Mancini’s Char House

Order the Large Filet and Lobster tail. As good as it gets in the Twin Cities. An Icon of St Paul. Old school palace. Great Job!
We will be back soon, As must for meat and seafood lovers

The food was just ok for the prices they charge. A good steak shouldn’t require any sauces, but theirs did. The place has some charm and sits a ton of people.

What can I say. If you enjoy a comfortable well cooked meal in the Twin Cities this is the place. The steaks, chops, and local seafood is top drawer! And the chefs and wait staff are extremely attentive!
So, skip those tacky chain restaurants and go for the real thing!

Tons of charm and great service at this steakhouse. If you’re a meat and potatoes kind of person, this is the perfect place for you. As other people have mentioned, the bread was awesome and so was the pickle/​tomato «relish». You can see the history of the place when exploring all the old photos on the walls. Definitely will check it out when I’m in town next!

We went to Macinins last night for our office holiday party. It was good but I wasn’t that impressed and was glad I didn’t pay for this meal other times we considered going. The biggest issue was the service. Our server confused 5 out of 6 of our meals. One person sent hers back because it was so overcooked. The rest of us traded steaks. Our sides were correct but our meat temps were mixed up. For $ 53 for the main course alone, I would expect the server to get my order correct. The steak was nothing special, Mannys or Burch are worth the slightly higher bill and significantly better service.

My dad has been recommending this place since before I could talk and I see why. I tend not to like fish unless it’s covered in beer, deep-​fried and at one of two chip shops in the North of Ireland. I’m hard to impress. But the blackened walleye here is unbelievably delicious. The baked potato was perfect, and the salad and dressings were superb. Their relish tray was also a treat but the real distinct side was the bread. Yes, the bread. Tasted like they had wiped the steak grill with it and it. Is. DEVASTATING. Our waitress was a little odd, but the rest of the staff seemed friendly. Great atmosphere; somewhere between a chop house and a hole-​in-​the-​wall. A real family place with history. Don’t miss it if you’re in the area. Can’t wait to try the steak!

Best steak and service period. The friendly staff make you feel at home and the décor brings you back to a period of greatness!

What a great dining experience! The New York Strip and Lobster were excellent. Pat Mancini continues the family legacy of this historic restaurant.
Thank you Pat, for a memorable evening.

Had our son’s grooms dinner here! We are from out of town and they were recommended by several people. They did a great job for our group of almost 50. Very attentive friendly staff, delicious steaks at a reasonable price. They helped make our wedding weekend super!

This was my first visit to Mancini’s. I’ve only lived here 50 plus years and have heard of the place, just never had a special event to warrant eating here.
A friend told me about a steak sandwich he had here that he thought was very good. I have had Philly cheesesteak sandwiches from around town, but a steak sandwich is entirely different than a Philly.
Today I decided to continue my search for great food on the St Paul side of the Twin Cities. A steak sandwich sounded good and Mancini’s need to be tried to.
My drive there was miserable because I went at evening rush hour. Once I got onto W. 7^th things went well. I got to Mancini’s and was quickly able to find a place to park. I went into the lounge area and took a seat at the bar. Ordered a beverage and asked for the lounge menu.
The lounge menu offers very limited choices. I think 4 choices. The steak, a chicken, do not remember the other choices. I chose the steak medium rare. For $ 2.00 additional, I swapped the kettle chips for french frys.
My sandwich was quickly cooked and brought out to me, It was an 8 oz sirloin, cooked medium rare on a toasted roll. The roll also had grill marks on the top half. The french frys looked to be about a large russet potato size. Skin on and fried decently. It came with a 2 oz container of a horseradish sauce. The bartender also offered up A1, Heinz 57 and Ketchup.
I tried the horse radish and decided I would go with that for my sandwich and use the ketchup for the frys. I smeared a little of the horseradish on the top bun and reassembled. Took a bite and it was very good. Really enjoyed the first half. The second half of my sandwich, I got a bit of gristle making it difficult to bite through and chew.
The frys were decent but could be a little more crisp. Better then any frys I have made at home. I am learning that there really is no such thing as Fresh Frys. A good fry is cut up, soaked in cold water for at least an hour, then pre-​cooked at a low oil temperature. Once pre– cooked, they are refrigerated at least an hour, if not over night. At this point, they can be fried again at a higher oil temperature and served. Or placed in a freezer bag to freeze until needed.
A couple of burger shops I am familiar with use this method. AKA the 2 fry method. If frys are pre-​cooked and a second cook when needed, how can they be called fresh frys if they were prepared maybe yesterday? I think of fresh as being cut now, cooked and served. Maybe swished around in cold water for 10 minutes or so. I understand a potato needs to be in cold water for quite a while to remove the excess starch. If the 2 fry method is needed to prepare a decent fry, fine. But do not call them fresh. Of course that is just my opinion.
Total bill came to 17.16. The sandwich was quite a bit more then what my friend had told me it was. But still I thought it was a reasonable price. The price I was told was VERY reasonable, but turned out to be not true. Was there a special that day he was there? Don’t know.
Keep in mind this was not a sandwich for a big eater. If you have been working a labor job all day, you probably need and want a larger sandwich. But it was plenty for me.
If there is a better steak sandwich in St Paul, I would appreciate knowing where. I need to compare this one with another.

Overrated. SORRY!
This place is clearly banking on their name and 50s-​era reputation. There is not much else going for it. It feels like because of this, they just don’t care.
We went for my dads bday, his request. This place is huge. I couldn’t figure out where the host stand was, and when I did I stood there a while before they looked up. My family was already seated, but they didn’t take me to the table, just pointed me in the direction with a vague «go left.» My sister came after me, had the same issue finding us.
The menu was extremely limited, which was to be expected at an «institution» — supposed to do a few things very well. Not the case. As others have mentioned, the steak was bland, also not as tender as I had hoped. I was surprised that there were no mashed potatoes on the menu. The relish tray was a little weird and kind of grossly soggy. The small salad comes on an embarrassing plastic plate, right out of a bag. People rave about the bread, but again, lackluster. Tacky little condiment packets really made it feel cheap. The water cups are tiny, it was annoying to keep refilling.
We didn’t order dessert, not even for a birthday dinner…
The atmosphere was also lacking. 1980s vinyl banquets chairs. Trying to feel classy while suburbans are wearing jerseys with «nice jeans» really killed it for me.
The bar had a better ambiance, and some cool old pictures hanging on the wall.
I’m embarrassed for this place. It seems like they have a high nose attitude because people are raving about what they think this place used to be. Rather go to Ruth’s Chris for that old timey ambiance.

We’ve been to the Minneapolis area several times but had never been to St Paul. We really like it and have had great meals in the restaurants here. Another fabulous meal in St Paul, a traditional old school steakhouse called Mancini’s Char House that knows how to do steaks right. Just great steaks. They bring out amazing charred garlic toast and a bowl of pickled veggies to get you going. Then a salad. My husband and I had their signature steak. A 13oz dry aged New York Strip chargrilled a perfect medium rare. Happiness.
The service was wonderful. Our very friendly wait person Sadie made our meal even more enjoyable. I’ve read some of the reviews including the negative ones. I don’t get it. This is not one of those avant gard nouveau places where they give tiny portions on huge plates. If you’re expecting that then you’re in the wrong place. This is just honest good food that specializes in great steaks.

Reasonable prices for good steaks. Service is very nice. This is not the place to go for fancy salads, artsy appetizers, or small portions. This is a great place to get grilled steak, perfectly baked potatoes, great relish tray, and an ice berg salad.
We just went last week to celebrate a high school graduation. They brought out a cake to celebrate.

I love Mancini’s, I really do. I had my grooms dinner here when I got married and so did my brother. Many times we’ve come here to celebrate various birthdays and anniversaries. That said, this love is really not because of the food (with one exception). You come here for the old school, throw back, Goodfellas vibe and of course the garlic toast. The lounge feels like Sinatra is sitting in the back booth, holding court. The band is bordering on comically bad but that’s what makes them good. Service has always been great. Yeah the salad is a huge disappointment, boring iceberg with nothing much else. The kind of salad you get in a bag. The steaks are hit and miss. It’s definitely not the best the steak I’ve had but the grilled char is very classic and adds a lot to the flavor. The filets are very tender, which is what I usually get. I’ve never been very impressed with the other cuts here. Maybe the steaks aren’t as great as they could be because I spend my first half hour eating slice after slice of that marvelous grilled garlic toast and I’m done in by the time the meal arrives. Yeah, that must be it.
Mancini’s is a great place to celebrate. It’s great for groups. It’s a bit loud and boisterous at times for sure. It’s like walking into a 1950’s movie. I will always recommend it to friends but just don’t expect that high end best steak of your life. Just sit back, relax, have a Brandy Old Fashioned, and enjoy the goings on.

I always appreciate a good blue collar steakhouse! Good service always.
The toasted garlic bread and pickeled vegatables are wonderful. I always get my New York Strip nice and bloody in the center, a real treat when I don’t feel like grilling my own steak at home.
It has an awesome atmosphere and is a staple of West 7^th Street in St. Paul!

This place was a lot bigger and more crowded than I expected. The food was good. The service was amazing, but for the price… I expected the ambiance to be a little more intimate and less noisy. It’s a great place to celebrate a birthday or other occasion. I think if I knew it was going to be boisterous and people would be walking around in hockey jerseys, I would have liked it more, but my expectations were obviously skewed. Not the fault of the restaurant. I blame you, Unilocal!:)

Our waiter Sean was awesome and the experience was very nice. The food as always was fabulous and the service always the best.
This is our favorite pre– Wild game spot. The free shuttle makes it a no-​stress experience.
Love everything about Mancini’s !!
Jaime Kastner

Who doesn’t love treating themselves to a nice juicy steak?
I love to try out new places in the Twin Cities and Mancini’s did not disappoint. I came here for dinner the other night with my boyfriend and his family. We were seated at a table of four right away. The atmosphere inside was spacious and rustic with holiday decorations everywhere giving off a festive and classic vibe. This is definitely a specialty restaurant and there are only about five steaks on the menu and a lobster or walleye option. But wow do they do their thing well!
Every table receives a relish tray and a giant bread basket to pick at or indulge in while deciding what to order and waiting for entrees.
*Warning: It’s hard to resist filling up on the bread!!!*
The relish tray contained tomatoes, pickles, and peppers; perfect for salt lovers! The garlic bread was thick, greasy, and tossed on the grill before served. It tastes like a burger bun and is delicious.
The service we received was mediocre. The waitress was attentive but not overly friendly. She didn’t seem to be enjoying her job… but she took our orders well and kept our water glasses full!
All of the steaks come with a basic house salad, and a baked potato or vegetables as an additional side. I ordered the petite 8oz filet cooked medium rare. They do the steaks really well. My meat was perfectly tender and verged on the rarer side. The filet melted in my mouth and was seasoned to perfection. I recommend getting a side of mushrooms or onions in addition to the baked potato to add some color/​veggies to the plate.
Great steaks for good prices that won’t dent your bank account too much! I’d definitely return again.

Mancini’s is a throwback, which is intended to be nothing but a compliment. The bar and lounge area are rivaled by few others in the area, save perhaps Nye’s and a few other Twin Cities relics, for its old school décor from a bygone era in fine dining.
Admittedly, the bar and lounge at Mancini’s are the biggest draw for yours truly. Strong drinks, a swanky décor from a generation I never got to experience and almost guaranteed interesting people watching makes for a consistently enjoyable evening. Mancini’s also offers a limited lounge menu — I’m fairly certain I could sustain myself off their grilled wings and garlic toast with minimal complaints (though admittedly it would probably be a pretty short life expectancy, especially with convenient access to a solid Old Fashioned whenever I wanted one).
I don’t hold quite the same esteem for the dining side of Mancini’s, as it’s fairly standard meat and potatoes fare, but it’s not pretending to be anything other than that. All meals are guaranteed some standard pickled items to nosh on, an excessive amount of garlic toast (which, really, you can never have too much of), a basic salad (i.e., iceberg or Caesar) and the meat of your choice. It’s not going to break the bank and it’ll be a fine steak — no more, no less.
Come for the strong drinks, grab a ginormous booth, watch your grandmother cut a rug to the polka band on stage and take a trip back in time, even if only for a cocktail or two.

Mancini’s is a St. Paul institution, and an old school supper club. I’ve been eating here on and off for years. I love going to this place on weekends and here’s way.
First the food, it’s old school, that means, relish trays, institutional side salads, prepackaged butter and sour cream for your tators, ect… For all the negative reviews about this kind of shit, go to Nye’s, Jax’s café, ect. Your going to find a lot of similarities of an old school supper club in the way the food is served. Just roll with it! The steaks are good, I agree with others they could season them with something. I’m not a big lobster guy but the grill lobster is pretty fucking good! The grilled garlic bread basket that Mancini’s rolls out to your table is outstanding!
Before and after dinner you need to swing in to the bar for a cocktail. The bar is rather large and is a time wrap back to an early 80’s remodel. I love it, an old school vibe. There is live entertainment several days of the week, Midas Touch is a band that plays there every other month. They are my fav band at the bar. It’s a variety band the plays music from the 50’s to the 80’s ish. Hang out and watch the old timers that are single, dance and pick up each other, I don’t mean from falling, but hooking up, if you know what I mean. The bar alone gets a 5 star rating alone!