They have pretty typical American fare. Some of the dishes have a little flare with Michigan cherries added. The salads were generous and tasty. I had the fish, which was pecan crusted. It was well cooked. The place is a little stuffy, and visually uninteresting. The kids meals were great though, the pizza was big enough for 2.
(4)
Clare N.
If you're looking for a place with immediate seating, this is the place for you. However, that's the only plus. My boyfriend and I had an appetizer and two entrees (just water to drink) and the bill came to $70. The food was bland and underwhelming. Service was nothing special. Waste of money for what we got. The place was quiet with nothing happening!
(2)
Terrence G.
Very disappointing experience. Waiter was literally sleepwalking through his shift. Admitted he was tired and stressed from his full time job. Ordered the white fish pate which was good. However, the salmon with Parmesan risotto both the fish and risotto were completely bland, totally lacking in flavor. Have had this dish before and has always been very good. It was as though key ingredients were missing. Talked to the manager who basically was struggling. He apologized but offered nothing more. When I said he should comp us, he asked if we had already paid which we had. He then asked me to tell him what to do. So I said a gift card would work, which he did provide. Something from top to bottom is very wrong here.
(1)
Timothy C.
Great service, I had the Quinoa salad with chicken, my mom had the chicken Parmesan. Good choice of house Cabernet wine.
(5)
Erica O.
I was looking forward to dining here because I was staying in the Hotel but I was sadly disappointed by my experience. The food is overpriced and TERRIBLE! My boyfriend ordered the Perch... it came out and it looked like microwaved fish sticks. My Shrimp Scampi was disgusting too. The Shrimp looked like they came out of a bag and the pasta was very dry and flavorless. I was also disappointed with their lack of wines by the glass. This is traverse city right? There should be an awesome selection! All in all, a waste of money. Food should taste GOOD and be WELL MADE!!!
(1)
Jody B.
Went with group of 9 for special occasion. Nice variety on menu. Everyone very pleased with meals. Colleen, our server, was especially accommodating in serving a special dessert for the group. Overall service was great.
(5)
Jim P.
Went out to dinner with my wife. Being from Traverse City I've always held Minervas in high regard but we didn't have a good experience. The place was nearly desserted the night we went but the service was so slooooow. Wait staff seemed like they were more interested in talking amongst themselves than checking up on us. The food wasn't real great either. Maybe they were just having a bad night but we won't be going back anytime soon.
(1)
Nick M.
We did not have a good experience when we went for breakfast. The service was extremely slow and our order came out incorrect.
(2)
Suzy S.
We thought this restaurant looked nice, and the "Immediate Seating" sign convinced us to stop in on a Friday night. The interior is beautiful. They did not have immediate seating (and the hostess was more interested in her iPhone than anything else). We decided to sit at the bar for an appetizer and drink and wait. The bartender was loud and extremely sweaty.... and had an off-putting, snarky attitude. He was slightly confrontational and sarcastic when we needed a minute to order. We ended up leaving since we were so unimpressed. Overall, we would say a nice atmosphere is ruined by unprofessional staff.
(2)
Anne C.
Pretty underwhelmed. We originally came in for a nice dinner on our last night in Traverse City, but quickly realized this place was more early bird special than trendy restaurant. We stayed for drinks and appetizers which were decent, but nothing to write home about. The crab and artichoke dip was fishy tasting and a little oily. We also tried the cherry bbq wings-- good, but nothing special. The waitstaff and cleanliness of our table left a bit to be desired as well... I didn't hate this place, but had enough really memorable meals in TC that I don't think we'll make it a priority to come back here.
(2)
James K.
A warm place for a cold night. What a great place to eat in Traverse City. I ate off their special Marti Gras Menu, the Jambalaya was perfect and the Walnut salad could not have been any better. They could bottle the dressing and sell it for $5 a bottle. If you have time or are looking for a above average place to eat check them out.
(5)
Jay A.
I had breakfast here just the day I had an interview. My soon to be colleagues took me here :) Like I said earlier....people here are super nice. It's a good place......even though it's simply breakfast, it is better than Melrose or Stella in Chicago.
(4)
Geoff S.
Lunch appointment with some older gents, they picked this place, but overall it wasn't bad. The server did well to notice we were talking business and wasn't too pushy with taking our orders. I ordered the Cajun pasta, which normally I never do since I've made a similar dish years ago when I was a line cook. However I was pleasantly surprised that the cream sauce during the lunch hour was done without breaking. One of my lunch mates ordered the three cheese macaroni, which looked pretty good. Overall based on the food and table service I will come back again. However when I left I walked by the host stand to grab a toothpick, the host said have a good day but he was so engrossed in texting on his cell phone that he didn't look up. That is rude and if I had seen a manager I would have said something immediately. I wasn't offended as much as appalled that an employee had the balls to do that, wake up jacka$$ this is the hospitality business, you need to do a better job of being hospitable.
(3)
Jess W.
Great happy hour specials! Would give 5 stars if service was better.
(4)
Candice C.
One of my favorite restaurants, partly due to the Guinness on tap and the great happy hour specials after 9 on weeknights! The food is always great and the atmosphere is relaxing. If you arrive for dinner around sunset, I highly recommend you postpone dinner for a few minutes and get a drink in the Beacon Lounge and enjoy the fabulous views of Grand Traverse Bay (the Beacon Lounge is on the 10th floor at the top of the Park Place Hotel in which Minerva's is attached to- its probably under "Top of the Park" if you search for it).
(4)
Jack R.
Was here for dinner while on a family vacation. It wasn't busy so we had a whole wing of the restaurant to ourselves which was good because we had 13 people including 5 kids. The waitress was very pleasant, but it took quite a while for the food to arrive after we ordered. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meals and the Summerberry cake dessert was very good.
(3)
Neela M.
2014 Thanksgiving Buffet~ heads up chefs. Notes on last year~ get Cranberry relish or something good for cranberry sauce instead of that horrible canned stuff ! You used to have good cranberry relish. Also~ make some decent pies and desserts instead of buying them at a store~ ick.
(2)
Darcy W.
I have been to Minerva's all over the Midwest, and you will always find consistent good food. My breakfast was excellent this morning. Nice menu! Excellent service, and great bartenders!
(4)
Sean S.
Stacey was the best bartender I've bet come across. What a welcoming environment. This place is amazing. The prices are great and the staff is amazing. This was the beat experience I've ever had at a bar. Ask for Stacey she was incredible.
(5)
Sharon A.
Sorry tried this place wasn't wowed like the reviews. Food service and atmosphere. Not good
(1)
Michael R.
Visited the hotel with my girlfriend and bro/sis. Had a great time at the bar with Darren! Darren is awesome and kept us entertained while we watched basketball. He was mixing drinks for my sis and gf based on what he thought they would like! They loved all the drinks and his humor. Excellent time and excellent bartender!!!
(5)
Patrick T.
Came here with a large group of friends (like 14). We had reservations, but the place was pretty empty anyway, and we were seated promptly. The food is not bad, but not too memorable either. Overall, a pretty average experience.
(3)
Mike G.
Came back for more perch and it's just as good as ever. The dinner prices here are less than what you'll pay in some of M-22's outlying towns, but there's no skimping on portions or quality. Started off with a drink in The Beacon lounge atop the hotel, which offers a great view and nightly happy hour specials. See you next Summer!
(5)
Kristin B.
Service is terrible.....absolutely dead and extremely slow. Absolutely ridiculous...
(1)
Mary M.
Overall we had a good experience, not a great bar or Wine list. we were there during happy hour and had great firecracker Shrimp and onion rings. Pizza was not the greatest and the wings were just ok. We enjoyed our waitress.
(3)
Kelly K.
This review is for the Beacon Lounge at the top of the building. I had high hopes when we found out that the hotel had a bar at the top of the tower. The views were great, but the experience was a huge disappointment. The room is VERY small and the music is far too loud for the experience to be enjoyable (unless you're 4+ drinks deep). Now don't call me stodgy and no fun, but I literally could not hear a single thing the person I was with was saying. This is a bar, not a night club.
(2)
Colleen C.
My grandmother tells me that on Sundays happy hour starts at 2pm. She tells me this because she brings her husband here so she may purchase him exactly two glasses of wine (she can only have one!), and they always come after 2pm on Sundays. I'm not sure if that's really an advertised special, or just something the staff honors for my sweet grandma and her nice husband. But, there you have it. As it turns out, I also brought her here for dinner (her idea!) on a Thursday night recently. At 5pm. I arrived for our dinner at 445pm, which is usually lunch for me...however, we had quite a nice dinner. I did notice a happy hour crowd (this seems like a more appropriate time for happy hour, right?) and apparently all the pizzas are $6 at this appointed hour. I assume drink specials too. It seems to be THE place for Happy Hour in TC...so I suggest it for that, most surely. For dinner? It's AOK. Standard fare at reasonable prices. It's a hotel restaurant and it sort of shows. My steak salad was made special (on a rec from the server) with grilled onions and was pretty good. White chicken chili was pretty thick, but tasty. My dad had a pasta dish (some special where there were certain dollar amounts off pastas) and my grandmother had the cherry salad, which she loves. And if grandma is happy, I am happy and we really had a lovely meal without being rushed. And if they treat my Grandmother right on Sundays, well...that's certainly worth an extra star from 3 to 4 (bumps star rating). I mean that, it goes a long way. As others have said, there are far better restaurants in close proximity...but Minervas will deliver a meal when you need it. Located within Park Place hotel, good happy hour, and nice to the early birds! Of note: *I ate dinner here my Freshman year for homecoming. It's pretty much the same. *The Top of the Park (at the top of this hotel) is an entirely separate entity: yelp.com/biz/top-of-the-… (and highly recommended)
(4)
Sandy S.
Try the smoked whitefish appetizer - wonderful. Cherry margarita was good too! Good service - I'd go back.
(4)
Marin C.
I was almost positive that I had been here before and had written a review then. Alas, maybe a forgetful moment. Went here with my mother and a group of about 9-10 others. It was a nice time. We shared a salad- the spinach/cranberry/pecan with salmon (upcharge to add protein). We also subbed out the gorgongross with some feta cheese, no problemo. Excellent. We just had water drink so it was a reasonable 15$ dinner, with the 18% factored in for our larger party. Just fine, thanks much.
(4)
David S.
.
(1)
Amy W.
The portions are huuuge here, relative to price, because the food is so sub-par. Just imagine that someone who used to work at an average American chain restaurant, like Chili's or TGIFriday's, tried (but failed) to fancy his food up for a hotel restaurant -- and there you have Minerva's. Not a horrible experience, but not a particularly pleasant or memorable one, either.
(2)
Nick W.
My family and I had Mother's Day brunch here. We called too late to make a reservation so they took our name and phone number down and luckily we did get a great reservation (table for five) time. We were the first ones there so the Buffett was fresh! Everything on the Buffett was amazingly good and I couldn't stop eating it. The service was also top notch. Our server kept out beverages full and took our plates away in a timely matter. The only reason I didn't give it a five star review was because of the dessert bar. You could tell they didn't make them. They were all store bought. The brunch Buffett had labels for everything but the dessert bar had zero labels and it was really had to choose which dessert I wanted because I didn't know what any of them were. This apple pie that looked like it was made in a spring form pan had the little parchment paper dividers between each slice. That was the first sign that they were store bought. The next sign was when I asked one of the chefs that was checking up on quantity of the desserts what one of them was and he just said they are all assorted. Also half of the pies were in those aluminum pie tins. Don't get me wrong, I had four different pieces of pie/cake (choc cherry cake, oreo cheesecake, carrot cake and some choc covered strawberries) and they were all very good and I had to get up and leave before I went back to get a fifth piece. Overall the service was great and so was the food. I just wish the desserts were homemade. I highly recommend one of their holiday buffets but make your reservation ASAP cause I thought calling ahead one week was enough time but it wasn't. Will definitely be returning for another holiday very soon!! Good to Minerva's!!
(4)
Kristin F.
Another TC favorite I do miss dearly! They have a great happy hour, friendly staff (typically friends of mine from high school/working in the industry), good happy hour prices, and isn't happy hour still until 9PM? I forgot if there is a reverse happy or not. Do fill me in or correct me if you know. Fun tip... the top of the Park, officially named "The Beacon Lounge," has been a favorite of mine since age 18 when pretended I was 22.
(4)
Kristin K.
On the recommendation of a friend to check out their pizza, my girlfriends and I went here for lunch. Only one of us got the flatbread pizza. They had a $8.50 lunch special where you could pick and choose what you wanted. I got the Turkey, Brie and cranberry sandwich and white chicken chili. The sandwich was really good. It also came with fried onions and apple slices. On the menu, it said the white chicken chili had won some awards so I was excited to try it. It was meh. I didn't see what was so special about it. I've had better white chicken chili elsewhere. Would I go here again? Not sure.
(3)
David B.
I haven't been there in a while but Minerva's has always been one of my favorite places to eat in TC. The food us top notch and they have awesome lunch and happy hour specials. If you've never been then you should definitely try it out at least once. I usually get the ribeye for dinner or for lunch they have an 1/2 sandwich and soup special. Best white chicken chili in the world, trust me.
(5)
Vanessa H.
Stopped in here because we were staying at the Park Place Hotel and didn't feel like braving the snow. Food was mediocre and portions were HUGE. The staff was nice and attentive. It was convenient and decent but there are probably better dinners in town for the price.
(3)
Amy P.
We had actually meant to go to Amical but didn't have a reservation and would have had to wait over an hour for a table. Anyway, there was no wait at Minerva's. Their "famous" white chicken chili was not my favorite and their house salad (vegetarians beware) bizarrely comes with shreds of ham (or something) and unimpressive iceberg lettuce. I was also under the impression that we should have gotten bread, but it never came (I never asked, so I probably could have requested it--but it wasn't that important to me). My husband and I both got pasta with cream sauces and both enjoyed them. I got the wild mushroom ravioli. Its description was a little misleading, it seemed like the ravioli would have been stuffed with mushrooms and cheese. In reality, it was cheese ravioli in a creamy sauce that had lots of chopped up mushrooms in it. Nevertheless, it was still satisfying. Our waiter was pleasant enough, but seemed a bit rushed and was not overly attentive. I would probably suggest going somewhere else, since this is supposed to be the "foodie town of the midwest"--but it seems pretty good if you're staying at the adjoining hotel or you aren't looking for an epic meal--just something tasty to eat.
(3)
Amy D.
Minerva's is a happy hour favorite of mine! 3-6pm & 9-11pm I believe Sunday-Friday. Pizzas during happy are $6 and so yummy! My favorite is the Mediterranean which has feta, olives, tomatoes & cheese. Great to share and pair with a glass of wine or a beer. Today I ate there and had the Mac N' Cheese which was so rich and cheesy. It also came with a side house salad. The bread you get with your meal is awesome too. This place is great because it usually isn't packed and has a laid back bar area to mingle.
(4)
Wendy H.
Very good food, atmosphere & they have New Orleans menu currently! Yummy We like it a couple times a year full menu ... but we love to meet friends for Happy Hour Menu ...
(4)
Kris A.
Minervas is AWESOME!!!!!! We stayed at the park Place Hotel, and I couldn't get enough of the wonderful food, the friendly staff, and the extremely reasonable prices! They have a 4~6 and 9~11 happy hour that is without rival. Several of the menu items are ~50% off, including Specialty Pizza's, Nachos, quesadillas, and wings. I tried them all (several more than once), and they were fantastic! The drink quality and prices were very good even outside of happy hour. They made a mean dirty martini and a great spicy bloody mary! If I'm ever in the neighborhood, I can guarantee I'll be back!
(4)
Nick B.
For a hotel bar- it not that bad. However, because it is a hotel bar you end up overpaying. The menu is limited, but has enough variation to keep you happy for a weekend.
(3)
C A.
I've been here a handful of times, mainly for their happy hour which has a good selection of drinks and snacks. I've never had outstanding service here, but never anything bad. But, I was in the other day and was seriously rubbed the wrong way by the bartender, who I'm pretty sure is also a manager. He seemed annoyed when I asked what beers were on tap and rolled them off so fast I couldn't even keep up, so I just looked at my boyfriend and asked him to order me something. There were 3 guys sitting near us and two of them cashed out and left. The bartender joked with the remaining guy that his friends abandoned him. He went on to ask if they left because happy hour was over. The guy shrugged, saying they were going to North Peak. The bartender asked if North Peak's happy hour was about to start. The guys said he didn't know. The bartender then goes on to say that a lot of people go from happy hour to happy hour around town because they are cheap and don't want to pay full price. He continues his rant saying when he goes out he orders what he wants, not what's on special because he's not cheap. He really made it obvious that he hates people who ask about specials, or cash out when happy hour is over. I found this extremely rude, pretentious and unprofessional. Specials are a way to get people in an establishment during non-peak hours. Maybe this bartender would prefer to eliminate happy hour and have no one to wait on in an empty bar? Bottom line, don't complain about your customers, to a customer, in front of other customers!
(2)
Michelle K.
This review is for the Beacon Lounge, Top of the Park. They have the best martini's in town. Definitely go on a Tuesday night when they are on special. When you go make sure to see the bartender David. He makes the best martini's! If you are unsure of what you want he will come up with a concoction that will definitely not disappoint!
(5)
Suzanne M.
I had dinner here last Saturday night with five friends . . . we all decided to take advantage of TC's Restaurant Week. Thankfully, due to urging on the part of one lady in our group I made a reservation . . . if I hadn't we would have had a very long wait for dinner--the place was packed! Our waiter was attentive and charming . . . the food was above average. I had the sirloin steak which was cooked to perfection; two friends had the Duck L'Orange which they insisted I sample . . . that will be my choice next time! My spinach salad with dried cranberries and spiced pecans was very tasty and the cheesecake with passion fruit sauce was some of the best I've ever had. We arrived at 5:45 and didn't leave until 10:00 p.m. because we all were having such a wonderful time. Minerva's has extended the Restaurant Week menu through the end of March . . . I may just have to go back and order that duck! I am definitely a fan of Minerva's.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Garage, Street, Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Fri Coat Check : No Smoking : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Jason S.
Good food and service.
(4)Meghan M.
They have pretty typical American fare. Some of the dishes have a little flare with Michigan cherries added. The salads were generous and tasty. I had the fish, which was pecan crusted. It was well cooked. The place is a little stuffy, and visually uninteresting. The kids meals were great though, the pizza was big enough for 2.
(4)Clare N.
If you're looking for a place with immediate seating, this is the place for you. However, that's the only plus. My boyfriend and I had an appetizer and two entrees (just water to drink) and the bill came to $70. The food was bland and underwhelming. Service was nothing special. Waste of money for what we got. The place was quiet with nothing happening!
(2)Terrence G.
Very disappointing experience. Waiter was literally sleepwalking through his shift. Admitted he was tired and stressed from his full time job. Ordered the white fish pate which was good. However, the salmon with Parmesan risotto both the fish and risotto were completely bland, totally lacking in flavor. Have had this dish before and has always been very good. It was as though key ingredients were missing. Talked to the manager who basically was struggling. He apologized but offered nothing more. When I said he should comp us, he asked if we had already paid which we had. He then asked me to tell him what to do. So I said a gift card would work, which he did provide. Something from top to bottom is very wrong here.
(1)Timothy C.
Great service, I had the Quinoa salad with chicken, my mom had the chicken Parmesan. Good choice of house Cabernet wine.
(5)Erica O.
I was looking forward to dining here because I was staying in the Hotel but I was sadly disappointed by my experience. The food is overpriced and TERRIBLE! My boyfriend ordered the Perch... it came out and it looked like microwaved fish sticks. My Shrimp Scampi was disgusting too. The Shrimp looked like they came out of a bag and the pasta was very dry and flavorless. I was also disappointed with their lack of wines by the glass. This is traverse city right? There should be an awesome selection! All in all, a waste of money. Food should taste GOOD and be WELL MADE!!!
(1)Jody B.
Went with group of 9 for special occasion. Nice variety on menu. Everyone very pleased with meals. Colleen, our server, was especially accommodating in serving a special dessert for the group. Overall service was great.
(5)Jim P.
Went out to dinner with my wife. Being from Traverse City I've always held Minervas in high regard but we didn't have a good experience. The place was nearly desserted the night we went but the service was so slooooow. Wait staff seemed like they were more interested in talking amongst themselves than checking up on us. The food wasn't real great either. Maybe they were just having a bad night but we won't be going back anytime soon.
(1)Nick M.
We did not have a good experience when we went for breakfast. The service was extremely slow and our order came out incorrect.
(2)Suzy S.
We thought this restaurant looked nice, and the "Immediate Seating" sign convinced us to stop in on a Friday night. The interior is beautiful. They did not have immediate seating (and the hostess was more interested in her iPhone than anything else). We decided to sit at the bar for an appetizer and drink and wait. The bartender was loud and extremely sweaty.... and had an off-putting, snarky attitude. He was slightly confrontational and sarcastic when we needed a minute to order. We ended up leaving since we were so unimpressed. Overall, we would say a nice atmosphere is ruined by unprofessional staff.
(2)Anne C.
Pretty underwhelmed. We originally came in for a nice dinner on our last night in Traverse City, but quickly realized this place was more early bird special than trendy restaurant. We stayed for drinks and appetizers which were decent, but nothing to write home about. The crab and artichoke dip was fishy tasting and a little oily. We also tried the cherry bbq wings-- good, but nothing special. The waitstaff and cleanliness of our table left a bit to be desired as well... I didn't hate this place, but had enough really memorable meals in TC that I don't think we'll make it a priority to come back here.
(2)James K.
A warm place for a cold night. What a great place to eat in Traverse City. I ate off their special Marti Gras Menu, the Jambalaya was perfect and the Walnut salad could not have been any better. They could bottle the dressing and sell it for $5 a bottle. If you have time or are looking for a above average place to eat check them out.
(5)Jay A.
I had breakfast here just the day I had an interview. My soon to be colleagues took me here :) Like I said earlier....people here are super nice. It's a good place......even though it's simply breakfast, it is better than Melrose or Stella in Chicago.
(4)Geoff S.
Lunch appointment with some older gents, they picked this place, but overall it wasn't bad. The server did well to notice we were talking business and wasn't too pushy with taking our orders. I ordered the Cajun pasta, which normally I never do since I've made a similar dish years ago when I was a line cook. However I was pleasantly surprised that the cream sauce during the lunch hour was done without breaking. One of my lunch mates ordered the three cheese macaroni, which looked pretty good. Overall based on the food and table service I will come back again. However when I left I walked by the host stand to grab a toothpick, the host said have a good day but he was so engrossed in texting on his cell phone that he didn't look up. That is rude and if I had seen a manager I would have said something immediately. I wasn't offended as much as appalled that an employee had the balls to do that, wake up jacka$$ this is the hospitality business, you need to do a better job of being hospitable.
(3)Jess W.
Great happy hour specials! Would give 5 stars if service was better.
(4)Candice C.
One of my favorite restaurants, partly due to the Guinness on tap and the great happy hour specials after 9 on weeknights! The food is always great and the atmosphere is relaxing. If you arrive for dinner around sunset, I highly recommend you postpone dinner for a few minutes and get a drink in the Beacon Lounge and enjoy the fabulous views of Grand Traverse Bay (the Beacon Lounge is on the 10th floor at the top of the Park Place Hotel in which Minerva's is attached to- its probably under "Top of the Park" if you search for it).
(4)Jack R.
Was here for dinner while on a family vacation. It wasn't busy so we had a whole wing of the restaurant to ourselves which was good because we had 13 people including 5 kids. The waitress was very pleasant, but it took quite a while for the food to arrive after we ordered. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meals and the Summerberry cake dessert was very good.
(3)Neela M.
2014 Thanksgiving Buffet~ heads up chefs. Notes on last year~ get Cranberry relish or something good for cranberry sauce instead of that horrible canned stuff ! You used to have good cranberry relish. Also~ make some decent pies and desserts instead of buying them at a store~ ick.
(2)Darcy W.
I have been to Minerva's all over the Midwest, and you will always find consistent good food. My breakfast was excellent this morning. Nice menu! Excellent service, and great bartenders!
(4)Sean S.
Stacey was the best bartender I've bet come across. What a welcoming environment. This place is amazing. The prices are great and the staff is amazing. This was the beat experience I've ever had at a bar. Ask for Stacey she was incredible.
(5)Sharon A.
Sorry tried this place wasn't wowed like the reviews. Food service and atmosphere. Not good
(1)Michael R.
Visited the hotel with my girlfriend and bro/sis. Had a great time at the bar with Darren! Darren is awesome and kept us entertained while we watched basketball. He was mixing drinks for my sis and gf based on what he thought they would like! They loved all the drinks and his humor. Excellent time and excellent bartender!!!
(5)Patrick T.
Came here with a large group of friends (like 14). We had reservations, but the place was pretty empty anyway, and we were seated promptly. The food is not bad, but not too memorable either. Overall, a pretty average experience.
(3)Mike G.
Came back for more perch and it's just as good as ever. The dinner prices here are less than what you'll pay in some of M-22's outlying towns, but there's no skimping on portions or quality. Started off with a drink in The Beacon lounge atop the hotel, which offers a great view and nightly happy hour specials. See you next Summer!
(5)Kristin B.
Service is terrible.....absolutely dead and extremely slow. Absolutely ridiculous...
(1)Mary M.
Overall we had a good experience, not a great bar or Wine list. we were there during happy hour and had great firecracker Shrimp and onion rings. Pizza was not the greatest and the wings were just ok. We enjoyed our waitress.
(3)Kelly K.
This review is for the Beacon Lounge at the top of the building. I had high hopes when we found out that the hotel had a bar at the top of the tower. The views were great, but the experience was a huge disappointment. The room is VERY small and the music is far too loud for the experience to be enjoyable (unless you're 4+ drinks deep). Now don't call me stodgy and no fun, but I literally could not hear a single thing the person I was with was saying. This is a bar, not a night club.
(2)Colleen C.
My grandmother tells me that on Sundays happy hour starts at 2pm. She tells me this because she brings her husband here so she may purchase him exactly two glasses of wine (she can only have one!), and they always come after 2pm on Sundays. I'm not sure if that's really an advertised special, or just something the staff honors for my sweet grandma and her nice husband. But, there you have it. As it turns out, I also brought her here for dinner (her idea!) on a Thursday night recently. At 5pm. I arrived for our dinner at 445pm, which is usually lunch for me...however, we had quite a nice dinner. I did notice a happy hour crowd (this seems like a more appropriate time for happy hour, right?) and apparently all the pizzas are $6 at this appointed hour. I assume drink specials too. It seems to be THE place for Happy Hour in TC...so I suggest it for that, most surely. For dinner? It's AOK. Standard fare at reasonable prices. It's a hotel restaurant and it sort of shows. My steak salad was made special (on a rec from the server) with grilled onions and was pretty good. White chicken chili was pretty thick, but tasty. My dad had a pasta dish (some special where there were certain dollar amounts off pastas) and my grandmother had the cherry salad, which she loves. And if grandma is happy, I am happy and we really had a lovely meal without being rushed. And if they treat my Grandmother right on Sundays, well...that's certainly worth an extra star from 3 to 4 (bumps star rating). I mean that, it goes a long way. As others have said, there are far better restaurants in close proximity...but Minervas will deliver a meal when you need it. Located within Park Place hotel, good happy hour, and nice to the early birds! Of note: *I ate dinner here my Freshman year for homecoming. It's pretty much the same. *The Top of the Park (at the top of this hotel) is an entirely separate entity: yelp.com/biz/top-of-the-… (and highly recommended)
(4)Sandy S.
Try the smoked whitefish appetizer - wonderful. Cherry margarita was good too! Good service - I'd go back.
(4)Marin C.
I was almost positive that I had been here before and had written a review then. Alas, maybe a forgetful moment. Went here with my mother and a group of about 9-10 others. It was a nice time. We shared a salad- the spinach/cranberry/pecan with salmon (upcharge to add protein). We also subbed out the gorgongross with some feta cheese, no problemo. Excellent. We just had water drink so it was a reasonable 15$ dinner, with the 18% factored in for our larger party. Just fine, thanks much.
(4)David S.
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(1)Amy W.
The portions are huuuge here, relative to price, because the food is so sub-par. Just imagine that someone who used to work at an average American chain restaurant, like Chili's or TGIFriday's, tried (but failed) to fancy his food up for a hotel restaurant -- and there you have Minerva's. Not a horrible experience, but not a particularly pleasant or memorable one, either.
(2)Nick W.
My family and I had Mother's Day brunch here. We called too late to make a reservation so they took our name and phone number down and luckily we did get a great reservation (table for five) time. We were the first ones there so the Buffett was fresh! Everything on the Buffett was amazingly good and I couldn't stop eating it. The service was also top notch. Our server kept out beverages full and took our plates away in a timely matter. The only reason I didn't give it a five star review was because of the dessert bar. You could tell they didn't make them. They were all store bought. The brunch Buffett had labels for everything but the dessert bar had zero labels and it was really had to choose which dessert I wanted because I didn't know what any of them were. This apple pie that looked like it was made in a spring form pan had the little parchment paper dividers between each slice. That was the first sign that they were store bought. The next sign was when I asked one of the chefs that was checking up on quantity of the desserts what one of them was and he just said they are all assorted. Also half of the pies were in those aluminum pie tins. Don't get me wrong, I had four different pieces of pie/cake (choc cherry cake, oreo cheesecake, carrot cake and some choc covered strawberries) and they were all very good and I had to get up and leave before I went back to get a fifth piece. Overall the service was great and so was the food. I just wish the desserts were homemade. I highly recommend one of their holiday buffets but make your reservation ASAP cause I thought calling ahead one week was enough time but it wasn't. Will definitely be returning for another holiday very soon!! Good to Minerva's!!
(4)Kristin F.
Another TC favorite I do miss dearly! They have a great happy hour, friendly staff (typically friends of mine from high school/working in the industry), good happy hour prices, and isn't happy hour still until 9PM? I forgot if there is a reverse happy or not. Do fill me in or correct me if you know. Fun tip... the top of the Park, officially named "The Beacon Lounge," has been a favorite of mine since age 18 when pretended I was 22.
(4)Kristin K.
On the recommendation of a friend to check out their pizza, my girlfriends and I went here for lunch. Only one of us got the flatbread pizza. They had a $8.50 lunch special where you could pick and choose what you wanted. I got the Turkey, Brie and cranberry sandwich and white chicken chili. The sandwich was really good. It also came with fried onions and apple slices. On the menu, it said the white chicken chili had won some awards so I was excited to try it. It was meh. I didn't see what was so special about it. I've had better white chicken chili elsewhere. Would I go here again? Not sure.
(3)David B.
I haven't been there in a while but Minerva's has always been one of my favorite places to eat in TC. The food us top notch and they have awesome lunch and happy hour specials. If you've never been then you should definitely try it out at least once. I usually get the ribeye for dinner or for lunch they have an 1/2 sandwich and soup special. Best white chicken chili in the world, trust me.
(5)Vanessa H.
Stopped in here because we were staying at the Park Place Hotel and didn't feel like braving the snow. Food was mediocre and portions were HUGE. The staff was nice and attentive. It was convenient and decent but there are probably better dinners in town for the price.
(3)Amy P.
We had actually meant to go to Amical but didn't have a reservation and would have had to wait over an hour for a table. Anyway, there was no wait at Minerva's. Their "famous" white chicken chili was not my favorite and their house salad (vegetarians beware) bizarrely comes with shreds of ham (or something) and unimpressive iceberg lettuce. I was also under the impression that we should have gotten bread, but it never came (I never asked, so I probably could have requested it--but it wasn't that important to me). My husband and I both got pasta with cream sauces and both enjoyed them. I got the wild mushroom ravioli. Its description was a little misleading, it seemed like the ravioli would have been stuffed with mushrooms and cheese. In reality, it was cheese ravioli in a creamy sauce that had lots of chopped up mushrooms in it. Nevertheless, it was still satisfying. Our waiter was pleasant enough, but seemed a bit rushed and was not overly attentive. I would probably suggest going somewhere else, since this is supposed to be the "foodie town of the midwest"--but it seems pretty good if you're staying at the adjoining hotel or you aren't looking for an epic meal--just something tasty to eat.
(3)Amy D.
Minerva's is a happy hour favorite of mine! 3-6pm & 9-11pm I believe Sunday-Friday. Pizzas during happy are $6 and so yummy! My favorite is the Mediterranean which has feta, olives, tomatoes & cheese. Great to share and pair with a glass of wine or a beer. Today I ate there and had the Mac N' Cheese which was so rich and cheesy. It also came with a side house salad. The bread you get with your meal is awesome too. This place is great because it usually isn't packed and has a laid back bar area to mingle.
(4)Wendy H.
Very good food, atmosphere & they have New Orleans menu currently! Yummy We like it a couple times a year full menu ... but we love to meet friends for Happy Hour Menu ...
(4)Kris A.
Minervas is AWESOME!!!!!! We stayed at the park Place Hotel, and I couldn't get enough of the wonderful food, the friendly staff, and the extremely reasonable prices! They have a 4~6 and 9~11 happy hour that is without rival. Several of the menu items are ~50% off, including Specialty Pizza's, Nachos, quesadillas, and wings. I tried them all (several more than once), and they were fantastic! The drink quality and prices were very good even outside of happy hour. They made a mean dirty martini and a great spicy bloody mary! If I'm ever in the neighborhood, I can guarantee I'll be back!
(4)Nick B.
For a hotel bar- it not that bad. However, because it is a hotel bar you end up overpaying. The menu is limited, but has enough variation to keep you happy for a weekend.
(3)C A.
I've been here a handful of times, mainly for their happy hour which has a good selection of drinks and snacks. I've never had outstanding service here, but never anything bad. But, I was in the other day and was seriously rubbed the wrong way by the bartender, who I'm pretty sure is also a manager. He seemed annoyed when I asked what beers were on tap and rolled them off so fast I couldn't even keep up, so I just looked at my boyfriend and asked him to order me something. There were 3 guys sitting near us and two of them cashed out and left. The bartender joked with the remaining guy that his friends abandoned him. He went on to ask if they left because happy hour was over. The guy shrugged, saying they were going to North Peak. The bartender asked if North Peak's happy hour was about to start. The guys said he didn't know. The bartender then goes on to say that a lot of people go from happy hour to happy hour around town because they are cheap and don't want to pay full price. He continues his rant saying when he goes out he orders what he wants, not what's on special because he's not cheap. He really made it obvious that he hates people who ask about specials, or cash out when happy hour is over. I found this extremely rude, pretentious and unprofessional. Specials are a way to get people in an establishment during non-peak hours. Maybe this bartender would prefer to eliminate happy hour and have no one to wait on in an empty bar? Bottom line, don't complain about your customers, to a customer, in front of other customers!
(2)Michelle K.
This review is for the Beacon Lounge, Top of the Park. They have the best martini's in town. Definitely go on a Tuesday night when they are on special. When you go make sure to see the bartender David. He makes the best martini's! If you are unsure of what you want he will come up with a concoction that will definitely not disappoint!
(5)Suzanne M.
I had dinner here last Saturday night with five friends . . . we all decided to take advantage of TC's Restaurant Week. Thankfully, due to urging on the part of one lady in our group I made a reservation . . . if I hadn't we would have had a very long wait for dinner--the place was packed! Our waiter was attentive and charming . . . the food was above average. I had the sirloin steak which was cooked to perfection; two friends had the Duck L'Orange which they insisted I sample . . . that will be my choice next time! My spinach salad with dried cranberries and spiced pecans was very tasty and the cheesecake with passion fruit sauce was some of the best I've ever had. We arrived at 5:45 and didn't leave until 10:00 p.m. because we all were having such a wonderful time. Minerva's has extended the Restaurant Week menu through the end of March . . . I may just have to go back and order that duck! I am definitely a fan of Minerva's.
(4)