Pink Ivy Kitchen and Bar — Restaurant in Hopkins

Update: The ownership provided a supportive reply and I’d ask that the wait staff just be updated on what ingredients contain allergens. Thank you.

Original Review: My partner and I were initially excited to try this place - the ambience was lovely, service started off strong; but things quickly unraveled.

We kicked off with the Tuna Tataki, which was light and fresh. Promising start. Then came the disaster: my partner ordered a burger with a gluten-free bun and specifically no soy-braised onions due to gluten sensitivity (as soy sauce contains gluten). Pretty straightforward, right? Wrong. The first burger came out with a regular bun.

After we tracked the waiter down to confirm, he kindly took it back, assuring us it would be remade correctly. It took 15 minutes while I awkwardly picked through my salmon. We stayed patient and were rest assured care was being taken.

Then came Round Two. This time, the waiter came back and apologized for the wait, but said it was promised to be a gluten-free bun - except it was literally topped with soy-braised onions... The one thing we asked to leave off originally. The onions were soaked in soy sauce and layered under the cheese between the patty, destroying the entire dish. At that point, it felt like the chef was just phoning it in. My partner tried picking them off, but the damage was done. The burger was sadly ruined, appetite gone out of fear.

To make things worse, when I asked if the soy sauce was gluten-free or regular, the waiter got confused and started conflating celiac disease with gluten intolerance. Not exactly comforting. When my partner explained that soy sauce contains gluten he said “you already have gluten on your plate” referring to the fries that were in possible cross-contaminated frying oil that my partner had confirmed was ok. There is a vast difference between shared frying oil and an active ingredient on the burger that no-doubt contains gluten. She asked for it without onions regardless.

After all that, no third attempt was offered despite our concerns about the onions. The inedible burger? Still on the bill. Apparently, a ruined meal and a potential allergic reaction is still full price here.

My salmon was good, but guess what? I cannot eat Gluten myself as I have celiac. Despite ordering a marked gluten-free dish, I woke up with familiar symptoms of cross-contamination. Awesome…

Mistakes happen, but this wasn’t just once. It was a complete disregard for dietary needs and a lack of basic kitchen awareness. If you value your health, or simply want a restaurant that takes allergens seriously, look elsewhere. I...

I had high expectations for Pink Ivy with all the positive feedback, but the experience I had with my partner has turned us away.

We arrived at the restaurant before our reservation time, and were promptly shown our table after getting the attention of the hostess. Our table was cozy, but too confined to enjoy an intimate dinner. The part of the restaurant we were located was not lit very well, and it was difficult to read the menu. Despite these inconveniences, we were both very excited to order.

Our waitress stopped at the table, and took our drink order. My partner ordered a cocktail, and I ordered a water since I did not have my ID on me at the time. The waitress checked my partner's ID, and gave it back without issue. Unfortunately, there must have been an issue. While we were attempting to browse the menu again, a new lady stopped by our table and introduced herself as one of the owners. She asked to see my partner's ID again. Confused, we obliged. She explained that our waitress was new, and is still learning how to check ID's. She inspected the ID and my partner's face multiple times before interrogating my partner about her age and physical appearance. She ultimately stated it was too dark, and took the ID to another area of the restaurant. She returned, and handed back the ID stating it was fine. We were also met with statements about the restaurant culture and that they are just trying to be safe. This interaction left a bad taste in our mouth. Our waitress returned to the area of our table, and we let them know we would be leaving.

This entire situation left us confused, hungry, and a bit humiliated.

Upon reading through the reviews of this restaurant. I can confidently say I will not need to give this place another chance. Many of the 5-star reviews are from a popular tiktok video. I understand the owner's may not have any responsibility regarding reviews from people who have never visited the restaurant. But, the ratings for this restaurant are obviously inflated and the experience did not come close to my...

We don’t get out as much as we’d like to try new restaurants, but we probably get out more than most. Super stoked to see this new opening in Hopkins and managed to snag an early reservation. Booked earlier in the week Reservations are pretty limited for a Friday night. We got 430 reservation which was fine in our book. The ambiance is well-decorated, with great music, intimate yet energetic—not urban center energetic, but lively for the location and size. The service was incredibly thoughtful, as was the menu. My wife and I love sharing dishes, and this menu catered perfectly to that, especially with the easily shareable entrée we ordered. Though we didn’t try the entrées this time, the steak or salmon would be my top picks for a future visit, and I'm 100% confident they’d be fantastic based on everything else we had.

We ordered the grilled Caesar and duck toast from the small plates menu, the chicken meatballs from the entrée menu, and the sweet potatoes from the shareable menu. We had about four or five dishes in total, plus two or three cocktails. While it’s not exactly a kid's place, bringing our nine-year-old felt comfortable, and they even had a kids' menu.

The wine selection and craft cocktails were perfect, and the bar area looked like a nice spot for a chat. Every single thing we tried was fantastic, with the sauces being particularly standout. The owner personally greeted us, adding a special touch to our experience. Having only been open a few weeks, they’re already excelling.

No complaints whatsoever and we will definitely be back. Coming from a slightly further out suburb (55391), I wish we had more places like this. Often, restaurants out here, even when pushing their limits, tend to be somewhat bland. A boutique-style place with creativity, great music, and this vibe would thrive, as there’s nothing like it outside the urban centers. While it doesn’t have the bustle of a downtown spot, it's a breath of fresh air and I believe it’s going to be very...