We went there for my birthday and again this location has to be my favorite for the setting and…read moreservice. The gin cocktail and chicken rotisserie sandwich were just what I needed. But the suggestion to have the Gouda Hashbrowns was so welcome. Forget about fries these Hashbrowns were the best! Hands down. Good for larger parties of six or perfect for two. Can't wait to go again.

The old saying goes "consistency is key", and consistency is what you get at Hazelwood. The…read moreslightly elevated price point matches their slightly elevated menu, vibe, and service. If you want to come here even relatively close to peak hours, I would highly recommend a reservation. My personal favorites here include the Rotisserie Chicken Sandwich and the Minute Chicken. I've gotten both items multiple times and they are consistently great. Do yourself a favor and get the Dessert Flight; the portions are more than fair for the price and the Banana Cream Pie is to die for. We recently did brunch at Hazelwood for the first time. The Monkey Bread is a generous size with a crispy outside and gooey center - exactly how you would want it to be. The Smoked Gouda Hash browns are worth getting on the side with any item that doesn't already include them; they are so creamy and have a rich cheesy flavor with a nice crispy top layer. Unfortunately, I would not recommend the Avocado Toast. The bacon bits, lettuce, and poached egg completely overwhelm the avocado, which is virtually nonexistent. It's served on a very small and boring piece of wheat toast.

It's been a while, but I love Axel's Wedge and this time I tried the Axel's burger and fries…read more Comfort food, assemble! Cook options are offered, so I ordered my big, juicy burger mid-rare but when it arrived it was medium-medium well. I was disappointed but it tasted good. The fries were thick, crispy outside and seasoned well. Wedge salads are a favorite of mine and the house-made blue cheese dressing is just delicious.

We have been long time customers of the old Axels and knew it wasn't long before a change would…read moreoccur. The remodel is really nice. Very clean, bright and updated. My husband had the NY Strip and I had the Lobster Roll. The service was great, quick. We felt very attended to. Our drinks were a little smaller than the old Axels, but good. The NY Strip was good but not what it used to be at Axels. The Lobster Roll was stuffed! Very filled with tender lobster, light mayo and a little celery. The Brioche roll was a little thick as the usual is more "hot dog bun" style for a Lobster Roll. All in all it was good. Will go back and try more things for sure.

On a quest for world's best comfort food? Tired of your wallet being sucked dry for subpar food?…read moreUninspired service? Left to feel as if you interrupted someone's day? Believe! Great food, amazing service & human compassion LIVES HERE.

The food was really good and the portions were huge especially given the price. This would have…read moreeasily been a 5 however the food took forever to arrive. We ordered our food at 7:30 and it didn't arrive until 8:20. The sausage and sausage patties both had great flavor, the gravy was good and the american fries were nice and crispy. Clasic diner food but not greasy. The inside was quite small and the atmosphere was very quiet even though it was full. There is a small parking lot.

Wow, this cafe absolutely wins at ambiance. This is a cute-as-heck coffee and brunch place that was…read moreclearly converted from a Victorian home in Eden Prairie. I had an awesome breakfast burrito and their awesome Tirimasu Latte (iced), and they have other offerings that will lure me from St Paul for future visits. Specifically, now that I am mourning the loss of Sun Street Breads and its Thursday Night Pizza Night, I'll have to try Smith's version of that. But I'll probably come back for brunch on a weekend pretty soon and get more coffee, as well as something from their bakery. But also, yes, brunch; the eggs in my burrito were really perfect. I was there at around noon on a Sunday; peak busy times so parking was a little hairy but I eventually found a spot. I absolutely recommend coming with a bunch of pals and hanging out for a good long time, but maybe don't all drive separately if it's noon-ish on a weekend. They have a lovely patio area which was well-populated, even on this extra-sunny mid-February day. If you like adorable cafes, you will definitely love this place.

On a WFH Friday, our internet was being "upgraded" aka xfinity had a outage in the area for a…read morewhile... I immediately started looking at coffee shops that I could relocate to in order to work. I had been wanting to go try Smiths for a while but the opportunity just never presented itself despite being just down the road. I arrived and the driveway leading to the parking lot was lined with cars, but I was able to find a spot in the parking lot after a minute or so. It was definitely a full lot for sure. The location is absolutely adorable as this is a historic house. It was once a Dunn Brothers, but I do love that it is its own thing now rather than a chain. They had a outdoor patio that people were enjoying but it was a bit chilly for working and sitting outside, one person even had a dog which I LOVE! Inside the front door you are greeted with a welcoming counter that you can order. I opted to try the salted caramel iced latte. If you are consuming there (which I was) they give you a number to bring to your table and they bring the drink. I really liked this idea especially in the aspect of not having to stand and wait for a drink. The price was a bit high (7.55 for a 16 oz with $1 tip), but then again everything is getting expensive these days. I walked back to the seating area and there are essentially 3 rooms downstairs, I walked through all 3 to see where working would be ideal. I went upstairs but there was a woman in the room so I assumed it was a group that was meeting or something so I opted to not investigate further. I found seating downstairs in what felt like the quietest part, but there were a lot of people there talking and the acoustics were not exactly fantastic. I did have a call which I took via teams and air pods and discovered the sound in the room was actually really not awesome for a meeting as it was quite loud and the wifi was not strong enough to support the video on the teams call. So would I recommend working from Smith, not if you have a meeting, but if you are looking for a place that has some background noise, I guess... However this is certainly a place that is perfect for meeting someone and enjoying breakfast or coffee and I love that. I did not order food this time, but everything I saw get delivered looked delicious. I also noticed they have a pizza night on Thursday nights and immediately made a note of that for a date night with the hubby.

My family and I have been to North Coop a few times, and it has been great every time. This visit I…read moreordered the Veggie Bowl and added grilled chicken, and it was so good. All of the ingredients were fresh and the flavors worked really well together. The inside has a rustic, modern bar feel, and the service has always been wonderful. It's a great casual spot, and I'll definitely be back.

We visited North Coop on Monday, June 2 around 5:45pm after seeing it on TikTok. The food looked…read moreincredible in the videos (the crunch in the chicken), and we had to check it out for ourselves. After a 40-minute drive, we were more than ready and the experience totally delivered. We started with the spinach artichoke dip, which our server Katherine highly recommended as her favorite. She was spot on--it was buttery, creamy, and so flavorful. If our food didn't come out so quickly, we would have been scraping every last bit. I had the Tennessee chicken sandwich with fries, and asked for the collard green slaw on the side. Honestly, I wish I had just put it right on the sandwich because after trying it with a bite, I really liked it. The Louisiana hit I did not find to be spicy, more so flavorful. Almost, kinda sweet. Others in our group ordered: The classic chicken sandwich with onion rings, The fried chicken with mac & cheese and cornbread, and a side of collard greens, which were seriously delicious--super well-seasoned and flavorful. Our service was excellent--Katherine chatted with us and made the whole experience even better. She was friendly, helpful, and just had a great vibe. She was blown away at how far we drove to come here. The menu is huge with tons to offer, and the drink menu has a wide variety, including non-alcoholic options, which I appreciate to see. All in all, a fantastic visit. Great food, great service, and a fun spot--we'll definitely be back SOON and you should go, too!

We had guests from out of town and decided on Coalition to see the town and Lake Minnetonka…read more They serve brunch on weekends. Free parking right behind in the East lot, it was already more than half full at 10am. They had just opened and there were already a few tables occupied. It felt busy and maybe they didn't have enough staff for that time. There were only 2 staff taking orders. We stayed inside as it was a very hot day. We've been there for dinner before and always liked the modern cozy interiors. Our server took our drink orders and gave us a complimentary order of cardamom donuts, as if they knew it would be a while. The brewed coffees came out pretty fast but he didn't come back to take our order until almost 10:30, when we finally flagged him down. The food didn't take long but he forgot to put in my MILs side order of bacon so that didn't come out until we were mostly done eating. They had a good breakfast selection and lunch was available as well. We ordered: Salmon Eggs Benedict French Toast Avocado Toast Pesto Frittata Grilled Chicken sandwich Crispy chicken sandwich Everyone was happy with their food and we're happy to find another brunch place to take visitors to.

Coalition is one of my go-to spots in Excelsior…read more The patio is such a great vibe in the summer. It feels lively but still relaxed, and it's perfect for sitting and people watching. Service is always friendly however sometimes it is very slow. They have one of the best happy hours in the area. They have great options for cocktails. They do a great job with their drink menu, which makes it an easy place to sit and stay for a while. For dinner, my go-to is the salmon with mashed potatoes. It's consistently solid and something I come back for. Korean tacos are also so delicious. Easy place to recommend.

A staple in Excelsior for years. Variety of tasty food choices and fun coffee drinks. Amazing wait…read morestaff with genuine friendly service. Small town vibe - a true gem for Excelsior!

We came here for brunch on a Monday and it was quiet. Service was great and friendly…read morerecommendations. Prices were ok. The frittata was good but a little too salty. The soup was good. The chips and guac was perfect for snacking while we wait on our food to arrive. The portions are generous and I didn't even finish my frittata. It's a nice to stop for a bite before heading down the lake front for a walk. They had a gift stores attached so it was fun to see what is being sold there. The place is not very loud for conversations.

I love this bakery! Anytime I'm in excelsior I try to stop in for a pastry or cookie and a cup of…read morecoffee. Their baked goods are fresh, flavorful, and high quality. I recommend trying the Coconut Rocher for a unique blend of flavors! It's incredible. Their croissants are flakey and light weight and the various sandwiches and quiche options make this a great spot to grab a light bite for breakfast or lunch! The bakery is cute and cozy with big windows looking out to the Main Street of excelsior and a few different tables inside. The staff is always kind and quick even during busy periods. Make sure to check them out!

Amazing food, love their sandwiches and baguettes. They are very kind people, never have had a bad…read moreexperience!