This is the most objective review for Oak City you're going to read, I promise. Â I spent many good nights loving this place and their ridiculous drink specials. Â I've had really good food there. Â And now, sometime in the past few months, they are under new management.
What would have been a 4-star rating months ago, is now 2. Â It's that bad of a drop-off.
Before this past weekend, the last time I was at the place was on Mother's Day. Â They had an AWESOME buffet. Â The place isn't exactly built for a huge crowd, but it wasn't terrible. Â The food was great.
Now then, I usually frequent the place for two reasons: 1) Their 2 for 1 drink specials run ridiculously long and, 2) the DJ always seemed to play a lot of good music to dance to once those 2 for 1's started to take effect and I became the white version of MC Hammer. Â With this new management however, they are now charging a 5 dollar cover and have some craptastic band playing directly on the dance floor. Â They changed the lighting so it's not moody anymore, it's just plain bright. Â I mean, COME ON. Â Nobody goes to a bar to be able to see each other THIS CLEARLY.
The guys at the door taking that cover money weren't exactly friendly. Â I hate that. Â We're at your place. Â Make us feel at home, especially if you're going to take our money. Â
The people watching has always been spectacular. Â I'm talking muffin tops galore, 60 year old men in Ed Hardy shirts, socks 'n sandals, and every racial stereotype you can imagine. Â It used to be fun. Â The crowd used to have a good vibe. Â Now it just feels dead inside, like it's been put through years of terrible abuse and doesn't know who it wants to be anymore.
It's a shame, really. Â The food is good. Â The location's not terrible. Â The servers/bartenders have always been really friendly. Â But I daresay that I won't be blacking out, er, I mean returning to Oak City anytime soon. Â And by "anytime soon" I mean "ever again".
Seriously Oak City? Â You have a dress code?? Â Are you aware that you are a bar in a hotel in Bloomington?? Â Take yourself a bit too seriosly do we???
Yeah my party of 13 was denied entrace at the door by the bouncer (again at a hotel bar in fucking Bloomington). Â We went to Olive Garden instead. Â Way to miss out on a $1k tab simply because we were wearing hats Oak City. Â Ya Putz.
I always enjoy trying out different places, especially when I'm on the road. So while on tour around Minneapolis, me and my friend decided to check out Oak City. We ordered the food. IT was actually quite good. Unfortunately the service was not. I can honestly say I've never experienced worse service in my life. One of the waitresses was new and she was nice, but it seemed like all the established staff there prided themselves in being as rude as possible. I couldn't believe how hard it was to pay the bill. Really Oak City? Come on guys, you can do way better.
Review Source:I work in the building to which Oak City is attached. Â I've had quite a few experiences here, and I just can't say that I've ever been impressed, but I have been disappointed. Â
When I started working in the building in 2009, I was excited to have a nice place to grab lunch when work was too heavy to run out.  Walking in from the building entrance, the interior is DARK, even at noon.  There isn't much in the way of politeness from the staff, who seem irritated and put out to have to grab and ring up your take-out for you.  I've literally had to wait ten minutes for a cup of soup that I had already waited the specified ten minutes for in my office upstairs.  I was literally IGNORED while  staff walked past me standing at the podium and my soup sat  in a bag right in front of me.  The other issues are with screwing up orders (three times) and just the general rudeness/disinterest of the staff. Â
It would have been so convenient to be able to go here for lunch once in a while, but unfortunately today was the straw that broke the camel's back and I will not be giving them my business anymore.
I just visited Oak City in Bloomington for the first time. The service was fairly slow. I don't think anyone was expecting 82 degrees on Oct 4th so it seemed they were quite understaffed on the patio. I had a house salad with balsalmic vinagrette. The size was perfect and the dressing was tasty. I enjoyed he crispy won tons too! I also got a side order of au gratin potatoes, which were seriously so yummy! Food wise, I liked it. Service wise, there was a bit to be desired.
Review Source:Went to Oak City with my family for dinner and we were less than impressed. The server was friendly and attentive, but the food lacked flavor and was overpriced. I had a salad, a cup of soup, and a beverage and my bill came to over $21. I get the impression that this place does a lot of its business at happy hour and late nights on the patio, but maybe consider a different restaurant if you are looking for a meal.
Review Source:I was on a business trip and came here with my coworkers. There's not really many options in this area, and Yelp doesn't seem popular because not many places are rated.
My coworkers both got different salads and I got the prime rib sandwich with au jus. Â Their salads filled a big plate and looked evenly mixed. Â My sandwich was on a french roll and lacked much meat. Â The meat itself was not very tender but cooked ok. (slightly pink inside) The au jus didn't have much flavor and seemed like beef broth with no seasoning.
Our server was an hyperactive teen who wanted to chat up our table. Â The bar area is big and probably gets most of the money for this place. Â I would not go back.
Came here for a lunch back in early May. I think if it had been a nice day and we had gotten to sit outside I would've maybe bumped this up the 3 stars. Sorry Oak City, Minnesota weather brings you down a notch!
Setup is kind of dark bar(ish), not really my thing for a lunch. Maybe if I was there to drink my 1pm sorrows away. Again, of course they don't have ginger ale "but we have Sprite." Whatevs. Not the same.
We split some apps that were ehh. I had a BLT on a mixed sourdough/pumpernickel bread. Didn't knock my socks off. Everyone else I was with went with salads and burgers. I don't know, maybe I'm biased, it just seemed extremely run of the mill bar food to me. Not really my scene.
By the time we left there was a huge 65+ lunch crowd there. 2pm earlybird dinner? Who knows.
What brought me to Oak City? Â Proximity to my husband's place of work and an online deal. Â In other words, I had zero expectations and would be happy so long as I didn't get food poisoning, pretty much. Â There was no failure in that regard. Hooray!
The interior of Oak City immediately cracked me up. Â It's black and gold, gold, gold. Â I can't tell if it's trying to be classy or somewhat ironic, but either way, at least it's noteworthy. Â They have a fabulous patio, too.
As far as food goes, well, there are a lot of limits in the world of healthy eating at Oak City, not that one would presume it to be a fitness paradise. Â I had the Hawaiian Black Pepper Shrimp, which seemed to be the most exotic thing on the menu; it was damn tasty. Â My husband had a Philly cheesesteak that he was pleased to see came with fruit instead of fries. Â Somehow, without trying, we didn't engorge ourselves.
Drinks? Â Well, it's never a shock in the suburbs when someone doesn't comprehend what you mean when you say you want your Manhattan "up." Â Considering the entirety of the rest of the drink menu is comprised of sorority girl roofie drinks, yeah. One cannot have cocktail expectations in that environment. Â On the other hand, while the beer selection is very mainstream, it's priced properly. And with what's draught, you can get two sizes: normal or large, or rather, pint or bomber. Â Dang.
I would say that if I had suburban friends that wanted to go to Oak City, we wouldn't argue the point. It was perfectly pleasant and inoffensive. Â Although I have no reason to go running back, as this sort of place is a dime a dozen.
Meh to the food. Â The service was fabulous but the food leaves something to be desired.
I had a the Oak City burger and it really was dull. Trying to be novel they put it on an english muffin and it did nothing to improve the bland burger. Â The ranch fries with the special dipping sauce was deliciously fattening.
The service was good.
You can find me here with my sisters on a Thursday night drinking for free.
Overall I do like it here. But, hey when you drink for free everything else gets pushed to the side.
I like:
- The food
- Atmosphere
- Ladies Night
- In town
Don't like:
- Service is either really great or really terrible
- Shots are expensive
- They always run out of toilet paper
And bouncers for the 500th time my sister in-law is not wasted. She is legally blind and when it is dark she is a little slow getting around. Leave her alone! Notice her 1 inch thick glasses.
I've been here a few times for happy hour, once for lunch, and a couple times for dinner.  The food really is meh.  Often the greens are wilting and sad, portions seem to have no substance as if the visual size is deceiving, flavors are pretty run of the mill or lacking, and the entrée prices seem high for what you get.
On the good side would be the highly recommended happy hour, surprisingly huge and fun desserts, and the nice service.
Oh the horrifying side, sometimes the smell of day old beer residue is frat house strong by the bar like whoa.
My friend suggested this place for drinks and dancing. It's a rather large bar and the music selection was sweet, but I didn't see a whole lot of room for dancing. It just came off as a regular upscale bar trying to be a club and it failed miserably. From the looks of it, I was the only girl there who hadn't hired a sitter for the night and stuffed myself into a dress two sizes too small. The guys were alright but overly persistent. I was clearly there with another guy and they kept coming one after the other. It was flattering but obnoxious over time.
I would, however, like to give five stars to the staff. They were great. Everyone from the door to the back of the bar was friendly. When it was time to shut down, a couple of the employees came up to our table and POLITELY asked us to start heading toward the exit. It was a much better approach than "SHOWS OVER! GET OUT! LEAVE NOW. MOVE. MOVE!"
This might be a possible alternative to Major's, which is now long gone, but I just don't think I'm feeling it. I'll give them another shot because I can see potential.
Where can you get a good brunch in this city?
Post-church on Sunday, we're in a great mood and desiring that good ol' brunch buffet experience. THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR IT.
Yes, they have a buffet, but it is not good. There are made-to-order (which means you have two choices) omelets and cinnamon rolls that I liked. But the buffet options were less than stellar. I won't go in to the boring details of how the hash browns were too creamy, or the pasta like a Kraft dinner out of a box, and I wouldn't suggest finding out for yourself.
Not to mention, the place itself feels like an old night club. Not exactly what we were looking for post-church.
Come on Yelpers, we need a 'Brunch List'... This may be my new challenge! :)
Precise time was 12.49pm 12/26/10. 'Twaz a grueling 22 mile bike ride to  Oak City from my home, and unfortunately I ran into Matthew, the rudest, most OBNOXIOUS "manager" I have ever had the displeasure of coming across. The day after Christmas!
Here's what transpired: I needed to stash my bike on the deserted patio, I'd forgotten my lock, and he literally grenaded! This buffoon had the effrontery to tell a paying customer that he would not let me in, because I questioned his manner and his customer service skills. I was tempted to spit in his fat face, and start a race riot...
But 'tis Boxing Day, and my hard earned $$$ can be better spent where I'd be made to feel welcome...
NEVER visit Oak City Bloomington. My $0.02.
2 1/2 stars because the food quality was consistent. Â I had it on pretty good authority that the appetizers were really good here. Â My first experience a few months ago was great service and a very tasty Tenderloin Beef and Ama Blu Fondue. Â Spinach and Artichoke Dip also a hit as well as the ceviche style shrimp special. Â
I finally went back last week. Â This seems to be an after work gathering place with a busy bar area, this was the case both times I was there. Â The food was still good, the service however was some of the worst I've experienced anywhere. Â Sadly, the manager didn't seem to care much either. Â In a moderately busy restaurant customers should still have water glasses filled and should be asked at least once if everything was satisfactory. Â They shouldn't have to flag their server down to order or track them down at the bar to get their bill.
Hmmmm... Would I recommend people to go here? Probably not... If I've been drinking? Maybe... After quite a few drinks!
No cover charge. Â Interesting atmosphere. Interesting crowd (ages varied from 21 all the way up to 60). Thugs, skaters, cowboys, a wide array of people types... Good for people watching. This place was dark and dingy, the service we experienced was horrible. It was a Saturday night, Ladies Night!! You would think that there would treat the Ladies a little better! I was there for about 2 hours... And our waiter only made 1 appearance at our table (one visit). The friends I was with ended up going up to the bar to order their drinks. Nobody could even get the waiters attention. He must've thought he was hot shit... He clearly was not. Outdoor patio looked nice, but it was too chilly to sit out.
If I'm drunk, I'll go back... If not, well than that's another story. You have my opinion.
Went here for a working lunch last week. Â My experience is best described as disappointing. Â The staff was very friendly, but I suppose they had to be because there were only two tables including ours--during the lunch rush. Â Red flag. Â Although, they did a great job of trying to disguise how empty the place is because they the lighting was so dark inside. Â
Menu is broad in scope, narrow in appeal and for some reason expensive (nothing under $10 except the salad bar lunch special). Â Nothing looked or sounded appetizing, nothing looked healthy or light or fresh. Â I ended up getting the Chicken Chipotle sandwich for $11. Â When my food arrived, I was a little dismayed that the piece of chicken was dwarfed by the bun; it's like they took a normal sized chicken breast and cut it in half. Â Once I was eating, I ended up feeling glad it was so small that I didn't have to eat more. Â I also had to ditch the top of the bun entirely so that I could taste anything but bread. Â Fries were blah too--frozen sticks that tasted like semi cooked frozen sticks.
For another $3 go to Kincaid's across the street and have a gourmet meal, patroned by other human beings, in a light and airy space. Â Or brown bag your lunch, you'll save some money and have a more satisfying meal (even if it is a Lean Cuisine).
When I moved to Minneapolis, I situated myself in Loring Park because I just knew I'd be getting a job downtown.  After all, that is where the ad agencies are.  Smart logistical move, right?  Well... no.  Turns out that I got a contract in Bloomington.  The choices for lunch near my office are slim.  I can pretty much go to Olive Garden, Joe Senser's or have Jimmy John's deliver... or I can go to Oak City.  I actually like the Oak City for lunch.  They always smile and remember me.  They always have my food ready and waiting to take back upstairs, if I am getting it to-go.  They know if I show up with any of my co-workers that we are getting the $6.95 soup and salad bar (which is actually quite yummy).  I really like their candied walnut salad.  I really, really like the Oak City burger (they give me a regular bun because the cornmeal texture on English muffins weirds me out when they aren't toasted). If I am really feeling crazy, I'll split a bomber with someone.  They are huge!  I wish the prices were a notch lower for lunch, but it is awfully convenient and has saved me  when I didn't have time to pack a lunch on more than one occasion.
Review Source:At the beginning of Oak City's existence I initially liked the place, and went quite often and sat at the bar. Â My biggest issue with that was the manager never acknowledged me as a returning guest. Â It's pretty easy to do and a no brainer. Â The LIVE music was great at the beginning but is now a thing of the past... Last year we went there for St Patty's day for $3 green beers and corned beef and cabbage.... by 7:10pm they were completely out of food coloring and the corned beef. Â I can understand selling out of the food, but they could have at least continued the beer special without the food coloring. Â They did not and the $3 beer then turned into a $6 beer. Â
A bit over a month ago a couple co-workers and I went to Oak City to have a couple drinks after work. Â We got there a couple mins before ten and they were closing. Â The sign clearly states they are open till 2am. Â The girl was a snot and said they were closed and blew off the sign on the door so we got stuck going to majors. Â Three weeks ago we decided to try it again and got there at 9:30 (both these occasions were on Wednesday or thursday nights) Â The host/manager? sat a table right before us and told those guests they were serving food until ten. Â The bartender also told us once we were sitting they were serving food until ten. Â At 9:50 we attempted to place our order and were told the kitchen was closed. Â We questioned the staff as they had originally said ten but apparently it was then too late and they brought us out some chips and salsa. Â That evening the manager, a young smaller blondish guy, kept running around the restaurant like he was anxious and busy, yet there were only around 15-20 people there. Â The manager kept flipping open his phone and texting and I finally questioned the server about how strange it was to see the manager acting so rudely and texting all night. Â That server told us that the owners text management at night to get the numbers and then determine what time they'll stay open until......
Clearly this place is highly inconsistent... I will not be returning
Place smelled like smoke and sweat, I don't even want to picture what the dance floor must look like on some nights :(
Suffice it to say, I hope the mixologists keep the place open, because the kitchen will not for long!
We went here last night, for the first time, because it was a Sunday and we were craving pastrami, of all things....not many NY style delis open on the weekends or even he evenings, I'm finding....better tell my taste buds to settle down certain hours! ANYWAY, mobile Google brought up the menu for Oak City and I thought we would give it a shot....now we know.
Not great, not even good.
There is a Salsa event at this location every Sunday. This review is strictly for their Sunday Night Salsa. I went when visiting MN and had a very good time. The music was cool and there were a few people to dance with. My friend told me they sometimes have a band, that must be pretty cool. I don't think I got the full experience of it, since it was Father's day weekend and there weren't too many people attending. I am definitely going to try this place again when I visit MN in the future.
Review Source:Had a pretty good meal here last Saturday. Â We were desperate to feed my parents and get home to rest after a long day of painting, and everywhere we tried was a solid 1-2 hour wait. Â We finally thought of Oak City and decided to give it a try. Â I will say that the prices for what you get are slightly high. Â That being said, we all really liked our food. Â Apps: Steak bites with gorgonzola fondue, and buffalo shrimp. Â Big shrimp - good buffalo flavor and not dried out. Â We liked both apps. Â The entree menu was strange - it definitely tried to be a little bit of everything. Â Surprisingly, though, they pulled it off. Â My Hawaiian black pepper shrimp was peppery, sweet and tangy, with big, not-overcooked shrimp. It came with a rice that was bland, but the shrimp sauce was so flavorful that the rice worked out well. Â Also had a banana cut in half and broiled/grilled till carmelized - it was great! Â My husband's chicken marsala was also good - the chicken was also correctly cooked so it wasn't dried out and mealy, and the marsala was not a heavy cream-based sauce. Â My Dad had some tender and tasty babyback ribs. The only disappointment was the surf and turf special - it was ok, just not very exciting. Â I've had drinks there before that were a disappointment, but the drinks that evening were well-mixed too.
Review Source:Ok, wow - this place is like a 13 year old with an identity crisis. Â
First off, it's in the bottom of an office building...so it kind of feels like you are a) headed into work or b) headed into a lame hotel bar.
Second, the decor is "Glam Dance Club meets the Good'Ol Boys Club". Â For example, they had these club-looking bead curtains (glam) with wooden high top tables (boys club). Â And they had GOLD upholstered (glam) rolly lounge chairs (boys club).
Third, they menu was all over the board: Â steak, pasta, asian, bar nachos...strange. Â I tried the blue cheese Reuben (ok) and some "captain crunch" chicken fingers (upon suggestion by the waiter) - they sucked.
Forth, we were there last night - on a Monday...all of a sudden at 9:00, there were bouncers at the door, they dimmed the lights, all servers became female - wearing little black dresses, and a DJ started spinning cheesy club music - complete with 30 year old men leering at the 20 something wait staff.
All in all, this restaurant can't be all things to all people. Â Its a hard transition to be the "after work" place for all of the offices around the area - to then "CLUB BLOOMINGTON" for the South side.
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