Modern Cafe

I’m saddened to learn that the Modern has closed. What gives? This classic Northeast Minneapolis diner had a great retro ambiance, and a comfort-​food menu with a twist. I had been here a few times and really enjoyed their take on comfort foods. I had an excellent meat loaf here, great pot roast, and a fabulous burger. I’m not sure why they couldn’t make it, but it’s a shame… a real shame.

Sad to see this place go! They had cool drinks and a really good burger. They overcharged like a motherfucker though.

Arrived during normal business hours on a Saturday morning, but the place was closed.

I came here with my bff after waiting in too long of a line down the street. Amazingly friendly staff, great vibe and off the charts food. Seriously I can’t pick which bite was my favorite. French fries — OBVI a must. Cauliflower so good! Chicken was good but didn’t knock me sideways. Soup! Who would’ve thought soup could be epic!?! But it was, here. Great tastes in a great location at a pretty reasonable price. !!!

Perfect for lunch! I always get the roast beef.

Really, REALLY good burger. Maybe it was the high quality meat, maybe it’s a lot of butter. I don’t know why it was so good but the cheddar, bacon burger and fries was perfection. I wouldn’t have changed a thing (other than the side of house made sweet pickles because I’m a dill girl). The house made ritz crackers with cheese whiz and duck bologna weren’t that great in my opinion. The crackers were too much like unsweetened shortbread and lacked the great crispy taste of a Ritz. The spread was scooped out of a container that had been sitting in the refrigerator and it just didn’t live up to my expectations. I’m not sure that it should have been served warm but it tasted like leftovers.
The vibe here is classic nordeast. It’s unpretentious and a little grimy without feeling dirty. It has genuine character.
The wood chairs and L shaped wood booths are seriously uncomfortable. I wouldn’t bring the elderly, pregnant or anyone with a bony rear.

Wow — what a pot roast! Some of the most tender beef, excellent gravy, cooked carrots and celery and scrumptious mashed potatoes. Good choice of wines and an excellent while unique Manhattan.
This is our new favorite!!!

Great place! Retro fun atmosphere; wish I could have hung out all afternoon with a cold beer! The cornbread grilled cheese was an interesting & delicious take on a diner classic. The meatloaf was excellent.

I had brunch here about a year ago and enjoyed it, thought I would take a chance with dinner. I ordered the half order of pot roast and felt ok about it, but not completely thrilled. My roast vegetables were 2 pieces each of celery and carrot, which I felt was a little small. I was very satisfied with my mashed potatoes but I wish the menu had specified that there would be a horseradish flavored whip on the roast, that may have an impact on your order depending how your palate is feeling. I would absolutely love to see their menu change up and expand! The service was fairly attentive and very pleasant.
I am so so happy that we ordered the dessert special — plum and prune bread pudding with some delicious glaze and créme frâiche. My future plans? Let’s do lunch and take it from there.

Located in the funky and hopping restaurant and arts district of northeast Minneapolis, five minutes by car from downtown, the Modern Café serves breakfast, lunch and dinner every day except Monday, when it’s closed. It has the feel of a casual diner, although its prices are higher than diner prices. Then again, its menu is definitely not diner food. The breakfast and lunch menus are full of treats and the prices are reasonable. The dinner menu is a little higher but not outrageous — and the food is delicious. The pot roast is one of my favorites with a killer sauce.
The atmosphere is very casual. You’ll find locals at dinner with their kids seated next to hip couples on dates. The Modern features a full bar and sidewalk seating.

Two things you should order: pancakes and the hash dish with the pot roast.
The egg scramble with the mushrooms and cream cheese (Pampered Eggs) would’ve been amazing in a puffed pastry. It was way too juicy for only one piece of toast, which is weird, because someone else posted a pic of their food and they had two pieces. Hmmmmm… Where the hell was my other piece of toast?!?
The chillaquilles needed more egg to chip & bean ratio: maybe order an extra egg.
But the pancakes are SO GOOD. Use a little preserves on them. Honestly, I’m craving one now.
Atmosphere: totally crusty and retro (perfect). Roll in wearing pj’s or sweatpants and nobody will care or even notice. Plenty of street parking. They accept cards. Decent coffee that will make you buzz all morning.
I’ll be back.

Oh my gosh! Stopped by at noon on a Friday for a celebration lunch– amazing food! (Slow service). I had the cornbread grilled cheese with salad– WOW. Definitely comin back!

I stopped by the Modern for a quick lunch with my dad today and… WOW. I ordered the omelet special (asparagus and swiss cheese with a side salad), and he ordered the pot roast. It was phenomenal. Also, it was great to stop by this place during a rather quiet weekday. The service is prompt and courteous.
I have no complaints, just one regret — that I didn’t order a bloody Mary!

I really liked the trendy diner vibe of Modern Café. I am not a fan of meatloaf, but the MC version could make me into a believer. I only sampled the meatloaf, as I ordered the bacon cheddar burger and it was your average burger. The drinks weren’t great, so if you’re looking for a good cocktail to go with dinner, look elsewhere.

Such a fun place but only four stars becasue a few times we were unable to find parking within three blocks. It is popular and near other restaurants that consume the street parking spaces. No lot nearby. The look of Modern Café is old school and fun. The wooden booths creak as you sit in them! The old time water glasses set the tone. Our favorites include the meatloaf and the modern hash. The wait staff is always friendly and get the food to you fast. Place is busy but noise level isn’t bad. We can always have a private conversation without rasing our voices. If you want good modern diner food at a very reasonable price in a fun setting, make a trip to Modern Café.

Not bad. But not great either.
Walked down from the Anchor on a Friday night at 5pm because the wait was already long. This place was empty. We were excited to get a table and service right away!
Here’s the low down:
Pot Roast– This is their signature dish. Don’t get anything else and be prepared for small portions.
Meat Loaf– Bland. Maybe because we’re Minnesotans? Husbo was not a fan.
Toad in the Hole– Corn bread was too tough. Cranberry beans were interesting. Egg was done perfectly, but I wouldn’t order this again. Again, bland.
Kids Grilled Cheese– Done right with cheddar. Great seasoned fries.
Roasted Brussel Sprouts– Best thing on the table. Blue cheese, shallots and walnuts.
Service was great and we enjoyed the diner atmosphere. Interesting music (some 50’s girl groups) and a giant swordfish on the wall. Liked the privacy the high wood booths give.

Here’s the problem with the Modern Café: They don’t understand that the need for quality and quantity to match becomes exponentially greater with every dollar you’re paying.
The dish I ordered was absolutely fantastic! But it cost about $ 16 and was only the size of my fist. When I’m paying that kind of money, I expect to leave FULL. I most definitely didn’t, and I’m not, like, fat or something. I’m a regular guy. When I go out to eat, I’m generally not looking for anything specific — just that I have something delicious and filling.
With an entire city of choices from which to choose, the Modern Café gets beat.

I love this place. The décor is tasteful, homey and old school; the staff is always friendly; and the food is upscale comfort. My only complaint is that the mixed drinks are way too strong, but I’m a huge weenie in the cocktail dept so don’t listen to me.

First of all, this is the first time I’ve ever rated a ‘Triple D’ place on Unilocal as having less than three stars, and if you know me this speaks volumes, because I have nothing but tons of praise for those places.
The main reason I didn’t give this place a higher rating was because of the wait staff. It was raining the night we went there, and instead of standing out in the rain we decided to wait inside with everyone else. There was no one up front, so after five minutes of waiting I decided to go find someone to ask them about getting a table. In the meantime, an employee barked at my wife (who is in a wheelchair) to get out of the entryway so other people could come in (no one else had during this entire time, mind you). I came up behind the woman, and after asking her where she would like her to go, because there was nowhere else to go, another employee came over and told us she was fine.
After being seated, we looked over the menu at the evening specials. We ordered the Cheese and Olive Plate for an appetizer (everything was overly salty), my wife had the Stuffed Pork Chops (she said they were very good), and I had their Pot Roast (good, but nothing special). I thought everything was overpriced, considering what we had. If the service had been better, and the prices a little less expensive, I would’ve given this place 4-​out-​of-​5 stars. Probably won’t be back anytime soon, if ever again.

Previously, I had been to the Modern for brunch, and loved every single bite. Recently, the boyfriend and I went in for a dinner date night, and man, are we happy we did!
I had my very first mint julep, and absolutely fell in love. So much so that I went to the liquor store, bought some bourbon, and attempted to recreate it myself. It wasn’t as good as the Modern’s, so I called them up to ask for their recipe and what liquor they used, and they offered up the info (Cedar Ridge) no questions asked!
The food was amazing. I inquired about their asparagus bisque, and was delighted to find out it was dairy-​free. It was as delicious as it was gorgeous. Rounded out with their roasted beet salad, I was in food heaven. The boyf had their pot roast, and every bite melted in his little mouth. Portions were just the right size for a leisurely dinner, and the dessert menu was nice, too.
Our server was friendly, personable, and just the right amount of presence. You know how sometimes you’re constantly bombarded by the waitstaff to where you can barely get a word in with your companion? Then there is the other end of the spectrum where your order is taken, someone from the kitchen brings your food, and you have to ask for your check an hour later? This was just perfect. Not too smothering, but always there if we needed something. I drink a LOT of water, and my water glass was never empty. She also brought olive oil for my bread since I mentioned my lactose intolerance, and she was very knowledgeable and patient with our questions about the menu.
All in all, this was a great night of food, cocktails, and friendly service. We will definitely be back.

No lunch, only breakfast on Saturdays – a lame concept for a malt shop.
I tried to go there for the first time with my daughter, we got there around 2:00. We were told they only do breakfasts. It’s pretty ironic that I could order alcohol but I couldn’t get a basic burger.
We were told they’re a great old school burger & malt joint. The staff were friendly. They were nice even though we decided to leave and NOT try their breakfast. It was dark and dingy – but the old school décor looked pretty cool.
I give them a zero for not having burgers & malts on a Saturday afternoon. The customer service and friendliness was a four – I guess. I’m averaging it out with two stars.
Next time, I’ll go to Flame Burger for a burger & malt. At Flame Burger, you can order anything on the menu at any time.
–Daddy Maxx Retro

Went here for dinner last night. Great experience overall with a couple minor details keeping it from acheiving a 5:
My cocktail, while delicious, was $ 9. That’s more than I want to pay especially in a lower-​key restaurant.
Menu was a bit limiting. I went with the pot roast (by waitress recommendation) and was not disappointed, but there wasn’t much to choose from. Also, many ingredients were in multiple dishes which is not a big deal, but further limits the menu (ex: White beans)
While the ambiance was great, the restroom was in the basement and you had to basically walk into the dish-​washing section of the kitchen. Broke the 4^th wall so to speak.
In general it was a great experience but with some minor tweaks could be a 5 star restaurant!