The CG has been around for years and no doubt the malts are out of this world! The fries are pretty darn greasy and good too. Honestly the rest is just ok, I know it use to be better. However...I get the check for 3 of us (1 adult 2 kids) it was $52? I'm sorry but that seems a little steep for lunch!?! Next time, I will just get malts and fries and not break the bank. read more

Convention Grill - Best old fashion Malt in town! - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

I remember coming to the Convention Grill in high school (50 years ago). The ambiance still has the vibe of the original restaurant, with a spotless contemporary cleanliness; no greasy spoon here. The dinner crowd bustled with big young families of happy, wriggling loud kids, and smaller tables of mixed generations. Staff was courteous and used modern gadgets like handheld ordering tablets that also complete credit card payments at the table. Now, about the food, I regret that it did not live up to my memories. I ordered a cheeseburger (meh), a generous order of fries which were pretty good and a full size chocolate malted milk that tasted neither malty nor very chocolatey. My friend thought it was soft-serve; I doubt that, but it didn't seem to be hand scooped either... and for $9.95 I expected morsels of malt at the bottom of the tin. For years to come, this upscale neighborhood will likely continue to make memories at The Convention Grill, while SW high students, like I once was, might opt for less costly after school nosh. read more

food is just like home from the fries to the burger. the salads could use more dressing. ambiance is perfect diner atmosphere. smells of fried foods. the chili is awesome!! they are using the recipe from " Runyons ". now they need Runyons wings ! condiments: lacking here. basic Heinz ketchup and yellow mustard. no spicy brown mustard and no siracha. i suggest bringing your own. i missed this place during the covid shutdown and now very glad it reopened! read more

It all starts with the malts. Malts so thick and so generously served that you are taken to a parallel universe of goodness. It was easily the best malt I've had in my life. Each malt is large enough to fill two malt glasses (makes sense, since they're not exactly cheap at $5.75). We ordered up a strawberry and an oreo - both were fantastic. The fries are similar to State Fair fries or Five Guys fries; i.e. legit potatoes deep fried. No frills here, folks. I was not blown away by the burger itself - good, not great. I wish you could customize the burgers more; the bacon cheeseburger came out with a simple bun, burger patty, cheese, and a couple slices of bacon. I would for sure opt for The Nook or Five Guys for the burger itself. Burgers are about $6, malts are nearly $6, plus $2 per person for fries, and you're quickly looking at a $15 meal. Granted, most people probably opt to split a malt, in which case your meal is a more reasonable $11 or so... read more

Convention Grill - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

The poster child for an original burger joint from the 40's. The waitressess (older women only) still sport the classic all white uniforms and white aprons and write down your order on a little green pad. The menu is quite limited - really the only reason to stop in is for a burger which you can get with or without grilled onions and 3 or 4 different types of cheeses. Lettuce and tomato are available but that's called the "California burger". Their fries are not to be missed - all hand cut - and a very generous portion. The small size easily feeds 3 adults. The other standout are the malts and shakes. They offer a couple dozen choices but we always gravitate to the chocolate (they make their own chocolate sauce). One is eought for two people to share but be careful - the malts come out right away so don't get filled up on the ice cream before your real food arrives! Definitely not a low calorie outing but hey, life is short! Live a litte (once in a while). read more

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LOVE this place and glad they are back open again. Perfect spot for good, no-frills burger and Fries. Their Malts are REALLY good and highly recommend getting one! read more

An acquaintance recommended this place so I decided to check it out. Cute, retro diner that's been around since 1934. I ordered a cheeseburger, malt, and side order of fries. I can't imagine what a regular order looks like as mine was enough for 4 people to share! My burger was good, though I didn't realize I had to order the California to get any toppings besides a few pickle slices. Would have been nice if the server had let me know. The malt was ok, which was a good thing because I didn't feel compelled to drink what was left in the "can", which I didn't need. Service was ok. All in all "ok", definitely not worth the nearly $20 bill for what I ate. read more

Convention Grill - Chocolate "malted milk" - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

This place is as cute as can be. Our friend recommended this place to meet up, so we headed on over after an outing at Lake Harriet. Really cute little diner hamburger joint with plenty of seating in the front or back. Reminds me a little of Annie's where we also ate together. Menus at the table. Simple menu with burgers, fries, malts and other items . Salads, etc. Shared a big basket of fries. Love that they are hand cut. My burger was great. Burger with horseradish and chive cheese, one with muenster, one with American and one turkey burger. Great little joint and a nice afternoon lunch with a great friend and great conversation. read more

Really good patty melt. Hand cut fries were first rate. Cheeseburger was great. 1/2 order of fries would feed 4. Order a shake and split it. If I had one complaint, it would be the prices. The prices are a little more than the fast casual places. read more

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I just don't like the burgers here. We are midst of a burger revolution, where there are dozens of places around that make fantastic burgers, whether it be upscale restaurants, gastropubs, diners, and take out chains, and I feel that Convention Grill has been left behind. I guess it makes sense, as there selling point is how old the restaurant is. I find the buns soggy-ish, and the patty bland. Don't get the blue cheese on your cheeseburger. The fries are very good. The hostess seated us at the counter, then we got no service for 10 minutes until I said something. No one there seemed to take any ownership of the fact that we wanted to eat, and the cooks patently ignored us. It's not there job to take care of us, but it's representative of the culture of a place. read more

It has been at least five years since I last ate at the Convention Grill but nothing seems to have changed in the interim. The menu is mostly burgers so if you are looking for variety this is probably not your place. I was with a group of five and we all had some variation of a cheeseburger. The burgers are fine but nothing spectacular. Standard ground beef on a bun - nothing exotic and a little boring. We had an order of fries which was enough for the entire table. I haven't ever been a big fan of their fries as they are sort of limp but other reviewers seem to like them. The five of us shared two chocolate malts but could not finish them as there was so much food. Service was fine. Even though it was a cold February evening they were busy. I am not a big fan of burgers and fries so I don't feel any need to return but the food is not bad and you get a lot of it. read more

I would recommend this as a great 1950's throwback if you're feeling nostalgic. The portions are epic, but the burger and fries themselves are standard fare, and priced a bit higher. I had great service, to their credit, but left feeling like I was missing something like in Pretty Pink when Iona's friend has to count her keys because she didn't go to prom. read more

So I saw the Convention Grill across the street from the new Chatterbox and it looked like a cool place to try out. My friends said it was a cool idea to try it out and we were amazed. We walked in about noon on a Saturday and there were a ton of people waiting to be seated. We asked ourselves after seeing the tons of burgers being cooked, is this place for real? It is Frickin' cheeseburgers! Why are these rich people coming here for what is in actuality a diner dump that serves cheeseburgers? They have at least 30 people waiting to sit in a hamburger dump, after getting out of their Lexus SUVs, we were wondering if they placed a Perkins sign outside, they would never be here in a thousand years. After waiting 15 minutes to be seated, we got some Diet Pepsis and ordered our burgers, I ordered the Plaza Burger which is a Wisconsin style burger with Sour Cream and onions. The other guys in my party ordered the Mushroom cheeseburgers. We also ordered a large basket of fries to share between us. The burgers were great, but the fries were a little soggy, but they were a perfect amount to share with three guys. The service was great with lots of refills of pop, I don't think I would make another trip to there, but it was a nice old style diner. I did see an egg salad sandwich while waiting that looked awesome and their malts looked awesome as well! read more

Take it back to the old school! Basket of fries, patty melt and a strawberry malt shake with the extra tin. Love this place especially since I've moved on from my neighborhood Steak N Shake. May seem pricey at first but portions are generous. Friendly crew makes for an enjoyable, tasty experience. read more

Convention Grill - All Day Long Goodness - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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What a great place to eat! A throw back in time. All the servers had white button down servers dresses (Mel's Diner) absolutely the best hand crafted milk shakes we have ever tasted. The patty melt and hamburgers were fabulous and the fries were the best. Service was off the charts, friendly and def a place to stop anytime you are in Minneapolis. The atmosphere was 50' ish and enjoyable. Def a throw back diner! read more

Convention Grill - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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SO GOOD! Cobb salad was awesome, big portions of fries, and the atmosphere of this place is awesome! Definitely coming back. read more

Convention Grill - Cobb salad, cheeseburger, side of fries, - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

This place has a special place In my heart and memory. I have been coming here to eat burgers fries and malts/milkshake since a kid with my family. This place has not changed at all(except that the jukebox is gone) the booths, tables and outfits the waitress wear is still the same it's a walk down memory lane, I love it. Also what has not changed is the food. Even have phosphate sodas still on the menu which is even before my time. They still make killer burgers. Hot off the griddle and a good variety of classic options,from a plain burger to a California burger to a pizza burger. But I stick to the classic. The fries are also my go to which are not from a bag made the old fashioned way and seasoned just right. My favorite thing is the milkshakes and Malts the portions on them are big and it's WORK to finish a full on your own, if you do like I do welcome to the winners club. Check this place out it's not as busy as it use to be so you'll get right in! read more

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Went to this place with a party of four, one of which is vegetarian. All were happy! The Grilled Cheese Club without meat is HUGE and delicious. Awesome homemade fries! Friendly, quick service. All around great experience! read more

I have been coming here regularly for several years and feel the food and service has gone downhill. Burgers are okay, at best. Fries are so salty I can't eat them. Then, and here's a big one, "The Malts", particularly the chocolate malt, is almost unrecognizable as being a real malted milk. There is no malt flavor, whatsoever. The last three malts I've had there tasted like Hershey's syrup was mixed with some generic vanilla ice cream. The menu specifically says " Malted Milks" but, I swear there was no malt added to the concoctions I've been given. It's a shame because The Convention Grill is a landmark in Edina but, like all good things, it has come to pass. read more

Convention Grill - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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I have fond memories of my Dad bringing me to Convention Grill when I was a little girl for milkshakes. And I haven't stopped going there, simply because you always get a good and satisfying meal. Always fresh french fries, killer milkshakes, outstanding cheeseburgers. They also have great egg salad sandwiches (surprise surprise). HIDDEN GEM: Chicken Noodle Soup. So classically delicious, it could cure any cold :) If you are counting calories - go somewhere else, because you leave smelling like yummylicious grease. read more

My parents came here when they were dating in high school (yeah,, they were high school sweethearts, ah, how sweet). They brought my and my bro here when we were little. I come here now. The best part is that they haven't changed a thing (with the exception of a necessary addition sometime in the 70's). I think the servers are still wearing the same uniforms, but somewhere throughout the decades the cooks picked up some Spanish. The menu is straightforward and simple, and I doubt much has changed on it since opening day with the exception of the prices. When there, treat yourself to a malt and burger with grilled onions. I stay away from the fries cuz I'm a Mickey D's kind of fry girl, and these are the real, homemade deal. If you want to do a quick Back to the Future, stop in here for a 1950's malt shop lunch or dinner. read more

Convention Grill - thanks to virtual tourist - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

What a fun place! You walk in and the sights and smells of the diner fills your senses. The waiters have the old fashioned white malt shop getup which adds to the dining experience. We sat in the attached room that had walls of mirrors. I can safely say that it the first restaurant with walls totally covered with mirrors. I'm still not sure if I like it or not? The other part is a typical diner with a lunch counter complete with the grill behind it. This is strictly a burger and fry joint but they do it well. The hamburger was perfect and the fresh cut fries were addictive! The malts were good as well. Waitstaff was friendly and the food was served hot and fast. This is a must stop if you are in the St. Louis Park area. read more

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Friendly service, fun cooks! Wonderful hand pattied burger (is that a word?) and the fries rocked! But the malt was fabulous! Came with malt tin cup and SEVERAL flavors available (with combos). I'll be back read more

Convention Grill - Original "Front Room" feels like a old fashioned Diner! But they also have a more 'modern' back room seating a LOT more people - Diners Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Oh my God, Convention Grill was definitely spectacular. This place is awesome at what it does. Really delicious and wholesome. Staff is incredibly pleasant and will certainly help you with everything. You won't be disappointed. read more

Great burgers. Very clean. Wonderful friendly service. Convenient location. Wonderful French Fries. Genuine Strawberries in the malts. Kid friendly. Siona was an excellent server read more

WHAT HAPPENED ???? I moved away 4 years ago, and on my visit to Edina last week, I ordered take out from Convention Grill like I use to.... When I got to my sisters house (2 miles away), the burger was over cooked and tasted like it had been pre-cooked and re-heated. My sister ordered the turkey burger and it was rubbery. Fries were still good though. I did notice that Convention has dropped their fantastic onion rings - That was really disappointing! They were fantastic. Was Convention grill bought out by someone else while I was gone??? read more

Contrary to popular belief, time travel is possible. Walk into the Convention Grill and you're instantly transported back to 1957 (some of the staff probably have worked there since then), when a burger and fries were part of a well-balanced meal and everyone needed their daily allowance of grease. This place became my regular lunch spot with my grandma when the greasy spoon diner across the street from her house became a mediocre Midwesternized Chinese Restaurant. She would probably give it five stars if she used Yelp, and I like it enough not to put up much of a fight when she wants to go there (when you're 97 years old, you've earned the right to call the lunch place). In terms of rating the dishes 3 stars for the french fries: They won't blow your mind. But how often do French Fries really blow your mind anyway? 4 stars for the burgers: They're pretty good. But then again, I like grilled onions. 5 stars for the milkshakes: Whenever you see that silver milkshake canister, you know you're in for a treat, The waitresses all trend to the older side and know what they're doing, so the service is pretty good. The prices seem reasonable, as well. All in all, it averages out to four stars. read more

Liz W. and I grabbed dinner at the Convention Grill after the Yelp Cupcake Camp next door. We were basically the only customers (tornado watch). Being that I had not eaten any of the cupcakes yet, I was starving and ready for a burger and fries. After reading some of the other reviews, I'm wondering why didn't I also get a malt. Just why? The first thing I noticed (aside from the smell of fryer oil) was that this place is old, dude. There's a sign above the dining counter that says "Since 1934." Yeah, you read that right. 1-9-3-4. It might be the most authentically gritty diner that I've ever dined in, and that includes Mickey's. The elderlady waitresses even wear white, button-down dresses. It's cute as can be. My smoked cheddar and mushroom burger with grilled onions was heart attack heaven, right down to the perfect bun. The fries weren't bad, but I've had better. They were definitely not frozen as there were tubs full of them sitting on the counter when we walked in. I asked for ranch dressing with my fries and was informed that they don't have ranch. What? They offered seasoned sour cream, a poor substitute (I didn't taste any seasoning, honestly). All in all though, I was very happy with the food because that cheeseburger could not have been more satisfying. Plus, I think the bill was $18 before tip for two burgers and a huge basket of fries. Greasy, greasy goodness. read more

Simple and limited menu. Good service. Good french fries and a decent mushroom and cheese hamburger. Tasty lime phosphate beverage. A seemingly malt-less chocolate malt. Odd that they would not honor the request of an elder man for a simple BLT (not on the menu). They offered instead a grilled cheese with bacon and tomato with some leaf lettuce on the side. read more

Two stars because the malt was delicious. I got caramel with fresh banana and it was hot caramel sauce and banana slices blended with malted ice cream and was fantastic. The half size at $5 was more than enough, even though it's only a $1 more for what I assume is double the amount for a "full" size. The burger, however, was laughable. For $6, you get just an overcooked patty on a bun with three sad looking slices of pickle. No other condiments. For another $1.95 you can get cheese and bacon but not even those two things could save the flavour. Also, especially in a dive like this, if you're charging $6 for a piece of meat on some white bread, it should be a given that you can throw some fries on the plate included. Charging another $4 for a side of fries is near extortion. Come for the malts, don't stay for the food. read more

CONVENTION!!!!!!! One of the few places both of my sisters would actually go without the fear that one or both of them would leave hungry and cranky. The layout, at least the last time I went (which was at least ten years ago... helpful!) was awesome maltshoppy, dinery wonder and I couldn't for the life of me tell you what the staff was like... my assumption is awesome and friendly... The malts were delicious and rich and chocolatey and this was the age when you got the malt cup as well and it was still half full and they didnt charge you four bucks for half a flippin' cup... Anyways, my assumption based on current reviews is that they still do two things better than anyone else. +1 to Kimlinh's two words... French Fries. Epic portions, epicly fried with epic amounts of grease... Screw your diet, these babies are worth it. Oh, and the grilled cheese. Sometimes it irritates me that I can't make a grilled cheese at home that tastes like this one did, but then, I don't usually add grease and butter to my food in the same proportions... or at all... I think the next time I visit Edina again, I will make it a point to visit this place again... My heart is feeling a little too strong these days... read more

While trying to lead a healthy lifestyle, it's important to be able to recognize those unwinnable battles. Among my many wars against all that is greasy, fattening, or sugar-heavy, The Convention Grill holds court as the Grand Poobah of Temptation--to which I always surrender. Their burgers are the best in the city, due to an overwhelmingly juiciness, fresh lettuce & tomatoes, and your choice of cheese (go for the smoked cheddar). Also, two words: CARAMELIZED ONIONS. A half order of greasy, shoestring-style french fries feeds two people easily. My mom always tries to get me to split the Caesar salad with her, but I refuse to waste the precious space in my stomach on iceberg lettuce. It just gets in the way of my delicious, artery-clogging Oreo malt. Also recommended: the chicken noodle soup, onion rings, and the infamous hot fudge sundae (only for the truly committed!). Put a quarter in the jukebox one time for me... read more

Neighborhood diner that does being a diner pretty well. This is a neighborhood institution featuring a typical diner menu of fried and grilled items, a few salads and some fresh sandwiches. You'll enjoy these all, particularly the burgers. The french fries are terrific and the portion large. A lot of folks swear by their chili. The service is friendly and efficient. Unfortunately the grill is all hard surfaces (tile and wood, etc) so it's quite noisy. There's a small off street parking and lots of on street parking. Fine dining this not. But a fine diner it is. read more

Not a bad place. It's a little loud so keep that in mind. Small simple menu with pretty good food.

The CG has amazing comfort food and perfectly made old fashioned malts. To start, their burgers are made to order fresh and the smoked cheddar that tops my burger melts delectably on my tongue. A 1/2 order of fries is huge so bring a buddy to share! Now onto the important stuff... the ice cream, particularly the malts. Holy rich goodness... the malts here are a mark of perfection. The ice cream used in CG's malts is high quality creamy ice cream, not soft serve, not fro-yo, not watery pseudo cream. CG uses premo ice cream (I've heard its Kemps but haven't been able to verify). The diner prescribe their own inventive flavors and also lets consumers develop combinations (I like vanilla / oreo / butterscotch and coffee / oreo / fudge / carmel). They are thick, delectable and delicious. Plus you get the tin. Bonus. read more

Holy old school diner! This place is the best for malts, burgers, fries, and even chicken noodle soup. My boyfriend and I stopped in for a late lunch and were shocked by how much good food you get for so little charge. We split the small basket of fries and had a ton left over when we were finished. The soup was SO good, the broth was just salty enough and had big chunks of chicken and the perfect quantity of noodles. My man got the burger with sour cream and onions and it was so good that we planned our next visit while we were sitting there. The servers are great and you can see the cooks grilling your burgers and frying your fries. The best part is all of that food including tip was $20. Be still my heart. read more

I've now been to the Convention Grill three times, largely because of the rave reviews from friends and places like Yelp, but after the last visit I can safely say I have absolutely no idea why people like the place. (I have the odd feeling of there being a mass delusion I am for some reason not blessed to experience.) The burgers, the main reason we're supposed to go there, are nothing short of awful. I've had three of their burgers and have really tried to keep an open mind about them, but it's like the founders of the place spent a few weeks contemplating the Platonic ideal of the hamburger--and then set out to create the exact opposite. The problem starts with the beef. It took me a while to figure out what was wrong with their burgers, but, regardless of whether you get caramelized onions or not, they taste like meatloaf. I don't know if this intentional and they put some kind of filler in the beef, or if it's just the result of sloppy grillwork, but it puts the burger in a situation where it's essentially impossible for it to recover. It doesn't matter what you pair with it or spread on it, a burger that tastes like meatloaf tastes like meatloaf. Do you want a meatloaf sandwich? Yeah, I don't, either. Then there's the buns, Wonder Bread-like creations that are soft in the worst possible way. If there's any goodness in the burger patty itself, its soaked up and destroyed by the bun. They are seriously gross, unnecessarily dense and filling, and apparently impervious to heat. On my first trip there I asked if the buns were toasted and got a reply in the affirmative, and on subsequent visits saw the buns on the grill with my own eyes. Yet each bun has arrived, without exception, lacking even the slightest hint of toast. (One of buns had some melted cheese on it--I hadn't ordered a cheeseburger, mind you--so I know it was on the grill, but other than that cheese there was no indication the bun had been grilled.) For the record, I tried a plain hamburger with just ketchup and mustard, the California burger, and the mushroom burger. They were all bad. Hamburgers aside, the Convention Grill did not redeem itself with any of the other foods or refreshments we tried. The fries were overcooked and soggy, and the oft-mentioned malts were soupy and undistinguished. My wife got the egg salad sandwich on our last visit, and it was completely forgettable. The cost for two, with a modest tip, came in around $30. It's an understatement to say it wasn't worth it. Three strikes. We won't be back. read more

Is it just me, or do the waitresses' uniforms freak you out? I feel like they should slap on some white, rubber gloves (picture them snapping the edge of the gloves on their wrists and white powder puffing out... oh and don't forget the needles). Anyway, add that with the fact that they are super, duper, freakishly nice and you've got yourself the basis for a Texas Chainsaw Massacre-esque movie. Okay, maybe not so much like that, but whatevs. Now, on to the climax of the movie - the food! The mushroom-swiss-fried onion burger... nummers! The swiss is completely melted and gooey. The burger itself is a pretty good size, to the point where I tortuously asked myself if it will ever end. And the fries, a half order is more than enough for two people to share. But to freak myself out even more, I thought I was at Annie's Parlour since the menus are exactly the same... or pretty much. (Insert Twilight music here... and no, not the vampire and werewolves version.) read more

Oh, Convention Grill. The memories. I've been going to Convention Grill for as long as I can remember. I lived in Edina until the day I left for college. Now that I live in Chicago, I still make a point to stop in at Convention Grill at least once a year when I am home visiting. I love Convention Grill. The food is great, although be prepared to lick the grease off your fingers. The atmosphere is awesome. I get to live out my dream of starring in the movie "Grease" and going to the diner w/ the T-Birds every time I enter the door (there's even a quarters-only jukebox to pick some tunes to listen to while you wait for a table - if you need to wait). And the malts...YUM. Half the time I go to the Convention Grill strictly for dessert. Oh, and the price is right. You can get a great meal for under $15. Minus one star because you'll stink like greasy french fries the rest of the night. Some people don't care but I'm not a fan. read more

I am not very picky in all honesty. Many times food is fuel and food is food unless it is amazing or terrible. In this case it was terrible. We stopped in on a whim and my company and I agreed it left you wanting a pallet cleanser... and by that I mean a whole second meal from a restaurant we knew. Definitely did not hit the spot, and the burgers tasted like something that would come out of a school cafeteria. The spot and interior are adorable and I've been to many other diners before, but the food just didn't cut it. read more