A really great experience. For us, different new cuisine, made in an accessible and delicious way. The plating was appetizing. The bison, soups and yes....the snack like popcorn crickets were our favorites. A very helpful server and all the staff was friendly and nice. Very glad we went on a visit from New York. Location was pretty too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cedar Braised Bison
Laurel Volz
Delicious and unexpected twists on tartare, tacos, all at a beautiful location. I loved the flavors, especially the bison tacos and bean dip. Also appreciate the value-driven restaurant and how they support bipoc and the reclaiming of native land. Definitely returning!Parking: Fair number of street parking spots in the area but you do pay.Wheelchair accessibility: There's a ramp and elevator if you come from the lower level. They have a family style restroom on site with accessible toilet. The restaurant itself is fairly small so a wheelchair may be tight, we had a stroller that we could leave in the coat check area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Game, Game Tartare, Native Heirloom Corn Tacos
Fara M (Marco Polo)
Beautiful restaurant and great bar service. Loved the oyster and popcorn taco? best bar tender ?☺️ I wish they had more option for fish. Loved
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joel Rogness
Overrated. Ours was an underwhelming, disappointing experience. I was so excited to try Owamni. Last Thanksgiving I special ordered a bison Chuck roast, some heirloom corn, and harvested cedar to cook their recipe for a pre colonial Thanksgiving alternative - delicious! I've been excited to try this spot ever since.When we sat down our server didn't take our drink order for at least 5 minutes. And then approximately 45 seconds after we placed our dinner order our first plate arrived - beans and venison. Which is nothing more than it says. Beans and venison. In a bowl. With some tortilla chips crumbled up over it and a few pieces of wild onion(?) on top. Think unseasoned walking taco. 3-4oz of bean stew for $12.Our next dish we were told was the most popular thing on the menu. Sweet potatoes in chili oil. Meant as an accompaniment to the steak, which I also ordered, this was served within 5 minutes of me placing my dinner order. And it was a pile of severely undercooked, crunchy, grilled sweet potatoes in a bowl drizzled in chili oil. With green onions on top.The bison tartare was interesting - though the texture was wrong and off putting. Gloopy and pasty.The duck "sandwich" was delicious, but no more so than any arepa sorta thing, and 4 bites are $17.My wife ordered the corn taco, which is emblematic of a complication they seem to have invited: if they're going to use foods from all over the pre colonial Americas, do it well. This was fine at best: a deep fried hominy fritter, some jam, some greens (that looked like they were salvaged from the blades of a lawnmower), and some popcorn, wrapped in a mediocre tortilla. Meh.But the most unforgivable travesty is that they hammered - absolutely hammered - the $50 (10oz) bison steak. It was still tasty, but it was super tough except for the middle few pieces. The greens were good, and the blueberry demi glace was delicious, but the steak was advertised as requiring a medium rare cook so as to keep it tender. Sounds great! It came out medium well. Just incredibly disappointing.Also the little custard with puffed wild rice for dessert was texturally weird and sort of sad.I'm bummed. I was hoping to fall in love. Instead, I'm surprised by the distance between the accolades and our experience.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 2
Carlos Quinones
I’ve been out to eat at more restaurants that i can keep count of from NYC to Prague and I have to say, this is one of the best restaurants i’ve been to in my lifetime. The food was beyond good. It was as close to perfect as i’m able to describe. I actually regret not taking pictures of everything my girlfriend and i ordered. The sweet potatoes were just mouth watering. The flavor in that is so savory. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a great view and great food. I definitely am going out of my way to give a shout out to our serve, Halen (like Van Halen). Super cool vibes, great sense of humor and gave some good suggestions regarding choices on the menu. Owamni definitely is a winner with winning staff.
My new favorite place!So many literal amazing dishes it was hard to pick just 1.Oysters were to die for, duck was amazing, the corn taco was a party in my mouth and the tartar with pickled blueberries...never had anything like it before. SO good!Vegetarian options: Alot of options for vegetarian in the appetizers, more than main dishes.Wheelchair accessibility: The tables have enough space between them with the layout that there were plenty of space for wheelchair dining. Also an elevator to get to bathrooms downstairs if too floor bathrooms were full.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Game Tartare
Brittany Johnson
Our party of 7 had a wonderful time at Owamni! Many of the dishes are shareable or served as small plates you can order as you eat, which encouraged us to order different things we shared with our friends.The corn taco, elk taco, bison taco, and duck breast were favorites at our table.Our server was very helpful and gave a great introduction to the menu and restaurant.We all enjoyed the drinks we had - the white blueberry hot tea was a favorite, the zero proof cocktails were delicious, and the Hobby Farmer Switchel sodas were refreshing.The food was great and the view of the Mississippi River was beautiful.We'll be back seasonally to enjoy Owamni!
It's one of the best dinners I've had in months! Everything was so fresh and unique but so delicious! The Elk taco, corn taco, and oysters were to die for!! Amazing uniforms made the whole evening #86colonialism !! Already planning our next visit!Vegetarian options: Corn taco, sweet mashed potatoes with a mushrooms gravy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Duck, Game Tartare
Bill Whalen
March 2024 - Spring Menu - We dined at Owamni a second time. Again...such an awesome experience. I love the unique dishes and their amazing flavors.Initial experience was February of 2023 - Absolutely wonderful experience dining at Owamni. Dishes are full of amazing flavor, staff is amazing and atmosphere is calming and unique.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zac Huntley
A truly amazing experience with truly next-level food. After hearing all of the critical acclaim, we were excited to try Owamni. It did not disappoint. Truly some of the best tacos we've ever had.The corn tacos were AMAZING, as were the elk tacos (so good we had to get another to finish the meal!). Bison taco was good, as well. We tried the white bean salad, which was a nice appetizer. We also had the duck pupusas, which were great, but we mistimed them; the tacos were so good, we should have had the pupusas first (a good problem to have, hehe!). We had the sweet potato donuts to finish out—delightful!We will definitely be back and look forward to what the summer and fall menus look like! 10/10!
The food was unusual to a degree, and it was pretty good. It's worth a visit, though it wasn't really my cup of tea. At first, I thought the portions were a bit small, but it turned out they were too big. I found the food to be very filling. My favorite items were (of course) the wild rice, and surprisingly, the goose tacos. The roasted sweet potato sauce was a bit bland, but the potatoes themselves were excellent. The sauce was not spicy enough for me, but that is just me. Our server was nice, but she seemed a little abrupt. Again, it's just a personal impression. That is why 4/5 stars.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Greg Adams
Different, interesting and great flavors. Staff is outstanding. Location
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roast Sweet Potato
Juliette Chow
Lovely place with a great mission and food to match!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Game Tartare
Sarah Gifford
A lovely meal with a taste of indigenous history! Loved all the food! Yum!
A really great experience. For us, different new cuisine, made in an accessible and delicious way. The plating was appetizing. The bison, soups and yes....the snack like popcorn crickets were our favorites. A very helpful server and all the staff was friendly and nice. Very glad we went on a visit from New York. Location was pretty too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cedar Braised Bison
Delicious and unexpected twists on tartare, tacos, all at a beautiful location. I loved the flavors, especially the bison tacos and bean dip. Also appreciate the value-driven restaurant and how they support bipoc and the reclaiming of native land. Definitely returning!Parking: Fair number of street parking spots in the area but you do pay.Wheelchair accessibility: There's a ramp and elevator if you come from the lower level. They have a family style restroom on site with accessible toilet. The restaurant itself is fairly small so a wheelchair may be tight, we had a stroller that we could leave in the coat check area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Game, Game Tartare, Native Heirloom Corn Tacos
Beautiful restaurant and great bar service. Loved the oyster and popcorn taco? best bar tender ?☺️ I wish they had more option for fish. Loved
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Overrated. Ours was an underwhelming, disappointing experience. I was so excited to try Owamni. Last Thanksgiving I special ordered a bison Chuck roast, some heirloom corn, and harvested cedar to cook their recipe for a pre colonial Thanksgiving alternative - delicious! I've been excited to try this spot ever since.When we sat down our server didn't take our drink order for at least 5 minutes. And then approximately 45 seconds after we placed our dinner order our first plate arrived - beans and venison. Which is nothing more than it says. Beans and venison. In a bowl. With some tortilla chips crumbled up over it and a few pieces of wild onion(?) on top. Think unseasoned walking taco. 3-4oz of bean stew for $12.Our next dish we were told was the most popular thing on the menu. Sweet potatoes in chili oil. Meant as an accompaniment to the steak, which I also ordered, this was served within 5 minutes of me placing my dinner order. And it was a pile of severely undercooked, crunchy, grilled sweet potatoes in a bowl drizzled in chili oil. With green onions on top.The bison tartare was interesting - though the texture was wrong and off putting. Gloopy and pasty.The duck "sandwich" was delicious, but no more so than any arepa sorta thing, and 4 bites are $17.My wife ordered the corn taco, which is emblematic of a complication they seem to have invited: if they're going to use foods from all over the pre colonial Americas, do it well. This was fine at best: a deep fried hominy fritter, some jam, some greens (that looked like they were salvaged from the blades of a lawnmower), and some popcorn, wrapped in a mediocre tortilla. Meh.But the most unforgivable travesty is that they hammered - absolutely hammered - the $50 (10oz) bison steak. It was still tasty, but it was super tough except for the middle few pieces. The greens were good, and the blueberry demi glace was delicious, but the steak was advertised as requiring a medium rare cook so as to keep it tender. Sounds great! It came out medium well. Just incredibly disappointing.Also the little custard with puffed wild rice for dessert was texturally weird and sort of sad.I'm bummed. I was hoping to fall in love. Instead, I'm surprised by the distance between the accolades and our experience.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 2
I’ve been out to eat at more restaurants that i can keep count of from NYC to Prague and I have to say, this is one of the best restaurants i’ve been to in my lifetime. The food was beyond good. It was as close to perfect as i’m able to describe. I actually regret not taking pictures of everything my girlfriend and i ordered. The sweet potatoes were just mouth watering. The flavor in that is so savory. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a great view and great food. I definitely am going out of my way to give a shout out to our serve, Halen (like Van Halen). Super cool vibes, great sense of humor and gave some good suggestions regarding choices on the menu. Owamni definitely is a winner with winning staff.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Garden Salad, Roast Sweet Potato, Bean Spread, Cedar Braised Bison, Native Heirloom Corn Tacos
My new favorite place!So many literal amazing dishes it was hard to pick just 1.Oysters were to die for, duck was amazing, the corn taco was a party in my mouth and the tartar with pickled blueberries...never had anything like it before. SO good!Vegetarian options: Alot of options for vegetarian in the appetizers, more than main dishes.Wheelchair accessibility: The tables have enough space between them with the layout that there were plenty of space for wheelchair dining. Also an elevator to get to bathrooms downstairs if too floor bathrooms were full.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Game Tartare
Our party of 7 had a wonderful time at Owamni! Many of the dishes are shareable or served as small plates you can order as you eat, which encouraged us to order different things we shared with our friends.The corn taco, elk taco, bison taco, and duck breast were favorites at our table.Our server was very helpful and gave a great introduction to the menu and restaurant.We all enjoyed the drinks we had - the white blueberry hot tea was a favorite, the zero proof cocktails were delicious, and the Hobby Farmer Switchel sodas were refreshing.The food was great and the view of the Mississippi River was beautiful.We'll be back seasonally to enjoy Owamni!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Duck, Native Heirloom Corn Tacos
It's one of the best dinners I've had in months! Everything was so fresh and unique but so delicious! The Elk taco, corn taco, and oysters were to die for!! Amazing uniforms made the whole evening #86colonialism !! Already planning our next visit!Vegetarian options: Corn taco, sweet mashed potatoes with a mushrooms gravy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Duck, Game Tartare
March 2024 - Spring Menu - We dined at Owamni a second time. Again...such an awesome experience. I love the unique dishes and their amazing flavors.Initial experience was February of 2023 - Absolutely wonderful experience dining at Owamni. Dishes are full of amazing flavor, staff is amazing and atmosphere is calming and unique.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A truly amazing experience with truly next-level food. After hearing all of the critical acclaim, we were excited to try Owamni. It did not disappoint. Truly some of the best tacos we've ever had.The corn tacos were AMAZING, as were the elk tacos (so good we had to get another to finish the meal!). Bison taco was good, as well. We tried the white bean salad, which was a nice appetizer. We also had the duck pupusas, which were great, but we mistimed them; the tacos were so good, we should have had the pupusas first (a good problem to have, hehe!). We had the sweet potato donuts to finish out—delightful!We will definitely be back and look forward to what the summer and fall menus look like! 10/10!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Native Heirloom Corn Tacos
Restaurantji Recommends
Creative and flavorful. Decolonization of food as a concept, taken to the height of flavor, No sacrifices here. A meal of your lifetime and worth it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roast Sweet Potato, Game, Duck
The food was unusual to a degree, and it was pretty good. It's worth a visit, though it wasn't really my cup of tea. At first, I thought the portions were a bit small, but it turned out they were too big. I found the food to be very filling. My favorite items were (of course) the wild rice, and surprisingly, the goose tacos. The roasted sweet potato sauce was a bit bland, but the potatoes themselves were excellent. The sauce was not spicy enough for me, but that is just me. Our server was nice, but she seemed a little abrupt. Again, it's just a personal impression. That is why 4/5 stars.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Different, interesting and great flavors. Staff is outstanding. Location
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roast Sweet Potato
Lovely place with a great mission and food to match!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Game Tartare
A lovely meal with a taste of indigenous history! Loved all the food! Yum!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Bean Spread, Native Heirloom Corn Tacos