My first experience at FACES was great...the food was good, service was pretty good and prices were great! I was told that all tap beers were included in the happy hour special...and when the bill came, that was the case. I've been telling people how pleased I was and brought my mom back for another happy hour experience...although this time it was far less appealing. The restaurant and bar area were both dead. We were told it was happy hour but apparently they've changed their HH offerings because I ordered exactly what I had before but was charged full price. Our server was sub par...we had to seek him out several times to get another drink, order food and eventually get our bill. He apologized that HH wasn't what we thought it was but basically said I was wrong regarding my first experience there (that what I ordered was at one time a happy hour option). Overall I left feeling disappointed. My tune has certainly changed from my first experience.
(2)
Alissa A.
We went for dinner and salsa dancing - even though friends had previously told us the food was not good. But we decided to give it a try anyway. We got there and had to wait forever to find someone to even seat us or know what was going on. I finally saw David Fima, the owner, and he was able to sort out our questions about entrance fees if you are staying for dinner and dancing. I asked him what he'd suggest on the menu. He said any of the tagines would be fabulous. We ordered the veggie tagine, the pot roast (cooked as a tangine) and a lamb sandwich. The rice and vegetables in the tagine were all super undercooked - al dente is not even the term for them - utterly undercooked. The meat was decent though as was the lamb sandwich. But you should be able to order more than a burger or sandwich at a place like this. Finally, the salsa band and dancing that we were promised was not even salsa. It was a Brazilian band hidden in a side room playing music that was not danceable (nobody was dancing) but more like elevator music. The entire night was a major disappointment.
(2)
Dan S.
The service is really good. They try to use their service to back up the prices. The food was so-so considering the price. I would recommend the seafood macaroni. The appetizer size is plenty! The pizza was less than impressive. Again, I would say that the host and server gave this an extra star than what I would have normally given. If you are looking to go there for a drink and just enjoy the atmosphere, I think it would be a nice place for an after-work drink.
(3)
Dan W.
Ask your server about their special. It won't disappoint!!
(5)
Pang X.
The food was ok, nothing too special. We only stopped in to sample. I had the Salmon kale salad which was ok. The salmon was good but there was too much kale. I wish they would have blanched the kale a little bc it was kind of tough to eat. The coconut cake was the highlight of the night.
We did a Livingsocial 3 course meal deal. The meal was perfect and service was great. This was our first time there and we will definitely be back!
(5)
Eli F.
Impeccable menu. Not a single boring dish. Recommend a lamb tagine or any of the risottos. The greatest tasting food ever! Great service as well!
(5)
Andrea P.
WOW what a hidden gem. The Lamb tagine was incredibly tasty...fresh cholla bread to accompany it. Also try their homemade desserts. You can't go wrong!
(5)
Jennifer W.
I've gotten delivery from this place twice, using BiteSquad. It's always a bit of a gamble ordering delivery, especially from a place like this whose food is probably meant for table service, but I say if you're going to offer delivery, you're fair game. I've ordered from here twice, and I'd have to say I probably won't again. I had the burger and fries on one visit, the croque monsieur on another, and ordered dessert each time as well. My overall impression is that everything is too much of what ever it's supposed to be, flavorwise. The burger was obviously cooked on a grill, but I don't think it was a very clean one, because the meat flavor and texture was compromised by charcoal dust (or something like it). The fries were okay, and I don't fault Faces for any deficit--fries aren't really made for delivery. The croque monsieur was basically a glorified grilled ham and cheese, and didn't seem to have the bechamel that typically comes with one. Also, it was EXTREMELY salty. Probably the prosciutto-type ham, but I've had prosciutto ham that wasn't as salty as that. This actually gave me a bit of that burning sensation on the tongue that you get when something is excessively salty. The desserts I got were all uniformly pretty to look at, but ridiculously, tooth-ache sweet. As I say, maybe the experience is different when you actually eat *in* the restaurant, or order one of the major entrees, and maybe I'll do that sometime, but I don't think I'll order delivery again.
(3)
Erin G.
This place is really close to work, but I've never stopped in until today. I was drawn in because it was restaurant week, but my friend and I ordered off the regular menu instead. First of all, the space is very pretty. Urban/upscale looking. When I arrived at 11:15, the place was empty. I didn't see anyone and was confused about whether they were open, but soon a server came over and sat me. My friend arrived shortly thereafter and made the same comments about it being so empty. It ended up being a good thing though, because I was on my lunch break and need to be quick. I ordered the tuna nicoise salad and it was beautiful. I should have ordered with the dressing on the side like I usually do but I forgot and there was a little too much on it for me to finish all the greens. It was not a big salad but it was tasty. The asparagus and the tuna were great, however, it would have been nice to have more than just one asparagus spear. Overall a great dish and pretty healthy with the exception of the fried potato thingy on the side. My friend had a turkey sandwich and seemed to like it, although when he asked for ranch dressing for his fries, he was told they didn't have any. A guy camme out and grabbed our plates, and we chatted with him and he was the chef! Super nice guy, introduced himself and talked about how everything is all organic and local, which I liked. I'll definitely be coming back here.
(4)
Julie T.
The chef came out to greet us that was a nice touch! Went there for birthday and they gave us free truffles. Food was a little pricey so it will be a special occasion place. I had seafood tagine, husband and mother-in-law had the risottos. Food was flavorful. The dessert we had- crème brulee and carrot cake was good.
Had a really nice date night with hubby! I felt like service could have been a little better, our server was absent a little more than we would have liked. She asked us if we wanted a bread basket and forgot to bring one... no biggie except by the time we could ask her about the bread basket, all of our other food started arriving as well! We had the chicken satay appetizer to share, i'm not a big chicken person so I thought the chicken was alright... hubby loved the chicken! I liked the greens and peanuts, and peanut sauce that came with it a lot more than the chicken! For the main course, hubby had the hamburger with a fried egg. He said it was amazing!! Apparently, really good as leftovers as well. I had the spicy seafood tagine, which was good. Came with either a side of rice or couscous. Wish it had more than just 2 pieces of shrimp though. Hubby had german chocolate cake for dessert, while I had the napoleon. Napoleon was sooo good!!! Overall food, was great! Service could have been a little better, but not so bad that I got super irritated or made me think I never want to come here again!
(4)
Elizabeth H.
The food is delicious here. For a recent weekend dinner, I had the chicken tagine, nicoise salad, flourless chocolate cake, assorted drinks. Generous portions (the tagine is enough for two), fresh vegetables, thoughtful presentation, authentic flavors. Wouldn't hesitate returning with family if we were in the area, especially for lunch. The chocolate cake was just as good as ANY I have ever had and is worth the 5 extra spin classes I'm going to have to do this week to burn it off! The service seemed untrained, which is why I am forced to give it no more than 3 stars. Our server was friendly in the way a casual barista is friendly--not in the knowledgable way you expect someone serving you a $30 entree should be. He told us the special was, "Strip steak with...uh (fumble with his notes)...sauce...and potatoes...served on potatoes." Really? Can't pronounce the sauce? It was also slow. It seemed like it took forever for nearby tables to be cleaned after fellow diners left. Empty glasses and abandoned napkins just sat there littering our peripheral vision. Furthermore, some tables had white table cloths and others (like ours) did not. There didn't seem to be consistency across the dining room. The other thing I find awkward is the appetizer menu. The majority of the items are very expensive. It would be nice to have greater variety without breaking the bank so people are invited to be "upsold" as opposed to price shocked into sticking with just entrees. I'm not about to spend $48 for a charcuterie plate or even $24 for 2 scallops. The ambiance and quality of the service isn't good enough to match those price points.
(3)
Jason K.
I hopped on the light rail for a quick lunch with some friends at a restaurant across the street from Mears Park. It "Faces" Mears Park. Get it? The outdoor patio looked awesome, except it was too cold out, even though it was late April. Boo. The inside of the establishment reminds me of Mission American Food in Downtown Minneapolis, kind of upscale but modern and inviting. The menu isn't huge, but it does have a big wine list, but this was a work day lunch, it was Diet Coke for me. I saw pulled chicken Monte Cristo! "Yes please!, with greens instead of the fries" My friends got the fries and said they were pretty good. Our waiter had the whole dining room of about 25 patrons, but he was in fine form. Very professional, refilled my Coke whenever it got dry, and checked on us every 10 or so minutes. He was just awesome! It was awesome having Mears Park outside of the main window, the day was at least sunny, so the people watching was fun when we weren't catching up on old times. The Monte Cristo came out after about 10 minutes and looked beautiful. It was like two big slices of French toast with lots of pulled chicken inside. The slices of French toast were amazing and very creamy, but I did wish the chicken had a little more flavor. The texture was perfect, but kind of bland, almost tasted like cream of chicken soup tastes like. Just there. The service and fantastic ambiance raises this place from a 3 to a 4, but it should really be about a 3 1/2. We split the check 3 ways and it was $18 after tip, so a little pricey for lunch, but not terrible.
(4)
Missy O.
Yum! Yum! Yum! What a wonderful restaurant. The food was amazing! Everything we ate had such depth in flavor. I had the lemon, chicken and olive Tagine and my husband had Andouille Risotto. We also had an appetizer and dessert. We loved everything. Our Server was kind, fun and very helpful. We followed his recommendations and he was spot on. I can't wait to go back and to tell all my friends about it. This is a hidden gem that deserves to be on a "best of" list for St. Paul and Minneapolis.
(5)
Leilani C.
My husband and I moved to the Twin Cities in May so we try to get out and explore every weekend! We saw that Faces had happy hour all day so we decided to check it out. They open at 3 on Sunday! We had the Tuna on Sweet Potato, burger duo and the salted fries! The fries are accompanied by two sauces--both pretty good. The burgers were really good--you could order the burger duo and fries and make it a meal. The tuna was cooked rare and was very good. Jerome took care of us and he was gracious and very knowledgable---he helped us order and he did a great job!
(5)
Jessica D.
Had a lovely Valentine's Day dinner! We didn't feel rushed at all, and it wasn't overly crowded. The atmosphere was romantic and quiet. The food: I had the filet mignon and my husband had the steak au poivre and we both enjoyed bites of one another's food, and we agreed that the other should have preferred what we ordered for ourselves! The margaritas were perfect and we were very pleased to learn the ingredients are mostly locally sourced. We'll be back!
(4)
Max A.
We went there for Valentine's Day and I must say that this place is a joke. We arrived there 10 minutes before our reservation time, but did not get sat until 45 minutes AFTER our reservation. While waiting in their makeshift lobby, I heard all kinds of commotion coming from the kitchen, including a loud "What the fu*k??!!" from one of the cooks. When we finally did get to the table, it took forever for the waitress to approach or acknowledge us. When we went to order, my girlfriend attempted to order the Moroccan Chicken, yes I say attempted because they were OUT of chicken!? How does a place run out of chicken, let alone on Valentine's Day.. So she ended up ordering the filet, and I got the risotto. The food was tasty but the portions were pathetic. I believe my girlfriends filet was 3 ounces? My risotto was also very small and left me hungry after I finished (it only took me about 3 minutes to finish my meal, and it is not like I am a big guy/eater). I had one glass of wine, my girlfriend had two, we had dessert, and our tab was over $130! If I had known I would be paying that, I would have taken her to one of the nice steakhouses in Minneapolis where at least I would know what kind of experience we were going to get. The manager didn't seem to know what the hell she was doing, because there was a line of people at the host podium and they were not being addressed at all. I recall standing there 40 minutes after our reservation to ask where our table was, only to see her mingling with people already at their tables. I am normally not a tough critic because in college I was a waiter at Red Lobster for four years and I know what it is like, but this place was a complete joke and I will never be back. I will also not let any friends knowingly enter this restaurant. Anyway, two stars, and that is because although tiny and terrible value, the food was tasty.
(1)
Steve L.
St Paul - WHY ISN'T THIS PLACE CRAMMED FULL ALL OF THE TIME?!!!! Apologies for yelling, but holy cats - what a great restaurant. It's a shame it was so slow the other night when I visited. + Awesome interior space - thick beams, textured glass, very cool bar area + Very friendly and approachable servers and bartenders - very knowledgeable + Relaxed, calming vibe to the place + Excellent selection of wines and cocktails; decent tap selection + Good happy hour specials + Ordered the salad with kale, salmon, chèvre, and asparagus - wow + Salmon was cooked perfectly - nice crust/char on the outside, medium rare inside + Asparagus was huge and superbly al dente + Balsamic reduction was excellent + Received dressing on the side; sampled - nice rosemary flavor I had a few brews, made small talk with the staff, and left feeling completely satisfied. I'll be returning, for sure. What a great place.
(5)
Tj R.
Our server greeted us while he was on the phone. My martini glass was covered in dust literally. I had to wipe it off with my napkin. When we entered, we were told that we had to have a reservation to sit at a table. There was only one seated table so clearly the reservation only system is working well. It was a very memorable experience for the wrong reasons.
(2)
Amanda A.
What an experience!! Faces has one of the most unique and flavorful menus in the Cities! With Moroccan and French influences, they use grassfed, farm raised, free roam, local and sustainable ingredients in their kitchen which prepares their meals per dish, per person at time of ordering, no "pre-prepared frozen"nonsense here - Try a Tagine, my favorite is the Spicy Seafood, sooo many delicious flavors, and I love some heat to my food :) Their bakery/desserts are incredible! The Napoleon is OUT of this world! Talk about authentic, fresh French desserts! You cannot beat their Happy Hour and the patio during the summer is one of the most popular places to enjoy the sights in Mears Park. An awesome restaurant, friendly staff, timely service. I highly recommend it :)
(5)
James W.
Wonderful service and food.. Tagines are always great especially the lamb and seafood...
(5)
Michelle H.
I purchased a Groupon recently and made reservations a week in advance for date night. Someone from the restaurant called me the day of to ask if I had a coupon. I said yes. He stated that they would not be honoring their Groupons today but we were welcome to make a reservation on a less busy night. The Groupon was for any night of the week and again, I made the reservations well in advance. Who does this? They made a commitment and then called to ruin my night because they have decided they don't want to honor it. The man who called was also quite rude about it! I'm appalled. I'll never go there. I will tell all of my friends about the treatment I received. We are big foodies who go out to eat several times a week, tip well and often return to our Groupon ventures. It's their loss.
(1)
C L.
The food was very good, and the staff, while friendly, seemed to not know very much about the wines. Could not recommend a wine without finding another staff member. Also, we ordered an after-dinner drink that they got wrong (and corrected). Somewhat small things, but for the money spent, it could have been a bit better.
(4)
Autumn V.
We had late night happy hour apps here last night and neither the fries nor the tuna on chips made me happy. The tuna felt like it had been frozen? And thawed out? And the wasabi sauce was just too overpowering. The (soggy) fries came with two sauces that neither my boyfriend nor I cared for. We also did not care for the ketchup which tasted very watered down. Perhaps we need to come during dinner and have an actual entree? The happy hour left a lot to be desired. If I hadn't had a fantastic yelp tasting event here last year, I would not come back after this experience. I'm hoping it was just an off day and that next time we eat here, it will be better. I was disappointed.
(2)
S L.
Mediocre food for unmatched, expensive prices. I asked what exactly was on the meat and cheese tray, the response was "it changes daily" - which is fine but when the tray came out, the staff still did not know what was what. "The one that smells the strongest is blue cheese"...of course...location and setting is very nice and the staff is helpful and friendly, but the food is simply not up to par. Rather lacking and disappointing by the presentation and the taste of the it all. Fancy names for basic dishes - hardly any variety.
(3)
Ron S.
Went there on a Saturday night and had to make late reservations because we had a groupon and the jazzfest was going on next door in Mears Park. The hostess said she had a table that would be opening up soon and we could wait at the bar. About 20 minutes later we noticed the table she had indicated was now sitting open. After another 10-15 minutes we checked back with her and she had basically forgotten about us but she did get the table cleaned quickly and we were seated. We placed our order and the entrees arrived promptly. The problem was we had both ordered Caesar salads and the waiter had forgotten that part of the order. For entrees my wife ordered the sea bass while I ordered the lamb tangine. Her sea bass was very good but my lamb was bit of a mess both visually and tastewise. Because of the slip-up with the salads we got a free dessert and ordered the rhubard crisp....wrong choice. It tasted like rhubard jam in a pie crust. I do give the restaurant a bit of a pass on service because of how busy they were because of jazzfest but honestly for the price we certainly won't go back and can't honestly recommend.
Wow! David Fhima strikes again! He impressed me right from the start when I walked into Faces. From the ambiance, to the service and the food, it was all a winning combination. Fhima's signature here is his dedication to use the best "local" ingredients without any additives or preservatives. Severs told me most ingredients are purchased from no more than 50 miles away. Some on my friends had booked a grad party here and this place was the "perfect spot" for a special event. We occupied the back room in the restaurant which holds about 35 people. It works well for a larger party because it can be sectioned off and also has it's own bar area. I was impressed with the service. Servers were friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. They offered great appetizers. The vegetarian corn croquettes (topped with Moroccan aioli were tasty. Probably not my favorite but enjoyed the presentation. The beef tenderloin pieces (served on organic potatoes) were a winner by themselves. I could have munched on them all afternoon and they were topped with a delicious homemade Bearnaise sauce. I'd love to return for an afternoon lunch, intimate dinner or happy hour. When weather permits they offer beautiful outside seating with a view of Mears Park. A perfect place for just about any occasion.
(4)
Zack C.
Wow. Seriously... 1. The Tagines.. I dare you to find something more authentic than this in St. Paul. 2. Sicilian Risotto... LIFE Changing. End of story. 3. ANY of the desserts. Chef Fhima has displayed yet another act of pure marvel In the kitchen. I have been following this mans restaraunt culinary for 10+ years now and his newest venture FACES has become a lunch and dinner staple in our family. Not to mention that the chefs own family is also his employees - We love supporting family businesses. When it comes to authentic cuisine in down town St. Paul, FACES is bar none. I would give FACES 10 stars if I could.
(5)
Jason F.
The best spot to go to in all of the twin cities. Amazing food, nightlife, atmosphere, and service. Monte cristo is one of a kind as well as the seabass Risotto! 5 stars!!!
(5)
mona l.
If you love Mediterranean cuisine, then you're in luck, cuz this is the best place in Minnesota. It's Moroccan, French and Italian fusion. The lobster bisque, and fish tagine are out of this world amazing. The chef really knows his fish. There's something here for everyone, even those who are on a strictly burger and fries diet or suffer a spice phobia.
(4)
Cecilia G.
I've been to FACES twice, and was completely displeased both times. The first time, my boyfriend and I went in to get some dessert to go. It took five minutes before we were even greeted by any employee. When the hostess finally came out, we told her we would like to look at a dessert menu. She gave us the menus and told us to head over to the bakery section (where all the lights were turned off, I might as well add) and someone would help us. It took another five minutes before a waiter came to assist us. I ordered the carrot cake, and he did not even acknowledge that my boyfriend was standing there, let alone wanting to order something for himself. He didn't turn around once or ask if we wanted anything else until it was time to pay. Only then was my boyfriend able to order. They didn't even have the register running at the bakery. I had to walk all the way across the restaurant, passed customers dining, to get to the bar to pay for our desserts. Once we got home we had our desserts. I ordered the carrot cake and it was absolutely horrible. I literally could not finish it, and I LOVE carrot cake. The cake itself was incredibly dense, it was the feeling you get when scooping really really cold ice cream. Way too dense. My boyfriend ordered the Tiramisu, and it was okay... a little bland, not horrible. The second time I went in, I also was not greeted as the only person on the floor was talking to a diner. The lights were again off in the bakery. It just makes it look so unwelcoming. After about five minutes, I told the man behind the counter I wanted the cheesecake. The register, again, was not functioning at the bakery. I had to go pay at the bar. He also used a HUGE container to packing my small dessert. I just thought this was wasteful. The cheesecake was really greasy, seeping through the paper it was wrapped it. I actually really liked the dessert I was given, though it was not cheesecake. It reminded me of sweetened cream with gelatin for thickener. Not cheesy at all. I don't think I will be returning here unless I here they have improved.
(1)
Meghann F.
We bought one of the living social deals here recently - mostly because I've been wanting to try it, but we don't really get to DT St. Paul much - so anyways - buying it would force us to leave the west side of the river! Anyways - 5 courses w/ wine pairings and I thought it was fantastic!! We had a scallop to start with a really good lemon sauce and a croquette, 2nd course was mac and cheese with a tempura shrimp - I would have to say the shrimp prob didn't need to be battered and fried because the mac was heavy, but delcious none the less. Next up was a steak - 1000 hills - don't remember the cut - wrapped in phylo dough w/ blue cheese and another amazing sauce, and then there was a tangine w/ seafood - also amazing - and lastly dessert - sample of 3 different kinds - the cream puff (which was fancier than a normal cream puff - but I don't remember the differences exactly) - was phenomenal and my fave - the other two desserts were very nice, but couldn't finish all three!! Anyways - I would definitley recommend it if you are in search of a fine dining establishment in St. Paul. The man (who is very picky about service and food) only mentioned a few things that the servers could be trained on better - and we were both very happy overall! The food is phenomenal, everything is fresh, organic and local - definitely recommend.
The food was incredible. Chilean sea bass is amazing as is the pot roast. BEST German chocolate cake I have ever tasted. And the service was top notch. Looking forward to trying the tangine cod and the other unique meals this menu offers. A must try when you are in St Paul.
(5)
Danielle R.
Love the kale salad here! Super good. Service was great; we sat at the bar intending on just having an appetizer and ended up spending 4 hours and $200 instead. So worth it!
(5)
Charlie S.
Service was very slow, and my lobster bisque was just awful, and it was too expensive for lunch to not have more than decent food.
(1)
Janie W.
My husband and I ate here a few years ago and had a delicious meal which we thought was a great value. I'm pleased to report that we finally made it back and it was even better than we remembered. As an avid cook with a son who is an accomplished chef, I do appreciate quality ingredients prepared with old world kitchen skills and great hospitality. That makes Faces a perfect fit. The drinks were spot on and their Moroccan take on Paella was full of beautiful Mediterranean flavors. We later found out it was a family recipe... love that. The bakery side is also exceptional. It was hard to stop eating our bread and my chocolate dessert was super decadent as was raspberry chantilly sponge cake my husband had. Chef David actually smuggled in his own sourdough when he moved to the US -- obviously a man who cares deeply about his food. There's even a retail bakery on site which looks amazing. I'm guessing any food that passes through this kitchen is well served by David's Mediterranean roots and attention to detail. And with so many dishes left to try, we have vowed that in the future, the lag between visits will be much shorter.
(5)
Deborah S.
Poor service, nice ambiance, food extremely spotty. My grandson could not even eat his soup, but the pot roast sandwich was good. Overall, an expensive (they didn't comp the soup) and unpleasant experience. We won't be back.
(1)
Oomoo V.
I wish I could say our wedding anniversary experience at Faces was a good one. Not so. We've dined at Faces before and enjoyed it. But our recent experience was like a bad "Saturday Night Live" sketch. Customers who pay good money for a meal should not have to babysit the server .It's hardly a deal-breaker when the server takes 10-15 minutes to fill our drink orders, But he was so slow and distracted it seemed as though he was double parked outside. We almost had to negotiate our order. My filet was undercooked, and the waiter put his grubby hands all over the plates when he brought our food. After I sent my filet back, the chef came out from the kitchen and gave it back to me. "I can't expect to get it right all the time,' he joked. It got so bad that the waiter serving the table next to ours stepped in and completed our order. There was a fly buzzing around in the place as well. Good times.
(2)
Emily D.
So bummed. Have been here before and had a great experience. 50-50 on the food, but always great service. Today our experience was AWFUL. Brought two of our friends for a Sunday fun-day and immediately there was judgment from all angles. Too bad, as we had said nothing but good things about the stop. The stuck up patrons across the bar made it clear that we were unwanted and were whispering who knows what about us. Mind you, we were talking amongst ourselves and causing no trouble. The biggest disappointment was the bartender. For tending an extremely slow bar, he could care less for our business and could barely crack a smile. The attitude, stuck up demeanor, and overall rude treatment are enough for me never to return. So much for the good service. Take this stop off your list.
(1)
Mary S.
We went here for my birthday as we wanted something closer to home. I will have to say, we loved it. Considering a Sunday evening, it was nice to have the restaurant pretty much to ourselves. The waitress was welcoming and friendly. We started off with the martini list recommended by her as it was our first time. She also explained that the chef was Moroccan and their foods are from local farms and areas-very organic and natural. She also said that their bakery goods were made from scratch right in their adjacent bakery. I had the Lamb Tagine and my husband the Paella Velencia- meat vs seafood entree as you could choose. Already having a family who is Moroccan we kind of knew what to expect. When the plate came out, it was quite a show as you can tell the steam indicates 'fresh from the oven", covered in this clay teepee looking thing. Very impressive! The Lamb Tagine was drenched in this sweet-raisin sauce with hints of middle eastern spices with saffron, cloves, and a hint of curry. They don't skimp on lamb meat at all!! I had it with couscous, as it came "on the side", however I just poured it right into the plate to let it soak up the juices. At times, I find that couscous alone can be mushy or too dry. My husband's Paella (as many yelp reviewers liked), was very opposite. It was full of curry, I want to say yellow curry??, and was also full of strong bold flavors and body. There were tomatoes and red/green bell peppers. You could definitely tell the difference with each dish as it had its own personality. We ended the night with the Tiramisu cake, as it was made fresh in their bakery, and the display greets you at the front door. Overall, an A plus for us. We will defiinitely be returning.
(5)
Michelle B.
I was in St. Paul for a concert and this restaurant was near our hotel so we decided to go in for an early dinner. There was one waiter and the restaurant was very empty. No one seated us so we just picked a table and waited for someone to give us menus. It took about 15 minutes for anybody to notice us but we finally go our menus and ordered our food. The waiter was less than friendly and to be honest, we got the vibe that he was mad at us. The air in the restaurant was tense because of him. He made us feel very uncomfortable. Aside from that, the food was very good and I would come back. Maybe it was just an off day for the waiter...
(3)
Kim M.
Nice location overlooking Mears Park but disappointing cuisine. Had high hopes for the lobster paella but it was flavorless.
(2)
Corey G.
I took the short trip to the other city (St. Paul) during a recent stay in Minneapolis. I went to check out salsa dancing on a Friday night. The cover was $10, there was a decent band, and the joint was pretty packed. The style here was mainly Cuban (i.e. Cuban salsa), but there was also dashes of regular salsa, a splash of bachata, and a sprinkling of merengue. There were some really good dancers here, and I had a good time just watching them. The dance floor is in an open area connected to the restaurant/bar. The dance floor was pretty packed. There were places along the wall to stash your shoes, parkas, etc. There is also a Yelp Check-In Offer here, but I didn't use it (it was for a drink, but I was fighting a cold and didn't want to push it). All in all a nice salsa dancing option with a good crowd.
(3)
Adam W.
Some sixteen months after opening, FACES remains strange and uncompelling. A recent happy hour visit found us sitting in the empty bar, perusing an abbreviated happy hour menu. Normally I love a quiet bar for happy hour, but this was oddly depressing and tomb-like. Here's this gigantic space, on which someone has lavished lots of attention and money, and it's completely empty save the staff and...us. Though the emptiness of the place struck me as depressing, the staff were clearly not so affected. One server jumped up onto a bar stool, on which she then crouched and swung her legs about while chatting with the bartender. Soon there was a little staff party at the bar. Why not? There was nothing else to do. From the abbreviated happy hour menu we chose chorizo-potato coquettes. These arrived long on the potato and with no detectable chorizo, but still tasted OK with my $3 tap Summit. I'd say this item was a better experience than the "bologna cones on a silver platter" meat tray from an earlier visit which may or may not be saying much. The mysterious inaccessible bottle shop remains, as does the takeaway counter which displayed some decent looking pastries but not much else at the time of our visit. I'd still keep Faces in mind for decent patio seating and a place for a quiet happy hour beer, but nothing that has transpired on any of my visits to the bar here compels me to sit down at a table and fire up the full dining experience. Something just feels...off...about the place.
(2)
Sal K.
FACES, you're getting better. Your staff is much more knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive compared to a few months ago. Your happy hour is great and your Yelp check-in special is worth the trip alone. Everything at FACES has been hotter and fresher lately, especially that incredible vegan soup. I'm hoping things continue on this trend because some of my other local favorites have been slowly declining. Keep up the good work!
(4)
Lorraine N.
i have been here a few times and I think they have top notch food choices. I just don't think that anybody really knows it exists. Each time I have been there--it was like I had the entire bar to myself. I have just stopped by for late evening cocktails and a snack. It is stunning in there and feels like a high-end hotel bar in a big city. The lights and the windows all around are awesome.
(4)
Sarah R.
This year, I had a layover for work in MSP on Christmas day. I have a good friend in the area and she wanted to take me to dinner. None of her usual choices were open, so we opted for here. The restaurant has nice ambiance and there were several things on the menu that looked promising. However, we were quite disappointed when our server arrived and told us that half of the menu was not available. Also.. I might as well add.. this server's entire personality was so fake, she should be made of wax. She was condescending and quite frankly, she bugged the shit out of me. I ordered the Thai chicken salad and was surprised when it arrived. The lettuce was uncut, the chicken breast was whole & uncut, the wonton pieces were whole and uncut, and the dressing was merely drizzled on the side of the plate. I ended up spending about 5 minutes with a knife and fork... preparing my own salad. The flavors were very good. I especially liked the rub used on the chicken breast. However, I found it to be quite dry... even after asking for more dressing on the side. My friend ordered the mushroom risotto. As soon as she took a bite, she was shocked at how spicy it was. Nowhere in the menu did it say there would be any spice involved. She has absolutely no tolerance for it and I could tell she was disappointed. When the server asked how she liked it, she politely mentioned it was quite spicy and she hadn't expected it. The server then tactlessly went on about how she likes it even spicier and asks the cooks to make it hotter for her. Obviously, she was missing the point! Anyway, my friend powered through the dish...which tasted way too earthy to both of us. It also had giant chunks of parsnip and whatever else in it. These pieces were tough, chewy, and required some muscle to cut through. Why put them in? After the less than stellar entrees, we ordered the yule log for dessert. It was the holiday special. The only flavor we could taste was butter. Yuck. Not worth a single one of the calories it contained. Between the two of us, we didn't even get through half of it. The prices are too high and after that experience, I wouldn't return or recommend it.
(2)
Catherine S.
Had a great dinner before attending the Mears Jazz festival. The tagine was amazing and the service was spot on. If you are looking for attention to detail and creativity with your dining experience in St.Paul- Faces is for you
(5)
Nadia A.
Fun location, but their happy hour was so-so. We had the Burger Duo, the Tuna with Potato Crisps, and the (Moroccan?) Tomato Flatbread. The tuna was disappointing. It was quite under-seasoned (a little soy sauce goes a long way!) and just "meh." The Burger Duo was good, but nothing you couldn't get at a happy hour at a chain restaurant. Surprisingly, the best dish we had was the (Moroccan?) Tomato Flatbread. It had a very nice flavor with a cumin kick. Very tasty! The service was also poor. We had to flag down our servers a couple of times as they seemed pretty inattentive. I understand we were only there for happy hour, but one still expects the table to be visited. I will say, however, that some of the entrees people were ordering in the dining room (we were in the bar area) looked and smelled delicious. I'd like to try the place again and order proper entrees, but I will probably not consider it again for happy hour. There are better HH options around the area.
(2)
DeLawrence B.
Very comfortable climate. Nice setting and if they would get a little music venue there it would be even more awesome.
(3)
Steven W.
This places looks appealing from all the pictures, but once inside was a total disappointment. No host to greet us, and then some guy just walks up and says you sit here, we asked for a different table and we ended up at the bar tops. As we ordered our wine the business stated was a 45.00 dollars bottle of which as a local store actually costs 5.99. This was a complete let down. We ordered an appetizer and the menu states Bacon Wrapped Scallops, yes with an S at the end of scallops. We received one. Which was good but extremely over priced. Then we ordered our meals and they both came out wrong. The manager which was unhelpful to say the least blamed us and did nothing to help. The meals came and were average at best. To try to compensate they offer a free desert but needless to say we just wanted to leave. Doubtful we will ever go back. Plenty of other options with better service, price and food. Don't waste your time on this overpriced restaurant.
(1)
Dan S.
I'm with Thaddeus, I really like Faces. It has a cool bar with a great view that...Faces Mears Park. They have a great happy hour, both after work and late night. Deals on wine, beer, drinks, and food. They are one of the places that I really like that have happy hour even on weekends, so it is a good option after 10 p.m. on Friday or Saturday night in Dwtn Stp. The food can be hit or miss, the cheese pizza wasn't much more than bread, but the wings and mini burgers are pretty tasty and the price is right. It is a very chill place, not very busy or loud. Expect a fancy bar with a great view and maybe 4-5 other groups of people who are having quiet conversations and sipping wine.
(4)
Emily O.
My girlfriend & I went to FACES for lunch on a beautiful, sunny afternoon. We sat outside on the patio overlooking Mears Park & it was the perfect lunch spot. The ambiance was fantastic with a great view of the park, and a street side table with white, bubble like chairs on the patio. It was very relaxing for lunch in the city. We enjoyed two salads, sparkling water, & french bread & everything was fantastic! The California salad was loaded with fresh greens, goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts, & basalmic vinaigrette. The other salad (the name escapes me) consisted of fresh greens, tomato, red onion, potato, egg, & sashimi-style tuna. Our server was spot on: prompt, knowledgeable, & attentive. We will definitely be back. Great experience!
(5)
Kimberly F.
My boyfriend and I went to dinner there on a Sunday evening. I would recommend sitting near the Bar as the view of Mears Park is very pretty. The restaurant was quiet, which was nice on a Sunday. The Happy Hour specials were priced well--and the food was great, although some of their portions are small but tasteful. If you like wine, this is a great place to dine--they have a fairly long list of wines that are organic and well priced. I had the filet mignon and it was prepared very well. We were planning to use a gift card but unfortunately they were unable to redeem it. We reached out to the Owner following our dinner and they were apologetic and offered us another gift card for the initial inconvenience. It was an unfrotunate situation but their customer service was strong--so it is likely that we will return!
(4)
Angie K.
I would give this place 2.5 stars if it was an option. We had a groupon for the restaurant, and our experience was definitely mixed. To start with, the restaurant space itself is a little strange. Large bar on one side (which was full of loud Gopher fans when we arrived for our 5:30 reservation), small dining area in the middle, and then a bakery/coffee shop/bottle shop on the other end. The restaurant bills itself as a coffee shop/deli/bakery/bottle shop/bistro, which might be a case of trying to be all things to all people. If they narrowed their focus to being either a restaurant or a coffee shop/bakery, I think they'd do better. Anyway--we had reservations for dinner. When we called for the reservation, we were told that only a hightop table in the bar was available, but when we arrived, we were given the option of sitting at a small table in the main small dining room. Nice view of Mears Park from the large windows. The menu is rather limited. We didn't really realize that Mediterranean food was the specialty--if we had, we probably would have done a little more research, as a number of the dishes listed were unfamiliar to us. We ended up splitting a California salad (greens, goat cheese, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes and dressing) to start. Salad was OK, but the greens were a little tough and didn't seem as fresh as they could have been. We then both ordered the filet mignon, which only came with three large sprigs of asparagus. Since we both like a little potatoes with our meat, it would have been nice to have the option of roasted potatoes or a garlic mashed. Instead, we split the homemade french fries from the appetizer menu. The steaks arrived perfectly cooked (we both ordered medium rare) with bernaise sauce. Instead of the homemade ketchup that was on the menu, the fries arrived with extra bernaise sauce for dipping. I like bernaise, so that was fine. The fries were just average--some a little overdone and some done just right. The steak, as mentioned before, was perfect. My husband had an excellent glass of Cabernet and I had a very good Bloody Mary that was made with freshly juiced tomatoes. The three asparagus spears were quite large and not that tasty--probably out of season. We were still a bit hungry after the meal, so ordered a flourless chocolate torte to split. My husband had mentioned that it was my birthday the day before when the waitress asked if we were celebrating anything, and she added a lit candle to the dessert. Nice touch, and the dessert was very good. Service was friendly and attentive. But I don't think we will return--just not really our kind of place.
(2)
Kristi C.
This was a dining experience where I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I am happy to say that almost every aspect of the evening was in the two thumbs up category. Patio dining facing Mears Park is a nice option, however on this cool fall evening we ate at table for two in the middle of the restaurant. The space is modern and contemporary in design, lively music in the background, but low enough to carry on a conversation. So far so good. I consider myself a wine novice, I thought they offered a good selection to choose from. The Trumpter Malbec was a great choice. Before I go on, this restaurant also features a bottle shop, bakery and pastry goods. Service was courteous and friendly, the server was very proud to mention their use of sustainable and organic ingredients. The Tapas Flatbread appetizer featured three flatbreads...not flat, but puffy, delicious none the less. Each topped with unique combinations, these were a hit. My appetizer size Lobster Mac n Cheese was rich but delicious and topped with a crunchy panko gruyere crust. The Seafood Linguini... quite possibly the best seafood pasta dish this yelper has had the pleasure to partake! It's turmeric and coconut milk broth would have made shoe leather edible...it was that good. Homemade linguini was certainly pasta heaven for this diner. The only miss if the evening was the Coconut Rum Banana Tiramisu. Not your traditional spin, but that's ok...as long as it works. None of the components...coconut, rum or banana, came through and the orange zest on top of the dessert seemed out of place. Our server was gracious to offer an alternative dessert to go, which was appreciated but too stuffed to even think of accepting. Give this three month old restaurant a chance, I think it's a great addition to the Lowertown area of downtown St Paul. Mears Park offers a nice place to stroll before or after visiting this newest David Fhima creation.
(4)
Rakhi N.
The menu is great, I would love to try out dinner some time. Our bartender was not great. She wasn't very responsive and kept forgetting things like bread, water, and additional drinks. We were there for their late night happy hour on Saturday night, and even with the happy hour prices it was still pretty pricey. Not a complaint, because the food quality was really good, but just something to keep in mind. It was pretty empty, although it livened up for an hour or so. I think it was people who live in the building coming down for a drink or two. Great view of the park. Even though the address is technically on Jackson Street, the entrance is on the corner of 5th & Sibley.
(3)
Spencer R.
I wanted to like FACES, but I just don't. I've been there twice now, and my experience was the same each time, so I know it wasn't just a fluke. The service was INCREDIBLY slow. Unforgivably slow, if you consider that my party was one of two in the entire place. The food tries really hard to be high-end fusion gourmet... but doesn't quite make it. The dishes were extremely pretentious and thoroughly lackluster. Worst part of all? I had a gift card for there, and they refused to honor it. Definitely never going back.
(2)
Chris M.
I've vacillated too much on how to rate FACES on the Yelp scale that I've just decided to create a list of things I like and don't like about the joint that can at least help others decide whether or not they want to draw their own conclusion: The Good: * Natural and organic menu * Reasonable prices * In-house bottle shop * Deli open 12-hours a day offering the whole menu to-go or for casual dining * Pretty good happy hour deals * PEI mussels, Hamburger on a skewer, HH pizza and Vegetarian Banh Mi * Servers that will have attractive offspring * Ambiance (well decorated and great views of Mears Park) The So-So: * Service - usually friendly, but sometimes inattentive * Baked wings (nice alternative since most places fry'em) and Cobb Salad * Tap selection (hooray for Lake Superior on tap) * WiFi (you have to sign up for it, but it's free) The Bad: * Chips and Salsa (salsa is actually pretty good, but phyllo dough chips should come with a disclaimer) and the Hot Brown (not very good nor open-faced) * The name * The name (seriously, FACES is a dumb name) All-in-all it's a good addition to the neighborhood and certainly a step up from LoTo, but with all the growth around here lately I'm not sure I'll be a regular here (more so once the deli at Heartland opens - and especially if Vines and Steins opens).
(3)
Joe B.
I live in downtown St Paul and walk to Faces about once a week for lunch or dinner. The food is always fantastic. My favorite is the hot brown sandwich, but I also enjoy lobster mac & cheese and the steaks are great as well. No matter what you decide, a highlight of the meal is the gougeres they bring out as an amuse. Don't miss these! Their happy hour deals are good, and it's a great place for a quickie lunch during the week. The chef/owner and his wife are usually there and are friendly and will stop by to chat and make sure you are enjoying your meal. Faces does special meals for holidays (Valentine's, St Patrick's, etc.). Not sure about the 3-star average for this place. It's a great, urban restaurant in a neat, little space and if you're reading this, you should trust me and go.
(5)
Jeff H.
We used a Living Social offer for a five course dinner with wine pairings. All courses were picked for us by the chef and we were impressed with every course. Everything was delicious and even when we were happily, uncomfortably full, we were noting how tantalizing the smell was from a lamb tagine served to the table next to us. Service was exceptional and everyone on the staff were attentive and personable. We recommend FACES highly and plan to go back soon.
(5)
Tarah B.
Great service and atmosphere! We had the Tuna melt, crocet Monsieur, and margarita pizza. All great!!
(5)
Sue S.
What a disappointment. Great location and setting, but...... the service was slow, the waiter did not accurately describe the food (extremely spicy/hot and were not told), and the expensive dessert was mediocre. We will not return.
(1)
Jen W.
Went to FACES (their caps, not mine) tonight for happy hour. Apparently the restaurant is named FACES because it faces Mears Park. It might as well be called BLOWS because it does that, too. The bread basket is a plate of gougere (little cheesey popover things). They were pretty good. Certainly better than most places bread baskets. (You only get one serving. After that they're $4.) Had I known they would be the highlight of the night, I would have anted up $8 and gotten 2 plates of gougere and called it a night. Instead we ordered the chips & salsa. Billed as "homemade chips with cilantro, mint and cayenne salsa" these were a huge disappointment. When you order chips & salsa you expect tortilla chips, no? These "chips" were fried pastry dough. They were cut into triangles, but that is the only similarity they had to tortilla chips. They weren't even salted! The salsa tasted more like spicy pork chili than like salsa and if there was cilantro and or mint in there, it was overwhelmed by the cayenne. When we told the waitress to get rid of a relatively untouched plate of "chips & salsa" she made no inquiries as to why we hadn't touched them, just took them away and then proceeded to ignore us for the next 10 minutes, once even quickly looking away when she accidentally made eye contact with us. Perhaps she was purposely avoiding us to keep us from ordering more food. This is what I choose to believe. It makes my world a nicer place to live. Eventually she returned and I ordered the vegetarian antipasti. This dish is described on the menu as "whole wheat bow tie pasta, pepperoncini, garbanzo beans, sweet red onions, gorgonzola, candied pecans and Braeburn apples with white balsamic and fleur de sel". Sounds good, doesn't it? I received a plate of garbanzo beans, black beans and lupini beans on a bed of lettuce. When I told the waitress that this was not the vegetarian antipasti she said, "Yes it is." I asked about the whereabouts of the pasta, the pepperoncini, the gorgonzola, the candied pecans, the apples (essentially all of the ingredients listed save for the garbanzo beans) and she said she didn't know, but that she had in fact hit the "vegetarian antipasti" button the computer screen. When she finally understood that I was not accusing her of screen-touch ineptitude, but rather that the menu and the deliverable were not the same thing, she took the dish back and offered to put a rush on something else for me. I got the mini burger trio. I don't have the energy to go into that dish (nor do you likely have the energy to read about it) but let's just say it was greasy and leave it at that. When she brought the bill she apologized for the evening and offered us free dessert for our trouble. (Oddly, the last time David Fhima disappointed me he also offered up a free pastry at LoTo by means of an apology. He must give away a lot of free pastries.) I got a piece of carrot cake. It was not good. Rather than get into an endless cycle of apologizing for the apology, we left.
(1)
Bill D.
$7.50 for a drink, cookie and a little sandwich?? Cold cookie, small drink, hot sandwich BUN (not the meat or anything, just the bread). I get more for less at the little skyway convenience store across the street. And it wasn't even all that great, turkey sandwich in warm bread. I can do that at home for considerably lower cost. If I wanted that, I would have. Came here hoping to write a better review than when i was last here 2years ago. Guess what. I can't. I'll go somewhere else for lunch.
(2)
Kim R.
The hubby and I stopped by FACES for dinner on Friday before Christmas. I love the location of this restaurant, overlooking Mears Park. It was very festive with all of the trees lit up. I thought the service was excellent and very attentive and FACES has a decent happy hour with discounts on apps and drinks. I think maybe I ordered wrong, because I wasn't too impressed with my meal. We started with the potato and chorizo croquettes and they were a bit on the bland side. My hubby was expecting more flavor from the chorizo, but they were basically just balls of deep fried mashed potatoes. For my entree, I ordered the hot turkey sandwich. This came on ciabatta bread with cheese. It was just OK. I thought it was also pretty bland, and you definitely don't need two pieces of ciabatta with this sandwich, that would be way too much bread. The sandwich was already a bit dry, so I couldn't imagine adding another slice of bread. It need something, a sauce of some other vegetables to make it more exciting. My hubby ordered the lobster po-boy and enjoyed it. I had a bite and thought it also had way too much bread. We also ordered a dessert to go. I would definitely recommend checking out their dessert menu. They make everything in house and like all of their other food, most of it is made with organic ingredients. We decided to try the carrot cake. I've never had carrot cake with orange marmalade filling, and I'm not really sure I liked it. The marmalade was a bit on the bitter side and seemed to soak through the entire cake. On the plus side, the cake was very moist and the cream cheese frosting wasn't too sweet.
(3)
Kate P.
Maybe 2.5 stars. You get 3 for all the great work you're doing bringing organic, sustainable food to St. Paul! Great service! Nice clean modern feel without feeling stuffy. Love the organic local grass fed commitment to food. I ordered the cheese plate for two which was good-chef's choice on the cheese and meat combo. Then I ordered the mushroom rissoto. It was pretty bland, cooked well and a generous portion, but almost tasteless. My friend got the couscous. Also very bland. When the chef came around and asked how we liked our meals, we shared a little friendly feedback, which he welcomed the truth. It's hard telling someone you didn't like their food. I love the commitment to improve. We ordered the creme brule for dessert--spot on! We may be back to give it one more chance as the menu looked yummy, however, based on this one experience (with both our entrees not very tasty) we wouldn't be back.
(3)
Erin M.
I have not eaten here so I can not comment on the food, however I have heard mixed reviews. The only nice thing I can say about the place is that they have a nice ambiance. My complaint and the reason for my rating is because of the service and staff. The staff is unfriendly and rude. Not only is the staff really slow with service but the drinks were terrible. I will never return to this establishment after seeing a Mexican looking man be arrested for falling asleep at a table (no fighting or arguments from this man). His friend who did nothing but tell the officers he would take his friend home also got arrested. They were sitting close to our table and I assure you the staff never asked to call him a cab, or asked his friend to make him leave. I have to ask why the bartender had not been arrested or fined for over serving...
(1)
David L.
Love this place been here many times and the food is outstanding and the service is awesome. I am so happy to find a place like this to enjoy.
(5)
Fred S.
I have no idea why people aren't flocking to this place. This is a reasonably-priced, fairly upscale restaurant catering to young adults, and I think it hits all those marks. The dinners are fantastic and the portion sizes are reasonable (not small, but not gargantuan). If you are expecting Chino Latino-St. Paul, you'll be disappointed, but I wasn't. My wife and I have been here 3 times for dinner and each time, it's been great, delivered timely and the waitstaff has been very helpful. Drinks are made well and no more or less expensive than any good drink in the Metro (they knew what a Cuba Libre was without me explaining), and it's in a great location. Give this place a try - I hope your experience mirrors mine.
(4)
Drea H.
So it's been about 6 weeks since the debacle of our anniversary dinner at Faces. Given that I'm less irritated than I was and trying to be fair, I'm giving it 2 stars because the decor was nice, the wine list was decent and the paella special was very good. That said the rest of the meal and experience was really pretty terrible. And here's why....despite being a lovely balmy fall day they had just one waitress for from my count 10 tables. She had a couple people that she was supposed to be training but they didn't seem to have any experience so essentially she was on her own without anyone to even bus tables. As a result service was extremely slow - we're talking 30 minute intervals between seeing her, 45 minutes to get the check, you get the picture. Aside from that the food ranged from mediocre to ghastly. We had the chorizo beignette appetizer, bland and barely warm. Whoever made the paella knew what they were doing and that was cooked perfectly and tasted good. The burger, however, was inedible - overcharred and then covered with really pungent cheese so it tasted like burnt hair and sweat socks. Seriously, he managed about 2 bites and then gave up, spitting the second bite into his knapkin. By the time the waitress showed up again some 30 minutes later it seemed too hopeless to order anything else so we opted for coffee, a cafe au lait and a dessert. No joke she comes back 20 minutes later with the coffee and a sheepish look saying that nobody there knew how to make cafe au lait. Sigh. Yeah the whole thing started out a little funny and just devolved into 2 1/2+ extremely painful hours and we couldn't even leave because we still hadn't gotten the check. Bad.
(2)
Mark A.
This is an odd restaurant of sorts. The interior is all over the place and I could never get the intent of what kind of place it is. The wait staff was much younger than expected so service was a bit off also. One server for several large and small tables, but it's the holidays so maybe that's why they seemed short staffed. As for the food, was not on par as some of the other reviews. I had the croque madame, which was good. The greens were better than expected, as it does pay to use fresh and local when possible, so they get high marks there. I would try again, but if given other choices in the area, would defer to another place first.
(3)
Steven S.
Back to Faces and two of my favorite dishes in the Twins Cities. The Tagine is unreal and if you have never had it, you must give it a try. Ask for a side of Challah, as the sweetness of the bread goes perfectly with the spices of the sauce. Also, they have the best chicken wings I have ever had. I don't know how to describe it. You must try it!
(5)
Cualeng V.
I think the downside with a place like FACES is that it's hard to cater to a type of crowd that normally doesn't reside close by. Aside from the residents of the apartments above it, most of the clientele in the downtown STP area are probably more comfortable spending significantly less for a beer and bar food than indulge themselves in the subtle flavors and not so subtle prices of FACES. Overall, I think the ambiance, the service, and the local and organic food options match the prices very well. The lobster tacos on the appetizer menu is probably the single best item there. Marinated in a garlic butter and paired with gruyere and a light salsa, it is balanced quite well, the lobster seasoned to perfection. We also had their meat and cheese board, which was also excellent. Even the free bread and fresh-made butter was delicious. I came with family and we tried several different dishes - pan-seared halibut over couscous, grass-fed new york strip steak, and the Moroccan lamb tagine, braised in an almond stock. The halibut was cooked well and paired very well with the couscous. Tthe NY strip was average at best, and the lamb tagine was interesting and unique. The flavors were definitely something I've never experienced before - tasty, but the lamb itself was a bit overcooked. We also had a bottle of their Malbec (which one I can't remember) and it was exquisite. Usually I'm not the biggest fan of red wines, especially bad ones, but I was pleasantly surprised. Honestly though, for the price, it better be good =] FACES is a place I'd take a recent transplant to the cities or family/friends that are visiting; it definitely is one of the better restaurants here in the cities I've frequented, and you don't have to have a reservation or plan a week in advance to go to. It's a nice little restaurant in severe need of more clientele, but I hope it sticks around for the next time I wander by.
(3)
Thaddeus S.
I really like Faces Mears Park. I thought the name was a little hokey at first, but it really fits once you walk in the door. The all-glass wall facing Mears Park has a spectacular view of the park day or night. The interior has a classy feel that compliments what Lowertown is trying to become, Don't get me wrong, I don't think Lowertown is trying to be classy, but to make it a destination location, Lowertown needs a place where suits can bring their dates. And FMP fits that niche. As for the food, I've only tried the burger, the hot brown and the meatball sandwich. The hot Brown was fantastic, the meatball was good, but the burger was a little too lean for my liking. Despite getting it medium, it was still not juicy enough for my liking. All the bread, buns and rolls are made onsite which adds to the freshness of all the sandwiches. The staff really goes out of their way to make sure you enjoy your time here without being over done. They seem to genuinely care that you like this place and that their business succeeds. That being said, so far lunch time is usually busy, but dinner hour is hit or miss. Check it out if you are in the area. I really like to see this place stick around for awhile.
(4)
Liza V.
Service is SO SLOW!! Food is only ok...I will try it one more time.
(2)
Austin W.
This place is above average, i don't know why the other reviews are so mediocre . Cobb salad was excellent and the homemade dressing with it was delicious We had a group of 10 for lunch and the service was perfect and everyone enjoyed their food.
Love: Blueberry Lemonade and the gal who made them for me. Was her name Makayla?.........my favorite thing of the evening. Fishbowl Chocolate Mousse Orangy Carrot Cake SeaSalt French Fries Scalloped potatoes California Salad - A perfect summer salad. Good: My salmon. It was cooked (rare) and presented beautifully/perfectly. Room for improvement in regard to flavor, though. Tuna Tartare - too much vinegar. My Grey Goose martini. This was my second time having cocktails at Faces and I find their martini pours are "short". Filler up! Espresso. Sea bass Not Good. The two butter cream desserts. You've nailed the buttercream, Faces. But, the cake was D - R - Y.
(3)
Michelle W.
I was a bit scared after reading the other Yelp reviews of FACES. However, since the menu looked inviting and the prices were good, I decided to give it a try. Well - it is because of my dining experience that I have finally registered to write reviews on Yelp and have officially graduated from lurker to contributor. My husband ordered the hot brown sandwich and said he would for sure order it again. My friend ordered the meatball sub. It was huge and the meatballs had an outstanding flavor! She thought the french roll was a bit tough, but I found it to be a typical french roll. Now - I ordered the grassfed NY Strip medium rare. My steak was delivered closer to medium and I sent it back. The chef came out immeditely to apologize and stated he would cook it for me himself. Our waitstaff was knowledgeable and friendly and able to make recommendations upon request. In addition, they gave us a complimentary dessert special which was a fabulous bread pudding that evening. I would think a visit during spring or summer is in order so that we could enjoy the view of Mears Park. Also - would love to see an expanded selectionof wines by the glass. However, the Hob Nob Pinot Noir I had was fantastic! I will definitely go back to FACES.
(4)
Alex M.
Went here for a engagement party. It was OK. The portions seemed fair, yet the beer/wine/spirts were over priced. The bread was great though, a definite plus. There is a bakery which if rated would get a 5. Service ok as well. I just wasn't overly impressed by the food. Nothing was bad, it just didn't stand out as being great. I'll give this place another try, but I'll do a happy hour.
(3)
Tom H.
I work in the same building FACES is located in so I was able to try it out on opening day during the lunch hour. The staff was helpful, polite, and very knowledgeable about the menu. After seeing the menu, it seems like the food is more French inspired then the American cuisine that FACES was advertising as their inspiration. After enjoying the complementary Gruyere Puff Pastries, I ordered the Croque Madame. The food arrived relatively quick and was quite good. The entire process from being seated to paying my bill was under an hour which is a necessity if your having a business lunch. I would return here again for lunch, but I do wonder if the kitchen and staff can keep up the good performance they had on their opening day.
(4)
Chowderhead C.
Great space, great bar, great bartender, great ingredients, poor execution.
(3)
Ben E.
We live and work downtown and have given Faces several chances, but have now given up. Lunch, dinner, happy hour, everything here just doesn't seem to work. The staff barely knows the menu, and we had to ask if there were any specials. They also only had one server for the entire, patio that was quite full. She seemed overly flustered, and honestly I would be too. Lunch took over an hour for 2 people, that's just not acceptable when I need to get back to the office. The "Asian" tuna sandwich was just awful. Apparently Asian means peanut butter, and while the menu description (and the server's) indicated it would be spicy, the sandwich wasn't any spicier than the ketchup. The meatballs sub was OK at best, the meatballs were fine, but the "crusty bread" was so hard you couldn't chew through it, and the host had taken our knives and then wasn't around to ask for another one once we realized one was needed. The fries were soggy and limp upon arrival. When we commented to the host about the bread she responded that she had to cut that off for her children too. Thanks for the insult. The Monte Christo sandwich and the pizza were both fine, but neither was good enough to make me want to return. It's really a shame this place just can't seem to get it together, it has the best patio on Mears Park (really the only one) and the space itself is quite nice. With all the great new restaurants in Lower Town, I just can't come up with a reason to head back to Faces unless it's a night of unseen/unseeing we're looking for. Another Fhima failure I guess. In short: Good: Only patio you can sit more than two people at a table in Lower Town OK drink specials on happy hour Mediocre: Interior space Wait staff is friendly Half the menu Awful: The other half of the menu Over worked wait staff at lunch Untrained/Unknowledgeable staff Whoever the hostess is The over abundance of Gruyere cheese on everything
(1)
Chet M.
Can you say horrible service! We made reservations for Valentine's Day for two at 7:00 PM. When we arrived and checked in with the greeter, we were told that there would be a SHORT wait before we would be seated. The greeter bought us one glass of champagne each for the inconvenience. As we were waiting...the greeter forgot about us, as an 1 hour passed and our one glass of champagne was empty. I had to go and remind the greeter that we had reservations for two at 7:00 PM. We finally got seated at 8:00 PM after a hour wait. The service from our waiter was nothing but sub par, as I was not impressed. The food was just as horrible as the service. The fish dish we ordered was like microwaved fish on a a soup of ketchup. Come to say the best part about of the meal was the bottled water that I purchased with the meal. I would have eaten and enjoyed the service and food from white castle better than this establishment. I have to say that the ambiance was great and I enjoyed the surroundings, but service and food quality was something to be desired. I would not recommend this establishment to a friend or co-worker. I take that back, I would recommend this place to a friend or co-worker that I did not like or respect.
(1)
Alex C.
The food portions are decent and most of the food I have had was decent and the price was moderate. I recommend the burger as well as curry chicken sandwich. The wings are very saucy and difficult to eat without making a mess. Nothing I have had really stands out. This place is more a place to eat as a matter of convenience than for a dining experience.
(3)
Susan B.
A group of 4 of us dined outside on the especially warm evening of March 17, 2012 and had a great experience with great food. We felt like we could've been sitting in a neighborhood in Boston, Chicago or NY with the lovely old architecture all around us and the quaint park across the street. (Again, why don't we go to St. Paul more often??) David Fhima has put together a locale that hits that "sweet" spot of cool and classy without pretentiousness. Our salad and flatbread pizzas had fresh, flavorful ingredients. The homemade croutons on my "Faces" house salad were the best I've ever tasted. This place has ambience AND flavor for a very reasonable price point. We were headed to the Ordway so we were on a schedule and the staff stepped up the pace for us. Can't wait to go back on a summer evening and sit outside again without feeling hurried. But even if I'd have to sit inside, there are plenty of huge windows facing the park.
(4)
Rebekah K.
Inconsistant. That's the theme here. First, made to feel as if seating us was an imposition. Was told we couldn't be seated outside because of a wedding going on which made no sense as the wedding was inside. Seated in high-traffic area. Gave drink order right away, then watched the empty bar for 20 minutes while the server gave us some excuse about them needing to open a new bottle of vodka for my drink. Finally went to bar ourselves to order directly from bartender and our drinks "magically" appeared. The tomato pasta was excellent. Tomatoes soaked in balsamic with homemade whole wheat pasta. However, salmon was too salty, rice too peppery, and didn't taste rosemary at all until last few bites and then that's ALL I could taste. Would like to try more of their pasta dishes, but experience was so inconsistant I don't think I'd risk it. Too bad.
(2)
B M.
Where do I begin? Came here for a Bachlorette party dinner. Had 17 guests, made a reservation. Seated right away in a private section which was nice. Then it took 30 minutes for our drink orders... Our server apologized and told us it was her first night ever serving, as she used to be a hostess. Really? A table of 17 for a new staff? Not the best decision, I felt bad for the poor girl. As for the food- our table got a variety of dishes. Two pizzas- both were so overcooked they were brown. And one was missing a few ingredients we requested. Honestly the pizza was plain and not anything special. Also ordered a 4 dishes of Rigatoni. One was missing goat cheese, another missing pine nuts. It was odd they all came out different when no one substituted anything.. Fries were plain and really greasy. The ranch dressing could keep vampires away- and I like garlic, but it tastes like I was chewing a garlic clove. Shrimp cocktail was 4 pieces of shrimp- I would expect more for the price. We had to request drinks multiple times before actually receiving them. We did end up with another server whom was helping our table which was nice. Then came time for our tabs. We told the server to do whatever would be easiest for her. 30 minutes passed, still no tab. Some ladies had to leave to they told her exactly what they had so she could print off a bill. Mistakes, confusion.... Another 30 minutes passed as we were all getting anxious to leave and go dancing. Still no tab, our server came back and forth multiple time so confused. Another server tried to help too but I wasnt exactly sure what the problem was. Finally one of the ladies just decided to put the whole tab on her credit card and we would figure it out later because it was taking so long. That tab included what was already paid for, so it was a confusing mess. By this time both servers were crying. Our group didn't know what to do, and finally the whole bill was taken care of by the restaurant. So we appreciated FACES paying the bill, as they should have. It almost seems comical how much went wrong. I can't say that I would recommend this place after this experience. I have been here twice before and both times was underwhelmed.
(1)
Melissa W.
What can I say? It's exactly what we've come to expect from David Fhima, the good and the bad. The food--very good. Loved the gougeres and the homemade pasta with tomato sauce. The service? Well, it was weird. Not really good, not really bad, just weird. At times, the servers were overly attentive and seemed to hover when we were clearly trying to chat and told the server to come back in a few minutes. Unfortunately, that somehow translated into a complete lack of service. When the server would arrive, we always got a several-minute lecture on the restaurant and the food. The lectures seemed rehearsed and were given without any real feeling. In the end, it was just more interruption. I love Lowertown, but there are so many better options here. I'm afraid this might be another LoTo (or Fhima's) that will only be around for only a little while.
(2)
Brittany L.
Big fan of the roast chicken
(5)
Lexy B.
I've become a regular here and I've enjoyed every visit. The staff is wonderful and always ready to accomodate your requests. I love the unique menu and the realistic portion sizes.
(5)
Penne S.
We arrived early 1/21 for our 7PM reservation but our table was ready because the place was nearly empty. It filled up rapidly after 7PM. Bar crowd was lively but not excessively noisy. Our server was prompt, eager & had the specials memorized. I am always leery of having my order committed to someones memory. The only slip up came with our appetizer. We ordered the braised ribs but were brought the braised rib sliders which when we sent them back were brought back to us by our server who explained, carefully, how they were just the same but just had the buns. Since we knew we would get the exact same meat brought back to us without the cute little buns, we ate them & enjoyed them completely. We thought it was a bit silly of the server to constantly refer to 'my beef is raised...,my chicken is raised..., my greens are sourced...' Hubby offered condolences to the server on the slaughter of his beef which initially went right over the youngsters head, but he did see the humor in it. The complimentary cheese puffs were wonderful. The rosemary bread was mundane and the sweetened butter served with it was a horrid addition. A dish of olive oil would have been far better although I suppose for Mr. Fhima that is too trite. Our cocktails were OK. The vodka & blackberry puree concoction that I had seemed to really be made with a pour of blackberry syrup. Pretty to look at, it was. I had the California salad which was wonderful. Hubby had the soup special of (supposedly) black lentils & garbanzo beans in a tomato broth. If black lentils were used, they lost all of their beautiful color. Even so, the soup was very good. I had the Seafood Linguine which consisted of salmon chunks, sea bass chunks & prawns (because they were out of mussels) in a light turmeric & coconut milk sauce = fish curry over pasta. I truly like curry so was pleased as could be with the excellence of this dish. I suppose, however, if it were on the menu as 'fish curry' far too few folks would order it because they (think they) don't like curry. Hubby had one of the dinner specials: chicken done Moroccan style = tender chicken with potatoes, tomatoes & green olives in a wonderful saffrony, slightly lemony broth. The La Mura, Bianco, a Sicilian white wine was superb with our dinner selections. We are partial to red wines but these dishes called for a good white and this didn't disappoint us especially since we do like Sicilian white wines. Our server comped the key lime tart for my husband's birthday treat. It was only OK. The crust had been over baked, the lime wasn't particularly pronounced, and the drizzle of rich chocolate sauce on the plate overwhelmed the lightness of the tart filling. I make a better lime tart. We hope David Fhima works out the kinks in this current endeavor. We have eaten at all of his past locations with generally good results even when the prices seemed overly inflated. The decor seems haphazard. The floor was drafty. The view was wonderful with the light snow falling. More attention to my seriously empty water glass would have been great instead of me having to constantly flag someone down to get a refill. We ill give this another go because we were pleased with the food overall.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes 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 : Trendy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Lindsay P.
My first experience at FACES was great...the food was good, service was pretty good and prices were great! I was told that all tap beers were included in the happy hour special...and when the bill came, that was the case. I've been telling people how pleased I was and brought my mom back for another happy hour experience...although this time it was far less appealing. The restaurant and bar area were both dead. We were told it was happy hour but apparently they've changed their HH offerings because I ordered exactly what I had before but was charged full price. Our server was sub par...we had to seek him out several times to get another drink, order food and eventually get our bill. He apologized that HH wasn't what we thought it was but basically said I was wrong regarding my first experience there (that what I ordered was at one time a happy hour option). Overall I left feeling disappointed. My tune has certainly changed from my first experience.
(2)Alissa A.
We went for dinner and salsa dancing - even though friends had previously told us the food was not good. But we decided to give it a try anyway. We got there and had to wait forever to find someone to even seat us or know what was going on. I finally saw David Fima, the owner, and he was able to sort out our questions about entrance fees if you are staying for dinner and dancing. I asked him what he'd suggest on the menu. He said any of the tagines would be fabulous. We ordered the veggie tagine, the pot roast (cooked as a tangine) and a lamb sandwich. The rice and vegetables in the tagine were all super undercooked - al dente is not even the term for them - utterly undercooked. The meat was decent though as was the lamb sandwich. But you should be able to order more than a burger or sandwich at a place like this. Finally, the salsa band and dancing that we were promised was not even salsa. It was a Brazilian band hidden in a side room playing music that was not danceable (nobody was dancing) but more like elevator music. The entire night was a major disappointment.
(2)Dan S.
The service is really good. They try to use their service to back up the prices. The food was so-so considering the price. I would recommend the seafood macaroni. The appetizer size is plenty! The pizza was less than impressive. Again, I would say that the host and server gave this an extra star than what I would have normally given. If you are looking to go there for a drink and just enjoy the atmosphere, I think it would be a nice place for an after-work drink.
(3)Dan W.
Ask your server about their special. It won't disappoint!!
(5)Pang X.
The food was ok, nothing too special. We only stopped in to sample. I had the Salmon kale salad which was ok. The salmon was good but there was too much kale. I wish they would have blanched the kale a little bc it was kind of tough to eat. The coconut cake was the highlight of the night.
(3)Susan R.
Visited FACES w a Living Social voucher (3-course dinner w wine pairings). The meal was exquisite! Started w amusé bouche of scrumptious gougeres. This was followed by an app of lobster tail served over truffled mashed potatoes---delightful!. Entrée was a redolently seasoned tagine of pot roast (brisket) w potatoes, carrots, turnips, and onions. For dessert, we opted for napolean and chocolate mousse cake, both of which were wonderful and generous portions. Thomas, our server was excellent---friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient. Enjoyed the chef's tableside visits to describe the preparations. FACES occupies a very handsome venue, facing Mears Park. Highly recommended!
(5)Dan C.
We did a Livingsocial 3 course meal deal. The meal was perfect and service was great. This was our first time there and we will definitely be back!
(5)Eli F.
Impeccable menu. Not a single boring dish. Recommend a lamb tagine or any of the risottos. The greatest tasting food ever! Great service as well!
(5)Andrea P.
WOW what a hidden gem. The Lamb tagine was incredibly tasty...fresh cholla bread to accompany it. Also try their homemade desserts. You can't go wrong!
(5)Jennifer W.
I've gotten delivery from this place twice, using BiteSquad. It's always a bit of a gamble ordering delivery, especially from a place like this whose food is probably meant for table service, but I say if you're going to offer delivery, you're fair game. I've ordered from here twice, and I'd have to say I probably won't again. I had the burger and fries on one visit, the croque monsieur on another, and ordered dessert each time as well. My overall impression is that everything is too much of what ever it's supposed to be, flavorwise. The burger was obviously cooked on a grill, but I don't think it was a very clean one, because the meat flavor and texture was compromised by charcoal dust (or something like it). The fries were okay, and I don't fault Faces for any deficit--fries aren't really made for delivery. The croque monsieur was basically a glorified grilled ham and cheese, and didn't seem to have the bechamel that typically comes with one. Also, it was EXTREMELY salty. Probably the prosciutto-type ham, but I've had prosciutto ham that wasn't as salty as that. This actually gave me a bit of that burning sensation on the tongue that you get when something is excessively salty. The desserts I got were all uniformly pretty to look at, but ridiculously, tooth-ache sweet. As I say, maybe the experience is different when you actually eat *in* the restaurant, or order one of the major entrees, and maybe I'll do that sometime, but I don't think I'll order delivery again.
(3)Erin G.
This place is really close to work, but I've never stopped in until today. I was drawn in because it was restaurant week, but my friend and I ordered off the regular menu instead. First of all, the space is very pretty. Urban/upscale looking. When I arrived at 11:15, the place was empty. I didn't see anyone and was confused about whether they were open, but soon a server came over and sat me. My friend arrived shortly thereafter and made the same comments about it being so empty. It ended up being a good thing though, because I was on my lunch break and need to be quick. I ordered the tuna nicoise salad and it was beautiful. I should have ordered with the dressing on the side like I usually do but I forgot and there was a little too much on it for me to finish all the greens. It was not a big salad but it was tasty. The asparagus and the tuna were great, however, it would have been nice to have more than just one asparagus spear. Overall a great dish and pretty healthy with the exception of the fried potato thingy on the side. My friend had a turkey sandwich and seemed to like it, although when he asked for ranch dressing for his fries, he was told they didn't have any. A guy camme out and grabbed our plates, and we chatted with him and he was the chef! Super nice guy, introduced himself and talked about how everything is all organic and local, which I liked. I'll definitely be coming back here.
(4)Julie T.
The chef came out to greet us that was a nice touch! Went there for birthday and they gave us free truffles. Food was a little pricey so it will be a special occasion place. I had seafood tagine, husband and mother-in-law had the risottos. Food was flavorful. The dessert we had- crème brulee and carrot cake was good.
(4)Amy R.
Review # 1000. This is a hard one. We were in the neighborhood to see the sparkling guys and gals who were headed to the prom. Our nephews invited us to come along with my parents. We thought after we were done watching the grand march we would head out for dinner. FACES was right around the corner and it was one of the only restaurants that had open reservations. Made a reservation, then cancelled it and then we honored it. We didn't think the grand march would last so long. We sent one from our party over to grab our table. He did and I guess was encouraged to wait outside my one of the wait staff. Okay... We didn't think we would make it so we cancelled, and then we were able to so we headed over and were seated right away by a lovely hostess/manager? She was very nice and accommodating after all of our back and forth. The space is charming and I bet even more charming when the park is all lit up. Service was okay. Many had mentioned in other reviews I read that the service was hit and miss. I would have to agree. While our server was good, there were times when water refills and drink refills were overlooked. Not a huge biggie, just an observation. Food: I decided to order the skirt steak special: I absolutely love steak. Unfortunately this was more like gnawing on an old piece of leather. 4 pieces of old leather. Really well done and just not appealing. It came with hand cut fries which I love and am a bit of a fry snob. These were really over done almost too crispy- but some people like em that way. My mom ordered the Monte Cristo which I have to agree with her. It just tasted odd and weird and more like fish. Perhaps we didn't care for the sweet bread and gruyere together- it was just an odd tasting concoction. Dad and J ordered the Thai Chicken salads. Tasted the local, free range chicken which was meh. Bland and boring. Everything I tried was just super underwhelming. Our server asked about my steak and I told him what I thought. He was nice enough to make it up. He delivered a chocolate éclair to go. Very nice touch and completely unnecessary. Unfortunately, that too, just missed the mark. Nice atmosphere and décor. I just wish we would have walked away more satisfied for what we paid. Menu seemed a bit limited. Not a horrible experience, but not the best either and that's hard to say because our server was personable and the hostess/manager? was lovely.
(3)Abbie F.
Went here on Saturday early evening. We asked to sit outside and the hostess said she needed to ask because she didn't know if there was a server for outside. Thankfully Yobani said that he would take us and we were able to sit outside. We ordered a couple drinks and the chicken satay, grass-fed burgers, and flatbread. Later we had the crème brûlée and triple chocolate mousse cake. Here's the lowdown on the food Chicken satay was super tender with great flavor. The amount was very very small even for happy hour. Grass fed sliders were tasty and the best of the appetizers that we ordered. The Firebird was pretty cheesy but I didn't like crust on the flatbread itself. The triple chocolate mousse cake had the potential to be awesome but it was dry and for nine bucks I expected more. Crema brûlée was flamed table-side with a hot iron which was really cool and the taste was very good. However, the best part of the restaurant and experience was our server-Yobani. He was attentive, friendly, funny and made the overall experience great! I probably would've only given it a three for food but because the service was so good I gave it four stars. Looking forward to trying something off the main dinner menu in the future.
(4)Katrina O.
Had a really nice date night with hubby! I felt like service could have been a little better, our server was absent a little more than we would have liked. She asked us if we wanted a bread basket and forgot to bring one... no biggie except by the time we could ask her about the bread basket, all of our other food started arriving as well! We had the chicken satay appetizer to share, i'm not a big chicken person so I thought the chicken was alright... hubby loved the chicken! I liked the greens and peanuts, and peanut sauce that came with it a lot more than the chicken! For the main course, hubby had the hamburger with a fried egg. He said it was amazing!! Apparently, really good as leftovers as well. I had the spicy seafood tagine, which was good. Came with either a side of rice or couscous. Wish it had more than just 2 pieces of shrimp though. Hubby had german chocolate cake for dessert, while I had the napoleon. Napoleon was sooo good!!! Overall food, was great! Service could have been a little better, but not so bad that I got super irritated or made me think I never want to come here again!
(4)Elizabeth H.
The food is delicious here. For a recent weekend dinner, I had the chicken tagine, nicoise salad, flourless chocolate cake, assorted drinks. Generous portions (the tagine is enough for two), fresh vegetables, thoughtful presentation, authentic flavors. Wouldn't hesitate returning with family if we were in the area, especially for lunch. The chocolate cake was just as good as ANY I have ever had and is worth the 5 extra spin classes I'm going to have to do this week to burn it off! The service seemed untrained, which is why I am forced to give it no more than 3 stars. Our server was friendly in the way a casual barista is friendly--not in the knowledgable way you expect someone serving you a $30 entree should be. He told us the special was, "Strip steak with...uh (fumble with his notes)...sauce...and potatoes...served on potatoes." Really? Can't pronounce the sauce? It was also slow. It seemed like it took forever for nearby tables to be cleaned after fellow diners left. Empty glasses and abandoned napkins just sat there littering our peripheral vision. Furthermore, some tables had white table cloths and others (like ours) did not. There didn't seem to be consistency across the dining room. The other thing I find awkward is the appetizer menu. The majority of the items are very expensive. It would be nice to have greater variety without breaking the bank so people are invited to be "upsold" as opposed to price shocked into sticking with just entrees. I'm not about to spend $48 for a charcuterie plate or even $24 for 2 scallops. The ambiance and quality of the service isn't good enough to match those price points.
(3)Jason K.
I hopped on the light rail for a quick lunch with some friends at a restaurant across the street from Mears Park. It "Faces" Mears Park. Get it? The outdoor patio looked awesome, except it was too cold out, even though it was late April. Boo. The inside of the establishment reminds me of Mission American Food in Downtown Minneapolis, kind of upscale but modern and inviting. The menu isn't huge, but it does have a big wine list, but this was a work day lunch, it was Diet Coke for me. I saw pulled chicken Monte Cristo! "Yes please!, with greens instead of the fries" My friends got the fries and said they were pretty good. Our waiter had the whole dining room of about 25 patrons, but he was in fine form. Very professional, refilled my Coke whenever it got dry, and checked on us every 10 or so minutes. He was just awesome! It was awesome having Mears Park outside of the main window, the day was at least sunny, so the people watching was fun when we weren't catching up on old times. The Monte Cristo came out after about 10 minutes and looked beautiful. It was like two big slices of French toast with lots of pulled chicken inside. The slices of French toast were amazing and very creamy, but I did wish the chicken had a little more flavor. The texture was perfect, but kind of bland, almost tasted like cream of chicken soup tastes like. Just there. The service and fantastic ambiance raises this place from a 3 to a 4, but it should really be about a 3 1/2. We split the check 3 ways and it was $18 after tip, so a little pricey for lunch, but not terrible.
(4)Missy O.
Yum! Yum! Yum! What a wonderful restaurant. The food was amazing! Everything we ate had such depth in flavor. I had the lemon, chicken and olive Tagine and my husband had Andouille Risotto. We also had an appetizer and dessert. We loved everything. Our Server was kind, fun and very helpful. We followed his recommendations and he was spot on. I can't wait to go back and to tell all my friends about it. This is a hidden gem that deserves to be on a "best of" list for St. Paul and Minneapolis.
(5)Leilani C.
My husband and I moved to the Twin Cities in May so we try to get out and explore every weekend! We saw that Faces had happy hour all day so we decided to check it out. They open at 3 on Sunday! We had the Tuna on Sweet Potato, burger duo and the salted fries! The fries are accompanied by two sauces--both pretty good. The burgers were really good--you could order the burger duo and fries and make it a meal. The tuna was cooked rare and was very good. Jerome took care of us and he was gracious and very knowledgable---he helped us order and he did a great job!
(5)Jessica D.
Had a lovely Valentine's Day dinner! We didn't feel rushed at all, and it wasn't overly crowded. The atmosphere was romantic and quiet. The food: I had the filet mignon and my husband had the steak au poivre and we both enjoyed bites of one another's food, and we agreed that the other should have preferred what we ordered for ourselves! The margaritas were perfect and we were very pleased to learn the ingredients are mostly locally sourced. We'll be back!
(4)Max A.
We went there for Valentine's Day and I must say that this place is a joke. We arrived there 10 minutes before our reservation time, but did not get sat until 45 minutes AFTER our reservation. While waiting in their makeshift lobby, I heard all kinds of commotion coming from the kitchen, including a loud "What the fu*k??!!" from one of the cooks. When we finally did get to the table, it took forever for the waitress to approach or acknowledge us. When we went to order, my girlfriend attempted to order the Moroccan Chicken, yes I say attempted because they were OUT of chicken!? How does a place run out of chicken, let alone on Valentine's Day.. So she ended up ordering the filet, and I got the risotto. The food was tasty but the portions were pathetic. I believe my girlfriends filet was 3 ounces? My risotto was also very small and left me hungry after I finished (it only took me about 3 minutes to finish my meal, and it is not like I am a big guy/eater). I had one glass of wine, my girlfriend had two, we had dessert, and our tab was over $130! If I had known I would be paying that, I would have taken her to one of the nice steakhouses in Minneapolis where at least I would know what kind of experience we were going to get. The manager didn't seem to know what the hell she was doing, because there was a line of people at the host podium and they were not being addressed at all. I recall standing there 40 minutes after our reservation to ask where our table was, only to see her mingling with people already at their tables. I am normally not a tough critic because in college I was a waiter at Red Lobster for four years and I know what it is like, but this place was a complete joke and I will never be back. I will also not let any friends knowingly enter this restaurant. Anyway, two stars, and that is because although tiny and terrible value, the food was tasty.
(1)Steve L.
St Paul - WHY ISN'T THIS PLACE CRAMMED FULL ALL OF THE TIME?!!!! Apologies for yelling, but holy cats - what a great restaurant. It's a shame it was so slow the other night when I visited. + Awesome interior space - thick beams, textured glass, very cool bar area + Very friendly and approachable servers and bartenders - very knowledgeable + Relaxed, calming vibe to the place + Excellent selection of wines and cocktails; decent tap selection + Good happy hour specials + Ordered the salad with kale, salmon, chèvre, and asparagus - wow + Salmon was cooked perfectly - nice crust/char on the outside, medium rare inside + Asparagus was huge and superbly al dente + Balsamic reduction was excellent + Received dressing on the side; sampled - nice rosemary flavor I had a few brews, made small talk with the staff, and left feeling completely satisfied. I'll be returning, for sure. What a great place.
(5)Tj R.
Our server greeted us while he was on the phone. My martini glass was covered in dust literally. I had to wipe it off with my napkin. When we entered, we were told that we had to have a reservation to sit at a table. There was only one seated table so clearly the reservation only system is working well. It was a very memorable experience for the wrong reasons.
(2)Amanda A.
What an experience!! Faces has one of the most unique and flavorful menus in the Cities! With Moroccan and French influences, they use grassfed, farm raised, free roam, local and sustainable ingredients in their kitchen which prepares their meals per dish, per person at time of ordering, no "pre-prepared frozen"nonsense here - Try a Tagine, my favorite is the Spicy Seafood, sooo many delicious flavors, and I love some heat to my food :) Their bakery/desserts are incredible! The Napoleon is OUT of this world! Talk about authentic, fresh French desserts! You cannot beat their Happy Hour and the patio during the summer is one of the most popular places to enjoy the sights in Mears Park. An awesome restaurant, friendly staff, timely service. I highly recommend it :)
(5)James W.
Wonderful service and food.. Tagines are always great especially the lamb and seafood...
(5)Michelle H.
I purchased a Groupon recently and made reservations a week in advance for date night. Someone from the restaurant called me the day of to ask if I had a coupon. I said yes. He stated that they would not be honoring their Groupons today but we were welcome to make a reservation on a less busy night. The Groupon was for any night of the week and again, I made the reservations well in advance. Who does this? They made a commitment and then called to ruin my night because they have decided they don't want to honor it. The man who called was also quite rude about it! I'm appalled. I'll never go there. I will tell all of my friends about the treatment I received. We are big foodies who go out to eat several times a week, tip well and often return to our Groupon ventures. It's their loss.
(1)C L.
The food was very good, and the staff, while friendly, seemed to not know very much about the wines. Could not recommend a wine without finding another staff member. Also, we ordered an after-dinner drink that they got wrong (and corrected). Somewhat small things, but for the money spent, it could have been a bit better.
(4)Autumn V.
We had late night happy hour apps here last night and neither the fries nor the tuna on chips made me happy. The tuna felt like it had been frozen? And thawed out? And the wasabi sauce was just too overpowering. The (soggy) fries came with two sauces that neither my boyfriend nor I cared for. We also did not care for the ketchup which tasted very watered down. Perhaps we need to come during dinner and have an actual entree? The happy hour left a lot to be desired. If I hadn't had a fantastic yelp tasting event here last year, I would not come back after this experience. I'm hoping it was just an off day and that next time we eat here, it will be better. I was disappointed.
(2)S L.
Mediocre food for unmatched, expensive prices. I asked what exactly was on the meat and cheese tray, the response was "it changes daily" - which is fine but when the tray came out, the staff still did not know what was what. "The one that smells the strongest is blue cheese"...of course...location and setting is very nice and the staff is helpful and friendly, but the food is simply not up to par. Rather lacking and disappointing by the presentation and the taste of the it all. Fancy names for basic dishes - hardly any variety.
(3)Ron S.
Went there on a Saturday night and had to make late reservations because we had a groupon and the jazzfest was going on next door in Mears Park. The hostess said she had a table that would be opening up soon and we could wait at the bar. About 20 minutes later we noticed the table she had indicated was now sitting open. After another 10-15 minutes we checked back with her and she had basically forgotten about us but she did get the table cleaned quickly and we were seated. We placed our order and the entrees arrived promptly. The problem was we had both ordered Caesar salads and the waiter had forgotten that part of the order. For entrees my wife ordered the sea bass while I ordered the lamb tangine. Her sea bass was very good but my lamb was bit of a mess both visually and tastewise. Because of the slip-up with the salads we got a free dessert and ordered the rhubard crisp....wrong choice. It tasted like rhubard jam in a pie crust. I do give the restaurant a bit of a pass on service because of how busy they were because of jazzfest but honestly for the price we certainly won't go back and can't honestly recommend.
(2)Terry Scott N.
Faces (of Mears Park), is an interesting place. The setup is much the feel of being put in a glass case, or terrarium. My lady and I decided to get some food after taking the inaugural Green Line light rail to St. Paul on Saturday. Faces looked relaxing from the outside and the café appeal enticed us, however the name was moderately weird... Faces... We walked into an upscale café with a few patrons leaning at the bar. Immediately the host advised us that there was no seating available. We were somewhat put-off because there were many empty tables within the establishment, and actually a lot of places to seat us. He then directed us to a table near the window. We showed up about 2 minutes after happy hour ended, unfortunately. The atmosphere was a mix of high class, trendy business folk with similar eye wear (of the square and thick variety), and a woman's committee of some kind- possibly/apparently. Our waitress was amicable, she was helpful and friendly. She came somewhat promptly to our table and we placed our orders. I ordered the BLTT (BLTT $14 bacon, lettuce, tomato, sushi grade tuna, pesto aioli on levain bread), which was surprisingly good. The sandwich itself was a medium sized portion, and the raw tuna aspect of it was very unique. My lady had the burger. The burger was okay, as we shared. It came with fries and portioned (!) ketchup; firstly, I hate portioned ketchup. Why can't restaurants allow the patrons to decide how much ketchup is enough? This act alone makes me angry, as I love ketchup. The fries were O.K... Don't skimp on the condiments. The homemade ketchup itself was unremarkable. We also enjoyed a few beers (of the microbrew genre), of which they offered an unenviable variety. Faces kind of blew my mind in that it had a cutting-edge sandwich (The BLTT). I mean, the sandwich had raw tuna on top of it! Faces also kind of let me down with the happy hour negation and their ketchup allotment. I am an adult; I am fully capable of measuring amounts that will satisfy my needs. The burger was all right, and the beers were good enough. Our waitress was mildly attentive; my water sat empty from the half-way point of the meal until the end, but no worries. If I worked in St. Paul and I needed to get lunch with some business people I would stop in here, otherwise I would possibly go on an impromptu-fancy date over the weekend. If you have the bucks and the time check this place out. You know-
(3)Rachel W.
Wow! David Fhima strikes again! He impressed me right from the start when I walked into Faces. From the ambiance, to the service and the food, it was all a winning combination. Fhima's signature here is his dedication to use the best "local" ingredients without any additives or preservatives. Severs told me most ingredients are purchased from no more than 50 miles away. Some on my friends had booked a grad party here and this place was the "perfect spot" for a special event. We occupied the back room in the restaurant which holds about 35 people. It works well for a larger party because it can be sectioned off and also has it's own bar area. I was impressed with the service. Servers were friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. They offered great appetizers. The vegetarian corn croquettes (topped with Moroccan aioli were tasty. Probably not my favorite but enjoyed the presentation. The beef tenderloin pieces (served on organic potatoes) were a winner by themselves. I could have munched on them all afternoon and they were topped with a delicious homemade Bearnaise sauce. I'd love to return for an afternoon lunch, intimate dinner or happy hour. When weather permits they offer beautiful outside seating with a view of Mears Park. A perfect place for just about any occasion.
(4)Zack C.
Wow. Seriously... 1. The Tagines.. I dare you to find something more authentic than this in St. Paul. 2. Sicilian Risotto... LIFE Changing. End of story. 3. ANY of the desserts. Chef Fhima has displayed yet another act of pure marvel In the kitchen. I have been following this mans restaraunt culinary for 10+ years now and his newest venture FACES has become a lunch and dinner staple in our family. Not to mention that the chefs own family is also his employees - We love supporting family businesses. When it comes to authentic cuisine in down town St. Paul, FACES is bar none. I would give FACES 10 stars if I could.
(5)Jason F.
The best spot to go to in all of the twin cities. Amazing food, nightlife, atmosphere, and service. Monte cristo is one of a kind as well as the seabass Risotto! 5 stars!!!
(5)mona l.
If you love Mediterranean cuisine, then you're in luck, cuz this is the best place in Minnesota. It's Moroccan, French and Italian fusion. The lobster bisque, and fish tagine are out of this world amazing. The chef really knows his fish. There's something here for everyone, even those who are on a strictly burger and fries diet or suffer a spice phobia.
(4)Cecilia G.
I've been to FACES twice, and was completely displeased both times. The first time, my boyfriend and I went in to get some dessert to go. It took five minutes before we were even greeted by any employee. When the hostess finally came out, we told her we would like to look at a dessert menu. She gave us the menus and told us to head over to the bakery section (where all the lights were turned off, I might as well add) and someone would help us. It took another five minutes before a waiter came to assist us. I ordered the carrot cake, and he did not even acknowledge that my boyfriend was standing there, let alone wanting to order something for himself. He didn't turn around once or ask if we wanted anything else until it was time to pay. Only then was my boyfriend able to order. They didn't even have the register running at the bakery. I had to walk all the way across the restaurant, passed customers dining, to get to the bar to pay for our desserts. Once we got home we had our desserts. I ordered the carrot cake and it was absolutely horrible. I literally could not finish it, and I LOVE carrot cake. The cake itself was incredibly dense, it was the feeling you get when scooping really really cold ice cream. Way too dense. My boyfriend ordered the Tiramisu, and it was okay... a little bland, not horrible. The second time I went in, I also was not greeted as the only person on the floor was talking to a diner. The lights were again off in the bakery. It just makes it look so unwelcoming. After about five minutes, I told the man behind the counter I wanted the cheesecake. The register, again, was not functioning at the bakery. I had to go pay at the bar. He also used a HUGE container to packing my small dessert. I just thought this was wasteful. The cheesecake was really greasy, seeping through the paper it was wrapped it. I actually really liked the dessert I was given, though it was not cheesecake. It reminded me of sweetened cream with gelatin for thickener. Not cheesy at all. I don't think I will be returning here unless I here they have improved.
(1)Meghann F.
We bought one of the living social deals here recently - mostly because I've been wanting to try it, but we don't really get to DT St. Paul much - so anyways - buying it would force us to leave the west side of the river! Anyways - 5 courses w/ wine pairings and I thought it was fantastic!! We had a scallop to start with a really good lemon sauce and a croquette, 2nd course was mac and cheese with a tempura shrimp - I would have to say the shrimp prob didn't need to be battered and fried because the mac was heavy, but delcious none the less. Next up was a steak - 1000 hills - don't remember the cut - wrapped in phylo dough w/ blue cheese and another amazing sauce, and then there was a tangine w/ seafood - also amazing - and lastly dessert - sample of 3 different kinds - the cream puff (which was fancier than a normal cream puff - but I don't remember the differences exactly) - was phenomenal and my fave - the other two desserts were very nice, but couldn't finish all three!! Anyways - I would definitley recommend it if you are in search of a fine dining establishment in St. Paul. The man (who is very picky about service and food) only mentioned a few things that the servers could be trained on better - and we were both very happy overall! The food is phenomenal, everything is fresh, organic and local - definitely recommend.
(5)Grace R.
It was promising, when we were told of their desire to use locally sourced and organic food. It was amusing when we watched one of the wait staff have difficulty getting a screw top wine bottle open and when our waiter called it Gestapo soup. It was after all only his second week It was unexpected when the appetizer - lobster Mac - came out in the pan that it was made in. A little disconcerting considering the pan was well seasoned: bearing the crusted remains of dinners past. The presentation was offsetting, the pasta al dente and the lobster tail delightful. It was downright disgusting when the Paella, a family recipe, came out (in a larger version of the same sauté pan, complete with the black crust and on a beat up pizza pan) The astringent flavor of the dish, rendered any other attempt to discern other flavors a moot point. We were told it was spicy... it was, but it was also bitter and that combination.... well it has stuck we me on three hours now! Then I noticed... everyone had beautifully prepared meals that came on nice clean white plates or in chestnut colored tangine bowls. Ours came as if we were the help in the kitchen and I had seen enough as a former plungeuse in better dives. Please, if you value your health, don't eat that.
(1)Anne S.
The food was incredible. Chilean sea bass is amazing as is the pot roast. BEST German chocolate cake I have ever tasted. And the service was top notch. Looking forward to trying the tangine cod and the other unique meals this menu offers. A must try when you are in St Paul.
(5)Danielle R.
Love the kale salad here! Super good. Service was great; we sat at the bar intending on just having an appetizer and ended up spending 4 hours and $200 instead. So worth it!
(5)Charlie S.
Service was very slow, and my lobster bisque was just awful, and it was too expensive for lunch to not have more than decent food.
(1)Janie W.
My husband and I ate here a few years ago and had a delicious meal which we thought was a great value. I'm pleased to report that we finally made it back and it was even better than we remembered. As an avid cook with a son who is an accomplished chef, I do appreciate quality ingredients prepared with old world kitchen skills and great hospitality. That makes Faces a perfect fit. The drinks were spot on and their Moroccan take on Paella was full of beautiful Mediterranean flavors. We later found out it was a family recipe... love that. The bakery side is also exceptional. It was hard to stop eating our bread and my chocolate dessert was super decadent as was raspberry chantilly sponge cake my husband had. Chef David actually smuggled in his own sourdough when he moved to the US -- obviously a man who cares deeply about his food. There's even a retail bakery on site which looks amazing. I'm guessing any food that passes through this kitchen is well served by David's Mediterranean roots and attention to detail. And with so many dishes left to try, we have vowed that in the future, the lag between visits will be much shorter.
(5)Deborah S.
Poor service, nice ambiance, food extremely spotty. My grandson could not even eat his soup, but the pot roast sandwich was good. Overall, an expensive (they didn't comp the soup) and unpleasant experience. We won't be back.
(1)Oomoo V.
I wish I could say our wedding anniversary experience at Faces was a good one. Not so. We've dined at Faces before and enjoyed it. But our recent experience was like a bad "Saturday Night Live" sketch. Customers who pay good money for a meal should not have to babysit the server .It's hardly a deal-breaker when the server takes 10-15 minutes to fill our drink orders, But he was so slow and distracted it seemed as though he was double parked outside. We almost had to negotiate our order. My filet was undercooked, and the waiter put his grubby hands all over the plates when he brought our food. After I sent my filet back, the chef came out from the kitchen and gave it back to me. "I can't expect to get it right all the time,' he joked. It got so bad that the waiter serving the table next to ours stepped in and completed our order. There was a fly buzzing around in the place as well. Good times.
(2)Emily D.
So bummed. Have been here before and had a great experience. 50-50 on the food, but always great service. Today our experience was AWFUL. Brought two of our friends for a Sunday fun-day and immediately there was judgment from all angles. Too bad, as we had said nothing but good things about the stop. The stuck up patrons across the bar made it clear that we were unwanted and were whispering who knows what about us. Mind you, we were talking amongst ourselves and causing no trouble. The biggest disappointment was the bartender. For tending an extremely slow bar, he could care less for our business and could barely crack a smile. The attitude, stuck up demeanor, and overall rude treatment are enough for me never to return. So much for the good service. Take this stop off your list.
(1)Mary S.
We went here for my birthday as we wanted something closer to home. I will have to say, we loved it. Considering a Sunday evening, it was nice to have the restaurant pretty much to ourselves. The waitress was welcoming and friendly. We started off with the martini list recommended by her as it was our first time. She also explained that the chef was Moroccan and their foods are from local farms and areas-very organic and natural. She also said that their bakery goods were made from scratch right in their adjacent bakery. I had the Lamb Tagine and my husband the Paella Velencia- meat vs seafood entree as you could choose. Already having a family who is Moroccan we kind of knew what to expect. When the plate came out, it was quite a show as you can tell the steam indicates 'fresh from the oven", covered in this clay teepee looking thing. Very impressive! The Lamb Tagine was drenched in this sweet-raisin sauce with hints of middle eastern spices with saffron, cloves, and a hint of curry. They don't skimp on lamb meat at all!! I had it with couscous, as it came "on the side", however I just poured it right into the plate to let it soak up the juices. At times, I find that couscous alone can be mushy or too dry. My husband's Paella (as many yelp reviewers liked), was very opposite. It was full of curry, I want to say yellow curry??, and was also full of strong bold flavors and body. There were tomatoes and red/green bell peppers. You could definitely tell the difference with each dish as it had its own personality. We ended the night with the Tiramisu cake, as it was made fresh in their bakery, and the display greets you at the front door. Overall, an A plus for us. We will defiinitely be returning.
(5)Michelle B.
I was in St. Paul for a concert and this restaurant was near our hotel so we decided to go in for an early dinner. There was one waiter and the restaurant was very empty. No one seated us so we just picked a table and waited for someone to give us menus. It took about 15 minutes for anybody to notice us but we finally go our menus and ordered our food. The waiter was less than friendly and to be honest, we got the vibe that he was mad at us. The air in the restaurant was tense because of him. He made us feel very uncomfortable. Aside from that, the food was very good and I would come back. Maybe it was just an off day for the waiter...
(3)Kim M.
Nice location overlooking Mears Park but disappointing cuisine. Had high hopes for the lobster paella but it was flavorless.
(2)Corey G.
I took the short trip to the other city (St. Paul) during a recent stay in Minneapolis. I went to check out salsa dancing on a Friday night. The cover was $10, there was a decent band, and the joint was pretty packed. The style here was mainly Cuban (i.e. Cuban salsa), but there was also dashes of regular salsa, a splash of bachata, and a sprinkling of merengue. There were some really good dancers here, and I had a good time just watching them. The dance floor is in an open area connected to the restaurant/bar. The dance floor was pretty packed. There were places along the wall to stash your shoes, parkas, etc. There is also a Yelp Check-In Offer here, but I didn't use it (it was for a drink, but I was fighting a cold and didn't want to push it). All in all a nice salsa dancing option with a good crowd.
(3)Adam W.
Some sixteen months after opening, FACES remains strange and uncompelling. A recent happy hour visit found us sitting in the empty bar, perusing an abbreviated happy hour menu. Normally I love a quiet bar for happy hour, but this was oddly depressing and tomb-like. Here's this gigantic space, on which someone has lavished lots of attention and money, and it's completely empty save the staff and...us. Though the emptiness of the place struck me as depressing, the staff were clearly not so affected. One server jumped up onto a bar stool, on which she then crouched and swung her legs about while chatting with the bartender. Soon there was a little staff party at the bar. Why not? There was nothing else to do. From the abbreviated happy hour menu we chose chorizo-potato coquettes. These arrived long on the potato and with no detectable chorizo, but still tasted OK with my $3 tap Summit. I'd say this item was a better experience than the "bologna cones on a silver platter" meat tray from an earlier visit which may or may not be saying much. The mysterious inaccessible bottle shop remains, as does the takeaway counter which displayed some decent looking pastries but not much else at the time of our visit. I'd still keep Faces in mind for decent patio seating and a place for a quiet happy hour beer, but nothing that has transpired on any of my visits to the bar here compels me to sit down at a table and fire up the full dining experience. Something just feels...off...about the place.
(2)Sal K.
FACES, you're getting better. Your staff is much more knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive compared to a few months ago. Your happy hour is great and your Yelp check-in special is worth the trip alone. Everything at FACES has been hotter and fresher lately, especially that incredible vegan soup. I'm hoping things continue on this trend because some of my other local favorites have been slowly declining. Keep up the good work!
(4)Lorraine N.
i have been here a few times and I think they have top notch food choices. I just don't think that anybody really knows it exists. Each time I have been there--it was like I had the entire bar to myself. I have just stopped by for late evening cocktails and a snack. It is stunning in there and feels like a high-end hotel bar in a big city. The lights and the windows all around are awesome.
(4)Sarah R.
This year, I had a layover for work in MSP on Christmas day. I have a good friend in the area and she wanted to take me to dinner. None of her usual choices were open, so we opted for here. The restaurant has nice ambiance and there were several things on the menu that looked promising. However, we were quite disappointed when our server arrived and told us that half of the menu was not available. Also.. I might as well add.. this server's entire personality was so fake, she should be made of wax. She was condescending and quite frankly, she bugged the shit out of me. I ordered the Thai chicken salad and was surprised when it arrived. The lettuce was uncut, the chicken breast was whole & uncut, the wonton pieces were whole and uncut, and the dressing was merely drizzled on the side of the plate. I ended up spending about 5 minutes with a knife and fork... preparing my own salad. The flavors were very good. I especially liked the rub used on the chicken breast. However, I found it to be quite dry... even after asking for more dressing on the side. My friend ordered the mushroom risotto. As soon as she took a bite, she was shocked at how spicy it was. Nowhere in the menu did it say there would be any spice involved. She has absolutely no tolerance for it and I could tell she was disappointed. When the server asked how she liked it, she politely mentioned it was quite spicy and she hadn't expected it. The server then tactlessly went on about how she likes it even spicier and asks the cooks to make it hotter for her. Obviously, she was missing the point! Anyway, my friend powered through the dish...which tasted way too earthy to both of us. It also had giant chunks of parsnip and whatever else in it. These pieces were tough, chewy, and required some muscle to cut through. Why put them in? After the less than stellar entrees, we ordered the yule log for dessert. It was the holiday special. The only flavor we could taste was butter. Yuck. Not worth a single one of the calories it contained. Between the two of us, we didn't even get through half of it. The prices are too high and after that experience, I wouldn't return or recommend it.
(2)Catherine S.
Had a great dinner before attending the Mears Jazz festival. The tagine was amazing and the service was spot on. If you are looking for attention to detail and creativity with your dining experience in St.Paul- Faces is for you
(5)Nadia A.
Fun location, but their happy hour was so-so. We had the Burger Duo, the Tuna with Potato Crisps, and the (Moroccan?) Tomato Flatbread. The tuna was disappointing. It was quite under-seasoned (a little soy sauce goes a long way!) and just "meh." The Burger Duo was good, but nothing you couldn't get at a happy hour at a chain restaurant. Surprisingly, the best dish we had was the (Moroccan?) Tomato Flatbread. It had a very nice flavor with a cumin kick. Very tasty! The service was also poor. We had to flag down our servers a couple of times as they seemed pretty inattentive. I understand we were only there for happy hour, but one still expects the table to be visited. I will say, however, that some of the entrees people were ordering in the dining room (we were in the bar area) looked and smelled delicious. I'd like to try the place again and order proper entrees, but I will probably not consider it again for happy hour. There are better HH options around the area.
(2)DeLawrence B.
Very comfortable climate. Nice setting and if they would get a little music venue there it would be even more awesome.
(3)Steven W.
This places looks appealing from all the pictures, but once inside was a total disappointment. No host to greet us, and then some guy just walks up and says you sit here, we asked for a different table and we ended up at the bar tops. As we ordered our wine the business stated was a 45.00 dollars bottle of which as a local store actually costs 5.99. This was a complete let down. We ordered an appetizer and the menu states Bacon Wrapped Scallops, yes with an S at the end of scallops. We received one. Which was good but extremely over priced. Then we ordered our meals and they both came out wrong. The manager which was unhelpful to say the least blamed us and did nothing to help. The meals came and were average at best. To try to compensate they offer a free desert but needless to say we just wanted to leave. Doubtful we will ever go back. Plenty of other options with better service, price and food. Don't waste your time on this overpriced restaurant.
(1)Dan S.
I'm with Thaddeus, I really like Faces. It has a cool bar with a great view that...Faces Mears Park. They have a great happy hour, both after work and late night. Deals on wine, beer, drinks, and food. They are one of the places that I really like that have happy hour even on weekends, so it is a good option after 10 p.m. on Friday or Saturday night in Dwtn Stp. The food can be hit or miss, the cheese pizza wasn't much more than bread, but the wings and mini burgers are pretty tasty and the price is right. It is a very chill place, not very busy or loud. Expect a fancy bar with a great view and maybe 4-5 other groups of people who are having quiet conversations and sipping wine.
(4)Emily O.
My girlfriend & I went to FACES for lunch on a beautiful, sunny afternoon. We sat outside on the patio overlooking Mears Park & it was the perfect lunch spot. The ambiance was fantastic with a great view of the park, and a street side table with white, bubble like chairs on the patio. It was very relaxing for lunch in the city. We enjoyed two salads, sparkling water, & french bread & everything was fantastic! The California salad was loaded with fresh greens, goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts, & basalmic vinaigrette. The other salad (the name escapes me) consisted of fresh greens, tomato, red onion, potato, egg, & sashimi-style tuna. Our server was spot on: prompt, knowledgeable, & attentive. We will definitely be back. Great experience!
(5)Kimberly F.
My boyfriend and I went to dinner there on a Sunday evening. I would recommend sitting near the Bar as the view of Mears Park is very pretty. The restaurant was quiet, which was nice on a Sunday. The Happy Hour specials were priced well--and the food was great, although some of their portions are small but tasteful. If you like wine, this is a great place to dine--they have a fairly long list of wines that are organic and well priced. I had the filet mignon and it was prepared very well. We were planning to use a gift card but unfortunately they were unable to redeem it. We reached out to the Owner following our dinner and they were apologetic and offered us another gift card for the initial inconvenience. It was an unfrotunate situation but their customer service was strong--so it is likely that we will return!
(4)Angie K.
I would give this place 2.5 stars if it was an option. We had a groupon for the restaurant, and our experience was definitely mixed. To start with, the restaurant space itself is a little strange. Large bar on one side (which was full of loud Gopher fans when we arrived for our 5:30 reservation), small dining area in the middle, and then a bakery/coffee shop/bottle shop on the other end. The restaurant bills itself as a coffee shop/deli/bakery/bottle shop/bistro, which might be a case of trying to be all things to all people. If they narrowed their focus to being either a restaurant or a coffee shop/bakery, I think they'd do better. Anyway--we had reservations for dinner. When we called for the reservation, we were told that only a hightop table in the bar was available, but when we arrived, we were given the option of sitting at a small table in the main small dining room. Nice view of Mears Park from the large windows. The menu is rather limited. We didn't really realize that Mediterranean food was the specialty--if we had, we probably would have done a little more research, as a number of the dishes listed were unfamiliar to us. We ended up splitting a California salad (greens, goat cheese, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes and dressing) to start. Salad was OK, but the greens were a little tough and didn't seem as fresh as they could have been. We then both ordered the filet mignon, which only came with three large sprigs of asparagus. Since we both like a little potatoes with our meat, it would have been nice to have the option of roasted potatoes or a garlic mashed. Instead, we split the homemade french fries from the appetizer menu. The steaks arrived perfectly cooked (we both ordered medium rare) with bernaise sauce. Instead of the homemade ketchup that was on the menu, the fries arrived with extra bernaise sauce for dipping. I like bernaise, so that was fine. The fries were just average--some a little overdone and some done just right. The steak, as mentioned before, was perfect. My husband had an excellent glass of Cabernet and I had a very good Bloody Mary that was made with freshly juiced tomatoes. The three asparagus spears were quite large and not that tasty--probably out of season. We were still a bit hungry after the meal, so ordered a flourless chocolate torte to split. My husband had mentioned that it was my birthday the day before when the waitress asked if we were celebrating anything, and she added a lit candle to the dessert. Nice touch, and the dessert was very good. Service was friendly and attentive. But I don't think we will return--just not really our kind of place.
(2)Kristi C.
This was a dining experience where I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I am happy to say that almost every aspect of the evening was in the two thumbs up category. Patio dining facing Mears Park is a nice option, however on this cool fall evening we ate at table for two in the middle of the restaurant. The space is modern and contemporary in design, lively music in the background, but low enough to carry on a conversation. So far so good. I consider myself a wine novice, I thought they offered a good selection to choose from. The Trumpter Malbec was a great choice. Before I go on, this restaurant also features a bottle shop, bakery and pastry goods. Service was courteous and friendly, the server was very proud to mention their use of sustainable and organic ingredients. The Tapas Flatbread appetizer featured three flatbreads...not flat, but puffy, delicious none the less. Each topped with unique combinations, these were a hit. My appetizer size Lobster Mac n Cheese was rich but delicious and topped with a crunchy panko gruyere crust. The Seafood Linguini... quite possibly the best seafood pasta dish this yelper has had the pleasure to partake! It's turmeric and coconut milk broth would have made shoe leather edible...it was that good. Homemade linguini was certainly pasta heaven for this diner. The only miss if the evening was the Coconut Rum Banana Tiramisu. Not your traditional spin, but that's ok...as long as it works. None of the components...coconut, rum or banana, came through and the orange zest on top of the dessert seemed out of place. Our server was gracious to offer an alternative dessert to go, which was appreciated but too stuffed to even think of accepting. Give this three month old restaurant a chance, I think it's a great addition to the Lowertown area of downtown St Paul. Mears Park offers a nice place to stroll before or after visiting this newest David Fhima creation.
(4)Rakhi N.
The menu is great, I would love to try out dinner some time. Our bartender was not great. She wasn't very responsive and kept forgetting things like bread, water, and additional drinks. We were there for their late night happy hour on Saturday night, and even with the happy hour prices it was still pretty pricey. Not a complaint, because the food quality was really good, but just something to keep in mind. It was pretty empty, although it livened up for an hour or so. I think it was people who live in the building coming down for a drink or two. Great view of the park. Even though the address is technically on Jackson Street, the entrance is on the corner of 5th & Sibley.
(3)Spencer R.
I wanted to like FACES, but I just don't. I've been there twice now, and my experience was the same each time, so I know it wasn't just a fluke. The service was INCREDIBLY slow. Unforgivably slow, if you consider that my party was one of two in the entire place. The food tries really hard to be high-end fusion gourmet... but doesn't quite make it. The dishes were extremely pretentious and thoroughly lackluster. Worst part of all? I had a gift card for there, and they refused to honor it. Definitely never going back.
(2)Chris M.
I've vacillated too much on how to rate FACES on the Yelp scale that I've just decided to create a list of things I like and don't like about the joint that can at least help others decide whether or not they want to draw their own conclusion: The Good: * Natural and organic menu * Reasonable prices * In-house bottle shop * Deli open 12-hours a day offering the whole menu to-go or for casual dining * Pretty good happy hour deals * PEI mussels, Hamburger on a skewer, HH pizza and Vegetarian Banh Mi * Servers that will have attractive offspring * Ambiance (well decorated and great views of Mears Park) The So-So: * Service - usually friendly, but sometimes inattentive * Baked wings (nice alternative since most places fry'em) and Cobb Salad * Tap selection (hooray for Lake Superior on tap) * WiFi (you have to sign up for it, but it's free) The Bad: * Chips and Salsa (salsa is actually pretty good, but phyllo dough chips should come with a disclaimer) and the Hot Brown (not very good nor open-faced) * The name * The name (seriously, FACES is a dumb name) All-in-all it's a good addition to the neighborhood and certainly a step up from LoTo, but with all the growth around here lately I'm not sure I'll be a regular here (more so once the deli at Heartland opens - and especially if Vines and Steins opens).
(3)Joe B.
I live in downtown St Paul and walk to Faces about once a week for lunch or dinner. The food is always fantastic. My favorite is the hot brown sandwich, but I also enjoy lobster mac & cheese and the steaks are great as well. No matter what you decide, a highlight of the meal is the gougeres they bring out as an amuse. Don't miss these! Their happy hour deals are good, and it's a great place for a quickie lunch during the week. The chef/owner and his wife are usually there and are friendly and will stop by to chat and make sure you are enjoying your meal. Faces does special meals for holidays (Valentine's, St Patrick's, etc.). Not sure about the 3-star average for this place. It's a great, urban restaurant in a neat, little space and if you're reading this, you should trust me and go.
(5)Jeff H.
We used a Living Social offer for a five course dinner with wine pairings. All courses were picked for us by the chef and we were impressed with every course. Everything was delicious and even when we were happily, uncomfortably full, we were noting how tantalizing the smell was from a lamb tagine served to the table next to us. Service was exceptional and everyone on the staff were attentive and personable. We recommend FACES highly and plan to go back soon.
(5)Tarah B.
Great service and atmosphere! We had the Tuna melt, crocet Monsieur, and margarita pizza. All great!!
(5)Sue S.
What a disappointment. Great location and setting, but...... the service was slow, the waiter did not accurately describe the food (extremely spicy/hot and were not told), and the expensive dessert was mediocre. We will not return.
(1)Jen W.
Went to FACES (their caps, not mine) tonight for happy hour. Apparently the restaurant is named FACES because it faces Mears Park. It might as well be called BLOWS because it does that, too. The bread basket is a plate of gougere (little cheesey popover things). They were pretty good. Certainly better than most places bread baskets. (You only get one serving. After that they're $4.) Had I known they would be the highlight of the night, I would have anted up $8 and gotten 2 plates of gougere and called it a night. Instead we ordered the chips & salsa. Billed as "homemade chips with cilantro, mint and cayenne salsa" these were a huge disappointment. When you order chips & salsa you expect tortilla chips, no? These "chips" were fried pastry dough. They were cut into triangles, but that is the only similarity they had to tortilla chips. They weren't even salted! The salsa tasted more like spicy pork chili than like salsa and if there was cilantro and or mint in there, it was overwhelmed by the cayenne. When we told the waitress to get rid of a relatively untouched plate of "chips & salsa" she made no inquiries as to why we hadn't touched them, just took them away and then proceeded to ignore us for the next 10 minutes, once even quickly looking away when she accidentally made eye contact with us. Perhaps she was purposely avoiding us to keep us from ordering more food. This is what I choose to believe. It makes my world a nicer place to live. Eventually she returned and I ordered the vegetarian antipasti. This dish is described on the menu as "whole wheat bow tie pasta, pepperoncini, garbanzo beans, sweet red onions, gorgonzola, candied pecans and Braeburn apples with white balsamic and fleur de sel". Sounds good, doesn't it? I received a plate of garbanzo beans, black beans and lupini beans on a bed of lettuce. When I told the waitress that this was not the vegetarian antipasti she said, "Yes it is." I asked about the whereabouts of the pasta, the pepperoncini, the gorgonzola, the candied pecans, the apples (essentially all of the ingredients listed save for the garbanzo beans) and she said she didn't know, but that she had in fact hit the "vegetarian antipasti" button the computer screen. When she finally understood that I was not accusing her of screen-touch ineptitude, but rather that the menu and the deliverable were not the same thing, she took the dish back and offered to put a rush on something else for me. I got the mini burger trio. I don't have the energy to go into that dish (nor do you likely have the energy to read about it) but let's just say it was greasy and leave it at that. When she brought the bill she apologized for the evening and offered us free dessert for our trouble. (Oddly, the last time David Fhima disappointed me he also offered up a free pastry at LoTo by means of an apology. He must give away a lot of free pastries.) I got a piece of carrot cake. It was not good. Rather than get into an endless cycle of apologizing for the apology, we left.
(1)Bill D.
$7.50 for a drink, cookie and a little sandwich?? Cold cookie, small drink, hot sandwich BUN (not the meat or anything, just the bread). I get more for less at the little skyway convenience store across the street. And it wasn't even all that great, turkey sandwich in warm bread. I can do that at home for considerably lower cost. If I wanted that, I would have. Came here hoping to write a better review than when i was last here 2years ago. Guess what. I can't. I'll go somewhere else for lunch.
(2)Kim R.
The hubby and I stopped by FACES for dinner on Friday before Christmas. I love the location of this restaurant, overlooking Mears Park. It was very festive with all of the trees lit up. I thought the service was excellent and very attentive and FACES has a decent happy hour with discounts on apps and drinks. I think maybe I ordered wrong, because I wasn't too impressed with my meal. We started with the potato and chorizo croquettes and they were a bit on the bland side. My hubby was expecting more flavor from the chorizo, but they were basically just balls of deep fried mashed potatoes. For my entree, I ordered the hot turkey sandwich. This came on ciabatta bread with cheese. It was just OK. I thought it was also pretty bland, and you definitely don't need two pieces of ciabatta with this sandwich, that would be way too much bread. The sandwich was already a bit dry, so I couldn't imagine adding another slice of bread. It need something, a sauce of some other vegetables to make it more exciting. My hubby ordered the lobster po-boy and enjoyed it. I had a bite and thought it also had way too much bread. We also ordered a dessert to go. I would definitely recommend checking out their dessert menu. They make everything in house and like all of their other food, most of it is made with organic ingredients. We decided to try the carrot cake. I've never had carrot cake with orange marmalade filling, and I'm not really sure I liked it. The marmalade was a bit on the bitter side and seemed to soak through the entire cake. On the plus side, the cake was very moist and the cream cheese frosting wasn't too sweet.
(3)Kate P.
Maybe 2.5 stars. You get 3 for all the great work you're doing bringing organic, sustainable food to St. Paul! Great service! Nice clean modern feel without feeling stuffy. Love the organic local grass fed commitment to food. I ordered the cheese plate for two which was good-chef's choice on the cheese and meat combo. Then I ordered the mushroom rissoto. It was pretty bland, cooked well and a generous portion, but almost tasteless. My friend got the couscous. Also very bland. When the chef came around and asked how we liked our meals, we shared a little friendly feedback, which he welcomed the truth. It's hard telling someone you didn't like their food. I love the commitment to improve. We ordered the creme brule for dessert--spot on! We may be back to give it one more chance as the menu looked yummy, however, based on this one experience (with both our entrees not very tasty) we wouldn't be back.
(3)Erin M.
I have not eaten here so I can not comment on the food, however I have heard mixed reviews. The only nice thing I can say about the place is that they have a nice ambiance. My complaint and the reason for my rating is because of the service and staff. The staff is unfriendly and rude. Not only is the staff really slow with service but the drinks were terrible. I will never return to this establishment after seeing a Mexican looking man be arrested for falling asleep at a table (no fighting or arguments from this man). His friend who did nothing but tell the officers he would take his friend home also got arrested. They were sitting close to our table and I assure you the staff never asked to call him a cab, or asked his friend to make him leave. I have to ask why the bartender had not been arrested or fined for over serving...
(1)David L.
Love this place been here many times and the food is outstanding and the service is awesome. I am so happy to find a place like this to enjoy.
(5)Fred S.
I have no idea why people aren't flocking to this place. This is a reasonably-priced, fairly upscale restaurant catering to young adults, and I think it hits all those marks. The dinners are fantastic and the portion sizes are reasonable (not small, but not gargantuan). If you are expecting Chino Latino-St. Paul, you'll be disappointed, but I wasn't. My wife and I have been here 3 times for dinner and each time, it's been great, delivered timely and the waitstaff has been very helpful. Drinks are made well and no more or less expensive than any good drink in the Metro (they knew what a Cuba Libre was without me explaining), and it's in a great location. Give this place a try - I hope your experience mirrors mine.
(4)Drea H.
So it's been about 6 weeks since the debacle of our anniversary dinner at Faces. Given that I'm less irritated than I was and trying to be fair, I'm giving it 2 stars because the decor was nice, the wine list was decent and the paella special was very good. That said the rest of the meal and experience was really pretty terrible. And here's why....despite being a lovely balmy fall day they had just one waitress for from my count 10 tables. She had a couple people that she was supposed to be training but they didn't seem to have any experience so essentially she was on her own without anyone to even bus tables. As a result service was extremely slow - we're talking 30 minute intervals between seeing her, 45 minutes to get the check, you get the picture. Aside from that the food ranged from mediocre to ghastly. We had the chorizo beignette appetizer, bland and barely warm. Whoever made the paella knew what they were doing and that was cooked perfectly and tasted good. The burger, however, was inedible - overcharred and then covered with really pungent cheese so it tasted like burnt hair and sweat socks. Seriously, he managed about 2 bites and then gave up, spitting the second bite into his knapkin. By the time the waitress showed up again some 30 minutes later it seemed too hopeless to order anything else so we opted for coffee, a cafe au lait and a dessert. No joke she comes back 20 minutes later with the coffee and a sheepish look saying that nobody there knew how to make cafe au lait. Sigh. Yeah the whole thing started out a little funny and just devolved into 2 1/2+ extremely painful hours and we couldn't even leave because we still hadn't gotten the check. Bad.
(2)Mark A.
This is an odd restaurant of sorts. The interior is all over the place and I could never get the intent of what kind of place it is. The wait staff was much younger than expected so service was a bit off also. One server for several large and small tables, but it's the holidays so maybe that's why they seemed short staffed. As for the food, was not on par as some of the other reviews. I had the croque madame, which was good. The greens were better than expected, as it does pay to use fresh and local when possible, so they get high marks there. I would try again, but if given other choices in the area, would defer to another place first.
(3)Steven S.
Back to Faces and two of my favorite dishes in the Twins Cities. The Tagine is unreal and if you have never had it, you must give it a try. Ask for a side of Challah, as the sweetness of the bread goes perfectly with the spices of the sauce. Also, they have the best chicken wings I have ever had. I don't know how to describe it. You must try it!
(5)Cualeng V.
I think the downside with a place like FACES is that it's hard to cater to a type of crowd that normally doesn't reside close by. Aside from the residents of the apartments above it, most of the clientele in the downtown STP area are probably more comfortable spending significantly less for a beer and bar food than indulge themselves in the subtle flavors and not so subtle prices of FACES. Overall, I think the ambiance, the service, and the local and organic food options match the prices very well. The lobster tacos on the appetizer menu is probably the single best item there. Marinated in a garlic butter and paired with gruyere and a light salsa, it is balanced quite well, the lobster seasoned to perfection. We also had their meat and cheese board, which was also excellent. Even the free bread and fresh-made butter was delicious. I came with family and we tried several different dishes - pan-seared halibut over couscous, grass-fed new york strip steak, and the Moroccan lamb tagine, braised in an almond stock. The halibut was cooked well and paired very well with the couscous. Tthe NY strip was average at best, and the lamb tagine was interesting and unique. The flavors were definitely something I've never experienced before - tasty, but the lamb itself was a bit overcooked. We also had a bottle of their Malbec (which one I can't remember) and it was exquisite. Usually I'm not the biggest fan of red wines, especially bad ones, but I was pleasantly surprised. Honestly though, for the price, it better be good =] FACES is a place I'd take a recent transplant to the cities or family/friends that are visiting; it definitely is one of the better restaurants here in the cities I've frequented, and you don't have to have a reservation or plan a week in advance to go to. It's a nice little restaurant in severe need of more clientele, but I hope it sticks around for the next time I wander by.
(3)Thaddeus S.
I really like Faces Mears Park. I thought the name was a little hokey at first, but it really fits once you walk in the door. The all-glass wall facing Mears Park has a spectacular view of the park day or night. The interior has a classy feel that compliments what Lowertown is trying to become, Don't get me wrong, I don't think Lowertown is trying to be classy, but to make it a destination location, Lowertown needs a place where suits can bring their dates. And FMP fits that niche. As for the food, I've only tried the burger, the hot brown and the meatball sandwich. The hot Brown was fantastic, the meatball was good, but the burger was a little too lean for my liking. Despite getting it medium, it was still not juicy enough for my liking. All the bread, buns and rolls are made onsite which adds to the freshness of all the sandwiches. The staff really goes out of their way to make sure you enjoy your time here without being over done. They seem to genuinely care that you like this place and that their business succeeds. That being said, so far lunch time is usually busy, but dinner hour is hit or miss. Check it out if you are in the area. I really like to see this place stick around for awhile.
(4)Liza V.
Service is SO SLOW!! Food is only ok...I will try it one more time.
(2)Austin W.
This place is above average, i don't know why the other reviews are so mediocre . Cobb salad was excellent and the homemade dressing with it was delicious We had a group of 10 for lunch and the service was perfect and everyone enjoyed their food.
(4)Nancee M.
Used a Living Social deal for a four-course dinner with wine for 2. Service was attentive and knowledgeable. The Moroccan cigar starter was excellent and paired well with sparkling wine. The flavors and aromas absolutely tantalizing. Next came salmon with stewed chickpeas. Loaded with flavor, well spiced but not spicy. The addition of herbs just before serving showed a deft hand at delivering flavor. Next was the lamb tagine. Again, the aromas, taste and texture were all spot on. Would have been the perfect dish had it been paired with rice to soak up and enjoy the sauce. The bread they gave us seemed an after thought. The finale...2 desserts were awesome. The creme brûlée was served as a tart. Perfectly flavored...you could pick out the vanilla against the eggy goodness of the custard. The molten chocolate was equally out of this world. You got the taste of chocolate rather than a mouth full of sugar. Delicious.
(4)Becky S.
Love: Blueberry Lemonade and the gal who made them for me. Was her name Makayla?.........my favorite thing of the evening. Fishbowl Chocolate Mousse Orangy Carrot Cake SeaSalt French Fries Scalloped potatoes California Salad - A perfect summer salad. Good: My salmon. It was cooked (rare) and presented beautifully/perfectly. Room for improvement in regard to flavor, though. Tuna Tartare - too much vinegar. My Grey Goose martini. This was my second time having cocktails at Faces and I find their martini pours are "short". Filler up! Espresso. Sea bass Not Good. The two butter cream desserts. You've nailed the buttercream, Faces. But, the cake was D - R - Y.
(3)Michelle W.
I was a bit scared after reading the other Yelp reviews of FACES. However, since the menu looked inviting and the prices were good, I decided to give it a try. Well - it is because of my dining experience that I have finally registered to write reviews on Yelp and have officially graduated from lurker to contributor. My husband ordered the hot brown sandwich and said he would for sure order it again. My friend ordered the meatball sub. It was huge and the meatballs had an outstanding flavor! She thought the french roll was a bit tough, but I found it to be a typical french roll. Now - I ordered the grassfed NY Strip medium rare. My steak was delivered closer to medium and I sent it back. The chef came out immeditely to apologize and stated he would cook it for me himself. Our waitstaff was knowledgeable and friendly and able to make recommendations upon request. In addition, they gave us a complimentary dessert special which was a fabulous bread pudding that evening. I would think a visit during spring or summer is in order so that we could enjoy the view of Mears Park. Also - would love to see an expanded selectionof wines by the glass. However, the Hob Nob Pinot Noir I had was fantastic! I will definitely go back to FACES.
(4)Alex M.
Went here for a engagement party. It was OK. The portions seemed fair, yet the beer/wine/spirts were over priced. The bread was great though, a definite plus. There is a bakery which if rated would get a 5. Service ok as well. I just wasn't overly impressed by the food. Nothing was bad, it just didn't stand out as being great. I'll give this place another try, but I'll do a happy hour.
(3)Tom H.
I work in the same building FACES is located in so I was able to try it out on opening day during the lunch hour. The staff was helpful, polite, and very knowledgeable about the menu. After seeing the menu, it seems like the food is more French inspired then the American cuisine that FACES was advertising as their inspiration. After enjoying the complementary Gruyere Puff Pastries, I ordered the Croque Madame. The food arrived relatively quick and was quite good. The entire process from being seated to paying my bill was under an hour which is a necessity if your having a business lunch. I would return here again for lunch, but I do wonder if the kitchen and staff can keep up the good performance they had on their opening day.
(4)Chowderhead C.
Great space, great bar, great bartender, great ingredients, poor execution.
(3)Ben E.
We live and work downtown and have given Faces several chances, but have now given up. Lunch, dinner, happy hour, everything here just doesn't seem to work. The staff barely knows the menu, and we had to ask if there were any specials. They also only had one server for the entire, patio that was quite full. She seemed overly flustered, and honestly I would be too. Lunch took over an hour for 2 people, that's just not acceptable when I need to get back to the office. The "Asian" tuna sandwich was just awful. Apparently Asian means peanut butter, and while the menu description (and the server's) indicated it would be spicy, the sandwich wasn't any spicier than the ketchup. The meatballs sub was OK at best, the meatballs were fine, but the "crusty bread" was so hard you couldn't chew through it, and the host had taken our knives and then wasn't around to ask for another one once we realized one was needed. The fries were soggy and limp upon arrival. When we commented to the host about the bread she responded that she had to cut that off for her children too. Thanks for the insult. The Monte Christo sandwich and the pizza were both fine, but neither was good enough to make me want to return. It's really a shame this place just can't seem to get it together, it has the best patio on Mears Park (really the only one) and the space itself is quite nice. With all the great new restaurants in Lower Town, I just can't come up with a reason to head back to Faces unless it's a night of unseen/unseeing we're looking for. Another Fhima failure I guess. In short: Good: Only patio you can sit more than two people at a table in Lower Town OK drink specials on happy hour Mediocre: Interior space Wait staff is friendly Half the menu Awful: The other half of the menu Over worked wait staff at lunch Untrained/Unknowledgeable staff Whoever the hostess is The over abundance of Gruyere cheese on everything
(1)Chet M.
Can you say horrible service! We made reservations for Valentine's Day for two at 7:00 PM. When we arrived and checked in with the greeter, we were told that there would be a SHORT wait before we would be seated. The greeter bought us one glass of champagne each for the inconvenience. As we were waiting...the greeter forgot about us, as an 1 hour passed and our one glass of champagne was empty. I had to go and remind the greeter that we had reservations for two at 7:00 PM. We finally got seated at 8:00 PM after a hour wait. The service from our waiter was nothing but sub par, as I was not impressed. The food was just as horrible as the service. The fish dish we ordered was like microwaved fish on a a soup of ketchup. Come to say the best part about of the meal was the bottled water that I purchased with the meal. I would have eaten and enjoyed the service and food from white castle better than this establishment. I have to say that the ambiance was great and I enjoyed the surroundings, but service and food quality was something to be desired. I would not recommend this establishment to a friend or co-worker. I take that back, I would recommend this place to a friend or co-worker that I did not like or respect.
(1)Alex C.
The food portions are decent and most of the food I have had was decent and the price was moderate. I recommend the burger as well as curry chicken sandwich. The wings are very saucy and difficult to eat without making a mess. Nothing I have had really stands out. This place is more a place to eat as a matter of convenience than for a dining experience.
(3)Susan B.
A group of 4 of us dined outside on the especially warm evening of March 17, 2012 and had a great experience with great food. We felt like we could've been sitting in a neighborhood in Boston, Chicago or NY with the lovely old architecture all around us and the quaint park across the street. (Again, why don't we go to St. Paul more often??) David Fhima has put together a locale that hits that "sweet" spot of cool and classy without pretentiousness. Our salad and flatbread pizzas had fresh, flavorful ingredients. The homemade croutons on my "Faces" house salad were the best I've ever tasted. This place has ambience AND flavor for a very reasonable price point. We were headed to the Ordway so we were on a schedule and the staff stepped up the pace for us. Can't wait to go back on a summer evening and sit outside again without feeling hurried. But even if I'd have to sit inside, there are plenty of huge windows facing the park.
(4)Rebekah K.
Inconsistant. That's the theme here. First, made to feel as if seating us was an imposition. Was told we couldn't be seated outside because of a wedding going on which made no sense as the wedding was inside. Seated in high-traffic area. Gave drink order right away, then watched the empty bar for 20 minutes while the server gave us some excuse about them needing to open a new bottle of vodka for my drink. Finally went to bar ourselves to order directly from bartender and our drinks "magically" appeared. The tomato pasta was excellent. Tomatoes soaked in balsamic with homemade whole wheat pasta. However, salmon was too salty, rice too peppery, and didn't taste rosemary at all until last few bites and then that's ALL I could taste. Would like to try more of their pasta dishes, but experience was so inconsistant I don't think I'd risk it. Too bad.
(2)B M.
Where do I begin? Came here for a Bachlorette party dinner. Had 17 guests, made a reservation. Seated right away in a private section which was nice. Then it took 30 minutes for our drink orders... Our server apologized and told us it was her first night ever serving, as she used to be a hostess. Really? A table of 17 for a new staff? Not the best decision, I felt bad for the poor girl. As for the food- our table got a variety of dishes. Two pizzas- both were so overcooked they were brown. And one was missing a few ingredients we requested. Honestly the pizza was plain and not anything special. Also ordered a 4 dishes of Rigatoni. One was missing goat cheese, another missing pine nuts. It was odd they all came out different when no one substituted anything.. Fries were plain and really greasy. The ranch dressing could keep vampires away- and I like garlic, but it tastes like I was chewing a garlic clove. Shrimp cocktail was 4 pieces of shrimp- I would expect more for the price. We had to request drinks multiple times before actually receiving them. We did end up with another server whom was helping our table which was nice. Then came time for our tabs. We told the server to do whatever would be easiest for her. 30 minutes passed, still no tab. Some ladies had to leave to they told her exactly what they had so she could print off a bill. Mistakes, confusion.... Another 30 minutes passed as we were all getting anxious to leave and go dancing. Still no tab, our server came back and forth multiple time so confused. Another server tried to help too but I wasnt exactly sure what the problem was. Finally one of the ladies just decided to put the whole tab on her credit card and we would figure it out later because it was taking so long. That tab included what was already paid for, so it was a confusing mess. By this time both servers were crying. Our group didn't know what to do, and finally the whole bill was taken care of by the restaurant. So we appreciated FACES paying the bill, as they should have. It almost seems comical how much went wrong. I can't say that I would recommend this place after this experience. I have been here twice before and both times was underwhelmed.
(1)Melissa W.
What can I say? It's exactly what we've come to expect from David Fhima, the good and the bad. The food--very good. Loved the gougeres and the homemade pasta with tomato sauce. The service? Well, it was weird. Not really good, not really bad, just weird. At times, the servers were overly attentive and seemed to hover when we were clearly trying to chat and told the server to come back in a few minutes. Unfortunately, that somehow translated into a complete lack of service. When the server would arrive, we always got a several-minute lecture on the restaurant and the food. The lectures seemed rehearsed and were given without any real feeling. In the end, it was just more interruption. I love Lowertown, but there are so many better options here. I'm afraid this might be another LoTo (or Fhima's) that will only be around for only a little while.
(2)Brittany L.
Big fan of the roast chicken
(5)Lexy B.
I've become a regular here and I've enjoyed every visit. The staff is wonderful and always ready to accomodate your requests. I love the unique menu and the realistic portion sizes.
(5)Penne S.
We arrived early 1/21 for our 7PM reservation but our table was ready because the place was nearly empty. It filled up rapidly after 7PM. Bar crowd was lively but not excessively noisy. Our server was prompt, eager & had the specials memorized. I am always leery of having my order committed to someones memory. The only slip up came with our appetizer. We ordered the braised ribs but were brought the braised rib sliders which when we sent them back were brought back to us by our server who explained, carefully, how they were just the same but just had the buns. Since we knew we would get the exact same meat brought back to us without the cute little buns, we ate them & enjoyed them completely. We thought it was a bit silly of the server to constantly refer to 'my beef is raised...,my chicken is raised..., my greens are sourced...' Hubby offered condolences to the server on the slaughter of his beef which initially went right over the youngsters head, but he did see the humor in it. The complimentary cheese puffs were wonderful. The rosemary bread was mundane and the sweetened butter served with it was a horrid addition. A dish of olive oil would have been far better although I suppose for Mr. Fhima that is too trite. Our cocktails were OK. The vodka & blackberry puree concoction that I had seemed to really be made with a pour of blackberry syrup. Pretty to look at, it was. I had the California salad which was wonderful. Hubby had the soup special of (supposedly) black lentils & garbanzo beans in a tomato broth. If black lentils were used, they lost all of their beautiful color. Even so, the soup was very good. I had the Seafood Linguine which consisted of salmon chunks, sea bass chunks & prawns (because they were out of mussels) in a light turmeric & coconut milk sauce = fish curry over pasta. I truly like curry so was pleased as could be with the excellence of this dish. I suppose, however, if it were on the menu as 'fish curry' far too few folks would order it because they (think they) don't like curry. Hubby had one of the dinner specials: chicken done Moroccan style = tender chicken with potatoes, tomatoes & green olives in a wonderful saffrony, slightly lemony broth. The La Mura, Bianco, a Sicilian white wine was superb with our dinner selections. We are partial to red wines but these dishes called for a good white and this didn't disappoint us especially since we do like Sicilian white wines. Our server comped the key lime tart for my husband's birthday treat. It was only OK. The crust had been over baked, the lime wasn't particularly pronounced, and the drizzle of rich chocolate sauce on the plate overwhelmed the lightness of the tart filling. I make a better lime tart. We hope David Fhima works out the kinks in this current endeavor. We have eaten at all of his past locations with generally good results even when the prices seemed overly inflated. The decor seems haphazard. The floor was drafty. The view was wonderful with the light snow falling. More attention to my seriously empty water glass would have been great instead of me having to constantly flag someone down to get a refill. We ill give this another go because we were pleased with the food overall.
(4)