8th Street Grill

We loved the breakfast options on Saturday morning, and the HUGE, delicious portions! And...NO WAIT HERE! Down the street the Hen House had an ENORMOUS wait...wwhile we sat right down, ordered and happily were enjoying our meal! Skip the Hen House and belly up to the 8th Street Bar and Grill for AMAZINGLY FRESH, WELL-SEASONED FOOD! The Southwest Chicken Salad was amazing...so much so that we bought it Friday evening for dinner before running off to the WNBA MN Lynx vs NY Liberty game while on our way to see the Lynx win game 4 of the finals! The walk from the Westin where we stayed to this joint was short and easy...and so was the walk to the Target Arena. The steak on the steak and eggs breakfast plate/platter was of a VERY generous size alongside what literally appeared to be a MOUNTAIN, I'm talking like like 2 cups (!!) of seasoned potatoes and wheat toast that was so thick I mistook it for a Belgian waffle on another patron's plate when we arrived! The eggs were gently cooked to a PERFECT over- medium. Similarly, the sirloin steak was EXPERTLY prepared to a precise medium with some seasoned butter plopped atop it when it was served. The ONLY dings this place receives from my review is the server today was crabby and not friendly at all, not wanting to be bothered by our conversation or our questions. Likewise, no one greets you upon arrival, and you enter sort of bewildered while wondering, where's the hostess that all the signs upon arrival state you are supposed to find in order to be seated?! Furthermore, the host refused our request to sit out front saying it was too dusty to eat there...and instead, HE CHOSE for us to sit under what appeared to us to be a dingy overhanging concrete alleyway(behind the blowup/red wavy guy--see photo overhanging, dark area behind where we are posing). Had we had those experiences the evening before when we dined, we likely would not have returned, but the server the night before was accommodating and careful with my need for gluten free options where today the woman literally grew impatient and rushed me along when ordering--NOT b/c they were busy, mind you--they weren't! She sort of rolled her eyes when I asked for no tortilla strips for fear of cross contamination and when I requested no seasoning on the chicken as well as for them to place the salad dressing on the side. I mean, I wasn't trying to be a PITA...I have a severe food allergy, lady! I think someone may have urinated in her cheerios this morning. Who knows? Regardless, her and the host's off-putting ways did not dampen our spirits and enthusiasm for the yummy food we received, thankfully. My only words of caution? A) Wear a parka into the bathroom and ensure you rub your hands together extra long under the ICY sink water, or you'll lose sensation in your fingers. NO JOKE...the temperature upon entry into the restroom HAD TO BE an icy 40 degrees! I felt like I just stepped into the restaurant's walk-in freezer...spouse said the same thing, so I KNOW it wasn't just me! And...B) Do NOT sit outside IF you don't want to smell almost CONSTANT skunk/ Marijuana! It LITERALLY was being smoked at the table next to us! And almost every third walker was actively reeking with it OR actively smoking it as they took their leisurely Saturday morning stroll downtown! Overall though? This place is worth checking out if you want generous portions, yummy, fuss-free food, and no wait! Our food was served in less than 15 minutes both times we visited and was cooked to perfection both times also!

Great food and great staff! Good selection of items on the lunch menu and the staff was able to help me determine what would work for my gluten allergy.