I ate at this Mallards for my second time yesterday while visiting the fish store. The first time was better, having had the lobster bisque and both lobster rolls, which were all decent. This time, we went with their gluten friendly options: the jambalaya, veggie fries and blackened fish tacos. Both were OK. The jambalaya was not good; the situation with the vegetables especially was not it. They were cut julienned rather than diced and they were overcooked and mushy. The flavor of the overall dish didn't have your classic jambalaya taste so it was all a bit off, and the meat didn't have much flavor to them individually. The tacos were what you would expect when ordering, good adding some hot sauce. The side of veggie fries were good, I really appreciated that option for a side. Service was alright both times. First visit was maybe a 4 stars and second visit was a strong 2 stars, so my review is averaging to a 3. read more

Mallards Southern Kitchen - JAMBALAYA BLACKENED FISH TACOS VEGGIE FRIES - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Forest Lake, Minnesota

We've been here a few times and have always had a great experience. The atmosphere is comfortable and inviting with lots of windows. The service is friendly with decent wait times for our meals. We happened to be there during happy hour and the cocktails were delicious - $4/5 margaritas and sangrias! We had the crab cakes for appetizers and it was savory and tangy! Super yummy! I had the Barramundi Rodrico and it was delicious!! My husband had the fish and chips and it was also delicious! Highly recommend this spot and we will definitely come back! read more

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Stopped in on a whim when we were passing by. We were greeted by the host and seated promptly. Our server was friendly and put our order in right away. My hubby wasn't too hungry, so he ordered the seafood campechana. I had a cup of clam chowder soup along with the crispy lemon chicken. My husband enjoyed the play of flavors in the champechana, but I did try it and thought the shrimp in it had a bit of a fishy taste . . . The clam chowder was amazing, and I did really love the crispy lemon chicken. The only real ding against the place was the waiter ghosted us after delivering our food and our water glasses were sitting empty at the edge of the table for a long time, pretty much until he eventually came back and found us waiting for our bill. It was around 7:30 on a Sunday night, so it's not like Mallards was busy and our waiter had other tables--we were it. read more

Mallards Southern Kitchen - Crispy lemon chicken - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Forest Lake, Minnesota

Very nice, casual atmoshere. Food was well prepared, serving size more than adequate. Server was very attentive and very friendly

I've had better lobster rolls, but mallards has a decent lobster roll not bad. The staff they are very friendly very kind had a good looking bunch of people read more

Swung into Mallards for lunch with some friends and had a great meal. The server was great and took the cues that we were a chatty group so was attentive without interrupting a lot. The space is open and bright, and there was a good amount of seating including and active bar. It was Friday so probably busier than a normal weekday, but we didn't have a wait for our table at 1PM. The lobster roll was delightful. Great flavor, love the large chunks of the lobster meat. It was a little tricky to eat as the bun didn't quite contain the innards but easily solve by using a knife and fork. The fries were also top notch! Perfectly crispy! My friend had the lobster quiche which she said was really yummy too. Great crust and the side salad was a nice light balance to the richness of the quiche. read more

Mallards Southern Kitchen - Lobster Roll - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Forest Lake, Minnesota

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We made reservations for a Saturday afternoon and it was packed inside. After we put our order in it took over an hour and 15 minutes for our food to arrive. I had to reorder 2 different times because they were out of so many things. When the food came it was alright, but nothing spectacular. I felt bad because the staff seemed really overwhelmed. I think if you came during a time it wasn't as packed, it would be significantly better. read more

I come here often. I've never had a bad experience. Awesome people and even better food.!

The food is incredible every single time I've been there. The wait staff and the service is some of the best in forest lake. And the ambiance is inviting and cozy, but also super fun and engaging! read more

Visited Mallards with a friend on a Wednesday evening at about 4:45pm. There was a ton of seating so that was nice - our server took awhile between visits but it was ok. We both ordered the chicken strip basket with the hot sauce on the side (warning the Nashville hot sauce is HOT HOT not just a pleasant hot but like VERY SPICY HOT). All of the food tasted really good, even the coleslaw and I'm not a huge fan of it. The restaurant is clean and wasn't too loud so it was very pleasant. Would definitely visit again. read more

Mallards Southern Kitchen - Chicken strips - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Forest Lake, Minnesota

Nice modern place across from the lake. Had great service. Had the walleye sandwich which was good and we also had the crab cakes as an appetizer. Nice location with plenty of parking. read more

The food was great! Happy hour rocks and the servers were nice. Make sure you have an hour because the food takes a bit. Ambiance was good.

Got the crab stuffed lobster tails. A piece of one the tails was visibly raw (translucent). Chef came out and loudly insisted it was cooked through, but it definitely wasn't. The chef came across as aggressive and rude, and a bit defensive. Our server, a young blonde boy, was super nice though!! read more

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Sorry but I used to love eating at Mallards. Last night I had the worst meal ever there. I ordered Ahi Tuna. It came to me so over cooked it looked like cardboard. I politely sent it back. The second one came and was a light tan and cold like it was cooked for 30 seconds on each side. Tuna is not hard to cook properly! Please take this off your menu! We had a group of 12 and half were unhappy with their meal. The waitress was fantastic, but the quality of the food needs to improve read more

We dine at Mallards often and have never had anything other than great food. Everything is made from scratch and is memorable.

They are known for their seafood & Cajun flare! They are located in Bloomington, Forest Lake (highlighter in this reel), Inver Grove Heights, New Richmond & Shakopee. Some of their most popular dishes: Lobster Bisque, Walleye Bites, jambalaya & their lobster roll! This is one of my go to restaurants! Always great food and service. Love the outdoor patio in summer and a has a soft lighting ambiance inside with lots of seating next to large windows! read more

Mallards Southern Kitchen - Shrimp - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Forest Lake, Minnesota

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Would have been nice to have some hashbrowns and cheese with my salt. WOW over salted beyond belief. The Smoked Salmon plate, should have been listed under appetizer as there was not enough salmon for even a mouth full. Way understaffed, our waiter went from nice to grouchy as the place filled with people, never once asked how things were. Over priced, over hyped, trendy, won't last 6 months. read more

Everything every time I have been there, especially the lobster rolls. Wife's favorite.

Food 3-5/5 - I was extremely happy with my Shrimp Southwest Cobb salad and Crab Cakes. The ingredients were fresh and delicious. My only complaint was the dry rub wings, for $15 dollars they were pretty wimpy and lacked meat on the bone. Service / Ambiance 5/5 - Overall the service was timely and well taken care of. Our drinks, appetizers, and main courses came at a timely manner. read more

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This is our 3rd and last time at mallards. 1) let's start off with how small our booth was! We had a reservation for 4 and were crammed in a booth made for 2. We asked to be switched to a larger table so we could at least breathe and were denied. (No they were not busy) 2) We were talked into getting gift cards for some family member from this past Christmas due to the fact if we bought so many we'd get a $30 in gift cards in return. We went to go use them and they denied them saying they expired about a month ago. There was a small hand written date on the back. We never saw any expiration date on them because they were gift cards, only 6 months old. Our waitress said she wouldn't honor them and we needed to complain to the GM. 3) when my Mom ordered her dinner, her rice had some Sort of salty/spicy Cajun seasoning dumped all over it. It was horrible! When ordering cocktails I asked about a certain drink, she said it came family style so my husband and I could share It. Nope Wrong again, it's a single serving.. this whole experience was bad, the check was about $200 with tip for mediocre service, bad food, horrible seating. We won't be going back. read more

Walked in a little before it opened. Sat right away. Got kids menu and some crayons (always a winner). The food was great, a bit pricey. We had the crab fries, fish tacos, and nashville chicken sandwich. They also had some tea which they didn't charge me for which was really nice. Our waitress got the order wrong on the app but immediately corrected it - she was super great. Will be coming back. I read the 1 star reviews. Sounds like some of the leadership here needs some customer service improvements. Really unfortunate. A nice place likes this should have supported staff. They work hard. read more

over priced and over promised by the owner it's glorified banquet space I grew up here so don't sell me fresh fish I can catch and cook better in my own home. Epic fail in my mind. Granted, forest lake is not where I'd head for fine dining but if you're going to play at seafood in MN you should be able to back that up. read more

This was our second time at Mallard's. I hoped the first was just a fluke. Tonight our service was extremely slow and never check in with us. Took 45 min to get our food. It seemed like some of our food sat under heat lamps for some time. The medium rare steak on a steak Alfredo was cooked to well-well and completely unseasoned. The fish and chips were soggy. Don't bother with the Med Power Bowl salad--it is basic Romaine with 6 olives 6 half cherry tomatoes etc. We really wanted Mallard's to be excellent. read more

We went to one of our fave spots....Mallards. The service is great and the food if out of this world! Our server Alex was great and very attentive. I had the shrimp & grits, sooo good! I have had this dish a few times and it's always amazing! Looking forward to our next trip back. read more

Mallards Southern Kitchen - Shrimp & Grits - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Forest Lake, Minnesota

The owners are heartless and abusive towards staff. I listened to them as they berated a young waitress to tears. She had put in the wrong order for me and brought it to my table. I said I would eat it anyway. On another visit, there was a lunch special for salmon or Mahi. I don't recall which, but the fish was well past the freshness date. There were black spots on the fish. I called them out on it and got read the riot act by a woman when I asked for the manager. "What did you expect for that price." I wrote a letter to the owner. Didn't hear back. A friend said I had been dealing with the owner's wife. Unprofessional people to say the least. Never ate there again. read more

A little spendy, apps were good and a good size for two.. drinks were good, disappointed it was not more lake view

We have eaten here quite a few times and also taken food to go. Food is always very good, but I do think it's just a bit too expensive for what you get. read more

The old man host decided to get in an argument with my wife about sauce.... Sauce that we paid for. He decided to argue that we didn't pay for 2 extra sauces after they forgot them. Extremely rude.... Gave her the sauce but said just take them but you didn't pay for them.... Here's the proof we paid for them Update: food sucked too. Thought I ordered 4 chicken strips not nuggets read more

Mallards Southern Kitchen - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Forest Lake, Minnesota

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great food and drinks! Nikki is the best! always friendly and makes great drinks! They have a great variety of food!

Great place for drinks and the food is excellent. Would definitely go back. Service was on point.

Our waiter Thomas was amazing! He was very friendly and had great recommendations! Loved that the atmosphere was relaxed. My husband and I went for a date which rarely happens so we were very excited haha. We both ordered the spiked berry lemonade which was delicious! We got the daily bread appetizer which was so warm and good. My husband ordered the blackened walleye po boy and I ordered the lobster roll. Both were so good! The fries were so hot and crispy! Would definitely recommend 10/10! read more

Mallards Southern Kitchen - Lobster Roll with fries - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Forest Lake, Minnesota

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Great atmosphere and beautiful place. I've been here several times and I'm always happy! The sea bass is my favorite for sure! Drinks are great too read more

We went for happy hour but decided to get dinner instead! The restaurant is very open and clean and full of windows that let in lots of light. There's also a fairly large patio in the warm months. I absolutely loved the fish on the fish and chips and my partner enjoyed his fried shrimp. The service was fine. It wasn't very busy when we went and all the drinks and food came out very quickly. read more

Mallards Southern Kitchen - Fish and Chips - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Forest Lake, Minnesota

Dined outdoors on the patio and ordered the Tennessee hot chicken sandwich, I think it might be one of the bests I've had! It is so flavorful and rich. Their popcorn shrimp was cooked to perfection. Honestly each time we've dined here it's been great service and good food. read more

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I came here on a Friday night with my boyfriend when were passing through to drive up north. We wanted to stop somewhere by the water and found Mallards on Yelp. There was plenty of space in the parking lot which was awesome. We had to wait about 20 minutes for a table but luckily they've got a bar which isn't a bad place to wait. We grabbed a couple drinks and were able to just add it to our tab at the end of the night. When we sat down to eat, our waitress was really sweet and friendly. I ordered the Jamabalaya $18 and the food came out not too long after. Unfortunately it was just okay... the flavor wasn't really standout and for $18 I would expect something with some more bang. This was a cool spot and maybe we just ordered the wrong dishes but they were also listed as specialties. I'd be open to trying out more menu items and I can tell this is a fun spot especially in summer! read more

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Too pricy for basic food. For starters I asked the waitress if the chef had ghee. She said "what is that?" I explained it's basically clarified butter (it is a seafood restaurant, after all). She said she would ask. When she finally returned (took a while) to take our order I had to ask about it again. She said "No we don't". Hmm. So I order the barramundi and because I'm dairy free I ask for the green bean appetizer to be cooked in olive oil. She says they don't have that. Really? She didn't know about ghee but seemed to know immediately about olive oil. And what fine seafood restaurant doesn't have olive oil in their kitchen? Only butter? For every dish? SMH. Paid $25.99 for the dish. It was a nice size but slightly overcooked sitting on a huge portion of risotto soaking in butter!! I read the Our Story on the website and I have to say we did not feel any southern hospitality in the Forest Lake location when we called to make reservations or from our server. We'll go to Porterhouse next time. read more

Lobster bisque was way too salty. Seafood Campechana was good but very small portion. Walleye sandwich was ok, maybe add a side of slaw with it. Key lime pie was very tasty but six little bites are not worth the 8.00. See picture. Nice ambience, great staff, lacks in value. Bring prices down or portions up and we will retur read more

Mallards Southern Kitchen - 8.00 for this? Seriously? - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Forest Lake, Minnesota

I tried Mallards for the first time 2 days ago because my family lives in the apt. Complex and I heard good things about it, and all I have to say is, super lame. I ordered the lobster Mac n cheese. It was the size of a toddlers meal and there were 2 small pieces of lobster in it. It was $15.00!! I Went back the next day and told them about it and they lied to me and tried to tell me that there was a lunch portion and a dinner portion. I checked both the lunch and dinner menus and the prices were the exact same for both. Look for yourself. And we ordered at 10 p.m. so why would they be serving lunch portions at 10 p.m. anyway? I was under the impression this was kind of a more upscale foodie restaurant.... it is not. Don't waste your money$$$ way over-priced. Tiny portions, Cavatappi was dry, hardly any lobster. And to top it all off, a dishonest staff. First and last time ordering food from this disappointment of a restaurant. Not recommended read more

Mallards Southern Kitchen - You couldn't fit a baseball in this container. It was so small. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Forest Lake, Minnesota

find a better place to spend your money. servings as small. over priced and not falavorfull.

Three visits later and I feel like I can write a review. I first visited during a soft opening so I felt like it was unfair to write a review. But even during the first night everything was flawless. I've now tried lunch, dinner and happy hour! The service is awesome. Everyone is so welcoming when you walk in the door. Foods I've tried Apps -chicken wings 5 stars -cheeseburger sliders 5 stars -quesadillas (Brie and berry jam with spinach) 2 stars Lunch/Dinner -Lobster Roll 5 stars (so amazing you must get this)!!!! -Steak Alfredo 4 stars -Lobster Bisque 4 stars -Ham & Pimento Cheese Sandwich 3 stars (needs more pimento) -Egg topped Cheese Burger (I forget the actual name) 5 stars -the French Fries are awesome!! Perfect small string size and very crispy Cocktails are also awesome They also have a patio, this was needed in Forest Lake where we are lacking patio space. They also have outdoor couches. If I could change anything I wish they didn't seat us in the fair back corner all alone. I get that it did fill up after we were there. But it was odd. Also add breakfast!! At least a few mornings, forest lake is lacking in breakfast spots. Awesome customer service and it's great to see the owner working at his own business. read more

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