The Tavern Grill Apple Valley — Restaurant in Apple Valley

New review: Not sure what's happening but my my last few visits haven't been very great. We hadn't gone for a month to the Tavern and when we did came back things seem different. Couple items worth noting.

The staff doesn't seem very well trained. Looks like there's been a lot of turnover. We ordered the Ahi tuna and the rice it came with was old. We had to ask for new rice, which was delicious when fresh. Unfortunate they started out by serving bad rice though. On our last visit we had ordered 2 burgers to be cooked medium-well. They both came bloody (super rare). We told our server that our burgers were way undercooked and she didn't know what to do. She ended up getting the manager. The manager made it all even more awkward asking us what we "wanted to do" in a rude manner. We just wanted burgers cooked medium-well. He made it awkward and gave us the impressions "how dare you ask" for this. No apologies. When the burgers came back again, they were still basically just as rare. After that the server avoided us for the rest of our visit except to bring us our bill. We were very nice the entire time about the entire ordeal. All we ever expected was "Sorry to hear about that, let me get them to cook that more for you". But the entire situation was weird. I know I mentioned the noise below in my review but this last time it was just too much. They should probably figure out some way to reduce it a bit. I felt like we were in a club and had to scream at each other so people across the table could hear, it was difficult and unsuccessful.

I think we are probably over the Tavern for a while. Previous review: Wow, can't get enough of this place. We come here at least once a week since we moved here in May and also get take out at least once a week. All the food is so delicious!!! Food tastes amaizing, and portions are fantastic. Pizza is especially good! On top of that with the club card 25oz IPAs are only 5-5.50 and we get 20% off food, even on happy hour specials! When we go to other places we can't help but ponder how much more delicious the Tavern is and how much less expensive they are in comparison. All the staff are also very pleasant and attentive!! Love the ambient and livelyhood of the restaurant Looking forward to continue being regulars!!

Favorites: Bang bang shrimp Onion Rings Club sandwich All burgers Pizzas (didn't like taco) Fish sandwich Customized Spinach salad Baked Spaghetti French Dip

Hard to try new items when we like what we've already tried 😏

Lots of wonder servers. Notably Tim an Flynn!

It gets busy so be sure to add yourself to the waiting list!

Update: We continue to try other restaurants as well but so often we end up saying: "wish we would have gone to the tavern instead! Cheaper and lots of leftovers to take home!" We just feel guilty going...

This is a great casual place to stop and have dinner. We have never had bad food or service there. As soon as you walk through the door the host(ess) greets you and gets you to a table. There is patio seating available. We have not had the opportunity to sit out there yet. Not because it was full or closed, but because I'm extremely sensitive to the heat and humidity. We prefer to sit in the bar section and they have always accommodated that request. The high top tables are spacious and have comfortable chairs. The high top tables have a footrest built in and I can reach them. That isn't always the case since in 5'0". The bartender was absolutely amazing. She was super attentive and a rockstar making drinks even though it was kind of busy. I love that they have build your own order sheets at every table. You can build your own bloody mary, salad, burger and pizza. The build your own options are extensive. It's super easy to understand. All you do is write your name and check the boxes next to what you want. The salad starts at 15.00 and it clearly states the price for certain add ins. The salads are huge. My ol'man and I can share one and be full. We usually get chicken, tenderloin and seared ahi with ours. The burgers are great as are the bloody marys. You get burger size options which is great if you're sharing. I believe you can substitute a vegetarian patty also. They have a gluten-free bun option which is nice for our celiac friends. There are a ton of cheese and topping options including egg, avocado, bacon, peanut butter, etc. I have not personally had the pizza but our daughters fiance loved his. He had the BBQ chicken pizza and everyone at the table that tried it said it was amazing. My favorite appetizer is the bruschetta. It has been perfection everytime and the olive tapenade is comes with has a great flavor without being too salty. The bang-bang shrimp is a close second to the bruschetta. There is a full bar with a decent wine list. The only 2 things I have tried from the bar is the build your own bloody mary and the blackberry long island. I'm not usually a fan of sweet drinks but the blackberry long island is to die for. The bloody mary build your own has a lot of options as well. You can choose your vodka and type of mix. Being able to choose my mix made my black little bartender heart happy. If you get a chance definitely stop in and give The Tavern a try. They have several locations around the metro area. We have only been to the one in Apple Valley so I can't vouch for the others but if I had to guess I would think they would...

Feel bad writing this, as all other visits, (half a dozen or so), have been just fine. On Valentine's day 2025, the experience was pretty bad. First, our waitress was in a rough mood from the start & I think all surrounding tables would agree she had a very tense vibe. Totally understand the food industry can be hectic, having been in that position once upon a time myself. Our food came out all over the place...We got our salads, then appetizer, then about half hour later, the entrees. I ordered the walleye which came out paper -thin & charred black. Couldn't even cut through it & there were black chunks of God-knows-what on top of it. The rice on the plate, next to the fish, was basically a rubber bounce-ball. And I NEVER send food back, or complain when someone else is doing the cooking, but jeezuz. I don't know what D-squad dive-bar cook was working the kitchen that night, but no one in their right mind would take a look at that plate & think it was ok to serve. When the waitress came to check on us, I showed her the plate & she was instantly annoyed with ME...not the cook who created this mess. It wasn't her fault that the food was trash, but her attitude was well within her control & it was embarassing. All she said was: "if you want it re-done, not gonna lie, it's gonna be like-30-45 minutes." Nothing about--oh I dunno--a replacement?? I was there for a meal, after all. I can take a hint, so I said "no thanks" & handed her the plate. She responded with, "I'll see if I can get part of it comped for you." And she walked away. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin other diners' Valentines Day by making this waitress even more angry & causing a scene. When the check came, she finally gave a half-hearted apology--which I guess, better late than never, but probably only to salvage a decent tip. Again, this is the first time we've had a bad experience here, so it's not fun to write this review. But I read other like-reviews from the same date, so felt compelled to corroborate them with my own experience. And it's definitely going to impact any future decisions to come back, so I assume management would want to know. I expect better from a...