The Tavern Grill Minnetonka — Restaurant in Minnetonka

First of all, the server, John, seemed nice, but he should not be working front of the house or in any customer-facing position. He is clearly way too shy, introverted, soft-spoken, passive, and socially awkward to do well with customer service. As a server you need to be confident enough to look at people and communicate clearly...to ask follow up questions if you're not sure. The main problem is that I ordered a pizza on gluten free crust, but was given a pizza with regular crust. My friends confirmed that they heard me say gluten-free crust. I ate a few of the tiniest squares of pizza I've ever had with only one or no toppings on each square (cutting pizza in squares is annoying, but that's not the issue). The pizza tasted OK, nothing special, although the toppings were pretty sparse. I commented to my friends that the crust didn't seem gluten free. Not because it was extra delicious, chewy, and big as a I would expect from a gluten crust, but tasted like flour and was very small. At that point, I should've verified that my order was correct, but instead I ate a little more and got a box for the rest. I noticed on the check that it didn't say Gluten free or have an additional charge for GF. I asked my server if my pizza was GF because it didn't say that on the check. He shrugged, said it should be, and started to walk away. I stopped him and asked if he rung in a gluten-free pizza because it doesn't say anything on the check. He said that pizza toppings don't show up on the check, I said the crust isn't a topping, but still didn't seem like he knew. I asked him to go back to the kitchen and verify that my pizza was gluten free. He came back and said it was NOT gluten free and apologized. I told him that his mistake is going to ruin my entire Christmas weekend because I'll be sick for the next 3+ days. He apologized again, but didn't offer to comp my meal or anything. I told him I'm not paying for my meal when it's his fault he didn't ring my order in correctly and asked for the manager. The manager apologized and I said the server's mistake is going to ruin my entire Christmas weekend. She tried to say that they can't guarantee that there won't be cross-contamination because they use a lot of gluten-containing foods. I said serving me a pizza on gluten-containing crust isn't cross-contamination, it's completely disregarding allergy awareness. She said she was refunding the charges to my card, but my card was not refunded as promised. My bank shows a finalized charge posted to my account. She gave me a gift card to use "if I decide to come back." I have no intentions of revisiting this restaurant so that's worthless. I shouldn't have to pay for anything because his carelessness did, in fact, ruin my entire Christmas weekend. I didn't leave the house for 3 days following this meal...including Christmas Eve and Day, and missed spending time with my family.

I'm aware of the risks of cross-contamination and don't typically react to tiny amounts of gluten. I take gluten enzymes before eating at restaurants just in case there's small gluten exposure. Eating almost half of a regular pizza is more gluten than I've had in 15 years and needless to say, my body was not happy. I'll spare you the gruesome details, but I couldn't leave the house because I had to be close to a bathroom for several days. Plus, I felt achy, flushed, and my head hurt the rest of that day so I had to go home early from Christmas shopping at the mall and canceled my plans that evening. I'm finally starting to feel better a week later. So I don't believe I should be charged anything for this horrible experience and my entire bill should be refunded...

Unfortunately, my visit to The Tavern Grill didn't meet my expectations, leaving me disappointed with both the dining experience and the accommodation of allergens. Despite the elevated prices that suggested a commitment to handling allergens more carefully, there were noticeable gaps in both the kitchen and front-of-house practices.

A significant issue arose with the lack of clear gluten-free indicators on the main menu. The only options provided were to swap a regular bun or crust for a gluten-free alternative. When I inquired about a dedicated gluten-free menu, the server initially claimed there wasn't one, only to later find it, revealing a potential lack of training or unfamiliarity with allergen protocols.

What bothered me most was that the gluten-free alternatives offered, such as swapping a bun or crust, didn't genuinely address allergies. The oversight of other potentially gluten-containing ingredients or cross-contamination risks made me question the purpose of providing gluten-free options when essential aspects seemed overlooked.

Expressing concern about cross-contamination with pizzas, I asked about the possibility of cooking gluten-free crusts separately. Unfortunately, the server informed us that all pizzas were cooked on the same surface, adding to my disappointment.

Taking these issues into account – the absence of transparent allergen information, mixed responses, and the revelation of shared cooking surfaces – the higher prices felt unjustified for the overall dining experience. I had hoped for a seamless and safe meal at The Tavern, but this visit left me disappointed. Sharing this feedback is my way of contributing to an improved dining experience, though as things stand, I don't plan on returning.

To compound matters, our initial experience at The Tavern lacked a proper greeting upon entry. We stood at the hostess stand for several minutes, expecting assistance with seating or at least a simple acknowledgment. This initial lapse in hospitality set a disappointing tone for the evening.

Adding to the letdown, the ambiance at The Tavern fell short of expectations. The lights were surprisingly bright for a Thursday night at 6:30 PM, and the overall atmosphere lacked the warmth and positive vibes one would hope for, further detracting from the overall dining experience.

Regrettably, the staff appeared somewhat aloof, compounding the diminishing appeal of The Tavern. I share these observations with the hope that the establishment can address these concerns and provide a more satisfying experience for...

Very disappointed in this location. I have eaten at the Blaine and Woodbury locations before and never had an experience like this. First the hostesses were giving out inaccurate wait times… in the service industry, you should always under promise and over deliver. The manager also scolded the hostesses in front of guests waiting to be seated. We should have known then to walk out the door. Our kids were hungry and we were already waiting for 30 min at this point so we stuck it out until we were seated. First thing we ordered were drinks. I was the only one that ordered a water. I asked for a water 3 different times before finally walking up to the bar and getting my own. When the food came, they forgot one of my children’s meals. They said they didn’t know both the older 2 wanted food so they put their order in. Then the manager comes back and says “well I guess you guys will just steal someone else’s order then” I told him that wasn’t necessary and we could wait. He said no just take it since the others food from that order isn’t ready… (if that was the case was the original comment really necessary?). The fish fry was not done in the middle… kind of like an undone pancake with doughy middle. The manager also checked in with every single table without small children. I watched him walk around the restaurant asking people about their experience but he seemed to skip over all of the tables that were families with young children. The message has been received. This is not a family friendly restaurant (at least at this location). I was appalled by how unprofessional the manager was and how he knew how many mistakes were made at our table but didn’t even give us the time of day. I will say the bartender was super friendly. Although he was super busy, he got my water for me right away and even made a friendly comment so at least...