Wells Roadside — Restaurant in Saint Louis Park

The food, staff and the service were great!

However, the limited accessible parking, with only one dedicated spot in the hot sun on the opposite side of the building from shaded seating was huge barrier.

And the parking spot was blocked by orange cones on one side which were meant to keep others from parking there, but also blocks wheelchair ramps from an accessible van or doors that need to be swung out wide for walkers and those that need a wide berth to get in and out of a vehicle. And there is no space on the north side as the parking spot immediately next to it is very tight.

And if trying to get around to the order window from the South side of the parking spot, that requires going the long way around through a gate which isn't even in the flow of the customer waiting line. Trying to access the order window through the main entrance and crossing through the customer line also causes major blockage for everyone.

On the north side of the accessible parking space there was a giant planter blocking access to the front entrance. That is a direct barrier to both able bodied customers as well as to anyone with mobility challenges.

Then there are doors that require an able bodied person to swing them open.

And then the bathroom doors? I didn't try the restrooms, but I don't recall seeing automated buttons to swing the metal covered doors open for those with mobility issues. I will have to check that if we ever go back again and will need to check if there are safety bars installed in the bathrooms.

It was extra work for me as I was busy carrying the parts of our orders back to our car multiple times s a car hop around the long side of the building past the physical obstacles which were a pain for me as an able bodied person. I can't imagine what that would be like for anyone who doesn't have the privilege of full health if they had to always schlep food back and forth to a family member who couldn't access the restaurant at all.

It wasn't worth it for my family member to get out of our vehicle and to try to navigate all of the obstacles and distance to get around the building to the shaded seating.

The assumption that everyone who wants to go there is able bodied, shows that the owners and investors most likely have never experienced temporary or long term mobility challenges themselves.

I recommend that they try using a cane, walker or wheelchair from start to finish from the parking lot to the dining area and the restrooms to see how that feels. Taking away the drive in service has made it even more inaccessible.

The menu board is hard to see in bright sunlight unless you completely remove your sunglasses. As I am photosensitive that's a challenge. And as I work professionally with people who are blind or have low vision, the low contrast against bright sunlight would make it difficult to read the menu board.

How they were able to get past ADA code reviews when the space was renovated is beyond me. I get that they had an existing footprint with the old building block, but they assume that everyone can get anywhere in the space. That's just not true. The logistics, just don't work.

With the already limited parking spot issues and the inhospitable building flow, the space makes it a challenge for anyone who isn't fully able bodied.

We were longtime fans of the space when it was Wagners and were very happy to see that it was brought back, but as it was our first time being there after the change over from Galaxy Drive In we were sad to see that additional new obstacles were now in place for those with mobility challenges.

Again, the staff were lovely, the food was great. But we will have to plan extra time and patience and go on a day when we are well rested if we wanted to go there again. The space is only meant for able...

We really excited for this place but the service was really disappointing. The kitchen was getting things out really efficiently and the food looked great. Unfortunately, my food was placed on the handoff without being called. After grabbing a table and picking up ice cream at the first window, my food still hadn’t been called. I went to the window to check and asked the guy at the pick up window, Ben, during a moment where he was chilling in between getting items handed to him, if he knew what number the order that was sitting there on the hand off was. He looked at me and condescendingly said “no I don’t know what that order is, I only know what I’m calling out.” ???? I’m sorry but if you fulfilled and called this tray of food out (AKA what seems to be your one job) how do you not know what order number this plate of food is????I was so put off by the way he spoke to me but I stood there patiently for like 3 mins. Food was sitting there getting cold, my shakes at my table were melting, and then numbers of orders after me were called out. I checked in during another lull and I kindly asked if he knew if my order number had been called. AGAIN in a condescending tone he says “well I must have because we are on orders after that.” Ok great! WHY DIDNT YOU MENTION THAT TO ME THE FIRST TIME I ASKED ABOUT THIS ORDER NUMBER!?! It is their opening weekend so I understand there being some kinks to work out but the bad attitude when I was being respectful is just so uncalled for. It honestly pissed me off so bad because I just ordered $50 of food just for it to sit out melting and getting cold while I was being disrespected. I brought the food to the table and my husband was said “oh the food’s ready? They didn’t call out our number”. Note to management, train your staff to be able to fulfill and manage orders or label the trays please!

The food wasn’t bad- got the double oklahoma smash and it was cooked well and the cheese was good. The birthday celebration shake was not it- it tasted like eggnog and the whip cream was not sweet at all. I only...

Ever go to place and pray it’s good? You’re rooting for them? Ever feel like you just wasted calories? Like you know it’s going to be naughty and full of grease and calories… but hopefully it’s worth it?

Unfortunately the road ends here for Wells Roadside. 2 people, $60+ bucks plus tip for another Instagram’ish fast casual that has less service & good vibes than fast food ie Taco Bell. Nothing lamer than tipping and having to bus your own table, toss the trash, and clean up the mess. Heck at least Culver’s gives you a number and they bring the food to you while never asking for a tip. You have to wait next to the pickup window because not a single person can hear their order coming since the PA mic barely works. So we stand there like dopes instead of casually waiting for our food at the table.

Talking about tables. There are park bench tables and tables along the wall that are so thin you can barely call them tables. It was also cold and we could see our breath. It was 31 degrees today. Pretty much everyone had their jackets on and that’s not fun eating with your parka. They have overhead heaters but it was very spotty. Let’s just say it was uncomfortable and not fun.

Finally onto the food. I was excited for the Jimmy sandwich. Ooof not getting that again. Tasteless and just not good. Ordered the Oklahoma burger with supposed wagyu beef. We ordered the single and double. Don’t even waste your time with the single… it’s barely a burger. The burgers were between mid to decent. The wagyu is gimmicky. The bun got soggy fast and the caramelized onions were barely caramelized. Had the fries with benefits too. It was ok and not worth the mess.

Gave it 2 stars. Overall poor execution. Price wasn’t too bad. But the zero service and asking for tip is hard to get over. The cold temperature and lack of care of customers left a bad vibe. They are pretty new and hope they get it together. They have multiple other brands of restaurants in the same caliber. Maybe they should focus on one brand...