The Craftsman

Have enjoyed Craftsman for years now, but tonight’s dinner deserves an updated review.
Our server informed us a new chef is expanding the menu, and lowering prices. Tonight’s specials included the most delicious plate of mussels I’ve had in years — for $ 14! (I’ve payed twice that elsewhere for mussels that were vastly inferior). Unbelieveable value for a generous portion from Craftsman; super-​fresh PEI mussels (sourced from Coastal Seafood). We’ll be back again for those, and looking forward to other new treats from the new chef. And hope they keep our old favorites: the charcuterie plate, the burger, and the beet cosmo (which is so delicious we’ve learned to make at home. Kudos to the kitchen, bar, and excellent servers.

I am always in search of the ultimate burger. I had their house burger. It was really good. Nice soft toasted bun, it came out medium rare as ordered and the beef tasted like beef, real beef. The bacon on top was a Canadian style bacon. I am not usually a fan of ham on my burger but the Can. bacon actually tasted like bacon. All high quality ingredients. The fries were hot and crispy. The ketchup was very interesting (house made). I think that they called it a chili sauce. The place was very difficult to find in the dark. I would suggest that they get a sign that the public can see– it could be a very classy sign but still increase traffic. I would come back.
I like the arts/​crafts art deco style ambiance too. I think the place is an asset to the community. The wait staff was very nice. I wanted a refill on my soda and the bartender gave it to me on the house even though it was a can that she pulled from the cooler. I asked where her tip jar was and she insisted that I just have the soda with no tip.

Two words: beet cosmo! It’s rare for me to be completely surprised by a cocktail as I’ve been studying the art of ingesting cocktails for many years now. But, The Craftsman’s beet cosmo is something special: delicious, novel, not too sweet (like so many cosmos), not sticky (ditto), and let’s throw in healthy because beets are a superfood!
The restaurant was all-​around excellent. The dishes were well thought out and the portions generous. The charcuterie plate, white bean hummus, and pork chop main dish were each delicious and worked well together to balance strong and mild flavors. Tables are nicely spaced so you won’t overhear everyone else’s conversation, and the staff was enthusiastic about the food and drinks! Wish I discovered the place sooner, and I can’t wait to go back.

I had the polenta with corn and veggies. It was so good! What a nice fresh meal. I highly recommend this restaurant.

What an incredible treat in the neighborhood.
My better half and I enjoyed a meal here on our anniversary. The restaurant is gorgeous and everything we had was amazing.
We got a vegetarian Polenta entrée which was wonderful and my Ribeye was as good as any steak house meal I’ve had.
I don’t recall the name of the drinks but they were had and all really good.
Great experience!

One of my favorite restaurants in town. Good food without pretense. A great calming environment that allows you to enjoy your meal as well as your company.

We live in the neighborhood so we had been meaning to dine here for some time. Friends who had been here had good things to say. Unfortunately, we were not impressed with our experience at Craftsman.
Pros
The service was great. We didn’t have a reservation on a Friday night around 8 p.m. but were seated immediately. Our server then greeted us promptly and made sure we had everything we needed throughout dinner. The décor is nice and the place has a relaxed atmosphere.
Cons
The food just wasn’t very good. I had the grilled pork chop which was nicely caramelized but significantly overcooked. My wife had the aoli burger which was even worse – the bun was hard, the burger overcooked, the bacon soggy and undercooked. The drinks were a mixed bag. The beet infused cosmopolitan was nothing special, however the hibiscus soda was incredibly delicious. Also, we began sitting on the patio but had to move inside after a mouse that was actively scavenging for crumbs underneath several nearby tables kept getting closer and closer to us. (It didn’t really bother me, I thought it could have been a ratatouille situation, but my wife was not amused)
Overall
It was an underwhelming experience, especially for the price. Maybe it was just an off night. Unfortunately, we won’t be back again to find out.

Great food, great cocktails, great service, great patio, great value.
You can’t go wrong here!

Great neighborhood spot!
I keep a list of places to check out with different friends and this is a place I’ve got on more than one list. I think this place has something for everyone.
First visit was a Friday night for dinner and we both enjoyed everything we tried — the cheese plate, the Reuben and the turkey burger.
Recently planned a HH gathering with a friend so we could enjoy the cute patio, but alas, it was raining so we sat inside. The HH menu is great — plenty of apps to share and great drink specials. I think I prefer just wine to their sangria. It had kinda of an off putting taste, I couldn’t actually finish it, which is too bad cuz it was about $ 8.
We split a cheese platter, a micro greens salad and the pasta special for the night — homemade spaghetti with pulled smoke chicken, a great lemony cheese sauce and watercress. It was a the perfect entrée to split, it would have been too much for just me.
Great atmosphere, delicious food and decent service. I say decent because and I’m nit picking, the server mumbled every time she came to the table and I could hardly hear her. I kept saying, «excuse me?»
So, it’s a great place to keep in the rotation and I’m trying to find more people to go here with so I can finally sit on the patio.

I found the Craftsman, using Unilocal,when on a trip to the Twin Cities in 2012, made the choice to dine there because of comments like «friendly bartenders», fresh organic ingredients”. I had a most memorable experience.
Let me say that, now, 2 ½ years later I’m back and the prices have remained modest, the bartender, superb as well as friendly. And the food, out-​effin-​standing!

Decided to check this place out for Dining Out for Life, and was very happy with the choice! Cheese and charcuterie plates were both tasty with a good variety. Had the pasta special with lamb, also good. Staff was wonderful — we arrived 15 minutes before our reservation expecting to hang out at the bar, and our table was already set and ready for us! Love the atmosphere as well. I would definitely go back again!

This restaurant is a hidden gem off of Lake Street. I cannot believe we haven’t been here before! The service was excellent. The restaurant ambience cozy and delightful. Parking is a bit hard though.
I had the beet infused cosmopolitan and WOW. Just WOW. Had two of those. We had the beef and patte appetizer and that is a must. My husband got steak and I had the fish. The portions are plentiful but not buffet sized. The food looks like art.
It’s a must try!

This place is a gem! A f’n GEM!
Came here on a random Tuesday and feel like I discovered a treasure in my neighborhood. It was amazing.
Try the charcuterie to share — be a little adventurous, you are bound to find something on that glorious plate of meat that you have never tasted before. Not so adventurous? Go for the cheese plate — there will probably be an exciting one you haven’t had before. There was for me! For dinner, get a pasta dish. I enjoyed the special, which was fresh made spaghetti noodles with mushrooms and bok choy. Amazing combo of flavors there. The desserts all looked so tempting but I’ll have to try them next time.
Best restaurant in the area! Can’t wait to go back & try some more expertly prepared food! PS their brunch menu looked phenom!

They really do put out a nice spread. The charcuterie and cheese plates were enjoyed by all, and the variety of textures and options on the two plates offered a fantastic bang for the buck.
My wife’s steak was good, but as per usual, she ordered it well done and it was served… well done. The meat was very low on fat, so the steak was not happy. I put equal blame on my wife, as well as the kitchen for allowing it to happen. That said, the bearnaise was a welcome hit.
My burger was the perfect portion size after the heavy appetizers. Not too huge… just about one handful, it was served just as I asked, a juicy medium and topped with some great pork, pickled peppers (not hot) and creamy sauce. The accompanying fries were thin, crispy and great. The chili catsup was a nice surprise, but a little sweet for my tastes even with the heat.
A generally pleasant atmosphere with generally pleasant staff. The Arts & Crafts vibe is unique and offers some distinct dimly lit vibes. We came early and on a Tuesday, but I was still impressed with how they dealt with our group which included a handful of a two year old, and a even larger handful of two way too excitable grandparents.
Cocktails were super strong, and delicious. This place is a nice option if you’re in the Longfellow neighborhood.

I have only visited Craftsman for cocktails and an appetizer so I fully intend on giving a second review once I eventually try a full meal here. As for what I *can* judge on, we sat at the bar and received great service. It was maybe 45 minutes before their earlier weeknight closing time (9:30PM) but I still didn’t feel rushed in any way. We were debating on which craft cocktails to choose and though I ultimately went with the suggested staple, the Crafstman Manhattan (YUM), the bartender still poured me a sample of the beet-​vodka used in the cocktail I was contemplating. Sidenote: I can no longer locate the drink I’m referring to on their online menu so presumably they change some of the cocktails seasonally.
In addition to my delicious Manhattan, I really enjoyed the hummus appetizer which included a heaping portion of hummus, crackers as well as hunks of regular bread, olives, and vegetables both pickled and blanched! The portions were huge so while the price tag was a little steeper than your average hummus appetizer, it was worth it and practically a meal in itself.
This place has an upscale and yet vaguely rustic vibe and seems to be a great spot for a date night splurge. I look forward to giving it another visit someday!

I just moved back to Minneapolis from Chicago & have been eager to try to find new favorite spots to replace the ones that I left behind in the Windy City. I think The Craftsman will quickly become one place where I take friends who come to visit!
I dined here on a Wednesday night with seven other gal pals. Our server was incredibly attentive, possibly due to the fact that there were only three other tables occupied. Regardless, her recommendations were excellent.
I had the cheese plate, gnocchi & the fried beignets for dessert. I absolutely love gnocchi, but I was a little skeptical because I’m normally a red sauce girl, not a heavy cream sauce girl. I was impressed with the scallion-​herb cream sauce. It wasn’t too heavy; it was just perfect with this gnocchi & the vegetables mixed in were fresh. Everything went perfectly together.
I had a taste of my friend’s lamb burger & it was really tender & cooked expertly. The home made ketchup made with some sort of Thai sauce was fantastic — I’ve never tasted anything like it! We all commented on how it should be sold in bottles at the restaurant.
I liked the beignets too, but I wasn’t overly excited by them. Just an average fried dessert. I’d like to try something else next time I’m there. It’s a pretty hearty portion, though. You get five beignets! So I recommend getting this dessert with a larger group. Three of us had a hard time finishing the serving after a big meal.
Can’t wait to come back for brunch next time!

We enjoyed a well prepared breast of duck and a generous portion pork chop. The duck was seared to medium and very tender on a bed of large asparagus and roasted fingerling potatoes crunchy and tender. The pork chop was huge but very tender and moist set on buttermilk mashed potatoes and sautéed chard.
The wait staff was okay, they were not extremely attentive but was there when you needed them. I would recommend you try the Craftsman especially if you can sit on the patio.

We have enjoyed coming here for years, sadly our last few visits have been so disappointing due to the lack if service. It seems to be a major hassle just to be sat, then getting a drink or ordering food come off to be a major inconvenience to the server.
It felt as though we were an insult to the servers time and energy, what a bad feeling to have when attempting to enjoy a meal out, an expensive meal out.
Bummed.

I was a little confused as to why our waitress looked so busy/​stressed out when there were barely any other diners there when we arrived. After placing our orders it took almost an hour for our entrées to arrive which didn’t seem that reasonable unless they intentionally short staff cooks on Mondays. The ambiance is clean and comfortable. Food presentation was on par for a nice restaurant. My friends were still a little hungry after the entrée so we ordered dessert which filled us up. Overall, was a neat place to visit but not sure I’m willing to pay the premium for mediocore food and service.

Started out poorly as the host seemed supremely annoyed that I wanted a table. Trendy hipster in too tight jeans and cool guy hair with aloof attitude should not be a restaurant host.
Food and drinks were good enough, but really expensive. I got the Reuben which was pretty good. Wife got turkey burger which was very good. With so many great restaurants in this town, I likely won’t be back.

My husband have been here half a dozen times over the past few years, usually reserved for special occasions. I think we’ve been here for my birthday, brought a visiting parent here, Valentines day, and most recently our anniversary in June. It’s not necessarily a pricey place, but when we go here we go all out with drinks, apps, dessert, etc., so we don’t do it that often, not to mention it’s a drive from Brooklyn Park.
The menu is seasonal which is always fun, but they do have some that stay on there, one being the hanger steak with Bearnaise (?) sauce and fries which I finally tried last time after eying it every other time but never ordering it. It was so good, especially with that sauce, so buttery, wow! It was big though, I couldn’t finish it all!
The charcuterie plate and cheese plate we always order for our apps and are always delicious. You get to try new things, like duck gizzards, which were surprisingly delicious. The cheese I would say doesn’t come with enough crackers, fortunately the yummy bread basket you get makes up for the missing carbs.
Some of our past orders have been whole stuffed trout served on top of greens, very yummy. I’ve had gnocchi with butternut squash, while my dad and hubby have had the prosciutto wrapped pheasant leg. I also recall my husband having venison one of the times. All of the food has been top notch and delicious.
We always get the trio of Izzy’s ice cream for desert (salted caramel anyone?) and I usually get a coffee-​cocktail to go with. They have Surly on tap and always have interesting seasonal cocktails on the menu. Last time I had a hibiscus mojito, yum!
We personally have never had any problems with slow service either, so that’s a plus.
I would definitely give this place a shot if you’re looking for something new and fun. It’s great for a date night. You could probably escape with a decent bill if you only order 1 app, entrees, and one drink each.