Herkimer Pub & Brewery
Restaurant, Bar
$$ - average
American, Eclectic (Varied)
Casual brew pub and restaurant, vegetarian-friendly
Who we are:
A local brewery and restaurant where regulars feel at home and newcomers feel welcome in a 1920's style atmosphere. We offer exceptional lunch and dinner entrees, a friendly staff and a rotating selection of German-style lagers.
What makes us different:
Being the only brewpub in Uptown, The Herkimer offers a variety of tap beers as well as a diverse dinner menu. Customers can enjoy a game of shuffleboard, while eating and drinking in a casual and comfortable environment. The Herkimer is the only upscale, come-as-you-are brewpub in the Uptown area.
on number 4 bus line, 1/2 block north of the Lyndale Avenue and Lake Street intersection in south Minneapolis
- Happy Hour
- Outdoor Seating
Added by Armed with a Banana on Aug 12 04 (updated Feb 1)
Reviews
Okay - so the Herkimer is not a vegetarian restaurant...but I was PLEASANTLY surprised with the options. Grilled Cheese and tomato soup fondue. Homemade Yucca chips, sweet potato chips and my favorite, the oasis! I haven't experienced this bad service that the previous reviewer mentioned, as a matter of fact - I think the very opposite. I think the bartenders and servers there are very fun and energetic! I love the hometown gathering space this place provides. Every time I've gone there, I've run into my friends and neighbors - This place is a true Uptown treasure!
Snotty servers (repeatedly) - after many visits I'll NEVER go there again. Plus, their own beer isn't that great. If you want good on-site brewed beer without the wannabe-hipster atmosphere I suggest trying Barley John's. Their website is:
http://www.barleyjohns.com/
Yes, kids, beer is a vegetable, too! :-) They brew about six to ten different types of beer, but not all are available at the same time.
For a brew pub (ie, burgers, fries, meat & potato stereotype), the Herkimer has a few vegetarian entrees. I enjoyed their platter of pita bread and vegetable samples (beans, hummus, sauces).
The server was knowledgeable about the food... and she was respectful to us vegetarians. Casual atmosphere; summer outdoors makes for ideal people-watching in a great neighborhood.
I like that Herkimer's brews its own beer, though I wasn't that impressed with the draft that I had. But it's gutsy to brew your own beer and I don't think any other place in the greater Uptown area does that, so I must give them credit for it.
The atmosphere was okay when I went. It felt like a friendly, familiar, comfortable place and didn't seem pretentious at all.
I also had a plate of mini veggie burgers which were made of blackbeans. They were fairly bland and boring, mostly because I couldn't use the main condiment on the side, a chipotle sauce (which is NOT vegan). I did like the sweet potato fries, though.
That there aren't many vegan food options at Herkimer is surprising, especially given that moto-i next door (owned by the same guy who started Herkimer) has a ton of vegan stuff. Also, Lyn-Lake is otherwise a bastion of veganism, from the pizzas and desserts of Pizza Luce and Galactic Pizza to the falafel and baklava at Falafel King. Herkimer could really jack up its business if it put a little bit more thought into its food; that said, it's a halfway decent bar with the courage to serve its own brew. That's rare and unusual and deserves recognition.