The Commodore Bar & Restaurant — Restaurant in Saint Paul

I would give a zero star if that was possible. Our party of 7 started our evening at the Lexington restaurant where we had a fabulous dinner . A couple of people in our group asked if we had been to the iconic Commodore Bar since the reopening. I grew up in St. Paul but live near Wayzata and hadn't had a chance to try it yet. 2 others in our party were in the same boat so we decided to have a "night cap" at the Commodore.....at least last what we thought! We arrived around 11:10 /11:15 and the ambiance is super cool. They did a great job with the interior mixing vintage with new. That's where the great impression ended. No one greeted us and we looked around for a while before we found a small table for two and pulled more chairs around the table to fit us all in. No biggie, we didn't care about the table size. We waited about 5 -7 minutes when Alvin approached our table and started to lecture us about how we were encroaching on his 2 customers at the table next to us which would've easily sat 6-8 people. I couldn't believe it! He went on and on and then turned to the other table and starting apologizing to them for our rudeness.....really? We had been chatting with the couple at that table for several minutes before anyone of the wait staff approached us and they were fine the closeness of the arrangement. In fact, when Alvin walked away they were embarrassed with Alvin's behavior and expressed that with us. I spent years waiting on tables in high school and college at the former Brother's restaurant and Deli in Highland Village (yes, I am dating myself) and then at the Carlton Celebrity Room in Bloomington (where the Mall if America is now located) and I would've been fired had I talked to a customer (s) the way Alvin lectured us. It was so incredibly rude. He was so loud that everyone heard him chastising us and we were embarrassed. He asked us to get up and wait until a table suitable for our size was available. I think it as clear that the did not want new customers near closing time. Fortunately, a table on the other side left so we just moved over. We could see a waiter and a bartender at the bar talking about us for several minutes before the waiter who was gnarly looking waiter came up and gave us menus (we already had menus) and said he would be back. We would ready to order and shared that they were near closing time and we wanted to get our order in and he assured us they would take our order shortly. He came back and one of the people in our group asked him why they didn't wipe down our table and he barked something out. Another person then asked why he was so rude and he told us that he had told one of the people in our group to wait until they had a table ready but we didn't. I wasn't aware that he had asked us to wait, but he could've handled it much more professionally and didn't need to be so rude and "bully like" We are middle aged adults (almost 60) and professionals. It is the worst treatment I have EVER had. Additionally, the waiter had his arms full of tattoos which is his personal choice, but I don't care to see them displayed in full view and he also had a giant nose ring. The company should have a policy on not allowing body piercings while at work and tattoos should be covered. Most importantly, I expected a lot more from this iconic establishment and could not have been more disappointed. We all got up and walked out. Only 7 people were impacted but between us we know a lot of people and we are telling others. I will never be back....such a shame. It had a cool vibe and I would've loved a night cap at this establishment, but two people...

The first time we went to the Commodore a year or two ago it was amazing. I had the best rabbit I've ever had there. We went back yesterday and they were having a pretty rough night. They were out of a number of specialty drinks, had run out of several cuts of meat, and also ran out of mushrooms. The menu on their website was (and still is of this writing) out of date so we weren't able to order one of the dishes we were planning on getting. The waitress told us it changed about a week ago. The menu is fairly limited and pretty oriented toward bar food at this point: Steaks/burgers/sandwiches/sliders make up a large portion of what's offered.

The quality of the food was generally decent though not excellent. Service was fairly slow but they had a large wedding party in the back room so I can't fault the staff as they seemed like they were trying their best. Nevertheless it took nearly an hour for my tea to arrive. On the other hand, mixed drinks from the bar arrived relatively quickly and my wife reported that hers was excellent. The venue itself was quite warm and very noisy due to the wedding crowd. After an hour or two they closed the doors to the back room which helped immensely (I wish they would have done that right away!). My recommendation at this point is to hit up the Commodore's bar for one of their excellent drinks but head to dinner elsewhere.

Suggestions to the owner: Don't run out of food! Make sure your website is up to date. Bring back some of the unique dishes you previously had that made the commodore stand out from the crowd. Finally: if you are going to take on a large wedding party, make sure you can handle...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 10/10 Experience – A Perfect Venue with Exceptional Service!

We cannot say enough wonderful things about The Commodore Restaurant in Saint Paul, Minnesota. This was our second time using this stunning location for wedding photography, and once again, it exceeded all expectations. The timeless, Gatsby-style elegance and historic charm of the venue provided the perfect backdrop for our special day — the ambience alone is worth the visit!

A very special thank you goes to Lydia, the on-site coordinator, whose professionalism and attention to detail made everything seamless. From our very first interaction, Lydia was incredibly prompt, thorough, and kind — she truly understood our needs and went above and beyond to accommodate us. She made the process of securing the location easy and stress-free, even offering suggestions to help us make the most of the space.

And to top it all off, the team surprised our wedding party with a complimentary bottle of champagne — such a thoughtful and classy touch that made us feel truly celebrated and welcomed.

We wholeheartedly recommend The Commodore to anyone looking for a rich, elegant, and dapper venue for photos or events. Whether it’s your first time or your fifth, this place continues to impress.

Thank you, Commodore, and especially Lydia — you helped make our wedding day...