Restaurant reviews

[smurfy]

There are 2 new restaurants opening in at cloud soon. Red Robin and chick- a- fil. Anyone got opinions on these. Red Robin I think is open already.

[delcecchi]

Chick fil a is great.  Just don't plan to go on Sunday.     Best chicken sandwich I ever had from a fast food type joint. 

Never been in a red robin, unless that is what was at lex and 694 by green mill and a couple motels like 15 years ago.  

Just checked.  That was it.  I recall it being good, and they served beer.  Apparently still do.

[smurfy]

Thanks Del!

[nofishfisherman]

I've been to the same Red Robin on Lex and 694.  I've only been once and I remember it being decent.  Its your run of the mill chain burger place.  What you get will be good but not great and probably won't be very memorable.  I probably won't go back just because I can get a far superior burger for less money at a number of small independent places around St. Paul.

Never been to a chik-fil-a but have always heard they are good.  Some will say eating there makes a political statement due to the conservative christian beliefs of ownership, not sure if that matters to you or not.  Personally I don't assign that much meaning to a chicken sandwich but I guess some people do.

 

[leechlake]

Smurf-  chik fil a is really good.  Their Lemonade is awesome and you can buy it by the gallon.  I'm not a big fan of their fries, I think they are curly ones with too much seasoning.   I'm such a zealot that I would go there just because they close on Sunday's so their employees have the day off and are so crazy they where there beliefs on their shirt sleeves in the same manner Starbucks wears their beliefs of saving the planet on their shirt sleeves.

My tip-  they pour you the drink which makes people think refills aren't free, but they are.  You just go up and ask for more like your a little kid at your friends house.  You'll want more lemonade.  

[Pat K]

I've eaten at the Red Robbin in Apple Valley and the one on Lex and 694 several years ago. They would rate as 2 of the filthiest        restaurants I've ever been in. My wife went to use the restroom at the Apple Valley one, came back to the table and said "we aren't eating any food cooked here!"  I haven't gone near one since.

Chick fil a is really good for a fast food restaurant. leechlake is right about the lemonade. 

[RebelSS]

And restaurants just keep closing up and moving out down here....  I'll second the dirty Red Robin, but I think that's an individual thing.....maybe not.

[Hawg]

I've tried to get into the St Cloud RR twice when down there, even at 4PM there was a waiting line out the door. Tried the one you guys are talking about and it was so-so, but every restaurant is only as good as it's management. Food can be different from place to place, not in serving or portions, but in quality of the preparation. Look at Green Mill, the one is St Cloud has always been good and the one that was in Brainerd AFTER it moved out of Holiday Inn was horrible. At Holiday Inn it was fantastic before the new management came in. 

Edited March 15, 2016 by Hawg

[JP Z]

Chick Fil A has great chicken, won't argue with you on that.  I've only eaten there a few  times, usually when I'm travelling through the MSP Airport as well I can't get those in Brainerd.  Great Chicken......wish I would have known about the lemonade though...

 

[smurfy]

hey............feel free to throw out any more resturaunts  for opinions or suggestions!!!!!!!!!!!

1 hour ago, RebelSS said:

And restaurants just keep closing up and moving out down here....  I'll second the dirty Red Robin, but I think that's an individual thing.....maybe not.

there is an aweful lot of that up in st cloud also. some close, some move to different locations. some that I thought should or would close don't, others I thought never would are gone. old country buffet just shut there doors.............no loss. but places like diavonnis dang! would of never thunk TGIF would close but that's where the new red robin is. outback closed shop, pizza ranch is there now.

[delcecchi]

I heard whiskey creek closed.  Gonna miss it.

In Rochester.

Edited March 15, 2016 by delcecchi

[Dotch]

Bummer del. That was a good place to eat. 

7 hours ago, Pat K said:

I've eaten at the Red Robbin in Apple Valley and the one on Lex and 694 several years ago. They would rate as 2 of the filthiest        restaurants I've ever been in. My wife went to use the restroom at the Apple Valley one, came back to the table and said "we aren't eating any food cooked here!"  I haven't gone near one since.

Chick fil a is really good for a fast food restaurant. leechlake is right about the lemonade. 

Burger King in Owatonna was good for that. Sometimes it was nice and clean, under new management and it was great, well, for a Burger King. If you walked in and saw it was dirty, run as fast as you can the other way. Got sick twice after eating there when it was a mess. No more.

[Mid-Lake Rock]

I work near the Red Robin at 694 and Lexington.  I go a few times per year.  The burgers are solid.  Not the best ever, but good enough.  I suggest the Royal Red Robin and garlic herb fries.  

Chick-fil-a is great.  The original chicken sandwich or the spicy chicken sandwich are my favorites.  Also, their breakfast has my vote for best fast food breakfast.  Spicy chicken biscuit.  Yum, yum! 

 

[leechlake]

Smurf

my kids love Vals.  I think it's good but 50/50 on getting the burger that I actually ordered and since you need to eat in the vehicle or on the tailgate rainy days make it tough.  

[RebelSS]

2 hours ago, delcecchi said:

I heard whiskey creek closed.  Gonna miss it.

In Rochester.

They did. Everything closes up in this god-forsaken town. Golden Corral pulled out??!  There was always a line out the door. They told me taxes and stuff are too high here, as some other restaurant owners told me. Old Country Buffet pulled out last Friday. Bilotti's was close to crashing.  Chick-fil-a was looking here last year, they said forget it. Taxes too high, according to my buddy at the Post-Bulletin. Blame MAYO. 

[bobberineyes]

A lot of cities put the pinch on establishments  , unless they are big contributors to the the community they seem to stick around, funny how that works. Fast food, or drive through chow, I have to be pretty desperate. 

[RebelSS]

I'll second that Bobber. I honestly don't do fast food. Can't tell ya when I was last at a burger/fast food joint, but it was last Summer sometime....

[ThunderLund78]

For a major sit-down chain burger, you really can't beat Red Robin.  It won't be the best burger you ever ate but they're VERY good. Several gourmet burger options and you gotta love the bottomless fries.  I work near the new one on Penn and American in Bloomington - REALLY good.  That one, at least, is very clean.

Chick-Fil-A is basically right across the street from there - a really good chicken sandwich, but I don't think it lives up to the hype you always hear about it.  I would agree that for fast food, it's the best chicken sandwich out there, but it's pretty much all they do so it better be...  

But be happy, you got two more solid options in St. Cloud!

[delcecchi]

4 hours ago, RebelSS said:

They did. Everything closes up in this god-forsaken town. Golden Corral pulled out??!  There was always a line out the door. They told me taxes and stuff are too high here, as some other restaurant owners told me. Old Country Buffet pulled out last Friday. Bilotti's was close to crashing.  Chick-fil-a was looking here last year, they said forget it. Taxes too high, according to my buddy at the Post-Bulletin. Blame MAYO. 

Golden Corral?  Ate there once. That was enough. And OCB aka the trough didn't do much for me either. 

[Dotch]

Whatever became of Shakey's pizza? Nick's Ribs? Think I had my first beer at Shakey's. Popular spots back in the day.