Big Bowl Ridgedale — Restaurant in Minnetonka

Big Bowl Memoirs: Two Food Lovers and the Unflappable Gwen

Last Friday night, the stars aligned, and I finally whisked my lovely wife off to a romantic date. The destination? Big Bowl in Ridgedale Mall, home of her beloved Pad Thai. We were so on the ball that we arrived 15 minutes early for our 6:30 PM reservation, and the host, perhaps fearing we might start a flash mob in the waiting area, seated us promptly. The booth was right next to the bar, a spot I eyed with suspicion, but my wife was thrilled, so who was I to argue?

Enter Gwen, our server, who doubled as the bartender and possibly the mall's security guard in her spare time. Her face fell when we ordered water, a beverage clearly beneath her mixology skills. My wife, ever the empath, sensed Gwen's disappointment and ordered Green Tea. Gwen's face? Still unimpressed. She's a no-nonsense kind of gal, which clashed with my wife's love for playing "20 Questions: Restaurant Edition."

We ordered two Chicken Pad Thais with shrimp and a side of white rice for that extra culinary flair. The ambiance was perfect for deep conversation, despite the parade of patrons passing by. The lighting was so flattering; my wife looked like a supermodel. Either that, or I'm just head over heels in love. Probably both.

Gwen was attentive but not clingy, a balance as delicate as the red chili sauce that nearly melted my face off. Pro tip: approach with caution! I devoured 90 percent of my plate while my wife daintily nibbled 10 percent of hers. Next time, we'll just order one and save room for dessert. But hey, leftovers for days!

The meal was a hit, and my fortune cookie promised a "usual gift freely given." I'm still puzzling over that one, but I'll take it. Big Bowl, you've earned a solid 4.75 stars from this satisfied customer. Keep up the great work, and Gwen, if you're reading this, we'll order something other than water next time. Maybe even something with bubbles. But don't get too excited; we might just...

WOW! I was truly blown away by our experience at this particular Big Bowl location, and I hope that management/corporate sees this review. I've been to Big Bowl in Edina and Roseville many times, but this location in particular truly made an impact.

Our server was Chelsea. She is one of the most attentive, friendly, and helpful servers I've ever experienced as a diner. I told her I have Celiac disease and she ensured she would make sure the kitchen staff took extra precautionary actions when preparing my meal. She even asked "Do you have any other allergies I should note?" while taking our order, which I appreciated so much. She served us with a smile, checked on us frequently about our meals/drinks, and made our entire experience phenomenal. Big Bowl should pat themselves on the back for having such a wonderful person part of their staff.

Upon leaving, my husband and I agreed that our server was truly the reason our experience was so great. She handled the busy bar area, as well as the high-top tables, with grace and patience. She deserves recognition for her incredible customer service skills, and because of her, we will be back at this location as often as possible.

Wish I could rate higher that 5/5. The food was delicious, service was exceptional, and the ambiance was lovely. Portions were huge, we both took home leftovers. They even offer GF desserts! This place is a great restaurant for anyone, but if you have food allergies/sensitivities, they will be able to accommodate you. HIGHLY recommended, we...

Gosh the customer service is phenomenal!!! Lady below in the reviews saying she recieved horrible service and questioned if she did because they were Asian is wrong for that because my parents and my siblings and us have no complaints at all and were treated soo fairly and we're Asian. Mark, the manager, came around and was very attentive to us too. He made such a great impression to the restaurant he is managing and we were all very impressed. Everyone around us was working very hard and had great communication. Our server was very attentive and very helpful too. The place is so well kept and organized and very beautiful. Honestly, I would give this place a four star is because the food was okay! But the great customer service makes up for it. I wouldn't call this place "authentic asian food" but it was decent americanized asian food. The pad see ew and the chicken lo mein had very little noodles. I'm a huge noodle person and there was so many more vegetables than noodles... i was so disappointed and my family noticed there were barely any noodles either but dish seemed so big. And sweet and sour shrimp was not good at all. Sauce was very bitter, and watered down it seemed. The curry looked amazing but just didnt impress us 😫. But the general tso chicken, ribs, and deserts were sooooo...