Tonight, based on a recommendation from a reader, Kim and I headed the five and a half blocks to Otho Restaurant and Street Lounge in Minneapolis. The reader had some interesting things to say about the place including that he thought that the food was their strong point and wanted to know what we thought. Always up for good happy hour specials, we headed out after work and got in the door just after 4:30 this afternoon.
The first thing I noticed was the quiet neighborhoodish location. Honestly, if I hadn’t known better, I wouldn’t have thought we were only a few blocks from the hustle and bustle of Government Plaza. As we were walking, I was saying to myself, “did Google Maps really bring us to the right spot?” Sure enough, we rounded the corner and I saw the sign for the restaurant tucked beneath the condos above. They have a really nice street presence centered on their nice patio which just opened up today. While it was a bit too warm for that this afternoon, I’m sure it must be real nice for an evening nightcap after dark or dinner in the early fall or late spring.
We walked in and found very few people taking advantage of the happy hour specials. We were a little early and while it got a bit busier later, it never got anywhere close to what we have seen elsewhere during happy hour. Being that this location is a bit off the beaten path, I suppose it’s not all that surprising. We took a seat on the side of the bar facing the majority of the restaurant and spent some time chatting with the bartender. Not only was she very attentive and friendly, she was also quite knowledgeable about the restaurant and its menu. While I realize that it’s easy to be all of those things when it isn’t busy, it doesn’t mean that someone has to spend the time to do it. I have had plenty of unpleasant experiences with bartenders that just stand across the bar from you, arms crossed, waiting for you to prompt them for another drink. I also didn’t feel like she was doting on us to get a better tip. She seemed genuinely interested in the restaurant and letting us know it.
We started out by ordering drinks. Kim decided to ignore the B1G1 rail drinks and instead ordered a Southern Peach Tea which included Southern Comfort, peach schnapps, vodka (Absolut because they ran out of their cheap one), rum (The Captain!) and sour. While they don’t list drink prices on the menu, the bartender poured the drink pretty stiff and when I tasted it later, I’m surprised that Kim hadn’t fallen over into the road as we walked back to the 477! I ordered a 312 on tap (taps are $1 off) and then took advantage of their B1G1 bottles (Miller, Bud, and Golden Light). I wasn’t at all surprised with the price of Kim’s drink ($8) but I was a bit surprised to see that my bottle of Golden Light was $4.25. If you think that B1G1 is a deal, you’re wrong. Even the $4 312 was a bit expensive to be honest, especially for the relatively small sized glass (it was probably a 16 oz but shaped as if it were a 22). If you’re not into 312 they also offer Summit, Shiner Bock, Sapporo, and Delirium on tap as well. They had one more beer but I couldn’t read what it was from where I was sitting — sorry.
Our appetizers arrived were presently quite nicely. My New York Strip Beef Tataki, described as flash seared, grilled asparagus, toasted sesame panko, wasabi crème friache, thai chili aioli, and pickled ginger was deconstructed on the plate. While I normally think that any dish done that way borders on retarded, this ended up working out well — especially if you are not a fan of the individual ingredients. While the meat and aioli were pretty good, the asparagus was my only complaint as it was dry and almost twig like. When Kim asked to try it, I suggested she not as I knew she wouldn’t be a fan. Overall, a decent dish and one that I would have again if there had been just a bit more beef. While my appetizer was middle of the road, Kim’s wings were very tasty and obviously homemade. They were presented very nicely and were definitely different from your typical appetizer wing. I was surprised with the seasoning and crispy frying but was just a tad disappointed with the amount of meat. Honestly, with a slight drop in price and a bit more meat, these would be very close to a stop everything and proceed directly to Otho for a nice happy hour treat.
Because my appetizer had so very little to it and even after I ate two of Kim’s wings, I was still pretty hungry and with a couple beers in me I knew I’d need something else. While we had originally planned on only getting appetizers, we went ahead and ordered an entree to split between us as well. We both decided on the New York Strip Beef & Broccoli which was listed for $13 and was the only stir fry to come with a side of jasmine rice (the other stir fry dishes had a $2 fee for rice which would be a bit expensive if it was the same size as the rice we got as part of our meal). When it came out I immediately noticed two things:
1. If the beef in this stir fry was NY Strip, it certainly didn’t look like it. I am not about to go as far and say that they weren’t entirely truthful but they should rethink their choice of beef because apparently NY Strip doesn’t work in stir fry. The meat was gray, tough and pretty much tasted like anything I could have purchased for $4 or $5 at your typical mom and pop shop. Just because the meat is NY Strip doesn’t mean you can cook it to shoe leather, add in some broccoli and expect it to command a $13 price tag.
2. It just wasn’t presented all that well and it really didn’t look like enough to make me think it was worth the $13 price tag (even when split in two for us). While I was pleased that we weren’t charged to split it, the meal was pretty disappointing to be perfectly honest. I had really high hopes after the reader’s recommendation and our appetizer but it was just a blah dish and not one that I wish to ever repeat in the future. You’re seriously better off with a stir fry meal at Lee Ann Chin.
In the end, our bill came to $45.85. If you take out the $13 for the entree, the price drops under $30 and is still fairly steep for the beers I chose and the amount of food I received as part of my appetizer. I realize it’s tough to make it in Minneapolis, especially in this location, but you’re not helping yourselves by having a happy hour menu that really doesn’t lend itself to what I would expect when I’m out for happy hour.
Aside from the limited amount of food and the ho-hum stir fry, I really appreciated the service we received. I overheard Kim talking to her cousin on the phone earlier and she brought up how great the bartender was to us. We can’t say enough good things about her I guess… Even with that, I’m not quite sure I’d be back for another happy hour as there are too many other options closer to where we work that offer more of what I’m expecting. That said, if you happen to be in the area or even live there, you might want to check it out. They have half price martinis on Thursday nights but if tonight’s beer was any indication, that may mean that you end up paying just as much as you would anywhere else…
I think with a little work this could be a great little spot but it’s going to take a lot more than just the great service and nicely presented wings to do it.
Address:
Otho Restaurant and Street Lounge
949 Portland Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55404
Phone:
612-455-1516
See all the pictures from tonight’s happy hour on Flickr here.
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