Olde Brick House — Restaurant in St. Cloud

This is my favorite restaurant in St. Cloud, by far. The flavors are incredible, everything is cooked to perfection, and the options are divine. I've been here over 5 times, and the food has never let me down.

The lemon chicken piccata was so amazing that I got it at least 3 times in a row and created a recipe based on it so I could have it at home occasionally, too.

A few years ago, I tried some sort of stew and potato option where the meat was falling apart and the potatoes were melting in my mouth.

This most recent time might have been the best yet. When torn between the seared tuna, salmon oscar, or stuffed salmon, the server recommended the last option, and I wasn't let down. The risotto was wonderfully lemony and paired perfectly with the salmon, layered with a superbly spiced cheese mixture on the inside. On top of that, we ordered mussels for the table. They were made in a delightfully creamy, dreamy sauce mixed with celery, onion, and carrots, cooked with the ideal amount of bite so they didn't taste overcooked.

The whiskey sour I tried was one of the best I've ever had. I will say that the first one I had was good, but a little on the lemony side and lacked presentation. However, this was during an incredibly busy time in the restaurant, so that's understandable. The second round boasted a splash of bitters decorated into the foamy egg white with the ideal trifecta of sweet, sour, and whiskey. For drinks at another time, I had this sparkling wine in a lux green bottle that was so delicious, I still think about it to this day.

The atmosphere is a little on the boisterous side during peak times, but that's to be expected. If you come for lunch during the week, the ambience is a lot more calm.

What this restaurant excels at is both food and the overall appearance. The moment you walk through the gold adorned doors, deep green paint in the bar area paired with the dark wood and ornate bar design give a wonderfully Irish vibe mixed with an artfully antique look. The main area is still beautiful with the hand crafted look, but I will say the green bar area is my favorite part of the entire establishment. The upstairs is beautiful as well with a sparkling bar and fancy wood work as the focal point.

Lastly, I will point out that getting an appetizer, entree, and drink will set you back around $30+ per person, but it's well worth the price. The service has also been great every time I've gone, even when the...

After a rocky start, I decided to knock just one star off. The atmosphere is a nice pub feel with a pretty standard volume on the music. It could definitely use Irish music to set the ambiance to perfection.

Now when I arrived, I was seated, as requested in a corner since it was myself and a special night to treat me. And there I sat, for 25 minutes. Not a soul approached or acknowledged me. A table of two was 2 tables down. A table of 5 was just across from me. Both were being consistently waited on and no others were in the pub. So I picked up my things and went to walk out. As I was leaving, there was a congregation of staff by the door. I politely asked if there is just no one assigned to the area I was in. They all looked quite confused and asked if I'd try again basically. So I thought I'd give it a go since a Guinness sounded perfect tonight.

The service after that was very welcoming and apologetic. The beer was crisp and fresh, the food was quick and delicious. I didn't have my hopes up too high since I do have a quality that is above mediocre. After ordering the reuben (which I am very critical of when I see them on menus) I was pleasantly surprised. The fries were basic seasoned American fry, which I dipped in the sauce provided: a horseradish cream cheese that is amazing, especially for one that does not like horseradish. (Tip: put it on the reuben...it's amazing what it does to it!) The prices were fair, as expected in a more specialty style atmosphere. Overall, I would give this a solid 4 stars, simply because of the mishap in the beginning.

Would I order the reuben again? Yes. Most importantly, would I return? And I can confidently say, yes, I think I...

We had our first date and our post-Ireland wedding reception here - that’s how much we loved this place. Since then, they have gone downhill drastically. The food is usually alright but the service is terrible. The last few times we went (returning mostly out of nostalgia) we have been horribly disappointed. And they almost never play Irish music - why wouldn’t they always? Most recently was tonight - after standing at the door/hostess stand for about 5 min without a single staff member acknowledging us (there were several opportunities and effort on our part) we were finally greeted by a hostess that must have been on break during dinner rush. She offered to seat us at a table that, during our wait, we observed was in a section covered by a server that we had the misfortune of being served by the last two times we were there and she is incredibly rude, rushed, and unprofessional - also, once we asked why they don’t play Irish music all the time, she said it’s because they have to listen to it all day. So we left and went to Kohinoor across the street (HIGHLY RECOMMEND.) Sadly I think we will not return to Old Brick House. I’ve brought his up with friends and family over the last few months and have found this is not just our perception. I truly hope they can turn it around, turn over some staff, and step up their service game. They have such a tremendous opportunity...