Axel’s River Grille
1318 Sibley Memorial Hwy, Saint Paul, MN, 55101
Axel’s River Grille Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Saint Paul for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Saint Paul for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Saint Paul for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
1318 Sibley Memorial Hwy
Saint Paul, MN, 55101 - Phone (651) 686-4840
- Website https://www.axelsrestaurants.com/locations/mn/mendota
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 11
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : No
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Dressy
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Danesh I.
If Axel's were anywhere but the Twin Cities, it would merit at least a four-star rating. However, because there are so many other great options around, Axel's just seems like another run-of-the-mill place. The ambiance is nice and has a much more elegant feel than the menu prices merit. The service here gets an A+, but it's the food that is just plain average. For starters, the calamari was bland, and drenched in oil; it definitely wasn't the worst calamari I've had, but it certainly wasn't memorable. In retrospect, it may have been a better idea to try the walleye fingers or bull bites instead. The portion sizes at Axel's are thoroughly humongous, and I doubt many people leave here hungry! In addition to the entrees, customers are treated to fresh popovers and either a soup or a salad; the popovers are especially good with the maple butter, but the chicken dumpling soup I got was a bit too salty for my liking. I got a sample the walleye and sockeye salmon entrees, and both were decent but a bit more seasoning would have been nice. The side of green beans that accompanied each of the entrees was a definite plus. I got the ribeye steak for myself with the mushrooms and onions, and needless to say a Midwestern cow did not die in vain. The steak was cooked perfectly and the mushrooms were wonderful. The restaurant provided free dessert to my wife because we were celebrating her birthday, and she chose the carrot cake, which was big enough for four to share. If I lived in the Twin Cities area and wanted a place to celebrate with a large group, or simply wanted a good steak dinner without the stuffiness of a more traditional steakhouse or without the lameness of a "flair"-filled chain, Axel's would be my top choice. That being said, because the Twin Cities has SO much to offer in terms of quality food choices, I don't think I will be making a return trip to Axel's.
(3)C E.
Long time customer, always been a fan. However......recently.we had a reservation but were seated nearly an hour late. The food is not the same quality - walleye fingers appetizer is horribly over priced for portion size. The usually fab Caesar salad was blah at best. Presentation of every food item was tacky and Mo tators looked like hell on the plate and were the consistency of thick soup. Service was good but we were seated in a corner booth with a very aggravating location adjacent to a hanging rack where staff consistently cane over to pull paper to cover tables. Need someone new in the kitchen to overcome the other little aggravations and get back to a premium dining spot.
(3)Dave N.
Not too bad down at Axel's, of course - they are one of only what looks like 2 games in town, so not much choice to begin with! The popovers with maple/sugar butter were amazing, hot and oven fresh, I would go back for those alone! Good: - Popovers with sweet butter! - MNF on at the bar - Free house made chips - Friendly bartenders - The walleye was amazing as were the veggies of the day Bad: - Wedge salad was awful, a bit of lettuce and not much else - Limited beer list - Odd 'towels' vs. a normal cloth napkin - Can be a little pricey Overall a good experience, a little off the beaten path and the decor is getting a bit tired, but good food and service!
(4)Professor G.
I took a group of coworkers to Axel's for a recognition dinner. We ordered three appetizers and a round of drinks to start off. The calamari was ok, nothing special compared to many others I've sampled. The onion rings were good, almost like a puffy beer battered style. They were a little greasy for my liking. For dinner, most guys ordered steaks or wall eye. I ordered a combination of both and it was fantastic. I prefer rare red meat and the filet was perfectly cooked. I'm a fan of the Leinenkugel family brewery and as an east coast guy, I never see it on tap. When our server said Summer Shandy was on tap, I could not have been happier (until my 5am flight the next morning!). Our server was attentive and stay on top of things throughout the night. It was a great experience and I would highly recommend Axel's for any occasion.
(4)Kevin W.
By far my favorite dinner destination in the Twin Cities. Gorgeous drive along the Mississippi river on Highway 13 to arrive. A rare classy combination of northern lodge and formal restaurant decor. Homemade popovers and a salad set the stage for a fantastic steak and/or seafood dinner. Consistently solid service, dish execution, and a quality experience across all courses of dinner make this the first place I recommend to friends looking for a more formal dining experience.
(5)Dee T.
Most definitely the type of place I'd bring my parents when they come to visit, or patronize when we feel like kicking it old-school elegance style. The food here is the best of any Axel's I've tried so far. The popover was pretty good - is this a MN thing? Second place I've been served a popover - as was the artichoke crab dip appetizer. My cioppino was divine, perfectly spicy with just the right broth thickness. I needed an entire loaf of bread for myself just to dunk in that broth. Our server was pleasant and attentive and the place was decorated old-fogey-good.
(4)Vee V.
I love anything with an old school supper club feel, cuz imma old school gangsta! Well, that's what I feel like at Axels in Mendota, not to be confused with the Axels Bonfires. The Bonfires have a different menu, and has that chain feel. If you plan on eating here on the weekend make sure to make a reservation as dinner time is always busy, but dies down after 8:30pm. The decor might not have been updated since it opened. It's dark, lot's of red tones, black booths, and beautiful gold framed paintings of really full figured people (sort of odd). I have to mention the hideous light fixtures, they're red little hat like shades with antlers coming out! I hate looking at those things. Axels, please update these. My boyfriend and I have dined here several times and we have never had a bad food experience. They're known for their walleye so start there if you don't know what to get. On this particular occasion we started with old fashions, one with brandy, and one with bourbon. Both were delicious, although I was drunk after one sip of the bourbon one. It burned all the way down. The good kind of burn. For food we decided on walleye fingers with house made tartar sauce, french onion soup, chicken wild rice soup, we split the kings cut herb crusted prime rib (kings cut is 14 ounces, queens cut is 10 ounces) that came with potatoes and green beans, and finished with the Baileys chocolate cake. This was my cheat meal this week so I ate like a goddamn fatty. It felt great. Our entree came with popovers with brown sugar butter. The popover is a little too hard on the outside for me, and I like my popovers with more gooey bread on the inside than what was here. But the butter is the star anyway. Put a glob of that on anything and it turns amazing. The chicken wild rice soup has to be the best I've ever had. So silky, creamy, and flavorful. Yum! The French onion was also perfect, most of the time at other places these can be pretty salty, not here. Walleye fingers had the right crunch, flaky fish, and tangy tarter. My first bite of prime rib was so incredible. It was so tender and juicy. I instantly closed my eyes and made that extra long mmmmm sound. I'm making the sound now thinking about it. We had Rosemary red skin potatoes for our potato choice. Eh, wouldn't order those again, it just needed to be cooked a bit longer for my liking. The beans were great, but anything deep fried is. The chocolate cake was a nice sweet ending, moist and creamy. We had a ton of food for the two of us, and leftovers to take home (the only leftovers were the vegetables), all for $100. We had some beers too so I consider this a damn good price for this meal. There was no split plate charge on the prime rib, which was $38, and they actually split it for you and brought two plates. I'm pretty sure they gave us a little extra on the potatoes and beans too. We've never had a bad server here either, but Michelle was our server on this occasion, and she's probably one of the best here. If you've never been to Axels in Mendota Heights, please go!
(5)Amy A.
We had the steak and walleye combo. Everything was delicious! I love starting the meal with those delicious popovers. Great patio!
(5)Fryem T.
Pricy but well worth it! I loved the french onion soup. It gets busy here a lot so call ahead and make a reservation.
(4)Joel R.
Axel's is an old-fashioned place, with an emphasis on the old. Starting with the decor, Axel's could use quite a bit of updating (and cleaning), as their brightly lit sign belies a somewhat dank entranceway, itself belying an even dingier interior. Almost everything inside is some shade of the rainbow between burgundy and brown, and there's hardly a ray of natural light to be found anywhere. An odd, food-resembling odor permeates the place. The walls are adorned with a weird collection of art replicas, some of which are caked in dust. Not a whole lot appealing about my first impressions. Second impressions weren't much better, as the bathrooms were kind of filthy and the wastebaskets were overflowing with detritus. The part of the floor that was uncarpeted (near the kitchen) was slippery. As for the food, I can say that it did not make me sick. My family opted for a few half-priced appetizers. This was a good thing, too, because the regular prices were steep. I understand that this is standard operating procedure for fine dining, and that's okay if a restaurant can back up those prices with top food and service. Unfortunately, not the case here. Our server was apathetic at best, becoming even more so when discovering that our party wasn't going to be shelling out for a big meal. The food was edible, if not appealing. My beef "tenderloin tips" were tough and coated with ludicrous amounts of pepper. They were the best part of my meal: the accompanying onion rings were cooked in some sort of rancid oil, and the bearnaise was some broken of egg in clarified butter. I didn't even touch it. Fortunately for me, it looked like mine was the best meal at the table. This meal was somewhat better than the kind of sad-sack affairs that you might find at a roadside diner. But you aren't paying for fine dining at those places. Given that this is supposed to be a white tablecloth-type joint, I can't even bring myself to give them two stars.
(1)Donna N.
Don't know what's going on at Axel's flagship place on 13....used to be a good place for classic continental cuisine. The food is not as good as it used to be. Getting too crazy with wacky seasonings that are not complimentary (someone fresh out of Le Condon Bleu?). When Ive sent items back, the waitress (last two visits) was annoyed and aggrevated, acting as if I was wrong and the chef's were right). If you want steak it's fine, but it's getting too pricey for the quality. They need a menu overhall and realization to change a few things. I used to go all the time, but even my husband noticed (at a dinner meeting) something's missing. Now we trek over to Jax's for a good meal..... Perhaps too much expansion in the Axel chain ? Not paying attention to the flagship?
(2)Connie K.
Your New Favorite Rib Joint Everything that has been written about Axel's on this site is true. Great steaks. Great Walleye. I've heard the Cioppiono is amazing. The popovers are incredible. The rest of the food can be hit or miss. I've found some of their offerings to be overcooked, especially the salmon and the fake "poached" eggs at brunch. But that is not what I am reviewing tonight. As far as I am concerned, there is only one entree worth the trip to Mendota - Matt's Rack of BBQ Ribs. They deserve consideration on any serious Twin Cities BBQ aficionado's radar. Perfectly smoked and perfectly tender (NOT fall of the bone over-done, btw), the succulent meat pulls off the bone in perfectly charred bites. The sauce is a perfect match to the tasty pork ribs. I CAN NOT RECOMMEND THESE RIBS ENOUGH - THEY ARE THE MATCH OF ANY RIBS I'VE HAD IN THE TWIN CITIES. THESE RIBS ARE THE REAL SMOKED DEAL. They are NOT baked in a bbq sauce/liquid smoke bath in an oven, as is often the case at supper clubs. BBQ rib fans, get thee to Mendota, enjoy the popovers, make sure to order a Bloody Mary (amazing, and the house-stuffed blue cheese olives are a nice touch), soak in the old-school atmosphere, enjoy how attractive your dining companion is in the flattering light, give an appreciative nod to the well-drilled service team and get lost in the happy high of BBQ rib perfection. $18 - 1/2 rack. $26 - full rack. Believe me, if Axel's was some cheap rib joint on Lake street, they would still be worth the price and the trip.
(5)Rhonda G.
I keep forgetting about this place. Probably because I burned myself out by coming all the time at the end of '05. I filmed in this area and also had a fantastic cast party here. They have great specials every day. French onion soup is delicious, I also recall a good seafood chowder. It's a classic steak house, with lot's of seafood options. The pastas are great. I always get full before the meal because I can't say no to the complimentary popover. I save the entrees for dinner and get a lettuce wedge and soup for lunch. Not everyone can do it all at once. They're a lot different than the Bonfire's, so don't bother to compare. The location is actually in Mendota.
(5)Steve W.
Awesome food. Love the walleye and popovers! The mo Taters are ridiculously good!
(5)Jack F.
Have been here 3 times now and every time has been a consistant 4 stars. Had a steak the first time and "bull bites" the last two times. All three meals were great. Resonanly priced for the quality of food, service, and atmosphere.
(4)Deacon K.
This is a solid place to eat in Mendota. The food is good and the service was nice as well. The place is a bit pricey but you will get what you pay for. I had the Alaskan Sockeye Salmon and it was about 12 inches long and done perfectly. My wife had the spicy chicken penne and she didn't even finish half of it because it was so filling. The salads were good and the popovers were ok. Others really like them, but I'm not a big bread fan. The room we were in was a bit dark and there weren't a lot of people around. Several family parties were going on around us and the front area had several couples there too. The chocolate cake was rich and moist. I would go there again for a special occasion with family, but there are a lot more cost effective places I can go that are closer and the food will be just as good. Pros: Excellent service, tasty food, good atmosphere. Cons: Dim lighting in back room, tiny parking lot (guy next to me bumped a car and then drove off)
(4)Dave O.
Visited the flagship site, based upon proximity to our hotel and on-line reviews. Our primary desired cuisine was steak. They delivered nicely. The décor is very Minnesota, north-woodsy, e.g. deer horn chandeliers over the bar, lots of wood. Our waitress, Trish, introduced herself, and signed her name in crayon on our table cloth (white butcher paper) . I started off with one of the best Hendrich's martinis I've ever had. Olives stuffed with fresh blue cheese (not the processed tart kind), and a stemless martini glass presented in an icewater bath. Fantastic. Trish brought us a plate with 4 or 5 extra olives. We had their signature hand breaded onion rings, tender, sweet, and plenty of ketchup for dipping. Three of us shared the crab-cobb salad. A wonderful mix of Maryland lump crap meat, avocado, blue cheese, and greens. The wild rice chicken soup was outstanding, though at this point, we were all starting to feel full, with entrees yet to arrive. I had the bone in ribeye. Perfectly cooked, decent marbling and flavor. My son had the steak Oscar, 2 4 oz fillets covered with crab meat. He devoured it. Significant other had peppercorn crusted medallions. Good, but peppercorns a bit large when you bit into one. Caramelized onion mashed potatoes were delicious, as were the fresh green beans and asparagus. After all that, despite an appetizing dessert cart, we were done. Net, a good culinary experience. I would recommend and return.
(4)Jamie H.
Great place to eat. The overall ambiance of the building was very good. A little dark for my taste and definitely an older crowd, but it was distinctive which I appreciate. The food was out of this world. My group tried two different appetizers -- beef bites and calamari -- the beef bites were delicious - the calamari was good, but then again what isn't when it's deep fried? My group all got the lettuce wedge for a salad and loved it. I tried the shrimp gumbo and found it to be relatively weak -- not enough spice. For the main course we all tried the house specialty which is pan fried walleye. WOW -- it was mouth watering. The portions are very generous. Nobody in our group finished their entire meal. The prices are very fair -- with a bottle of wine we spent about $45/person. Good place -- definitely recommend.
(5)Margaret R.
Delicious! I love this place, and have never had a bad experience. Wonderful food, great service. It's a little pricey, but it's worth every penny.
(4)