Sidebar at Surdyk’s — Restaurant in Minneapolis

I have gone to Surdyk's so many times over the years - to pick up gruyere cheese and a baguette to make fondue, grab a bottle of wine to take to a party, pick up a few slices of dessert on a Saturday. When they put in Sidebar, I looked through the doorway, but didn't really think much about it. Friday we decided to go try out their cocktails. We traded our reserved table with another couple and sat at the bar.

The staff is great. And they know cocktails. This was a lovely discovery, since a number of places we visited lately did not do cocktails well at all.

I ordered the Tokyo Riff - yuzu vodka, cranberry liqueur, Vikre's herbal liqueur, and lime. When I asked if it was sweet, the bartender said he could add more lime for me. Which he did. It is a complex and very interesting cocktail. My husband ordered the No Sleep Till Brooklyn. We have had many cocktails over the years, and my husband declared it to be one of the best cocktails he had ever been served. It has bourbon, vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and an unusual bourbon liqueur. The bartender extended my husband's comments to the woman who designed the drink. Very interesting person!

We ordered the cheese and charcuterie board. It was fantastic! All three cheeses were sensational, the pate was delicious, and even the slices of the unusual salami were great. The condiments balanced the cheese and meat choices very well, and the sweet and salty additions to the platter went perfectly with everything else. And finally, a place that serves enough crackers to go with the rest of the cheeseboard contents.

We also tried the sweet corn fritters, and the dipping crema was a great foil for the fried dish.

The staff behind the bar were knowledgeable and attentive, despite how busy they were. Honestly, they were fantastic!

When we were leaving, we noticed almost 3/4 of the people were eating the burgers. We will have to do that next time.

I highly recommend you stop by. Make reservations. The place is very busy. Also, don't enter via the cheese shop, because the hostess is at the door on the...

9/27/25: we're back celebrating my wife's belated birthday and our friend's upcoming birthday. Our server, Kylee H, was knowledgeable with the cocktails. I enjoyed my Burrata Salad w French Fries (small portion for $8, really?); my wife liked her (green) Gazpacho and Deviled Eggs. Our friends (who dine here quite frequently) had their favorites: Burger, and Bucatini. The star-rating was updated.

4/23/22: our server, Daniel A, was excellent and very friendly. I enjoy the Wild & Pear Free NA drink, my wife liked her Start Me Up cocktail. My wife's Alabama White BBQ Spare Ribs were very good. My order of the Campanelle Shrimp Fra Diavolo was OK, everything came out look kind of brownish, not appealing. I wish the chef would have topped it with some fresh herbs for a nicer presentation. All in all: service was a 5-star, food was a 4-star.

12/16/21:We came back 7 months later. Our server, Sophie L, was friendly, knowledgeable of the menu, and courteous. Cocktails, Wine, and Foods were great.

5/12/21: Fantastic service from Kate C. We let her know right away that our group is fully vaccinated, and we mask up walking around the place. The cocktails (Smash Bang Boom, and That Don't Impress Me Much) were nicely presented and tasted good. We also enjoyed the Cheese Plate, and the Marinated Olives, such an incentive idea from the chef. I had the Strip Steak, tasted a bit salty, and still flavorful. My wife really liked her Roasted Halibut. It's nice to have another dining option in the...

A charming new addition to Surdyk's, I met a friend for Happy Hour at Sidebar and loved their fun atmosphere. Table/booth seating is limited and most of the spots were taken with reservations so, if you're looking to avoid sitting at the bar, snag a reservation in advance. Bar seating was fine and they also had a patio, although I'm not sure I'd want to sit on the sidewalk next to Hennepin Ave with all of the construction happening right now. Bar tender service was friendly, but very slow. Bar tenders also were unaware how to make classic cocktails and, despite supposedly having a full bar, were unable to make of the cocktails we asked for due to lack of ingredients. Seems ironic, considering how they're literally connected to a liquor store. Cocktails were also very pricey, ranging from $12-$18, which seems very steep considering what we got. We didn't order food, but folks around us did and it looked quite Instagram-able in its presentation although I can't vouch for it's taste. Given my experience, I see Sidebar more as a late night, after dinner spot for folks to grab a drink or two before heading home rather than a full...