Ben's Review
My dad recently became a big fan of Surly beer so we planned to go on a brewery tour with my mom and dad and then out to eat afterward. Upon learning that Cafe 28 was co-owned by one of the Surly brewers, we decided to head over there after the tour to continue the Surly theme of the evening.
I did a poor estimating job and made the reservations for 8:40 because the tour was scheduled from 6-8. We got done a little early at the brewery, so we were really early for our reservation. We only had to wait ten minutes or so, and there is plenty of reading material in the lobby of Cafe 28. The restaurant is in an old fire station that has a lot of old newspaper clippings on the walls from old Minneapolis papers.
We ordered a small chorizo pizza for an appetizer that was really good, it had a crispy crust and a good mix of meat and cheese. The burgers on the menu were sounding very appetizing, even though I just had gotten a burger at Salut AND we made burgers at home last week. Still, they sounded good, but Erin convinced me to get the pork in adobo sauce and she would get the burger so we could try each other meals.
After getting our food I was very glad that I took her advice because the pork in adobo sauce was excellent. It came with a side of black beans and salsa and when you mixed it all up, mmmm boy! I really want to try and make a similar dish at home now, it doesn't seem like it should be that difficult. My mom got the grilled pork loin and my dad got one of the specials for the day, scallops in some sort of sauce. I did not try either of their meals but they both claimed to like their food :)
By the time we left I was totally stuffed. After drinking beer at the tour, then having the pizza, some bread, and my large meal, I was ready for sleep. We were still heading up to NE Mpls for a birthday gathering, so sleep had to wait a couple hours.
- Service: The service was great, the host sat us early and the server was a nice guy.
- Food: My pork in adobo was awesome, Erin's burger was just OK.
- Drinks: Good beer list and plenty of wine choices. No hard alcohol I believe.
- Ambiance: It's certainly cozy at Cafe 28. It's a small restaurant to begin with and then the lights are dimmed a bit to make it even more intimate.
- Price: Cafe 28 is a little on the expensive side, especially if you're drinking. With exotic beers come exotic prices. I only had one beer so it wasn't too bad, but I wouldn't go here for a couple drinks. The food is more reasonably priced, with the entrees ranging from $10 to $19.
- Convenience: Not so much. I find Linden Hills to be an inconvenient place to go as there is no major road to get there and you have to maneuver around the lakes. No parking lot, but there were several spots available on the street.
After touring Surly Brewing, it seemed only appropriate to go down to Linden Hills to Cafe Twenty Eight, co-owned by Surly brewer Todd Haug. The restaurant was packed when we got there slightly early for our reservation, so we spent some time reading all of the memorabilia in the entryway.
We were seated as soon as a table opened up, and immediately ordered the chorizo pizza. 8:30pm is a little later than we usually eat, so we were all starving! I also ordered Surly Mild to continue the Surly experience. I had tried Cynic Ale, Bender, and Three at the brewery so this was a new one for me. It was quite good - and as the name implies, very smooth and mild. I believe those who are into beer would call it a session beer.
The pizza and bread we were brought soon after being seated were both very tasty. I couldn't really pay too much attention to the flavors because I was very intent on just getting something besides beer in my stomach.
Even though I looked at the menu beforehand, I still had no idea what to get. A burger seemed kind of lame, but I finally decided to go with that because nothing else was jumping out at me and I needed to order. I knew Ben wanted to try it, so I got the one with cheddar and bacon because that was his preference. The beef at Cafe Twenty Eight is ground at some place right around the corner. I don't know if I'm used to burgers that are premade but this one tasted different to me. It wasn't better or worse, just different. I thought the burger was fine, but everyone else's meals looked much better. The fries were quite good - I liked them more than Salut - they seemed fresher. I loved Ben's pork - I would highly recommend that dish if you go to Cafe Twenty Eight!
As I mentioned in our post about Salut, I love small intimate neighborhood restaurants, so unsurprisingly, I loved Cafe Twenty Eight. The interior reminded me of a Pottery Barn catalogue and it just felt very cozy and warm. I feel like this is the type of place you could stay and linger over a meal without feeling rushed. I would love to come back during the day because I'll bet the space is even more beautiful when filled with sunlight. Linden Hills is kind of a pain to get to from our house, so I don't know how soon we'll be back, but if we are in the area I'd definitely love to go for brunch or lunch.
Deets
Cafe Twenty Eight
2724 West 43rd Street
Minneapolis