Located at a lovely intersection surrounded by an antique shop and coffee bar, Revival brings some fine southern food to the cold tundra of MN. This southern food is for real. Unfortunately, my girlfriend isn't very adventurous with her food so I didn't get a chance to try the pig ears or feet :( I did get a whack at: - Fried chicken. Go for the Tennessee Hot. Perfect amount of spice, even for the greenhorns. It's a great blend of hot and honey. Not heavily sauced or anything, but you can really taste that sweet and spicy. - Fried green tomatoes. BEST I've ever had. I find most places use too much batter, but Revival coats and seasons them just right. Nothing is taken away from the great flavor of the fresh tomatoes their using. THE PRICE IS RIGHT, you're going to get your fill, without burning a hole in your wallet. read more

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Loved everything about this place. I put the revival sauce on almost everything, I wish they bottled it

Yelpers. Believe the hype. There's probably not a ton I can say about Revival that hasn't already been said. All the good things you've heard are true. Location: Central with lots of surrounding street parking for your convenience Staff: Friendly, attentive, professional. Everyone from front of house and back of house displayed positive energy and seemed to legitimately enjoy being a part of the team. Food: Where should I start? We ordered a 1/2 fried chicken, red slaw, mac and cheese, and cheeto dusted pork rinds. We ordered the chicken Tennessee hot style. It was perfectly fried with its crispy skin and tender meat having none of the abundance of oil synonymous with lesser establishments. We originally didn't plan on the pork rinds but after seeing enough people order we caved. No regrets. Light, airy, and flavorful. Like the chicken, not greasy at all. The cheeto dust coupled with the house dip make it perfect for nibbling between entree bites. The mac and cheese was delicious and addictive. Seriously - the crispy top layer when broken gives way to a creamy, delicious delight. The red slaw was good. Probably the weakest link but still good. Conclusion: You've got to check this joint out. You'll risk your Twin Cities card if you don't. read more

This is the only place I want to go for fried chicken in the city! I am not huge fan of okra but still gave it a try. I could have licked the Mac and Cheese bowl clean it was so delish and I was bummed to have to share. read more

Revival - Fried Chicken Thigh Mac Cheese--nom,nom,nom - Southern Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Oh, Revival. What has happened? What was once consistent perfection seems to be stumbling. We've eaten here many times and it was always spot-on delicious. The last time we were here, not so much; cold chicken, slow service, bland sides. I figured everyone has an off night every now and then. Right? So, we went back. The chicken was hot this time. The mashed potatoes weren't. And they were bland. So very tasteless. The mac and cheese, although with drippy thin sauce, was ok. The pork chops with potato salad was really good. Definitely a good substitute for those that don't want the chicken. The butterscotch pie was also really good. Good enough to come back? I would come back again. If the food doesn't come back up to what it was a year ago, it will no longer be in the rotation. read more

Mrs. Fishstick found this place and recommended it. Knowing I like to enjoy moist, delectable things - she said their chicken is highly rated. And of course they had it Nasville hot so I was down. We arrived Sat night around 8, no wait and the waitress was very good. The good: 1. Amazing sauces 2. Collards were succulent - amazing with hot pepper and vinegar sauce 3. Chicken perfectly cooked 4. Grits on point The bad: 1. Hot chicken lacked sweet component and flavor was not authentic Tennessee style. 2. Very dark and noisy inside and seating a bit cramped. I would definitely go back and try some other menu items. If your looking for some good southern cooking, Revival is worth it. read more

Revival - Hot chicken, grits, greens and hush puppies - Southern Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

I am now questioning all the fried chicken I have ever eaten before this meal! The fried chicken is insanely moist, like not dry at all! I am questioning why all the fried chicken I have eaten before this is not this moist! The crust is good in the "non offensive" way if you go with the base level. Our group opted for a whole chicken (for 3 people) and we ended up bringing about 5 pieces home with us. In addition we ordered the macaroni and cheese, which looking back at it, we should have ordered more than 1 because it was not enough for 3 people... The mashed potatoes were questionably delightful. I say questionable because I don't understand how they were so good! They had a white gravy which was a nice twist on normal mashed potatoes and gravy. The collard greens were ok, but to be fair, I have never been a fan of them. My group enjoyed them but I found them to be meh at best... The fried green tomatoes were good. They came with this partial salad which confused me. The sauce they layered the tomatoes on was delightful! Would I order again, maybe...maybe not though. The coleslaw was a different variation of the traditional coleslaw (cream based). It was ok, but nothing I would be screaming to order again. The venue is quite small and even on a Thursday at 7:30 had a sizeable wait (about 1 hour) so plan accordingly. read more

Great food, great service but what is the service charge for? Not that it was a deal breaker but all adds up. Is this a St Paul thing?

I rarely, if ever, leave a 1 star review and Revival earned a single star this past Sunday. Flying in from Seattle, home of the Best New Restaurant, JuneBaby, and its Sunday night fried chicken accounts for a line out the door, I was excited to try yet another fried chicken restaurant in the "North." So excited that I went straight to Revival from the airport, towing multiple bags with me. 4 hours of travel and what I encountered was discrimination by its staff and management. Upon arrival, I saw there were vacant tables. Staff walked aimlessly past me. When I made eye contact, they looked away and chitchatted amongst themselves. I took a seat in the waiting area and waited for 5 minutes. I then walked up to a server and requested a table. He advised me to go back to the waiting area. A family entered and the same server rushed up to the family and offered them a table. I walked up to the server again and asked for a menu, and he asked if I wanted a takeout order or to sit at the bar. I requested to eat in. He asked me to wait and then a couple arrived and another server seated them immediately. I continued to wait. I became frustrated and was about to walk back up to the server when three young women of African American descent arrived. The four of us waited in the waiting area. No one came to offer us a seat. I walked up to the server a third time and asked to sit at a dirty table, requested chicken and waffles for here, and 1/2 a bird and side of mac to-go, and my check. After having to wait as long as I did for a table, I knew it'd be a long time before any server would come to take my order, check in (if they did), and bring me my check. I was a single female in a town where I knew no one else, and I didn't want to stay out past dark. The server seated me at the bar. I received my food and check within 10 minutes of sitting. An elderly man arrived and waited with the group of African American women. He, too, watched other families and couples get seated before him. He became frustrated and asked the server in a loud and angry tone why he wasn't seated when others were. The server quickly offered him a table, but the man confronted the server, "These girls have been waiting longer than me!" The server rushed over to his manager, who was standing near me, and explained the situation with the "aggravated" man. The manager advised him to apologize to the elderly man only. The man exclaimed, "But these girls were here first!" The server finally seated the girls, and shortly after, the elderly man was seated close by. From all of this, Revival has let me down. Minnesota is known to be the "nicest" state, but at Revival, I encountered discrimination at all angles. I experienced it and I witnessed it. This is bad service at its worst. I shared my experience with people in Seattle, of all ages and races, and was encouraged to share my experience on Yelp. I have never left a restaurant in tears and so disappointed, and this restaurant gave me that experience. What I do have hope for is fellow restaurant patrons like the elderly man. Thanks for being an ally, whoever you are. read more

Revival - Southern Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

The fried chicken was delicious and "moist" :) On a serious note one of the best fried chickens Ive had, its worth trying the Southern Fried & Tennessee Hot flavors. We also enjoyed the burger as it was juicy and flavorful with the thick pieces of bacon which I recommend you add. We ended up getting double the Mac & Cheese because why not???! Delicious & Cheesy! read more

Revival - Southern Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Revival: "an improvement in the condition or strength of something" Revival: "an instance of something becoming popular, active, or important again" Let's talk fried chicken: Revival the restaurant exceeds it's name. It's made fried chicken in Minnesota popular and important again and definitely improved on "Minnesota" fried chicken. Yeah, It's pretty much all fried. Embrace it. Accept it, and plan accordingly. We split 1/2 chicken, hush puppies, grits, and mac and cheese between 3 of us and we were all full by the end and surprised at how reasonable the bill ended up being! The Alabama boy in the group fully admitted that despite his high southern fried chicken standards - Revival knew what they were doing. 1/2 chicken - Amazing. Just go for the chicken if nothing else. Hush Puppies - We were SHOCKED at how many come in an order. Grits - decent. Not the BEST grits ever, but they were good. Mac and Cheese - Honestly, Kraft is better. It was lacking pepper in our opinion. This is definitely worth stopping at and eating some good ole fried chicken! read more

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My son and I love Revival especially the Tennessee hot chicken and cheese curds! We've tried several items and they'll all been good. The hush puppies are also very good! read more

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Minneapolis is one of the more low key great food cities in the US, and places like Revival are why! I spent some time traveling there for work, and would eat out regularly. Revival was probably the best restaurant I went to during that entire time span in Minneapolis. I went with a group so I got to try quite a few different food items, and I really thought that almost everything was good! The one thing that stood out to me were the cheese curds. WOW. Minnesota knows cheese curds, but Revival REALLY knows cheese curds. They came drizzled with honey and served with ranch, and they were hands down the best I've ever, and quite possibly will ever, have! The fried chicken itself was also very good and I ordered the Tennessee Hot. I have a decent tolerance for spicy food so I did not think that the chicken was all that hot, but I did think it had great flavor! If you do nothing else at Revival, just go there and order 2-3 plates of cheese curds and you will leave more than satisfied! read more

Been wanting to try their legendary fried chicken for some time but as I'm not a too patient when it comes to waiting so the idea of an hours plus wait for dinner has kept me away-I just don't think any food is worth a 2-hour line, so when I discovered they have lunch, it was the perfect answer to my conundrum. Three of us popped in at 11:30 on a winter Monday for lunch and easily got a table-in fact we were one of only 3 occupied when we arrived although people continued to trickle in as the lunch hour progressed. While they have other things on the menu, the whole reason for the visit was to try the legendary fried chicken and while it seems every new restaurant is serving fried chicken, Revival was the one that seemed to have started things off. There are several option to choose from including classic or Tennessee Hot and white or dark and single portion or the whole chicken. We each got classic white along which came out hot and crispy in a reasonably short amount of time although the two pieces were each some unrecognizable/odd cut - not a true half breast and not a wing - but all white meat. We also tried the hush puppies - crispy and good and an order is about 30-40 pieces so plenty to share as well as the light and fluffy biscuits (4 to an order) that were also worth the calories (yes I know, lots of carbs, there was a little mix-up when we ordered). The tangy coleslaw was our nod to a vegetable at this high-cal meal. Pros: strong service, tasty food, easy to get a table (at lunch at least) Cons: table are crammed close together and street parking is limited Recommended. read more

Revival - Lunch menu - Southern Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

It is as good as it sounded... Arrived here at around 4pm expecting a super long wait and we were seated (table for 2) immediately! Which I understand was super strange! We had great service sitting in the corner in the back and immediately ordered entirely too much food as per usual. Service was fast and the food was hot and delicious and did not disappoint! Drinks: water and a TIN CAN OF WINE!? Yumi ordered a $22 tin can of wine = to 2.5 pours which subsequently got her quite shnockered so buyers beware that wine is strong! Food: Revival Burger 3.5/5 : Raved and hailed as "one of the best burgers in Minneapolis I thought it as just aight! It had some bomb ass bacon added but overall it felt like a super posh Big Mac! Delicious for sure but not hearty enough of a burger for me. Collared Greens 5/5: BOMB AF these were sweet, but savory and deliciously leafy green! Buy these if you like greens. Mac N Cheese 5/5: I couldn't stop spooning it and I had food envy. It was a different style but the consistency of the cheese was a bit lighter than I expected but it spooned or rather shoveled well and had great flavor and texture! Hoppin John's 4/5: Dirty rice of the southern variety! White beans and brown rice with seasoning and spices all up the wazoo! Peak at the pictures below! Tennessee hot chicken 5/5: I should have just stuck with the chicken instead of the burger but I'm not much for friend chicken #bringitonhaters but this stuff was way too good! Do it and order the spice accordingly! Finally it is sadly worth the hype. Go eat, drink, be merry and expect a substantial wait time for anything over 2 people parties. Try and make it in right when they open for dinner time and you might get lucky! Cheers Yelp on! read more

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This is legit southern comfort food! I had chicken and waffles and my wife had shrimp and grits! The chicken and waffles were the best I have had! read more

Revival - Southern Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

This is one of those "loosen your belt and clear the calendar the next day" type of joints, but it's well worth the stomach-stretching and sometimes masochistic pain. Oh, and the damn wait to get one of the few tables. But indulge, my friends! I personally keep going back for the Tennessee Hot chicken, which is very spicy yet tasty. My stomach gargles and recoils for it at the same time. Their chicken is crispy, juicy, well-seasoned, yet sometimes too greasy. The mac and cheese: SO rich and creamy! I don't even want to know the amount of cream, cheese and butter they put in there; just feed me lies and a bucket full of it! And you can't have either of the above without their housemade biscuits and honey butter. Honorable mentions: butter beans and collard greens. These are pretty damn good for vegetables! They're both salty and savory, though the collard greens could use a little heat. I was also pleased with their fried chicken liver appetizer. They give you a whole heap (3 of us couldn't finish) and the coating on them has those ever-so-desirable waves of golden crispiness. They came with a creamy aioli (I think?) that balanced out the whole dish. I think it's reasonably priced for the quality and quantity. Last time I was there, plenty of food for 3 + a bottle of wine ran us about $80-90. read more

Revival - Our spread - Southern Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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We sat out on their sweet sidewalk space, loving the ambience of the warm, but not too warm evening and the busker playing sax a block away. Great, friendly but unobtrusive service. All three of us left happy and full after making some great choices from their many offerings. My favorite was actually the new non-alcaholic beverage selections flavored with real herbal blends. Highly recommend. read more

I'm probably going to get my ass kicked for this review. I know tons of Yelper friends leaving positive reviews, hyping up this chicken joint. Not sure if it was an off night but I was let down by the food. The service was top notch despite the hectic, loud and even overbearing noise in this small restaurant. It was packed. My girlfriend and I checked in at 5pm on a Friday night. Didn't get a table until 630. I was thinking to myself this fried chicken better be worth my 1.5 hour wait. So onto the actual food. Fried chicken livers were pretty tasty. Not dry and the sweet potato sauce really helped elevate the flavor. Without it, it was just plain old fried chicken livers. Now onto the main course of the evening... The Tennessee Hot chicken. There was a good heat to the chicken but the heat kept on building and building. The first few bites were good but nothing amazing. I got bored of the spicy flavor and again, used a lot of the sweet potato sauce to help with flavoring the chicken. And again, good fried chicken should not need additional sauce to enhance the flavor. The sides were also lackluster. Ordered the white cheddar grits and the mac & cheese. The mac & cheese pales in comparison to the one found at Smack Shack while more creamier white cheddar grits can be found at The Kenwood. I noticed that the bigger groups got their seats when we finished eating. Wow! Uhm!! The chicken was not the best I've had and certainly not worth the wait. Seeing how this might be the only legit fried chicken place in MSP, it's no where near my expectations of succulent fried chicken. There literally is no waiting area. I went there on a Friday night and people are all bunched up in the bar/door area which is really too small for comfort. I had such high hopes for this fried chicken but it fell flat. Looks like I'm going to have to revisit this restaurant and try the regular fried chicken. This review might seem like all over the place but I assure you this restaurant is also all over the place. I'm sorry if I offended anyone but I really wanted to like (love) this place and my dreams of finding the perfect piece of fried chicken was crushed into bits and pieces like a bag of M&Ms being run over by a 18 wheeler. read more

Revival - Fried chicken liver - Southern Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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I can't iterate this enough: you haven't eaten good fried chicken until you've had Revival's! There is just so much to love about this restaurant - the decor, the service, the food, everything is AMAZING! I came here for the second time this afternoon with my mom and my best friend. We got there around 11:30 am and were seated immediately (unlike the last time which was during dinner rush - avoid if possible!). Like I said, I love the decor of the restaurant! The space is small but they make use of it. I am all for the wooden decor and floral wallpaper on the back wall. My favorite part of the restaurant are the big windows that allow so much light into the restaurant, it just makes me so happy dining there! And then there's the food. We ordered: APPETIZERS - pork rinds (hot cheetos style with cheese sauce) - so crispy! The rinds were good on their own but the cheese sauce was a great complement CHICKEN - (for both) the skin is so crispy and the meat is so juicy and tender! HEAVEN - tennessee hot (two piece) - there's just so much flavor to it! The right amount of spice and spiciness - southern fried (half bird) - just as good as the Tennessee Hot, especially with the sauces that they provide you SIDES - mac & cheese - better than I remembered! The perfect amount of cheesiness - hush puppies - so golden and crispy. The batter is so light yet flavorful - collard greens - ordered this side for my mom and she loved them DESSERT - rhubarb pie - it was a mixture of sweet and tart, it was a great way to finish off our meal Lastly, the service. Our waiter was very nice! He checked on us frequently, offered us suggestions, and gave us feedback on the menu items when we struggled to decide what we wanted to order. read more

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Revival really was everything I had hoped for and more. We were lucky enough to have a free morning/lunch to stop in on a weekday. As I have heard the line can get disturbingly long on weekends, I was really glad we could make this happen. We showed up at 11:20AM on a Thursday, and found that the restaurant was already 80% full. By11:30AM, it was full and people were starting to wait for tables. The shop itself is quite small, and they really pack in a lot of tables. The decor isn't anything special but it is clean, new, and a bit chic. I don't have any complaints. The food, oh my the food. We had to order the 1/2 southern fried chicken, revival burger, mac + cheese, and hush puppies and split it all between my wife and me. The burger was unreal. So juicy yet charred perfectly on a flat top. The cheese was oozing out. I didn't receive nor need any condiments, the meat and cheese spoke to me and I devoured my provided half in no time at all. The fried chicken was amazeballs a well. Perfectly crisp, with some bits I could pull off and enjoy. The meat was juicy and savory. The portion for $18 was great (yes this could buy a few chickens at the grocery store; so what?). The sides were in strong competition from the mains. The mac + cheese was cavatappi pasta bathed in a creamy and complex sauce, topped with a nice hard crunchy outer shell. I am going to have dreams about this mac and likely try to replicate it at home. The hush puppies made me wonder what I had even eaten before that others call "hush puppies" as these are the only ones to ever be so light, fluffy, and sweet that I couldn't stop eating them. The service was great, even from our self proclaimed waiter of only 3 days. Bill was under $50 for two with non-alcoholic beverages and we even brought some leftovers home. Overall, it was a magical culinary experience with flavors I will dream about for weeks or more. I would love to go back but will do so during off hours as I can't stand hours in a line! read more

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Decided to brave the terrible rain/snow storm after work to get a piece of fried chicken that everyone and their mom keeps raving about and all I have to say is that this is a time I wish I would not have read the Yelp reviews prior to trying this place out. The crazy generous ratings really set the bar way too high and I left wondering if there was something wrong with me because I thought everything was just A-OK. Before everyone flips out and tries to set my Yelp account on fire, let me just say I am a huge fan of Thomas Boemer and truly fell in love with his amazing culinary skills during the Cochon 555 event in Minneapolis. My friend and I arrived around 5pm and were seated right away which was super exciting since the last time we attempted to eat here there was a two hour wait for three people. The host was very friendly and our waitress was super sweet and quick to bring out our drinks. We ordered the funyon style pork rinds, shake and bake pork chops with butter beans and greens, Tennessee hot fried chicken, Mac and cheese, and the chess pie. Funyon style pork rinds: very flavorful but the batch I had was under fried and chewy, I felt like I was eating styrofoam. I eat pork rinds on a daily basis...because I'm super...healthy...and these were definitely the best tasting ones I've had even though the texture was off. Shake and Bake Pork Chops with butter beans and greens: awesome level of crispiness with not too much coating, pork was tender, a little on the bland side but perfect with the Revival sweet potato based sauce. The butter beans were a bit undercooked for my taste but were simple and a nice complement to the pork with the awesome revival sauce. The fresh greens were just random to me and didn't seem to do much for me. Tennessee hot fried chicken: I will not sugar coat this but I was really underwhelmed by the fried chicken that literally every review said was the star of the show. I now understand why everyone who gave it such high reviews said "I've never been to the south but this is the best fried chicken I have ever had". PLEASE GO TO THE SOUTH TO EXPERIENCE FRIED CHICKEN Y'ALL... it is worth every single penny you pay for the flight down there!!!! With that being said, the Tennessee Hot component of the fried chicken was so HOT that it was almost painful to eat. Maybe it was just the batch I had. I couldn't taste the flavor of the chicken because my taste buds were on fire. This is coming from someone who can bite into a Thai chili pepper and be ok. Mac and cheese: ...was Mac and cheese. Chess Pie: essentially a snickerdoodle flavored custard pie. Now for me, this was the star of the show. It was the appropriate level of sweetness, had a unique taste, and was a great palate cleanser to round out the meal. Overall, I would say Revival was a good place to eat dinner and the staff members were awesome but I don't think I could justify waiting over a half hour for a table at this point in time. read more

Revival - Shake and bake pork, Mac and cheese, pork rinds, fried chicken, chess pie - Southern Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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If you don't like fried chicken, then I just don't think we can hang out because it does.not.compute. Revival's regular fried chicken, specifically, is the best I've ever had. North or South, East or West. It's perfectly crisp, perfectly seasoned and perfectly juicy inside. The chef Thomas Boemer can cook the pants off pretty much anything, but I like that he shows some restraint here at the second restaurant. Revival knows what it is and the menu is all focused around that identity. The sides (we ordered almost all of them) are solid southern comfort food like fried green tomatoes (A), mac and cheese (A+) and biscuits with sorghum butter (A++). The collards and hoppin' john could use a little tweaking, but hey, they just opened. No doubt they'll work on making sure all the sides can stand up to that soon-to-be world famous chicken. At dinner they add a few entrees to the menu, all of which will need to go into my stomach at some point. Other notables: -The Nashville Hot Chicken will set your lips on fire. You've been warned. -Nothing needs sauce, but there are sauces on the table that you shouldn't ignore. -Corner Table. Don't ignore that either, because Mr. Boemer makes food there too. -The place is tiny and doesn't take reservations, so be patient and expect that you might have to wait a little while and you might have to do that waiting outside. -Takeout coming soon. Phew. read more

Revival - Fried chicken, biscuits and Mac. That's my new standing order. - Southern Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Went here for my bachelor party! Amazing food! They have the perfect dishes to share. Great atmosphere as well.

This place is closed! Permanently closed. Boarded up and signs on the windows! Definitely not open!

Good food, good service. Horrible wait time and start of my second visit here. My family knew there was going to be a wait right at opening 11am. So we got to Revival at 10:35 and waited in line on a Saturday. Being second in line once the doors opened they hadn't seated anyone else so we went ahead a grabbed a table pulling a chair to fit 5. After ordering drinks and having plates set out by our server 15min seated, one of the employees rudely came up and told us that we shouldn't have sat ourselves being a safety hazard. If we had known earlier we would have gladly followed the "rules". Throughout our meal the same employee then continuously points at my family's table making it uncomfortable for us. Our actual server was kind, again food was good but I felt the start was rude when not necessary , the employee could have handled it differently or even said something before the place filled up. I won't be coming back because of the experience at the beginning, I will also make sure to let others know. read more

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Fingers were licked. Lights were dimmed. That was the method used to signal that they were shutting down. Oops. We stayed an hour and a half after it closed. They said nothin. Though the goodbyes be hearty and sweet. Wallpaper is Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg designing together on grass. That said, let the food review commence: * Fried green tomatoes * Fake healthy for your body. Crispy yum. * Fried chicken liver * Better as fridge-cold leftovers: Tony-the-tiger-grrrreat! * Tennessee 1/2 chicken * The centerpiece, but not quite. It could be juicier. If you're feeling overly judgmental, find your calmness in the wallpaper. * Collard greens * It is real. Which is to say: not forked out of an aluminum can. Like, elephant-ear-sized leaves in stock that has probably been simmering since time began. * Hoppin' john * A mixin of black-eyed peas, bell pepper, and other veggies. A good side to lighten the load of fried dishes. * Sweet potato pie w/ house-made whipped cream and house-made crust * Good god. Damn. Wait was 75 minutes-ish. The host said to me after an hour, "I remember you," as though he were Leo and I was Kate. I know what you're thinking. Titanic is not a southern movie. But that's not the point. Acoustics is terrible. Bring a strong voice. Practice operatic yelling. - - - 2nd visit: Wait was still 1.5 hrs on a Thursday night at 8pm. :( * Johnnycakes * Everything you could possible want at breakfast when your soul is empty: fluffy cakes, ham, fried egg, and cheddar * Mac n cheese * The version of mac n cheese you'd find in the uncertain event you went to heaven. Unlike many bowls of mac n cheese I've consumer in my life, the sauce in this one was thick and creamy and spiced just right. * Clams * Buttery. Garlicky. * Lexington pork shoulder, white cheddar grits, b+b pickles, collards * Pork was dry as jerky. Grits made me feel sad; flood of liquid made the grains abandon each other beneath the pork. Pickles and collards were the best part... * Southern fried chicken - 3 piece, dark * SUPER SALTY. * Pigs ear watercress salad * Edgy textures. Fried pigs ear reminded me of chips I might find in the snack section of an East Asian grocery store. * Black-eyed peas * Standard. I could take it or leave it. read more

Revival - Southern Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

I wish I knew what happened. Where all these amazing reviews are coming from? Let me preface this by explaining that it is really and I mean REALLY hard to mess up fried chicken. Revival does not mess up the chicken. It is actually pretty good but that being said... That is not hard to be good at it. Where you stand out at a chicken joint is on your sides. We had biscuits. You get 2 for $5. They are what you call a basic biscuit. Whats special about it is the butter that comes with it. Wow- yum! The hush puppies are well... Basic. Would be better with hot dogs in them. The mac and cheese was runny and not that great on the flavor spectrum. The rice/beans... Omg. Apparently they know what salt is and decided to have that be the only flavor. Watery beans and rice for $5.50 ... Never again... Please take it away. The sides are small for the price. The flavor profiles are at least attempted to be sophisticated but lacking on execution. Where they do win is the two homemade sauces they bring to the table! One is a pepper and vinegar and the other is a sweet habanero.... Surprisingly delicious - though seem like they are just short of a bbq sauce. I wont be back anytime soon... Needed to say... The burger with pork belly bacon is DELICIOUS and the only reason for the 2 stars. Super greasy and not worthy of a repeat but definitely delicious! read more

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I have to agree with another Yelper. I wish I had not read all the rave reviews, because I think I set my expectations really too high. Made sure to arrive pretty close to the opening at 4 pm. We were probably the fourth party in the door. Great that there was no wait. I wouldn't want to wait if there was one because the place is a tight squeeze and I dislike when people are waiting on top of me and vice versa when people are trying to enjoy their meal. Food: Hush puppies. Good and the sauce was good, but a lot of batter. Biscuits -meh Chicken- my husband liked his a lot more than I did. He had the stain on his face to prove it. Mine was okay, but it was a really small breast and nothing really stood out for me or made me want to yell out, ummm...this shit is good. Sorry, the wow factor just wasn't there for me. Rice was good, but I think the butter can be thanked for that. Close quarters, like NYC close. And what is it with everyone playing Bob Marley lately? Mix it up. So tired of listening to that same jammmin'mmm drone on. To each their own. Our server was okay. Pretty non existent despite most of the staff just hanging out at the bar. I used to over tip even when the service was mediocre, but why? There are so many restaurants with great servers who truly deserve that overage. The gal running out our food had a bit of an attitude, too. So sorry, I'll save my over tipping for servers who really deserve it. No check ins other than running the tab. I don't need to be fawned over, but a simple quick," do you need anything"would be nice. Might try out their St. Paul location because it's a lot closer, but wont be rushing back to Mpls for this chicken. Not bad, but not overwhelmed. read more

This is the Disneyland for comfort food! The food is impeccable and its way less expensive than going to Disneyland! We got to Revival around 4:30 pm and waited about 25 min and found ourselves some seats at the bar. The space is small, cozy, and has a neighborhood feel. We had the pork rinds, they tasted 10 times better than anything you could buy at the store. It seemed like they sprinkled it with crack or another illegal white powder. They were airy, light, and just addictive. We got the collard greens and mac and cheese for sides. I thought the greens were prepared well. They could fly under the radar compared to the other stand outs from the meal but I enjoyed them as they helped to balance out the other textures and flavors. I didn't have the mac but the family members inhaled it so assume it was good. The star of the show is the fried (gluten free!) chicken. We got the southern fried. It was crispy, well battered and well seasoned and the chicken was incredibly moist (i imagine the brine it). It is so so good. They bring out an array of sauces (pepper infused vinegar, sweet potato based Revival Sauce, and chili vinegar paste/sauce) to arm you with (even though you don't need it). I really didn't want to mess with perfection, but thought they worked really well together and add a little extra zest the the meal. The food was totally worth the wait. It felt like the food/menu were well thought out and perfectly executed. The logistics of getting our name on the list wasn't totally smooth, but the food more than made up for it. I think prices are really fair ($15 half bird and sides were between $5-6). If you are up for the wait, prepare yourself for a fun ride. Your tastebuds with love you for it!! read more

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I've been putting off rewriting this review since I tried Revival a couple weeks ago. I finally have a little time to really go into depth. I've had fried chicken in almost every state in the US, so it's a slightly serious topic for me ;) The space is cute. Quite small, and not usually my cup of tea, but cute. The best way to describe the overall vibe of Revival is upscale fried chicken. If that works for you, you'll love it here. I, however, am slightly more partial to hole in the wall or family owned chicken joints of the South. Moving along, this is by far the best chicken I've ever had in Minnesota, period. The Tennessee hot has a nice bite; it could be much spicier, but it's mn what can one expect? The skin is perfectly crispy and the meat is juicy and tender. Huge downside... The chicken is chefs choice for pieces. You order 2 pieces, half or whole bird. Come on now, I get that this is high class fried chicken, but I want to pick at least dark or white. (although let's be honest in Memphis you can pick all your pieces) the chicken came out hot and fresh on a bed of white bread and a few pickles on top. I can't decide whether the bread thing is cute or dumb. High class fried chicken arranged nicely on bread... An upscale play off the classic fried chicken served with white bread. The pickles were awesome, by the way. They have 2 types of sauce... Neither are overly impressive. They're decent but didn't make a difference in my meal. Side dishes... My friend and I had the Mac n cheese, the black eyed peas, and the biscuits. Mac n cheese is top notch although the portion is small. Cheesey, thick, and baked. The black eyed peas were decent. They were able to make them without pork which is awesome, but they weren't better than mediocre. The biscuits were gross. I'm a huge Biscuit fan I grew up on homemade biscuits with honey/jam. These were hard, too Salty, and served with chives on top. Biscuits go with sweet things, not onions. And they should be soft and crumbly and fluffy not hard. Just my opinion. The service was fine right at open, very few people but us seated. However, we waited at least 45 min for our food after we ordered. We also had wine, they have a decent selection I was pleased with. I wouldn't eat here again.. I would grab chicken to go, but they need a larger more comfortable space. I can't give more than 3 stars, although I enjoyed my meal it wasn't 4 or 5 star material. Also, it was pricey. I've had better fried chicken in Memphis for half the price. (8 pieces, fried pickles, Jojos, 4 biscuits for $20) read more

Revival - Southern Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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KFC who? my only critique is that I had to wait in the tiny restaurant while I watched others eat the delicious food (which is obviously not a real problem when the food is so damn good) I went with a group of girlfriends and we tried almost everything. the mac and cheese will make people who dont like mac n cheese, love it. the tenessee hot is no joke. being asian, sometimes I scoff at menus that claim "hot" is actually hot; especially since I like the kind of hot that burns a hole in my stomach lining. but this was pretty hot! not just spicy but also spiced. from the inside out. the original chicken is just as good, if not better! they have a whole rack of sauces, its fun to order the original and try them all. and last but not least, the hushpuppies. its like a corn dog without the dog and then some heavenly sauce on the side. we ordered 2 orders.... read more

BELIEVE THE HYPE. Admittedly, I have not been to any of the fried chicken emporiums of the Deep South. BUT, for my money, I've not had a finer piece of fried chicken. Further, it's certainly among the Top 5 things I have put in my mouth in the last nine months, and we go out about three times a week. We started with some of the pork rinds, Funyon-style, which were light as a feather and seasoned with a powder of some sort which tasted exactly of Funyons. It was served with a mildly spicy dipping sauce. Light, crispy and porky. For mains, I had the Tennessee Hot and my wife had the Southern Fried. With it, we shared some biscuits and sorghum butter and the mac and cheese. I can't really accurately describe what happened next. It all showed up and we bit into it, and it was as though you FELT the universe shift into alignment. The Tennessee Hot *was* spicy. Not Minnesota spicy, but for real spicy. The crust is perfect and the chicken itself must have been brined, because to make chicken BREAST taste that good takes something extra. The biscuits were light and buttery and crumbly and the mac an excellent compliment to the overall Southern aesthetic of the meal. All of this with a great selection of spring-time beers? You can't miss. And we didn't. Can't fault it. My wife and I just sat there shaking our heads. It might as well have been the first time I had fried chicken, because now everything else seems like a pale imitation. WELL DONE. We shall return! read more

Revival - The menu. - Southern Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

This was another one that has been on my list FOREVER but I have been scared away by the stories of the wait. I am not a patient girl and waiting for FOOD is the worst kind of wait. I like to eat and want to eat right away. So I was in the area for an early lunch and popped on in. No line, seated right away. YESSSS. I knew right away what I wanted: Johnny Cakes. OK. These Johnny cakes are everything I have ever wanted in a pancake. Corn cakes filled with ham and cheese, topped with syrup and cowpeas, and a sunny side egg on top of the whole shebang. This is the real deal. Every second of this plate was pure food bliss and I never wanted it to end. Also? Super cheap! $10 after tip. BOOM. By the time I left there was a line. Service was good, friendly and fast. Yes, it's kinda loud in there. Didn't bother me. Get the Johnny Cakes. They will change your life. read more

Revival - Johnny cakes. Best thing I've ever eaten - Southern Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Having lived in Nashville for 12 1/2 years, I believe I know how chicken tastes. Revival is pretty close to the real deal! The Southern fried chicken meat itself was deliciously juicy and flavorful. I personally thought that although the fried skin was crunchy, the taste was just so so. It must be noted that all items on the menu are ala carte. The side dishes, stated as family style, are small enough for one. The buttered beans were fabulous. The mac and cheese was rich. I felt the collard greens needed salt. I have only three negatives on Revival. 1) The volume is extremely loud. If it's important to have a quiet conversation, it won't happen there. 2) The plate that you eat on is comparable to the size of a dessert plate, making it hard to place chicken AND two sides, let alone three. 3) The chicken prices are a bit high ($28 for an entire chicken). Would I eat here again? Yes, if I'm craving some juicy chicken. There are a few items I'd be interested in also trying. Although Revival is known for the chicken, they're also rumored to have an awesome burger. The Southern potato salad is also supposed to be killer. read more

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Arghhh over rated! I will not be back, at least not for their fried stuff. My chicken liver was so dry and yucky. The chef should know better not to overlook liver, especially if they fry it. My fried chicken was nothing to shout about. I had better ones. I actually did not like the seasoning they used because it tasted like vinaigrette. Eww! The noise just bounces off the wall in the restaurant making it hard to have a conversation. Surprisingly, the only thing that was yummy was their pork shoulder, non-fried dish. Their dessert selection was also meh. I really wanted to like this place but the food and experience didn't bring me back to the South. read more

Revival - Dry chicken liver not sure what the hype is with this restaurant! - Southern Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

The staff is friendly and the food is always amazing. Best fried chicken I have had in Minnesota. All the sides are amazing too! Our favorites are the hush puppies, mac and cheese, and mashed potatoes. The price can be a little high, but the quality of the food is so worth the money! Also, they are very covid friendly. Will definitely be ordering again soon! read more

I don't get it. The chicken is either overcooked or undercooked. That burger is not worth the price. However. I crave the califlower bowl. It is soooooo good. Their sides are delicious too. read more

This is one of my current top 3 restaurants in the Twin Cities. I frequently dream of the biscuits and sorghum butter. One of my co-workers recommended this place to me, and I am eternally thankful for the recommendation. The wait for a table can be horrendous (often over an hour) if you come during peak dinnertime. If you have the capacity, I recommend coming during off-peak times for a very filling meal that will last through the night, trust me. Arriving right at 4PM when they opened was ideal and didn't look that uncommon. Though the service is either hit or miss, the food makes it all worth it. I've tried a handful of items on this menu, but the biscuits and sorghum butter are still what really standout to me (moreso than the chicken even!) The burger is large and very well crafted. Tasty. The mac and cheese as a side was too much for me to finish, but they made really great leftovers the next day. The hush puppies come bountiful and with a really interesting sauce that works really well with it. I've only ever tried the chicken in the "southern fried" style, but I'm sure their other styles are just as good! I'm not much of a meat eater and the chicken really spoke to me in a way that not many other dishes can. Recommended dinner order for a pair to share (and have leftovers): - Biscuits and sorghum butter - Hush puppies - 1/2 bird chicken read more

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I would usually give this place a 5 star but after today my opinion has changed. My boyfriend and I wanted to support local restaurants in Minneapolis due to the recent shutdown and pandemic. However we were extremely disappointed about the Tennessee spicy chicken sandwich. This is our usual go to meal that we get on a regular basis. First of all the chicken I received on my sandwich had no meat just breading/flour. My boyfriends sandwich had no meat as well. We also paid $38 dollars for 2 sandwiches and tip. Again we really wanted to support locals during the pandemic. We called the manager to tell him about our experience and we just wanted a simple apology so the next customer wouldn't have the same experience. We weren't expecting a refund or gift card just a simple apology. Instead the manager said, "well what do you want me to do?" I've worked in the restaurant business for nearly 15 years and I have never received such a condescending response like that. He really rubbed us off the wrong way.. I don't think we'll be back for while unless we get a true apology. read more