Banquets of Minnesota — Attraction in Fridley

It won’t let me post with zero stars, or I would. I cannot fathom why they have so many good reviews after going there tonight. Really, do not book here. My niece was a beautiful bride and she and her new husband planned a lovely ceremony, so I won’t quite say that the wedding was ruined by Banquets of Minnesota staff, but that is the risk you run booking here. Don’t pay for your guests to be bullied.

I’ve worked customer service and I understand that everyone has off days, but I have never had such an unpleasant experience with a customer-facing employee at a hospitality venue as I had tonight. The lack of professionalism that we experienced at Banquets of Minnesota was wildly out of bounds. Do not book this venue.

I went here as a guest for a wedding and I was shocked at the rudeness of one member of staff, who had been brusquely barking orders at guests from the start. She started the evening by scaring the little kids with harsh admonitions not to go anywhere near the other end of the hall. We had preschoolers crying about being “yelled at.” Great start to the wedding.

At dinner, we moved two tables together as people very often do (and we weren’t the first to do this at tonight’s event). We would have been perfectly fine with being asked politely to put them back, but that’s not what happened. The same staff member scolded us like naughty children and two small (actual) children who were playing under the table were hit with table legs when she shoved it indignantly back where it was.

I have never seen such disproportionately angry behavior from hospitality staff over a very minor issue before and said, “wow,” to the person next to me. She then became belligerent saying, “Wow, what? What do you mean, ‘Wow?’” Me: “We’re fine with moving the table, but you are being quite rude about it right now.” She then argued that she was not being impolite and said that she was sorry that we “took it the wrong way.” That’s not an apology. It was a bizarre and off-putting experience. It ruined the night for me, and after talking to other guests, I found that my experience was not unique.

When she heard me mention “reviews” to my brother, she returned and offered a drawn-out, defensive “apology” and lingered at the table badgering us to say that everything was fine. It was not fine. It was weird and extremely unpleasant. I would never attend an event there again.

The manager later apologized and offered us a drink, but the whole initial exchange with the employee was so strange, argumentative, and uncomfortable that all I wanted at that point was to be left in peace and not have the bride further stressed out or my evening further spoiled.

I edited my initial review to soften it, but that changed when I went out into the hallway near the end of the evening to get something from the car and overheard same employee complaining to other staff about us objecting to her bizarre behavior. Additionally , she was ridiculing guests out in the open where anyone could hear it. Wildly unprofessional! This conveyed the impression that this wasn’t just one employee having a bad night, but that more of the staff were hostile to our party and many of the guests felt uncomfortable remaining at the event. They really ruined the evening.

Most of the staff were lovely, but the unhinged hostility of the one and her bad-mouthing guests to the other staff absolutely cast a shadow over the evening for many of the guests. My story is not the only one from tonight. The family had a good time despite the unprofessional behavior, but I would not book here if I were looking for my guests to have a pleasant time. I’m so sorry for the couple that they paid for their guests to be berated and mocked. Again: the price may seem right, but you risk having your event ruined. Book instead where you will be treated with a modicum of respect — that’s not Banquets...

We held a New Year's Eve wedding here in the Olympian room on 12/31/15, and this place is top notch. I was the groom in the wedding. We were a bit concerned early on because they had a pretty laid back and hands off approach (whereas we wanted them to hold our hand through the whole process to make sure everything was perfect), but there was no reason to be concerned. They had it all figured out, and they operate in a simple and low anxiety sort of way. They were flexible enough to allow us in the day before our wedding to set up, and there was staff on hand throughout that process to help us make any rearrangements or changes that we requested. Dan and Leslie are both great at what they do, and were both very helpful.

During the event, everything ran smoothly. We used Midwest Sound as our DJ (which is on the Banquets of Minnesota vendors page), and that was a great choice, also. They clearly work with this facility often, and our DJ coordinated with the event staff at the banquet hall to make sure the entire night flowed smoothly, just how we wanted. We also got an ice carving from the vendor listed on their website, and his work is amazing. I would highly recommend spending the extra couple hundred bucks to add the "wow factor" of a unique and beautiful ice sculpture.

Outside of my groom perspective, I can also say that the guest experience is fantastic. Both ballrooms are beautiful, and they offer all sorts of add ons which allow you to make your reception as plain or as elaborate as you wish. Beyond this, the food was exceptional (the stuffed chicken was an absolute crowd pleaser). The service staff was on point, the bartenders are quick, drinks are cheap, the sound system is good, the space is large, the facility and bathrooms are clean, their bride and groom preparation areas are a cool feature, and the price for all of this is very competitive.

I simply do not have anything negative to say about the facility, the staff, or our experience. They exceeded our expectations, and I would highly recommend you look into Banquets of Minnesota for your...

I am not certain I have the right words to express how truly grateful I am to Leslie and the entire Banquets crew in Fridley for making my wedding day amazing. Throughout the process, Leslie was professional and helpful. She always had great advice when we were struggling with decisions (which beer to buy for our guests/which food options to choose/which linens to use/etc...). I was planning our wedding while living overseas in the Peace Corps and she was completely flexible with me in our unique situation.

The banquet halls themselves are GORGEOUS. All of my guests said so. The permanent draping looked so elegant - and once all the tables were decorated and everything in place - I had to take a step back and just admire.

All of my guests commented on the food. I didn't get to eat too much (typical bride right?) but what I ate was incredible! And it was beautifully presented in the buffet. We had mimosas and sandwiches provided to us as we got ready - the boys had beer and sandwiches while they played Xbox in their getting ready rooms. The getting ready suite for the girls was perfectly lit and a good amount of space for all our stuff!

Leslie worked with all my vendors to get them set up - I hardly had to speak with them if they needed anything - she was on top of it.

To top it all off - Leslie was even there to help with my bustle before the grand entrance because everyone was struggling with it!

Going above and beyond seemed second nature for her - my reception was simply perfect. We all had so much fun!

Thank...