The Draft Horse

Our first visit was for a late midweek lunch, I’m only posting two stars, but the place has potential. Stay tuned.
We arrived after 1PM and there were only a few customers. Service, however, was slow and inattentive. No reason for that.
My wife had the cheese curds and pronounced them excellent. I ordered the meat plate, chef’s choice charcuterie assortment. All the flavors on the board were very good, but the two salumis were sliced thin enough to read a newspaper through (ok for salumis) but I think I got two slices each. Maybe an ounce total. The toasted baguette pieces were probably good once, but I think they had been made much earlier, maybe even the previous day, and left to absorb water from the air. So what should have been crispy was kind of tough. At $ 14, my guess is that the food cost for this dish doesn’t begin to approach 20%. A little more attention to detail and a little less of the miser’s touch on the salumi and it could have been good. Easy to fix if they choose to do it. Will they?

I went here for dinner last night with a large group. There were many positives about the meal and experience and a couple very minor negatives.
The positives: the pot pies were delicious. Flaky crusts, lots of meaty fillings. I tried the chicken and the beef and both were very well prepared and tasty. The cauliflower au gratin — also great. A friend and I ordered the meat and cheese tray and I thought it was very well curated. The cheeses were unique but accessible.
Another positive was the service. Attentive but unobtrusive. Friendly. Always was on top of drink orders and kept waters full.
One more positive was the atmosphere. Cute, quaint, great lighting. Loved it.
Two very minor negatives: the crostini that came with the meat and cheese tray was so hard it was difficult to eat. It wasn’t toasted, it was stale. Our server replaced it with bread, no problem. Also, the Brussels sprouts with bacon weren’t great. The smokey flavor didn’t really compliment the nuttiness of the Brussels sprouts very well and they needed a touch more salt.
Generally, very good place and I would definitely go back.

Pretty cool place. Date night. We had the short rib pot pie & brick chicken. Both were exceptional. Great atmosphere Not noisy. We will be back

This is a cute little café-​style restaurant located in NorthEast Minneapolis, that is the hidden gem of pot pies in the city. I’ve had both the chicken and beef pies the two times I have been here, and though they are small, they are packed with flavor and will stick to your ribs. The crust is very buttery with a light flakiness that isn’t too overbearing (like a Swanson’s pot pie from the frozen aisle, where it is all crust). The meat is chunked, and filled throughout. I never had a bite where I didn’t get at least one piece of chicken or beef. My favorite, if I had to pick one, is the chicken pot pie. I really liked the tenderness of the chicken, the slight crunchiness of the carrots, and the light bit of pepper seasoning the entire dish. Pair it with a Bauhaus Wonderstuff, or a Miraculum, and you will have a feeling of fullness for the next few hours.
The prices are reasonable, and the service has been great each time I have been here… I believe I have been served by the owners both times I have been in here. With the relative small size of the room, I am sure this place has the ability to get packed on a Friday or Saturday night… my recommendation is to come on a Wednesday or Thursday night, we’ve been seated and served right away each time.

I have had bad restaurant experiences. I have had very bad restaurant experiences. Today at Draft Horse I had the WORST restaurant experience of my life.
Arrived at 12 PM; did not see water or a server for well over 15 minutes.
Our drink order never happened.
Server finally takes our food order almost an HOUR later. Super frustrating because the place was only like half full and we’re talking about lunch on a Tuesday. Come on.
Finally get our drinks, well, SOME of us that is. Server forgot to bring 1 person’s soda. We remind him about it. Server is unapologetic and gives us some serious attitude.
Server returns a good while later with even more attitude to take our food order.
No sign of the forgotten soda.
Different server brings 2 people their food, several minutes pass before our original server returns and 2 more people get their food. We ask again about the missing soda. More piss poor attitude from him.
Several SEVERAL minutes pass until the final 2 people in our group get their food and (MY GAWD!) the soda arrives.
But, crap! 1 person’s order was totally incorrect.
Flag server down, ask for the order to be corrected. Server gets all fussy about it before going back to the kitchen for the right dish.
Other than terrible service the food is very mediocre. Portions are small. Prices are crazy high. 12 bucks for a simple salad of arugula is ridiculous.
To all the people out there looking for a basic pleasant and friendly a place in eat in NE Minneapolis: do yourself a huge favor and stay away from Draft Horse. Like FAR FAR away.

The best meal we have had in so long! My husband and I arrived in time to order from their happy hour tasting menu and decided on the salt and pepper ribs. For $ 8 we received four of the most delicious and meatiest ribs we have ever had. We joked that our toothless 11 month old could have eaten these ribs as the meat was so tender it fell off of the bone. We also ordered the vegetable pot pie, which even though it was plenty to share, it was so good we wished we had of ordered one each. The pot pie was piping hot and filled with carrots, peas, celery, brusell sprouts, potatoes and parsnips (or perhaps they were turnips). The gravy they were served in was delectable. We each had a draft beer to accompany the meal, and all of this for $ 27.00. The atmosphere was comfortable, inviting and cozy. We can’t wait to go back!

Restaurant was cute. Food was a mixed bag. Waiter was the worst.
It took 20 minutes to take our lunch order. Then he didn’t bring drinks for some of the people at our table. It took him another 15 to bring another drink after asking twice. Then he brought the wrong food for one of us. He was so bad another server had to bring our food (she was lovely). It wasn’t like he was flustered — the restaurant wasn’t crowded.
He wasn’t apologetic about it in any way just seemed put off that we were bothering him by ordering food and asking for it in a timely manner.
Also, is it that hard to put a spring on a door? We had to get up to close the door a half dozen times to keep from freezing.
The restaurant deserves 2 – 3 stars, the server deserves none.

The little flowers on the table were cute. This is the beginning of my criticism sandwich.
Our server was surly, ineffectual, and unapologetic. I can forgive mistakes – we’re all human, after all – but bad attitudes are not fun to be around.
I feel like there is potential for the food to be good here. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. My pot pie had a nice crust, but the fillings were overdone and congealed into a gravy-​like paste. Good flavor, but awful texture. It was also way too hot to eat in its cast-​iron serving dish. The soup-​of-​the-​day (squash) was pretty good, but the offering felt much more like a «cup» than the advertised «bowl.»
The door was constantly left open by folks going in and out, and we had to get up and close it ourselves multiple times to avoid blasts of cold air.
Overall, I probably will not go back.
To finish my criticism sandwich, the renovations to the building look very nice.

Newly opened in the food building, we were in NE this weekend and needed a little lunch.
One of our companions said they have the best pot pies, so we made this place our choice.
I was a little sad as the espresso machine was down — and it was really cold outside! But no matter.. .
The pot pies were really great, perfect balance of pot pie type things, gravy, chicken, veggies and a super flaky delicious crust.
My hubs was really hungry so also ordered a fried bologna sandwich. It came on super crusty bread with homemade chip, it was really good even though I’m not a fan of the bologna typically!
We tried the Ricotta cheesecake and it was delicious, although I thought at the time it was a little on the spendy side — but I can’t be sure.
Anyways — it’s delicious and you should probably go.

Great addition to the Minneapolis restaurant scene! I was there last night with a larger group. The space is a little small and the staff did a great job accommodating us. The meat and cheese plate was amazing, pot pies are fabulous and I will be craving their cauliflower gratin. I love that their ingredients are sourced locally and their happy hour specials are such a value. I will be going back soon!

Love, love, love this place! The veggie pot pie is delish, the cauliflower gratin is a MUST & the ambience is cozy & unique. I will definitely be returning!

I am #blessed to have Draft Horse walking distance from my house!
I’ve been to DH twice since it opened and I haven’t been disappointed!
Someone mentioned it was disappoint because rot was «expensive». I beg to differ. For two we each got a drink, shared a cheese curd (which you HAVE to get. Their gravy is insanely awesome) and we shared a meat main (short ribs) with a side of Brussels Sprouts. All the portions were super generous and we didn’t leave hungry. And that was about $ 60.
$ 60 for a delicious meal, extra friendly service and a restaurant that sources locally = hell of a deal!

This cozy new place hit the mark in so many good ways. Not only is the food as fresh as it comes but it offers the perfect blend of MN all under one roof. We couldn’t decide what to eat first so we shared several dishes including the speck sandwich and whisky onion soup, a perfect pairing in which to dip. We also shared the cheese curds which was both hearty and delicious. I’m already planning my next visit so I can try the well reviewed pot pies. Come with an appetite and room for some pints!

Went tonight w 2 friends. The charcuterie was fantastic. The cheese was outstanding. We shared the meat & cheese plate, pretty spot on w pricing for what we got, wanted to try one more meat option (there were 2 meats but 3 cheeses), but maybe that’s their plan… leave you wanting to try another delicious item for next time.
We split a pot pie and a bunch of sides after that — the cauliflower was in a kick ass cheesy sauce that felt fattening in a GREAT way, but it was pretty cold compared to super hot other items and needed some seasoning. Brussels yummy w some sort of vinegar finish or something? The bacon on the brussels was awesome. Bread yummy but I wanted a touch more salt w the house butter… and just more butter because I like butter. Chix pot pie yum and we loved how piping hot it stayed all through the meal — so awesome looking when brought to the table, and the portion seemed very generous. Tasty overall experience. Like in the way that makes you want to eat with your hands without shame (trust me, I have none when it comes to food this yummy). And I couldn’t stop eating so there ya go, ignore reviews when people can’t stop eating, right?
Drinks good, but I got a mint gin something that either needed less simple syrup or more booze but I liked it nonetheless… just not giving me the desired effect (booze). Negroni on point. Cute cocktail glasses. Happy w $ 5 house wine. Bar menu needs more cocktail options or a booze list as bottles are hard to see behind the bar. I didn’t really know what to order once I ordered both things on the cocktail list I would drink and our server wasn’t helpful.
Service not awesome, but it’s opening week and opening restaurants is hard so I’ll hold my opinions back. Gals working host and management awesome, but our server left a lot to be desired, especially since it’s opening week — get excited dude, and like, try to sell something or suggest something, or do anything than (sub)standard steps of service, and it took a good 20 minutes and like 900 eye contacts to get our bill — like are you waiting for me to snap and holler at you? I’m not rude, so you’ll be waiting a while. Whatever, don’t want to complain because it was a great night overall. I’ll be back soon and often. Totally enjoyed and want to spend $ there. Thanks for your efforts folks!

Nice find. Cozy atmosphere. Everything is locally sourced, some from right there in the building from red table meats and lone grazer creamery. Had the cheese curds, meat and cheese plate and short rib. Everything was really nice. Finished off with ricotta cheese cake. We’ll be back.

Neat little place. Cozy & quaint. Cool bar and small tables for dining. A nice addition to the Northeast neighborhood.
Service was good and friendly. The music playing was barely audible during our visit (on day 2 of opening).
Most of the menu is locally sourced with the meats and cheeses made next door. The meat & cheese plate looked and tasted great. Beer selection was good — all local.
A big letdown was the high lunch prices ($ 50 +tip for 2 of us, just 1 drink each — some items even reduced in price following opening day).
I was hoping this would be a place I could eat lunch at a couple times a week… Instead, more like every couple months. Although nice, I didn’t get the bang for my buck for a lunch dining experience.
I do plan to check out the Happy Hour tasting menu soon and update review.