Disclaimer: Lone Oak Grill officially opened for business on Monday August 6th, the day we visited with four other adults. As I have stated many times in the past, I completely expect service issues in the first few weeks but I do not excuse poorly executed food at all. Take the remainder of this review with as much salt as you deem necessary following this disclaimer.
From the first moment I heard that a new restaurant was replacing Joe Senser’s in Eagan, I was truly interested in seeing what would be able to take over the cavernous and darkened space that was Joe Senser’s. I was hoping that someone would come along and revamp the space into a warm and inviting restaurant serving some really excellent food in an area which is nearly devoid of anything decent. So when I heard that Lone Oak Grill was opening, I couldn’t wait to try it out.
The space had been completely redone and a new patio which almost begged me to sit and enjoy an evening with friends welcomed us as we walked in the front door. With a gas fire pit roaring and a busy bar area, I could definitely see the after-work happy hour crowd really digging this spot in Eagan. With a party of 6 adults and 1.5 children we were seated in the back room, apparently the only place which could adequately handle a group our size.
Our server was friendly, helpful and fairly knowledgeable. For someone one their first full day of service, he seemed pretty confident and certainly eager to please. While he later stated he had been nervous when I pulled out the camera to take photos of the food, he showed nothing but professionalism, honesty and interest in making our meals as pleasant as he could. Honestly, I was really impressed with his work and I hope my tip showed it.
While waiting for the entirety of our party, the majority of us looked over the menu and placed orders for appetizers which took up a good portion of the available options. We ordered: two pounds of the ghost wings, the Ellsworth Cheese Curds, Fried Pickle Spears, and the Onion Rings. If anything, they definitely have a nice variety of options available for appetizers and while the prices are extremely high, I wouldn’t mind returning after work some day to try some of the others.
After a fairly short wait our appetizers arrived. The two one pound portions of ghost wings ($10.50/ea) were not meaty and could have competed with BW3 on an average day. They were bright orange, something which I am completely surprised considering the ghost pepper base. Every single person (including The Wife and two individuals who have never had ghost peppers before) were able to eat the wings. While the others at the table said they were hot, they definitely were not even close to the level of heat that I would expect from ghost wings. We explained to the waiter that an item like “ghost wings” on your menu is going to attract people who really enjoy a lot of heat and if you continue to deliver what they did last night, they’re going to have some pretty angry chiliheads on their hands. Honestly, if the waiter hadn’t returned with a bag of dried ghost peppers to prove they were made with the chilies, I would have continued to seriously believe they were using Extra Hot Frank’s and not ghost chilies.
The Onion Rings ($7.50) were huge but luke-warm (as were all of the appetizers) and were served with a runny BBQ sauce which really didn’t do much for us. The Fried Pickle Spears ($7.50) with beer ranch were pedestrian at best and with four pieces, we paid nearly $2 for a 1/4 of a pickle which probably came out of a bulk jar of 100 from Sam’s Club across the street for $6.50 total. The Ellsworth Cheese Curds ($9.75) were the darling of the entire evening. Light and fluffy with a crisp batter, dipped in the misnamed “Mixed Berry Ketchup” which was really a berry compote, these weren’t State Fair quality but were certainly enjoyable and had several people at the table saying they’d come back for more of those. While the price, like all of the other appetizers, was a bit too high for my tastes, they were plentiful enough to make me agree that they weren’t all that bad.
After the appetizers arrived we placed orders for a good number of items from nearly every section of the menu: The Oak Burger, Pepperoni Flat Bread, Tempura Bacon, Reuben, Shrimp Po Boy, Ribs and Chicken, and “Andrew’s Favorite” for The Rooster.
The Oak Burger, ordered rare, topped with lettuce, tomato, Tillamook cheddar and an onion jam should have been a 16oz behemoth to make up for the $10.50 price tag on the menu. Unfortunately the paltry and medium to medium-well cooked patty which arrived had me rolling my eyes. One of my dining companions was nearly begging me to cut it open because he was calling it as ‘medium’ from the second it arrived at the table and he let out a small giggle of delight when it was proven he was right. After asking for it to be returned to the kitchen to be cooked rare, a patty which was completely and utterly raw beef was returned to me and was more or less a flavorless glob of nothing. Seriously, and it pains me greatly to say this, but I found a burger which was worse than what I had at Ernie’s Pub in Burnsville. Yes, you heard me right, worse than Ernie’s Pub in Burnsville. Disgusting.
The Reuben ($11.50!) had some really tasty and hearty meat but with a mustard lacking any and all punch and sauerkraut which wasn’t sour coupled with the boring and soggy bread made for one incredibly expensive and boring sandwich. On top of the huge miss that was the sandwich, even the limp and improperly seasoned fries were a disappointment as well. The Ribs and Chicken ($17) came with fall off the bone tender ribs but the meat was dry, tasteless, and came with a BBQ sauce that really needs some serious work. While I didn’t try any of the Shrimp Po Boy ($11.25) I was told it was full of dry and overcooked shrimp and was the second worst item on the table last evening. The Pepperoni Flatbread Pizza ($10.50) looked too thin and was apparently too doughy and nothing like a flatbread pizza should be. While I didn’t try any of it, it looked like any old frozen pizza could have blown it out of the water.
While you would think that after reading the hall of fame failures listed above that the Tempura Bacon appetizer ($9.00) with its house-made ponzu sauce and cilantro-radish salad would have stolen the show. However, Lone Oak Grill’s kitchen staff is so incompetent they can’t even get bacon right. That’s right folks, whoever was working in the kitchen last night messed up bacon so very badly that every single person at the table who tried it didn’t even want to finish it. This needs to be repeated just so you understand: Lone Oak Grill screwed up bacon so very badly that we didn’t even want to eat it. If this isn’t a sign that no one should ever step foot in that restaurant again, I don’t know what could possibly deter you more.
While the dessert menu hasn’t been finalized yet, The Wife was in the mood to continue to dig the hole deeper and ordered a piece of Key Lime Cheesecake. Aside from being adorned with an artfully sliced thin piece of lime, this was your typical straight from the freezer, mass-produced cheesecake which was overthawed and nearly melted. While it tasted fine, it wasn’t $7.00 fine. In fact, I was seriously tempted to argue with the waiter about the $7.00 price tag but after seeing that three adults and one 2.5 year old rang up a $90 bill, I figured it wasn’t worth the effort–clearly this place has Minneapolis aspirations and Elko/New Market-quality kitchen staff.
Overall I was completely unimpressed with the meal we had at Lone Oak Grill in Eagan last night. While there is a chance they could turn things around, their large space (seating more than 300 people including the patio) coupled with a huge and aggressive menu doesn’t bode well for them. It’s fairly apparent that the kitchen isn’t staffed with people who are skilled enough to pull off acceptable execution of a menu which is priced about 20% too high for what amounts to burgers, sandwiches and appetizers. If they continue on their current trajectory, look for them to be shuttered within the year. If they take the time to pare down the menu some and work on really perfecting a few items which could really be stellar if they had the time to prepare them properly, this could end up being a fairly decent after-work happy hour and dinner spot. However, because they couldn’t even make us like their bacon, I am not holding my breath.
Have you ever eaten at Lone Oak Grill in Eagan? If so what did you order and what did you think? When you see ghost wings on a menu do you expect something which equates out to slightly-hotter-than-average Buffalo wings? Are you appalled by the fact that they screwed up bacon?! Whatever you have to say about this one go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Address:
Lone Oak Grill
3010 Eagandale Pl
Eagan, MN 55121
Phone:
651-789-2081
See all the pictures from Lone Oak Grill in Eagan on Flickr here.
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August 7th, 2012 at 8:13 am
Ouch!
August 7th, 2012 at 9:19 am
Over priced apps, over priced meals, over priced desert….and the inability to prepare any of it correctly? No thanks, there are far too many options for me to visit.
August 7th, 2012 at 9:19 am
Dessert….not desert.
August 7th, 2012 at 9:19 am
damn, bill, big spender!
August 7th, 2012 at 9:54 am
*raises hand….I ordered the bacon…
While it must be said, even the waiter sort of gave me the thumbs down when I ordered it, don’t put it on your menu unless you can make it properly…especially if your employees don’t even like it.
I wasn’t really hungry for a big burger or something that was going to run me 12-15 dollars more after trying a bunch of the appetizers, so the bacon sounded at least interesting.
When I see the words “tempura fried”, my mind conjures an image of the great items you get at a Japanese place. A very lightly fried piece of shrimp or a vegetable that comes in the shape of said shrimp or veggie. The frying is as much to provide heat to cook and the light batter can provide the tiny little crunch that adds a little to the texture and flavor, but you mostly taste the item inside.
Well, The Anchor Bar and Grill has never served a hunk of fried fish as big as my fried bacons were. They were about as long as my arm, thick as my thighs and about 97% batter. The batter had no flavor and the pool of oil that had oozed onto my plate when I picked one up was enough to fry about 3 days worth of cheese curds at the state fair (the one in the food building, not the one near the grandstand).
After one bite it was clear that the carpet matched the drapes. It was terrible. Even worse, after I took one piece of this stuff and ripped off all of the batter and pulled out something that looked to be bacon from the middle to taste it, I couldn’t. It literally had no flavor. BACON. No salt, no smoke, not even meat flavor. It was like chewing on a piece of rubber, but when I say that I mean no disrespect to the flavor of rubber.
I am sorry to say that none of us dared try the $2.75 EACH deviled eggs. I am sure they were worth every penny.
If this place eventually has happy hour pricing that suits your price compatibility, go here on a nice day and sit on the patio. Have a beer, and then head over to anywhere else in the world for some food after you get hungry. Otherwise, don’t bother.
lefty
August 7th, 2012 at 10:34 am
So, Just wondering if a beer or drink outside is a potential plus for this place given its nice patio…. can you comment on the beer , wine or drink selection and prices?
The tempura bacon sounds like something from one of the Gordon Ramsey shows about what not to serve….ouch.
August 7th, 2012 at 10:37 am
mulch,
They have a decent selection of tap beer and the price for a Bells Two Hearted was $5.50. The prices for soda, which are not free refills (something I just noticed, WTF) are $2.25/ea.
August 7th, 2012 at 11:55 am
I’ve seen a restaurant much like this one aim too high and then under deliver over in this corner of the Twin Cities and they lasted about 18 months before closing the doors. I expect the same, based on your experience, for Lone Oak Grill. If you felt this way about your experience and wrote about it, there are dozens of others who had the same experience and did not voice their opinion but will speak by not coming back. Seriously, who screws up bacon?!?
August 7th, 2012 at 1:03 pm
5.50 for a Bells Two hearted is more or less market price. I will wait for further commenters to give any revised views on this place, it wouldnt be on my list of places right now based on your review.
its nice you said you thought the server did a good job and you tipped him well… too bad he has to work with a bad product.
August 7th, 2012 at 1:15 pm
Yeah, as I said I think it would be a great place for happy hour, it’s just got a lot of work to do to get to the point where it’s good enough for a meal.
August 7th, 2012 at 5:02 pm
Sounds alot like the many reincarnations of that restaurant location at
Cedar and Dodd …
August 7th, 2012 at 8:10 pm
Is the food at least better then the crap they served when it was Sensors?
August 8th, 2012 at 9:43 am
Nurd52,
Did you even read the review above?
Senser’s waffle fries with seasoned sour cream is better than about anything at Lone Oak.
Also, Senser’s waffle fries with seasoned sour cream is crap.
lefty
August 8th, 2012 at 10:07 am
lefty, you owe me a new keyboard.
August 8th, 2012 at 10:39 am
I will give you this one. It is going to have Vellee Deli remnants on it in about an hour. That way you can pretend you are smelling Food Truck Food in Burnsville.
August 8th, 2012 at 12:25 pm
I just took my daughter there yesterday (Aug 7). We were there during Happy Hour (starts at 3 p.m.) we shared the Cheese Curds, Artichoke Dip with Pita Chips, and Wings (1/2 lb Tangy, 1/2 lb Smokey BBQ). We LOVED the cheese curds. I loved the Tangy wings (as stated above though, not real meaty), my daughter loved the BBQ. The artichoke dip, I think was probably frozen, the pita chips awful! If they’re going to serve it with processed chips, maybe use Stacey’s Pita Chips. All in all, I was pretty happy with our $19.10 bill, the service was great. I’d like to go back and try an entree. Your review has me a little scared though. I have to say, I loved the outside patio as well as the inside renovation! I was at Sensers may 2011, I don’t think I would have gone back…EVER. I’ll give this place a shake though. It does take time to work out the kinks, see who knows their stuff and replace the ones that don’t.
August 8th, 2012 at 12:35 pm
Angel,
Do they have special prices at happy hour? The 1lb of wings and the cheese curds alone are $19+.
August 8th, 2012 at 3:45 pm
The GM of Lone Oak Grill just called me to ask me to take down this post. Told me that 97% of the other people who have provided feedback (no, I don’t know the N) are not saying what I did.
He continues to believe that his prices (within 10 miles per the market research study they conducted) are BELOW what others are charging.
I told him to go to The Nook and tell me that their $8 hamburger doesn’t blow away what I was served on Monday. I should have recommended they go to Junior’s for the same thing. Hindsight.
Still, take it down? Hah.
August 8th, 2012 at 3:51 pm
“Bill, I want you to redact your opinion about your experience for [reason].”
where [reason] = fucking WHAT exactly?
August 8th, 2012 at 3:53 pm
jorn, he didn’t provide a reason but did say that the owner wants to explore other options then. I later noted I didn’t appreciate the veiled threat and the GM backtracked and said he wasn’t threatening anyone.
August 8th, 2012 at 3:56 pm
Sucking less sounds like an option I’d recommend, assuming the owner is open to suggestions. ;)
August 8th, 2012 at 4:19 pm
I can only speak to the couple of items I tried, the ghost wings and the onion rings. The Rooster would not share any of his Nutella and banana sandwich. The ghost wings were tangy and an OK appetizer, but certainly not hot enough, IMO, to qualify as ghosts. We’ll remedy that Sunday when we eat real ghost wings at Girvan Grille. The onion rings were luke warm, greasy and did not have any Summit Pilsener flavor that was advertised. They actually didn’t have much taste at all. I also didn’t care for the sweet barbecue sauce that came with them, but that’s a personal preference thing. YMMV. I hope the owners use this feedback to improve their offerings. I would be in there every night, if they served up ghost pepper wings that melted my face. Better yet, maybe they could develop a scorching Trinidad Moruga Scorpion wing sauce and make their own challenge, a la Girvan.
August 8th, 2012 at 10:02 pm
Bill, apps & flatbread pizzas are half price during HH.
I haven’t been there yet but plan on taking advantage of happy hour.
August 8th, 2012 at 10:17 pm
I just noticed this! There’s a review on Yelp! Everything was fantastic and phenomenal! It’s everything he’s ever wanted in a restaurant!
So there.
It’s also dated two days before the restaurant opened to the public.
August 9th, 2012 at 8:11 am
It never fails to amaze me when these idiot restaurant people compound their ineptness by trying to hide the fact that they suck ass instead of confronting the problems with their shitty food.
Actually when I read the words, “The GM called me…” above, I was pretty sure it was going to say something like, “…to apologize for the fact that we were presented with a bill.” I did not expect to hear that you were asked to suppress your opinion.
How many dip-shits need to read a poor review on this site and decide to go on the offensive (not as offensive as their food in most instances) instead of saying what they should say, like apologizing for charging 8 dollars for one pickle and agreeing that it shouldn’t be that hard to get a burger right with two tries, or at least say something like, “We believe that good bacon has zero flavor, and the best way to maximize profit is to take 4 pieces really low quality bacon of it dunk it in flavorless flour and have it swim in a 225 degree fryer for 45 minutes and then fish it out of the fryer with a bowl and serve it directly to our customers without straining the oil.”
If that were the case, I guess we could just agree to disagree. But no, dumb fuckers try get it to disappear.
Bill, did you tell him to read the comment thread on Valley Tap? Maybe this Lone Oak guy could learn a few things, come back to this board and apologize to the thousands and thousands of potential customers who google the name of his restaurant and find this link at the top of the page.
Your turn, silly GM guy.
August 9th, 2012 at 8:16 am
I offered him the opportunity to post a reply on the site. He said he doesn’t do that. *shrug*.
I still want to know what restaurants within 10 miles they’re competing with that charge those rates for that type of food.
August 9th, 2012 at 8:18 am
lefty, sometimes your posts are just too rational; after all, you have your reputation to uphold.
August 9th, 2012 at 9:43 am
You can kind of shut it down after lefty covered it.
Bill, re: market comparison, I assume he’s referring to Jake’s City Grille, Houlihan’s, Granite City and Axel’s Bonfire, etc. All of those are almost the exact same menu in one form or another and charge similar price points ($11 for a burger). I don’t think he’s off in price comparisons.
That said, in a much crappier location than the above-named places, you need to be doing something different. That area is all about the lunch and happy hour crowds from the surrounding tens-of-thousands of workers. Those people are already deeply entrenched in their habits and if you aren’t doing something special or undercutting the places named above, it’s gonna be a one-and-done scenario for your potential diners.
Starting with the name of the restaurant, the place just screams “same shit, different building”. Your photos hammered that nail further in the coffin. Here’s what I saw:
- Corned beef. Cut super-thin (egregious) and looks overcooked. Corned beef should not curl up like that. Horrible.
- The from-frozen, industrial french fries.
- Burned crust and pools of grease on the flatbread
- Pathetic looking pickles (totally agree…$8 for one fucking pickle? The same item that’s randomly put on the burger plate as a garnish??? Or does that justify an extra $2 fee on the burger?)
- Smallish looking burger patty
- Tar-black char covering the wings and ribs
As for the tempura bacon, that not only looks disgusting but it’s quite possibly the worst idea for cooking bacon I’ve ever heard. It may be a sign that society has become oversaturated by bacon fervor. Bacon is about the cure and, generally, the smoke. There are flavors there…they shouldn’t be abused like that. Tempura bacon is a misguided marketing gimmick at best.
Hate what Bill wrote about the place, but photos don’t lie Mr. GM.
The specifics above lead me to believe that this is yet another restaurant conceived to make someone a living and/or let them live some sort of personal dream (see also: Pita Plus), without regard for the craft or filling an underserved niche.
Being a total tool to a blogger is just icing on the cake.
August 9th, 2012 at 10:28 am
I had lunch at Senser’s when I still worked in Eagan a grand total of 1 time. I remember being underwhelmed by the food, and the price being over the top. I’m glad to know they’re keeping up the good work at that location.
August 9th, 2012 at 10:31 am
MSPD,
This place is actually backed by the guy behind that way below average Italian place Trattoria da Vinci in St. Paul.
“If you can’t do it right the first time, do it wrong again with a different menu” is the motto I am pretty sure they live by that. I just made up, but seems to make sense logically. (I had to say that disclaimer or I might get sued, you know.)
Do youknow what Spice Thai could do with 1.2 million dollars? Put $1,000,000 into the college/retirement fund and open up a really great restaurant with the rest.
lefty
August 9th, 2012 at 10:32 am
A GM who gives the impression of being a lap dog for the owner. Imagine that. You would think that a GM of a restaurant that received a bad review would be more interested in understanding the issues, rather than pretending that there were no issues. Walking around a restaurant and asking how things are is not the way to get responses from diners. Minnesota diners in general won’t tell you like it is out of some need to avoid confrontation.
Assuming everything is great because you are unqualified to recognize failure doesn’t mean it isn’t a failure. It just means you are unqualified.
I recommend recording any calls from these folks in the future, configure google voice, and just press 4 during the conversation or when you pick up. (bummer, can’t do it on outgoing). If they are going to play a game of threats, you’ll want those recorded.
August 9th, 2012 at 10:54 am
For the record, when the waiter asked me what I thought of my bacon, I said, “good” and then I rolled my eyes at Bill.
It’s quite possible they are batting 1.000 with their bacon reviews.
August 9th, 2012 at 1:29 pm
Everyone, except my wife as she’s used to it, seemed uncomfortable with me pointing out each and every flaw to our server. Now, as good a server as he was, his reporting back to the kitchen showed what is in my opinion the single biggest flaw of this restaurant and which was backed up by the phone call yesterday: they aren’t interested in fixing the issues.
Yes, there are a group of individuals who will never like what you put out on the table and they may provide you with feedback which you don’t like. However, when 6 adults (3 of whom know A LOT about food and 1 who knows A LOT about chilies and brings his own hot sauce with him to heat up inadequate ghost wings, just in case) tell you very specifically what is wrong w/your items, the proper response is not to bury your head and ignore those issues.
Listen, my opinions are mine and that’s fine but for a restaurant to write off 6 adults who know what they’re talking about and instead take the opinions received at the family and friends night and the few in the after-work crowd who went to the restaurant because they heard about it from a family/friend night attendee is just sad.
I gave them very specific feedback about what needs to change and it needs to change soon or they will suffer the same fate as nearly each and every other single restaurant I have reviewed early on in the same manner.
I mean, if you want to spend as much money as that new restaurant obviously cost only to cater to douchebags who wouldn’t know a shitty hamburger and tasteless bacon from a hole in their head, that’s fine, but remember that Americans are learning more and more about food each and every single day and through the proliferation of review sites and food blogs as well as social media spreading the word, that sort of shit isn’t flying as easily as it used to.
Best of luck but I really do hope their take the opinions shared among the adults at the table that night and those I provided on the phone yesterday seriously or they’re going to find themselves hurting in a few months.
August 9th, 2012 at 2:46 pm
I really think that the average burger dining is $10 nowadays. Other sandwiches, too. The trick is finding one you love! ;-) (And for me, remembering the ones I don’t like so that I don’t order them again.)
August 9th, 2012 at 2:55 pm
Valley Tap serves $10 hamburgers that are three times the size of what I received at Lone Oak and they come with homemade (not previously frozen/mass-produced) fries and homemade pickles. You can get what Lone Oak serves for $5.75 at lunch.
The Nook serves a California burger (what Lone Oak is serving) for ~$8 with homemade fries.
—
Please explain to me again why I would want to pay $10.50 for the tiny thing without flavor I was served at Lone Oak Grill in Eagan again?
August 10th, 2012 at 7:56 am
I know Bill doesnt really care for the ownership of Burger Jones, but you can get a good burger for 7.99 with american cheese, onions, lettuce , tomato and several other garnishes (that are charged for at other places) and share a side of unfrozen fries at 1.99, making for an 8.99 burger/fries, and they have a good beer selection too, go in after 9:00pm and the prices go down further. The meat used is much better than what finds at Chumpps, etc.
Per Bill Valley Tap’s burgers are the best in the SOTR metro.
Even the Buffalo Tap makes a reasonable burger for 7.95-8.95 (although my last medium order was medium well, and it takes a minimum of 45 mins on a moderately busy night to receive your order which is ridiculous… they pack in as much seating as possible there, have a constant crowd… I think its time to actually upgrade and expand their kitchen instead of just saying they are thinking about it… I personally won’t be going back there anymore unless its during what I know is there low crowd time)
August 10th, 2012 at 1:17 pm
MSPD has called it. Bacon has officially jumped the shark.
August 11th, 2012 at 5:36 pm
A 1600+ word mostly negative “review” (2.5 pages!!) mentioning the food prices six (??) times leads me to believe a person either has an agenda or they REALLY enjoy hearing themselves talk. Maybe a nice way to freak restaurants out so you get invited back for free?
My suggestion is that you go check the place out and decide for yourself. We have a lot of restaurants in the area and none of them should go down because of one person’s opinion (or agenda).
My experience:
Prices are comparable to the local Perkins, Champps, Chili’s. The difference was you could tell the ingredients were fresh, made on site and not shipped in bulk pre-made.
I had the Lone Oak Burger. It was cooked to my request, quality meat and didn’t have that charbroiled pre-made “flavor” like comparable restaurants mentioned above.
I do not like raw onion or cheese on my burger but decided to let them make it as it was intended. The onion jam was fantastic. Obvious it didn’t come out of a can. For me it brought out all the goodness that an onion gives a dish without the flavor or aftertaste I don’t like. The cheese was really good, I actually liked it. Tillamook cheddar will be on my next cheeseburger!
I chose fries with my burger. I have never had a seasoned French fry I liked and I didn’t realize they were seasoned. When my food came I was intrigued by the green herby bits on the fries. After tasting them I chucked my bun off my burger so I could eat them instead. I might be wrecked because I will never see a regular salted fry the same.
My 15 yr old niece was along and she had the Italian Lucy. She didn’t talk and ate the whole thing except 3 fries. Later she posted on Face Book recommending her friends go there.
The atmosphere and colors were pleasant. The only thing I missed was a focal point in the space. I’m looking forward to a fall evening out on the patio with the fire pits and some friends!
I didn’t have room for dessert, was too full from the burger and fries so will have to stop back for a “dessert first” occasion.
The staff was really attentive and friendly. Got smiles and hello from staff that weren’t even serving us. Very professional.
August 11th, 2012 at 5:58 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
August 11th, 2012 at 6:00 pm
FWIW, ‘Awesome’ worked for or currently works for (depending on how you read his most recent Facebook Wall post) Lone Oak Grill.
August 11th, 2012 at 6:28 pm
Um, ISupportLocal: Bill *does* have an agenda. He wants good food at a reasonable price. He writes about places that deliver that value. And those that don’t. End of agenda.
And, Awesome, you nailed it. Bill is disgusting and I am a bit plump. We’re not sure how to categorize Lefty yet. Doesn’t change the fact that we didn’t like the food we were served. And we REALLY wanted to.
BTW, I’m really looking forward to some face-melting Ghost Wings at Girvan Grille tomorrow. They’re the same price as those at Lone Oak, but a world of different. Plus, I’m pretty sure their employees won’t insult us, Awesome…
August 11th, 2012 at 7:57 pm
Bocce, darts and a good $10.50 burger isn’t going to be enough to get my business.
I already know where to get an excellent $7.50 burger.
August 11th, 2012 at 8:16 pm
ISL, your flippin hilarious! Your web presence must be Astroturf.com. Go play in traffic…
August 11th, 2012 at 8:59 pm
I got an email from the Bill and I’m not interested in a private conversation so I am replying here.
Sent: Saturday, August 11, 2012 6:04 PM
Subject: Re: Please moderate: “Lone Oak Grill: Eagan, MN”
I have approved your ridiculously hilarious comment. Future comments using the same username and e-mail address will be automatically approved until we prove you’re shilling for the restaurant and you’re banned.
In reply:
Hi Bill,
There won’t be any further comments as I have nothing more to say than what I already said in my comment on your blog and this reply to your email.
I liked the food and my experience at Lone Oak. While it may be contrary to yours, it was *my* positive experience. Because I had one doesn’t mean I am working for the company.
Putting value on something is personal. If I want a pre-cooked burger or jarred “special” sauce I would go to any of the local chain run burger joints. As I value fresh quality produce and products I would rather pay a few extra dollars for that. I prefer cooking at home but when I do go out to dinner I prefer something different and avoid chain restaurants. In my opinion Lone Oak offers good value for the money. You don’t feel they do. OK.
I’m not interested in going head to head with you. Yes, I think your review was rather wordy and a bit repetitive regarding prices. I won’t deny it was well written and I thought your pictures gave a much better impression of the food than your words. Taking pictures of food is an art and you made it look good right there on the table.
I hope people will support the local businesses whatever their products. We need our local businesses. I hope they will check things out for themselves and formulate their own opinions.
Take care!
August 11th, 2012 at 9:35 pm
You had a positive experience about a tasteless preformed burger and frozen fries with a bit of seasoning. Up until your raving about the fries I was totally fine w/your differences in opinion. Once you said that you’d never had such amazing fries is when your entire comment became suspect.
Seriously, frozen fries are what you chose to say was the most moving thing you had at Lone Oak? *shakes head*
August 12th, 2012 at 12:55 am
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August 13th, 2012 at 9:03 am
Wow…you log off for the weekend and miss all the fun.
Let’s start with “Awesome”:
Then why the fuck didn’t you just do that? Instead you posted this bullshit:
Moron.
ISupportLocal: First, thanks for supporting local. Great job! I’m also thrilled that you found a restaurant to love. Enjoy it while it lasts.
I will say this, I respectfully disagree with your price comparisons. The last time I was in one of the places you mentioned (Chilis due to a free-meal-for-kids thing) I had a burger and it was 20% less expensive than Lone Oak.
Bill kind of stole my thunder on my next thought when I read your summary. You kind of lost credibility when you talked about “fresh ingredients” and then launched into a rave about seasoned french fries. It’s 100% clear from Bill’s photo that they are using frozen fries. You can season those things with magical fairy dust and they’ll still be frozen fries. If your frame of reference is the french fries at Chilis, Champps, Perkins and so on then I get how you’re excited.
I know you’re new here, but you have to understand that Bill is comparing those frozen french fries not to “local” suckholes like Chilis, Champps and Perkins, but to the best of the best (the Nook/Shamrocks, Valley Tap, the Wienery, and so on). Those places cut their fries from actual potatoes, sometimes to order. When they aren’t cut-to-order, they are held carefully/skillfully to ensure the end result is perfect. Go watch the “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives” episode with the Nook and you’ll see what I mean.
Further, the Nook gets their buns every single day from a bakery right around the corner (PJ Murphy’s).
The point is, there is a hell of a lot of skill and care going into the burgers and fries at the Nook for 20% LESS than this place is charging for frozen stuff. For each and every food listed, there is a place Bill (and I and the other passionate food people here) are comparing it to in value.
For wings, it is unacceptable to charge that price for tiny wings when you have places like Runyon’s and D-Spot and Girvan and many others putting out kick ass wings.
Again, very glad you and your 15 year-old consumer loved Lone Oak. Who knows, maybe I’ll get dragged there and love it too.
p.s. Tillamook cheddar is not special at all. I think that’s the standard cheese at TGI Friday’s and the like. You can grab some pretty inexpensively at Cub if you want to use it at home.
August 13th, 2012 at 9:32 am
ISupportLocal,
I want to give you credit. Usually when people who are personally involved with a restaurant post bullshit messages here about how good the food is at a place that has no good food, they are stupid enough to post it from the actual restaurant or their home.
You on the other hand, figured out that it would be a good idea to find a less traceable computer to send your messages from while pretending you are some sort of unbiased observer (which Bill, his wife, UWTM, and I actually are).
I guess you are in the ballpark to compare this shit fest with the likes of Perkins, Champps and Chili’s. I have not eaten food at any of these 3 places in many manhy years, but I would offer that Lone Oak Grill sells food along the lines of what I remember at Champps back when I used to eat there because I didn’t really know much about food then.
Whether you are the owner, the GM a waiter or maybe just a contractor who has not been paid yet hoping the place stays open longer than your 30 day invoice due date, your personal bias should have been brought up in your comment. Until then, you are just another one time shill that pretty much shows up on the comment section of about every less than stellar review here.
See ya,
lefty
August 16th, 2012 at 1:49 pm
I wonder if the GM will demand a retraction from the Pioneer Press too?
http://www.twincities.com/life/ci_21318339/small-bites-restaurant-resviews-lone-oak-grill-eagan
August 16th, 2012 at 3:44 pm
From Urbanspoon:
(Only mentioning it because they tried options we did not).
August 16th, 2012 at 3:47 pm
Ha Ha. Urbanspoon astroturing jerks! That’s the best review I have seen for this place.
August 16th, 2012 at 4:02 pm
And Jessica Fleming’s take on Loan Oak: http://www.twincities.com/restaurants/ci_21318339/small-bites-restaurant-resviews-lone-oak-grill-eagan
August 16th, 2012 at 4:11 pm
Is there an echo in here?
August 21st, 2012 at 6:28 am
Here’s a recent unapproved comment which I’m sure has an e-mail address which will bounce however I thought it was too ironic not to share:
BTW, he attempted to post twice.
August 21st, 2012 at 8:41 am
So the guy who says that anyone posting more than once on this blog masturbates in their mom’s basement tried to post twice?
I guess he would…er…know…hang on…
Mom…get out of here! I’m on the computer! Yes, I am looking for a job! No, I don’t need pants on to do that! God!!
Sorry about that. Anyway, that is pretty funny.
August 26th, 2012 at 10:27 pm
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August 27th, 2012 at 10:08 am
Oh Shannon, where to begin?
Let’s start with the fact that you’re Facebook friends with Joel Lehman (owner of Lone Oak and Trattoria da Vinci) as well as his wife. His wife is FB friends w/your mom and a couple of your siblings.
I think I’ve said enough already. The rest of what you wrote, while possibly true, is worthless now. Next time make certain you tell everyone you’re friends with the ownership. That’s how it works here or you end up looking like the shill you are.
August 27th, 2012 at 10:09 am
Owned.
August 27th, 2012 at 10:13 am
Oopsie Daisy!!!
August 27th, 2012 at 10:23 am
Just when it seemed like all of the idiots of the world have revealed themselves, Shannon McCarty shows up to remind us that there is an unlimited supply.
Who knew the Lone Oak Grill was so adept at pairing beer flights with a jarred pickle? Ordering a rare burger in Minnesota? The audacity to think that someone could make a burger taste good that has not had all of the taste cooked out of it! That comment would be funnier if it did not shed a light on the poor quality of the American education system.
Shannon McCarty, please don’t breed.
lefty
August 27th, 2012 at 1:10 pm
You had me at “I just ate their tonight.”
August 27th, 2012 at 2:11 pm
Seems like the years Shannon and the Lone Oak owner’s wife spent together at Rosemount high (1991 – 1995) weren’t spent entirely on academics.
August 27th, 2012 at 2:33 pm
Heh,
Too bad Shannon is never going to post again. Outed ‘turfers are all the same.
August 27th, 2012 at 5:29 pm
Maybe we need “WCCO” to writeup a review of this place just like Rack Shack.:)
August 27th, 2012 at 9:45 pm
Who the hell would EVER comment about the glass washer?
“I loved the glass washer used on all my tasting tinctures-a beer lovers dream- which cleansed my glasses from any dishwasher residue for a pure “tasting” experience. ”
Even without Bill’s FB research, this sounded like she read the brochure the owners used to woo investors. And what the hell are “tasting tinctures”?
September 5th, 2012 at 4:55 pm
I read a review for this restaurant before I went and it wasn’t good. http://www.twincities.com/life/ci_21318339?source=rss
But my wife and I are 15 minutes away and wanted to try it out. We wanted to make our own mind and not be swayed by reviews.
Went there on Wed. night. The asthetics was great. The patio was nice. The bocce ball was nice. The firepit was nice. But that doesn’t make a good restaurant. Lets get to the nitty gritty…the food.
I ordered the meatloaf while my wife ordered a turkey burger. Food arrive fast for me. But the server messed up my wife’s order. It got there 15 minutes later. I won’t even count this as a negative since mistakes happens and our server was friendly enough to give us free desert.
Meatloaf was dry and was very ordinary. My wife is an above average cook and her meatloaf was better. The best meatloaf in town is at Granite City. When I go to Granite City, I always order the meatload. The meatloaf here was so bad I only finished half. My wife took 2-3 bites of her turkey burger and got it to go. She never does that.
Overall, I thought the food was over priced and the taste was VERY ordinary. When you go to a restaurant, unless they don’t have something that’ll bring you back, there’s no reason to come back. I can get beers anywhere. I can get a deck/patio anywhere. I can’t get good food anywhere, which is my point. You can’t sustain a restaurant based on superficial things like bocce ball, patio, etc. It HAS to be the food.
Also at night, with the garage doors open, it drew in a lot of bugs (flies, moths, mosquitos).
Would I go back again? No. Not at that price. Like many have said, for that price, there are way too many options out there. I went because it was new and I like supporting new businesses. But I won’t be back.
Lastly, the same owner owns an Italian joint dt St. Paul (Tortetaria Devincis or something like that). My wife and I go there every other 2-3 months. They have a great pasta bar. That’s why we will go back.
September 7th, 2012 at 8:18 am
To people at the Lone Oak Grill and other places that get bad reviews and then astroturf all over the place in an effort to counteract poor feedback from real people that paid money for a bad experience at your restaurant:
Read Beagle’s review carefully. This person read the review above and at least one other one that was more so/so than bad and decided, in spite of the negative feedback to give you a try anyway.
Not shockingly, Beagle had pretty much the same experience as the rest of your customers. It would seem as if Beagle had about as open of a mind as one could have and probably WANTED to like your place and still could not find a reason to want to come back.
So I suppose you can continue to think the bad reviews are wrong and keep serving your overpriced terrible food, or maybe take a step back and ponder the reality that you don’t really know what the fuck you are doing and hire someone that does to keep your business running long term. Maybe you should put in a pasta bar (but remember that there is an great one about 3 miles south on 13 that you probably can’t compete with on quality) since you have at least impressed one person with it in your experience. (which is one more person than has posted a good review here that was not a shill about your place).
Anyway, we are all still waiting for the apology and some news as to how you intend to improve the great space (with great beer and bourbon admittedly) that you have completely destroyed with overpriced Perkin’s food.
No charge for the advice, as always.
Your best buddy,
lefty
September 12th, 2012 at 3:45 pm
Totally OT, what’s the pasta bar 3 miles south on Highway 13?
September 12th, 2012 at 5:08 pm
Buon Giorno.
September 12th, 2012 at 5:09 pm
Meant to be “Buon Giorno?” (add question mark)
Although that would be north.
September 12th, 2012 at 6:07 pm
I did think of them because they are on 13.
Is Lefty known to be directionally challenged?
September 12th, 2012 at 6:16 pm
Directionally is the least of his problems.
September 13th, 2012 at 8:07 am
I meant North. And yes, I have a lot of problems, the least of which is which way is North.
Thanks for pointing out my mistake. I don’t really make that many normalie.
December 26th, 2012 at 7:48 am
[...] Grill 16. Betty’s Cafe and Pies 17. Pita Plus (closed) 18. Piccolo’s Pizzeria 19. Lone Oak Grill 20. Steak [...]
February 13th, 2013 at 5:40 pm
If this is true, it’s hilarious:
February 13th, 2013 at 6:33 pm
What is hilarious is this whole thread of comments. I forgot all about the GM calling you and such. Also: Tinctures.
February 14th, 2013 at 10:05 am
Yeah, the “tasting tinctures” friend of the owners was a classic.
I don’t entirely buy the comment above though. Anyone seeing a dead mouse when they walk into a place isn’t going to continue to sit down and have their meal. Maybe it happened in a different order or whatever, but there’s some “for effect” exaggerating going on there.