DT Mpls; unfortunately all of it feels pieced together. While we were dressed nice for a Friday evening, other people were coming in pretty dressed up to have a nice quiet dinner. Because of the bar atmosphere and a birthday party of 25-30 people going on across the room, it wasn't going to happen. Everything on the menu could be $2-$3 less. For example, $22 for baby back ribs and Newcastle & Guinness on tap were $5.25. Please. If this place knew what it wanted to be, no problem. But not like is now. Then the service....wow. It really, really sucked. I mean I was able to watch my beer sit at the end of the bar for over 5 minutes. My buddy's order wasn't even put in and I ended up going to the bartender to get him one. I did order the rotisserie chicken soup ($5) and it was very good. It was also the only thing which was priced accordingly to decor and level of service we were getting. Based on our experience with the service around the drinks and appetizers, we skipped ordering dinner and left. Our group of 8 all agree that since we've had Vic's once, there is no reason to to go back in its current state. Take a few extra steps and go across the courtyard to Tuggs.
(1)Katie S.
Applebee's...at thrice the price. If it wasn't for the good company of my boyfriend, this place would've really put a damper on my night. Known for its' cheap wines by the bottle, one would assume there would be a few trade-offs. I assumed right. Food. Overpriced and underwhelmed. Thank God it was a Groupon that brought us in the door otherwise this place would've put a damper on my night and my credit line. With entrées running from $23 to $29 you'd think that the food and presentation would be a true experience, unfortunately everything I saw come out of the kitchen was a breaded mess garnished with limp greasy fries and drippy coleslaw. My boyfriend experienced the coleslaw with his chicken sandwich, which I had actually tasted before...at an airport Chi-Chi's with a pickle and a toothpick inartfully stuck through the wonder bread bun - not ciabatta, wonder bread. Hoping for fresh ingredients and disinterested in all other high-cholesterol items on the menu I opted for the "entrée sized" Greek Salad, a starter salad by most places standards and for the price they could've given me more than 3 halves of kalamata olives, I pretty much paid for two whole jars. Pros: the affordable wines by the bottle offering is nice and not something that we'd typically do. And the bartender is good, my martini was great. Service. White tablecloth meets a wait staff of stoner college kids. Our server was able to recommend a nice low price bottle of wine, and then we waited 45 minutes for our food to arrive. She didn't introduce herself when we were seated, she never checked on us and she clearly was annoyed that working with people is a part of her job. I "scored" my martini by departing from table conversation in order to flag down the next restaurant employee that came into our vicinity. Ambiance. A beautiful shame. The restaurant is on St. Anthony Main, all floor to ceiling windows sitting right on the river with a gorgeous view of Minneapolis. I might go back some time to enjoy a cheap bottle of table wine, the amazing view...and my own boxed dinner.
(2)Michelle J.
I had a great time last night, I was super surprised the place wasnt busier but now I see the reviews. They seem harsh but you know yelp..... The tilapia tacos were awesome, the salad was great, the $5 bottle of Flip Flop wine was delicious, the view was superb. I didnt have a full dinner maybe thats where the wheels fall off for everyone, I liked it, I will be back, wine is good.
(4)Marshall C.
I was pretty hesitant to purchase the groupon for Vics after seeing the reviews here on Yelp. I ended up going for it after I saw their wine list prices. I figured if the food and/or service sucked, at least I'd get a decent bottle of wine out of it. I was pleasantly surprised by the food. Although, I did have low expectations going in because of the reviews. My wife and I started with the black bean and pork shoulder soup, which was incredible! For the entree, I had the steak steak au poivre cooked medium rare. The steak came out perfect and was very flavorful. My wife had the crab stuffed walleye which was delicious. While it wasn't the best meal I've ever had, it was certainly better than the reviews here give it credit for. The service wasn't terrible, but it wasn't super attentive either. Factor in that we went on a relatively slow night, and I can understand some of the complaints here. Also, the server didn't have answers to a lot of our questions: i.e. is it still happy hour. Original answer no. After we challenged her, she found out that it was in fact. Also, she was not familiar with the specials, etc. Finally, what I really like about this place is the wine list. They sell their bottles at cost. They don't have the 3x markup that most restaurants have. They have a pretty good list too. Some of my favorites were on there that I don't usually see at restaurants. Although, they could beef up their cab selection :). I think they do try to make up for this by bumping up some of the other menu prices. The apps seemed to be overpriced, but I though the entree prices weren't too bad. Overall, we had a very positive experience and would likely go here again.
(4)Karyn P.
Went here for a wedding so the service was great. So was the food. I'm a little leary of trying it when not at a private party. But the food was really good.
(4)Kari E.
Surprise, surprise - terrible service!! We popped in to Vics to get out of the rain during the Aquatennial fireworks. There were a couple of open tables and no one at the bar (and no chairs which I found really odd!). No one greeted us, no one offered to seat us. Even after we had walked through looking very lost and confused no one bothered! Eventually we asked someone if we should seat ourselves and we did. Then we sat and sat until someone asked us if we had been helped. Nope! Someone else dropped off some menus and we sat and sat some more until finally after about 10 minutes someone came to take a drink order. By this time, fireworks had ended and the bar FILLED up. Wouldn't you know it, that then we had to wait even longer for our beers - waitress came and apologized that the bar was now busy so it would be a minute. If someone had waited on us during those first 15 minutes we could have been done by then! Imagine that. We each had a beer and then left. A peek at the menu prices and the crappy service guarantee we don't be back! ($14 for a tiny flatbread pizza app? No thanks!)
(1)allie k.
Oh dear, what a spectacular location and view! However, what spectacularly bad service! My husband and I had planned on enjoying a bottle of wine and dinner on a busy Saturday evening. Our server greeted us fairly quickly and gave us menus after we ASKED for them. She then disappeared and NEVER came back. We "people watched" and relaxed together for over an hour....not one server asked us if he/she could take our order. We stopped trying to flag anyone down and left a little over an hour after we sat down. When I walked up to the host's station to notify the manager of our experience he gave me an apathetic "I'm sorry" but did not offer to remedy the situation in any way. We left. This is a beautiful building in an excellent location. It's too bad such an awful restaurant is taking up this space.
(1)Brooke S.
I came to Vic's last Saturday night for my sister's bridal dinner. We had the entire inside of the restaurant reserved and it was quite a lovely experience. The service was good and the ambiance of the place is very cool. The food does leave a bit to be desired; however, as we had a buffet for 100 people, i would certainly be willing to give Vic's a second chance. The location, right on st anthony main, is super cool and offers a beautiful view. For an event like a bridal dinner, the space is wonderful - it has enough room to give toasts and speeches and accommodated our large group very well.
(4)Hannah G.
To start off, we (probably) never would have visited Vics if it wasn't for the groupon. We live in the neighborhood but know Vics is pretty pricy. We also checked out reviews ahead of time, and had pretty low expectations going into our visit! We made a reservation for 7:00 a few days ahead of time but decided the day before we might want to go a little earlier. They told us just to come in and we could be put on the list. Well, we got there at 6:15 and got a table AFTER our original reservation! Granted, it was busy on a Friday night but we waited an hour for a table for 2. At Vics. Our server was decent, but our food took forever. We ordered an appetizer, thank god, because our entrees arrived easily 20-25 mins later. My walleye was pretty good, but my date's burger was a far cry from Bulldog's. Certainly not worth the price. It ended up being a 2.5 hour experience and not in a particularly good way. In the future, if we ever went back, it would probably only be for a happy hour drink on the patio. Live and learn, thanks groupon!
(3)Kimberly T.
I've only been to Vic's for drinks on the patio. The drinks & the people watching are fantastic but the service was meh. They definitely need more servers outside!
(3)Kat W.
I came here for a private party and as an event space, it was a solid one. There was enough space for about 150 people and a dance floor. Great. But as I tried to imagine myself at Vic's without the music blasing, I found myself most confused by the decor choices. The tables didn't really go with the color scheme, and the bar seems to take over the room. Oh, and my glass of house chardonnay was $9. My mediocre rail drink was $5.75. I just don't get it. But can you say rip-off. Never coming here again.
(2)Kore P.
I went for a private event the venue has a nice view of the city. The food was buffet style and taste better than your standard buffet food. It was open bar and they had servers roaming the room to take drink orders. They also validate parking in the ramp that is connected by a tunnel which is nice during the winter.
(3)Sandy Z.
I can't improve on the last two reviews. the service was horrible and when asked if everything was okay, my husband, who would normally say yes no matter what, began to list the problems. However the very cute, young waitress interrupted him and told him that the "place was busy" and walked off. the food was luke warm at best, but since no one came to check on us until after (way after) we were done... I only give it one star because the Caesar salad with the rotisserie chicken was pretty decent.... Not worth going back for.....
(1)Clinton L.
Man, rough reviews. I on the other hand have had nothing but great experiences here. The food has always been great & the wine is sold at cost. Often there is music inside & on the weekends outside. The balding server dude is probably the best I've ever had. We call him "super server". I certainly hope I never have an experience like the other reviewers to sour the place. Plus, St Anthony Main is great. Use the parking ramp & it's free parking w/validation.
(4)Brian J.
We recently had our wedding at Vic's and I could not be happier with how the event turned out. The food was delicious. We were planning on having our wedding in the courtyard and unfortunately it rained the day of our event, however the staff was amazing at moving everything inside and getting the show on the road. One thing that always makes you feel better is how well a company can adapt to unforeseen events and I was extremely pleased at how Vic's handled it. If you like good food a great staff and picture perfect venue then this is a great place to host an event. The only downside was some miscommunication on the coordination side the planning and proceeding steps seemed a little unorganized, but after a few Cubans and Steak pasta we forgot all about that.
(3)JR H.
Stopped in for a refresh after a bike ride. The wine list is pretty extensive and modestly priced. Tried the blue flatbread and found it delicious. The patio seating provides a nice view of the Mississippi River. The next time I'm in Minneapolis I would consider stopping in.
(4)Andy G.
The wine happy hours are great. The food has a lot of room for improvement. The menu has good variety but was not prepared well. It will stay as the place we go before dinner for wine and than eat somewhere else.
(2)Jennifer P.
Ok, yeah, the waitress dumped our chicken flatbread on the table and had to go have them make another...but we enjoyed the house salad with cherries, pineapple, and raisins...and when it came back the pesto chicken flatbread was outstanding. Gorgeous view, nice servers...great lunch for a visitor to your city!
(4)M L.
Go here if you want over priced ok food that was not cooked the way you want it. Bought a burger for $13, nothing remarkeable whatsoever. They even used shredded iceberg lettuce and jar pickles. $13 bucks! But by far the worst thing was the service. We sat so long waiting for the waitress to take our order we actually forgot and thought we ordered already. After we did order, the food came out about an hour later. I don't recommend this place at all. The only pro? Well, I haven't given out a 1 star yet, so this is the first!
(1)Mindy E.
Went to Vic's for NYE, we had a reservation but the restaurant was only about half full. Our service was okay, the food came out slow and our entree plates were delivered to us very hot, meaning the food had been in the window for a while. The best thing I could say about Vic's is that all their wine is sold to dinners at cost! If the bottle is 8.33, that's how much you pay for the bottle. The crab cakes were great as was my entree, the crab stuffed walleye. My husband had the a steak that was average, nothing impressive.
(3)Swee L.
Basically no service. I dont know what the servers were doing. Good wine list. It's really cheap too. I think you can bring the wine home if you cant finish it. Good views, it's by the river. Food was ok, not great but not bad. I would go back for wine and view. maybe a summer evening.
(3)rb l.
$2 for a full bottle of wine! That should take the edge off a mid-afternoon. So everyone agrees about the lousy service. Ours wasn't horrible, but at 2:00pm on a weekday with few customers, our waitress did disappear at times and we didn't know what could possibly be occupying her. But she was reasonably friendly. The walleye plate was pretty good and came with maybe a dozen asparagus stalks so it was the best deal at our table. The other dishes are rather small and just ok. I would come here and accept the compromise just to be out on the deck on a sunny day, but not necessarily for the food.
(3)Angie L.
Had to update after a couple more visits. This place is really sad when you consider its potential. Every time I go to Vic's service is slow to start (more than once I've been seated and no one has greeted us). If they had maybe a host and an actual floor supervisor this place could be amazing and match the food. Total Bummer
(2)Melanie T.
I recommend coming here to enjoy sitting out on the patio and enjoy the view and people watching. Do this while enjoying a bottle of wine (prices range from $7 - $30 from some very drinkable bottles. We enjoyed a nice bottle of proseco for $14. In most restaurants in Minneapolis that would get me one glass. Skip the food, we had a cheese plate. Nothing unusual or outstanding. Service is still slow.
(3)Rae B.
I was glad that I'd read the reviews before meeting a friend at Vic's tonight because I was well prepared for bad service and mediocre food, which is exactly what we got. Fortunately, we had a coupon from Groupon which made the experience tolerable. Somewhat.
(1)Jennifer L.
What a fantastic location for mediocre food and terrible service. We arrive about 7pm without a reservation. I wandered along looking to see if there was a hostess or if guests should seat themselves. One of the other patrons let us know we should seat ourselves. So there we were, no menus and no drinks (gasp). We attempted making eye contact with the harried waitstaff, but no one even cam close to our table. We finally got up and found menus to look at while we waited. And waited. And waited. There were other folks next to us that were getting food and drinks delivered to their tables, but we could not even get water. After 25 minutes, two servers came to our table and there was still some confusion about who would help us. We ordered quickly, as we did not know when, and if, our order would be served. The waitress was obviously overwhelmed, but did a good job with a smile on her face. But after the rocky start and so-so food, she could not turn our experience around. Good bye, Vic's and Hello, Aster Cafe.
(2)Katherine M.
I don't normally write a lot of reviews, but I felt compelled to write one for Vic's, after reading the slew of bad reviews before me. My husband and I went to dinner there this weekend and were very pleasantly surprised. The wine, as others have pointed out, is really the big selling point of this restaurant. We had a very decent bottle of wine for $12, which would have probably been the cost of a glass of the same wine at another restaurant. The food itself is a bit overpriced, yes, but we both ordered sandwiches and I would say they were priced comparable with Tuggs and Pracna, two other restaurants on the same block. And my bison burger was fabulous! My husband had the steak sandwich and it was great as well. We finished off with the key lime desert and it was very tasty and huge. Between the two of us, we couldn't finish it. The view was obviously fantastic, right on the water. So, although Vic's is not my new favorite, I would definitely not hesitate to come back. The good food, good service, fantastic view, and wonderfully priced wine selection is worth coming in for!
(4)Scott O.
My wife and I enjoyed dinner at Vic's on a Saturday night, at least until the rain's came and the band had to tear down and we tried desperately to stay dry. Luckily we did get to eat before the storm rolled through and the food was outstanding. Both my wife and I really enjoyed our food and I felt the value for the price was good as well. We did however have a similar service experience to many of the others. Hopefully they can figure this out sometime soon so the whole experience can be as enjoyable as the food.
(2)P X.
Let me start off by saying that I have never loved, nor even liked, doing much other than walking in St. Anthony Main. I hate the parking situation, the dodging of segways, the outdated dilapidated buildings, and the overpriced menus. And, all of this was reconfirmed and compounded by a recent trip to Vic's. I met a group of girlfriends at Vic's on Monday to celebrate a birthday and the sun (which are some of the only reasons the ranking is not 2 stars). In addition to my previously mentioned concerns the service, food, drink choices, and restrooms were terrible. The only highlight of the entire visit was the fairly cheap bottle of wine that we got, although it wasn't the wine we had ordered....so I guess it can't really be considered a highlight......sigh.
(3)Diane M.
I came here for lunch one day and I thought the food was pretty good. I had a walleye wrap and it was pretty good. We had a great view of the Mississippi river. The prices are a little on the high side. The only problem is that the service was really bad.
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