Sidebar at Surdyk’s

I have gone to Surdyk's so many times over the years - to pick up gruyere cheese and a baguette to make fondue, grab a bottle of wine to take to a party, pick up a few slices of dessert on a Saturday. When they put in Sidebar, I looked through the doorway, but didn't really think much about it. Friday we decided to go try out their cocktails. We traded our reserved table with another couple and sat at the bar.

The staff is great. And they know cocktails. This was a lovely discovery, since a number of places we visited lately did not do cocktails well at all.

I ordered the Tokyo Riff - yuzu vodka, cranberry liqueur, Vikre's herbal liqueur, and lime. When I asked if it was sweet, the bartender said he could add more lime for me. Which he did. It is a complex and very interesting cocktail. My husband ordered the No Sleep Till Brooklyn. We have had many cocktails over the years, and my husband declared it to be one of the best cocktails he had ever been served. It has bourbon, vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and an unusual bourbon liqueur. The bartender extended my husband's comments to the woman who designed the drink. Very interesting person!

We ordered the cheese and charcuterie board. It was fantastic! All three cheeses were sensational, the pate was delicious, and even the slices of the unusual salami were great. The condiments balanced the cheese and meat choices very well, and the sweet and salty additions to the platter went perfectly with everything else. And finally, a place that serves enough crackers to go with the rest of the cheeseboard contents.

We also tried the sweet corn fritters, and the dipping crema was a great foil for the fried dish.

The staff behind the bar were knowledgeable and attentive, despite how busy they were. Honestly, they were fantastic!

When we were leaving, we noticed almost 3/4 of the people were eating the burgers. We will have to do that next time.

I highly recommend you stop by. Make reservations. The place is very busy. Also, don't enter via the cheese shop, because the hostess is at the door on the Hennepin side.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We saw the reviews and had to come in to see for ourselves. Great little bar past the grocery section, with a great menu of wines and alcohol drinks. The beers on tap are not your traditional selections, and the waiter really helped to find the right wine to go with the hummus.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The butternut squash soup here is absolutely delicious! The bartenders are very friendly and make great drinks.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Cute eatery attached to store. Fun appetizers, drinks, and light bites.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The burger is great

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Cheeseburger and Fries

Met a group of friends for a happy hour and dinner right went Sudebar opened at 4pm. I enjoyed my sparkling wine and crispy chicken sandwich. I took the bus, but you can park on the street after 4pm or in the Surdyk’s parking lot.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Fried Chicken Sandwich

Cosmic ✨…get the burger.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I’ve never bothered to leave a review but this place left such a bad taste in my mouth I can’t stop thinking about it. Could overhear the manager talking down about her employees my entire stay.. while it took 40 minutes for me to get my food in a not so busy restaurant. Food was mediocre and service was horrible. Wish I could leave zero stars

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

can't say enough good things about the cocktails. excellent. Food was very good. I recommend the deviled eggs.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I went here on a weekday after an event. I ordered a glass of red wine and the mussels. I was surprised the mussels were pretty good. They have outdoor seating along the sidewalk and an open concept for indoor seating if you’re by the window. Very noisy and busy but I felt attended to. Not sure about a parking lot but there’s street parking.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 5

I've always appreciated my time at Sidebar. Tonight was different. Mostly, it was about the service; we were seated and our server spent the next 10+ minutes socializing with someone while we were wanting to order. When I approached her about getting a drink, she gave me a look of disgust and said she would be over in a bit. When I asked about a couple of cocktails and what they were like, her description and what I got were quite different. When she asked about the food, I informed her at the end of our meal that half the mussels had no meat, she said she would report it. However, at the time the pay, no adjustment was made on our bill. It was disappointing.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 1

Skip for brunch! Worst brunch experience I have had in NE. Staff brought the wrong order, neglected to correct it, still charged us. Seriously?

Service: 1

I was pleasantly surprised by this place! I didn't know what to expect from a restaurant attached to a liquor store, but they were a delight. Good quality smashburger and fries, good conversation with the bartender, and a good old fashioned. The atmosphere is nice and it's quiet enough to bring a group for a meal and still hear each other talk. The Milk Chocolate Tart was also a great combo of sweet and salty!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Cheeseburger and Fries

The food and service were good. We were expecting a more interesting charcuterie board considering the deli next door.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

Great service! Friendly, cheerful and had a great pace to the service. Food was great, drinks delicious! Only caveats were the gigantic bowl in the corner of the bar made for poor visibility and interaction with our bartender. The space was tight and next to the phone was bit weird. The other was a 5% health & wellness charge on the bill. I’m all for providing care and benefits… but we asked several employees if it was for their health care and they said no- and we still couldn’t figure it out by the end of our visit . Seems like if a company is adding that charge it should be directly going to the staff working. Not ownership.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5