Union 32 Craft House — Restaurant in Eagan

If you're having hunger problems, I feel bad for you son, I got 32 problems, but the beer ain't one! Okay... so maybe it's not quite 32 problems, but the hunger problem was definitely an issue for my wife after a stop by the newest restaurant to hit the Twin Cities food scene.

That new place that had me singing Jay-Z on the way out the door was Union 32 Craft House in Eagan at the intersection of Hwy 55 and Dodd Road. This place hasn't even been open a month and there are definitely plenty of growing pains to get through, at least from our perspective and I hope some changes I'm about to suggest will help keep this place open.

They have two unique concepts that sets them apart from anyone else - one is called The Wall and their kitchen has been dubbed an Indoor Food Truck. The Wall is a wall with 32 taps, all from Minnesota breweries and you use a card to unlock the flow of suds that you pour yourself and keep a running tab going. They also have their own inhouse brewery and 4 beers to soon be released and added to the wall. As for the Indoor Food Truck, this is what needs some major overhauling and I wouldn't describe it as "upscale pub fare" as their website suggests.

They have a lunch and dinner menu (not sure it's necessary) with sandwiches, wraps, A burger, A salad, some apps and no menu for the kiddos. It comes across as more of a happy hour/after work kind of place with an excellent selection of brews and some grub to go with your brews. After grabbing a flight of some brews to try, it was time to try the food! And this is where things quickly went south and if I was the owner, I would overhaul the entire menu and start over.

We ordered; the Pork Tacos, Chicken Tenders Basket, Sausage and Pepperoni Flat Bread and the Pretzel Sticks. Sounds like a ton of food, but the portions are just fine for sharing. Started to nibble on the pretzel sticks and they were actually pretty good, but a pleasing meal was short lived. The style of pork that they put in their tacos belongs on a sandwich with some BBQ sauce which they should just do. A taco option could stay on the menu, but the pork needs to fit in the picture correctly.

The chicken tenders were completely flavorless, but if you add a little ranch, that should help. Certainly, keep an option like this on the menu, but then find a chicken tender that has some flavor and something you would be excited about serving up. As for the flat bread, take it right off the menu and don't look back. It looked and tasted like something that came out of bulk packaging you can buy at Costco or Sam's for a lunch at work. My wife even said, "I would take the pizza they serve at Sam's at their food counter over this flat bread" and I would have to agree.

As for the rest of the menu, well after reading everything else, nothing really is exciting. Nothing jumps out screaming, try me, try me, try me! As I mentioned earlier, my wife was feeling a little hungry and that's because she didn't eat much of anything that was at our table and neither did I really... We both joked, "Think they would get offended if we went next door to grab a Jimmy John's and bring it back?" I would certainly have been a better option. Keep it simple - a well prepared burger or two with side options to add on, maybe an extreme grilled cheese sandwich or a Philly...

There is plenty of room for growth and definitely some needed changes to the menu and I hope changes are made because I really like the beer wall and indoor food truck concepts and the fact that everything on the wall is from Minnesota. But, It's going to be quite a while before we make another trip and hopefully it gets...

First time visit wasn’t sure what to expect. We walk in and see the “seat yourself” sign. Grab a table and then realize there is no server coming to take our order. Food ordered at the window (onion ring appetizer, grilled chicken wrap and a burger. :::::::45 minutes pass:::::: I return to the window to inquire about our food. I’m told a bunch of orders came in and they got slammed that food should be out shortly. Unapologetic and kind of rude, this interaction (tall guy in a baseball hat who seemed too busy flirting with staff) really rubbed me the wrong way.

Food came out, room temp. Onion rings were warm, not hot. Grilled chicken wrap was room temp, not hot, and served with a handful of waffle fries. Note: all food was not served at the same time. Finally the burger comes out, about an hour after we ordered. Burger was warm didn’t seem freshly prepared. Weird.

Bar is self service also, ordered a glass of Sauvy B, came to $12 and change for the glass. Water is available at the bar with carafes and cups to help yourself. U fortunately, after pouring a glass of water we found a hair (long blonde) stuck inside the carafe. When I handed it to a server passing by (also blonde) she looked at it until I pointed out the hair and she replied “oh, weird”, then walked away.

Several beers on tap, tables of all sizes to accommodate small and large groups. Private room in the back had musicians headed that way (guitars) so I’m assuming they hold private events.

Plenty of parking, seating was easy to find, they were about half full. So much potential but based on the self service and overall employee interactions this was a one and done. Too many other breweries in the area to spend money on a less than...

Dispense your own drink out of a wall of 32 beer taps? Whaaat? Stumbled upon this brewery in an unexpected space between a Jimmy John's and Caribou. If it's your first time here it can be a little confusing. (According to the bartender, this type of set up is popular in CA & CO.) So you stop at the bar and they give you a beer card after giving them a credit card. You go to the wall of dispensers, grab a tasting or pint glass from a shelf, and slide your card in the slot above the beer tap of your choice. Dispense as much as you want and move to the next or get more if that's your winner! Your card will show you how much you were charged. With 32 beer options, you will find something you enjoy for sure! We both ended up with the 56 Sexy Beach after a few samples. Highly recommend! It's a milkshake IPA. Slurp! Things to note- check the happy hour. Monday was happy hour all day after 3pm. However you must order those drinks from the bar for the discount. The menu will say "(bar)" after the beer description on the beer wall if you can get it for HH price at the bar. Hungry? They have a "What the Truck" menu with appetizers, lunch/dinner, and kid meal options. $2 off during HH. We ordered the chicken tacos and pork tacos. The flour tortillas with the chicken were fried which I personally don't like but the pork ones were not and LOADED with pork. They could've used a sauce of some sort but were still good. The tacos come with tortilla chips and salsa. Our server Kofi was great with a warm smile on his face. Spacious brewery with TVs and some arcade games. Check it...