The Uptowner Cafe on Grand — Restaurant in Saint Paul

I have been going to The Uptown Cafe since 1991 when it was an awesome late nite place and have many fond memories throughout the years there. It was one of the first places I went to in 2018 when I moved back from Seattle. The owners over the years have kept the original menu and that was smart, food has remained pretty consistent. I waited tables for 20 years from very fast pace breakfast and lunch to fine dining seafood restaurants so I know something about serving people. I was in Uptown Cafe Monday morning August 29th and when I walked in I was told to seat myself, so I sat at the counter. Immediately I was approached. I said "Hi how are you today" instead of returning the pleasantry she just said in a friendly way that my server will be right with me. When I was approached by my server I said "Hello how are you" again the pleasantry was never returned. So I just blurted out what I wanted so I could get out of there asap. I was never asked if I wanted a beverage, never asked if I wanted anything else and never asked how my food was. I tipped less than half of what I normally do and do not plan to return until it's under new ownership. I think if I was reading this I would assume that they were young but the servers working the room that day were X-Gen I believe or not much younger. Sad that people working in a job where over half your income derives from tips would at least do the bare minimum. I have no memory in my years of serving that I didn't say Hi to a guest. These two that day should not be serving. As a rideshare driver I've been sending people to this restaurant for years, so embarrassed. Hope they weren't treated like I was when I was there. I'm not saying don't eat here. But if you are treated as rudely as I was simply don't tip them. Rudeness should never be rewarded. I regret not throwing the cook a 5 spot and stiffing the...

It all depends on what you like, I guess. I can see how this place could have a cult following -- the portions are huge and it has that down-to-earth feel (the anti-chain restaurant). But if you value quality, cleanliness, and healthfulness, this is not the place for you. The restaurant essentially epitomizes the greasy spoon stereotype. [new paragraph]

Walking in, I immediately noticed the lack of cleanliness. That's not always a bad thing -- part of the charm of a hometown establishment can come from its clutter and lived-in quality. But in this case, it goes well beyond that. There was literally grease dripping from a vent in the ceiling, down the wall, and over a framed picture. My fork was visibly dirty; I had to wipe it off with my napkin. [new paragraph]

As for the food, the portions may be large, but they were swimming in grease, and not very tasty, either (unless you simply love the taste of greasy food). I had the Cajun breakfast after reading recommendations of it here. I couldn't finish even half of it, it was so greasy. My wife had the French toast; it wasn't grease-soaked, at least, but it was bland and uninteresting. Even the sourdough toast with my meal was soaked in what tasted like imitation butter. I'd rather it had been plain. [new paragraph]

On the plus side, the wait staff was friendly. The prices would have been reasonable had the food been at least halfway decent. [new paragraph]

If you're looking for good quality at a reasonable price, there are much better options in the St. Paul area. If price is your main factor, The Little Oven is cheaper than the Uptowner with better quality food. If quality is your main factor, The Woodbury Cafe has superb quality and is only slightly more...

Was interested in trying something new...a mom and pop type place that I could bring my wife...place was packed...& to my surprise is why the owner blew me off like a noone! I ordered the wrong item on the menu...I wanted chili....when u order chili it comes in a bowl not wrapped in a omelet....it didn't even hit the table....I did recieve my chili but it was cold...after talking to my wife this morning she finally came through and thought her special that she had ordered was below par...I was alittle slow to realize I paid $16 not just for my wife's special but for mine as well....chili shouldn't be that expensive...our total bill came to $50....I still felt bad about the situation and tipped both the waitress & the cook for my mistake $10 each. After reviewing the bill it still bothered me...I called to talk to a manager and they said I would receive a call back. The call never came. I called 4 hours later and the manager still would not take the call and I heard in the background the owner would be in on Tuesday. Tuesday came and nothing....I called in with 10 minutes to go before they closed and the owner Dan was unaware of the situation....he refused to make things right and told me that my wife and I need to find a different place to dine....I read all of the reviews before writing mine and I told Dan the owner that I wanted a better experience and a refund from the dinner to the bowl of chili or I was going to write a negative review....WHEN BUSINESS IS GOOD....SCREW THE CUSTOMER!....WHEN THEY ARE HURTING FOR BUSINESS THEY WILL MAKE IT RIGHT....TAKE YOUR TIME AND READ DANS REPLYS TO THE ONE OR 2 STAR REVIEWS....THEY ALL SOUNDED THE SAME AND I AM SURE HE NEVER INTENDED TO MAKE IT RIGHT WITH THEM AS...