Restaurant: The Bad Waitress, Minneapolis, Minnesota
If you happen to be traveling through Minneapolis, Minnesota…and you really need a fantastic place to eat…ask a local. That’s what we did. And had we not, we would have missed out on this unique, fun, amazing little diner off Nicolette Avenue. After finishing up some good shopping at a local record store known as The Electric Fetus, we asked the man behind the counter for any good places to catch a bite to eat. He immediately said to hit up Nicolette Avenue, referred to as “Eat Street” by the locals because of how many restaurants line it. And his suggestion…The Bad Waitress.
So…why is it called The Bad Waitress?
When you step inside, you are greeted by the look and feel of an old-fashioned diner. What makes this place unique are the wall hangings are old horror/sci-fi movie posters. Antiques, bought locally, line the walls and the nooks and crannies. You seat yourself. Pay attention to which table you are sitting at…this will be necessary when you place your order. My roommate and I came here with my aunt the first time (yes…we went back…because I forgot to take pictures of my food) and then we returned, happily, on our last day in town. Totally worth each trip. The first time we visited, we sat at the Thor table. On our return visit, we were at the Mister Fantastic table.
Why is this important? Because at The Bad Waitress, you are your own order taker. The menus are located on the table. Pick one up and peruse at your leisure. Located on the table with the menus is an order form. Put the name of your table on there and fill out the order form with what you want to eat. Be specific about any changes. Include your drink choices at the bottom. Then, when you finish with that, you take your order to the register and pay for your food ahead of time. You will receive your drinks then…unless like me you order tea. That will be brought to you by one of the awesome staff members.
And then…it’s all up to the kitchen. You supplied your order the way you wanted it…so now they execute it…just as you instructed. This is why you have to be specific. The first time I ate there, it was the day before I ran the Minneapolis Half Marathon. So, I went with an omelette for the protein and for safety measures. I got it with their American Fries, which was a chopped up red potato (organic!) that was sauteed up to perfection. And they offered gluten-free toast as a bread option…and it arrived with a buttery glaze that was to die for. The omelette I ordered that day was the Death Valley Veggie Omelette, a 3-egg omelette that had gruyère cheese, red peppers, basil, and garlic tucked inside ($11.00). Cathy got their Hamburger on a wheat bun and topped it off with some goat cheese ($10.00) and substituted the chips and salsa for the American Fries ($1.75). And my Aunt Jan ordered the Tomato-Basil Tortilla Wrap with Grilled Chicken, keeping the chips and salsa as the side ( $8.50). I got an order of their green tea with lemon ($2.50). And after a little bit of a wait, which I never mind as it means things aren’t prepared ahead of time, but to order, our food was brought to our table and we dug in. Literally. I was hungry and forgot to take pictures. Trust me when I say…our food was amazing.
Happily though, my roommate and I returned to enjoy lunch there on our final day in Minneapolis. My aunt had an appointment to get to and the rest of my family headed out for a little journey together. Cathy and I had some loose ends to tie up in town, like a few more bookstores and record stores to hit, so we stayed behind, borrowed my aunt’s car, and made the rounds. Lunch time rolled around and we had decided that we couldn’t miss the chance to eat at The Bad Waitress again. So…we did.
This time our orders didn’t change…too much. With camera ready, we wrote down the order and placed it. This time, I didn’t stray too far from the breakfast menu. Why? Because breakfast is awesome and I’d eat it all day if I could. So…I opted for a change of pace and got another omelette, this time the Flying Saucer Omelette, a 3-egg omelette served with organic mushrooms, spinach, thyme, and goat cheese. I stuck with the gluten-free toast, but this time chose the hash browns as my side ($11.00). Cathy loved her burger so much, she tried it again, this time pairing it with gruyére cheese ($10.00) and keeping the chips and salsa as the side. I went with tea again as my beverage…the green tea with cherry ($2.50). We wrote the order up and paid at the register. Cathy came back with her Diet Coke, but I had to wait for a moment while they brewed up my tea. It was brought to my table on a fun little tray. Love the diner feel of this place.
We had a bit of a wait again for our made-to-order food. But it arrived in good order and everything once again looked fantastic. And this time…I snapped pictures.
The omelette was fantastic. Stuffed with sauteed mushrooms, goat cheese, and seasoned with thyme. The flavor combination was divine. The goat cheese added a rich creaminess to the eggs, the mushrooms gave it bulk, and the thyme added the seasoning. I dashed it with some hot sauce and tucked into it. Amazing. And the hash browns…cooked to perfection. The top layer was a crispy brown, but beneath was the soft shredded potatoes. Just how I like them. And, just as before, the gluten-free toast was done to a buttery crisp. No need to add anything. It was delicious that way. I was in love with the food there. The menu is loaded with options and served the entire time they are open…so if you want breakfast at 5 p.m…write it down and you will get it
Next time I’m in Minnesota, I’m totally getting back to The Bad Waitress. The atmosphere, the concept, the food…all beyond my expectations. It looks like a greasy-spoon diner on the outside, but inside is a business that is supplying customers with organic and local food that is prepared to perfection and delicious with every bite. You’ll clean your plate. Even if you feel like you can’t take one more bite…you will.
For places to eat in Minneapolis, Minnesota…this one sits at the top.
The Celiathlete 