Neptune Eatery & Take Out

My husband and I enjoyed dinner at Neptune this past Saturday evening. We found the taste of the food to be a very nice surprise. I loved the Butternut Squash Ravioli, it boasted a number of distinct flavors which complimented each other beautifully. I enjoyed every bite and look forward to my next visit! My husband ordered the Hangar Steak which had a very attractive presentation and he thoroughly enjoyed his meal! Our server was excellent, even with a broken foot! She was pleasant, friendly, professional and gave us the perfect amount of attention and service. The atmosphere could have been a little cozier, but filled with people, it was OK. Thank you Neptune, we will be back!! Pros: Great Food!!! Cons: Atmosphere could be cozier more

Being in the Blaine area, I walked in the Neptune Cafe. It looked like it could be alright from the outside, but as soon as I walked in I found a decor that was bland, cold, and depressing. The manager's greetings seem cold and forced, and I was already disappointed. Things went from bad to worse when I ordered my food. I had a full course meal- appetizer, main course, and dessert- hoping to find something worth paying the outrageous prices for. Unfortunately, the food was bland, unoriginal, and from what i could taste 90 percent frozen product. Items on the menu were not really Italian food. Although I'm sure the menu writer thought he or she was offering authentic Italian food in reality he/she doesn't know the first thing about fine dining. Throughout the meal, the service was also sub par, and the wait staff hardly knows anything about the menu- I don't think they have even eaten all the items on the menu- and they definitely did not know anything about wine. I'm sure dead-palate trailer trash will love this place and think they are getting a fine dining experience, but the Neptune Cafe is not going to get a dime from anyone else. I would not be surprised to see it closed within a month. Pros: None Cons: Food, Service, Ambience more

My husband and I decided to finally try out this restaurant. It's close and we read some decent reviews. It was very dissapointing. To start, the ambience is awful. It felt like a coffee shop inside-it was cold feeling and was just one big room with no warmth. Not suggestive that they want you to linger around at all. Second, our waitress treated us as if we were knew to Italian dinig. We've been to Italy and frequent very nice restuarnts so this was not a good way to start the night. Thurd, the food was bland and predictable. We tried an appetizer and a two different entrees and were very unimpressed with the lack of flavor and overall quality. Maybe this place will do okay with the older set who just don't want to drive to the city for a great meal but for those who want to truly enjoy their dinig experience this is not the place. We will not be back. Pros: Close by for northern suburban dwellers Cons: Ambience and food quality and taste more

It really is great to have access to such a place way out in Blaine. The atmosphere and patio are quite nice on a summer evening. We were seated promptly and given a fantastic plate of bread to snack on while we ordered...unfortunately the bread ended up being the highlight of the meal. The service was quite slow and we were virtually done with an entire plate of bread before a simple glass of wine and beer were finally delivered to the table. We ordered the calamari and green beans and I can confidently say it was the worst calamari I've ever had. The breading was think and greasy and the entire thing was flavorless. I even got that twinge you get when something tastes like it had spoiled from the calamari. We followed that with a chicken pizza which I would charaterize as "fine" but nothing special and nothing I would order again. While slow to pretty much do anything, the service was quite friendly and accommodating. Perhaps other items are the menu are better than what we happened to order or perhaps the locals just don't know any better than to be impressed by the charm of the place to notice the food is mediocre at best. Pros: Atmosphere, location Cons: Quality of food, slow service more

"A hidden gem", yes, my wife and would agree. We like to find restaurants that are not part of the main stream that serve excellent food with a little bit of flare. The Neptune Eatery was suggested to us by a friend and it completely lived up to the recommendation. Even though our reservation had been misplaced and its location is not what one might expect to find such quality, our evening turned out to be very enjoyable. Don't let the fact that this restaurant is located within a small strip mall fool you, it has plenty of charm to entice even those who may be finicky at heart. As our reservation had been misplaced we were offered counter seating, which at first concerned us but in the end we loved as we were able to watch the chef and crew at work behind the counter. We loved every bit of our dinner from the bruschetta appetizer to the entrees. We had a wild mushroom pasta dish which was fresh and filled with flavor and the butternut squash ravioli, which after the first taste my wife said was one of the best pasta dishes she's had. This is truly a compliment as she is a picky eater at heart and has tried many a dish at Italian restaurants throughout the Twin Cities metro area. The wine selection though limited was enjoyable. We would recommend this restaurant to our best friends and can't wait to return! Pros: Excellent Food, Friendly Service Cons: Can Be Loud more

My sister and I went there on a Friday night. Cozy little place/great atmosphere. The food was wonderful! I had Scallops with fettucini in tomato cream sauce. Was so good. Nice and big scallops. My sister had a mushroom ravioli with blue cheese. Very good flavors! Nice wine list. Will definitely be back! more

We have become frequent flyers of this Blaine Italian gem. The Lobster Risotto was the best we have had in MN. The wood roasted salmon is an automatic, cooked in the wood fire oven they do their pizzas in. The owner, Brian makes it a point to personally check and visit shortly with every customer. We have been in there on evenings when there is live jazz music at just the right decibel level. Service has always been top notch. Our last server, a young lady named Kelsey didn?t miss a beat. The appetizer of calamari and green beans was a nice touch with an aioli dressing on the side. The real gem has been the time when the patio is open. A very nice place to relax after work and not put up with the headaches of scrambling to find a downtown eatery and then make the commute back to the north suburbs. Pros: Service has been great, Food very consistent Cons: A little off the beaten path for some. No weekend patio lunch, not open for lunch at all more

The variety is nice. I have tried three different dishes, and have not been disappointed. The value is good if for no other reason than the portions are large. Too bad it doesn't have a better location. But now that I know where it is, I'll be back. Pros: Variety, large portions, courtious, wine list Cons: Location more

Suburbia is a jungle of cookie cutter restaurants. Neptune in Blaine is better because it's different ... it's better because we don't have to drive all the way downtown for a wonderful, unique meal and a comfortable ambience ... it's better because we feel like we're getting a premium dining experience at a bargain price. The dishes are simultaneously familiar and unique. I recommend the italian sausage pasta, the salmon, the pizzas and the shrimp scampi. The wine list is somewhat small but the wines are very good and reasonably priced. I like the Chianti. The chef tells me they're getting more wines in very soon. Plus they stock Newcastle Light Brown Ale ... a favorite of mine. Neptune offers a slightly upscale dining experience without being "too hip for the clientele" ... which we really appreciate. I've had the opportunity to dine in many fine establishments all over the country, including one memorable experience in Manhatten at a wonderful place with only 10 tables. Neptune reminds me of that place. It's friendly, comfortable, priced moderately (cheap compared to the place in Manhatten) and the food is simply terriffic. The menu changes a bit from week to week so you can go back as often as you like without the fear of getting bored. You like great food, moderate prices and a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere? Join us up here in Blaine, we've got what you're looking for ... it's called Neptune. Pros: great food close to home Cons: not open for lunch more

This little place is a gem. Tucked into a small retail area usually home to generic fare, Neptune Eatery offers a unique and extremely tasty dining experience. The pork tenderloin with gorganzola cheese sauce and apple-pear chutney was deliciious and served by friendly and knowledgeable staff. Wine selection was limited but given special care and our Chilean Terra del Fuego was impressive and reasonably priced. The owner/chef stopped by our table adding a very personal touch. We absolutely plan on a return visit. Pros: Knowledgeable and personable server Cons: Paper over the table linens. more

great food sure to please anyone who loves italian food. Great service and great wine. Nice atmosphere for a relaxing dining experience. Only recommendation is rignt now they are only open til 9pm would like to see them open til 10 or later Pros: Wine, Food Service Cons: Location, closing time more