Mimi's Retreat (Auburn, on the square) - dinning "retreat" during the Auburn Fair Here is another one of our family traditions. We enjoy going to the Auburn Free Fall Fair. Looking at the 4-H animals, walking through the commercial tent, getting donuts, people watching and taking in the food vendor sights/smells are part of that experience. We also like to grab a bite to eat while there. However, I'm just not interested in fighting the lines to get an expensive corn dog, sirloin tip and/or fish sandwich....and then having no where to sit, relax and eat our selections. Enter Mimi's Retreat! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Mimi's Retreat is small community bar that is located on the south side of the square - so they are right in the middle of the action! They are always open during the fair and tend to have fewer customers than normal. This makes them a great choice to duck into to get a good meal, at a pretty good price and sit & relax away from the crowds[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. Mimi's has been a part of the Auburn scene for as long as I can remember. They are best described as a community bar. They have some TV's for sports viewing. The attractive looking bar will seat about 10 people. There are less than modern tables to seat about another 40 patrons. Mimi's is set in an old building. They have stayed true to the older feel in terms of wood work, brick and vintage feel. The decor mainly features bar modern day product signs and some historic Auburn pictures. The kitchen is easily viewed as you walk in the door. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place is rather comfortable and inviting.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The staff here is welcoming and friendly. Mimi's service may not be the most attentive when the bar is busy - just be aware. The menu is pretty simple and moderately priced. They have the typical bar food with a few add-ons that give them a little boarder touch including non-bar food daily specials. I can't speak for bar service. It seems like they hustle the best they can. Food tends to come out at a decent pace - depending on the crowd. Mimi's is definitely a no-frills kind of place as the non-alcohol drinks are served in a Toby Keith style red Solo cup. Now onto the food. We started with the sweet potato fries. The fries are thin and fried to a moderate crisp - like you would expect, not mushy. The fry has a nice bold sweet potato taste. They aren't very oily. The real treat is the homemade Hawaiian pineapple dipping sauce. It is smooth, thick and sweet. You literally can taste the refreshing Hawaiian flavors which really bring out the bolder sweet potato taste. Definitely a must try! The blacken chicken Caesar wrap is very tasty. The chicken is very moist and nicely grilled. The mild tasting Caesar dressing is applied in moderation and helps pull all the flavors together. Note: this $8 item doesn't come with a side, that is extra. The Cole slaw is homemade and outstanding. It includes white and purple cabbage. Onions, carrots and red peppers are apart of this fresh tasting side. The Cole slaw is mayo based. However, the mayo is very lightly applied and it has a hint of vinegar flavoring - the best of both style Cole slaws. The fish dinner has seven medium pieces for $14.99. It comes with French fries and one side. The French fries were a lot like the sweet potato fries in terms of cut, firmness and oiliness - fairly good. The fish pieces tasted fresh-ish. No fishy or frozen tastes. The meat was soft, tender and slightly flaky. The breading is rather thin. It is also rather plain to taste - unlike a Fish of Stroh type fillet. The tarter sauce has a heavier mayo taste with a mild amount of pickle/tartar flavoring. It definitely isn't sweet or heavier on relish like I like it. Overall...Mimi's makes a good place to pick up a meal regardless of the time of year. Give them a try sometime when you are in Auburn. read more

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While visiting the DeKalb Fair this week, we decided to try MiMi's Retreat Bar instead of eating fair food. We were greeted right away when we walked in, which was a nice start. Our server was friendly and took our orders promptly. My husband had the grilled chicken sandwich, I ordered the breaded tenderloin, and we shared fries. The sandwiches were good, but the fries were a bit disappointing--very small portion for nearly $5 extra. They were thin, McDonald's-style fries. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The bar wasn't busy during our visit, with only a couple tables occupied at a time.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Staff seemed to know most guests personally, greeting them with hugs. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The music was loud, which may be fun for some, but felt a little overwhelming to us.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The biggest issue was the restrooms, which had a very strong odor that made the experience unpleasant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Overall, the food itself was decent, but the portion sizes, loud atmosphere, and restroom cleanliness kept it from being a great visit.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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Food is above average for a bar! Always a little higher quality. Really love the fish. Fair pricing. Service has always been good. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The bar is dated but clean and overall good atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

The service is quick and they have the best fried fish dinners. The prices are reasonable as well.

First visit here, lunch with family. Had a good time and good food. The sandwich menu is standard American diner fare, a variety of burgers and more. My Reuben was terrific as was my craft beer. If one is in Auburn for any reason, this is a locally owned must stop kind of place. I will happily come back here when I'm back in the area. read more

Very good place! Delicious chicken! Wasn't dry like how most people serve their chicken! Will definitely be coming back! Friendly waitress lady as well!!!!! read more

Kept your eye out for Van's Meatloaf Special!!! It was so delicious. Served with veggies and mashed potatoes. Huge portion, and even bigger flavor. I have yet to try a special he makes that is not superb!! (Other fav is his beef and noodles!) The service here is always top notch as well!! read more

What a surprise! Another local eatery we were turned on to and we are certainly glad. For once, I am glad we didn't order an appetizer! Because our stomachs would have had no room!! Number 1... huge portions! Took half my wife's salad and half my tenders home. Number 2... craft beers on tap and in cans/bottles!! Huge selection! They have everything from Stouts, IPAs, Porters, Fruits, etc. They even have Sours!! And I love they have Guessworks (Albion, IN) beers on tap. Number 3... nice old school building with the kitchen up front when you walk in. That's your sign...when the kitchen is up front and in plain sight, you are in a classic, old building. And they aren't afraid to cook in front of you. I think that's cool. We will definitely be back! I heard the Prime Rib is to die for. I have to try it!! read more

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It was ok but not that great and extremely overpriced for the quality. It's an interesting concept but does not deliver.

Mimi's is wonderful for a lunch outing. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's a typical diner - large space with tables that aren't too crowded.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] At the time we were there, we had one server for 6 tabletops. She was busy and we weren't in a hurry, but you might want to ask before committing - if on a limited timeframe. I had the coney dog special and my lunch date had the prime rib sandwich. Coney dog was yummy and the prime rib sandwich was delicious. read more

Everytime I stop to eat at MiMi's I'm always glad I did. Pleasant customers as well as staff. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I eat alone so that means a lot.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Accommodated our last minute party of 10 and took great care of us. Food was good and a great selection of craft beers. Would definitely recommend. read more

Busy on the weekend! Expect a wait. Food, drinks, and service are top-notch! Atmosphere is oldschool. read more

This place is great. It is a local bar type setting. There is a lot of local memorabilia hanging in the walls. It feels very clean. There is no smoking. The kitchen area is open to see right away. The staff was very attentive. We were there at 6pm and it was full. There was one table open for us to sit. The beer menus is HUGE. They have some local drafts and an almost endless amount of bottled beer. That was a pretty big surprise. Wry nice as well. We started with onion rings. My wife said they were the best she ever had. I can't disagree. Thick. Crunchy. Good flavor. Big onions. Excellent starter. My wife had a burger and I had salmon. I really enjoyed my salmon. Light and tasty and flaky and easy to eat. My wife enjoyed her burger but could only eat half. The waffle fries are the best ever. That cannot be argued. There are plenty of sandwiches in the menu but they also have nice dinners. I'm looking forward to going back and trying more. They make their own sauces and coleslaw and batter in house. There is a nice attention to good food here in a bar type setting that on first pass, may not make you think about the quality of food. But once you have tried, I think you will ride again! read more

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I've been here for dinner and lunch - great food, great value and super service! For dinner - I had chicken strips and fries and the rest of my party had one or another fish special. All said they'd come back! Had a cheeseburger and fries today - one of the beatcIve had in ages. Thanks! I'll be back. read more

I have been here a few times it is just a regular bar crowd, nothing too loud or obnoxious. The food on the other hand is quite tasty always served hot usually enough to have leftovers to take home. I would recommend it to friends or family. read more

If you want to feel like you are at home even if you are far away from your own... this is the place! Not only do they have an amazing beer and cider selection they have phenomenal food!!! The staff and the owner Van are so kind and wonderful to all their guest. My friends and I were visiting from California and it was defiantly our favorite place to hang out. Did I mention the food?? SO GOOD... we even got food to take on the plane ride home. And those sweet potato fries and dip are unforgettable. Same for all the other comfort food that they serve. I'm missing it already can't wait to visit again! read more

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Friendly folks and good food. I really like their chicken noodle soup, Buffalo wrap and burgers good too.

Just not a great experience. Maybe it was just an off day or something I'm not entirely sure. The food was average at best, which, in a small town I'm not really expecting anything more than that. However, the service was awful. It was slow, and they got one of our orders completely wrong and overcharged us for it. I'm not one to complain about pace if the place was busy. This was not the case here. Ambiance was not great either, gave me... small town bar trying too hard to be a restaurant, kind of vibes. read more

I came here with my husband awhile back, and right off the bat the wait staff didn't seem very friendly. We chalked it up to just being busy and stressed. That's fine. We order our food and wait awhile for it, which again, wasn't a big deal. The food was good!! The reason this place gets a 1 star is for the simple fact that we waited to pay for almost an hour after eating. My husband even stood by the bar counter and waved his card. The staff would look right at him and ignore him. He sat back down and we waited again. The waitress never even came back to our table. 45 minutes of waiting all together... we left. Never going to come back, unfortunately. We didn't even pay because apparently they didn't want us to haha read more

I would give the great hustling service five stars for sure. The food too was very good for sandwiches and quick food and that should get five stars. Loved that they used fresh garden tomatoes for the tenderloin sandwiches. The sandwich was so large we split it and she even cut it in half and served it as two platesIt was very very good. My only complaint was that they allow smoking. I didn't even think that was an option anymore. Upon looking around I did see they had a non-smoking section. read more

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We had the most excellent service here. Our waiter pulled several tables together to accommodate our large family gathering...without even so much as a call ahead. We were only all in town briefly, so it was a real blessing to get to the spend time together. His service was kind and made us feel right at home! And the food was realllly good too! read more

We stopped in on our way through town and all three of us had the special of the day- meatloaf with garlic vegetables and real mashed potatoes. The portions were generous, to say the least, and the food was all fresh and delicious! We all enjoyed it very much! The place itself is a bar so it was not busy on a Tuesday afternoon. The owner was our waiter and the chef :) he was very friendly and accommodating. read more

Very expensive, I had a prime rib sandwich,nothing came with it but the sandwich,over 9.00.My friend had the pork tender and she said it was tasteless,it was big and the bread did not fit the sandwich.It too was 9.00.The mushrooms were hand breaded and good but you got only a few for 7.00.Very pricey place to eat.Take plenty of money when you go here.Eat here when you could not go in and sit down. read more

Good quality bar food, great service. Definitely a diner, dive experience. Prices are average. Give the a shot for a quick meal and a cold beverage. read more

Just to echo a previous review: I have had breaded tenderloins all over Indiana. This is the best quality I have had. Less breading, more thick hammered pork, not thin at all. Cooked to perfecion then not placed on a small bun... a big fresh bun, fresh quality ingredients for the condiments. We had lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, pickles. Best ever hands down. I don't know if the rest of the menu is same quality goodness, but an easy 5 stars on the tenderloin. If we try something else I will update. read more

Visiting the area from Boston, I used Yelp to guide my way to a great place for lunch, so happy it directed me to Mimi's. Van and Mimi and the young man in the kitchen (I am sorry I forgot your name) were wonderfully greeting and a joy to talk to during my lunch. The food was fantastic, I had the special which was the Muffuletta, I know, you are probably saying to yourself Muffawhatta, lol, but it was outstanding! Overall this place was great, I highly recommend you take the chance, you will not regret it. BTW, the bar menu is extensive, over 80 beers to choose from and fully stocked spirits. Thanks Mimi and Van for a great lunch. Bob Zagwyn Boston read more

There steak was the best I have ever had and there asparagus was also so good there the best restauran i have ever ate at.

Stopped in for a quick lunch and was so pleased! Best club sandwich and coleslaw ever!! Mimi and her husband were so friendly! Will definitely be back. read more

First timer here. Me and my friend ate lunch and were delightfully surprised by The amount of food and the quality of it. Best onion rings and breaded tenderloin I have had in a long time and my friend enjoyed her fish sandwich as well. We will definitely be repeat customers read more

I had some of the worse service ever. I came in for lunch and ordered the daily lunch special. A couple that came in at the same time I did ordered the same thing and got their food right away. I waited about 20 minutes and two more people order the same thing that I order and got their food right away. I waited another 10 minutes for a total of 30 minutes and never got the food that I ordered. I left and told the owners husband how I felt. So good luck. read more

Amazing food, great beer, great hospitality. I travel a lot, year are the gems that make travel worth it. The breaded tenderloin and onion rings were better than advertised. read more

Today, my boyfriend and I spent the Saturday walk through Auburn and happened upon this establishment. When we walked in, the female owner(?) said "You can sit wherever", but we did not hear her and she repeated this phrase with a rude undertone. When asked what the lunch specials were she said "nothing." She then proceeded to say that I could not have a baked potato because it is is not available until that night (menu said otherwise). She proceeded to be pleasant with customers who appeared to be regulars, but treated us with disdain. When we needed something (e.g., to pay, a box), we had to wave down one of the two workers there. It was not busy whatsoever (6 customers). We have decided to stay clear of anything having to do with Mimi's Retreat. My chicken salad sandwich was not good. My boyfriend's burger was messy as he asked for extra napkins. The server proceeded to only give him one more. It's place belongs on Bar Rescue. read more

My wife, Lynn and I agree that the best prime rib in the area is here! Every visit we are more and more impressed! Prime rib, gourmet sandwiches, Fish, all the little extras and friendly services make Mimi's a hit with us! The beer selection is fabulous! read more

This was incredible. Truly a great meal. Their hospitality is top notch and make me and my party feel as if we were receiving the red carpet treatment. I was fortunate enough to enjoy the gumbo courtesy of the amazing chef from Louisiana. If I ever have to pass through Auburn again, I will stop here write a doubt, no hesitation. Please stop here to eat and enjoy food that feeds the soul read more

Best Tenderloin and Onion rings I've ever had. Would've given five stars if a little nicer decor. But you go to eat , right? We will definitely go back. read more

I have family that lives in Auburn so I always make it a point to stop in Mimi's when I'm in town. Delicious food, great beer and friendly people. Three of my favorite things!! I just love Mimi too. She is always so sweet to us and especially my Momma, Kathy. Hopefully, I will be stepping in Mimi's very soon! read more

Interesting restaurant Had all the feeling of a possible great find . Then the details came Specials were recommended by server (which found out was probably one of the owners) it was "ok" but one of the items were actually terrible and not able to be eaten. Probably special because it wasn't fresh but old and warmed up ! Made a comment at the end of meal to server that advice is that the side wasn't very good She became angry and disrespectful almost like a 5 year old . We will not return to this establishment read more

Smoking... Love it or hate it, it's here. Also friday fish. The fish was actually hand breaded and pretty well cooked. It's hard to get good fish in Indiana. They have a good beer selection and an old school tavern feel. Definitely worth a stop if you're in town. read more

We were looking for a locally owned restaurant to try and we were delighted to discover Mimi's. When we arrived, we almost didn't enter when we discovered that smoking was allowed but we decided that we would at least try. We were seated in a non-smoking rear section and really it was not bad at all. The food was delicious and plentiful Service was friendly and we will definitely return. Becky K read more