Saint Dinette

I didn’t have the burger, but I hear that is the best thing on the menu, and my friends’ glowing eyes and moaning accolades confirmed it. We went for brunch, and it was surprisingly empty. Overall impression: Good food, but not good enough to merit the extremely high prices. Very pleasant service, although my server managed to slop coffee over the edges of the cup and onto the table. She was cheerful about it, though.
Good location in Lowertown, but parking could be an issue (especially on a weekend when the farmers market is in full swing). The chairs were a little flimsy and uncomfortable — very moderne, as was all the décor — and the atmosphere seemed a little chilly. Loved the big windows and high ceilings, though. Definitely a place where the trendy and hip go, so be warned. You might want to wear your best black outfit ;-)

My supper club finally made it to Saint Dinette! We had to wait until the crowd died down, but got there promptly at 5:30 pm without a wait (Wednesday night). First, loved the location (downtown St. Paul across from the Farmer’s market) and the ambiance (huge windows, high ceilings, hip restaurant). Second, had amazing service (incredible waitress who was spot on with recommendations). Third, they brought out a complimentary corn meal/​smelt/​arugula appetizer, which always goes a long way with me.
I split the famous cheeseburger with the table as an appetizer, and then had the dumplings (½ dish), corn and finished off with the lemon curd beignets. While everyone RAVES about the cheeseburger (Don’t get me wrong, it was good), I thought it was a bit too salty and way too buttery. I’m glad I tried it but even happier I split it (for my cholesterol’s sake). The dumplings (which were like soft gnocchi with a cream cheese center) were amazing, as they had a fresh succotash. I was worried they would be TOO creamy (as they were served with a light miticrema), but the miticrema was foamy, light and perfect.
The corn: Oh my. It wasn’t drizzled in a rouille (which is a French sauce that made of olive oil, breadcrumbs, garlic, saffron and chili pepper) — it was COATED in it. The lobster roe was subtle but you could taste it. The waitress was correct — it’s a bit messy to eat (don’t try to hand eat it like I did — cut the corn off the cob instead). Worth trying.
The beignets: While these weren’t Café du Monde worthy, they were still fried and good. There was a bit more lemon curd on it than I needed, but overall, a perfect ending to a delectable night. My last 2 supper clubs were busts — terrible food (I won’t name the restaurants, but they got 1 – 3 stars on Unilocal reviews), so was delighted to finally fulfill my inner foodie at Saint Dinette.
Last bonus: I play ultimate frisbee, and apparently found out the chef/​owner is married to an ultimate frisbee player. That’s reason enough for me to come back and support it!

Oh my, this is an incredible restaurant. The bologna sandwich is to die for. Brought tears of delight to my eyes. Everything we ordered was excellent. They also have some pretty yummy cocktails. One standout was the tequila old fashioned. Seriously good. Only difficulty is parking. Still, that is a minor annoyance. Highly recommend this restaurant.

The menu is long (or short) enough to have interesting variety. What intrigued me was the selection of ingredients. I ordered the carnita tacos and was delighted with the combination of flavors. Another nice flavor and texture was from the potato latkes. Finally, to my surprise, they have a foie gras cheesecake. THAT made me curious. And very satisfied with the taste and density of this dessert.
The service was implacable and the atmosphere so modern, clean-​looking and inviting. I highly recommend this place

Got here at 7:30 on a Friday to grab a burger and a beer before heading to the Turf Club. Host said the wait would be at least 30 minutes. Because I have wanted to try their burger for a while now, I didn’t need no stinkin’ table. I sat in the waiting area, server brought me my beer and 7 minutes later, my burger came out.
Dig if you will a burger
Covered in melted cheese
The taste is truly amazing
Can you Unilocalers
Can you picture this?
Service was second to none, as the server, host, and another staff member all checked in and talked about the process of making the cheese, the types of meat, and the restaurant.
This burger is in my top 2 in the Cities. I may have it even above Parlour, mainly for the fact that the cheese oozes and cascades from the burger. One could use the melted cheese in place of candle wax for truly delicious foreplay.

The burger can’t be beat. We went there as part of a burger tasting tour and it was the winner, hands down. Not even close. It is so good, in fact, that I am willing to overlook the average fries.
The wait staff was very knowledgeable and it was fun to hear about the process of making the burger. I need to go back to try other things.

Not as good as I hoped but still delicious. The highlights included the plating — the shortribs and trout dishes were almost too beautiful to eat. The fries were also fantastic. It was an unusual meal though — while each entrée was delicious, the food tasted strangely uniform. There wasn’t enough contrasting tastes on each plate.

The line was too long at a neighboring restaurant on Sunday at noon so we decided to try Saint Dinette. The Unilocal reviews were great so we were excited to try it. We were surprised to find only a few tables occupied during Sunday brunch, yet there were at least 10 staff on duty so maybe we just missed the brunch rush.
Based on Unilocal reviews, my SO made the wise choice of ordering the burger. It was tasty and delicious. I on the other hand chose the Sope of the brunch menu. While it is a beautiful dish with a fried egg, pickled red onions, and greens, it lacked flavor and was very bland. Blech! I was surprised for a Mexican dish that it wouldn’t be bursting with flavor. We shared the side of asparagus which was super flavorful, tender, and delicious.
We decided to finish off brunch with a tres leches cake. The cake was baked in a ramekin and topped with fresh berries. It was beautiful but looked like it had been sitting in a cooler for some time. The server left it and we dug in to a dry cake. Another server (or maybe manager) quickly swept in and with an apology took the cake away because they had forgotten to put the cream on it. They brought it back a couple of minutes later and we tried again. While it was tasty, it was still dry! I have never seen a dry tres leches cake before! The server was slow checking back so by the time we told her about it we were almost finished and definitely did not want another one instead.
The server was quiet and seemed unsure of herself. She didn’t notice that I left a good portion of my Sope on my plate or care that we complained about the cake.
I really wanted to like Saint Dinette since it is so close to my SO’s work but I just did not. We’d maybe return for burgers, but at this point, nothing else.

The first rule of Saint Dinette: they don’t take reservations. The second rule of Saint Dinette: they don’t take reservations! That means if you arrive later than 5:30 PM on a Saturday, you’d better hope you’ve got a full battery and enough data left in your mobile plan to stream a few episodes of Game of Thrones. The place is small and being the hot new spot among all the hot new spots in Lowertown, the crowds pile up like hipsters at a fixie bike and mustache wax emporium. Fortunately, we got there right at 5:30, so we were at least able to snag a seat at the bar while we waited for our table. The bar is collection of mixed signals: warmly lit with a view of the kitchen, with bartenders who were very friendly and knowledgeable. The bar stools, on the other hand, look really nifty, but once you sit down, the message they send to your body is, «we’d rather you went somewhere else, now would be a good time.» Enjoy a drink, but don’t plan to stay there and eat, even though that option is available. Unless you have a chiropractor on retainer, you’ll thank me. Fortunately, a table opened and we were free to sit on regular chairs.
We, like the masses before us, went for the cheeseburgers and split an order of fries. I was surprised to learn that they serve krinkle cut fries, like what you remember from your grade school cafeteria. I hadn’t read any of the reviews beforehand because I wanted to go in fresh, so I have only myself to blame for that mistake. Were they tasty? Yes. Were they served in a fancy container with a side of Heinz? Yes and yes. Is $ 5 an affront for fries that you can literally buy at Target for a fraction of the cost? Triple yes. Come on guys, they come in a bag! Just serve them with the burger, it’s already $ 13. I’m not sure who they’re targeting with the Ore-​Idas, but they should leave the irony to Psycho Suzi and Betty Danger.
Which brings me to the burger. It’s excellent, no doubt, but it’s not enough to just be excellent anymore. Five Guys does a great burger for $ 7. Red Cow does an excellent burger that comes with fresh-​cut fries and costs $ 10.50. Parlour does an even better burger (probably the best in the Twin Cities) for the same $ 13 price, and while they too charge $ 5 for a side of fries, at least makes them in-​house. I thought the ratio of cheese to meat at Saint Dinette was slightly to heavy on the cheese, which overwhelmed the special blend of cuts that make up the two griddled patties. This isn’t to say that i didn’t devour the whole thing, but with so much hype, I expected more.
Our dessert, the banana pudding, ticked this review up from 3 stars to 4, it was so amazing. Just the right blend of rich vanilla pudding to perfectly ripe banana, with a toasted layer of meringue that tied everything together. I would go here again just for that, but that might be my only reason.
I’ve heard the bologna sandwich is out of this world, so maybe despite the long waits, disappointing fries, and out-​classed burger, there’s enough to compel a trip back, but I’m not sure I’m in much of a rush.

The restaurant is rather small and we had to wait for a table having a drink at the bar. The bartender gave me a great wine suggestion based on my comments. The homemade cocktails look fancy, but be warned– they are tiny.
It has to be good when I drop $ 13+ tax/​tip on a burger and there are no regrets. The burger is one of their most popular dishes and it’s fantastic. Only a few pickles come with the burger so me and my guest ordered a tub of fries to split. It appears their sides are meant to be shared, which I think is kind of annoying because each person can’t get what compliments their order best or what they really want. The crinkle cut fries were good but I was really expecting an herbed, straight fry. That sounds picky, but it seems like those types of fries would better compliment the non-​burger dishes on the menu. The burger was absolutely amazing but it was really expensive and it reminded me a lot of Red Cow (which is less expensive).
For dessert, we went with the banana pudding. OMG ORDER THIS! It’s served with an amazing caramelized meringue on top. I don’t even like meringue but this stuff was incredible on top of homemade banana pudding topped with a cherry and cookie. If they ever get rid of this dessert I may never return out of protest.

The burgers were to die for and were amazingly buttery. The fries were nice and salty. The banana pudding was like heaven fell from the sky and went into that bowl.
PS. My 10-​year old son wrote this review.

I know, late to the game on Saint Dinette. Things like this happen, being a west side of the cities kind of guy. BUT, I dig it. I put it in the «very solid» category. I recommend it, but don’t expect amazing. Except from the Cheeseburger (we’ll get to that).
The building, décor, and atmosphere let you know you’ve arrived at a classy (but not too classy) spot. It fits right in with the building and the neighborhood, and I felt like it could have been in Chicago or San Francisco. In fact, you can see the Saints ballpark out of the east facing windows. Very urban cool. But then you remember you’re in DT St. Paul which is dead past 6pm… Nevermind that. The one thing they need to fix is the street lamp right outside the south window. Holy brightness. We had to move tables because it was so intense.
I had a drink called Three’s Company, which was 3 rums, 3 liqueurs, and 3 bitters. It was excellent — basically a rum old fashioned with some smoky flavors from the bitters, garnished with an orange peel. I wish they would have mix in some classics on their cocktail menu too. But points for originality, and my drink was very well made.
The Cheeseburger. One bite and you will be sold. Juicy and delicious, delightfully cheesy and perfectly cooked with a bun that does its job and doesn’t steal the show. It borders on greasy but isn’t overly greasy. I immediately thought of the burger I had at Revival. It’s a slightly better version (Revival’s was also amazing but too greasy — this one was not). I kept thinking, though, that I’ve had this burger before. Maybe it’s because of the similarity to Revival. It also tastes strikingly similar to a Nook cheeseburger. I just found myself with crazy cognitive dissonance, like I’m enjoying this awesome cheeseburger, but it’s not really in character with a joint like Saint Dinette. Maybe I was overthinking it. Nonetheless, do try it. So good.
The brussel sprouts are also excellent and worth trying. The brown butter and bread crumbs make a great combination — the bread crumbs offer a nice finish and contrast to the perfectly cooked, tender sprouts. They perhaps could have been a bit sweeter, but that’s a personal preference thing.
I was somewhat unimpressed by the fries. They were good but so over salted that I almost sent them back. I love love love French fries, and these are the crinkle cut style (typically awesome). If they could hold back on the salt, they’d have a winner.
Service was unremarkable. Our server could have been a bit more attentive, but she was knowledgable and the food came out quickly.
I’ll be back here to try more stuff on the menu, and hopefully next time I won’t be so starving so I can be a bit more bold in my menu choices.

I’ve been wanting to try Saint Dinette for awhile, and I’m so glad we did! Their burger is totally and completely legit.
First off, if you want a fancy pants burger that has a bunch of accoutrements and what not, it is not the burger for you.
If you want a straightforward, delicious buttery mix of beef with amazing cheese and a soft locally made bun with nothing other than pickles then this is for sure a burger you should try. The only other burger that I love just as much as Saint Dinette’s is Au Cheval in Chicago. It is so. Good. And you don’t have to wait 2 hours to eat it.
The service is really good and the space is really open and pretty. We also had matzo which was delicious along with the boudin which is great if you like that offal taste. I am a fan of crinkly fries so I was completely on board with their interpretation of fries.
We’re already going back next week. Burger time.

Arguably the best burger in town. Lower town is officially where the cool kids hang out in St. Paul. Getting down to the nitty gritty of the burger in particular it is made with aged chuck and an obscene amount of butter. The «American cheese» is made in house with fancy cheeses and cava. The bun is from St. Agnes bakery and is a thing of beauty. It is soft and supple with that perfect «smushiness». This magnificent creation is served next to some housemade pickles to cut the fattiness of the burger.
Outside of the burger I recommend the popovers a LOT. Why doesn’t every restaurant serve popovers? They are magical. I had a beautiful roast chicken dish that was stuffed with deliciousness and a completely deboned with a very crispy skin. Service is good. The prices are fairly reasonable and its a cool atmosphere.
If your into «bang bangs» (eating at back to back restaurants with no regard for your calorie intake). I highly recommend starting here for a burger and a beer and then walking across the street to Big River Pizza. This has become one of my go to «bang bangs». If you do go to Big River Pizza make sure you get a Bacon Jam Slam with a VERY RUNNY YOLK.

atmosphere /​/​4 stars /​/​awesome floor to ceiling windows and a beautiful bar
service /​/​5 stars /​/​friendly staff
food /​/​3 stars /​/​the star of the menu 5 stars is the CHEESEBURGER, hands down. the rest of the food we tried was just meh. fries were regular crinkle cut, nothing special, latkes weren’t that cispy, ricotta dumplings were such a small serving and just ok. churros were ok, a little burnt for our order but not bad
if i come back, it would be just for the burger, OMG the burger.

Some of the best things in life develop out of friendships and close relationships. This golden little find came through a suggestion of a close friend.
All I heard about this place was that I HAD to try the burgers. In fact, I was told by my friend that it was «the best burger of my life.» However, when I think about a good burger place, I think of all the typical dimly lit bars I’ve ever been to, but when I walked in the doors her, I was thrown off. I was expecting a dive, but this place looked like the sort of place I’d go on a good date. Doubts began to surface about how good this burger could really be.
I still had optimism, so I took a look at the menu. Looking at the menu I could tell the chef takes pride in his work, nothing on the menu was without thought. Except however, the cheeseburger seemed very simple and plain. The description was: Cheddar, and house pickle. That’s it. Nothing more.
I was confused as I read the burger description, but Talia, my waitress, said, «it’s all you need!» Something about the way she said it pushed me over, and I believed.
When the burger came, it was picturesque. A thing of beauty! And my oh my, I have never had a burger like this one!!! They actually make their own cheese in house by adding champagne into the recipe.
This place has been around since July, 2015 and I’m looking forward to making this a usual spot.
If by chance ownership is reading this, talia should get a raise fo sho! She was fantastic!!!

Hey! Good work, Saint Dinette! I think I really like you.
I would like to first apologize to you. When the server said you serve North American food, I was skeptical, and assumed you were trying hard to be a hipster. But, you really do serve food inspired by all three countries in North America!
I went with a group of people and got to sample a few items.
Most of us got cheeseburgers. A friend said, «This burger is where it’s at!» The meat melted in my mouth, the cheese was creamy, the pickles were homemade, and the buns were buttery. The burger is $ 13.
We got fries for the table. They came in a bucket and there was an abundance of them! One bucket is enough for 3 or 4 people. The fries are a bit salty, so be aware if you are sensitive to salt.
My favorite dish was the ricotta dumplings. I got the small size, and that wasn’t nearly enough for a whole meal, but it was a good appetizer. The ricotta was so delicate. The chili oil paired perfectly with it! I also loved the veggies on top.
The boudin was fine. The sauce it came with was amazing!
The greens were tasty and the vinaigrette was a little spicy! The biscuit was so good, one friend said, «That’s a good biscuit» aloud.
Oh! Before I leave, let me talk about booze. I got a drink that the server described as adult Orange Julius! Yep. She was on point. I am salivating thinking about it. This may be a problem because it’s not even 8 a.m.
The service was excellent and fun. Go!

Easily one of the best cheeseburgers in the twin cities… and I’ve eaten my fair share of burgers. I like to sneak them in my belly when those late night munchies come on, as an early morning hangover cure, in between meals… you know, pretty much anytime a greasy meal is in order. Okay, TMI.
So this restaurant though. Super duper cute. Open space, dimly lit, and a romantic feel. I was dining with a female friend, sort of weird but not really. We arrived pretty early, we got to sit against the window so we had a view of the street with the lights all lit up. Really cozy.
We split a cheeseburger (I guess it sounds like a date now), which we both regretted because it was out of this world. Even with the double patty, it was just too good to share, NEVER again. The very first bite my teeth sank through a layer of buttery bread, juicy beef, gooey cheese, and a little tang from the pickles. Now I’m salivating. Damn it.
The other dishes we ordered were the ricotta gnocchi and potato latkes. The gnocchi was wonderful, very subtle, with a creamy squash. The potato latkes was just okay, I wouldn’t order it again, seemed like it didn’t fit on the menu.
They also had tasty drinks, a little small, but did the job. The service was great! Our sever was quick with recommendations when asked, she checked on us frequently, but not to the point of being annoying, and seemed genuinely happy to be there.
I’d like to return, but I did think the prices were pretty steep. $ 13 for the burger, no sides. The gnocchi was $ 16 for about 8 small dumplings. Not my favorite part of the meal, but I’ll throw money at that burger again.

I could not wait to get home to write this review! I have been wanting to go here all summer long and considering it is in my building, shame on me for not going sooner!
There was no wait on a Sunday night and we got the perfect table by the window.
The Host was sincerely friendly and welcoming! I felt like royalty walking in!
Our server, Amy, greeted us promptly and answered ALL of our questions. I have a small town palette at times and I have to admit, I didn’t know what half the items were on the menu! She was so gracious.
We ordered popovers, Brussel sprouts, and Boudin to start. The Brussel sprouts had brown butter, bread crumbs, and something else that made them exquisite. I really wish I knew how to make these! The Boudin was rich and spicy. The popovers were good… I hate to toot my own horn here (gosh, that makes me sound old saying that!), but I make really good popovers so I wont order these again. I also think the $ 5 price tag for one is a little ridiculous. What makes this stand out, however, is the house made butter with bee pollen and Thyme. That butter was so light and delicious. That might make the price worth it actually on second thought.
I ordered a cheeseburger which I knew I was going to do after reading all the reviews and my dining companion ordered the bologna sandwich. Both were served with house made cheese and pickles. OMG!!! When I bit into that cheeseburger, it like melted in my mouth… Its hard to explain… You just have to eat one to know what I am talking about. It is well worth the $ 13! Seriously, I know some might think that is too much for a burger with no side but I would pay even more! I took a bite of the house made bologna sandwich and it was amazing as well… NOT quite as good as my cheeseburger but definitely will be on my list of items to order.
Everything is house made and made to order so its hot and fresh!
Lastly, we ordered two desserts. The churros with chocolate sauce and the baked crab apple. They both were good but not great… I would not order the churros again and would probably skip dessert here and instead, get another appetizer.
Our server, Amy, was on her A game the entire time as well as everyone else who waited on us. Our waters were filled promptly, plates removed, and clean silverware given for each course!!! Hands clapping!!! SO SO excited to get a clean fork three times in one night!!!
The atmosphere and noise level is perfect for a date night, catching up with an old friend, or a special occasion.
I can not wait to go back and try a few more dishes! Welcome to Lowertown Saint Dinette and I am SO sorry it took me so long to introduce myself!

Lord Jesus help me now; Saint Dinette’s Cheeseburger is amazing and I can’t get enough of it. If I ever get married, I want my wedding cake to be a giant tower of Saint Dinette’s Cheeseburgers, F*** cake! If I was on a death row, this cheeseburger would be my last meal! Saint Dinette’s cheeseburger contains two perfectly cooked beef patties, ungodly amazing homemade American cheese, the best buttered toasted bun that one can only dream of and a super delicious side of homemade pickles, whhhhhat?
If you’re not a c carnivore, try the Ricotta Dumplings. The dumplings are little pillows of heaven brought down to earth by the chef god’s in Saint Dinette’s kitchen. My only issue with this dish is that I want more and more and more of it. If my stomach allowed it, I would happily eat a five gallon bucket full of the Ricotta Dumplings. This dish is truly finger licking good, if you’re classy; scrape the heck out of the plate with your fork until every last drop is gone.
The only dish that I could go without is the Half Chicken. The chicken is cooked well, however the skin and meat could use some salt, pepper herbs and a kick of something that I can’t put my finger on due to my lack of cooking knowledge. The dish isn’t bad, but its bit of a letdown since everything else on the menu is to-​die-​for!
Saint Dinette is one of my top three favorite new restaurants in the Twin Cities for 2015. The ambiance is adorable, great for families and or a hot date, Lowertown is cute as can be and the service is phenomenal. Saint Dinette is a must try and you’re already missing out if you haven’t made it to Saint Dinette yet.
Miscellaneous:
–Parking: Street or garage parking. Street parking is free on Sunday’s and after 5pm Mon-​Sat. FYI: Rumor has it that street parking will no longer be free after 5 PM beginning January 2016.
–Hours: Open Tuesday-​Sunday. Open Monday’s only when there’s a home St. Paul Saints game.
–Grocery Valet: Super awesome fact, Saint Dinette offers a free Grocery Valet for those dining after they «go hard» at the St. Paul Farmers Market. Simply go to Saint Dinette with all of your Farmers Market goodies and they’ll put your perishable produce in a refrigerator while you dine FYI, according to the website; «We currently are accepting refrigerated items only, no frozen foods or dry goods».