Mason Jar Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Eagan

Let me start with the fact this is one of my favorite restaurants so I wasn’t sure if I should write this review, but I’m still dumbfounded by last night. Our waitress was great, this is more about management. A friend and I went for dinner and decided to pick from the restaurant week menu. We both picked the strip steak. Both of our steaks came out overcooked. Her Med-rare was med-well and my med-well was well done/charred. Not good, but edible. The issue was that I was getting mouthfuls of fat that I had to spit out (ugh, sorry). I shared this with the waitress who was sympathetic and asked if I wanted a new one. I said no, but had just wanted to let her know since this was not normal for the restaurant. She came back and said the manager apologized and would take half off, which wasn’t necessary, but appreciated. She again offered a new steak for me, but my friend was almost done eating so I declined. After the 3rd offer, I decided to say yes and she took my plate with the sides I was enjoying, but not done. A few minutes later, she came back with a mortified look on her face. She told me that her manager told her to tell me that if they recooked it, I would have to pay full price. I couldn’t believe the manager put her in this position. I declined since my friend was done dinner and it was almost 8:30pm. She said she would get the manager since she felt terrible. The manager came over, asked what the issue was. As I explained what happened (how did he not know) he looked at me with no reaction. He then offered a new steak at no charge or I could take one home. At this point I was over it. We sat at 7:35 and we had already been there and hour, and I wasn’t going to make my friend wait for my food. I couldn’t even process what I was experiencing. As I was talking to the manager about what he could do at this point, our dessert came. I declined his offer of steak after my dessert and just wanted to be done. He said there would be no charge for my food (which they took away from me when they told me they would cook a new one). Uh, thanks! The manager should never have put the waitress in this position and he handled the situation horribly. I would have finished my meal if I wasn’t offered a discount and then a remake, but they took away my steak that I wasn’t even half done and the rest of my sides. He lacked any interpersonal skills and seemed more annoyed than anything. This is not what I expect from a restaurant I go to often and always enjoy. I hope this is just a one off, but this manager definitely needs...

THOROUGH WARNING Context: I've eaten here with friends and family at least ten times now. I've held back in reviewing this place for some time, and now that they have finished renovations, it seems like a great time to share my perspective. Here is what I've found.

SERVICE (10/10) The wait staff is always friendly, professional, and on top of things. You won't miss with the hosts and servers.

ATMOSPHERE (10/10) The atmosphere is really lovely. The way they decorated with the lighting, mason jars, and everything just creates a warm yet modern environment. It's great for a date and for the family.

The new renovations with the bar and opening area are stunning!

FOOD (8.5/10) Recently, they elevated their flavors and food with their Spring menu. Historically, I found 50% of the food to be a little lacking flavor (Like the Minnesota favorites, but perhaps that's because Minnesota favorites are not known for high flavor) and 50% of the menu to be delicious (Salmon salad, their butternut squash ravioli, chicken wings, and ghost pepper chicken sandwich to name a few)! However, this new menu has bolder and more delectable flavors. I am really excited to eat it them all!

Their coffee and cupcakes are excellent! Their happy hour has a fantastic selection and is wonderfully priced.

Finally, you CANNOT BEAT THIER BREAKFAST DEAL! Delicious breakfast, well garnished at a screaming deal. Best breakfast deal around.

A SMALL CRITIQUE My wife recently made this comment, "What is their identity?" With the new elevated menu with delicious duck pasta and Wagu sliders, it took Mason Jar to another level in quality. However, it begs the question, "who are they?" Are they the home of Minnesota favorites? A cupcake place? The photos of lambs on the walls and animals in clothing on the wallpaper in the bathroom give confusing messaging about what they are about. This is not a big deal, but just something that we've wondered and I just would hate for them to try to do too much and cater to too many kinds of tastes and styles.

CONCLUSION (9/10) Mike, Frank, Daniel, (I sadly forgot some other names) and the team are building something great! Prices are reasonable, tastes are great, atmosphere is terrific, service is fantastic, and specials are hard to beat! Mason Jar is a great place to have on a regular rotation for business, dates, and...

Today was probably one of the worst displays of poor customer service that I’ve ever experienced. With the exception of our server (who was great), the service was unacceptable.

When I arrived, several employees (the young lady at the ice cream counter and the young man behind the bar) saw me standing at the host station and did not come over to help. The guy even walked over to the ice cream counter, ate a scoop of ice cream, and had a conversation with the young woman about how much he liked the flavor. They both watched me watching them having this conversation and still didn’t come over to help.

I was waiting for a friend, so I decided to sit down on the bench at the entrance. In the span of 5 minutes, 3 people entered the restaurant and were acknowledged, seated and still no one said anything to me. A woman/server even came to the host station, tapped on the tablet, and didn’t even look up.

While she was on the tablet, a man with tattoos (who I assume was the manager), walked up to the host station and he also said nothing to me. That’s when an elderly woman walked up, and he greeted and seated her. He then came back and greeted and seated the couple that came in after her. Still, he said nothing to me. A few seconds later, my friend arrived and we were seated.

I assumed that the young lady at the ice cream counter and the guy behind the bar felt like seating people wasn’t their job, so that’s why they didn’t step in. However, I later saw the guy from behind the bar (and maybe the woman from the ice cream counter - I wasn’t sure if it was her) greeting and seating customers.

The food (cheese quesadillas and chips and dip) was decent and the drink (mama needs a mojito) was great. But that service was just...