Chianti Grill

Food was solid though nothing special. Service was superb. I’ve been here before for their Sunday brunch and it was fabulous

Ruined Our Evening
In a nutshell: Appetizer: Crab Claws: $ 14.95. We were served 6 of them. They were not even bite-​sized and were overly salty and mushy. Both my husband and I each had one that was horribly fishy (we are hoping for good health through this evening). Our server never asked how our appetizer was, and our assumption was she didn’t ask as she probably knew it was lousy.
Salads: Good except we had less than 3 minutes to eat them before our appetizers arrived. So, in order to keep the entrees hot, we quit on the salads. (Our server never asked why we had barely touched our salads.)
Entrees: I had the salmon. It was a salt-​lick. I immediately told the server, and she said it was because «Cajun» flavored food is «obviously» salty. I asked for a menu, and she said, «And I will help you find something… nothing Cajun because that is obviously very salty.»
I am 59. We eat out all the time. I am a very good cook. Never have I ever experienced Cajun seasoning to be salty and certainly not «obviously» salty. Her comment and her attitude came across to both of us as being very condescending.
My husband had the Chicken Parmigiana. Although the outside char was crispy and very flavorful, the chicken itself was very dry. His side of Alfredo was nasty cold.
I decided not to order anything else. Our server was beginning to ruin our night, and we just didn’t want to deal with her. So I told her I would just split my hubby’s dinner, but I asked for a «warm» side of Alfredo. Her response, «OH NO! And I just threw yours away!!!»
(Sorry…I didn’t know what I wanted yet at the time you took away my one bite of salmon. And since this was about ten minutes later, it too would have been nasty cold as was served to my husband.)
After that, our server just became more and more condescending and surly. She even had my husband feeling miserable with her constant walk bys and dirty looks (and it takes a lot to rattle him).
She ruined our night. Perhaps with «kind-​hearted» service, we could have overlooked the lousy food. We won’t be back.

Service 3.5 stars, food a 2. But that’s being generous; very disappointed in the food. Here’s how it played out:
So we arrived just past the dinner rush and were greeted by 4 (four) hostesses. Seemed a bit excessive, but whatever. When we were seated, however, the young lady wasn’t all that pleasant; like it was a chore to seat us. Again, whatever. Perhaps she was about to get cut. Our server arrived and she was a doll as she suggested just the right wine for my wife. I went for the Bloody Mary (of course!, it’s like a drink that comes with an appetizer).
So, we order the food. Now keeping in mind that Chianti Grill has gotten rather expensive, ones realistic expected experience should be at least close to reality.
My daughter ordered some kid meal (I think it was chicken strips) with pasta. Yep I know, kids meals aren’t top shelf, however this was totally dry and forgettable. My son ordered a adult steak ordered medium — med. well. I think it was still moving. When the server finally came back, even she looked a bit ashen at how rare this was. The bad part is it was returned to the kitchen and cooked/​seared but brought back basically the same; rare. At that point the server made a poor attempt at convincing us that was a medium cooked steak. He didn’t eat it. Moving on, my wife being gluten free, ordered the bacon wrapped scallops. Bland and the bacon was not remotely crisp. Veggies on the side also bland. Myself, I don’t remember what it was I ordered other than nothing technical; pasta something I believe.
So, ending this somewhat positive, the server was fabulous other than that unappreciated poor attempt at covering for the cooks, thus the 3.5 instead of 5 stars. The wine was great and my Bloody Mary was as good as always. I suggest staying at the bar.

I stopped here for takeout… not a typical thing to do for this type of restaurant, but I was Christmas shopping all day and did not want to cook. Called my husband to see what he wanted, he said «surprise me». I had just passed Chianti Grill, and thought he’d like something from there (I’d been to the one in Roseville many times). I ordered the seafood Alfredo for him, steak for me, and the crab claw appetizer. The crab claws were awesome! Meaty, fresh and sweet. My husband said the Alfredo was the best he’s had, and my steak was done to perfection. Everything was boxed up nicely… which I REALLY appreciate. I hate getting home to find everything mashed together and/​or cold. They were very busy that night, but everything was perfect.

Best in B’vlle! From spaghetti to steakhouse quality steaks this is a neighborhood gem. Always friendly service.

Made reservations for a dinner before a show at the Ames Center, gave ourselves an hour. It was really great in that the staff was very accommodating when we called and said we were delayed due to traffic. As soon as we arrived we were seated and attended to. We had heard about the butternut squash ravioli and were excited to hear that there was still a few servings left of this off menu item. We informed the Server that we were headed to a show and she insured that our meal was served quickly. The butternut squash ravioli was very delicious. The sauce hinted of a sweetness and the crushed walnuts really set the whole taste in a wonderful direction. We complimented the meal with a glass of wine from their extensive wine list. At the end of the meal we had crème brûlée that was excellent. Overall excellent atmosphere, wonderful meal and superb dining experience.

I know what you thinking — it has been over 9 months and I haven’t written a buffet review for ages. Have I become a hipster and go into more civilized-​sit-​down-​restaurant-​that-​requires-​me-​read-​a-​menu? The universe ponders the thought…
Chianti grill is a beautiful place that have nice dark woods/​furniture with high ceilings. In other words, it is a nice place for you to take your date or mother that doesn’t require a major mortgage loan like most 4 – 5 star restaurants in the downtown area. (No, I am not saying you should go on your first date via a buffet — cancel that would appeal to me anyway)
Here are all the positives on the place:
— Amazing Omelet Station
— On this day, they slay me by serving bake grouper
— Plenty of pasteries
— The caramel monkey bread was beyond words…
— The price is extremely reasonable: i.e. non-​holiday price — adults $ 14, children (12/​under) $ 8.
Although given a choice, I still think Mystic Lake Casino as the best place for brunch/​buffet. I like Chianti a lot because my kids don’t have walk through the smoke infested casino’s lobby. Note: price at the casino is a lot higher: i.e. $ 18/​head.
In summary, it is near impossible to find a nice buffet/​brunch that is clean enough that is worthy taking your parents/​date to, especially with in your budget. Peace.

Great food, but always really busy. I mean, that’s not a bad thing, per se, but it’s not the type of place you can just go eat at on a whim. Get a reservation, and expect a decent sized bill, and some leftovers.

Going on 12 years going here regularly for our anniversary, because it’s always a wonderful experience. Food, ambiance, service, everything is always perfect! Tried a newer menu item, the Chicken Kale Ravioli, and was very impressed – great flavors, so delicious and decadent! My husband had his favorite, the spicy chicken penne pasta – amazing as usual. Also got the apple crisp for dessert (although hard not to get the carrot cake because that’s always so ridiculously good!), so good! Course, yummy crumble on top, big chunks of apple, and cinnamon caramel ice cream put it over the top! Everything here from start to finish is always perfect!

I miss when it was Ciaiti’s, but the taste still is amazing! I still love their lasagna! I always ask for the original breadsticks too-​even though I know the servers get annoyed! But i don’t care-it’s not a trip to Ciaiti’s/Chianti grill without the breadsticks!

Normally I would give Chianti grill 4 – 5 stars, but their service today was horrible. Our group of 6 was told happy hour seating in the bar area was first come first served, and the server refused to seat three of our group by pulling a table together to enable us to be seated together. The attitude of the wait staff and hostess was unwelcoming and almost hostile to seating us as a group. Although this is a favorite restaurant with good food, we will not be returning anytime soon.

I really enjoyed the Bacon Wrapped Scallops, Blackened Ribeye, and Tiramisu. The service was excellent. The server was very attentive to my table. The bread at the beginning was alright but the butter tasted extremely good.

Just SKIP Shrimp and Lobster linguini. .
Menu describes:
«Sumptuous Lobster and Plump Shrimp…»
Actual: Salad sized shrimp and lobster fragments from the tip of the tip of the claw. 1/​8″ thick at most. Less than 1 inch long. Sad.
This review is for this entrée.
Service = 5
Taste= 4
Value for this entrée = 1. Avoid. You WILL be disappointed in the seafood amount for 22 bucks. No lobster tiny shrimp.
It’s basically creamy pasta.

There was quite a wait, although it wasn’t busy. The food was decent. I ordered bacon-​wrapped scallops with Fettuccine Alfredo. The bacon was unevenly cooked and was not crispy at all. The Fettuccine Alfredo wasn’t fresh, and its sauce was dry and bland for my taste. This restaurant is probably a little overpriced for the overall quality and taste of what is served. I liked the atmosphere though, and the service was great– I’ll give it that.

I was really surprised to see so many favorable reviews of Chianti Grill on here. My husband and I tried it for the first time this weekend and found the it just didn’t meet expectations at all. We’ve driven by it many times and the outside of the building lead me to expect upscale Italian food in an elegant atmosphere. And truly they only got that half right — the restaurant itself has a very classy décor and vibe to it. But from the moment we were greeted something just seemed «off»
First of all we walked in at a very slow time, before the dinner rush, but when we asked for a table for two we were told it was a 60 minute wait. But we were the only guests in the lobby waiting and I could see multiple open tables behind the host stand. I’ve worked in the service industry before so I know that what a guest sees isn’t always the full picture. But I also know that what a guest sees is important because it colors their experience. Anyways, we opted to sit on the patio instead, even though it was in the 90’s outside.
The service, beyond the initial impression at the host stand, was fine. It wasn’t exemplary or outstanding, but it wasn’t terrible either. Where I was grossly disappointed was in the lackluster quality of the food. We ordered an appetizer, the calamari, and when it came, I literally thought it could have been from Costco. There was not one hint of seasoning in the batter, including salt and pepper. It was so bland, and tasteless that it was like eating rubber bands. The garnish was awkward, just a piece of lettuce, off to the side, and there were only calamari rings, not the typical rings and tentacles you get at other restaurants. There was one small, dried up lemon wedge, which I couldn’t even get a drop of juice from and two mediocre dipping sauces, only half full in their tiny metal cups.
Next we received our salads, I had the balsamic Gorgonzola side salad and he had the garden salad with house Italian. The lettuce on my plate was rusty, and that’s all there was, lettuce. No tomatoes, croutons, other veggies, literally just a plate of rusty lettuce with some balsamic dressing on it, for an up charge above the price of the garden salad that comes with an entrée. My husbands salad was literally iceberg lettuce and shredded carrots, with a bright orange dressing that looked more like Western than Italian. His salad looked like it was out of a Dole bag.
During the time before our entrees came out, we never received bread either, though it finally came out with dinner. The bread was not house made, but just a pre bought bread in a basket. It wasn’t even warm. For our entrees my husband had the bacon wrapped scallops and I had the Gnocchi Alla Campagna. When his plate came, the bacon around the scallops was falling off onto the side of the plate and was so unevenly cooked that parts were crispy and parts were so raw as to be inedible. He also had the garlic mashed potatoes which came in shallow ramekin with only about three tablespoons of potatoes in it.
My Gnocchi had small parts of severely overlooked asparagus spears in it, though the dish said nothing about asparagus on the menu. And it was just the yellowing, over cooked stems, no heads. It was supposed to have tomatoes on it, but didn’t. The sauce lacked any flavor or seasoning, but the Gnocchi themselves were soft and pillowy, which honestly made me think that they had to be store bought or frozen because their quality was so inconsistent with the rest of the meal.
All in all, including beverages, our bill was over $ 80, which was a terrible value considering the horrible quality of the food. I have NEVER said this before, but I seriously think we could have got a better meal at the Olive Garden! You know something is truly awful when even Olive Garden food tastes better than it. We will never be going back to Chianti Grill again.

This place is not bad at all. The atmosphere is delightful and the food it VERY good.
The staff are very attentive, and though the establishment appears higher class, you can get the same excellent service even if you show up in biking attire just looking for a frosty beer.
Well done, Chianti.

I had lunch here with a client, and it was really good. There are a few locations in the area, but this specific one has a very open, airy interior with high ceilings. That means it’s going to get a bit noisy if they’re busy.
The menu is extensive with the expected pastas, traditional dishes like chicken parm and flatbreads. At lunch, they do a buffet for under $ 10 so that might be the way to go if you want to try a bunch of things or are short on carbs. I went with a basil sausage flatbread and really liked it. It was about ½ of a 12″ super thin crust pizza. The crust probably could have used another minute in the oven to crisp up but the overall flavor was really good. As a bonus, it wasn’t greasy in the least bit. If pizza could ever be described as «light» this one was.
Our server was great also — friendly and attentive and on top of refills. Definitely a good option for lunch if you’re nearby.

I have been here a couple times before and it has been superb. Food is great, usually super good service.
Until today…
It took us at least 20 minutes to get menus after our drinks at the bar and the servers are more about bull shitting than expediting.
It was less than crowded, and the bartender seemed incredibly under-​whelmed with her job.
I don’t think I saw someone so anti-​customer service in my entire time frequenting restaurants.
I feel terrible writing such a terrible review for somewhere that I like so much, but the staff needs some work.

My family has been going here for a long time, always a great experience. When you do not want to leave the Burnsville area its one of three other restaurants you can rely on in Burnsville/​Apple Valley for delicious food and a great experience.
Anything we order here is delicious. They do a great job doing «Americanized» Italian food. I usually get the Spinach Ravioli with both pesto and marinara (because I am indecisive) and it is delicious and fulfills my Italian food craving. Other dishes we always order that are always great: Ribeye, Chicken Marsala, Chicken Saltimbocca, and any Gnocchi dish.
Service has always been wonderful and the layout of the restaurant is comfortable and provides privacy for your table. There is an abundance of private-​feeling booths and I love that! (Also they have great take-​out here, but on the downside, they make you wait in the bar area awkwardly for it rather than having some other designated area for take-​out).

FAT PANTS ALERT.
I went here for brunch yesterday with some girlfriends. 20 minute wait for a table but we sat at the bar and had bloodies while we waited so no big deal. The bloodies were delicious with cheese, pepeproli, olives, peppers and pickes.
The brunch was fabulous and only $ 14! The omelette bar was fast. They were out of a lot of food in the brunch table but they constanty refilled it. The eggs benedict were good. Salads were good. I didn’t get to try the waffles because they were out when I went through. They had some green beans with carrots that were excellent. A few pastas, pizza, and some kind of fish/​artichoke/​tomato thing that was really good. They ahd a bunch of pastries and breads but I didn’t really doo all that. Desserts were fabulous– cheesecakes, bars, cannolis and cookies. Delicious.
Our server was amazing too. I asked for hot sauce for my omelette and they only had tobasco, no cholula or sriracha or anything, which was disappointing. Then she appeared with some sriracha, she had found a bottle for me and compeltely made my day. She also gave us frequent dining cards to start using. I ended up buying gift cards for Christmas gifts for people for here. I will be back again with fat pants on. I was full for a good 7 hours.