The Bier Boutique — Restaurant in Saint Petersburg

The ambiance is what you would expect it to be based on the name. It’s like if 3 daughters and the Yard had a child. The place was definitely cared for. Clean, bathrooms were clean, definitely a step up from their competition. There is no physical menu that I saw. We were all invited to scan a QR code. It would have been nice if there were at least two standees on the table with a QR code. So we had to take turns passing it around the table to begin our ordering.

The waitress, unfortunately, I cannot remember her name, was amazing. She deserves to have her name included in this review, but I have the worst memory, please extend my apologies for not remembering her name.(We were there 2/27, @ 6 pm ET). The service she provided was great. And when she was taking our order, she was pointing out the things she loves to eat there. And again I thought ‘that’s what they all say’. Right? How many times have you heard a waitstaff claim ‘Yes the fish is good here’, and when you get it, it’s like what the hell were they talking about. But the way the waitress was describing the food was different. It was almost like she was describing the different dishes as if she genuinely liked them. She took our drink order and left with a “you’ll see, the food is great here”. Naturally, I was like, bring it on!

As far as the drink menu goes, lots of Bier choices, lots of wine. My Birthday party was the weekend prior, so I was still in detox mode, so I just glanced over the booze options. But the list was pretty extensive, I’ll definitely be back for the adult beverages after my liver has had some time to heal. The food options were interesting. And this is where the experience shifted to something more unique. Yes, like some restaurants, the titles for their meals were entertaining and original, but the ingredient list gave me a nudge like ‘who’s the mastermind behind the dishes’. I can honestly say, I have never struggled with choosing what to order from a menu. It all ‘sounded’ amazing.

This is when I realized, the ‘boutique’ in Bier Boutique. Which then had me wondering, what does ‘Bier’ mean, which I learned was an old English term that means ‘to carry’. Which is was very fitting, because the experience did carry me on to some of the best food I have ever had. Maybe even THE best food I have ever had.

Everyone ordered something unique at the table, and here is why.

The options were plentiful, and the descriptions just made it too difficult to choose something on the menu. So everyone in our party decided to get something unique, and we’ll just take bites off of each other's plates. It was a sampling experience! I have NEVER been to a restaurant where everyone at the table was willing to share. I have written a lot of reviews about food. I’m not going to do that here.

The food was too good, to simply just describe it by the flavor. But I promise you, it was NEXT level good. Like so good, it will leave you wondering what they did to the food to make it that good. But what I will say is, the number one thing that stuck out to me about the food, beyond the flavor pairing, It was FRESH. If I have one description about what I ate form everyone’s plate. The flavor was ‘fresh’. Like they had a farm in the kitchen fresh. I love to cook, I grind my own meat, I cooked with freshly grown greens, I know what fresh tastes like, and...

We had a most delicious and fun experience in this wonderfully eclectic neighborhood eatery overlooking tiny Round Lake. That's right! Round Lake at 465 7th Ave. N. very close to downtown. The only drawback was finding legal parking, but a place opened up after two go rounds. Finding the door was a trip, too, since it is not lighted and to the left of the front porch, for screened in outdoor seating at the bar, and other tables. Inside, the sliding orange door opens up to the other side of the bar and widely spaced hightop tables. Great social distancing in the time of COVID. Our server, I believe his name was Gabriel, was super attentive, almost too attentive to be honest. He was dressed to the max for their Ugly Sweater Contest Night, which apparently one had to register for to participate. The prizes given out were really quite astonishing and worth wearing a sweater on a warm night! The place has about 19 artisan beers on tap, but I am not a beer or Bier drinker. I tried a Blackberry Fizz, normally made with gin, but made specifically for me with vodka. It was OK, as I love berries, but my friend had tried their red sangria. It was so delicious that for my second drink I opted for a white sangria. It came without any cinnamon, but Gabriel was kind enough to get some from the kitchen. It really made it perfect! We went wild over Candied Bacon, which takes hours to make, layering beer then maple syrup over and over. Truly YUMMILICIOUS!. Our other appetizer was Poblano Pepper and Corn Dip with Chips. It was also delicious and a treat for the tongue. Even better though were the entree salads, Wedge Salad with Steak and Blue Cheese Dressing. Huge pieces of Hanger steak, bacon pieces, and chunky blue cheese over two small heads of leaf lettuce with grilled cherry tomatoes were to die for! Each bite was delightful! We had just decided we were not able to fit in another bite, when Gabriel offered their only dessert. I had seen it earlier at home on their online menu, and mentioned it to my partner. A salted caramel shortcake with creme fresh. Naturally, we broke down and split one as my friend loves salted caramel. It was superb. It was the final taste thrill of a wonderful evening. It started out as a simple jaunt to try a new place in town, not intended as a special night at all, but it turned out to be a very special time indeed. Though it is hidden away in an old residential area with a few businesses down the street, it is well worth setting your GPS, or simply turning right off 4th St. onto 7th Ave. N. Enjoy !...

Second chance fails due to A Culture of Mediocrity

Our second visit to this restaurant started poorly and never recovered. We were seated without menus and told by the server that only partial ones were available—if we wanted the full menu, we’d have to scan a QR code and view it on our phones. The digital menu was clunky and hard to navigate, which immediately killed the energy at our table of four. We went from chatting happily to silently staring at our screens. For that alone, this place earns one star. I’m tired of restaurants being too cheap to print menus and shifting the burden onto customers.

Unfortunately, things only got worse. We ordered a hamburger and asked for it to be cut in half so we could share it. The server told us they “don’t do that” but offered to bring a knife. Yet, ironically, the two other sandwiches at our table came already sliced in half. When I attempted to cut the burger myself—with a butter knife, no less—it fell apart, made worse by the fact that it was cooked well-done instead of the medium-rare we ordered.

Our salads were also served incorrectly. The cucumber salad was on the wrong plate, and we had to switch them ourselves. And speaking of that salad—it was a mess. Large, raw chunks of onion, like something meant for a burger, were tossed in with the cucumbers. In a vinegar-based salad, onions should be thinly sliced or pickled—not haphazardly chopped and overpowering.

To top it off, we ordered another round of drinks. The bartender made them promptly, but our server left them sitting on the bar while doing side work like putting away silverware. We eventually got up and retrieved them ourselves.

In short, this restaurant suffers from a clear culture of mediocrity—from the lack of menus, to the mishandled food, to inattentive service. I won’t be returning, and I would not recommend...