Located on North Washington at the southeast corner of N. 8th Ave., Borough is pleasing to both the eye and the palate. The interior is beautifully designed with dark woods throughout and leather and plaids cover the chairs and banquettes. The chandeliers include converted graters and antiqued copper shades illuminating the space with a soft and inviting light. Mirrors adorn a tiled wall, a large collage of distressed 8x8 railroad ties cover the far wall with a long highly polished reclaimed wood table under the railroad ties. On my initial visit I ordered two dishes, the "Pork Belly" for an appetizer and the "Swordfish" for my entrée. The "Pork Belly" was served with butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, wild rice and maple. The pork belly was two separate preparations in one piece; one side was succulent and delicious with a touch of BBQ sauce, while the other was a little over-salted and not as satisfying. The butternut squash was creamy and delightful and worked perfectly with the crunchy roasted wild rice that sat atop. A couple of shallot "hearts" accompanied the wild rice and they added a slight spice to the sweetness of the squash. The shaved Brussels sprouts were delicious, with great flavor, and offered a slight crunchiness to the dish. The "Swordfish" was grilled and served with smoked tomato grits, clams, salsa verde and caponata. The two small cubes (about 2-ounces each) of swordfish were cooked to medium-rare, still translucent on the interior. The texture was wonderful, firm, yet soft, and the flavor was mild and complemented every other item on the plate. The ingredient not mentioned on the menu was the centerpiece of the accompaniments, escarole. It delivered a nice little kick of spiciness and when combined with the grape tomatoes and the corn kernels, was delicious. The smoked tomato grits was formed into a small triangle and fried. It was a delicious addition. The caponata added a good level of saltiness. The clams were not necessary; they did not add anything to the dish Service was fantastic. My server is the benchmark for others in MSP, he knew the menu, was comfortable in making recommendations and if he did not have an opinion of an item that was added that day he was honest. He recommended the swordfish and I was incredibly grateful since it was delicious. Borough is a great place for some incredibly creative dishes in a very cool atmosphere. read more

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Same owners as 112. This restaurant is alittle quieter and a lot larger. Food is fantastic and the desserts are to die for As specially the apricot cake a must try. We enjoyed it very much and the service was exceptional, they were always right there filling the water glasses a sign of great wait staff. And as usual mid western hospitality shown by all who work here read more

Borough - Front of restaurant - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

An absolute must- visit for happy hour. I had this idea that this was a fancy, pricey restaurant and was surprised by visiting on a weeknight at 5pm by the large menu of specials. There's a great beer selection for less than $5, a great variety of foods and a large patio seating area because- who doesn't like to have happy hour in the sun? I got the frose- this is normally a frozen, blended drink so I was surprised when they brought me a pink drink with lots of small ice pieces. Despite the different appearance, I was pleasantly surprised by how refreshing the drink was- especially because it was a 90 degree day. Easy to drink, the perfect amount of sweetness and surprisingly strong! We also ordered one order of the fries for $3. The three of us were going to each order one, expecting a small side of fries- no. Our server advised us to only order one because it's a huge bowl. Also order the burger. It's only $9 on happy hour which is a steal of a deal for what I've heard people say is the best burger in the cities (from Parlour because they share a kitchen). Another secret- the popcorn. It's not on the menu but order a bowl of it (plenty to share for the three of us) for something like $3. We were told it has togarashi (no idea what it is but that's what our server said) which adds almost a barbecue flavor with slight spice to it. After one visit, Borough became one of my favorite restaurants. I can't wait to return for dinner when I can try more of the entrees, and happy hour of course because of the great prices. read more

Best burger I've ever had, hands down. Melts in your mouth! Great atmosphere, great drinks. HIGHLY recommend this place.

well, there's enough positive reviews that I don't have to go overboard here, but I'd definitely put this on the must-try list. The ambiance and food match to bring a nice warm feel. The food is definitely chef inspired and gourmet. The menu changes often but the waiters do a great job of presenting the differences, and I'm guessing you can't go wrong anyway. I really have to say this is a great addition to the neighborhood and it fits in perfectly since it's a high end restaurant without the pomp and pretentiousness that you get once you get more into the heart of downtown. It's the sort of place you can stop by for a drink and and appetizer after work or have a full blown special occasion meal. read more

I really liked the lighting fixtures and use of space. Appeared very clean and sophisticated. My only gripe would be the service was a little slow sometimes. My boyfriend ran out of water several times and had to borrow some of mine. Also, after ordering the first course our server didn't inquire about our prefences for the second & third courses. When the food did come out it was nicely arranged. It seemed they did put some thought into the preparation and quality of ingredients was good. Great date spot for a romantic candlelight dinner. read more

Borough - Cucumber dessert with lychee sorbet - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Showed up for lunch here and it was great! The lunch menu was very fresh but limited. I had the flank steak salad and it was on point! Healthy portion of steak cooked perfectly on a bed of Romain, ripe avocado, and fresh queso fresco. Service was good, it wasn't really that busy when I was in there on a Wednesday. I would go back for sure. Thanks Borough. read more

Borough - Lunch Flank Steak Salad. - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

This WAS one of my favorite restaurants until last visit. We had a group of 8 people on a Saturday night. The menu was limited with half the items sold out and it was 8pm ......on a Saturday. We decided to kick the night off with a dozen oysters. Big mistake, the oysters came out after about 20 minutes and they were warm. Absolutely disgusting ...... we then decided to order entrees. After ordering the server didn't bother to take any of the menus. We then waited close to 40 minutes to receive our first drinks and over an hour on our food. When we asked about the status of our food our server repeatedly stated that the wait was due to it being a large group. To try and compensate on the lengthy wait on drinks I ordered 19 vodka sodas so we had a couple spares on hand. The the server thought I was kidding and didn't bother to bring those as well. To cap things off when it came time to close out it took almost 20 minutes to receive our bill. So to recap: Service time - F Atmosphere - F (zero music no vibe) Food Quality - F Drink Quality - F Overall Service: F This dining experience ranks as my worst ever visit to a restaurant in Minneapolis. I can't give Borough a lower possible score. read more

Overpriced food and small plates. It is set up as ordering a 3 course meal. I asked the server for her recommendations and she suggested the tartare and the octupus. The octupus was really quite delicious but I don't know what the hype is about with the tartare. For an entree, I went with the chicken. The jalapeno gravy was really good but overall, I was not impressed for the price. Although the server did let me down with the tartare suggestion, she was actually the best part of the experience. Very attentive, went over the menu thoroughly, and was just fun to talk to. There is a small metered parking lot that I believe also does valet. But otherwise, its all street parking and praying for a spot nearby. read more

Lovely restaurant, nice waiters, but really overpriced, not very good food. Tiny weird crab salad, okay French fries, good hamburgers and small but not tasty desserts. Not sure why anyone would go there. Very small menu. Nothing in the prefixed $63-73 menu looked good. The four of us ordered ala carte or a burger from Parlour menu. Would not recommend. read more

Superb lamb meatballs with caramelized glaze. Great crispy fries. And yes, one of the best burgers in town--the meat and bun have a pleasant texture and buttery smoothness, nothing more than a pickle garnish needed (but a few sprigs of arugula wouldn't hurt). Great happy hour deals with small food selection and cocktails on tap. read more

Borough - Indoor seating with big industrial windows. - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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This place has my favorite tasting menu in Minneapolis! Tried the octopus, Rabbit and alligator sausage and lingonberry snowball dessert. Creative menu in a cozy, minimalist atmosphere. Next time my goal is to try the wine pairing! #boroughrestaurant read more

Borough - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Have always loved coming here and sitting on the patio/bar. However, tonight for the first time we sat inside, our reservation was at 6:15 and it took over 3 hours on a Tuesday night. We waited for over an hour to even be able to order our food. THEN we find a mouse crawling on our stuff and all they had to say was "the mouse came out to play". A fricken mouse was crawling right beneath our table and over our feet and not one single person apologized. Everyone was pretty appalled by how the situation was handled (or ignored?). Wouldn't recommend going here if you are looking for good service. read more

This is what happens when chefs throw the rules out the window. Either someone let a dishwasher add ideas to the seasonal dishes, or someone was trying to push the envelope a little too far... Let me start off by saying that my wife and I were here previously for Valentine's Day last year, for the 5 course meal, and it was delicious. I'm not sure what happened between then and now, but something definitely has changed. We consulted with our waitress, and ordered one starter off of list #1, one second course off of list #2, and then each an entree, which was the perfect amount of food. We started with the king crab, which had guajillo peppers, blueberries, amaranth, carrots, and preserved lemon. We didn't think much of the interesting combination of flavors before ordering it, but needless to say, it was different, as in "Minnesota different". The blueberries completely overpowered the king crab, and was such a weird pairing that both of us immediately looked at each other, and without even saying a word knew that the other person was thinking the same thing. Along with that, the guajillo peppers also covered up the richness of the king crab, even though they were not overly hot. Just two very strange additions that it felt like were thrown in at a drunken brainstorming session. Chef says "alright guys, what else should we throw in with the crab dish?" "Carrots!" "good, what else?" "Some lemon!" "Great, what else?" "Blueberries and peppers!" "Aw sure, why the hell not?!" Thus, appetizer by committee... For round two, we had the Octopus. Very delicious, and had sauce and toppings that were at least complimentary to it. Yam, soy, shavings of daikon, cilantro, lime, and peanuts. Nothing overpowered it, and the cook on the octopus was incredible. I would definitely recommend, and would get this again. For my entree, I had the scallops. It was served on a bed of red wine risotto, with a side of raw vegetables. Yes, a handful of raw vegetables that simply went through a mandolin, which apparently makes vegetables worth $30. No salt, no dressing, no olive oil, no blanching, no quick pickling, not a god damn thing done to them. I guess I should be thankful they weren't dunked in blueberries, or something crazy like that. As far as the risotto, what in the living fuck!? Red wine does not go with seafood, period. Someone deserves to be slapped, because clearly they did not taste the dish with all of the components done. If this were done on any of the cooking competition shows, they would be thrown out. Joe Bastianich would spit it out and throw the entire plate away. Not only was it a overly tart and biting flavor of red wine in the risotto, it was thin and watery, not a nice creamy texture like risotto should be. 86 this right away, and maybe do something like a white wine risotto instead, which probably would have actually worked. And while they are at it, make sure it is creamy like risotto, not watery like a bowl of uncle ben's rice in the microwave with a little too much water added. My wife had the chicken, which was wrapped in bacon, and both our proteins were extremely delicious and well prepared, but again it was the odd pairings as sides that threw curveballs. Hers was served on German potato salad, with a biscuits and gravy style cream, small silver dollars drop biscuits, and peanuts. Potato salad we understood, and maybe the gravy. Biscuits were small, seemed out of place, and unnecessary. The peanuts were just weird. Maybe they ordered too many peanuts and just felt they needed to include them in every dish. Overall, I'm not sure what is going on with the menu, but there are just some pairings that definitely don't belong together. I was so impressed the first time we were here, and now we're left wondering what happened. I guess my best advice is skip the weird seasonal stuff and get the parlor burger. At least I know that won't disappoint! read more

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I live a block away and was excited to check out this new entry into the North Loop restaurant scene. We just happened to wander by 2 weeks after the restaurant opened, and it was fully packed on this Tuesday night. They invited us to check out the Parlor first(downstairs cocktail bar with a very light food menu). It was a bit confusing re whether they had put us on the waiting list for the Borough restaurant or not. Our server did work with the restaurant to secure us a table, and a staff member came to get us when our table was ready upstairs. We did try the cheese plate and a couple cocktails from the Parlour's menu. It would be nice if there were something more substantial on the appetizer menu downstairs, in the event that the restaurant upstairs is too busy to get a table. The cheese plate was good, with a nice variety of cheeses, cashew butter, cherry jam and homemade crackers. The crackers were a bit greasy, and we could have used more to go with the cheese offered. The cocktails were very good, each with unique flavors. The atmosphere downstairs was very welcoming, with a number of seating areas with comfortable chairs. Although it was in a lower level area, the large warehouse windows and evergreen trees lit with white lights made for a great space. The kitchen was an open style, and visible from the upstairs bar. Of course a draw was that the chefs hailed from Travail. The waiter upstairs was very friendly and provided attentive service. The atmosphere was industrial, with concrete, tall ceilings, lamps made from cheese graters, and a wall of blocked wood pieces. We enjoyed the pasta and the burger very much. The burger was actually amazing- sirloin with juicy mushrooms, cheese, onions,and some superb flavor that didn't seem to be listed on the menu. The prices were reasonable also. We plan to definitely return, and being some friends!! read more

The customer service here was amazing. Social distancing and mask wearing was enforced and I felt very safe. The decor and lighting is beautiful and the food was amazing. I definitely recommend the oysters both east and west coast as well as the gnocchi and parlour burger. The bar tender also made delicious mock tails. Overall 10/10 experience and will for sure be returning. read more

LOVE. THIS. PLACE. I wish I could afford to eat here all the time. The food was awesome. I loved the lamb, the octopus and the goat cheese balls. Seriously fantastic dining. Our server was wonderful. I do wish the seating could be less open/more private for a romantic date but I'm not complaining because I was WAY more focused on the food than the company I was with :) read more

Dined at Borough on 2/16/14 and had a delightful and mouth-watering time. The restaurant still had the valentines menu being served for $55/person and a three course menu to choose from. First of all, the service was top notch even though we were one of the five to six tables full there. Borough is definitely in my top five of best restaurants in TC. I will go back for sure and try more things. Yummy! read more

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This was our first time here and it was restaurant week. Our choices were limited but amazing! Our table started with the tuna tartare, asparagus, pork belly, octopus and carpaccio!!!!! All amazing starters. Our main dishes were delicious. Layers of flavor on each dish. The chocolate orange ginger dessert was fabulous! Drinks to try: Moscow mule, the ginger basil gimlet and a French 55? Anthony was our server and gave us amazing service. read more

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These menu items are little dated but that just means I need to head back to Borough asap! Good food, atmosphere and service. The last time we were there we got the: Duck - Prosciutto, Rillette, Pâté, Aspic, Fig, Pickles, Mustard 15 Veal - Poached, Tonnato, Avocado, Arugula, Pine Nuts, Boquerones, Brioche 13 Prawns - Grilled, Ricotta Cavatelli, 'Nduja, Tomato, English Peas, Radish 15 Sweetbreads - Lamb, Ramps, Gribiche, Pesto, Baguette, Pecorino 13 Octopus - Yam, Soy, Daikon, Cilantro, Lime, Peanuts 16 Lamb - Loin, Belly, Cheeks, Couscous, Fava Beans, Peas, Harissa, Jus 30 Steak - Ribeye, Maki Roll, Broccolini, Wasabi Peas, Ponzu 29 Beets (Buttermilk, Egg, Walnut, Radish, Watercress, Trout Roe, $11) Halibut (Pan Seared, Spring Onions, Wild Mushrooms, Potato, $29) read more

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Best Manhattan I've ever had in my life. Great service! Stop downstairs for the Parlour Burger. Can't beat it.

Went there on a Saturday night. Glad we experienced Borough but wasn't wowed by it and won't be rushing back. Our server was polite and professional and knowledgeable about the menu. One odd thing I noticed is that we asked him to recommend some of his favorite items on the menu, and the things he recommended to us were different from what he recommended to the table right next to us. Thought it was weird that he wasn't consistent. Based on his recommendations, we got: Burrata: beautiful presentation. Unique concept and creative flavor combinations. Very good. Fried cauliflower: well seasoned. Included two fried oysters. Portion was tiny. Loved the cauliflower and oysters - didn't care for the pickled vegetables. Green beans. Came with a yogurt sauce. A bit Middle-eastern in flavor. Beans were perfectly cooked - crisp-tender. I liked the yogurt sauce but didn't think it complemented the beans. Octopus: Our server's top recommendation. Slow roasted for 8 hours. You get one tentacle per serving. Tasted very good. My husband didn't like the consistency of the octopus but loved the sauce that came with it. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to those who have never tried octopus and are curious about it. Halibut. Pan roasted. The top was nice and crispy. Very well executed. Fava beans were undercooked so a bit on the hard side. Make a reservation if you're going on a weekend. A couple that came in just ahead of us were turned away because they didn't have reservations. The hostess wouldn't even quote them a wait time. read more

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Borough was not terrible but was definitely not worth the cost. We were underwhelmed by the amount and quality of food we got especially considering the high cost it came with. We did the 3 course dinner and left hungry. read more

My future wife (from now on referred to as F.W.) flew in from the warm climate of Wilmington, NC yesterday, somewhat jet-lagged, yet, like me, STARVING! After reading several positive reviews, I quickly picked Borough as our flavor destination...And We are Most happy that I did. The entire staff: 5 Stars The decor: 5 Stars The food/plating: 6 Stars (OUT OF 5 PEOPLE!) Anthony was our server...And he def earned his hourly and gratuity last night, especially after my F.W. pointed out to Anthony and I that her octopus tentacle reminder her of a certain appendage...You get the point ;-) We ordered the following combo: Voodoo Child and Winter Manhattan drinks, Tartare & Broccoli, Pork Belly & Octopus, and the Duck entree to share. We would easily pick the same combo again, sans the broccoli. Now, for die-hard broccoli lovers, this is the dish for you...But, as for the F.W. and me, we would switch out one B veg for the other, the Beets. After witnessing the woman two bench seats to my F.W.'s right have a very noticeable, and might I add hilarious, Foodgasm while eating from the Beet plate, the substitution is a golden choice ;-) The reservations were for 9:15 pm...We exited both slightly buzzed and belly-satiated at 11:10 pm. We will dine here again....and again....etc. So, Get off of your arse and get to Borough! read more

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Here for their happy hour which was fantastic! Highly recommend it! Their ice cream cone with dark chocolate waffle cone and cherry ice cream was great! Prices were good, ambiance was nice and their meat balls were delicious as well. I hope to return for their full menu soon... highly recommend. read more

Borough - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Came up to the hostess and she smiled her fake smile. I asked about a table for two for a quick drink and she said "we have reservations" but yet no tables were filled whatsoever. The server had menus at the ready, seemingly ready to seat us. This was a weird occurrence and there are too many good places to go in Minneapolis to allow racism. Seems like a bit of prejudice involved tonight. Wouldn't recommend. read more

It's one of those places that you want to like, but for the price and atmosphere, it didn't quite hit the mark. We went here as a group of 8, on a Friday night, to celebrate a birthday. While we had a great time, the place could have been better. The service was slacking, making us chase down servers when something was needed. However, they were kind and warm, so it's hard to put them down. The food was tasty, but not amazing enough to warrant the prices. Bottom line: we'd come back if other places at the top of the were not available. read more

Total hipster place where charging maximum dollars and delivering minimum quality is the key ingredient. Shoe sole like wagu! (did not think that even existed), odd flavor combinations, tiny portions, and strange options of wines and beers. No reason to ever go back. Possibly a place to go for a drink, but I'd skip the food and head across the street and get the lobster rolls instead. Disappointing, but zero value for my hard earned dollars at this place. Next. read more

Celebrated Valentine's Day here with their special five course dinner, and we have to say it was some of the best food we've ever had. The courses kept on getting better and better with every bite and every course. From the first, Chilled Lobster Salad starter, to the Intermezzo, extraordinary Sorbet, that just left us in awe! To the very ending with a very special dessert that just literally tasted like how Valentine's Day would taste like. Our favorite course if we just had to pick one was the Lamb Bolognese Ravioli with these amazing little sweet onions that blew us away, and their Braised Pork Cheek over this small bed of what seemed to taste and feel like sweet grits.. It was just all so truly special. The chef here did an incredible job! We are looking forward to coming back here more often on regular, non-holidays. Pretty epic indeed. Also, this was all possible because of Sean, the manager, who was extremely helpful and nice enough to work through a couple of obstacles to get us a table. read more

Not a bad spot in general. There were issues with the timeliness of service. Too much time passed between appetizer and dinner, and the dessert came without the dessert drinks. It was very nice that they comp'ed it when it arrived eventually. The food was rather unremarkable. The flavor was fine, but didn't seem extraordinary (clams and white fish). The sausage and grits were the best part. If I returned, I would probably go for the kitchen counter seating and the burger. read more

I came for the pancakes and was disappointed. -we arrived to a mostly empty restaurant, still had to wait over ten minutes to sit when there were a ton of tables open. -the pancakes were way over cooked, they were crunchy and hard like a brick. They were not fluffy as everyone says. We did not receive any syrup until right before we received the check. -biscuits and gravy were served with cold gravy, and lots of it. This needs to be heated up more, and perhaps add another biscuit. -the omelette was okay, nothing impressive. The strawberry jam was good, but I wish it was received initially with the pancakes. read more

Went here for brunch. Loved the atmosphere of the place. Staff were excellent; they fold your napkin for you when you get up from the table! Food was great, I had the pancakes which look so interesting because they're so tall and fluffy. However, the foie gras butter that comes on the side is gross (unless you like that stuff I guess). It was so unbelievably strong. Other than that the entire experience was great read more

Borough - Pancakes - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

We made reservations weeks in advance on OpenTable for 11/13/17 to celebrate our wedding anniversary at Borough. Epic fail! We received an obnoxious number of reminders; emails, texts, push notifications, and a call. I confirmed the reservation via OpenTable's text message and then we even had a gentleman call us to again confirm the reservation 24hrs in advance and reminded us to show up on time. So this was a twice confirmed reservation. We arrived on time to a mostly empty restaurant on 11/13/17 at 7:30pm. There were 7 tables seated. The pretentious hostess explained, "Your table is ready, but we had a bunch of walk-ins, so like, it's going to be a little while because Mondays are usually slow." No apology, no offer to have a drink at the bar, just told us to stand awkwardly by the couch for 15 minutes while she fiddled with her POS and ran waters because they were so short handed. After 30 minutes of waiting around, we managed to put in a drink order at this mostly empty restaurant. It got to the point where we really felt bad for the staff - they were horribly understaffed. Our server - the only one working last night - was a friendly blonde lady with curly hair. She tried her hardest and was doing the best she could, but nobody can serve an entire restaurant single-handedly. She had tables spanning from the back wall to the Bar area around the corner. Every dish that was delivered to the table next to us came with an, "I'm so sorry for the delay" explanation from the staff because they were so backed up. After 45 minutes, we cut our losses and walked out without ordering. We were really excited to spend our anniversary here and ended up storming out angry and hungry because your manager and host clearly dropped the ball. What a shame, the menu looked great. read more

Went Thanksgiving weekend and sat at the bar, the guys were very friendly and knew their stuff. The meal was inventive and very well executed. Had a great beet appetizer followed by poussin with corn cake and it embodied elegant comfort food. I just needed to eat something when I got home because the prices were steep and had to split the starter & entree with my pal. read more

Going into Borough, my eyes were way bigger than my head, and falling out of my head, reading the amazing menu. I wanted everything and I assumed the portions were going to minuscule since everything sounded so fancy shmancy. I also get really excited when I don't recognize items on the menu, but a little less excited about when the waiter comes over and sees me googling them. HA, embarrassinnnnggg. First off, the waiter gave us the spiel about the menu. My friend and I just sat there blinking when he was done because we were speechless over his knowledge and eloquence. We decided to start with an appetizer each first, then an entree each. In my head, I figured that was just going to be the beginning. But fast forward to our courses being of generous portion! The tuna tartare was insanely delicious - tender big-ass chunks of tuna, nutty (sesame) and light. It came with pineapple kimchi which made me so happy to be alive. For my entree I got the steak: Manhattan, chimichurri, cauliflower, potato, cremoso, pepitas. Ok so this was a big honking dish of everything you could ever want. The steak was a gorgeously grilled 7oz meat party. Half way in I was begging for mercy. I was stuffed!! Oh and my cocktail, Laces Out Dan (Coconut Infused Gin, Dill Aquavit, Aperol, Orgeat, Lime, Jamaican #2 Bitters), could not have been more enjoyable on this summer night. A few other notes: they have free wifi, so ask for the password. Except it wasn't working so well for us :/. Also, their menu rotates often, but the one thing that has always stayed is the fan fave Octopus salad. That'll be the first thing that I consume next time I'm here for sure. read more

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Working in this neighborhood is starting to have its benefits. Lots of good restaurants nearby. Bewiched and Bar La Grassa, and eventually Smack Shack. Sadly I can't yet add "Borough" to the list. It was a snowy Friday evening, I happened to be walking right past this place after trying to go to Penco (which is closed and moving someplace else). It looked interesting and wasn't even aware of its existence until that moment, and I was hungry, so I decided, why not? Walking in, the space strikes me as unique and interesting. The music is kinda cool with a The Current meets New York kinda vibe. I liked the darker lighting, it seemed cozy but with lots of room. The service... well the waiters, waitresses, and bartenders were all so extremely busy. At 5PM. When it really wasn't that busy at all. You try to make eye contact to get someone's attention and they just stared and walked right past you. It took a bit of New York assertiveness to get their attention. I'm starting to understand the name... Of course the servers were nice & friendly when you could get their attention, but even then I felt like you never had their full attention, they were still in motion and brisk, even when talking to them, they were just ready to be somewhere else. The food! What about the food? It's all about the food! Yeah. As a New Yorker would say "Not freakin great". I order the Sturgeon off the "Large" menu for $19 and it tasted pretty fishy and also flavorless, and it was also absolutely tiny. Did I mention it was on their "Large" portions part of the menu? Apparently the food in Borough is sold in portions that only fashion models would appreciate. And based on this, I would assume if I ordered something from the small menu I would need a microscopic sized fork and knife to eat it. But seriously, I actually love smaller portions, but not at that price, and not when it's just so utterly underwhelming and utterly mediocre in taste. Yeah. I mean I can only compare this place to the King of North Loop, Bar La Grassa, which is immediately next door, and actually is legitimately busy all the time and where the staff actually WILL take time to converse and answer mundane questions about the menu. And the food portions are pretty damn big for the price. And the food is amazing. Borough is almost the polar opposite in every regard. My recommendation if you can't get into Bar La Grassa is to avoid this place and instead go to Bewiched Deli for a great sandwich, and if they are not open there's Bunker's across the street where you can get a real cheeseburger, beer and listen to live music. But avoid Borough for now, least until they improve significantly. But hey if you want to eat a place with New York City prices, service, and food portions, but you know, without the delicious NYC food, be my guest. Hopefully all of these issues just happen to be since it's so new. And while this review is harsh, I hope they appreciate the feedback. I will totally give them the benefit of the doubt and check it out again in a few months when hopefully all of these issues are ironed out. I did notice other comments on how loud it is and I would somewhat agree with that as well, however it wasn't very busy so it must not have been that loud yet. read more

Oh mama, I had a great meal here last night. Leah G and I popped over around 8pm last night for a cousin date, and I fell instantly in love with the decor/ambiance of this place. It's a perfect mix between cozy, quirky, and sleek. Check out their over-table lights-they are light bulbs underneath standing cheese graters. I'm surprised I didn't whip out my phone and add to my DIY Pintrest board. So cute. We ordered a bottle of bubbly to split, which paired perfectly with our meals. We both got the soup, which has a champagne broth that they bring to the table separately from the bowl. The bowl is filled with powder and crispy fingerling potatoes, and the server pours the broth into the bowl table side, which I loved. Honestly, the soup was orgasmic. Creamy, rich, and so savory. Perfect with our bubbly. I want more. I also got the scallops, which were prepared perfectly. The maitake mushrooms that accompanied were delicious, and the disc of pancetta gave the scallops some needed snap. Excellent. I also tried Leah's octopus-huge fan. The only slight downside was the service, but they were quite friendly, and I can definitely chalk that up to being pretty new. read more

Borough's patio reminds me of a pier in the middle of the North Loop, there's no water surrounding it...but it just has that feel to it. Went there again last night for a little celebration dinner and once again the team at Borough didn't let me down. Started off with drinks and appetizers at the bar - I asked the bartender to make me something fancy with gin, he definitely delivered with a fernet cocktail that doesn't have a name but tasted like a fruity, boozey accident waiting to happen. The neckbeard ordered a Milk Stout. We started with beets and the tuna - the beet salad came out first and was lick the plate worthy. Beet reduction, nuts, fresh greens, and the best fucking red beets I've had in a long ass time. I would marry that beet salad. The tuna was great, but I didn't want to put a ring on it - so it was more like side chick material. After our appetizers we moved out to the patio for more cocktails and fancy plates. Next we had the chorizo and the prawns, the chorizo was the star of the second courses - it was everything chorizo should be with some octopus added into it. Probably my favorite dish of the night. The prawns had the heads on, being a native Floridian - I loved that...but I can imagine that would be off putting for some patrons. Entrees: I had the halibut and he had the steak. My halibut was smack you in the mouth fantastic and the portion size was great. The steak was a wee bit too salty for my liking, however I did like the wasabi flavoring. I think my entree won. We shared the "apricot" for dessert. It was too sweet for me after a few bites, but the apricot flavor infused into everything was flippin' sexy. Our server and the bartender were funny, engaging, knew all the right times to check in, and made sure we were drunker than a 21 year old after their birthday power hour. I heart Borough. So hard. Right in the face. read more

Borough is where you go for a classy, gastronomical adventure. The chefs here like playing with their food, and I knew I had to come in with an open mind, to try food done in ways I'm not accustomed too. Nor do I want to be: I wouldn't want to eat a "soup" version of a reuben everyday, but it was fun to try it at Borough. More on that later. We came here on a Friday afternoon (around 5:30 PM) with no reservations, and got a table pretty easily. Our server was very knowledgeable and friendly, and I could tell he was very passionate about the menu. I ordered a really strong drink that I sadly cannot remember the name of. All I remember is that it was a "slow sipping" kind of drink, to quote our server. I definitely was sucking on that thing for the whole dinner service, because downing it would've been too...proletarian. For an appetizer, I had the mushroom truffle soup; it was was phenomenal. Once they poured that broth into the bowl, my senses were hit with the undeniable fragrance of the truffle. As I mentioned earlier, Borough likes to play with its food. Case in point: I ordered a "reuben," which was a deconstructed version of this classic sandwich, which had diced cubes of pastrami meat, potato gnocchi with a rye (bread) taste, red cabbage "pearls" served in a big bowl. Then, they pour a "swiss cheese" broth over the whole thing and voila! A dish formerly known as reuben. Dessert was also a lovely play on salty and sweet, with donuts, chocolate dipped bacon, and a yummy sauce served all together. What's better than fried stuff and bacon dipped in sweet stuff? Um, more bacon and fried stuff I suppose. A fulfilling dinner at Borough can run you a pretty penny, but you do pay for more than just food at Borough. You get great service, a handsomely crafted cocktail list (I have to make up overusing the word "stuff"), and unparalleled people watching experience. After sitting at our table for 2+ hours (and getting some ungodly stares, which I can't blame them for), we migrated to the bar, where we had a couple more drinks and had a front-ish seat to the kitchen, the bar, and a Friday nightlife exploding around us. Hopefully, Borough maintains its edginess after all the newness wears off, and the Warehouse District has another get-out-your-checkbook-worthy restaurant. read more

I went here for New Years Eve, walking past all the "clubby" places downtown and all the girls dressed in stuff I probably wouldn't even consider wearing mid August. I only visited the bar due to my rather late timing, so my review will consist of my experience there. However, I do intend on making a return to try the food, because the drinks were that good. This place oozed class. The drinks cost more than the other bars I've visited in downtown Mpls, but the unique offerings, lovely setting, and superior service made a $12 dollar drink seem like a good deal. I had the Brown Derby: which consists of Bourbon, Grapefruit and Yerba Mate infused Honey. Ermahgawd was my mouth watering when I read that description and as I write this review now. Its a lovely, albeit, strong drink to sip, and after that and a few glasses of champagne, I tried Chartreuse (yum!). Ideal for a classy night of drinking! Restaurant review to come! read more