Corner Table

I was so disappointed in my recent visit to this restaurant. Our waitress was knowledgeable and was able to answer our questions, but it took us forever to get her attention, and we were the only ones in the restaurant! The menu was tiny, but the selections all sounded delicious. I ordered a spinach salad, squash soup, and their special house pasta. The food was definitely the most disappointing part. The $8 ""salad"" was little more than eight spinach leaves, some pumpkin seeds, and a little dressing. The soup was good, but not hot enough, and again, the bowl was only half filled. The entree I split with a friend, and we each got about five bites. It tasted good, but not worth the $19 we paid for it. We both left still very hungry. Our waitress was not very attentive, it took us awhile to get her attention to bring us our bill. Then she took fifteen minutes to tell us that the credit card machine wasn't excepting either of our cards, and making it sound like our fault. I had to leave my friend, drive down the block, and go to the gas station to withdraw cash (The ATM has no trouble accpepting my card) When I returned to pay, our waitress didn't even offer an apology for the inconvenience. I was thoroughly unimpressed. I will not be back. more

We celebrated our anniversary at the Chef's table and we were not disappointed. Scott and his staff were friendly and fun. We felt like they were old friends by the night's end. The food was excellent. The dish of carrots with maple syrup, sage and just a kiss of blue cheese was so good we gave Scott a ""we're not worthy"" wave. It wasn't ""just carrots"" Scott! I love polenta and they didn't disappoint me there either. Smooth and creamy. By the time we got to the rib eye I was so full and I had way too much wine but it was so good I forced it down. We had a wonderful evening and we'll be back soon. Pros: Organic, eclectic and fun food Cons: Street parking more

A great friend of mine suggested we come in here to eat. Were were visiting from SF, and wanted a good organic meal out. We were treated like rednecks from some backwater. Our waiter insisted on explaining everything to us. When we finally mentioned to him that we can read, and we would like a few minutes to peruse the menu on our own so that we could unwind. He made a guttural noise, and coughed for at least two minutes into his hands. We watched as he went to get us some bread, and saw him handle bread with his unwashed hands, slice it, cough some more, and then sashayed over to our table with his lung butter biscuits. --------------grosse!--------------------- I asked him why on earth he would cough into his hands, not wash them and bring us bread? (He had a deer in the headlights look) He without a word yanked the bread off of our table. We decided to just finish our drinks and leave at that point. The Chef came out and asked how we were doing, and we told him of the bread fiasco, and that due to it, we were not going to be eating dinner. The Chef, Scott something or other, then told us to get off of the table, and go to the bar, we were taking up space that could be used for the guests who were dining. We were quite put of by his inability to comprehend that the reason we were not eating there, was due to the waiters less then gross sanitary skills and his rude behavior. We again pointed it out to the guy, and he told us ""Look, if you came here trying to get a freebie based on some claim that my waiters is sub-par, why don't you try a scam some other place...not working here...in fact why don't you guy's just leave."" He took out wine glasses from us, and handed us a bill. I told the man we would be happy to pay for the wine as long as we could drink it. He rolled his eyes at us, and then hovered over us, as the table we were ushered out of sat empty. Other guests where aghast at this too, and also mentioned the waiters coughing, and his sanitation habits. The bread sat uneaten on other tables. One guest told the hovering talkative chef, about the bread issues, too, and he ignored her, whilst chatting it up with some regulars. I own a restaurant in San Francisco, and for this place to claim to be an organic, and seasonal restaurant focusing on local foods. It should have something a little more down home than a sneering waiter, and an idiot chef, who thinks that his staff can do no wrong, when even other diners have the same complaint about a food-safety issue. I was utterly appalled that this place received rave reviews from the local press. Either Minnesotans do not know anything about good food (which I seriously doubt) or this ""chef"" has something on the critic's that force them to inflate his ego. That said, My nephew tried working there as a chef a few months ago, and this same guy worked him like a dog for an evening, and then told him to go home...he worked for free, did not get a thank you, or even a piece of bread. He was actually yelled at for eating a carrot scrap. Most restaurants when interviewing a potential candidate as a working interview, supply a meal for services rendered. Not this guy. He sent him packing. My nephew was the Sous Chef at Le Bernardin in NYV before coming here. This guy I think is in over his head. He's obviously cheap, and to treat a customer as he did, and my friends and family...all I can see is a troubled man in a troubled restaurant with a huge ego, and litlle social, or reasoning skills. I would not recommend this place to even people I cannot stand...unless I wanted to run them out of Minnesota. Pros: Overpriced bland food Cons: price, portion, flavor, ambiance, service, cooking inability more

After a typically extraordinary dinner there this weekend, I asked (without realizing who he was) Scott Pampuch if I could order soup to go for my mom who was sick. I was really just wondering if they had containers and could do takeout at all. He said ""sure"" and went back to the kitchen and filled up a huge container with (amazing) carrot soup. Then he refused to let me pay for it and wrote a get-well-soon note on the lid to my mom. Where else on earth are you going to get service that touches that?? Pros: Food, food, setting, service Cons: Too far from my house more

I have never written a restaurant review before, but feel compelled to do so in this case. First, I very much appreciate the attempt of many restaurants to serve local and organic food, and I would love to patronize such restaurants. But--this restaurant was extremely disappointing. The menu is small and limited, especially for vegetarians. Prices are very expensive and for small portions and pretty uninteresting food. The restaurant was so loud that I got a sore throat trying to talk to my friends. And the service was extremely poor. Our server recommended the polenta, but when it came, it did not look or taste like the polenta on the menu description. After talking to two other servers (ours never noticed my attempts to get her attention, even though she was serving the couple next to us at the ""communal table""), I realized I had been given the incorrect item. When I finally received the polenta with wild mushrooms that I did order, my friends were finished with their meals, and I had had a lot of bread (which was the best part of the meal) and a salad, so I didn't think I could finish the polenta, but it was only about 5 smallish bites worth of pretty mediocre food. Earlier, I had had a spinach salad with roasted beets (about 10 very small dices) and shaved fennel (about 4 small half circles)--for $8. About the most pathetic salad for the price I have ever had. Our original server never addressed my polenta/wrong order, even though she was always close by and she came back for dessert orders. She never apologized or asked how our food was. And what service we did receive from her was with a very superior attitude and with no patience or interest in us at all. The polenta did not appear on the bill, which was evidently the server's way of addressing the screw-up. Needless to say, I will never go back here or recommend this place to anyone. Pros: we were seated promptly Cons: food, service, value, ambience more

Love the menu - organic/local ingredients and all incredibly tasty. Everything we ordered was great - I was tempted to lick my plates. The drink and dessert choices were also outstanding. The atmosphere is neighborhood-cozy. And we went on old LP night so the music was great. I always recommend. Pros: Great Food/Ingredients Cons: Average Decor more

We went on a Saturday night, and had expert friendly service. The restaurant noise level did not become an issue until after 8:30 pm when almost every table was full. We opted for the chef's tasting menu with the flight of wine. The food was excellent, the portions small enough that we had a good taste of each 6 courses without being too full to continue. Wine choice were somewhat eclectic, so keep an open mind. Not every wine is for every taste, but with 6 or 7 varieties served, going without wasn't an issue. Pros: Liberal use of in-season vegetables and fruits to enhance the menu. Cons: Difficult to carry on a conversation when the restaurant is busy, more

Four of us gathered for a good meal out. I pride myself on trying new places, this place caught my eye for the ""localvore"" concept. We were running late and called to let them know. No problem getting a table when we got there, the room was about half full. It had a nice atmosphere and seemed like the kind of place we were going to have a great meal. We were given a choice of where to sit, we sat by the window. Water was brought to the table and menus. This was the last server that we saw. Twenty minuites later, no stopping by to answer questions or let us know that they would be with us soon or can I get you a drink. We left, and I am sorry that they could not find the time to say hi, so we said goodbye. Pros: Nice room, interesting menu Cons: worst service ever more

I like this restaurant. For whatever reason, I dragged my feet for going here sooner and am kicking myself for it. Busy, fun, younger crowd and most importantly, very approachable. I am a big fan of confit and theirs was a chicken confit which was perfectly made. The local sourcing of the food is great because we started talking with the talented and approachable server and she told us that the creamy and clean chevre on the starter plate is available at The Wedge. Pros: Highly recommended. Service and food are excellent. Cons: Being mad at myself for waiting so long to go. more

We were a little hesitant to try the Corner Table after reading the previous review. So glad we went ahead with our reservation. Four of us enjoyed an excellent dinner of appropriate proportions. We all had salads, an entree, and desserts. Each item had the flavor only fresh in season produce can provide. We were very pleased and will definitely return to see what the fall menu brings. Pros: The excellent food Cons: A small delay in serving our entrees (a large group was being served just ahead of us) more

When we got our meals I was thoroughly disappointed, I didn't remember reading on the menu that the beef, that was $24, was a children's portion! I had four, very small, strips of beef and about 5 pinky sized slices of a potato. My date had more food then I did for $18, not to mention I have had better chicken in Fargo, North Dakota. To be honest the meat was no more tender then my mother's home cooked steaks. It won't say it was bad, but put the size and quality together and I expected more. Even the presentation was lacking, at least if you are going to charge $24 for four half slices of beef you could impress me with the presentation. After we finished, we had to wait another 20 minutes for the waitress to come bring the check (no dessert with those small of portions!) and I left a tip not too small, but according to how the experience was. Now if you think this restaurant experience is what really upset me, you are wrong. Three days later I was online viewing my checking account and saw that I was charged around $7 dollars over what my bill and tip equaled. My first thought was this was a simple human error, but looking at my receipt I saw that it just so happened that I had a '1' in the bill total section, that included the tip, and the amount charged to my checking account simply had exchanged the '1' for a '7'. I doubted that it was a coincidence and could see my waitress, upset with my mediocre tip, changed my '1' to a '7'. Now you can think what you want about this ""mistake"" but I have ate at quite a few restaurants similar to The Corner Table and have never been over-charged nor would I expect ""Minneapolis' Best Cafe"" to make a mistake. When I called and asked for a manager, which I did not get, I was only refunded the money that was over-charged without any kind of apology or regret. Cons: Price, Service, Accounting more

We went to Corner Table this past weekend. It was WONDERFUL! A true asset to S. Mpls dining options. The atmosphere is warm, comfortable, and contemporary. It has a friendly neighborhood feel to it. The menu was small but very interesting and unique. They pride themselves on using local agriculture in the upper midwest. We tried an appetizer called sweet bread w/brussel sprouts...it was yummy. Then I had the rissoto and my husband had a catfish special. The food was flavorful and presentation was great. We finished up with dessert: choc flourless torte w/avacado frozen custard (it was awesome) and bread pudding. The only thing that was a little disappointing was that on their website they had a specific speciality brew that when we got to the restaurant...it wasn't on their beer list. I would highly recommend this place. Just make sure you are open to trying new things...this is not a burger and fries restaurant. It would be a great date restaurant...very romantic. Pros: Food, service, ambience, location Cons: Beer selection on website is different that restaurant more

The food was stunningly well prepared. As older diners, we were pleased with the portion sizes, (NOT huge), and prices. We had multiple courses, well priced, and did not leave feeling like we would burst. Our waitperson was courteous and well-informed about the menu choices. As first time guests, she let us try our own combo of courses. We will return for the chef's choice menu. I'm sure it will be sensational. One small fault: Corner Table does not take American Express, for such a well run place, we find that peculiar. Pros: food from local sources, WELL PREPARED. Cons: Don't take American Express more

We enjoyed our evening here very much. Everything we ordered was very good - best we've had in Mpls. so far (only downfall was the gnocci - very oily). We had a great waitress, loved the atmosphere, were warm on a cold night, the dinner was paced perfectly, the prices were about right, the meal filling, and the service was perfectly paced. I'd go back and have recommended others give it a try. Pros: food, atmosphere, waitstaff, parking Cons: none so far more

My husband and I have eaten here a few times now and have never left disappointed. On our last visit, my husband ordered something that came with brussel sprouts. I normally don't like brussel sprouts but these tasted amazing. I have ordered things that didn't look like I expected once it came but they always tasted great. The service has always been good too. Pros: Great food & service Cons: Small beer list, noisy more

Five of us headed out to Corner Table to experience something different and that's what we got. more

Needed a quiet spot for dinner and relaxing and the Corner Table more than met the need. Excellent service and food--from the nosh plate to the lamb. Tender and cooked to perfection. Great pinot from an organic vinyard was well paired with both. Highly recommend this spot for a great dining experience. Will definitely return. more

A group of 4 of us met for dinner last night and all left disappointed. We each ordered appetizers and none were great. Scallops were tough, salad boring, salmon average, and the ""large"" nosh plate wasn't large at all. Entrees were more of the same--small portions of bland food. My mom's crockpot pot roast has more flavor and tenderness than the Minnesota Beef that cost me $23. Given our experience with the apps and entrees, we skipped desert to go across the street for ice cream. I had read reviews of this restaurant from other publications that made my mouth water in anticipation of our visit. I wish I had just come to this site to read the recent reviews---it would have saved me the trip. Pros: fun beer list, not too expensive Cons: bland food, loud more

Food had no taste, lamb was fatty and unedible, scallops had no flavor on sauce, two wines by the glass (the cheapest) were unavailable pushing us to the expensive ones. The place was sooooo loud it felt like a rock concert. I couldn't hear the waitress or my friend and the other tables obviously felt the same way due to the tile floors and the ceiling tiles. When we left our ears were ringing. Overall, if we could have at least chatted our evening away it would have been fine but we couln't. Do they taste their own food or see what comes back? Don't go. Pros: Cute decor, Staff pleasant, Good presentation Cons: Loud, Tasteless, low quality more

We went here twice last year and enjoyed it a lot. This time, we brought friends who just moved here to show them a ""great little restaurant in the city."" After being seated with half of the table blocking the flow of traffic (there were 5 of us), we had to move our table ourselved so that people could walk around it when they came in the front door. Everyone's food was incredibly bland (except the pasta with way too much blue cheese), meat was very dry, and service was not very friendly. Our first waiter actually never came back after bringing us the wrong drinks, and the woman who stepped in was nice, but not attentive, nor did she ask how everything was. We love the atmosphere, but have no desire to return unfortunately. Hopefully the food and service improve, as it was much better a year ago. Pros: location, decor, price Cons: food, service more