The Blue Door Pub
| Address: | 1811 Selby Ave, St Paul, MN 55104, USA |
| Phone: | +1 651-493-1865 |
| Site: | thebdp.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 6
A
A Private User
I was a huge advocate of this place when it opened up, but I think that its over for me. My observations and opinions are based on about 5-6 visits, enough to be valid I believe. First off, the wait is always horrible (at least 20 mins) - and to make matters worse, theres nowhere to wait! You have to basically stand around the entrance like cattle, hovering over tables and dodging wait staff getting through. Uncomfortable to say the least. This is especially problematic in the winter. Secondly, people constantly squat on their tables, slowly sipping after-meal waters despite an obvious back-up of customers. They need to implement a no-squatting policy to keep business moving. Third, the service is not very fast or good considering the size of the place. They have 2-3 servers for 10 tables, yet I sat bone dry for 30 mins. The food took another 30 mins from ordering. Sorry, but thats not acceptable for a place that everyone raves about. It seems like they hired friends and family rather than a qualified wait staff. Hey, its St. Paul... Fourth, the food is AVERAGE AT BEST. This place has NOTHING on The Nook or Groveland Tap. Dont get me wrong, its not bad, but certainly not memorable. DONT BUY THE LOCAL HYPE - its very pedestrian fare. They have a decent beer selection and keep the lines clean, which I appreciate. On the positive side, the bartender seems pretty cool and has great music selection. Sit at the bar if you can, and your experience may be better. In closing, this has been my experience nearly every visit. Not very good considering the sensationalist hype that is posted all over these review sites. If you want a more reasonable experience of this variety, go to the Groveland Tap just 5 blocks south on Fairview. Youll likely be seated, enjoying a cheaper beer from a bigger selection, and ordering a better meal with better service, all in the time it takes you to get your name on the list at Blue Door.
MI
Michelle Trombetta
Its a tiny burger ioint and its good which naturally means its crowded; never trust an empty restaurant! We arrived right at 11am opening, bellied up to the bar (why should a party of two take up a 4-top in an insanely busy place), and were treated to incredible service from the bartender. By 11:05am the joint was packed. We came in specifically for the Peanut Butter burger but ended up getting both of the two specials. The chef is obviously passionate about the art of a fine burgers, combining flavors and providing diners new burger experiences beyond what is on the standard menu. If you see a special you like, get it, you wont be disappointed. We started with the jalapeno poppers, a recommendation from the bartender, and they were delicious; not fried or oily, just delicious. We each got fries with our burger which in hindsight was probably unnecessary- the burgers are big, we could have split the fries (will probably try the tots or green beans next time). If you are adverse to waiting, arrive early, or visit during an odd time; happy hour is from 2pm to 5pm or from 10pm to close, assuming to get more people in the door during the off times. Blue Door also does take out if you live close-by or want to eat your burger in the car or on a bench (although then youll miss out on a great local beer selection). Im from the west-side of town, rarely crossing the river to go to St. Paul, but Blue Door is well worth the trip (and I heard a little rumor well have one closer to Minneapolis soon).
EM
Emily Pham
Just tried out this place on a Sunday. The service was terrible. We had a group of 5 and the guy confirmed that and then sat us at a place with only 4 chairs. We had to ask to get another chair rather than them noticing right away. When we received our food (burgers and tater tots) we werent given any napkins. On top of that, the ketchup bottle was out. They brought the water and spilled it on the table. We asked for napkins and they only brought one to wipe up the spill...Then later we asked again for napkins and they finally brought some. I would think its common sense and customer service to have something like napkins provided--especially when lots of people eat burgers there. Then now I see my bill statement from my bank and they took out more money than they were supposed to--completely different from the total I put on the receipt so they definitely did it on purpose. The food wasnt great. The burger was dry and burnt up. Tater tots were overcooked. I will not be going to this place again for a variety of reasons!
PE
Pete T
If you set your expectations for an enjoyable meal/beer at a neighborhood establishment, youll thoroughly enjoy your time at the Blue Door Pub. Met a friend here because it was "halfway", neither of us had visited before. Our server was great, had helpful suggestions and real opinions when asked "between x and y, which would you prefer?" rather than the standard "Theyre both good". Great for people watching as you get families from the neighborhood, students from the nearby colleges, folks on their way to sporting events in either sister city....just a great mix of personalities. Between the two of us we got a few beers and each got a burger. The beers were great, the burgers first-rate and the sound level was good for casual conversation. If youve got a neighborhood joint that youd take a bullet for, you may not want to venture over to the Blue Door but, if youre looking to try out a new place where you can slip onto a booth and enjoy a nice meal and some great beer options...its worth the drive!
D.
D. Larson
Everyone talks about the wait. The wait isnt the big issue. Any good place with limited seating is going to have a wait. The big issue is the noise. I couldnt hear myself exist let alone have a conversation. The two of us arrived at the St. Paul location at 8:20pm on a Saturday night and were seated at 8:41pm inside. We could have seated about 5 minutes earlier but it was an outside table and they cant serve alcohol outside. The service was pretty quick and our server was friendly. We both ordered burgers and they were delicious. I ordered The Classic (your basic Jucy Lucy style burger) and found it sadly lacking in cheese. The beef on the other hand was excellent. It was quite possibly the best beef Ive had at a burger place. Overall, I would never go back and eat inside just because of the loud atmosphere. I would consider eating outside, especially if not ordering a beer. More than likely this will be a take-out only place for me.
AN
Andrea Mudrey
In regards to the Longfellow location - Even though it was busy, we were seated right awa. However, it took awhile to be waited on. It seemed like there were a lot of employees running around, so who knows what that was about. I was excited to try to blucy. I was disappointed because there was no cheese oozing out it, however neither of our burgers had cheese running out of them. We just figured that was how they made them here. I asked about it when we were finished. And there WAS supposed to be cheese oozing out - our bad for not saying anything sooner. Other negatives: They mixed up our fries and tots. Dont waste the extra $1 for the bacon burger, because we didnt notice a difference. We only found one small little piece of bacon. Ive had a juicy lucy at other places in the city. I wouldnt call it a juicy lucy, I consider this just an average burger. Overall it was fine. Not outstanding whatsoever, but Ill give it another chance.
