The Harriet Brasserie — Restaurant in Minneapolis

If you have any food issues AT ALL, including food allergies or intolerances, DO NOT GO HERE. They are explicitly unwilling to work with customers to make menu substitutions or changes. I say this with sadness, because we previously had a great dinner experience here, but my girlfriend and I had a miserable experience at brunch this Sunday that will keep us from going ever again. She has several serious food intolerances, which can be challenging, but we've learned to politely request substitutions or portions of the dish on the side. I'm sure it's annoying, but most restaurants are happy to do their best to help. On Sunday, she had her heart set on the tostadas, but can't eat beans. The waitress told us she wouldn't recommend that substitution because the beans "make the dish." We politely explained that she may be right, and the beans are probably very good, but my girlfriend can't eat beans and thinks she would be very happy with the dish without them. The waitress said she didn't think the cooks would make it without the beans, because they're "very particular about their menu." We asked her to please see if the kitchen would be willing to accommodate this request. She said she was "99.9% sure the chef would say no." We again asked, please at least ask and see what they say. The waitress pressed us to give a second menu option in case the answer was no. We did that, but reiterated again that we wanted her to ask the kitchen if they would accommodate our simple request for no beans. Rather than ask the kitchen, the waitress simply put in the second menu item. After all that, the second item, the duck tacos, came out with creme fresche and my,girlfriend had asked for all dairy to be left off. After all that hassle, we canceled the breakfast order. As a "comp," the waitress took a single drink off our bill, but I still ended up paying $20 to sit and eat while my girlfriend watched me. We couldn't believe the waitress wouldn't ask the kitchen to make the substitution or at least come back out, tell us what the kitchen said, and see if we could find a better solution. This was the most disappointed we have been with a dining experience in a long time. If you have ANY food issues, look elsewhere because this restaurant is utterly unwilling to make any...

Hair in food, bad service, bland tasting. Disappointing all the way around. Both my birthday guest and I found the food very bland and we like NO spice -- we like bland -- but this was too bland and dry for us. One thing I did like, was the hashbrowns, until I lifted a forkful to my mouth and saw a wiry, dark hair swimming in the oil. Turned my stomach. No more hashbrowns. Meanwhile, like another reviewer wrote, it was impossible to get service. There were only two tables of two people each in there--mostly empty. Which meant the two waitstaff had one table each. But they chose to take the slow pace and ignore the clientele. Everyone was frustrated trying to get their attention for coffee, water, hair in food, or other needs. The two wouldn't stop talking to each other. Then lo and behold, the cook walked out, and his beard and moustache matched the hair in my food--and they were not covered. I had to keep looking at the hair until we finally caught our waitstaff's attention. She finally came and took the plate with the hair away. It was so gross. When we got our bill the price of the hasbrowns had been removed. The whole bill should have been free for that gross experience and presumably breaking the health code about covering beard/moustache with a hairnet. I felt so bad that I was treating someone to lunch for their birthday and we pretended we were enjoying the meal and then afterwards learned that we each found our different meals bland and dry (and mine was hairy). Never again. Waste of a...

Nestled in a hidden brownstone building with a cute entrance is where you would find Harriet Brasserie.  The interior is classic and charming with a full bar and several tables for dining.  The hostess who is also our waitress was attentive, polite, and patient; especially when it took us a long time to decide on what to order when my guest and I got chatting trying to catch up.  The high ceiling and wide windows let wonderful natural light in which really let the decor shine with characters on each wall and a well displayed stocked bar.  Though limited seating, the vibe of the place is comfy and welcoming.

For brunch, I order the quiche lorraine made with bacon, onion confit, and gruyere.  This dish was buttery smooth and fluffy with a great balance of savory flavors.  I've had several quiche lorraines at many places for brunch, this one at Harriet Brasserie is one of my top 3 favorites in the twin cities.  My guest had the tostadas with two eggs, crispy tortillas, pinto beans, salsa, queso fresco, avocado, and lettuce. Though the dish looks light in weight, the amount of pinto beans were plenty and filling. This dish was light in flavors but fills you up quickly.  Wish I had ordered a drink from their menu or bar but that just means I need to go back for dinner.

Overall, I would recommend this place for the atmosphere and to try some of their interesting dishes while sipping on a beverage. If a cozy dining space is not your thing, this place may...