This location is now closed.
A couple of weeks ago I read an article in the Savage Pacer about the opening of a new restaurant in the historic Savage Depot building in “downtown Savage” to be named The Savage Depot Bistro. It was said to serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner under what the owner referred to as “light fare gourmet” and was to offer unique beer and wine choices which would not be found anywhere else. The Savage Depot Bistro was to become one of the places a person feels most comfortable–something, that according to the article, the owner illustrated as how Norm felt at Cheers.
After writing my original impression of the restaurant and being corrected by owner Jim Lewis on some of the more important details, we both continued to exchange e-mails over the coming weeks culminating with me being invited to tour the restaurant and talk about the menu and restaurant direction before it opened. I spent about an hour listening to Jim give his vision and go over his “unique” and “decadent” food, wine, and beer menu. When I left I had more questions than when I went in but hoped that once I sat down inside and ate the food that was described to me that it would all come together.
On Saturday I met up with Kim, Laura, and Mr. and Mrs. Marcos for dinner at The Savage Depot Bistro. A tiny little red building that presides over the parking lot which sits between “downtown Savage” and the approximately 57,000 cars whizzing by every day on MN-13. The building is a piece of Savage history. A restored, 130 year old, train depot which is owned by the City of Savage is meant to double as a restaurant and a living display of Savage history. As you walk in you are greeted by an open space with an ordering counter. The counter has a glass enclosure which holds desserts, beers, wines, drinks, to go containers of homemade salsas, and other treats served at the restaurant. The owners have done their homework and proudly display a ton of Savage history on their walls including the all important Dan Patch and many framed pictures of Savage railroad history.
We were a bit confused by the format of the restaurant. While I had been there before I didn’t realize that it was going to be a counter ordering format. Because of the small space and the lack of direction, a lot of people just seemed to be milling about and with staff crowding behind the single register it just seemed stuffy in the entryway. After looking over the beers offered and the menu hung on the wall, we finally had our opportunity to place an order. They took our name and Kim and I went “upstairs” (literally a few steps) into the dining area. Jim asked how many were in our party tonight and slid two unevenly sized tables together for us to dine at while the rest of our party put their orders in.
The dining room is cozy with seating for maybe 25 and the centerpiece of which is a beautiful fireplace with a keystone that commemorates the opening of the depot back in 1880. Half of the floor is carpeted and the rest is the original rough wood flooring used in the depot all those years ago. There are two huge sliding doors, one which looks out on the drive-through lane and beautiful MN-13 beyond and the other leads to an enclosed porch which will permit some additional outdoor seating.
After getting us all down together, our food started to arrive. Following the confusing ordering format, there was now a confusing delivery format as well. The rest of the members at my table suggested that instead of just taking names that they should instead hand out numbers like Culver’s or Noodles and Company so that the servers will know where to plop the food down. The appetizers came out slowly and we were originally missing one of our items but we eventually got everything we were looking for.
Mr. and Mrs. Marcos ordered the chips and salsa and Kim and I went with the fried green beans and the sweet potato fries. The salsa and chips are both made in house and while the chips were tasty, the salsa really just didn’t do it for me. Our fried green beans came out first and were quite nice. The beans were crisp and bright green and the batter wasn’t too terribly greasy. I had to pick Kim’s jaw up off the floor when we were informed that there was no ranch dressing to be had. It was suggested that we go with bleu cheese as that was “like ranch” (uhh no it’s not). Instead we decided to go with their Dreamy Creamy sour cream (yes Ben J, you were right, the owner of La Luz is there and has brought some things with him) something that we missed once La Luz closed its doors in Apple Valley. I don’t know what restaurant these days, especially one serving salads, cheese curds, onion rings and other fried treats, doesn’t have ranch on the menu but when you’re suggesting marinara or bleu cheese to dip fried green beans in, I suggest that you seriously think about adding it to the menu–yesterday. Our sweet potato fries came with an interesting sounding brown sugar marshmallow dip. And while the fries were perfect, the sauce wasn’t a favorite. It didn’t taste anything like I would have expected and Kim, Laura, and I agreed it tasted like and had the consistency of Thousand Island dressing. At first we thought they had screwed up and were serving us the wrong sauce but then we saw another table receive the exact same thing. While I like dressing, I don’t think it belongs on sweet potato fries.
Our orders began coming out soon after. I went with their pesto chicken and Kim ordered a Reuben. Mr. Marcos picked up a turkey sandwich, Mrs. Marcos chose the nightly special (walleye sandwich), and Laura went with their caprese.
All of their sandwiches are served on rolls from a local bakery supplier. While the bread looked fantastic, my sandwich was sorely lacking in anything except bread. The sandwich was cut in half and at first I thought it came without the advertised onions but after eating the first half I found them all hiding on the other. Aside from the onions, the sandwich was sloppy as hell. I felt like an 8 year old eating his first Big Mac (true story) as more of sandwich ended up on my hands than in my mouth. The homemade chips that came alongside the sandwich were very tasty. They had a nice potato flavor and the perfect amount of salt. All the sandwiches came with three tiny pickles but to be honest, they just weren’t my thing. I think the look of horror on my face as I bit into the first one kept most of the rest of the table, including Kim who’s a huge pickle fan, from eating theirs. I’m sure some will love them but I prefer a run of the mill pickle to those three any day.
Kim’s sandwich looked really tasty. The corned beef didn’t appear to be your typical deli meat and instead came in big chunks. The sauerkraut was plentiful but I didn’t see much Thousand Island dressing. When I think Reuben, I think grilled marble rye, meat, and sauerkraut with a huge bowl of dressing to dip it in. Aside from the meat and sauerkraut this just didn’t cut the mustard and Kim was not impressed enough to finish even half which left more for me. Already believing the dip for the sweet potato fries to be Thousand Island dressing I decided to dip her remaining Reuben pieces in that. While it was a bit sweeter than I would have liked, it was definitely tasty. So if you don’t like the sweet potato dip, at least you know it can double down to wet your Reuben if you so choose.
Laura’s caprese was certainly “unique”. It included your typical mozzarella and tomatoes but did not include basil nor any discernible dressing. It did have a pile of sauteed onions on top which completely threw me and definitely sets it aside from any other caprese I’ve ever had. I usually see them served with a healthy drizzle of balsamic vinegar but the only thing Laura could see was a light swath of what appeared to be olive oil across the top of the bread. Personally after looking at the photo I’d guess that they forgot the dressing and that little bit of olive oil across the top is really just oil and/or butter from the sauteed onions.
Mrs. Marcos requested that her special come with chips and not German potato salad. After a quick fix in the kitchen it was back out and in front of her. She seemed to be ok with the dish and I didn’t hear too many complaints, yet, from her.
Mr. Marcos went with a turkey sandwich and polished it all off right quick. I immediately noticed the La Luz bread influence and noted that it was very much like their pressed Cuban-style sandwiches. If I ever return I may just have to pick up one of those for old-times sake. Hell, why not throw some of those old favorites back on the menu to draw in some of the food fans of La Luz?
Kim and Laura split a half order of one of The Savage Depot Bistro’s special cakes. During my meeting with Jim I was told they were made by a woman who lives about two blocks away and is known as “The Cake Lady” by the locals. She has been making wedding cakes for 20+ years and has agreed to make some smaller cakes for the restaurant. While I didn’t get any pictures of them in the case, they appear to be tiny wedding cakes, without the bride and groom on top, and are pretty pricey. Kim and Laura split a half of carrot cake (1/4 cake each) and I was fairly surprised to see the tiny little mouthful portion served for about $2.75/ea. Kim didn’t eat it until she got home but to be perfectly honest, it tasted like carrot cake and certainly not $2.75 worth *shrug*.
As I said above, The Savage Depot Bistro has a couple of great ideas but to be blunt, they just don’t work together, yet. They are trying to be three things, all of which could be done very well but after what we saw yesterday obviously need some work to get them working together:
1. A wine bar (please note: I’m a $10 bottle of wine fan, take what I say here with some salt)
While there’s a cheese plate on the menu and there are salads, I just don’t see anything else I would want to pair a $40 to $200 bottle of wine with. Wine does not go with a Reuben or onion rings. I suppose you could have it with a cracker-thin flat bread pizza but that’s just not something I’d do. While I didn’t care for the pricing at Lakeville’s Mainstreet After Hours, at least those menu items seemed to be more in line with what I envision a menu tailored to those that appreciate wine than cheese curds and turkey sandwiches.
2. A restaurant that only serves craft beers only
I love craft beers and I like the idea of a place that serves them inexpensively ($4 a bottle isn’t overcharging for their selection by any means). Unfortunately, as I was told during my meeting with Jim, they will not be serving any domestic beers. If someone wants a domestic beer Jim suggests that travel across the parking lot to Niesen’s as they cater to that clientele and do it very well but that’s not who he wants to attract. A very noble effort Jim but while plenty of people enjoy a craft beer, many more people enjoy a domestic, especially in this market. $2 for a bottle of Mich Golden Light or $4 for a Left Hand? I don’t think I need to tell you which is going to sell better, bring more people into your establishment, and go together better with those cheese curds and onion rings.
3. Unique and decadent
I think I’ve covered this enough already but I can’t reiterate it enough I guess. Please refrain from saying your menu is unique. It’s just not and no matter how many times you try to tell people onion rings are decadent, it’s not going to change the fact that they’re greasy, fried, battered onions served at nearly every other restaurant and bar in the world.
Overall? The food was fine and it was very reasonably priced (two one app (we ordered two but were only charged for one–I just noticed it as we looked at the receipt here. If we had known, we would have taken care of it at the restaurant, sorry about that), two sandwiches, and a beer for $25.50 before tip). It wasn’t unique and it wasn’t decadent but it’ll do. While I’d probably go back if I was in the area, I see absolutely no reason to make the drive from Apple Valley. I can get everything on the menu there at any number of local establishments around town. They have some work to do but with a little time and a few tweaks (domestic beer, ranch dressing, take people’s orders at the table or give them a number on a stick) I think that this could be a successful little spot in Savage. But the first thing is that the owners need to drop the holier than thou attitude and that they are somehow above the general restaurant goer in the South Metro. Pushing $100 bottles of wine and $4 craft beers instead of what people are really gunning for in this market just doesn’t bode well for a new restaurant in town that’s competing with tried and true favorites 400 feet in either direction.
Have you eaten at The Savage Depot Bistro? If so, what did you think? Go ahead and comment on (I have moved the comments from the previous post under this one already for history’s sake) as we’d love to hear what you have to say.
Address:
The Savage Depot Bistro
4800 W 123rd St
Savage, MN 55378
See all the pictures from The Savage Depot Bistro on Flickr here.
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January 29th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Gee, next time I want to drive 10 miles for pastries and 3.2 beer I’ll be sure to stop in.
January 30th, 2009 at 5:23 am
I sure wish a good breakfast/sandwich place would open up. By breakfast I mean actual food like ham, bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, gravy, buscuits, etc. By Sandwhiches I mean Ruebens, and Phillys, and maybe a great HOT ham and cheese.
Continental breakfast and cold sandwiches/wraps are to a real breakfast or sandwhich what 3.2 beer is to a full bar.
While you are drawing comparisons, you could add Ugly Mug, Ring Mountain, Rise and Wine, Panera, Pardon my french, and I am sure several places I am missing.
January 30th, 2009 at 8:52 am
This place will end up scaling back on hours within 6 months and be closing at 2 PM M-F and be closed by early 2010. It’s essentially another glorified coffee shop. How about copying a formula that works? I have some ideas if anyone wants to open a restaurant.
January 30th, 2009 at 8:54 am
Nice move on the 3.2 license… ahhh the South Suburbs!
What the area needs is a good bakery that puts out real bread and good pastries. If you have a chance check out “A Baker’s Wife” in Southeast Minneapolis… a cramped little storefront that is putting out pound for pound and dollar for dollar the best bread and pastries in the city. It is top shelf stuff with out the frou frou attitude. Try the American Tea bun… it really is a miracle.
i understand there is a good pastry bakery in downtown Prior lake… but other than that it is slim pickings… although there a few Mexican bakeries scattered in Bville that do that genre nicely… if you like it.
The other place I recommend is Taqueriea La Hacienda at County Road 5 and Williams Road (next to the SA station). they make mexico city style tacos and other items.. .it is counter service, no beer or wine…. i have been there lately and the volume is down and I fear it will go out of biz. It is the 3rd branch of other 2 locations in Minneapolis. I think with the implosion of the housing market the number of Hispanic clients is way down … as the construction, landscaping, roofing markets are basically dead…. it isnt Chipotle or El Loro…but the type of tacos you would get in East LA or Mexico City… not for everyone … but the Al Pastor and Chorizo tacos are savory.
January 30th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
What a disaster in the making. I agree this place will last as long as the orginal coffee shop placed on the site. (That was a good idea, but I think the execution was deeply flawed)
For me & the family– right next store El Eloro is a good bargin.. And you can get a “real beer” & a bump of tequilia if your mood suits ya.
BTW- first post, after discovering this Blog a few weeks ago.. keep up the good work Bill
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:06 am
Bill,
Thanks for your interest in the Savage Depot, however, I wish you would have talked with me prior to spreading the word. You have made some assumptions that are not factual and by reading the responses we have some work to do to correct this. What I would suggest is that we sit down and share with you the thoughts on this business. The Savage Pacer did state that we will have 3.2 beer, however, it’s worth noting that our license is wine and strong beer. 3.2 happens to be a freebe in the licensing process, however, not written into our plan. We are going to be a bistro that will feature espresso drinks, wine and beer. Wine and beer will be a bit more unique than the typical bar offering. Our food menu does cover from breakfast to dinner and we’d love to share them with you. If you want give me a call at [removed] or email at [removed], we’ll set a time and share with your what our plans are. Thanks again for your interest and we look forward to getting together.
Jim Lewis
Owner….The Savage Depot
February 4th, 2009 at 8:25 am
After several e-mails exchanged with Jim Lewis, owner of The Savage Depot, I have altered the content of the post above with my apologies for the incorrect information gleaned from the Savage Pacer article.
I have also approved his comment, above, but edited it to remove his personally identifiable information.
February 5th, 2009 at 8:57 am
I think its impressive that he contacted you and attempted to correct or improve the image of his business, and did not respond as others have with anger or astroturfed insults.
I honestly dont get the whole specialty bar/bistro/wine bar concept personally, but it sounds like they have a plan and I wish them luck.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:02 am
Chad, agreed. We have exchanged a few e-mails back and forth and he went into details I never expected. While I have tried, and failed numerous times, to contact restaurant owners to submit to interviews to be posted here rather than my usual posts thin on details, I gave up and didn’t bother with The Savage Depot. I apologized to Jim for lumping him in with the masses who do exactly as you say–ignore the site until it’s obvious that it is doing the opposite of what they’d like to see to which they respond with false posts of praise.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:09 am
I was going to say the same thing. I may even drive my lazy-arse out to Savage because he’s impressed me. (It’s hard to win my business unless you’re in walking distance of my house, I’m extremely lazy)
February 5th, 2009 at 10:19 am
I’d be interested in seeing the menu!
February 18th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
drove by on Saturday FEb 14 after having a Valentines Day burger at the “romantic” Buffalo Tap , which was packed at 7:00pm… only about half full when we left.
the Depot was pretty dark yet… no sign of life…
Personally i doubt this concept will work there. El Loro and Culver’s ..si! but bistro style food in old downtown Savage…hmmm..not so much.
March 5th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
The Savage Depot Bistro will open this Saturday 3/7/2009.
March 7th, 2009 at 9:09 am
We’ll be going sometime in the next week or so. If you try The Savage Depot Bistro before that, please let us know how it was.
March 7th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Had lunch at the at the Savage Bistro today. Had a glass of wine (Pinot Noir – really good) and a spinach apple Gorgonzola salad. It was awesome. I would have chosen a crisper apple but it was really good. Had a bite of my son’s sausage portobello pizza and it was really good too. Really crisp crust – just the way I like it. The atmosphere was cool too. Rustic but charming. Cozy though – no big groupsw. Service to the table in no time. They had tiny cakes and muffins and other things in the pastry case that looked delicious. I live in Burnsville and my son lives in Savage so we decided that will be our meeting place on occasion.
March 7th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Nice info, Jeanne! I’m not much of a wine and/or beer drinker, did you happen to notice if there was more to the beverage menu than those options? I’m partial to Coca Cola products (as noted many times before on this site).
What is your take on the prices? Reasonable for what you’re getting?
March 8th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Prices were good. For the three of us it came to just less than $26. My salad, my son’s pizza and his girlfriends sandwich & 2 bottles of root beer. My wine was separate from that. I didn’t get a good look at beverage options – I knew I was going to order wine when I came in.
March 8th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
$26 for three is pretty darn reasonable! And they have bottled root beer? Tasty! I’m actually looking forward to trying this place!
March 8th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
My sister will be working there part-time so be nice to the staff!
I look forward to checking the place out and trying the food. Also, as far as I’ve heard, the owner of the now closed La Luz is part-owner, or manager or something to that efffect and they will have some menu items from La Luz at there.
March 9th, 2009 at 3:05 am
Ben, I saw the menu prior to their opening and I don’t remember anything from La Luz as being on the menu but I could be wrong–I usually am :(
March 9th, 2009 at 10:00 am
I tried to try this place on Sunday, but they were not open. At the time I was unsure if they had not opened yet, or if they are just closed on Sundays.
I guess everyone is entitled to a day of rest, but for our family, Sunday mornings is probably the time we are most likely to visit a coffee shop/bakery type place, so I was disappointed. We will give them another try on a Saturday I guess.
March 9th, 2009 at 10:02 am
Chad, I don’t have my notes in front of me but I am fairly certain that they are supposed to be open on Sundays in the morning (7 AM?)
March 9th, 2009 at 10:42 am
I heard when I was there that Saturday was their “Soft Opening”. They will normally be opened on Sundays after the “Grand Opening” but I don’t know when that is.
March 9th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Oh, well I am confused then. Maybe it was because they are not officially open yet? We are talking about the building next to El Loro in Savage, right on 13 correct?
Anyway, I hope they are open on Sundays, because it seems an odd time to be closed for this type of place. I will give them another try in a few weeks.
March 11th, 2009 at 8:25 am
An article about the Savage Depot Bistro appeared over at the Star Tribune today. You can check it out here.
We’ll be there sometime this weekend for the full review.
March 12th, 2009 at 11:35 am
Just grabbed a sandwich to go from the Savage Bistro for lunch today. I tried the “Italian Roast Beef & Portabella” which is described as “Roast Beef, Roasted Red Peppers, Basil, Asiago, & Zesty Bistro Sauce.” It was very good, one of the better sandwiches I have had in a while.
Cool place, I read some of the history pieces on the wall while waiting for my order. Service was decent, everything looked clean.
Out the door price for the sandwich, chips, and pickles was $7.40 with tax, freight, and dealer prep.
March 13th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
I’m very interested in their committment to offering craft beers. As a craft beer lover living in the south metro I’m always looking for someone who can provide a good line up. As a contributor to a local craft beer blog I’d be thrilled to be able to promote this place if they live up to the billing.
March 15th, 2009 at 5:54 am
As I mentioned above, I have moved all of the historical comments under this new post for your information. Enjoy.
March 15th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
My tastes are not expensive or extravagant – I’m not a fan of wine or craft beers (ok, most beers). Actually I’d never heard that term until a few paragraphs ago, so needless to say I’m probably not who the Bistro is trying to reel in.
I was still in recovery from a long night of drinking (mixed drinks and shots, if you’re paying attention) and about to launch another, so yesterday I was all about safe, familiar food and lots of water. The warm turkey “boxcar” sandwich I had was very good. With it’s more traditional sized wheat roll it was a good balance of meat, cheese, veggies, mayo and bread – nothing seemed missing or excessive. I’m a big fan of Davannis and Quiznos hot hoagies and this was on par with their smallest subs for about the same price. One thing those other places don’t have is uniquely decadent medium-thick cut crispy homemade chips.
I grew up with some railroad buffs, and enjoyed the history. I wish I had read a bit more of it on the walls while I was waiting to order. I liked that the original floor was exposed in its slight unevenness – I would keep my foot on a wobbly table for that little piece of atmosphere (but didn’t have to).
I too think it’s an odd mix of things they are going for, but my less experienced, more blindly-optimistic opinion is that it might work. When I lived in Boston I used to hang out in Harvard Square with some friends that turned their noses up when I ordered a cheap domestic beer while we were eating artichoke hearts and commenting on where the wood molding might have come from. I can picture them lounging in front of the fire feeling somehow more down-to-earth because they ordered at the cash register and are double-dipping their sweet potatoes.
I would stop in again myself, but just for a good sandwich and some decent chips, not the items they seem most proud of.
March 16th, 2009 at 8:18 am
The Pros: Décor is very well done. The sweet potato fries and the green beans were very good. In particular the sweet potato fries, as many restaurants have versions that are too limp and greasy. The homemade chips were great and all the food was very reasonably priced. The sandwich I had was acceptable.
The Cons: The dips for the appetizers weren’t working for me. The dreamy creamy is too thick and not the right flavor to be a dip for green beans. It really should just be for tortilla chips. No ranch which surprises me as I can see people requesting it for salads, fried green beans and fried onion rings. If you want it to be “special†make it in house. The sweet potato dip was just wrong. I still kinda think that somehow we were given thousand island by accident. I just can’t get wrap my head around the thought that a marshmallow dip could have a liquid consistency. It dripped off the fries resulting in a messy appetizer. Let’s see what were my other dip options…Japanese pink sauce- which is meant for dipping seafood, marinara sauce and bleu cheese. I don’t get it.
Next con is the ordering set up. I don’t think it bodes well for the restaurant because it encourages people to order one glass of wine or one beer with their meal. Judging from his wine and beer list I’m betting that he’s hoping for more than one drink per visit but I don’t see people jaunting down to the ordering counter to pay for another drink in the middle of their meal. Just bite the bullet and take orders from the table.
Overall the restaurant has an identity crisis. Wonderful high-end atmosphere, impressive wine list and craft beers combined with fried foods served in paper funnels, drinks in plastic cups along with sandwiches, flatbread pizza and a drive-thru? WTF? It reminds me of when I watched Rocco DiSpirito’s short lived reality show where he was serving his entrees in checkerboard paper boats. Keep in mind his restaurant was a sit down place with cloth tablecloths. Needless to say Rocco’s 22nd Street didn’t last long. Do one thing or do the other you can’t do both. Savage Bistro needs to figure out what the heck it’s trying to be or it’s in for one hell of a rocky road.
March 16th, 2009 at 9:09 am
My son and I stopped in on Saturday to give the place a try.
The interior is nice. And while the setup is odd, I liked it. The people were friendly, and it was nice to see the guy from La Luz. I think for a new place, they could have been a bit more engaging. I kinda felt like everyone was staring at me while I tried to read through a menu I was wholly unfamiliar with. It might have been nice to sit down and read through it a bit, or perhaps have someone at least offer to answer any questions I might have.
We ordered the Roast Beef sandwich (mentioned above), and a chicken flatbread pizza, with a pepsi and an apple juice. I don’t mind pop in the can, but I guess I prefer fountain soda at a restaurant, and my experience has always been that it costs pennies to serve fountain soda, so it might be something they want to look into. All of the food in the display case looked great, but again, I was a bit overwhelmed, and it would be great to have someone try to help a bit.
We sat down, looked the place over, and soon our food arrived. The sandwich was very good, the pizza was good as well, simple and inexpensive, and everything seemed fresh. The bread on the sandwich was some sort of roll, and while it was large, there was a lot of roast beef, mushrooms, and onions, so I thought it was great. I liked the little pickles, so I guess to each their own. The homemade chips were GREAT. One nice change from La Luz, is that the sandwich came with chips. Not all alone on the plate. One nice thing similar to La Luz, the food was very good imo, and reasonably priced.
So, nice place, good food. Whats missing? Well, as stated in comments above, the place has a bit of an identity crisis. I don’t drink wine, coffee, or beer really, so those three things wont draw me in. Fresh food that is well seasoned and delivered in a nice atmosphere is a great start, so I don’t think they are on the wrong path, but what did make me very doubtful was the lack of any sort of interaction by the management. From the time I had my food until I got up to leave, nobody spoke to me. On the way out, three people (teenage/college age) asked how it was. I want to stress that. Everyone was friendly, but nobody came by while I was eating to say hi, or see what I thought of the place.
My message to the management, and I hope they are reading this, because I enjoyed my food and don’t want to see them closed in 6 months , would be to go have lunch at Ronin, Guiseppes, Chateau Lomonthe, or even the Blue Ox. All of these small independent places offer good food in a decent/unique atmosphere, but to me the common theme is that on nearly every visit, esp when they were brand new, somebody comes out, says hi, and asks how the food is. And that somebody is not a teenager making minimum wage. It’s a person who has a stake in the success of the place. If you just opened a place, you should expect to work a lot of hours. And you should be the face that is greeting your patrons, saying hi, getting to know them, and getting true and honest feedback. If you dont want to put in this time and effort, you probably wont be open long.
I would say though, the food was good, and while some of the reviews above sounds like this is just fried bar food you could get anyplace, everything I ate was well seasoned, fresh, and delicious.
Oh yea, please add ranch to the menu. How someone can eat onion rings without ranch is truly beyond me.
March 16th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Oh wow…dreamy creamy. Thanks for the heads up! I will definitely give the place a try.
March 16th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Chad – nobody offered to help you because they were saving up all the helpfulness for when we arrived. Laura, the Mr. and I were ambushed and had the entire menu explained, right down to the ‘not quite’ decadent onion rings (his words not mine). I am not really a big fan of attention so this made me uneasy right off the bat, but I do realize this is just my opinion and some people might have welcomed the helpfulness.
The ordering procedure felt awkward with a lot of people standing behind the counter but only one register available to take our orders. I agree with Chad’s assessment of the fountain drink situation. I prefer fountain drinks when eating out and I choked a bit at paying $1 for a single can of nectar of the gods (Coca Cola).
I ordered the special (walleye sandwich with German potato salad or potato chips and a side salad) and we ordered the chips and salsa for an appetizer. The tortilla chips were tasty but the salsa was beyond bland and that is coming from someone born and raised in Minneapolis and thinks salt and pepper are spicy!
There was a bit of a mix up with my order – potato salad instead of chips and my side salad was forgotten until I asked about it, both errors were corrected promptly. The salad was standard lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, croutons but the salad dressing was definitely nothing special (and they only have French, Blue Cheese, Thousand Island, or Balsamic Vinegar available). The sandwich was just ok, a large roll, fried walleye, lettuce, tomato, and several slices of cheddar cheese (I don’t care for tarter sauce so that was left on the side). The sandwich wasn’t much to write about, it was edible but nothing that would encourage my return to the restaurant just for the sandwich. My favorite part of the meal was the freshly made potato chips – very simple but also delicious!
About the only thing that hasn’t been mentioned was the use of plastic drinking glasses and overly large take out containers for small pieces of dessert. All of the water was served in large plastic glasses, and they only had one take home container available (large) – though we all agreed that these issues had potential for being ‘opening glitches’ (maybe the drinking glasses or take out containers that were ordered haven’t arrived yet). If anyone from the restaurant reads this I would be interested in knowing if we guessed right or if either issue will be corrected.
All in all, I enjoyed the company more than the food. The food was ok but I don’t see myself saying “hey, lets drive 10 miles for some potato chips and a can of Coke!”
March 19th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
We stopped by last weekend to check it out and see the menu –
My first impression was that the word “bistro” really didn’t fit the menu. It looked like more of a glorified sandwich shop. I was hoping for something more innovative than the same old flavors that the chains have going. I agree with the great comment “identity crisis”. The little dining room is very nice, however, and I liked the historic aspects and the photos.
I don’t know how large their kitchen is, but it must be pretty small, so I would think that a smaller, more special menu might be in order. Also, the plastic and paper serveware don’t say “bistro”, either; maybe they could provide table service and real dishes/glassware in the evenings, at least. Again, it is so small that that maybe they don’t have room to store or wash real dishes – ??
The glass display case puzzled me – it seemed more of a storage case for beverages and a few random food items than a display case – it wasn’t very inviting.
Unique? No. Decadent? No. Closed soon? I hope not, but that’s what my husband and I both predicted after checking it out.
Again, too many things on the menu. Nothing exciting or different on the menu. Not a bistro. Beverages too fancy for the level of food and service. Could succeed with a good number of big changes (and soon!), but it will probably sadly fail. Jim sounds like a nice guy, too.
March 19th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
I forgot -
Is ranch dressing on onion rings a Minnesota thing? I hadn’t heard of it before here.
I make sweet potato fries often and we like them with spicy sour cream (cumin, ancho chile, cayenne, etc.)
March 19th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Sandy, I grew up eating them with ketchup but I’m fairly certain I didn’t even hear of ranch until I was in college. That said, ranch I’d much better on onion rings than ketchup ;-)
Speaking of college, they had an on campus restaurant that served sweet potato fries with a cinnamon apple butter that was really tasty although I love the idea of a spicy dip. I’m going to have to try that.
April 2nd, 2009 at 10:00 am
We went back last night for another visit to the Savage Depot.
Service was about the same. Sorta disjointed and quirky, but the people were nice, and the food was again really good.
The Roast Beef sandwich is great, the flatbread pizza, while simple, is very tasty, and my wife had a Cobb Salad that she loved. She said I can put it on her list of things I can pick up for dinner anytime, which is a very short list.
I am looking forward to nice weather to see how the patio changes the atmosphere.
April 9th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Went to the depot today for lunch with a co-worker. The dining area was full when we arrived so we decided to sit on the deck.
Had the fried shrimp po’boy/wrap special with chips and cole slaw. It was fantastic. The staff/owners were all excellent. One of the owners (I think) came out to tell us that we were the first diners on the deck and gave us coupons and a free beer.
Two thumbs up!
April 15th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Had lunch at the Depot yesterday. I had the turkey with smoked gouda, chips and pickles with a Mocha. The food was great. We were met at the door by a manager who explained the menu and specials to us. The plates and silverware were a nice design, not awkward to eat off of, nor too big. The portions were a good size, yet not overly expensive.
Overall, I was impressed – especially after reading prior reviews. I will be back.
April 18th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Met 8 women for coffee & bible study at the Depot today. The staff was very accommodating pushing tables together for us and checking on us. Some ate breakfast. Jim, the owner, even went above & beyond when I asked him if we could do a communion. He brought us a bowl of bread pieces and 8 mini wine glasses in what they serve their flights in. Even though a small group of very loud men were there and it was hard to hear each other, the women still want to continue to meet there.
April 23rd, 2009 at 10:29 pm
I have been to the Savage Depot many times since it’s opening and have tried most of the menu. I love the chop salad, the flat-bread pizzas,
the freshly made chips and the Root Beer! Prices are great, decor is
done really well/cozy, and the staff is friendly. Jim, the owner, is very
hands-on and listens to suggestions, etc. My hubby and I love to go
down in the evening and just sit and visit with other patrons, drink
coffee or whatever. I can’t wait for the nice weather and the deck seating and for the farmer’s market on Sunday mornings and a cup of coffee!!
Check it out…..find out for yourself if you like it or not instead of going by
someone elses opinion alone. Tell ‘em Kelly sent ya’!!
April 24th, 2009 at 5:28 am
Kelly, is the farmers market on Sunday or Saturday mornings, and is it in the same parking lot?
April 24th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
My husband and I ate at Savage Depot this evening, and we both thought it was great. We loved the beer selection from around the Midwest. The waitresses were very friendly, and knowledgable when helping us decide which beers to try. We had the Italian roast beef sandwich and the smoked turkey with gouda. The bread was wonderful, and portions were just right. The prices were very decent ($4 beer and $6.75 sandwich). We will definately be back.
April 26th, 2009 at 9:43 am
Wife and I went early Saturday evening, about 50% full. Beer selection is good, and $4 for a craft beer isnt bad, although it is a 12 oz bottle selection, so it is similar to paying $5 for 16 oz draft pint at a bar with craft beer on draft. (McCormick and Schmicks in downtown Mpls happy hour price was $6 for a Surley or a Summit on April 15, although it was tempered by a great 1/3 lb cheeseburger and fries for $2.95). I had the chicken pesto provolone sandwich, my wife had the roast beef sandwich. I ordered the side salad of the day which was a potato salad, which was good. The home made potato chips were very good. The sandwiches were fine. I had a Bell’s Lager and my wife just had water, the bill came to $21. Both of us thought it was “OK”. May go back, but certainly not out of the way. I saw some flat bread pizzas delivered that looked good, and saw some stout battered onion rings that looked interesting. I would agree with Bill that the menu didnt seem to sync with $8 to $10 wines by the glass, the appetizers were mostly deep fried, which is fine, and then the sandwiches, I would stick to the $4 beers with this. I can order a $10 glass of wine at most excellent restaurants and have something to go with it that beats cheese curds. I think the wine idea has merit but in a place like this follow what you see in humble places like this in Italy or France, the wine selection should match the offerings… i.e. wines by the glass for $4-6… (actually the bottle prices were better, for instance $33 for an Alois Legeder Pinot Grigio is a fair restaurant price … but again… to have that with an “OK” chicken pesto sandwich…hmmmm)
April 26th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Hey Chad…the farmer’s market is on Sunday mornings starting in June, I think. Maybe end of May? It is in the same parking lot and sometimes I think
they may have music on the patio during it. I think it will be great to go to the market and then sit on the patio with coffee, etc. See ya’ there!!
April 27th, 2009 at 7:44 am
Kelly and Chad,
From: http://www.stpaulfarmersmarket.com/markets/21/
April 27th, 2009 at 8:57 am
Thank you both for the updated info.
May 8th, 2009 at 10:39 am
Ok, so I really want to love this place because I’m a firm believer in buying local, and I’m planning on trying the food, but I was NOT impressed today with the drive-thru coffee.
My latte that I can get at Starbucks for $4.05 (incl. tax – which I already think is overpriced) ran me $4.75 here! And the milk was burnt, so even if they DID put in my almond flavor, I couldn’t taste it over the milk. Yuck.
Planning on trying their sandwiches sometime soon since I have a coupon…I’ll let you know what we think.
May 20th, 2009 at 9:48 am
I am wondering if the Bistro offered entertainment? Do you think it would work to have quality music on Friday and Saturday at this restaurant? Sometimes that helps draw customers and keeps them staying longer. That is what my wife and I like to see when we go out and why we go to Rise and Wine on occasion.
May 21st, 2009 at 7:36 pm
I believe the city of Savage has lined up music once a week
throughout the summer. I know the previous owner had
music there and had a good sound system. There is a perfect
patio for music outdoors which would be great, weather
permitting, on the weekends. Have you stopped in lately?
They are really working out kinks, adding menu items, etc.
If you haven’t tried the Thai peanut flatbread pizza you’re
missing out!
Stop in and tell ‘em Kelly sent ya’!
May 21st, 2009 at 10:13 pm
What does the city of Savage have to do with lining up music for a private business? Wouldn’t the Bistro have to decide to offer entertainment on their own? I doubt the same sound system is still in place since the Bistro took the place down to the walls during their remodeling. I am glad the kinks are being worked out, but do they intend to offer entertainment or not? That is what will bring my friends and me in.
May 23rd, 2009 at 8:12 pm
I believe the city of Savage has lined up music to perform on the
patio outside the Savage Depot. i think they are trying to carry on
a tradition that started with the original place. I don’t know about
music inside the building as right now they need all the space they
can get for seating, etc. Yes, they did gut the place but I believe
they have a sound system in their posession that just needs to
be installed if needed. I know it would be great to have music,
local talent, etc. on a regular basis but I know they are also
needing the space inside. Hope it doesn’t keep you from stopping
in and checking it out.
August 5th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Best wraps in a hundred miles, very warm staff and decent environment. Great place to sit on the patio on a sunny afternoon with your significant other.
August 6th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Aaron…just venturing a guess (and I’m totally cool with it since your comment seemed genuine):
What’s your connection with the Savage Depot Bistro folks? Friend, neighbor, family?
Again, no worries. I’m also curious what the “best of” the wraps is? I may be headed down by Savage later this week.
December 31st, 2009 at 10:48 am
[...] #3 6. Taste of Thaiyai 7. Tacolmeca 8. Baldy’s BBQ 9. Harry’s Cafe 10. Hoban 11. Savage Depot 12. Johnny’s Chicago Style Beef and Hot Dogs 13. Suzie’s Kitchen 14. Molly Cool’s [...]
January 16th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
I’m at the Depot right now and they just came out with a new menu last night. It includes burgers and some new baskets. Also, gone are the $10 cakes, replaced by $4 cake instead. They seem to be making some changes with the menu in the right direction, keeping what’s popular and adding more variety. It’s our favorite lunch place south of the river so I’m glad to see them still in business.
May 29th, 2012 at 12:51 pm
From: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/savagepacer-mainfeed/~3/1otqwmns5pY/article_7cab6c82-a50b-55e0-8cd4-678cf7babe24.html
He was denied the free rent. I worry about 6 months of free rent though…
July 16th, 2012 at 4:19 pm
My worries were correct: http://www.savagepacer.com/news/savage-depot-closes-its-doors/article_f854f34b-f27d-5c3f-8a86-05519bcbe661.html
Marked as closed.
July 16th, 2012 at 4:43 pm
I guess Aaron Pratt’s astroturfing didn’t work.
July 16th, 2012 at 4:57 pm
Ouch. My passing acquaintance with the owner of Savage Bistro notwithstanding, my comment was nothing but a sincere shout out from a satisfied customer, which I am in the habit of doing for all establishments I appreciate.
I have no agenda, I was not asked to review his restaurant, nor would I have done so if I had not authentically been pleased with the experience. Did I do something to offend you, “MSPD”, that made you come back and take a pseudonymous shot at me three years later?
July 16th, 2012 at 5:10 pm
Aaron, it’s disingenuous at best to assume that a passing acquaintance with the owner wouldn’t cloud your judgement on the issue. The community on this site asks that everyone be completely forthcoming on any and all association a commenter may have with the ownership or someone else involved with any restaurant discussed/reviewed.
July 16th, 2012 at 5:40 pm
I apologize for my inadvertent violation of your community standards. Here is the disclosure: Mr. Lewis and I worked for two companies that had a business relationship and had occasional contact. Now will you please leave me alone? I have no desire for conflict with any one.
July 16th, 2012 at 5:46 pm
Please be serious.
July 16th, 2012 at 6:34 pm
Is the Aaron Pratt on his Facebook friends list another Aaron Pratt? It matters. And I asked you after your first post but you chose not to answer.
July 17th, 2012 at 9:11 am
I like that a guy can get ripped for a 3 year old comment and still get offended by it. Makes me wonder if Aaron is related to Spencer. No publicity is bad publicity right Aaron?
July 17th, 2012 at 9:12 am
In all seriousness was going to stop by and have lunch this week. The place reminded my of a small depot restaurant in Oregon City, OR named McMenamins.
July 17th, 2012 at 9:32 am
Will,
I stop at the McMenamin’s in Roseburg, OR about 3 or 4 times every year. While the food is just ok, their brewpub beers are excellent! Didn’t think I would ever see a mention of that here!
Going there next month again!
July 17th, 2012 at 12:16 pm
For what its worth, astro turfing aside, I am sorry to see them close.
July 17th, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Lefty,
The brothers also renovated the hospital for the criminally insane into a hotel/restaurant………………however had no desire to go there.:)
As you stated, their micro-brews are excellent!!
July 18th, 2012 at 10:22 am
Will,
That sounds like a really fun place to grab a beer. What city is that in (I assume in OR)?
lefty
July 18th, 2012 at 8:45 pm
Lefty, I misspoke. It was the Multnomah County Poor Farm in Troutdale, OR.