Do you have a list of “go-to” restaurants? You know, the ones that are consistently good with both food and service. The ones where you know you can take your out-of-town relatives to and even if you all have different eating styles, and everyone will be happy.
That is what Kieran’s has become for me. I have been there for brunch, lunch, dinner and happy hour and I’ve never been disappointed.
The atmosphere is that of, well, a bar. It is a pub after all. But, it’s a great bar! First of all, it is huge. In addition to the large main dining space, there are different rooms that can be used for private events or that can be opened up when it’s gets busy. Plus, in the nicer months in Minnesota, they have a HUGE patio that gets pretty darn crowded before Twins games (they are right across the street from Target Field and Target Center).
We’ve always had good service from both servers and bartenders (full menus are available at the bar). They are polite, quirky, fun and attentive without being annoying. And, they genuinely seem happy with life. I find it can be contagious. Or maybe that’s just the bloody’s talking….
The Food? That’s the best part. One of the reasons this is a go-to place for me is they take bar food to a new level. I can get both vegan and gluten-free meals (and both together!) that are fantastic. Meat eaters can also rejoice with classics like corned beef and cabbage and pub pot roast. Brette is a huge fan of the brunch special they were running for a Smoked Salmon Hash (delish!). Sadly, this dish was not on the menu last weekend. However, he seemed equally as happy with a ham and egg sandwich with a side of their perfectly roasted potatoes.
I’ve had two different salads there in the last month and both were fantastic. What set Kieran’s apart in the salad department is their protein options for. You can add their own salt and pepper tofu. And guess what? It’s awesome! So many restaurants have protein add-ons like chicken, shrimp, steak. Very few have awesome tofu.
Pictured above is their Bengali Salad which is chock full of veggies and a curried mango dressing. It’s topped with coconut and almonds and I added on the tofu. The dressing added a spicy sweet tang and the pepper kick from the tofu was a perfect compliment. I would highly recommend it.
This past weekend, we ended up at Kieran’s after a spin class and swim session at the gym across the street. I tried a different salad this time and was equally delighted.
This was the Great Grains salad which included a quinoa base with a variety of veggies, tossed with lime juice and olive oil and served over greens and in my case, topped with tofu. I deemed it the perfect post workout meal as it was full of protein, carbs, good-fats and all around goodness.
I can’t think of a more perfect way to hydrate than with a bloody mary. I’m new to the bloody mary scene, but right now, Kieran’s makes my favorite. Spciy, flavorful and it includeds the perfect pickle.
We enjoyed these bad boys on our stay-cation, after the 5k race and again this past weekend. It’s starting to become a habit. It’s a salad in a glass! That’s a good habit, right?
If you are looking for a fun bar with great food, I would highly recommend Kieran’s.
