Loved this place as much as one of its early predecessors, Clydes. That said, tempted to give it three stars so everyone stays away. Fs-W-B (friends with boat) were gushing about this place, they are real steak hounds and this is their new go-to on the river. So stopped when on their boat. Love love love so far: 1) Early live music. Mn Blues Society Road to Memphis winner Jimmi & Band of Souls played here two nights in one weekend! 2) Duck Frits (skinny fries in duck fat). To. Die. For. Well seriously, do not eat them often if you have say, NAFLD, or you will XX. I ordered these despite a successful -30 lbs recently, shared with party, and they were delish. It was worth the splurge. 3) I had a steak/blue cheese crumble salad and it was A-OK. 4) Husband had pan-fried walleye, very good. 5) My pal had Lobster roll, her fav. Made her compare the duck fries with regular that came with her sandwich. Hands down I bet she won't order regular fries again. 6) Despite not having ice cream drinks on the menu, a nice young bartender who hails from across the river made all us ladies a white grasshopper (that's what we called it as he rummaged up white creme de menthe). HOpe it's open year round and continues live blues and other music.
(5)
Briana E.
Went here with a group of 8 last night. The server was very attentive and personable. I ordered the steak and Bleu cheese salad. It was good and steak was actually cooked medium how I asked for it. Some of it was chewy/gristly though. The bread and butter they bring out is really good! Pretty sure we ate like 3 baguettes worth. My husband ordered the jambalaya and it was excellent! Everyone in the group seemed to enjoy their dishes. Will be back. Service was on point. Prices are decent.
(4)
Patrick O.
This is an easy one. First let's get the details outta the way.Saturday lunch. Great service. Attentive. Always hustling. Good senses of humor too. Watered up instantly. Food was front and center in a flash. And good chow it was. My wife had an incredible lobster roll. Luckily we shared because my crab cakes & summer greens with mango & pineapple wasn't too shabby either. Of course the cakes could of been twice the size but why quibble. Overall a very nice lunch. We'll be back.
(4)
Nick H.
A couple friends and I went and had dinner for the first time here. I had been wanting to try this place for awhile and now that I've gone, I'll definitely be coming back often. Everything we had was delicious. We started with the tuna poke and peppadew poppers for appetizers and devoured them pretty quickly. Also, cocktails and drinks were just as tasty and the service and recommendations before ordering were very welcome. With our entrees my friend and I each got the seafood gumbo which was good. After this I had a few of their oysters, grilled cajun style which were good again but Butcher and the Boar set the bar for me on grilled oysters and its high. Nonetheless, I would still order them again. For my entree, I had the pumpkin squash ravioli which was excellent! I didn't get seafood as I planned on having that the next day but I will definitely be trying that out in the near future. Pics soon to come.
(5)
Gerald L.
This is solely on my dinner...not my companions....they were not as happy as I was. If you come here and don't order the St Croix Burger, you should be arrested and flogged. I would say it was two steps away from "life changing"....yeah I said almost life changing....it is that good. It has the trinity of great burgers: Bun: check Burger: check Bacon: check But it's the other stuff that rules..... Cheddar cheese: check Fried egg: check Insanely tasty to die for garlic mayo: check Upgrade to the fries (shoestring cut, just how I love them) from chips and you are in full understanding of why I had a permanent smile today.
(4)
Joe B.
Crappy service, filthy restaurant, horrible food. Flies everywhere, someone shut the door! I know it's near the water, but can't you do something about the flies? Clean the carpets and polish the tables and wash the windows, can't even see the river through the filth. Guy in our group order Jambalaya, it came with zero shrimp, we all laughed about it, he complained and the waitress return with a saucer that had 4 tiny little shrimp on it. Hey chef, take some damned pride in what you serve. Skip this dump.
(2)
T S.
The quality of food was no where near the level you would expect it to be, for the prices they list. We ordered an appetizer yet did not have time to enjoy it, as the salads were served within two minutes of receiving it. Our meals also followed quickly, as we had each only been able to take a few bites of our salads. This should be planned out better so people are actually able to enjoy their meal and not feel rushed. The only flavor in seafood cannelloni was a hint of red pepper. Otherwise the cannelloni shells were hard and the filling was quite dry. We went on a Friday night around 6 pm and the ambiance was not what we expected to be for an adults night out. Most of the tables had couples with their babies or children, so the place sounded like romper room. We will not be returning.
(2)
Dar J.
First time this past Sunday and we absolutely loved it . The burger with the Brie and the lobster roll was amazing. The wait staff was wonderful and it is a mix of dress and casual at the same time. We will go back and already have told friends about it. In the winter it is a little cool as it is all windows that look at the river. Don`t pass by stop in you will love it.
(5)
Tim L.
I purchased a groupon for brunch for two people. there were four of us dining. The brunch buffet was medicocre at best with the highlight being a large tray of smoked salmon with Bagels, capers, onions, etc. a bit of fresh fruit and some store bought pastries. The salmon was great! The rest of the brunch was served "family style". We were delivered a plate of bisquits and gravy first. the gravy was nothing special and tasted bland. our wait for the next entrees seemed lengthy. next came pancakes, scrambled eggs, ham and bacon. Not much to say about pancakes and scrambled eggs. they were fine, but most are. The ham was of poor quality and contained alot of internal fat which i had to cut around. the bacon was good. We reordered more bacon and ham and it took quite awhile again. It took "reminders" to the server to get my coffee refilled but in his defense he was very busy and was doing his best to be polite and professional. It appeared they needed an additioinal wait person that day. This visit was my third since they have opened. I like its location near my home, but for the price of the brunch, i will not chose it again over others near my area.
(3)
Erin M.
If you are looking for great service and a relaxing venue, with a great selection of food, this is it! I have a friend who is vegan and I asked what they could do for her. The waitress called David and he came over to the table and told me he would be happy to whip up something for her. Couldn't have been more accommodating. Friendly great service. Here comes summer better grab your spot on the river!!
(4)
Kari G.
Pass My husband and I went in the other night (we live in the neighborhood). After waiting over 15 minutes no one greeted us on the deck, no one offered us menus or a drink menu. Another couple and my husband and I walked out after literally receiving no service on the deck. Highly disappointed.
(1)
Small Town B.
Her... I don't like to start a review with a negative, so I will say that the best and most consistent things about Mallards are the view and the staff. In that order. Wine has been around for hundreds of years, likewise with tastings. I have no patience for resident wine "experts" referring to themselves as "The Wine Guy" and having no idea how to conduct a tasting, or how to spell some of the wines - try spell check. The wines were featuring New Zealand and Australia. That said, only two whites - both from New Zealand. What exactly are we supposed to be comparing? Serving one white from Australia and one from New Zealand would have provided a great opportunity to taste the difference soil makes in creating wine. The cheese plate was safe and boring. Brie, goat and Wisconsin bleu. No bread, no crackers. The wines were equally safe and uninteresting. Oyster Bay Chardonnay is the Budweiser of wine. My advice? Skip the Groupon. Go during the week when the classless sophmoric behavior of the "guests" is at a minimum. Order the Duck Frites (also misspelled on the menu) and have a martini. Keep clear of useless hostess and equally useless "manager". Let the staff do their thing and you will have a marvelous time. Try to get Jen to photo bomb you and have Tyler as your server, if you can get him off the links long enough to come to work! They are a true delight. Him... This was our second stop at Mallard's in Bayport. We grabbed a Groupon for the wine tasting and snack plate for two. We expected to sit out on the patio but when we arrived there was a bail bondsman party going on and they had the patio filled. Kind of a rowdy crowd so it made the experience not quite as enjoyable as we had hoped, that environment we can get any day in New Richmond at certain places. We were seated on the indoor patio which is also nice and our server was quite pleasant as all the servers there seem to be. The wine tasting was set up in backward order but he did ask us what we wanted to start with. Tia is the expert here and set it up for us correctly. The wine pours were very generous and different from the last time we were here. They do different wines every month with a different cheese and/or other type of appetizer to choose from. This month the cheese plate was good although the Brie could be substituted with something more tasty, and we had to ask for bread or crackers to go with it (not sure if they forgot or if it doesn't come with?) Our server, Tyler, was more than happy to get some for us and apologized even though it was not his fault. The crab dip was very good and the wines were all good. There were not any that I did not finish. Although the experience here was different than before we did end up meeting some cool people and had a good time with the staff. I am not 100% sure the managers have a total grasp but they were trying (well, one of them was). All in all, I do like the place, it is in a great location and the surroundings are beautifull right along the St. Croix river. It definitely has potential if managed well.
Love this place! Great service,wait staff and food! The owners are almost always there making sure everything is running at top form. Great happy hour too.
(5)
Chef B.
Even with good happy hour drink prices. I will not be back. Food is not what they claim it to be. In my opinion it is greatly over priced and ultimately bland. For the record I have eaten here three times in five months. Service was horrendous all three time.
(1)
Tammy D.
Great service and food. Outdoor deck is the perfect place to hang out in the marina. Also like the fact that they deliver to the boats.
(4)
Susan B.
We decided to give Mallards a try even though there are 3 bad reviews. We really enjoyed our meal of salmon and walleye. The meal included a salad, plenty of french bread, sides of baked sweet potato with cinnamon butter, risotto (very nicely done), and fresh vegetables. All of this for a very reasonable price. Our cocktails were delicious and made from scratch. It was a very busy night but our server was attentive and very friendly. We will return in the spring to dine with beautiful views of the St Croix River.
(4)
Kathie C.
I would stay clear of this place. The service is horrible, the food just ok. We waited and waited for a drink, any drink even some water! Then we started with an appetizer the vegetable platter.. What a joke 3 mini peppers, 8 olives and 4 mushy slices of pickles,thrown on a platter , I give the presentation an f. We were here for a birthday, we are all close to 60 so this should have been a memorable meal. Then came the dinner, crab legs without a plate for the shells but not to worry sine we did not get a cracker for the crab. We waited and waited but our server was not to be seen and never came back to see how things were. We finally got another wait staff to help us, she just shook her head and said I can't believe you did not get these..but not an apology..then we waited again for a 2nd drink, once again no one..some had the lobster roll it would have been good had we had more lobster but the 3 little pieces on a piece of bread was not a pleaser. We finally got the bill, and our waiter put on 3 xtra appetizers,! We flagged him down finally, got no apology, On our way out I asked to talk to the manager, young man said his father was the owner. I told him I would like to give some feedback about our bad experience , that I was drawn in by the wonderful ad in the paper but was Soo disappointed, he just shrugged his shoulders. This place won't last without customer service . The only thing it has going for it is the view......
The best part of the meal was the drink at the bar. There were 7 of us in our party, with 5 trying this place for the first time. Will not return. Waitress was overbearing, trying to take plates before we even finished. One person ordered salmon special and the fish a very strong fishy smell. Was given a new piece. Brussel sprouts were not even cooked, very hard. Rice in my jambalaya was way overcooked, and did not even have any decent sausage in it. Another dinner was supposed to have risotto, but it too, had the overcooked rice. Dinner was bad enough, we did not want to take a chance for dessert. Owners might want to look for a new chef.
(1)
Patti S.
Best meal of my life! And I eat out a lot! We have been coming to Mallard's since it opened and the food has almost always been GOOD to VERY GOOD - tonight it was superb!!! I have had the Sea Bass with the red curry risotto twice but it is a little too sweet for me - I am a savory fan. So tonight I ordered the Sea Bass with roasted veggies and lemon caper sauce - out of this world delicious! The Sea Bass was cooked to perfection and the blending of the flavors was Devine! Lots of moaning! The mallard's salad was perfectly dressed and wonderful as always but please I need 3, not 1, of those little goat cheese buttons! But back to the delicious - my Mojito was perfection! Keep up the good work David and family!
(5)
Lorraine N.
This has quickly become a shinning star in my area of places to go for a decent bite and good drink in a fabulous friendly relaxing environment. This place is clearly run by a caring family and they have all stopped by my table on several occasions just to chat and make sure that the food and service lives up to my expectations. I would recommend the walleye sandwich, ribs, prime rib, it has all been delicious--it is clear they have a chef in back. There is often live music on the weekends and we have had some nice singer/songwriter entertainment from Trandy Blue a local favorite and a jazzy piano singer that did old school classics. This adds to the experience. Good drinks too!
(5)
Jack M.
First off- the food is tasty. But the service is so bad it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. The dummy at the front desk must be related to the owner - I don't know how he could have gotten the job otherwise. We waited forever for our food - I wish this place was better - the owner needs to train the staff better or find someone who can do it. I'll try it again next year, but will skip the rest of the year. Hope they make it.
(2)
D Patrick M.
It is a very beautiful setting. I have been there several times and I love the scenery but the food is at best average. I believe they must not have a chef but only a fry cook. Too often they are out of their specials and they try to be too fancy and some of their basic sides such as their potato selection. You cannot even get a baked potato or regular mashed potatoes. They should hire a recognized chef and adding that to the beautiful scenic surroundings could make it a five star destination rather than a disappointing two star destination.
(2)
Kelly R.
If I could leave no stars, I would. Slow service. A family style brunch that came out like molasses in January and was either cold or dried out. Very disappointed we spent money on this meal! Don't bother nor brunch it was awful. Never received fruit asked for refills and they never arrives. We paid our bill and left.
(1)
Jason W.
Beautiful restaurant and setting on the river. The service was okay and a little disappointing based on how busy it Was Not. The food was great except for the gumbo but the food took forever to get. Appetizers came out with the main entrees, disappointing! I would come back but hope they step their game up.
(3)
Jodell M.
I'm updating my post. This was the one of the best restaurants on the St Croix. Everything you would order was delicious. We have been there a few times in the last month....service has gone down hill. The food is really changed. There are only a few things on the menu that I would recommend and even that I would say it cautiously. I don't know what happened but PLEASE bring the old Mallards back! I'm giving it 2 stars because they still have some good food. I won't say which ones because I don't want them to change those too...that's a hidden treasure
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Brunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Classy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Brenda B.
Loved this place as much as one of its early predecessors, Clydes. That said, tempted to give it three stars so everyone stays away. Fs-W-B (friends with boat) were gushing about this place, they are real steak hounds and this is their new go-to on the river. So stopped when on their boat. Love love love so far: 1) Early live music. Mn Blues Society Road to Memphis winner Jimmi & Band of Souls played here two nights in one weekend! 2) Duck Frits (skinny fries in duck fat). To. Die. For. Well seriously, do not eat them often if you have say, NAFLD, or you will XX. I ordered these despite a successful -30 lbs recently, shared with party, and they were delish. It was worth the splurge. 3) I had a steak/blue cheese crumble salad and it was A-OK. 4) Husband had pan-fried walleye, very good. 5) My pal had Lobster roll, her fav. Made her compare the duck fries with regular that came with her sandwich. Hands down I bet she won't order regular fries again. 6) Despite not having ice cream drinks on the menu, a nice young bartender who hails from across the river made all us ladies a white grasshopper (that's what we called it as he rummaged up white creme de menthe). HOpe it's open year round and continues live blues and other music.
(5)Briana E.
Went here with a group of 8 last night. The server was very attentive and personable. I ordered the steak and Bleu cheese salad. It was good and steak was actually cooked medium how I asked for it. Some of it was chewy/gristly though. The bread and butter they bring out is really good! Pretty sure we ate like 3 baguettes worth. My husband ordered the jambalaya and it was excellent! Everyone in the group seemed to enjoy their dishes. Will be back. Service was on point. Prices are decent.
(4)Patrick O.
This is an easy one. First let's get the details outta the way.Saturday lunch. Great service. Attentive. Always hustling. Good senses of humor too. Watered up instantly. Food was front and center in a flash. And good chow it was. My wife had an incredible lobster roll. Luckily we shared because my crab cakes & summer greens with mango & pineapple wasn't too shabby either. Of course the cakes could of been twice the size but why quibble. Overall a very nice lunch. We'll be back.
(4)Nick H.
A couple friends and I went and had dinner for the first time here. I had been wanting to try this place for awhile and now that I've gone, I'll definitely be coming back often. Everything we had was delicious. We started with the tuna poke and peppadew poppers for appetizers and devoured them pretty quickly. Also, cocktails and drinks were just as tasty and the service and recommendations before ordering were very welcome. With our entrees my friend and I each got the seafood gumbo which was good. After this I had a few of their oysters, grilled cajun style which were good again but Butcher and the Boar set the bar for me on grilled oysters and its high. Nonetheless, I would still order them again. For my entree, I had the pumpkin squash ravioli which was excellent! I didn't get seafood as I planned on having that the next day but I will definitely be trying that out in the near future. Pics soon to come.
(5)Gerald L.
This is solely on my dinner...not my companions....they were not as happy as I was. If you come here and don't order the St Croix Burger, you should be arrested and flogged. I would say it was two steps away from "life changing"....yeah I said almost life changing....it is that good. It has the trinity of great burgers: Bun: check Burger: check Bacon: check But it's the other stuff that rules..... Cheddar cheese: check Fried egg: check Insanely tasty to die for garlic mayo: check Upgrade to the fries (shoestring cut, just how I love them) from chips and you are in full understanding of why I had a permanent smile today.
(4)Joe B.
Crappy service, filthy restaurant, horrible food. Flies everywhere, someone shut the door! I know it's near the water, but can't you do something about the flies? Clean the carpets and polish the tables and wash the windows, can't even see the river through the filth. Guy in our group order Jambalaya, it came with zero shrimp, we all laughed about it, he complained and the waitress return with a saucer that had 4 tiny little shrimp on it. Hey chef, take some damned pride in what you serve. Skip this dump.
(2)T S.
The quality of food was no where near the level you would expect it to be, for the prices they list. We ordered an appetizer yet did not have time to enjoy it, as the salads were served within two minutes of receiving it. Our meals also followed quickly, as we had each only been able to take a few bites of our salads. This should be planned out better so people are actually able to enjoy their meal and not feel rushed. The only flavor in seafood cannelloni was a hint of red pepper. Otherwise the cannelloni shells were hard and the filling was quite dry. We went on a Friday night around 6 pm and the ambiance was not what we expected to be for an adults night out. Most of the tables had couples with their babies or children, so the place sounded like romper room. We will not be returning.
(2)Dar J.
First time this past Sunday and we absolutely loved it . The burger with the Brie and the lobster roll was amazing. The wait staff was wonderful and it is a mix of dress and casual at the same time. We will go back and already have told friends about it. In the winter it is a little cool as it is all windows that look at the river. Don`t pass by stop in you will love it.
(5)Tim L.
I purchased a groupon for brunch for two people. there were four of us dining. The brunch buffet was medicocre at best with the highlight being a large tray of smoked salmon with Bagels, capers, onions, etc. a bit of fresh fruit and some store bought pastries. The salmon was great! The rest of the brunch was served "family style". We were delivered a plate of bisquits and gravy first. the gravy was nothing special and tasted bland. our wait for the next entrees seemed lengthy. next came pancakes, scrambled eggs, ham and bacon. Not much to say about pancakes and scrambled eggs. they were fine, but most are. The ham was of poor quality and contained alot of internal fat which i had to cut around. the bacon was good. We reordered more bacon and ham and it took quite awhile again. It took "reminders" to the server to get my coffee refilled but in his defense he was very busy and was doing his best to be polite and professional. It appeared they needed an additioinal wait person that day. This visit was my third since they have opened. I like its location near my home, but for the price of the brunch, i will not chose it again over others near my area.
(3)Erin M.
If you are looking for great service and a relaxing venue, with a great selection of food, this is it! I have a friend who is vegan and I asked what they could do for her. The waitress called David and he came over to the table and told me he would be happy to whip up something for her. Couldn't have been more accommodating. Friendly great service. Here comes summer better grab your spot on the river!!
(4)Kari G.
Pass My husband and I went in the other night (we live in the neighborhood). After waiting over 15 minutes no one greeted us on the deck, no one offered us menus or a drink menu. Another couple and my husband and I walked out after literally receiving no service on the deck. Highly disappointed.
(1)Small Town B.
Her... I don't like to start a review with a negative, so I will say that the best and most consistent things about Mallards are the view and the staff. In that order. Wine has been around for hundreds of years, likewise with tastings. I have no patience for resident wine "experts" referring to themselves as "The Wine Guy" and having no idea how to conduct a tasting, or how to spell some of the wines - try spell check. The wines were featuring New Zealand and Australia. That said, only two whites - both from New Zealand. What exactly are we supposed to be comparing? Serving one white from Australia and one from New Zealand would have provided a great opportunity to taste the difference soil makes in creating wine. The cheese plate was safe and boring. Brie, goat and Wisconsin bleu. No bread, no crackers. The wines were equally safe and uninteresting. Oyster Bay Chardonnay is the Budweiser of wine. My advice? Skip the Groupon. Go during the week when the classless sophmoric behavior of the "guests" is at a minimum. Order the Duck Frites (also misspelled on the menu) and have a martini. Keep clear of useless hostess and equally useless "manager". Let the staff do their thing and you will have a marvelous time. Try to get Jen to photo bomb you and have Tyler as your server, if you can get him off the links long enough to come to work! They are a true delight. Him... This was our second stop at Mallard's in Bayport. We grabbed a Groupon for the wine tasting and snack plate for two. We expected to sit out on the patio but when we arrived there was a bail bondsman party going on and they had the patio filled. Kind of a rowdy crowd so it made the experience not quite as enjoyable as we had hoped, that environment we can get any day in New Richmond at certain places. We were seated on the indoor patio which is also nice and our server was quite pleasant as all the servers there seem to be. The wine tasting was set up in backward order but he did ask us what we wanted to start with. Tia is the expert here and set it up for us correctly. The wine pours were very generous and different from the last time we were here. They do different wines every month with a different cheese and/or other type of appetizer to choose from. This month the cheese plate was good although the Brie could be substituted with something more tasty, and we had to ask for bread or crackers to go with it (not sure if they forgot or if it doesn't come with?) Our server, Tyler, was more than happy to get some for us and apologized even though it was not his fault. The crab dip was very good and the wines were all good. There were not any that I did not finish. Although the experience here was different than before we did end up meeting some cool people and had a good time with the staff. I am not 100% sure the managers have a total grasp but they were trying (well, one of them was). All in all, I do like the place, it is in a great location and the surroundings are beautifull right along the St. Croix river. It definitely has potential if managed well.
(3)Chris H.
I went to Mallards on a Tuesday afternoon for lunch with friends. The restaurant was almost empty. I waited at the check in area for quite a while and no waitress was in site. Finally she came out from the kitchen area and I asked if I should just seat myself and she said yes. I was meeting several friends their for lunch. We ordered our food and waited OVER ONE HOUR and still no food. To wait that long when their is literally no one there is ridiculous. When we complained, the waitress had a real attitude. Finally ten minutes later she brought out ONE entrée , said nothing so we assumed she would go back to the kitchen to get our other entrees but no, after another 10 minutes she still had not brought out our food so again, we went up to the bar where she was serving a drink to the one customer that was there and we asked where the rest of food was for the two other people at our table. She said she would go back and get it. Then we asked to talk with manager and she waived her arms in the air and shouted FINE. the manager came out and just said sorry. No once did either offer a beverage on the house or discount the meal for the long wait. I have never had such a terrible and rude waitress in my entire life. There is simply no excuse for this type of poor service. In this day and age when people can go on line and provide reviews why in the world would a employees take that sort of stance with customers. They are clearly in the wrong field. The waitress was in her late 20s early 30's , long brown hair. She should be fired. I am not sure if that was the manager or the chef that we spoke to but he was not much better. Attention Management at Mallards, you have serious problems ! Customers, stay away from this restaurant. There are so many other nice restaurants in Stillwater with wait staff and management that would love your business and treat you with respect and excellent customer service.
(1)June N.
Love this place! Great service,wait staff and food! The owners are almost always there making sure everything is running at top form. Great happy hour too.
(5)Chef B.
Even with good happy hour drink prices. I will not be back. Food is not what they claim it to be. In my opinion it is greatly over priced and ultimately bland. For the record I have eaten here three times in five months. Service was horrendous all three time.
(1)Tammy D.
Great service and food. Outdoor deck is the perfect place to hang out in the marina. Also like the fact that they deliver to the boats.
(4)Susan B.
We decided to give Mallards a try even though there are 3 bad reviews. We really enjoyed our meal of salmon and walleye. The meal included a salad, plenty of french bread, sides of baked sweet potato with cinnamon butter, risotto (very nicely done), and fresh vegetables. All of this for a very reasonable price. Our cocktails were delicious and made from scratch. It was a very busy night but our server was attentive and very friendly. We will return in the spring to dine with beautiful views of the St Croix River.
(4)Kathie C.
I would stay clear of this place. The service is horrible, the food just ok. We waited and waited for a drink, any drink even some water! Then we started with an appetizer the vegetable platter.. What a joke 3 mini peppers, 8 olives and 4 mushy slices of pickles,thrown on a platter , I give the presentation an f. We were here for a birthday, we are all close to 60 so this should have been a memorable meal. Then came the dinner, crab legs without a plate for the shells but not to worry sine we did not get a cracker for the crab. We waited and waited but our server was not to be seen and never came back to see how things were. We finally got another wait staff to help us, she just shook her head and said I can't believe you did not get these..but not an apology..then we waited again for a 2nd drink, once again no one..some had the lobster roll it would have been good had we had more lobster but the 3 little pieces on a piece of bread was not a pleaser. We finally got the bill, and our waiter put on 3 xtra appetizers,! We flagged him down finally, got no apology, On our way out I asked to talk to the manager, young man said his father was the owner. I told him I would like to give some feedback about our bad experience , that I was drawn in by the wonderful ad in the paper but was Soo disappointed, he just shrugged his shoulders. This place won't last without customer service . The only thing it has going for it is the view......
(1)Sandi C.
My brother, sister and I took our Mom here for Mother's Day. We were expecting a special experience because the location is wonderful - right on the river - and the menu looked very interesting. The food and service - BIG Disappointment. We ordered the Pappadew Poppers for an appetizer. That was the smallest appetizer I have ever seen! 5 teeny peppers on one lone skewer. Even though we ordered the appetizer first and our entrees quite a bit later, our salads were served with the appetizer. Also, we asked if we could get 1/2 portion of the Lobster Mac N Cheese as an appetizer, and our server's response was "lots of people ask for that but we just don't do it". The salad was ordinary and the iceberg lettuce was really wet. Our server raved about the sea bass - best she has ever had - just melts in your mouth, so that is what I ordered. Either someone in the kitchen coached the servers to sell the sea bass because it was old, or she has never had a decent piece of fish. The sea bass was really fishy, which is a crime considering the price is $26.95. Once our entrée plates were cleared, the server brought the bill without even asking if we wanted coffee or dessert. There are so many wonderful restaurants in the Twin Cities, and I believe this place is still open only because of the location. Perhaps the owners should start paying attention to what their customers want. FYI - we were a table of 4 and spent $200.00. We will never return.
(1)Bob S.
The best part of the meal was the drink at the bar. There were 7 of us in our party, with 5 trying this place for the first time. Will not return. Waitress was overbearing, trying to take plates before we even finished. One person ordered salmon special and the fish a very strong fishy smell. Was given a new piece. Brussel sprouts were not even cooked, very hard. Rice in my jambalaya was way overcooked, and did not even have any decent sausage in it. Another dinner was supposed to have risotto, but it too, had the overcooked rice. Dinner was bad enough, we did not want to take a chance for dessert. Owners might want to look for a new chef.
(1)Patti S.
Best meal of my life! And I eat out a lot! We have been coming to Mallard's since it opened and the food has almost always been GOOD to VERY GOOD - tonight it was superb!!! I have had the Sea Bass with the red curry risotto twice but it is a little too sweet for me - I am a savory fan. So tonight I ordered the Sea Bass with roasted veggies and lemon caper sauce - out of this world delicious! The Sea Bass was cooked to perfection and the blending of the flavors was Devine! Lots of moaning! The mallard's salad was perfectly dressed and wonderful as always but please I need 3, not 1, of those little goat cheese buttons! But back to the delicious - my Mojito was perfection! Keep up the good work David and family!
(5)Lorraine N.
This has quickly become a shinning star in my area of places to go for a decent bite and good drink in a fabulous friendly relaxing environment. This place is clearly run by a caring family and they have all stopped by my table on several occasions just to chat and make sure that the food and service lives up to my expectations. I would recommend the walleye sandwich, ribs, prime rib, it has all been delicious--it is clear they have a chef in back. There is often live music on the weekends and we have had some nice singer/songwriter entertainment from Trandy Blue a local favorite and a jazzy piano singer that did old school classics. This adds to the experience. Good drinks too!
(5)Jack M.
First off- the food is tasty. But the service is so bad it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. The dummy at the front desk must be related to the owner - I don't know how he could have gotten the job otherwise. We waited forever for our food - I wish this place was better - the owner needs to train the staff better or find someone who can do it. I'll try it again next year, but will skip the rest of the year. Hope they make it.
(2)D Patrick M.
It is a very beautiful setting. I have been there several times and I love the scenery but the food is at best average. I believe they must not have a chef but only a fry cook. Too often they are out of their specials and they try to be too fancy and some of their basic sides such as their potato selection. You cannot even get a baked potato or regular mashed potatoes. They should hire a recognized chef and adding that to the beautiful scenic surroundings could make it a five star destination rather than a disappointing two star destination.
(2)Kelly R.
If I could leave no stars, I would. Slow service. A family style brunch that came out like molasses in January and was either cold or dried out. Very disappointed we spent money on this meal! Don't bother nor brunch it was awful. Never received fruit asked for refills and they never arrives. We paid our bill and left.
(1)Jason W.
Beautiful restaurant and setting on the river. The service was okay and a little disappointing based on how busy it Was Not. The food was great except for the gumbo but the food took forever to get. Appetizers came out with the main entrees, disappointing! I would come back but hope they step their game up.
(3)Jodell M.
I'm updating my post. This was the one of the best restaurants on the St Croix. Everything you would order was delicious. We have been there a few times in the last month....service has gone down hill. The food is really changed. There are only a few things on the menu that I would recommend and even that I would say it cautiously. I don't know what happened but PLEASE bring the old Mallards back! I'm giving it 2 stars because they still have some good food. I won't say which ones because I don't want them to change those too...that's a hidden treasure
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