Ben's Review
We decided to go to Snuffy's Malt Shop in Highland Park with our friends Becky and Rett for what was sure to be a cheap(er) meal. We had noticed Snuffy's a couple weeks earlier while driving by and decided that it looked like a place we might enjoy. I figured you can't go wrong with a place that has a hamburger fairy.
We arrived a couple minutes before Becky and Rett and grabbed a booth along the wall. There is a metal pole right at the edge of the table and there isn't a lot of leg room, so if you're on the tall side, be careful. Our server brought us out some waters and menus after we all were seated. Having already checked out the menu, I knew I was going with the bacon cheeseburger, although the Plaza Burger sounded interesting (Swiss cheese, sour cream, chives, and grilled onions). Everyone else got malts to have with their food, but I held my ground and insisted that a malt is a dessert, only to be enjoyed once you've cleaned your plate. We also ordered fries and onion rings to split amongst the four of us.
The food and three malts came out quickly as it wasn't very busy that night. Our server was very friendly and down to earth, much like the service at Barbette. The fries and onion rings were excellent, as I would expect at a burger and malt place. The bacon cheeseburger was standard - just a good burger, nothing fancy. The slices of bacon were a little small, but all-in-all it was a tasty meal.
After finishing my food I ordered up my strawberry banana malt that I deserved. The malt was wonderful and perfectly sized; just enough to leave me wanting a little more. We sat around and talked for a bit after eating, it was nice to not feel any pressure to leave, our server even offered to take a picture of all of us. We got out of there after spending $22 - not bad for a meal with dessert :)
- Service: Friendly service with no pressure.
- Food: Good burgers, good fries and onions rings. A good clean fill.
- Drinks: No alcohol at Snuffy's but plenty of fountain drinks and malts.
- Ambiance: Snuffy's is a family friendly environment, it had a small-town-diner feel to it.
- Price: Great prices, you could get dinner for under $20 if you didn't order malts.
- Convenience: Parking on Cleveland wasn't a problem and there are plenty of side streets nearby.
Snuffy's is the type of place that I wish I had discovered earlier - like, much earlier, when I was in high school. This would have been a fun place to come with friends. Most of the people I talked to that lived closer to, or in the city, growing up had been to Snuffy's frequently. Down in Apple Valley, our idea of fun was going to Perkins. Sad.
We had driven by Snuffy's a few times earlier in the summer and decided we wanted to check it out. We went on a Wednesday night, so it was pretty empty. The tables are all on the smaller side, so it can feel a little claustrophobic with 4 in a booth.
We couldn't decide between onion rings and fries, so got both. I'm usually not much of an onion ring person, but I thought these were pretty good - they stayed together very well which was nice. The fries were also pretty good - nothing spectacular, but tasty.
I ordered a California Cheeseburger, which was of the quality you'd expect at a diner - just a thin patty of meat with cheese, mayo on the side, one leaf of lettuce, raw onion and a tomato slice. It tasted good but certainly didn't wow me. Becky and Rett both had Mushroom Swiss burgers which looked a little more high class. Apparently they order them every time they go there, so they must be good.
My chocolate banana malt was also good, and I think it is best enjoyed WITH the meal. Ben probably just has some Catholic guilt about finishing his meal before eating dessert. The malt wasn't the best I've had, and I was a little disappointed about the lack of whipped cream and cherry on top.
Overall, Snuffy's was a fun place to go on a weeknight for a cheap no-frills meal, made even cheaper with the coupon Jamie gave me that was good for buy one hamburger get one free. They just ended up taking $4 off our total because neither of us got a plain hamburger. It would be a great place to take kids.
Deets
Snuffy's Malt Shop
224 Cleveland Ave S.
St. Paul
other locations in Roseville, Edina, and Minnetonka
Recommended for a cheap meal and fun atmosphere
