Casper's

I have been looking for a new onion ring place since Burger Jones closed during covid. (RIP!) Casper's is a worthy replacement! Crunchy, flavorful, and as big as the appetizer plates they are served on. I will go back for the onion rings alone. My party of 3 each had the same entree for dinner, so I can't speak to the variety on the menu, but the Firehouse burger and fries were good all around. The BBQ sauce has a bold flavor and the burgers were well cooked to preference. I am a stickler for good service, and I was admittedly wary walking in. It was on the late side, it was pleasantly busy (for a Monday night), and it seemed to be 2 bartenders keeping the whole place going. But we got drinks and refills (unasked for!) quickly; our food arrived quickly, and I didn't have a single complaint! I've driven past this place countless times, and am really glad we finally stopped in!

Previously I used to go to the Cherokee Sirloin Room on Smith Ave. I was never disappointed in that place. Not one time in many times there. (I lived in other parts of the country and used to go there while visiting family here) The Steak of the Decade, which became the Steak of the Millennium was one one of the best steaks anywhere in the US. Once that location closed and they completely moved to Eagan, I was still impressed by the service and the quality of the food. I probably went to this location 3 or 4 times before the pandemic. Unfortunately, I went there a couple of months ago and the place seemed a bit less cared for than in the past. The food was still very good. The service was also not bad. Unfortunately the tables seemed a bit sticky and dirty. The whole place just seemed a bit off from where it was before the pandemic. I am assuming the pandemic is the cause of this, so I will certainly go back again. After all, I had been going to one location or the other close to once a year since 1984 or so. Now that I have moved back here after retiring I am really hoping in my heart that they will be back to their high quality and cleanliness that I always expected and was never disappointed in previous years.

Friday Fish fry was one of the best we've been to in a while. There is all you can eat shrimp scampi and walleye fingers or just the walleye 4 piece. It comes with choice of potato and a nice side salad, bread and butter. The atmosphere was great, service awesome, and we got in no problem with reservations. We will be back!