Red Cow -North Loop

Not sure what there is to say about this place that other Unilocalers have not already put out there?
Great space… great food… great Staff. Overall, this is just a 1^st Class experience.
I had the Manhattan Burger and subbed the Cheese Curds (per other Unilocalers recommendations). It was awesome!
My Server, Kirsten, was so friendly and helpful. The food scene in this town rivals any in the country and the Service Industry culture is second to none. A lot of great cities could take some notes from MSP when it comes to restaurants and bars.
It’s a little cold up here for a Southerner… but I love this town and look forward to comming here every time.
How in the world could ANYBODY eat at a Chain Restaurant in this great food city??? They should be banned!
Eat Local!

Incredible as expected. This Red Cow location is superb and the food is off the charts as usual. Surprisingly packed even on a Sunday afternoon, but with great service. Even their salads are good for a burger place. Don’t miss out on this gem.

Red Cow provided very tasty food, it was quite a bit for your money. We had a great waitress, never an empty cup on the table. So pleased with our experience and can’t wait to go back!

This restaurant got me HOOKED on the breakfast burger — peanut butter, bacon, and a fried egg on top of a burger and served on an english muffin. It sounds strange, but it’s amazing! They have plenty of other great burger combos as well. Strongly recommend!

First off — GOOD NEWS! — The burger prices on the website menu DO include fries/​side! Before heading here I was worried this was another rip off joint charging $ 12 – 15 for a burger just because they had the ‘novel’ idea of adding bacon or kimchi to it.
Now that that’s out of the way…
I actually really enjoyed this place much more than I had expected!
I got there in time for happy hour and I ordered some of Sticky Japanese wings. Yum! They had a delicate crisp, delicious sweet/​spicy sauce and they were BIG. I think about 8 per serving for $ 6 is a decent price!
For the burger I just had the «Ultimate». It was delicious. Menu says it’s served with «red cow» sauce but I have no idea what that was. I upgraded to the Truffle fries and my plate came with some Truffle aoli — maybe that was the sauce? I don’t know. The truffle fries were awesome though. Crispy, tasty, definitely worth the up charge (coming from some one that avoids up charges like the plague!).
Had a taste of the cheese curds and they were fine — beer battered like the state fair but not as big. And also a taste of the tres leches cake that was yummy but the ‘whipped non-​dairy’ frosting on top threw me off a bit.
All told — for being in North Loop Hipster paradise, it was a pretty solid meal for reasonable $$.

I would give this place a 3.5 star review. Too bad Unilocal doesn’t allow for half star ratings.
Overall, very friendly hostess and wait staff. Quick service, too. Ambiance is on the trendy side, with cute cow prints throughout the restaurant. Good variety on menu. Non beef options available. Decent beer selection, as well.
Waiter suggested the Manhattan burger and said it was one of the most popular burgers. I grew up in LA, live in DC, and travel a lot, so my standards for gourmet burgers are high. The waiter sold me on this one and I was ready to be amazed. I thought the burger was good, but not $ 17 good. The meat (brisket, chuck, short rib, and sirloin combo) was tense and juicy. Unfortunately, I thought the sauce was too overpowering (dried cherry red wine reduction). My patty was drenched in sauce. A drizzle would have sufficed and I could see how that would add deliciousness to the burger, but drenched… definitely took away from the burger. I HIGHLY recommend asking for the sauce on the side. Fries were crunchy and tasty.
Getting the sauce on the burger was not a choice I actually made… they messed up on my order TWICE. I’m mildly lactose intolerant, so I asked for no cheese. I also asked for the sauce on the side because I like to taste the quality and natural flavor of my food first. First time my burger came out, it had cheese, so I sent it back. Waiter was apologetic about it and let me have the fries while I waited for the «correct» burger to come out. Second time, the burger came out no cheese… but with the sauce on it. They had put a cup of sauce on the side, which was a little misleading. The waiter came by to ask how the second burger was, but at that point, I just wanted my food, so I didn’t send it back.
This might be a «one-​off» experience, but the mess up, which led to me not loving the $ 17 burger, costed them a higher rating from me.

Great beer list, awesome food — best turkey burger I have ever had, the burger is amazing if you’re feeling more beef.
Breakfasts are killer too — the pancake trio is perfect (3 red velvet pancakes are a little much)

The place was not bad. Definitely if you like burgers. I had however a good Caesar salad with some steak. Very tasty. A place to come back to…

Early dinner with the boys. Started out with the nachos. They are so decadent — its like they prepared a dozen perfect chips with the right amount of stuff. Didn’t tell Jack that chevre was goat cheese until afterwards.
Burgers all around. Three burgers, three winners. Favorite was the Barcelona, but everything is solid. BBQ sauce is, however, the stickiest substance on earth. You have been warned.
We’ll be back.

I walked to the Wholefoods store to find some Stilton for a Holiday wine and cheese party. The Red cow is opposite, so I popped in for a brunch. It feels like a big chain restaurant. No obvious place to hang my coat, gloves and hat. I’m too British to ask for an obvious need to be solved. Darn, I must get a backbone. I hung my coat over the back of the chair, placed my gloves and hat on the table. This offended my sense of aesthetics and appropriateness, but the staff didn’t see it as an opportunity to offer a service. My hairdresser always takes my coat and gloves. Sigh. I’m not doing well. The place has a wonderful warm, vibrant atmosphere.
The menus arrived. How many?! OMG just reading the multiple menu titles and working what they contained took me 5 minutes. The wait staff was back to take my order within that time. Oh my, hassled, I asked for more time and felt like apologising. I want to move away from feeling like I need to apologise to people who genuinely want to help me. I couldn’t find a basic brunch (hashbrowns, fried eggs + ham) on the breakfast menu, or elsewhere. When the wait staff returned I asked if this order was possible. No it wasn’t on the menu but they could work something out for me.
This would have been so much easier if I’d walked in asked directly for what I wanted (no menu) and been told «yes we can do that» and given a price. This restaurant has over engineered the popular USA trend for offering choice…
The food was fine, nothing special. I had to ask the wait staff for the check twice… they were busy. I’d only come back here if a friend really wanted to come. Too corporate atmosphere for my taste

The adorable cow with the wine glass logo is very creative. I have always been a Red Cow fan, but now this one is much closer to home.
I rarely eat red meat, but the carnivore in me comes out for this restaurant. I have been eating at Red Cow since it opened in Edina, but now that it’s closer to home, I am ecstatic. Sadly, everyone else has been made aware as well. This means you will wait a long time to get a seat to eat here. However, they do call/​text you when the table is ready.
Since I already decided to eat beef, why not go BIG! So, I ordered the $ 22 burger special. I wish I could remember it completely, but it was Angus beef with goat cheese, and some kind of sweet n spicy jelly. The toasted bun added to the overall texture and flavor combo. I can remember the amazing taste! I fully recommend it, but likely it was only for a limited time.
Since I have been here many times, I would also like to recommend getting either poutine to share here as an appetizer. The gravy and beer one is savory, while the blue cheese and apple is refreshing. I wanted to love the cheese curds like everything else, but they were a too greasy for me. The sweet berry dip was unique and tasty. Lastly for breakfast, I loved my Veggie Toast. It was a thick cut slice of seeded bread, topped with a flavorful goat cheese spread, arugula salad, avocado and 2 poached eggs. All of these meals paired well with red wine, a Moscow Mule, and a mimosa.

Sunday afternoon, one of my husband’s relatives calls and says that he is in town for the night, staying in the North Loop, and wants to go out to dinner. «Where should we go?» After 15 minutes of parusing Unilocal,we settled on the Red Cow because 1. neither of us had been there, and 2. my hubby LOVES burgers.
So, around 5pm on Sunday night, street parking was a breeze and we were welcomed into this low-​lit, warm toned restaurant. It was quiet, spacious, and they have a 7 days a week happy hour! We cozied in with some seasonal craft brews and some cheese curds. The fried goodness was balanced with a refreshing berry ketchup that offered a new spin on an old classic.
For our meal, I was suffering from the thanksgiving leftovers meat sweats, and ordered the beet and quinoa salad. It was light and refreshing. That evening, it didn’t taste like much, but over the next couple of days it made for an amazing lunch!
My hubby and his relative (I’m not supposed to use the word «uncle,» cause he is hipper than that), both got the ⁶⁰⁄₄₀ burger. 60% beef, 40% bacon, with bacon on top. I tried one bite of that scrumptious piece of cow and realized my EPIC party foul in ordering the salad. It was flavorful and had me instantly wishing for more meat sweats.
The service was really great and attentive. She even talked us into dessert, the tres leches cake. A moist piece of white cake with a great frosting and the leches sauce surrounding it. Even after feeling extremely full, this dessert was a nice way to finish the night.
Overall, I will be back and I will not party foul again.

I arrived around noon on a Saturday and had no issues finding parking. As I walked in, I was immediately greeted, seated, and offered a complimentary donut appetizer. Looking around, I noticed the modern décor, lively atmosphere, and mixed crowd.
I ordered the Japanese Sticky Wings, Breakfast Burger with seasonal fruit, and a Nitro IPA (can’t remember the name). The sticky wings were spicy, sweet, and had a hint of citrus. The breakfast burger was served on a sourdough bread and had an over easy egg and peanut butter. Interesting combo but the peanut butter made it taste a bit dry. The IPA was great and the foam was incredibly smooth.
Overall, the food, drinks, atmosphere, and service were great. I’ll definitely be back and I’d love to sit in the patio when it’s warmer.

A bunch of my friends kept talking about how great this place is so I had to try and yes it lives up to the hype. During my visit I had their buffalo wings and fries and also tried the poutine. Their wings are really good but a little on the spicier side (more that usual buffalo) which is alright by me since I love a good kick. Their fries and poutine were great too!
I visited this place in the summer so my friends and I wanted a patio table so we waited a little bit but the staff was really efficient. They sat us inside while we waited and took our orders right away so that we would not have to wait so long to eat, as soon as a table opened up outside we were moved. Great service and relaxed atmosphere. Will definitely be coming back.
Parking: Street parking or in the pay lot next door.

Yum! Great burgers and atmosphere! We love coming here. The staff was very friendly. We never have to wait and be seated immediately.
Appetizer: buffalo chicken wings. Excellent spice.
Entrée: swish cheese mushroom burger and ultimate burger. The mushroom one was better.
Desert: The tres leches cake is bomb!!!

There are so many great places to get a burger in the twin cities that it’s hard to believe that any burger can maintain attention these days. That said, Red Cow’s ultimate burger is still in my memory after a visit about a week ago. The fries are also really great. It’s hard to say more than that. It’s a burger and fries, but really well done. The flavors and execution make it one delicious meal. They had an extensive list of appetizers but I didn’t have time to try any. I know this isn’t the most helpful review. It really should be summed up with merely this — if you like burgers, go here and you’ll leave happy!
The vibe is casual but really nice with big red leather booths and wood tables. It’s kind of dark, trendy like it’s neighborhood but not too uppidy.
Service was good but be prepared to wait if you’re anywhere near peak eating times.

I just had the most efficient brunch in recent history. The boy and I checked out Red Cow for the first time this morning, and both of us left full and happy. The restaurant was unexpectedly low-​key for weekend brunch, but perhaps that was a good thing because service was exceptional.
Almost immediately after sitting down we were greeted with a little bowl of complimentary mini donuts (um…yes?), which was basically the best brunch appetizer anyone could ask for. I ordered the After Yoga (Greek yogurt, chia seeds, granola, honey, and fresh fruit with mint), we split one pancake with blueberries and lemon cream, and the boy got chilaquiles. I assume by the rate at which the chilaquiles disappeared from the plate that they were pretty great, although I’m not really one to eat nachos for breakfast so I don’t have much of a personal opinion. Everything that I ate was delightful, though, and we got some serious food envy looks from the table next to us.
Even if the food would have been terrible (which it obviously wasn’t), I would still be impressed with the service at Red Cow. The food came very quickly and was presented well, and servers and the manager checked in on us at just the right intervals — no awkward mouth-​full-​of-​granola responses to «And how is everything?». The clientele was a mixed bag of chic North Loopers, Gopher fans watching the game in the bar, and mimosa-​swilling ladies and gentlemen, and it seems like a great place to bring groups of people with varied taste in food or dietary restrictions. Excited to try their happy hour soon!

I had lunch with a friend today and thoroughly enjoyed the Red Cow experience. The space is modern and open with high ceilings and red/​cow elements all over. The meat hooks hanging everywhere in the bar area are a cool touch and sure to strike fear into any bovine that dare enter the room.
We arrived a little after the 11 a.m. opening, being greeted warmly by the hostess, and were given our choice of seating as there were few parties in the house at that point. We chose an open sided booth smack dab in the middle of the dining area and were soon met by our waiter, a younger guy named Justin, I think. We took our sweet time perusing the massive craft tap list and Justin threw out a few recommendations. I settled on the Fair State IPA and my buddy chose the North Gate Here’s Your Fraking IPA. Keeping it local, y’all.
I wish I could tell you more about the menu, but I had a burger and cheese curds feast on the brain. I chose the Breakfast Burger – certified Angus beef, over easy egg, bacon, and peanut butter on sourdough. Upgrade to cheese curds over fries or fruit. The burger was done to perfection and once that yolk popped it upped the ante on a great piece of beef. Delicious doesn’t say enough about it. The salty sweet savory combo is tough to beat. With their house-​made ketchup (balsamic and some other stuff going on in there), it was one of the better burgers I’ve ever put in my ever-​growing belly.
Let us not forget the curds! Those mini bombs of cheesy goodness were excellent as well. Lightly breaded (similar to Blue Door Pub’s), they are served with a house-​made triple berry ketchup that is a great complement to the Wisconsin cheese. I’ll be hard pressed to not order another batch on my next visit. Washed down with a Surly Todd the Axe Man, my engorged gut was in paunch paradise.
If you’re going for lunch, I would advise you to arrive closer to 11 than high noon. There were probably 10+ people waiting as we left around noon thirty. I can definitely see why. The food, service, and atmosphere were all great. Nice work, Red Cow!

Lately I’ve been going to weekly meditation at the Tergar Center in the North Loop. I aspire to attain a peaceful and relaxing state for my mind and body. I figured that this particular night, I could get a jumpstart on the body-​relaxing part and stuff myself into a catatonic state with fried foods and red meat at Red Cow.
My friend and I got here right before 6pm on a Tuesday night. We both found metered street-​parking within a few blocks. I just had to throw a quarter into the machine since it’s free after 6pm. This Red Cow is big! Which is great that there was enough room for me to expand in. It only took a one-​second glance at the Happy Hour menu to blurt out to the waitress that we wanted cheese curds, ahi crisps, and wine. We then decided to split a Manhattan 2.0 with truffle fries.
Our waitress was so attentive and sweet. She swiftly threw in our order before HH ended. I love their curds, but they were especially oily/​greasy this night. The ahi crisps were little works of art, but at a discounted $ 6 they were still $ 1 per bite. However, it’s totally worth it. The Manhattan 2.0 is so freaking indulgent and is one of the best burgs around. It is rich, salty, savory, and I love the cherry reduction and pretzel bun. By the time we got to meditation after dinner, I decided to just skip over my abdominal area during the mindful «body scan» heh.

Maybe I just compare every burger to Parlour and it’s not fair, but I was not very impressed with the ‘Manhattan 2.0′ burger or their fries.
I love the look of this location and the service was very good. The burger was just not that great. It was dry and it didn’t have much flavor. The fries were on the soggy side. They tried to dress up the burger with some fancy toppings. The salad was drowning in dressing… I was expecting a lot better.
Ill probably go back and try a different burger. Hopefully Ill think otherwise because I love the location and atmosphere.