Tried the margarita flat bread tonight. Paired with the Oatmeal stout. Very good! Waitress Kelly takes good care of me. And I enjoy their patio.
(5)
Brad C.
Party of 13 celebrating a birthday. Food was terribly missed timed most people done with dinner when parts of others arrived. Waitress was short with kids. Normally much better =(
(2)
Calvin E.
Went out for Family night. Kid's meal was neat, make your own pizza and get ice cream. That was where the good part ended. Mrs. ordered a rotisserie chicken wrap. One half had only one piece of chicken in it and the other half had a bone (1.5" long). I ordered a steak sandwich (medium) and it came out rock hard. They at least comped the wife's meal. Was busy in there, so maybe lots of new people or maybe we just had really bad luck.
(1)
Sean W.
A place to drink but not to eat. Watch out For the fruit flies as the almost flew away with my drink they were so thick. That is a clear sign of poor sanitary environment. I switched to bottled beer lol
(2)
A S.
Girl's night out! Travis (bartender) waited on us initially, because restaurant wasn't busy. He was excellent. Unfortunately, when he had to concentrate on his bar, our service suffered. The manager, Patrick, walked by our table numerous times. He did not acknowledge us in the least, nor did any of the other servers. Granted, it wasn't their table, but clear our plates!! We had to go to the hostess stand to "ASK" to pay our bill! We were not offered more water, drink, nothing. Patrick acted like he was put out by even being at the restaurant. Travis was very apologetic. He was very busy, someone should have taken over his table.
(1)
Jason B.
Bonfire is good when compared to others around them in savage. Went there last Friday for lent specials. Fish on the captains platter was way over cooked and fishy tasting. Shrimp were great and crab cakes just ok. The wait was around an hour even though we saw open tables during our wait. Lots of wait staff standing around not doing much so perhaps a training issue with staff. Overall it was just ok though. Nothing special when you compare it to others within a ten to 15 minute drive. I'll be back with hopes that it's better next time and our service issues this time were due to lent.
(3)
Bill D.
That wasn't top sirloin. It was also very overdone instead of the medium doneness it was requested at, and i couldn't taste any steak butter. The rosemary potatoes were just potatoes (no rosemary detected) and the green beans were oily for some reason. The champagne salmon was a bit fishy and very salty. The drink glasses were dirty and our server forgot the silverware when the food was delivered. Not very tasty, absolutely not worth the price. I understand it is valentines day, but that is not an excuse for the table service and food quality to slide. And why hell are the lights flickering?!?
(1)
Chris C.
I was visiting my daughter, from out of town, and we stopped at the Eagan location for lunch on a Saturday. It wasn't very busy, and we got excellent service. It was a nice day so we sat outside on the pretty patio. I got the blackened walleye and it was a nice size piece of fish that tasted great. My daughter got the fish tacos and she said they were delicious. On the way out I checked out the restrooms and they were clean and well decorated.
(4)
Sierra S.
Love this place! Awesome food and great happy hour prices. All of their pizzas are amazing and my favorite app is the lettuce wraps. I usually don't like lettuce wraps, but a friend had me try them and it was delicious. For sure a good pick for date night, happy hour, or just dessert!
(5)
Sean G.
There was a total of twelve in our party - five of which were children (not including one texting disenfranchised tween, and a moon-eyed teen daughter-boyfriend couple - TRULY a servers nightmare. Myself? I was dreading the experience, envisioning a sluggish death-march of slow service by a resentful waiter. SURPRISE! Our waiter deftly took our order, was accommodating, and cheerful. And, though we weren't his only table, and it was 7 pm on a Saturday night (slamming time) - he was quick and efficient - seemingly everywhere in an almost Harry Potter like fashion. The food was good, it came quickly, it was hot, and well presented. Atmosphere was eclectic, but not over the top. I'd definitely grab Mrs. G and head here again.
(4)
Jer B.
My wife and I both ordered the Tortilla Soup. When served, we tasted it and we both agreed it was Chili. Had chopped up tomatoes, celery, ground beef. It was chili ! I asked the server if a mistake was made and we were served Chili. She said no "Its chicken Tortilla soup". Just because you put Tortilla Strips on top on chili it doesn't make it Tortilla Soup. After the first spoonful I did not eat any more cause this Chili would give me acid reflux that a Zantac wouldn't fix. My wife ate a few spoonfuls. I suppose we should have ordered a bowl of Chili so we could have compared the two. Maybe some other Yelpers will review Bonfires Chili and Tortilla soup.
(1)
John P.
Arrived at about 8 and found convenient parking and prompt seating. Bar was active but not disturbing. Waitress arrived and advised of drink specials. Don't recall any dinner specials. Ordered drinks and we were ready with our dinner order when they arrived. Ordered a Garden Salad but they do not have any light or fat free tradional dressings, like ranch or French. Also order flat bread pizza and a 1/4 rotissieree chicken. Salad arrived promptly but was immediately disappointing. The cucumbers and radishes right on top had obvious evidence of having been partially frozen at some point. Truley unbelievable that something so obvious could leave the kitchen and also not be noticed by the server that delivered the plate to our table. I did get the issue to a manager and he did return with a properly prepared salad just after the entrees arrived. The flat bread pizza was done just right and the recommended addition of the rotisserie chicken was spot on. My 1/4 rotisserie chicken was also enjoyed but there were issues with the side on the plate. The beans although perfectly done seemed a little heavy on the buttery aspect. The smashed potatoes were not really at the right serving temp and were not looking fresh as the color was dull. The waitress did offer a fresh replacement but I declined as like the buttery beans, were not the best for my diet. Management did buy my Strawberry Margarita as a consolation. I can give a four ratinging only because of the service and environment. There are definitely concerns with the kitchen/food preparation so be alert and make sure they fix mistakes.
(4)
Shauna G.
Upon arrival, only one hostess for an obviously busy Monday night. Was finally seated, sat for about 8 minutes without anyone acknowledging us... did I mention we have a 18 month old with us?? Finally get a drink order and just place our order as we've had plenty of time to look over the menu. another 7 minutes to get our drink order. Get our food. Food was great, nobody checked on us until we were over half done. I honestly don't think I'll ever come back to this location. I've been a server, so I will usually cut slack on things, the staff was slow, the hostess needs to go and overall this place needs to plan better for busy nights. There were 8 open tables and we were on a wait?? I'll go to another Bonfire next time.
(1)
Jon N.
my wife and i visited Bonfire tonight. Right away we could tell this was going to be a poor experience as all the tables around us were getting their bills and everything was wrong, apparently the computers were down? The service was poor as all the help was scrambling due to the computer issues. We finally got service and placed our order for both food & drink knowing we probably wouldn't see our server often. Food came in about 20 minutes but no drinks. The food was not good and the service was worse. Feel bad for the people working at this location they are trying hard but the place must be so mismanaged. Of course our bill was wrong too. Won't go back!
(1)
Linda G.
I do not blame waiter for watery Bloody Mary which tasted more like a Virgin Bloody Mary. However, when one member of our party ordered the quarter chicken and requested dark meat, the order came it was white meat only, the waiter returned after a long period of time with a replacement chicken product. It was white meat again, he explained that that was the darkest meat he could find. Perhaps you would do well to train the staff on chicken body parts.
(1)
Gnome H.
This used to be our go-to place for a decent priced beer and app dinner where you came away thinking you got some value. Regular dinner prices are too high and the food is just not that good. Since Jan 1 they have removed their half price pizza and apps deal and now have it as $3 off. As such, this place will no longer be a regular stop of ours as it has lost its value. Read the other reviews, the food is not that great and its over priced. The place has been getting worse over time and their menu changes have made no sense at all. This is just one more step backward for a place that used to be decent. Too bad, there are so few local places worth dining at these days... but there are enough in the SE metro area still left to be able to avoid dining at Bonfire.
(2)
Mark R.
Once again I'm into this half star thing. My family and I visited this last week and everything was A-OK. Food tasted okay, not great, but okay. Wine was good and about what I figured to pay for the bottle. Three stars. However, this place is just so boring. The menu doesn't change and the food lacks the sharpness that I remember on previous visits. Seems to be less and less "tasty" each time; thus two stars. The service was good, however I felt a defensiveness by our server for some simple questions about the "new" gluten free menu. She did warm up to us after a while and service was generally good.
(3)
Andy B.
Above par food, but overpriced. Portions are more than a single person needs but hey leftovers are a welcomed evening treat! Service is usually horrible, but our most recent visit on 12/17/12 was okay. For the same cost I'd suggest Doolittle's down the street.
(3)
J L.
I love this place! I highly recommend the carrot cake. It's like a pound of heaven drizzled with caramel.
(4)
Stephen S.
Service and ambiance leave a LOT to be desired. It'd say it's one (small) step up from a country and western bar. I fully expected peanut shells on the floor. The bartender was far more interested in regailing his patrons about his sexual exploits and watching Monday night football than he was serving guests. BAD service. I had to ask for water, which never got refilled. The pint glasses filled with peanuts on the bar were so greasy and dirty that you couldn't see through them. How appetizing is that???!!!! It is pretty CHEAP though. In fact, it's the first time in a LONG time that I can remember having an entree and a glass of wine for under $20. Don't expect anything FRESH ... my meal came less than 2 minutes after I ordered it. Clearly, just sitting and waiting to be plated up. Rotisserie chicken wasn't bad tasting and neither were the smashed potatoes. Green beans had lots of flavor but many brown beans mixed in there. Not high quality. If you pass this place ... I say KEEP ON DRIVIN'
(1)
Tina W.
Wow. I've tried it over and over and over and it's just not good. At all. The last trip was with a VERY large group of about 18. No one liked their entrees and people had all kinds of options. Across the board, it wasn't good. The prices were high for what you got, too. Service is ok. It's crazy busy in there in the evenings. The bar is very popular.
(1)
Jim R.
I really like Bonfire. Yes, it's a little expensive so I can't go there every week, but I do love their food and service. If you haven't tried it, give it a go.
(5)
Matt O.
I'm typically a Bonfire fan but not a good visit tonight. Long wait for a table when there were plenty available, hosts were just too busy talking to each other to notice. When we finally are seated, takes 10+ minutes to be served. Once we were the visit improved, very nice waitress and good drinks and food. Really just need to improve the service in the beginning. Not near busy enough to excuse it.
(2)
Jennifer L.
The service was REALLY slow. The Coffee was cold. My Prime Rib French Dip was cold. My Fries were cold. My husbands Medallion Lunch special was good - but it was $13.00 for 5 bites of meat and a plate loaded with sides. We left unhappy.
(2)
Adam S.
I visited Bonfire for a late lunch on a Wednesday so I didn't really expect there to be many people in the restaurant but there was only one other group....totally empty. Service wasn't bad but that is because the place was so empty. I ordered the lunch portion of the walleye with the buttermilk smashed potatoes because the regular portion is around $25 and that is just too much for lunch. Our food didn't take very long to come out so that was cool. The walleye was actually very good. Not fishy at all. Along with the side of smashed potatoes came grilled mixed veggies...which was 80% red onion. I didn't mind because I'm a big fan of grilled onions but I wouldn't consider that a side dish. The buttermilk smashed potatoes were borderline disgusting. They were extremely tangy. I can understand a little tanginess on account of the buttermilk but I left more than half of the potatoes on the plate. I said something to my friend about the potatoes and the waitress heard me...but didn't come over. At that point I didnt really care because I had my fill. The only other time I've been there was for happy hour and my group just ordered a mess of apps which were good. I guess I'll go back but only if I'm in the area.
(3)
Aaron L.
Bonfire is another one of those joints that, in my humble opinion, gets a bad rap here on Yelp. Bonfire is a good restaurant--not a great one. The service can be slow but it is generally ok. It's places like this where I wish yelp would let me give out half stars. It'd get 3.5, but I'll round down to 3. I've got to say that the best time to hit up Bonfire is late summer evenings. They have a wonderful (and large) patio with a pleasant atmosphere. Inside the building is large and open. The decor may be getting a bit dated... hanging from the ceiling you'll find a big bull made out of a bunch of junk--it's interesting, but you'll wonder what the story behind it is. On my last visit, the service was good. The name of the restaurant is actually Axel's Bonfire, but our server informed us that Axel is not a real person. He was unsure why the place was ever called that but said that it had that name prior to the current owners taking possession of the chain. Anyway... our food took a while to get to us, but it wasn't an excruciatingly long time, and our server was very good about giving us updates. I ordered the cajun chicken penne, which was quite delicious, though the chicken was a bit overdone. It was pretty much the perfect of spice and seasoning. My wife ordered a steak medium well and said that it was a bit dry and not quite as hot as it should be. So she was a bit disappointed, but said that it was still good. Honestly, my biggest complaint about this place is that I get perpetually terrible cell reception (I'm on Sprint). Seriously? Zero bars even by the window??!? How is that even possible in this day and age?
(3)
Sherrie C.
First time here. The food was pretty good, we just had a burger and an appetizer, but they charged for refills on the ice tea! First of all, we dine out frequently, and I've never paid $4.00 for a small glass of ice tea, but when we got our bill, they had also charged for the one refill I had. Seriously????? Doubt we would go back. Prices are too high for this type of restaurant. The service was fine except the waitress was alone and had many tables to wait on that day.
(2)
Mark P.
My wife and I visited Bonfire in Eagan this evening. We were seated immediately and we both took advantage of their very favorably priced happy hour mixed drinks. We skipped the appetizers. I had the Texas Pork Chops and my wife had their roasted chicken. We were both very pleased with the the small wait time, the sizeable portions, presentation, and how our food was prepared to order. We had an enjoyable meal and relaxing evening. We will be returning again.
(4)
David J.
The service was the worst I've had in recent memory. It should be SOP to keep the water and soft drink glasses filled. My steak (fillet) was not cooked to my order, certainly wasn't tender at $28. During our visit, we felt largely ignored. Over priced for the food quality. Over priced for the service.
(1)
Kate P.
Don't order the chicken salad (the Tempe Chicken Salad I believe). It comes soupy--like someone put chicken salad in a blender and put it in a bowl. Then it's served with 4 huge slices EACH of pineapple, honey dew, muskmellon and watermellon. When it said it came with a side of fruit, I wasn't expecting a platter. SO I ate three pieces of fruit and none of the chicken salad soup. You'd think a good waitress would notice. She didn't. AND a hot tea was $2.89. For hot water and a tea bag????!! I spent $15 for 3 slices of fruit and a cup of tea. Prices are too high, service is too poor. -Regards, A former Bonfire fan
(1)
Linny W.
I decided to participate in the 5 course Grey Goose luncheon on 4/14/12. What has happened to the food at the Bonfire restaurantS? This 5 course meal was like attending a tasting for students at a culinary school. In fact I bet culinary students could do better than what Bonfires served. It was Bonfires trying to be a 5 star restaurant who failed terribly. 1st course used unripe pears and the Riesling reduction tasted like Carmel sauce. The prawn in the second course was TOUGH and dry! It was suppose to have a blood orange vodka sauce. It was NOT included or I did not taste it.. Third course was like eating a guacamole that they forgot to season, it was horrible! It was suppose to include Langoustines, crab and bacon. NOT EVEN CLOSE! Fourth course was suppose to have a light and flaky halibut wrapped in a potato crust. I have personally done a potato crust and I think they forgot to include the crust. I did not taste it, or see it. Dill sauce??? when you put Dill as a garnish on the plate it DOES NOT constitute a dill sauce! The fifth and final course was a Lemon Curd Brulee. Yeah right, it was more like the lemon filing you buy in the grocery store and the cookie crust was tough and cooked too long! A brulee is a custard that has been finished with sugar that has been torched, this was nothing like a brulee. It was more like a cookie with lemon curd added for taste, yuck! I will never try their special luncheons or dinners again! It is a waste of time and money. My experiences over the past 2 years at Bonfires have all been 1 to 2 stars and no more. They need a traveling chef that checks in at Bonfires and Axels, giving lessons in cooking, improving what they cook and helping the cooks further their skills and making sure there is consistency from one Bonfire to the next. Their is no consistency from one Bonfire to the next and the food is MUCH too bland. I can cook better at home.
(2)
David R.
Menu is interesting, food is good but over-priced. Service was poor, both in attentiveness and attitude.
(1)
Brad K.
This place completely blew it on the steak I ordered with the Land an Lakes combo plate. I ordered medium well, came out red inside and barely cooked. Tough to cut. sent back and came back only slightly more cooked. Walleye was good but the steak was so disappointing I asked the manager to remove it from our bill, which he did.
(2)
Kendra R.
Meh. 1/2 priced burgers on Sundays. Sounds great but the sandwich was a bit cold and underseasoned. The roasted chilis were bitter. $4 bloody m's & screwdrivers on Sundays plus 99 cent mimosas too. Friendly staff.
(2)
Patrick B.
I don't get it. I've eaten here a few times and had several of the meals I've had recommended to me by friends but I have yet to be really impressed with the place. They're always packed, and the environment, while not really unique, is nice. So it has to be the food, right? Not really. I've had a burger (don't remember which), an enchilada plate, and a cut of steak of some sort. All I remember of any of them is that they were large, but fairly bland. Prices are decent, but not impressive, and the staff is meh. They're busy, so I understand, but it goes back to my point that there's nothing really outstanding that warrants the popularity of this place. I can only assume that this particular Bonfire is in a good location as it's the closest "fancy" restaurant to a few thousand homes that are lost in suburbia.
(3)
Kristin M.
I was excited to try this place - it looked like it might be good. I was so disappointed, however. The menu is...weird. It is very limited and more expensive than I anticipated. My husband and I were disappointed with the service, and the food was nothing to write home about. When my family came to visit, we decided to give this place another shot. Again, we were disappointed. My mother was disappointed, too. We haven't gone back since.
(2)
Douglas W.
I give it two stars because my wife says it is okay. I think it is just plainly a poor restaurant. I ordered fish tacos at lunch time and if there was an ounce of fish on them I would be surprised. I combined the two to make one edible taco. Service is fine, but prices are too high for such low quality. It is mystifying given that Axels in Mendota has usually Ben ver good.
(2)
Sarah L.
I didn't really know what to expect when we got there. I didn't even know what kind of food they specialized in either. We went there on a Saturday night and it was pretty packed. There was a little bit of a wait, but it's expected. At first glance, there was a nice cozy fireplace where you can get warm at during your wait for a table. And to the left there was a large bar with 5 plasma tv's surrounding it. So, if you want to watch the game there, you can't miss it from any angle. The decor in the space was a western theme, with a cow/bull hanging from the ceiling, and huge antler chandeliers. We were seated in a nice and roomy booth and as busy as it was, I was surprised at how fast they brought out our appetizers. We got the southwestern eggrolls and spinach and artichoke dip. They both lacked in flavor and was just ok. Our entrees were the same, just mediocre. Several of us got the sirloin and there was nothing special about it. And the veggies that came with were cooked fine, but could have left out the sesame seeds. The prices were about right, maybe just a smidge pricey. However, the upside of the experience was the live shows they have later on. There was a duet of acoustic guitar players/singers called Trick that made the dining experience enjoyable. I really liked many of the songs they sang, talented they were!
(3)
Bo T.
A disappointment. Being new to the area, we were excited to learn that there was a Bonfire close by since we've had good experiences at the Grand Ave. location in St. Paul. Even though it's a chain, not all Bonfire's are created equal. The food was blah, and we've not gone back since.
(2)
Judy S.
Crappy bar service. If you are not very patient and very quiet, the bartenders will not serve you at all.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
BJ S.
Tried the margarita flat bread tonight. Paired with the Oatmeal stout. Very good! Waitress Kelly takes good care of me. And I enjoy their patio.
(5)Brad C.
Party of 13 celebrating a birthday. Food was terribly missed timed most people done with dinner when parts of others arrived. Waitress was short with kids. Normally much better =(
(2)Calvin E.
Went out for Family night. Kid's meal was neat, make your own pizza and get ice cream. That was where the good part ended. Mrs. ordered a rotisserie chicken wrap. One half had only one piece of chicken in it and the other half had a bone (1.5" long). I ordered a steak sandwich (medium) and it came out rock hard. They at least comped the wife's meal. Was busy in there, so maybe lots of new people or maybe we just had really bad luck.
(1)Sean W.
A place to drink but not to eat. Watch out For the fruit flies as the almost flew away with my drink they were so thick. That is a clear sign of poor sanitary environment. I switched to bottled beer lol
(2)A S.
Girl's night out! Travis (bartender) waited on us initially, because restaurant wasn't busy. He was excellent. Unfortunately, when he had to concentrate on his bar, our service suffered. The manager, Patrick, walked by our table numerous times. He did not acknowledge us in the least, nor did any of the other servers. Granted, it wasn't their table, but clear our plates!! We had to go to the hostess stand to "ASK" to pay our bill! We were not offered more water, drink, nothing. Patrick acted like he was put out by even being at the restaurant. Travis was very apologetic. He was very busy, someone should have taken over his table.
(1)Jason B.
Bonfire is good when compared to others around them in savage. Went there last Friday for lent specials. Fish on the captains platter was way over cooked and fishy tasting. Shrimp were great and crab cakes just ok. The wait was around an hour even though we saw open tables during our wait. Lots of wait staff standing around not doing much so perhaps a training issue with staff. Overall it was just ok though. Nothing special when you compare it to others within a ten to 15 minute drive. I'll be back with hopes that it's better next time and our service issues this time were due to lent.
(3)Bill D.
That wasn't top sirloin. It was also very overdone instead of the medium doneness it was requested at, and i couldn't taste any steak butter. The rosemary potatoes were just potatoes (no rosemary detected) and the green beans were oily for some reason. The champagne salmon was a bit fishy and very salty. The drink glasses were dirty and our server forgot the silverware when the food was delivered. Not very tasty, absolutely not worth the price. I understand it is valentines day, but that is not an excuse for the table service and food quality to slide. And why hell are the lights flickering?!?
(1)Chris C.
I was visiting my daughter, from out of town, and we stopped at the Eagan location for lunch on a Saturday. It wasn't very busy, and we got excellent service. It was a nice day so we sat outside on the pretty patio. I got the blackened walleye and it was a nice size piece of fish that tasted great. My daughter got the fish tacos and she said they were delicious. On the way out I checked out the restrooms and they were clean and well decorated.
(4)Sierra S.
Love this place! Awesome food and great happy hour prices. All of their pizzas are amazing and my favorite app is the lettuce wraps. I usually don't like lettuce wraps, but a friend had me try them and it was delicious. For sure a good pick for date night, happy hour, or just dessert!
(5)Sean G.
There was a total of twelve in our party - five of which were children (not including one texting disenfranchised tween, and a moon-eyed teen daughter-boyfriend couple - TRULY a servers nightmare. Myself? I was dreading the experience, envisioning a sluggish death-march of slow service by a resentful waiter. SURPRISE! Our waiter deftly took our order, was accommodating, and cheerful. And, though we weren't his only table, and it was 7 pm on a Saturday night (slamming time) - he was quick and efficient - seemingly everywhere in an almost Harry Potter like fashion. The food was good, it came quickly, it was hot, and well presented. Atmosphere was eclectic, but not over the top. I'd definitely grab Mrs. G and head here again.
(4)Jer B.
My wife and I both ordered the Tortilla Soup. When served, we tasted it and we both agreed it was Chili. Had chopped up tomatoes, celery, ground beef. It was chili ! I asked the server if a mistake was made and we were served Chili. She said no "Its chicken Tortilla soup". Just because you put Tortilla Strips on top on chili it doesn't make it Tortilla Soup. After the first spoonful I did not eat any more cause this Chili would give me acid reflux that a Zantac wouldn't fix. My wife ate a few spoonfuls. I suppose we should have ordered a bowl of Chili so we could have compared the two. Maybe some other Yelpers will review Bonfires Chili and Tortilla soup.
(1)John P.
Arrived at about 8 and found convenient parking and prompt seating. Bar was active but not disturbing. Waitress arrived and advised of drink specials. Don't recall any dinner specials. Ordered drinks and we were ready with our dinner order when they arrived. Ordered a Garden Salad but they do not have any light or fat free tradional dressings, like ranch or French. Also order flat bread pizza and a 1/4 rotissieree chicken. Salad arrived promptly but was immediately disappointing. The cucumbers and radishes right on top had obvious evidence of having been partially frozen at some point. Truley unbelievable that something so obvious could leave the kitchen and also not be noticed by the server that delivered the plate to our table. I did get the issue to a manager and he did return with a properly prepared salad just after the entrees arrived. The flat bread pizza was done just right and the recommended addition of the rotisserie chicken was spot on. My 1/4 rotisserie chicken was also enjoyed but there were issues with the side on the plate. The beans although perfectly done seemed a little heavy on the buttery aspect. The smashed potatoes were not really at the right serving temp and were not looking fresh as the color was dull. The waitress did offer a fresh replacement but I declined as like the buttery beans, were not the best for my diet. Management did buy my Strawberry Margarita as a consolation. I can give a four ratinging only because of the service and environment. There are definitely concerns with the kitchen/food preparation so be alert and make sure they fix mistakes.
(4)Shauna G.
Upon arrival, only one hostess for an obviously busy Monday night. Was finally seated, sat for about 8 minutes without anyone acknowledging us... did I mention we have a 18 month old with us?? Finally get a drink order and just place our order as we've had plenty of time to look over the menu. another 7 minutes to get our drink order. Get our food. Food was great, nobody checked on us until we were over half done. I honestly don't think I'll ever come back to this location. I've been a server, so I will usually cut slack on things, the staff was slow, the hostess needs to go and overall this place needs to plan better for busy nights. There were 8 open tables and we were on a wait?? I'll go to another Bonfire next time.
(1)Jon N.
my wife and i visited Bonfire tonight. Right away we could tell this was going to be a poor experience as all the tables around us were getting their bills and everything was wrong, apparently the computers were down? The service was poor as all the help was scrambling due to the computer issues. We finally got service and placed our order for both food & drink knowing we probably wouldn't see our server often. Food came in about 20 minutes but no drinks. The food was not good and the service was worse. Feel bad for the people working at this location they are trying hard but the place must be so mismanaged. Of course our bill was wrong too. Won't go back!
(1)Linda G.
I do not blame waiter for watery Bloody Mary which tasted more like a Virgin Bloody Mary. However, when one member of our party ordered the quarter chicken and requested dark meat, the order came it was white meat only, the waiter returned after a long period of time with a replacement chicken product. It was white meat again, he explained that that was the darkest meat he could find. Perhaps you would do well to train the staff on chicken body parts.
(1)Gnome H.
This used to be our go-to place for a decent priced beer and app dinner where you came away thinking you got some value. Regular dinner prices are too high and the food is just not that good. Since Jan 1 they have removed their half price pizza and apps deal and now have it as $3 off. As such, this place will no longer be a regular stop of ours as it has lost its value. Read the other reviews, the food is not that great and its over priced. The place has been getting worse over time and their menu changes have made no sense at all. This is just one more step backward for a place that used to be decent. Too bad, there are so few local places worth dining at these days... but there are enough in the SE metro area still left to be able to avoid dining at Bonfire.
(2)Mark R.
Once again I'm into this half star thing. My family and I visited this last week and everything was A-OK. Food tasted okay, not great, but okay. Wine was good and about what I figured to pay for the bottle. Three stars. However, this place is just so boring. The menu doesn't change and the food lacks the sharpness that I remember on previous visits. Seems to be less and less "tasty" each time; thus two stars. The service was good, however I felt a defensiveness by our server for some simple questions about the "new" gluten free menu. She did warm up to us after a while and service was generally good.
(3)Andy B.
Above par food, but overpriced. Portions are more than a single person needs but hey leftovers are a welcomed evening treat! Service is usually horrible, but our most recent visit on 12/17/12 was okay. For the same cost I'd suggest Doolittle's down the street.
(3)J L.
I love this place! I highly recommend the carrot cake. It's like a pound of heaven drizzled with caramel.
(4)Stephen S.
Service and ambiance leave a LOT to be desired. It'd say it's one (small) step up from a country and western bar. I fully expected peanut shells on the floor. The bartender was far more interested in regailing his patrons about his sexual exploits and watching Monday night football than he was serving guests. BAD service. I had to ask for water, which never got refilled. The pint glasses filled with peanuts on the bar were so greasy and dirty that you couldn't see through them. How appetizing is that???!!!! It is pretty CHEAP though. In fact, it's the first time in a LONG time that I can remember having an entree and a glass of wine for under $20. Don't expect anything FRESH ... my meal came less than 2 minutes after I ordered it. Clearly, just sitting and waiting to be plated up. Rotisserie chicken wasn't bad tasting and neither were the smashed potatoes. Green beans had lots of flavor but many brown beans mixed in there. Not high quality. If you pass this place ... I say KEEP ON DRIVIN'
(1)Tina W.
Wow. I've tried it over and over and over and it's just not good. At all. The last trip was with a VERY large group of about 18. No one liked their entrees and people had all kinds of options. Across the board, it wasn't good. The prices were high for what you got, too. Service is ok. It's crazy busy in there in the evenings. The bar is very popular.
(1)Jim R.
I really like Bonfire. Yes, it's a little expensive so I can't go there every week, but I do love their food and service. If you haven't tried it, give it a go.
(5)Matt O.
I'm typically a Bonfire fan but not a good visit tonight. Long wait for a table when there were plenty available, hosts were just too busy talking to each other to notice. When we finally are seated, takes 10+ minutes to be served. Once we were the visit improved, very nice waitress and good drinks and food. Really just need to improve the service in the beginning. Not near busy enough to excuse it.
(2)Jennifer L.
The service was REALLY slow. The Coffee was cold. My Prime Rib French Dip was cold. My Fries were cold. My husbands Medallion Lunch special was good - but it was $13.00 for 5 bites of meat and a plate loaded with sides. We left unhappy.
(2)Adam S.
I visited Bonfire for a late lunch on a Wednesday so I didn't really expect there to be many people in the restaurant but there was only one other group....totally empty. Service wasn't bad but that is because the place was so empty. I ordered the lunch portion of the walleye with the buttermilk smashed potatoes because the regular portion is around $25 and that is just too much for lunch. Our food didn't take very long to come out so that was cool. The walleye was actually very good. Not fishy at all. Along with the side of smashed potatoes came grilled mixed veggies...which was 80% red onion. I didn't mind because I'm a big fan of grilled onions but I wouldn't consider that a side dish. The buttermilk smashed potatoes were borderline disgusting. They were extremely tangy. I can understand a little tanginess on account of the buttermilk but I left more than half of the potatoes on the plate. I said something to my friend about the potatoes and the waitress heard me...but didn't come over. At that point I didnt really care because I had my fill. The only other time I've been there was for happy hour and my group just ordered a mess of apps which were good. I guess I'll go back but only if I'm in the area.
(3)Aaron L.
Bonfire is another one of those joints that, in my humble opinion, gets a bad rap here on Yelp. Bonfire is a good restaurant--not a great one. The service can be slow but it is generally ok. It's places like this where I wish yelp would let me give out half stars. It'd get 3.5, but I'll round down to 3. I've got to say that the best time to hit up Bonfire is late summer evenings. They have a wonderful (and large) patio with a pleasant atmosphere. Inside the building is large and open. The decor may be getting a bit dated... hanging from the ceiling you'll find a big bull made out of a bunch of junk--it's interesting, but you'll wonder what the story behind it is. On my last visit, the service was good. The name of the restaurant is actually Axel's Bonfire, but our server informed us that Axel is not a real person. He was unsure why the place was ever called that but said that it had that name prior to the current owners taking possession of the chain. Anyway... our food took a while to get to us, but it wasn't an excruciatingly long time, and our server was very good about giving us updates. I ordered the cajun chicken penne, which was quite delicious, though the chicken was a bit overdone. It was pretty much the perfect of spice and seasoning. My wife ordered a steak medium well and said that it was a bit dry and not quite as hot as it should be. So she was a bit disappointed, but said that it was still good. Honestly, my biggest complaint about this place is that I get perpetually terrible cell reception (I'm on Sprint). Seriously? Zero bars even by the window??!? How is that even possible in this day and age?
(3)Sherrie C.
First time here. The food was pretty good, we just had a burger and an appetizer, but they charged for refills on the ice tea! First of all, we dine out frequently, and I've never paid $4.00 for a small glass of ice tea, but when we got our bill, they had also charged for the one refill I had. Seriously????? Doubt we would go back. Prices are too high for this type of restaurant. The service was fine except the waitress was alone and had many tables to wait on that day.
(2)Mark P.
My wife and I visited Bonfire in Eagan this evening. We were seated immediately and we both took advantage of their very favorably priced happy hour mixed drinks. We skipped the appetizers. I had the Texas Pork Chops and my wife had their roasted chicken. We were both very pleased with the the small wait time, the sizeable portions, presentation, and how our food was prepared to order. We had an enjoyable meal and relaxing evening. We will be returning again.
(4)David J.
The service was the worst I've had in recent memory. It should be SOP to keep the water and soft drink glasses filled. My steak (fillet) was not cooked to my order, certainly wasn't tender at $28. During our visit, we felt largely ignored. Over priced for the food quality. Over priced for the service.
(1)Kate P.
Don't order the chicken salad (the Tempe Chicken Salad I believe). It comes soupy--like someone put chicken salad in a blender and put it in a bowl. Then it's served with 4 huge slices EACH of pineapple, honey dew, muskmellon and watermellon. When it said it came with a side of fruit, I wasn't expecting a platter. SO I ate three pieces of fruit and none of the chicken salad soup. You'd think a good waitress would notice. She didn't. AND a hot tea was $2.89. For hot water and a tea bag????!! I spent $15 for 3 slices of fruit and a cup of tea. Prices are too high, service is too poor. -Regards, A former Bonfire fan
(1)Linny W.
I decided to participate in the 5 course Grey Goose luncheon on 4/14/12. What has happened to the food at the Bonfire restaurantS? This 5 course meal was like attending a tasting for students at a culinary school. In fact I bet culinary students could do better than what Bonfires served. It was Bonfires trying to be a 5 star restaurant who failed terribly. 1st course used unripe pears and the Riesling reduction tasted like Carmel sauce. The prawn in the second course was TOUGH and dry! It was suppose to have a blood orange vodka sauce. It was NOT included or I did not taste it.. Third course was like eating a guacamole that they forgot to season, it was horrible! It was suppose to include Langoustines, crab and bacon. NOT EVEN CLOSE! Fourth course was suppose to have a light and flaky halibut wrapped in a potato crust. I have personally done a potato crust and I think they forgot to include the crust. I did not taste it, or see it. Dill sauce??? when you put Dill as a garnish on the plate it DOES NOT constitute a dill sauce! The fifth and final course was a Lemon Curd Brulee. Yeah right, it was more like the lemon filing you buy in the grocery store and the cookie crust was tough and cooked too long! A brulee is a custard that has been finished with sugar that has been torched, this was nothing like a brulee. It was more like a cookie with lemon curd added for taste, yuck! I will never try their special luncheons or dinners again! It is a waste of time and money. My experiences over the past 2 years at Bonfires have all been 1 to 2 stars and no more. They need a traveling chef that checks in at Bonfires and Axels, giving lessons in cooking, improving what they cook and helping the cooks further their skills and making sure there is consistency from one Bonfire to the next. Their is no consistency from one Bonfire to the next and the food is MUCH too bland. I can cook better at home.
(2)David R.
Menu is interesting, food is good but over-priced. Service was poor, both in attentiveness and attitude.
(1)Brad K.
This place completely blew it on the steak I ordered with the Land an Lakes combo plate. I ordered medium well, came out red inside and barely cooked. Tough to cut. sent back and came back only slightly more cooked. Walleye was good but the steak was so disappointing I asked the manager to remove it from our bill, which he did.
(2)Kendra R.
Meh. 1/2 priced burgers on Sundays. Sounds great but the sandwich was a bit cold and underseasoned. The roasted chilis were bitter. $4 bloody m's & screwdrivers on Sundays plus 99 cent mimosas too. Friendly staff.
(2)Patrick B.
I don't get it. I've eaten here a few times and had several of the meals I've had recommended to me by friends but I have yet to be really impressed with the place. They're always packed, and the environment, while not really unique, is nice. So it has to be the food, right? Not really. I've had a burger (don't remember which), an enchilada plate, and a cut of steak of some sort. All I remember of any of them is that they were large, but fairly bland. Prices are decent, but not impressive, and the staff is meh. They're busy, so I understand, but it goes back to my point that there's nothing really outstanding that warrants the popularity of this place. I can only assume that this particular Bonfire is in a good location as it's the closest "fancy" restaurant to a few thousand homes that are lost in suburbia.
(3)Kristin M.
I was excited to try this place - it looked like it might be good. I was so disappointed, however. The menu is...weird. It is very limited and more expensive than I anticipated. My husband and I were disappointed with the service, and the food was nothing to write home about. When my family came to visit, we decided to give this place another shot. Again, we were disappointed. My mother was disappointed, too. We haven't gone back since.
(2)Douglas W.
I give it two stars because my wife says it is okay. I think it is just plainly a poor restaurant. I ordered fish tacos at lunch time and if there was an ounce of fish on them I would be surprised. I combined the two to make one edible taco. Service is fine, but prices are too high for such low quality. It is mystifying given that Axels in Mendota has usually Ben ver good.
(2)Sarah L.
I didn't really know what to expect when we got there. I didn't even know what kind of food they specialized in either. We went there on a Saturday night and it was pretty packed. There was a little bit of a wait, but it's expected. At first glance, there was a nice cozy fireplace where you can get warm at during your wait for a table. And to the left there was a large bar with 5 plasma tv's surrounding it. So, if you want to watch the game there, you can't miss it from any angle. The decor in the space was a western theme, with a cow/bull hanging from the ceiling, and huge antler chandeliers. We were seated in a nice and roomy booth and as busy as it was, I was surprised at how fast they brought out our appetizers. We got the southwestern eggrolls and spinach and artichoke dip. They both lacked in flavor and was just ok. Our entrees were the same, just mediocre. Several of us got the sirloin and there was nothing special about it. And the veggies that came with were cooked fine, but could have left out the sesame seeds. The prices were about right, maybe just a smidge pricey. However, the upside of the experience was the live shows they have later on. There was a duet of acoustic guitar players/singers called Trick that made the dining experience enjoyable. I really liked many of the songs they sang, talented they were!
(3)Bo T.
A disappointment. Being new to the area, we were excited to learn that there was a Bonfire close by since we've had good experiences at the Grand Ave. location in St. Paul. Even though it's a chain, not all Bonfire's are created equal. The food was blah, and we've not gone back since.
(2)Judy S.
Crappy bar service. If you are not very patient and very quiet, the bartenders will not serve you at all.
(1)