Block E

Oh Block-​E…
I attended a small college close to downtown, so this was our Freshman year stomping grounds. We would walk to Block E, get ½ price appetizers at Applebees, wander around the book store, get Starbucks, and then see a movie.
Alas, all my past is gone.
Seriously, what’s left? I really hope they do something here– I don’t even care if its a casino, just something to fill the sad hole.
Also, I hope they never take that Starbucks away, because I have too many good memories there. I think I may have fallen in love with my husband there.

This place is simply non-​remarkable. I actually used to work here. The food was crap. The place was bland and corporatized to death. I personally can see no reason to come here lest you are a fan of Applebee’s, Hooters or a ghetto club. Gameworks was entertaining to a degree. A small degree. All in all nothing bad ever happened but nothing was noteworthy. I’m frankly surprised and tickled by the constant negative reviews. It’s funny because I’d figure atleast one Unilocaler would like this dump.

After watching a transvestite get into a knife fight with a straight couple that were using very bigoted words, seeing a car get jacked at gunpoint in front of me, and stepping on an uncapped hypodermic needle (with shoes on THANK GOD) I think my review is better than it should be… mostly because you can’t give a place 0 stars. Maybe I should email Unilocal about that…
This place stinks. Literally and figuratively. It is filled with closed business’ (now), and the streets are overrun with a serious drug/​crime problem… I refuse to meet friends or family here because the only things that happen here are bad.
As to why they would put the Twins stadium right here, I think they were hoping to bring back the neighborhood… welll they would have had to hire on about 15 more police officers to do that.
I look forward to changing my review if and when they put the casino in. Until then, I won’t even grace the halls of the skyway through here.

Block E has gone from supper exciting when it was created to supper GHETTO in it’s current state. When i first moved to Minneapolis i used to love swinging by to watch a movie with a friend and pop in for happy hour or a bite to eat. Now it’s nothing but a stone and glass building that houses the inner city thug children who use it as a staging location for drug deals.
Don’t walk past in the summer. Classical music blares out of loud spearks (it’s an attempt to discourage loitering)…it does nothing though. Want to Enjoy a movie? not so much. on the weekend people are being drunk and obnoxious, smoking weed or texting or talking on the phone. WHATS THAT SHA NAY NAY??? IMMMA CALL YOU BACK IM WATCHING A MOVIE RIGHT NOW-​LATER GIRL! later indeed…

We were looking for a quick bite to eat before a Twins game recently and picked Hooters. Who doesn’t love some entertainment with their supper on a boys night out, right?
All the local pubs were far too packed so we headed in. It took about 5 minutes to be seated. The waitress took 10 minutes to get to our table finally. She kept forgetting to bring drinks we ordered, our food took 45 minutes to receive, it was cold when we received it, 4 out of 5 orders were wrong, all our drinks that were sodas were never refilled and we had to ask for our own napkins and silverware. A HORRID service experience. We complained to the manager about the experience and she replied, «So what do you want me to do about it.» She DID offer to reduce our bill by about 50%, but did not comp our meal completely. I feel it was bad enough to warrant a free meal, or a voucher for later.
Stay away from Block E if your downtown for a Twins game. It’s not worth the terrible food and service, STAY AWAY!
P. S. — This whole fiasco lasted 1hr and 40 minutes, almost causing us to miss the opening pitch though we got downtown plenty early. We nearly walked out.
BAD! BAD! BAD!

There’s nothing special at Block E. I probably drive past 50 restaurants comparable to the ones at Block E on my way to block E.
Chain restaurants (HardRock, Hooters, Applebee’s) and a movie theatre were supposed to revive Minneapolis downtown?
Well, they didn’t and I prefer my chain restaurants without the risk of witnessing a shooting.

It was ok once. I think tearing it down and having a little grass field would be nicer. I to remember strange Ghetto threats while in line at Escape or once when a bouncer tried to kick me out because I wanted to take off my overshirt because was to hot. The guy grabbed me around the back of the arm. Funny thing was I am way bigger than him and didnt move then he got on the radio that there was a problem. I was like ill just put my shit back over my designer tshirt you freako. No I didnt really call him a name but it was strange. I think the only saving grace is the otter bar area by the Target center and graves but it needs alot of work.

I agree with many reviewers here on this place, and it’s really too bad. There’s nothing in or about this urban mall that could constitute a draw for tourists or locals. Minneapolis has many places to dine, dance and get your culture on, but Block E isn’t one of them.
Since the late 1950s, the City of Minneapolis has had a habit of tearing down «problem» commercial properties in downtown, only to put up new monstrosities that just don’t work (or, parking lots). Block E is just one example of the city’s «forward thinking» in this regard.
IMO, the city should have updated the historic buildings that were already there instead of tearing them down. There was more class in one of those turn-​of-​the-​last-​century buildings than in the whole of the modern Block E. Bah!

This is the trash of downtown Minneapolis! If you love hanging on the corners and talking shit to people, please come to Block E, they need more people to be added to the army of weirdos! I used to work at Borders, and that sucked, and now that I really sit down and think about this place, there is not one bit of good about it at all! Let’s see here, Applebee’s… ewww, Borders… Gone! The Cinema… eh, pricey, and shitty! Hooters… I thought Applebee’s was enough? The Shout House… oh dear god! I could keep going, but I don’t think I need to. Oh and how could I forget Game Works??? WOW, When I was here, this place was packed with underage teens and thugs! It was quite the social mix.

I second Ashley F… a sad, sad place. What the hell is up with this place? I remember when it was touted as downtown’s savior in cleaning up the area. Yeah, not so much. I’d guess it’s only brought it down more. What the hell goes on here? It was uncomfortably dead. Lots of security, though, which is a good thing considering the shootings that occurred here. Oh, and the time when I was in line at Escape (yeah, I went there a couple of times on House nights) and two girls threatened to beat the shit out of me (no joke), and I just responded «What are you so angry about. It’s a New Year. Be happy.» Yeah, that didn’t go down too well, but at least I didn’t get my ass kicked.

Block E is such a sad, sad place. It doesn’t say anything about the city it’s in. Hard Rock Café, Applebee’s…*sigh* Hooters. I’m kind of embarrassed that this place exists. And even I, a sucker for bowling and video games, can never seem to have a good time at Gameworks, between it’s crazy prices and overabundance of popped-​collar bro-​skis.
And even worse, it’s only redeeming feature, Borders, is gone, so you can’t even look at magazines when you wait for the bus. Lame.

As far a Service Thumbs Down they didn’t even know what do do when we came in this place? First we sat Down and The waitress was thorough, but when we ordered our food 2 minutes later a tray of wings came to our table that wern’t even ours. Mistakes are common here, the wings were awful. Block E is the Biggest Bust in Mpls. Thats too Bad for this Town. Had they would have Blueprinted it Much Better, Would have Been a Much funer, safer place to go Downtown. People are Afraid to go to This area, Minimal Security and Terrible Parking. Sorry For them

Since the 1950s, cities across the nation have been cursed with ill-​conceived «urban renewal» projects that have spread like a cancer, dotting the metro landscape with countless eyesores. Block E confirms that its developers (city planners and council members alike) have not learned a single lesson in over five decades.
Rather than bestowing us with architecture to be proud of, in Block E we see the embodiment of a nauseating Disneyland aesthetic that was originally intended to pass as real design (City Council Member, Gary Schiff, once extolled the virtues of the cheap, vinyl plaster encasing the exterior walls). Depriving us of space that authentically reflects our identity as Twin Citians, Block E plagues us with an Applebee’s, Hooters, Hard Rock Café and a graveyard full of underground parking. This lack of imagination represents a multi-​million dollar urban landfill.
In attempting to explain Block E, I can only assume that those responsible for it:
(a) Spent years in suburbia, long enough to regard it as a way of life worth promoting;
(b) Have never walked to a store to buy a loaf of bread;
© Dine at Applebee’s, Hooters or the Hard Rock Café on their vacations;
(d) Had no intention of ever living anywhere near Block E; and
(e) Have a genuine fear and loathing of the city, strong enough to destroy it.
History tells us that the block once thrived with an independent hotel, an original play house, restaurants, sidewalk vendors, bars and porn shops, and was heavy with street theater. One night in Block E these days will ensure you a whirl of Prozac-​inducing moments. You’ll leave feeling the night’s been wasted at some mall in Roseville (or Jersey, or Pasadena, etc.), when you could’ve spent time in the city. But then you shake your head and come to terms with the demoralizing fact that Block E is part of the city – right in the middle of it.

Block E is a headache and a half. When I was in high school and part of college it still seemed reasonable, but looking back on it I don’t know what I was thinking. I’d only go here to use the parking. You can still find better parking in other areas.
There used to be an Applebee’s about two blocks from my house, or I could take the bus to the one on University. Both are closed now and I STILL wouldn’t go to the Block E one. I’d rather spend less for gas than to park and drive to West St. Paul, or Inver Grove Heights.
Pretty much everything I just said goes for the movie theater as well.
Escape was somewhat decent when it originally opened. Now I’m afraid they will either want me to pay $ 20 for a special event that they forgot to mention about, turn me away for not having the appropriate shoes, or that I’ll get gang banged in the bathroom. No thanks. Oh yea, and DJ, play some damn music! I’m tired of radio DJs coming and talking the entire time.
Also, Block E isn’t too bad in the afternoon, or even at dusk. But I wouldn’t want to be around it after dark.

I believe it was Ralph M. in his review of Marrakech Coffee Shoppe who said, «My one star ratings usually come from a place of hate.»
That being said, I don’t hate Block E and won’t give them one star (even though I’m feeling mean today) because I’ve never actually had a night out at Block E. Aside from browsing Borders before it closed and passing through during a stroll through the skyways, I’ve avoided Block E on principal alone. Someday I intend to darken the door at Shout House because I have a soft spot for dueling piano bars. And someday I’ll go to the Hard Rock because there’s a part of me that remembers being 13 and envying all the other kids who had drawers full of Hard Rock t-​shirts from all over the world and wishing desperately that my parents would pretend to understand for just one second how much I needed one to be happy. But before I can do any of this I have to overcome my stronger urge to avoid Block E at all costs.
Two stars. Two stars for a flopped concept. Two stars because this place could have actually been something that made the nightlife in Minneapolis shine.
Applebee’s? Really? Did we need one of these downtown? Hooters? Wasn’t there another option for the prerequisite T & A that men over 30 need with their basketball? And Mrs. Field’s Cookies? Yes they’re good, but we already have a giant mall. Sad.
Chains exist for a reason. And from a business standpoint I can sort of understand them. But for something like Block E; something that was supposed to stand up in the heart of our downtown nightlife, I’d have liked to see something that I couldn’t find in Woodbury or Roseville or Edina or Bloomington or any other suburb across the country.