The Tavern of Northfield Restaurant

This morning was our second visit to The Tavern for breakfast. I had the Eggs Benedict. Although the eggs were cooked all the way, they were very soft. That didn’t stop my from eating to bursting. Needless to say, my breakfast was delicious. My hashbrowns were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside just as god intended. My husband’s french toast was very good and his bacon was crispy as he requested.
Our server was Tanner. He was excellent! We will definitely go back the next time we are in town. I think the feather in the cap of this morning was the great price. Two coffees, Eggs Benedict, french toast with a side of bacon was $ 19. Although they have a special of the day neither of us ordered it. You can’t beat that with a stick.

Tavern special for under 5 $. Good solid fare for traditional breakfast. I don’t recommend the steak and eggs. Cozy environment. Friendly staff. Local choice. Long lines sometimes.

Three stars because the wait staff was friendly and my husband loved his French toast and sausage patties. Only $ 4.75 for his meal so that’s a steal. But I, unfortunately, ordered the Mexican omelet which is really just their version of a breakfast burrito and I paid extra to add the chorizo. It was on the bland side and I’m pretty sure their chorizo is just ground beef with hot sauce added so maybe it was a good thing that their was barely any in the omelet. Maybe a good place for the cheap breakfasts (daily specials are under $ 5) but I probably would never order anything beyond a $ 5 special again.

Lovely 1870’s décor. Average food chicken dinner. Soft tacos were small and the waitress forgot the sour cream
Water did not get refilled :-((
Back hall area dirty like you might expect mice or rats to crawl into the cooking and food prep areas.

Very good service and an excellent atmosphere. Perhaps I ordered the wrong item. I went for the sirloin — I couldn’t resist a steak for less than 20. I ordered med rare and got well done. After a long day’s journey, I was too tired too complain and wait for a re-​do. The Caesar salad was good — oddly the tomatoes and olives worked. The dressing was excellent– just the right amount of garlic! Tasty potatoes and fresh home baked bread made my meal. My recommendation: Get the salad, but not the steak. Both the indoor and outdoor areas are beautiful.

This place has an amazing old world atmosphere. Finding a seat may be a challenge because the door is hidden in the alleyway. You may feel awkward if you do what my husband and I did, we entered through the hotel entrance and found ourselves in a labyrinth. After a few turns and confusion we found ourselves basically in the kitchen. Oops. Take the time to go to the alleyway entrance… it’s past the patio area. Once in our seats the place was amazing. I ordered tomato bisque soup, which is the best soup I’ve had at a restaurant. Chicken pesto entrée was delightful and HUGE. I had literally 2 meals. The patio is a wonderful place at night and is lit beautifully. Inside is perfect for a cozy cup of soup on a dreary winter day. Can’t wait to go back for the soup!

Sorry, just stopped in for a beer late afternoon. If you want to run a tab, they take your credit card. No one else in town does this, and after having number stolen so many times, I won’t let it out of my sight. Bartender then lectures me on how they can’t trust their customers. WTF.
Evening staff is usually very nice I have to say, but I was shocked by the afternoon bar tender. Come on, it’s a small town.
Very limited food, but decent. You cannot order from associated restaurant downstairs.
Good music, but WAY too loud. I go to a bar to socialize; it’s impossible to hear with the live music volume.

The environment in this restaurant is very relaxed. The waitress we got is one of the nicer ones I’ve had over the years, anywhere. Food was also decent. The only thing is the rice in my Thai chicken wrap was a little hard but not intolerable and I wish the ceilings were a little higher. Nevertheless I highly recommend this place anytime.

A friend and I had dinner here last night after searching for a good local place via Google. After a couple of beers (good selection), I ordered walleye w/​wild rice and veggies. My colleague ordered salmon. We were both very impressed by the food and the friendliness of the staff.
It’s an old-​fashioned looking place with brick walls nicely preserved. And being on the Cannon River, the atmosphere on the outside patio and deck is nice — weather-​permitting of course.
I’ll definitely eat/​drink here again the next time I’m in Northfield.

We had intended to go to another bar in town on a visit to Northfield, but luckily it was closed and we ended up at The Tavern. Now, this is a favorite place of ours.
The food is excellent, far from typically bland and/​or over-​fried/​salted Midwestern fare, and the service is always swift and friendly. The first visit I ordered the clam chowder. As a former Californian who’s used to really good seafood, I have only one word: YUM! Lots of chunks of clam floating in a super creamy broth. :drool:
Most recently I enjoyed their lunch special, an Asian Chicken stir fry (I don’t think that’s the actual name, but the server will know what you’re talking about!) and it was SO delicious. Coming from an Asian American, that’s saying good things.
I haven’t been able to peruse any of the little shops around, or take a look at the hotel adjoining The Tavern, but that’s in the near future. Splendid location and easy to find.

After some internet research we settled on The Tavern for lunch in this unfamiliar town. The menu sold me, many vegetarian options that looked appealing. The atmosphere is quaint and feels like a European pub. My lunch date and I split two sandwich entrees and we’re very impressed with both. The service was meh, one of those situations where you feel like you should hurry up because you’re bothering the waitress who couldn’t crack a smile to save her life. That said, it didnt damper the meal. Most of all the check came and we were surprised at how cheap it was. We split the bread pudding and two entrees and our tab was $ 20. Amazing for the quality. Will definitely return when in the area again. A find.

My favorite place for breakfast in Northfield. Beautiful old historic building, along the Columbia River. The breakfast special is a bargain. The Carmel rolls are two bucks, and the coffee is delicious. If you’re going to be in town looking for a place this is it.

FLY INFESTATION = MAJOR CLEANLINESS PROBLEM
This was a HUGE disappointment, as the first few times we went to the Tavern, we couldn’t wait to go back. But here is the rub — those were all in the winter. Now we noticed a few flies around the restaurant, but we didn’t really think a lot about that.
That all changed coming back in August and September. In August, we still enjoyed the food but noticed a lot of flies. You would be swatting at them frequently during the meal. OK, that was once. Then in September, it was a swarm. We were sitting in one corner of the building, and they were so bad, we really couldn’t eat. We wondered if it was just that corner. We moved and it was just as bad. We noticed others having the same problem.
All we could think is the Restaurant Impossible and what this probably means. There are no other restaurants we went to around the location that have ANY flies. Not even a few. This is not a good sign. I can’t recommend the Tavern.

Breakfast continues to be excellent, and cheap. See many other reviews that give the Tavern 4– or 5-​stars for breakfast.
My review is for lunch, which today was very poor, almost 1-​star. My chicken salad was disgusting, some of the chunks of chicken were close to raw, and the dill dressing they were swimming in was watery and ill-​tasting. My «New England» clam chowder was also not good: it was loaded with celery (which is NOT supposed to be in New England clam chowder), and the soup base was mostly cream with almost no hint of clam flavor.
I thought I’d give the Tavern another shot for lunch, but today’s meal confirmed what I have learned from previous visits: Go to the Tavern for breakfast, not lunch or dinner.

Had the alfrado with parmesan chicken
Yummmmmmmm loved it

Had a great dinner here with the Carleton College defensive line coach on my son’s recruiting visit to that great institution. Friendly wait staff, excellent food, great menu selections.
I had the Tavern Potatoes appetizer, which was big enough for three to share, and the Rib Tips, which was more like a stew than what I expected. Lots of thin-​ish gravy, potatoes, carrots and onions. Excellent flavor.
I would have given this review five stars if the food had been just a bit hotter when it came out of the kitchen. I was surprised that in the well below freezing MN winter, every meal I had out was a little less hot than I would have liked.

The best place for a cheap morning-​after breakfast in Northfield. Get there before 11am Saturday or 12pm Sunday and order the four dollar Tavern Special: two eggs, hash browns, choice of meat, and toast. The portions aren’t huge, but the price is cheap. Pair it with $ 1.50 bottomless coffee and leave jittery and full.

The Tavern Restaurant is a dependable Northfield standby. You’re guaranteed to find something on their extensive menu that appeals to you and any guest you may happen to bring. I recommend their extensive selection of sandwiches wraps, and burgers. The standard entrees are also quite good (try the roast duck!). The Italian and tex-​mex items are unmemorable at their best, and can be quite bland and heavy. The tavern potatoes, a side offered with many entrees, are deliciously seasoned and are quite good. The chili and soups of the day are also good picks.
My favorite tavern offering are the breakfasts. They’re hot, fresh, and very reasonably priced. I have yet to order a single breakfast item I did not like. Highly recommended.

Sweet little hometown eatery! They pack ‘em in there!
Busy, a little noisy but food was really great! Park in the rear on the
river side and walk through the back like a local! :)

Stumbled upon this little charmer and so happy to have found it! Got seated immediately on a busy Sunday morning. Waitress was attentive and polite. Everyone in my party thoroughly enjoyed their food… and I REALLY loved my cheese, artichoke, and olive quesadilla — it even came with lots of sour cream, guacamole, chips, and some lettuce and tomatoes! We finished with a lovely piece of carrot cake for dessert and all left satisfied and happy.
The interior resembles a brick basement pub with wine bottles hanging in the alcoves. Very comfy and hospitable. A must-​visit for anyone from out of town!