I loved this place. Â We went early on a Friday, so there was lots of kids (some kind of a Birthday party or something....and what a great place to bring the kids). Â The decor is awesome. Â Big old tube TVs with old school Nintendo, atari, Sega....every old school game you could think of, they had it..with your own personal 1985 television to play on..and a cool retro couch. Â There was sooo much fun stuff to look at in here. Â Old lamps, mirrors, pictures, furniture...and every single board game you can imagine...they had it. Â They had a great selection of beer, and the food was really good. Â My friend had the quesadillas which looked really good, and I had some sort of southwestern chicken sandwich, which was tasty! Â Everything was reasonably priced. Â I felt like I was having a blast the entire time, and we didn't even play a game.
I am a total fan. Â Chalk it up to another quirky cool fun place to hang-out in the twin cities. Â Oh, and they played old school mainstream music the entire time....Ace of Base etc.
I am so glad that we decided to stop here for dinner! Â The staff were so attentive and happy! Â Our waitress was a pretty blond with a huge smile and great personality! Â And my dinner was really tasty. Â I had the shrimp with artichoke hearts and a side of green beans. Â The flavors were scrumptious and a bit spicy, which is just the way I like it. Â We never even made it to playing one of the many games available, so we will be back to try other things on the menu and have some game time!
Review Source:I've only been there once but I loved this place. The staff is SO nice and attentive, which is so rare nowadays.....and there are games to play which was awesome. Kinda wish there were less kids there, (would be kind of nice to have a time like after 9pm, everyone under 18, OUT lol) but that's just me. In my experience, the staff was super friendly, and the drinks and food were good and reasonably priced.
Review Source:Fun place for beers and drinks. All the reviews are spot on. A major CON though is that this place needs TABASCO sauce. Cholula is does not count. Get this and I'll bump this review up to a 4-star!
Also the whoever was serving my table must have been high or hung over. He asked how I was doing and I said I was fine. To be courteous I asked how he was doing and he was said, "Oh, ya know, could be doing much better. Lights are a bit bright in here!" It was 11AM. His tip reflected his service, but the food was tasty.
A friend and I met there a little after 530 and sat in the bar area. Â When the server came over, she had her mouth covered by her sleeve, and when I asked her if there were any specials (happy hour goes until 6 or 7 at many places) she shook her head back and forth with her sleeve over her mouth (or possibly something besides her sleeve, but cloth of some sort) and kind of made me feel stupid for asking. Â Besides she was too rude to even explain that happy hour ended at 5. Â We ordered our drinks, which took quite some time considering the place was not very busy, and then we ordered our food. Â My squash pizza came out burnt, but since she was so slow and I was starving, I had eaten half (minus the crust that I couldn't bite in to it was so hard) by the time she came and asked how it was. Â I talk a lot so not a fast eater. Â I said "well, it tastes good but it is pretty over done" and she didn't apologize, rather looked annoyed and asked if I wanted a new one. Â Since I had eaten half and I figured it would take quite some time I said "no thanks I will just eat this one, I just wanted you to know." Â I figured she could tell the kitchen that they should take them out a little sooner or something.
Next, it was time for another glass of wine. Â I asked for the same wine I already had. Â My friend then ordered a large steak pizza to go. Â She came back quite a while later with no drink to tell my friend her order was in. Â She then looked at my cup that had been empty for 10 minutes and said my wine was on the way - not once apologizing for the amount of time I had to wait. Â I am sure she forgot about it, which I totally understand and wouldn't usually care if it wasn't for all the rest of her rudeness. Â In the meantime, my friend noticed about an inch of "sediment" at the bottom of my wine glass. Â I asked the server what it was when she brought my new glass and was like "sediment" - totally unfriendly.
Half way in to my glass of wine, someone brings us a pizza on a platter. Â We let him know that it was a pizza to go, and he acted like he had no idea about that. Â Our pizza was boxed and brought to us, at this point our food is gone, glasses empty. Â We waited quite some time until I had to catch our server walking by to let her know we needed the check. She acted like I was rude for asking. Â
After all of this (and it is hard to write down her condescending attitude) my friend and I didn't think her service warranted a great tip.  Mind you, I am a great tipper.  I know most people think they are, but I leave 25% if the service was good.  More if it was great.  But, I also leave less if it was bad.  I am sick of  people thinking you can be rude and I am somehow obligated to leave you 20%.  That is not how it is supposed to work.  Period.  So I left her 10%, which was probably more than she deserved since I probably shouldn't have had to pay for a burnt pizza.  However, I wanted I her to know why she got a bad tip, and not just assume we were bad tippers in general. I jotted down a quick note on the receipt about why her tip was low.  Maybe that was rude, I do not know, but I honestly thought I was doing the right thing.
As my friend and I got up to leave and were about to walk out, she came over and aggressively asked why I wrote the note. Â I tried to explain to her about all the thinks I wrote in this e-mail, and she basically accosted us. Â She was incredibly rude and aggressive. Â I attempted in a civil voice to explain how rude and condescending she was the entire night, how it was slow, etc. and she continued to argue with me, saying maybe she isn't as talkative as most servers, etc. Â I have had shy servers, this was different. Â She was rude. Â Towards the end she said something a long the lines of -leaving a bad tip is rude, but leaving a note is the lowest of low-. Â I can't quote her, but it was something about how low my friend and I are.
All in all, it was believable. Â I honestly have had drunk servers treat me better. Â I am not hard to please. Â You can forget stuff, whatever, I get it. Â But this was on a whole different level.
Yeah Chatterbox for the best deal on Easter Sundays, wonderful food, awesome selection of beer, inviting and fun atmosphere, and amazing service. Â
We spend yet another Easter Sunday at your restaurant and had an even better experience than before.  It just keeps getting better.  Thank you to the server with the Mork suspenders who was FANTASTIC!  Your  staff and restaurant are one of the friendliest places in the Twin Cities for little and big kids alike!  Also, thank you for stocking all those delicious IPAs in your beer fridge.  It's so nice to have a playground for parents as well as the kids.  Mmmmm. Â
If you're tired of spending $40 a plate on brunches (Easter/Mothers or regular), come here and thank me later.
Like the look and the feel of the place.
Staff/servers were all friendly. good service.
We've only been there once so far & for Sunday Brunch, be we really liked it.
Brunch is buffet style, good meaty ribs, Mile High Frittatas that had good ham, green peppers, onions, etc in them. cheesy hash browns, primo mashed potatoes, french toast, ham, bacon, chicken wings, sausage, biscuits & gravy, fruit, salad mix, tons (like 10?) different desert samples and they were all pretty good too which is rare and especially on a buffet. Â the sausage has a good flavor with a bit of peppery flavor, like they make them. sausage gravy was good above average too. the cheesy potatoes were really good, everything thing seemed better than you'd expect for a buffet, esp a $9.99 buffet.
Coffee is a little pricey at $2.50 and it's decent.
They didn't have the: "Spinach & Artichoke Frittatas that are on the menu. ("Our addictive spinach and artichoke dip layered on light, fluffy, baked eggs,
topped with feta and parmesan cheese and fresh tomato."
) So we were a bit disappointed - as they sounded really good. in their place was cheese & egg Frittatas. = meh.
Overall I recommend it. I think it was a great brunch place. busy but not too crowded, no crazy lines for the food. above average food especially for a lower priced brunch buffet, good layout of the buffet, friendly staff. I never waited for anything like coffee refills, etc.
The Wings were only thing below par. kinda dry and not crisp. not awful but not good.
Tip: Seems like the restaurant side is more for kids, the bar side none. so pick which you prefer on that.
pretty good music playing too.
Free Parking lot in the rear.
What other place can be both family friendly for a Saturday lunch with Grandma and super happy hour happening for Friday night with girlfriends?? Not many. Chatterbox wears the crown.
Board games available for your enjoyment and an innovative menu add the charm to this absolutely charming restaurant. Every lamp at each booth is a little different and the booths are raised up on a step which is kind of fun. Two separate parts of the place, with one side being more "bar like" and the other more family/games/etc.
Ordered the broiled shrimp with artichoke hearts and green beans. Delicious, but I must say there was a lot of butter! I like some flavor but I also want to live long enough to come back to this darling place to try something else, (like the "build your own Mac n Cheese"!)
Surprisingly a great wine/beer selection. You know I'll be back.
Went here with a large group so slow service for almost 80 people is bound to happen so I'm not going to grind my gears about that.
It was an interesting place. Old school video games and really good beer list.
The food was almost typical Chammps Americana or Applebees. I didn't think there was anything over the top or that it had a "wow factor"
It's probably 3 stars on quality, but...
I love the board games though so extra star for them in that respect.
There is a lot to like about the Chatterbox. It has many things going for it. That said, I really can't give it a full throated endorsement because of some persistent troubles needing fixed.
First, the good. The atmosphere is fun: vintage video games and board games appeal to us 30somethings as a fun alternative to the typical bar scene. I like the house microbrews. They won't win any beer contests but they're solid. The pizza is pretty good. We had the huevos ranchero pizza once and it was AWESOME.
But then there is also the... not so good. Service is quite slow. Expect a LONG wait for your food. Avoid the burgers. The toppings for the burgers are interesting and tasty, but the meat itself is quite bland and overdone. And the focatia bread just doesn't work for a burger. The fries are also a disaster. They come in little round "chip" shapes and lack both flavor and crunch.
For drinks, snacks, and games you could do a lot worse than Chatterbox, but until the food improves I just can't say its a must-eat destination.
Chatterbox Highland Park is my go-to restaurant for ease and consistency. Always free parking, always friendly service, and seldom a wait. If you're looking for epicurean adventures, look elsewhere. The menu is standard "American" fare. Burgers, sandwiches, soup, salads, wraps...kinda blah. But the few things they nail are worth it. Get the build-your-own mac&cheese. You deserve it. It's better than you can imagine. Get a pizza. Pick your own toppings. They seem like it's charging too much, but there is NO skimping. Get a beer. It's their own brew and totally decent. Just go here. It's not as hip as the Powderhorn Chatterbox, which is actually closer to me. But it's more physically comfortable(cushy booths), and you don't leave here smelling like industrial food. Also, play a board game at the table. The server will bring you whatever. Recommended game: Yahtzee.
Review Source:Since I live nearby, I've really tried to give this place several chances to grow on me and to improve, but I can honestly say now that the Highland Park location is a lost cause.
The food here is absolutely horrid. Â You can't just add sage to anything and expect that it will suddenly taste like restaurant-quality food. Â It doesn't work that way, and sage is not garlic. Â I've tried a number of dishes here and have yet to find one that I really enjoy. Â There are no good items on the menu here; there are two types of dishes, mediocre and gross. Â Over the years I've sporadically visited this place for drinks or brunch, simply because it's close to my house. I've tried a number of their appetizers and entrees, and have dabbled in their beer selection but haven't been pleased yet. Â
The floor is cramped as-is, and they recently added a gigantic beer refrigerator right by the entrance which makes it even more difficult to navigate the restaurant. Â It looks gaudy and out of place.
The beer selection is decent, but most of their drafts don't taste good. Â I'm not sure if they're picking them up wholesale from a discount local brewer, but they need to consider introducing some more likeable and known names to their menu.
The waitstaff isn't overtly unfriendly, but they definitely seem apathetic to the needs of the customers. Â On our last visit we got two visits to the table, one to take our order and the other to delivery the food (and the check) simultaneously. Â No water refills. Â No offer for dessert. Not even to see whether our crappy was making us nauseous
Want a bad experience? Â This place has it all. Â The Chatterbox really needs to overhaul its menu, change the layout of the store, and give its staff a pep talk on customer service. Â It's probably a great place for college kids to spend an evening as an alternative to the normal bar scene, and that's great if you want to rely on a client base of people who really don't care about quality. Â My guess is that the owners do care about appealing to the non-college crowd too, so if they want families to come to eat and drink there, some big changes are needed.
i love this place. Â they have a big black cat as the logo on the carpet, on the mugs...so that is okay in my book.....the have a really cool vibe in there because every little booth table has it's own lamp and they are all gem colored and different so you have your own little space you can check out board games for free and they have old school videos too (that is my only complaint is sometimes people take the kids there and well i'm not a fan of kids!) hahahahahaha.....
They have their own little brews for beer---and that is all you are going to get if you want to get your drink on because there is no hard liquor....
The food menu is rather large and has some nice variety and items that you wouldn't see anywhere else. Â They do a nice job......I have eaten my way across most of the menu in the past few years and am never disappointed....
Prices are decent......There are two sides to this place and each one has it's own feel...I do see less children on the side with the bar so if it seems to be family night just go on the bar side. Â Oh-yeah once in awhile they have some hilarious karaoke.....you can park behind the building too in a lot that belongs to the plaza if you are having trouble finding street parking which can be a bear in the cities sometimes....
The Chatterbox is a great place to go for Happy Hour and appetizers with a larger group. We always enjoy both the board games and video games. Sometimes we bring our own games from home too (not sure if they mind this, but no one has said anything yet). We like their house beer selections and they have some good'n'girly mixed drinks (not sure if they have a full liquor license, as all the mixed drinks on their menu appeared to be made with wine/champagne/etc). The atmosphere is usually boisterous and fun, with a relaxed pub-ish style decor.
The downside to this place is the dinner menu... at best it's acceptable, and a few times it's been disappointing. We've ordered a range of things from pizzas to sandwiches to salads at different times and have never been very thrilled. I think maybe their menu is geared towards food that kids will eat? Sometimes we've noticed when they're busy we've had slower (ok, a few times, really slow) service and that seems to correspond with a decrease in the quality of the food...
This place would absolutely get 5 stars if we'd had better experiences with the food. As is, it's a great place to come for a few beers or mixed drinks to play some old-school mario!
This place gets a 3 for ambience and 1 for food. Something about this place is just off. I am not a picky eater, but I would not come here for the food. It is popular among a lot of local college kids for some birthday gatherings, due to the board and video game selection, lived-in, quirky decor and karaoke.... but I would rather play board games at a house party with a karaoke machine and order a pizza.
Final thoughts: ambience is great, but Chatterbox's food is disappointing. Might warrant a future trip though for a final verdict.
First I would like to say that I am a Personal Chef , that means I do not eat out just anywhere, so when I got this listing from a friend I looked at the menu and thought I would give them a try. My daughter took me their for my birthday dinner and I gotta tell you guys who complained about everything you are all wrong. My food, was delish, served hot and perfect and my wait person was so good I gave her a 25% TIP... So either you do not know Great FOOD when you taste it, or???? I am now going back next week to take my daughter their for her birthday, that's how good this place is. !
Review Source:We love Chatterbox for lunch and dinner but I won't be stopping back for brunch. While I appreciate that the cost is nominal and the food was fine, the presentation was literally the most pathetic display of food I've ever seen. I was embarrassed that I'd chosen it as my farewell meal with a friend visiting from NYC. The brunch just didn't measure up to the level of quality we've come to expect from Chatterbox. I understand the atmosphere is intentionally relaxed, but there's no reason you can't make your food look more appetizing and create a better flow for traffic.
Review Source:I really like this place, really but!
I would have to say that anyone who cooks wings like this doesn't eat them. Â I feel bad that I'm bitching about this but this is a great place. Â The whole place just screams comfort hangout pad! Â Couches, comfy booths, nice comfortable high back chairs and old school video games! Â Seriously old school video games!!!
Back to the wings. Â The sauce was really good, great flavor but these are baked not fried. Â Even if you're going to bake them you need to throw them under a broiler or something. Â The result without the high heat is a slimy, mushy exterior that makes me think of the loose skin on an old persons neck, seriously! Â My god, make them crispy....
I'll be back a few times but will Never order chicken wings again. Â The chips rocked!
KT
Meet up with a few friends for lunch and decided to pick a spot that was in the middle for us all. I must say, great location and PLENTY of parking! Cute interior with TONS of games (board and video) to play.
I felt that the service was great, had to wait a few minutes for the rest of the group to arrive and was asked by the hostess if we wanted anything to drink while we waited in the entry. Hello, where else do they offer drinks before even seated at a table? Wonderful!
The menu is quite extensive, lots of tasty looking fare and plenty of drinks to pick from. Strawberry lemonade was delicious! Only 1 free refill however so sip and savor.
After browsing the menu I decided to go with the Fish & Chips. I've never (sad I know) had fish & chips before so I thought I would give it a try. Delicious! Light and flaky fish covered in a light batter made with their own Lager. The chips were cute little round coins (possibly from fingerling potatoes) that were the perfect amount of crispy!
Next time I would like to give the Mac & Cheese a try; I've heard that is to die for!
I'm not a St. Paul native, but I will say the location is very nice with ample parking spots on the street and in the back parking lot. The food here is very unique, and it does take some time to get through the massive menu! I love the French Kiss drink (champagne with strawberry iced tea), and the sweet potato fries are to die for. The weekend brunch is pretty awesome too. Overall, this is a great place for families, date-night, or parents (such as myself).
Try their house brew - the chit-chat ale. Delish! :)
I had visited the Original Chatterbox a few years ago and really liked it, but last night I was at this newer one in St. Paul and it was definitely different. It's real open and easy to walk around, which was not the case in Minneapolis. I was in there around Dinner time and there were several groups with a bunch of kids. They have games and they have a kid's menu so obviously that's what they're going for, but it definitely lowers your "cool" factor.
Also, despite the name the "Hellcat Inferno Chicken Wrap" wasn't very hot. Soda snobs may want to watch out because serve what I think they called "Shamrock Cola" that isn't Coke or Pepsi.
You can't blame somebody who's got a restaurant for trying to do everything they can to cut cost and bring in more customers, but if you're foods going to taste like Applebee's and it's going to be hard for me to come back, even though I LOVE the old school video games.
I did like their version of the Frickle, but not as much as the Town Talk. I'll consider this when looking for a late night drink spot, but I don't think I'll come during dinner again, unless I'm entertaining Kids.
It works on the appeal of what it's supposed to be, but don't expect a crazy, gaming-type atmosphere--it's much more laid back than the hype makes it out to be.
If you're stopping by during brunch (which is WAY better than dinner), the mimosas are delicious, and the sake bloody mary is interesting (I still prefer vodka, but I never turn down a loaded garnish stick). Â
But overall, it's just fun - decor, old school video games, etc - and the food is alright, but to be fair, this place is more about ambiance and drinks than it is about the fare.
Dude. WTH. I've never written a "bad" review but feel compelled to hopefully get a message to the management in writing this. the food was "meh". Â The staff was great...a little slow and in the weeds which is understandable during a busy afternoon when folks want to get away from the heat and play video games, so while annoying it's excusable.
What's not excusable is the poor execution on the dishes we ordered. The steaks were overcooked. The "creamy sauce" on the broccoli was in fact watery MILK. It was as if we had been served hot "broccoli cereal". Â The French Onion Soup tasted metallic and canned. In all we ordered food for 8 and at least 3 people had quiet complaints about their dishes.
I understand the crowd is a 20-something/college age crowd, but when adults bring their families in to eat and have a lower tolerance for lackluster service and poor quality of food, then you're going to get posts like this one.
Overall we had a great time, BUT this fact was overshadowed by being bummed out that our food was poorly prepared. Â I'd rather WAIT for excellent food than be served a poorly executed dish for whatever reason. You guys can do better.
What a super fun restaurant! It has a wonderfully tacky 70s vibe, with old ugly couches and actual lamps on the tables. They have a huge selection of board games to play at your table and even better, they have old school nintendo games set up, surrounded by the tacky couches! We played a somewhat short round of UpWords, but I can totally see breaking out the Monopoly and spending some time there drinking, eating, and dominating the boardwalk! :)
Restaurant-wise ~ the service was good, food was good (get the build your own mac and cheese!), prices were good ($40 for 2 meals, huge leftovers, 2 drinks, and a root beer float), and as you can see above, the atmosphere was awesome!
Ive heard many people talk about how much fun the Chatterbox is... But I think something was lost in translation. Ive dined at many places all over the country in the past few years and this was one of the more disappointing experiences I had.
The clearly designed this place wanting a throw-back or vintage feel from the interior to the board games and even the old school Nintendo with a great selection of games. My brothers and I played Mike Tyson's Punch-Out while we waited for our food. This was the best part of the experience by far.
The food took forever to arrive at the table, which I understand will happen sometimes... But you hope that when it does they make up for it with good food. I sampled a little bit of 4 or dishes from the people in my party and I cant say anything was very good. I had a burger that was over-cooked and the bun was dry.
In defense of the staff, the young lady who waited on us was very friendly, but overall I just cant see any reason to recommend this restaurant unless you really have a craving for Super Mario 2.
Pros: Nintendo games (a good selection too, I might add)
Cons: The decor--it crosses the line between vintage and tacky, poorly prepared food
Wonderful food, fun atmosphere, and great service. I had the rib hash, which was outstanding, AND I had the waffles with the maple whipped cream....AND the blueberry coffee cake.....drool.......Great place, and we went on a weekend when everyone was Up North, so we got right in. Fun place for breakfast, especially if you like games, as you can use all of the ones they have available...including some good ol' Atari!!!!! Â
Try this place..it was sooooooo good!!!!
I took my kids here and they absolutely loved it. Â the vintage video games met my son's personal dream of having the opportunity to play a Nintendo Famicon. Â He has been wanting one for several weeks now and obsessing about it. Â Rather than us having to buy one, we actually got to play it for next to nothing. Â Renting the vintage games is cheap ($2). Â Although i am just realizing that they never gave my credit card back. Â oh well excuse to go back now i guess. Â I thought the service was really truly spectacular. Â From the host who went out of his way to find us a couch with video games for the kiddies - to the waitress who did the best she could to find the games for my kids and place the order around our gaming needs.
its a definite on the list. Â The food was really low priced as well for the area. Â the kids meals were only $3.95 and i sure get some crappy kids meals these days for $5.99ish so there you go. Â I was completely amazed. Â I loved the place.
As much as I enjoy being able to drink a beer, play Trivial Pursuit and not be the only one nerdy enough to be doing so in public, the Chatterbox has generally failed to make much of a favorable impression on me.
The restaurant itself is divided up into two different sections; one that acts as a more traditional dining space with tables and large booths and a secondary section housing a fairly sizable bar area. Though the term bar can be misleading, as the Chatterbox only sells wine and beer (no hard liquor - stupid Highland Park ordinance). They do have a few decent house brews available on tap (actually brewed by Cold Spring Brewing), as well as Strongbow and a few others.
Given the somewhat family focused vibe, the Chatterbox is more so a restaurant than a bar in my mind, which is unfortunate because their food has been consistently disappointing. From the fried pickles, supposedly spicy Diablo wings to the various vegetarian wraps, I haven't had anything that I would recommend.
All-in-all the Chatterbox is a good place to sip on a pint and make a run at world domination or to play a game of Yahtzee, but I wouldn't come hungry.
Was treated like trash a few years ago (I know it's a long time, but emotions ran high) when we were told we couldn't bring food in.
Said food was the tiniest amount for our child who was on a special Doctor ordered diet. Literally, 4 blueberries, 3 chunks of cheese, 6 pepperonies and 4 oz. of heavy whipping cream.
I'm not going to get into it because I like sassy, light reviews and this would not be.
Basically, the night manager made up some "It's the law" business and just didn't give a crap. (Insert emotion here)
Not to mention he violated the Americans With Disabilities Act for not accommodating our reasonable request to bring in food.
The day manager wasn't much better. "Huh, never heard of that law...oh well."
How about, "Sorry for your trouble, Sorry you had such a bad experience; if you go on a date night sometime here's a gift card."
Nope
p.s. Highland Grill had us come over immediately when we called; treated us wonderfully.
Luckily, all our friends have banned the Highland Chatterbox.
I've been here twice now with a friend. Both times the service was perfectly fine. The ambiance is nice - in my opinion - and though we did not play games either time (we are huge board game people but more on the nerdy side and play regularly at our apartments), the games others were playing seems to keep the atmosphere light and friendly.
The bar side is much louder. I was surprised to see so many patrons on a Thursday evening.
In my experience, the food has been very good. Not "OMG GREATEST THING EVER" but completely acceptable and tasty. First time we went, we shared the spinach dip & sweet potato fries appetizers. Second time we went, we had the Chicken Strips (who my friend RAVED about) and the Chit Chat Chicken Wrap, which I *quite* enjoyed. I've been trying to eat healthier lately and it felt like a very healthy choice given the menu.
Sweet potato fries. Get them. I mean, seriously. So delicious. And get the roasted red pepper ranch to dip them in. YUM YUM.
One of my favorite things about this place is they have Strongbow on tap! It's hard to find a place that doesn't serve it in a can in the cities, so I love it! It's a little pricey, but it's on tap! So, how can I complain?
I am definitely a fan and will continue to visit.
Was introduced to Chatterbox by my good friend Erks who lives right down the street. Food, drinks, Apples to Apples and Super Mario Bros? Count this girl in!
From the moment we walked in, I was charmed. If your favorite Uncle had a massive den in his basement where you and all of your cousins went a few times a month to hang out- it would look like this place. (I'm pretending we all have big, happy families that just LOVE to get together)
We did not have to wait at all for a table, and this was on a Friday night at 6:45. The booth was plenty spacious for the 4 of us and our Pictionary game. We ordered drinks, and let the fun begin. I'm not much of a beer drinker, but Erks is and he said their own brews were excellent. (This is high praise. Erks is quite a snob sometimes.) I had the Stawberry Lemonade which was out-of-this-world CRAZY good, and Rachie had their homemade Ginger ale. I tasted it- it was *interesting* not bad- but definitely different than I was expecting. You can actually taste the Ginger in these.
Food took a little while to get out, and like everyone else has said- it's ok.
Not fabulous, not terrible. The sour cream dip for the fries was delish, and Hubbin and Erks wolfed down their pizza in 10 sec. flat- I'm not sure they tasted it, so I won't bother with their opinion.
Dessert was funny- we ordered the Chocolate Fondue platter for kicks, none of us were very hungry, but we all wanted a bite. It was literally prepackaged food items (Oreos, etc.) on a plate with chocolate sauce.
Atmosphere was fun in a traditional way- not with crazy upbeat music and servers wearing strange outfits, but with families and friends talking and laughing and some music in the background (not too loud, but definitely got louder as evening transitioned into night.)
Go to hang out, have a few drinks, play a few games, get to know your dinner companions.
Great neighborhood hangout, and we have made it a regular place to bring people we want to hang out with.
A hangout spot for sure! Classic video games on Nintendo, board games up the wazoo, and the place overall sends out a fun vibe. So why the low rating? The food is terrible! Do not come here to eat. A buddy and I split the nachos which were basicly stale chips with toppings drizzled on top nuked in the microwave. And the meatloaf I had ordered was probably the most disgusting piece of grub i've ever had in a food establishment. It tasted like it was made from moist bologna! I couldn't even bare to finish it. Of course it's my fault, who orders meatloaf at a bar, right?
Now even though this is kind of like a bar, it doesn't really have a full bar so it's only limited to beer and wine I believe. So no mixed drinks. Anyways, if you avoid the food, this is a good place to go with friends. They even recommend that you bring your own board games if you don't like the selection they have. It's quite the sight to see everyone in the room playing something and giggling like little kids. It's like an adult version of day care!
I am writing to review the Chatterbox brunch, which is only available at the St. Paul location.
My party of five went to the Chatterbox on the fourth of July weekend to try out the brunch, which is all you can eat for $10. Â I was convinced there would he a huge crowd even on a holiday weekend (not everyone goes out of town!) but the place was nearly empty when we arrived. Â Our sever was very interested in finding out how we heard about their brunch -- maybe not many people know about it?
While this was not the best brunch I've ever had, for the all you can eat for $10 category it was excellent. Â I usually don't like eggs in the buffet warming trays but both kinds of frittatas were excellent. Â We were a bit disappointed in the ribs, which were on the fatty side. Â But there were plenty of other things to make up for it. Â
Had there been a more lively atmosphere I would give this place four stars. Â I'll have to go back sometime and see what it is like on a non-holiday weekend.
I have been to this location a few times, once for dinner and the other time just to hang out and have a beer. I was happy to hear they had some of their own microbrews because I love trying out new beers. If you like wheat beer, the Belgian White Ale was pretty good. I can't really comment on the food, because honestly I can't even remember what I ate the last time I was here which probably means it wasn't anything amazing.
This is a really fun place if you want to just hang out and play some old school video or board games or just chill on the coach with some friends. Of course you have to get there a little early to secure a seat if you want to play video games. I also totaly love the funky and somewhat cheesy decor.
Let me preface this review by mentioning that the Chatterbox is pretty much my favorite place. Ever.
Except last night. Last night was an epic fail. We walked in, talked to the host about seating in the bar area and he told us to wait it out on the Sega couch since there wasn't anything available (anywhere). Can do, I'll play some Sonic. Once a booth opened up, we walk up to grab it and the server that was cleaning it off told us nicely to buzz off and that the table was going to some people that have been waiting for a bit. We notified her that, indeed, these people were the ones talking with her at the moment, and she shuffled away grumbling with an angry face.
Ok, angry server. No big deal. So a server comes over and takes our drink order, in which we run into the retarded ID/passport issue (see review of the Independent), which hasn't occurred the past few times we've been there (in the past few weeks). Ok, annoying. Either take forms of ID that aren't a Minnesota license or don't, but don't change the policy depending on your mood. Since I'm really only 12 years old, I point to the root beer on the kids menu, because that sounds great. Child sized, right? Later, I find that they charged me for the regular when I ordered the small one. A regular sized root beer is $5. For which I could get a mug and a half of delicious chit chat instead. Grrr.
So the server messed up our drink order, gave the wrong beers and the wrong size to two people (of four... I had the root beer and my friend had the ID problem). He goes to fix them and gives them the wrong beer again. Whatever, brown ale, lager, they like them both and will survive.
We order some food, just two of us. When it comes out, the server tosses the plates on our table in front of the wrong people, doesnt bother to look at us, ask us who had what, etc.
Then about 45 minutes go by as he walks back and forth by our table ten or twelve times and doesn't bother to check in until the beer mugs have been long empty and the plates are completely empty. He runs up, asks if they'd like more beer, doesnt make eye contact, nothing.
Time lapse: another 45 minutes, in which we find our own games, get checked on quite nicely by another server, and end up waving at the guy multiple times for our tab. During this time, we notice three of his tables waiting for him, getting sick of waiting, putting on their coats and walking up to the server station at the bar and waiting for him to finally get their tabs.
Once he brings us the bill, we split it in two, with beer on one tab, everything else on the other. Circled the items on the beer tab (2) and wrote the name of the card next to them. He runs over grabs the cards, crumples the receipt in his hand and says "UGH I'll figure it out." and walks away.
Are you fucking kidding me? This guy acted like we were the scummy shit on the bottom of your shoe after you go to a show at a bar with sticky floors. As if we were only put there to annoy him, heaven forbid he have to serve our table. I understand it was busy for the first half of time when we were there, but there were more empty tables than full ones by the time we got our tab. It was sort of like he was running to and from tables, then he'd sit and chat with the other servers at the server station at the bar for awhile, then run a bunch, sit and chat, run some more. And every time he has this exasperated expression like he couldnt believe we needed him for something (... like food. or a tab.).
This guy was one of the rudest servers I've ever had, regardless of the restaurant. And I've never had a poor experience at the Chatterbox until last night.
Epic fail.
But I'll still continue to go there. I'll just make sure to always sit at the bar.
I have eaten here twice. The first time I didn't like the food, but I chalked it up to being pregnant (I was 6 months along.)
I just went back there about a week ago with some friends. My friend and I ordered burgers. They were some of the worst burgers we've ever had. Fries were smothered in Seasoning Salt and my sons macaroni was gooey.
Our husbands couldn't find anything on the menu that looked appetizing, so they decided to have some drinks. After they opened the drink menu, they realized there were hardly any beers to choose from, leaving the ones they had imported ones that they were not willing to try.
Everything was pretty pricey considering the quality. And I had to track down our waiter to get our bill (he was standing up front talking). I won't be back.
A few perspectives:
Went there really late at night after drinking it up other places. Starving. They had just closed the kitchen but opened it back up for us long as we were willing to eat fried food. We had fries (odd ketchup-homemade), some chicken, and some other fried food that isn't memorable. The waiter was great.
Hosted a large friend gathering at this place. Called the day before and asked if we could save some space. They were great via the phone. When I arrived they had a space for us. We all drank it up and ordered food-best thing was a pesto sandwich. However when it came time for our bill we should have had the waitress split it up. we tried to have her do it past tense and well that just was not a go. Ended up being a nightmare at the end. Not there fault but could have been prevented if they had maintained info about who ordered what.
The fun games rock.
While being larger and more spacious, the Chatterbox Pub in St Paul retains much of the same kitschy charm of its older sibling in Minneapolis.
With large booths we can easily seat 6 and possibly 8 people, the Chatterbox Pub is a great place for a group of friends to have breakfast or dinner.
The food is generally quite good and a step up from bar food. The beer selection is limited but the Chatterbox Lager and Chit Chat Ale are enjoyable and refreshing.
It is hard to imagine this place formerly being a Perkin's.
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