VIC's on the Minneapolis Riverfront

I took an out-of-town business colleague to Vic's for dinner on a lovely summer evening. Wanted to sit outside at an establishment that was more restaurant-like and less bar-food like. A dilemma is that our company expense budgets are so limited that it's harder and harder to find restaurants with better food that allow us to stay within budget. Vics worked for us. Not only were there many moderately-priced food options on the menu, there were also many reasonably-priced bottles of wine on the wine list. Enjoyed the calamari - tender and delicious (not cooked until rubber-like which seems to still be the norm in the Twin Cities). Loved the shore dinner - pan fried breaded Walleye. Only disappointment was that the servers seemed to be understaffed that evening. I visited Vics a few years ago and recall a more extensive menu in the past with more seafood options. Was disappointed that there were so few seafood choices this visit. I most definitely would return to Vic's for the reasonably decent food and wine at a good value. And for the excellent views and outdoor dining. Vic's does not seem to be a place to visit if you are looking for a foodie experience, however. Pros: Nice decor and river views Cons: Slow service more

My friend and I planned on eating at Vic's and we made a reservation because they claimed they were busy. However, when we got there the restaurant was closed! no one there, no sign or anything. what crappy service. I will never even consider going there again. if you plan on going, i would call first to make sure they are actually open when they claim they are. more

the food is average to very bad. The other night my husband had a steak that tasted okay, but it was full of fat and connective tissue, he ended up eating about half of what was an expensive entree. I had a nicely sauced sea bass, but the bass itself was awful beyond measure: it was fishy, freezer tainted and cooked to the point of toughness. Two weeks ago I was in Vic's for lunch and ordered spinach salad served with a warm bacon dressing. I liked the dressing, but the escarole in the salad was full of grit, they couldn't have possibly even tried to wash it. I mentioned it to the waitress so she could change things for the next customer, and she appeared not to have cared less. I love the dining room and the patio setting, but the food is expensive (which we don't mind as long as it's delicious), Vic's is so bad we will never go back. more

Incredible! Ate there with friends for the first time and it definitely won't be the last. The fantastic seafood chowder is made fresh daily from the previous day's fish and is a must on every visit. The crab-stuffed walleye was superb and the pork ossobuco was the most tender flavorful pork I've ever tasted. Great food, great location, great service, no wait and a live band at the end of the evening make this my new Twin Cities favorite. more

Awful! We should have turned around when we realized we were the only ones in the place in the middle of the dinner hour. The menu is boring and overpriced (think $28 broiled fish and $30 rotisserie chicken). After asking for water, we were brought $4.25 bottles of "Italian" still water. We decided on the waiter's suggestion of the artichoke and spinach appetizer. We received plain flat bread and creamed spinach with mozzerella cheese. Horrified by the dish and menu, we hesitated ordering an entree. The waiter then proceeded to ask if I wanted a refill on my soda, informing me that it is free in a very snooty tone. Realizing that he thought we were just too cheap to order anything, we quickly asked for our bill and politely told him we were just trying to catch a movie so needed to run. He then had the guts to ask what movie we were going to, clearly not believing our excuse. When he brought the bill, he emphasized that the restaurant had a beautiful view in a low crime area. Creepy- we half expected him to jump us in the alley! In short - stay away! Pros: Beautiful view and decor Cons: Expensive, rude service, awful food, snooty more

The food at Vic's is simply great. Set right next to the river, this place has a wide selection of seafood and other delicacies that make your mouth water. Their selection of cocktails at the bar was wide and varied, but moreover, the service rocked. If you are in town, you have to try Vic's!!! more

The Osso Bucco is great!. The best part about this place is the ambience. This is a summertime must dining location. The other really great thing about Vic's is the price of the wine. They have a great selection at very, very low prices. This restaurant doesn't carry the glamorous reputation of some of the city's other fine dining establishments but it is a very good place to eat. Try it! more

Our first trip to Vic's was July 20, 2007 after considering other restaurants in a central location. Our experience was great in all aspects. Service, food, and ambience. People may think the prices may be high for some budgets but our total bill (including early deck location drinks outside) was approx. $60 per person (party of 4) but this including drinks, entree, 2 desserts, and tip). Parking was convenient (and will be validated in the right ramp). Servers were young, fun, efficient, knowledgeable, and the head chef even checked to see how everything was going). Without hesitation we would return and highly recommend Vic's to everyone! more

If you are hoping for a healthy bite at lunch, go somewhere else. The menu is misleading. I ordered the popeye chicken sandwhich which states broiled chicken, spinach, artichokes, and swiss cheese. Sounds healthy, right (well minus the cheese...but it's swiss). It came out with spinach and artichoke dip on top of the chicken. Now, it was good - don't get me wrong, but totally not what was described and not healthy. My husband also was mislead with the turkey wrap burrito with black bean and corn salsa...completely covered in butter and grilled...but it was a whole wheat wrap - thank god! It was all good...but very disappointing for the conscious eater. Pros: good food Cons: misleading menu more

Used 1/2 price gift certificates purchased from the KQ website, and it was still overpriced. Crab cakes seem cheaply made, but not inexpensive, crab stuffed walleye was good, cajun ribeye was ok, seafood chowder was good, but very pricey for just good and ok. Service was slow and they were out of some product. Nice looking place, but the food quality is not as high as the price, even with the half price gift certificate. Pros: Beautiful Location, Nice atmosphere Cons: Pay to park, Expensive, Just ok food more

Okay - given the facts: Saturday early evening, raining cats & dogs; BUT when 90% of your reservations (according to bartender) cancel.... because they can not sit outside, makes you think there is NO reason to be inside. CORRECT. Food - i had a hard time choosing anything from the menu that was compelling. All choices were a struggle - beginning with starters. Prices WAY 2 high for what you get. Nothing exceptional at all. WIll not go back...unless I can sitll outside on a beautiful night and just DRINK Pros: larger bar Cons: food more

The service here is disorganized. Every single staff person (young girl) that I encountered looked like they were a junior in college. My server returned to my table 4 times to alter the status of available oysters. I was initially seated and then moved, passed over for service by the waitress, and had to send my rare seared tuna for $26 back because it was well done. The Hollandaise sauce was separated and nasty. Once its ruined start over please. My $14 crab claw appetizer tasted like it had been refrigerated for a week and it was way too cold and rubbery. Everything I ordered was a big let down. My companion had some decent items though, and we were there for hours just to get dinner on a Monday night. And $5.75 for a bottle of Heineken is absurd. Pros: outdoor seating, view Cons: price of drinks, service, chef wanted! more

I live about four blocks from the restaurant Vic's and I have to say everytime I've been there the service is poor. You wait to be seated for about 10-15 minutes and to get your menus and a drink is about another 15 minutes. If you have the time and patients (about 2 hours or more) the food is great. more

I'll have to say I've been dissappointed by the service several times but I've enjoyed the food. The seafood chowder is loaded with with large chunks of fish, shrimp + more. The calimari salad had a tasty sesame dressing. I'm craving their wasabi crusted tuna. It was cooked perfectly- rare-melted in your mouth -served with a decadent sauce. Even the cowboy ribeye was cooked perfect. It was pricey considering the service but I will try again. more

I have visited Vic's on several occassions. On A busy Saturday night when the deck is full and on a quiet Monday night when the dining room and bar are perfect spots for an intimate evening. The tenderloin medallions were rich and delicious. The half rack of lamb a friend had was moist and tasty. The highest priced app (crab cakes @ $13) was good and fairly priced compared to others around town like the Capital Grille. Beef skewers, Garlic Herb Shrimp and Calamari have been my favorites. Service was good and comprable to other upscale casual places like Figlio or any Ciatti's. Busier nights look like they could use more help. I will return again as will many of my friends and co-workers. We love their "Happy hour" special. Try the house martini, something called a Vick-tini, is a cool blue color and very good. ($4 during happy hour). Pros: river view, deck, non-smoking dining Cons: open seating on deck more

Went for my birthday...used to go to the Wharf so didn't want to break tradition. Completely revamped inside...very nice though. The food was very good, some portions are small (lobster) others are very large and tasty (crab stuffed walleye). Our sides came out long after we finished our dinner, but the manager made up for it completely and we left very satisfied. Will definately try Vic's again. Pros: Ambiance, Management, Location Cons: Side dishes value more

Loved the view. Outside seating was available on Saturday night. However,portiones were very small and food was unjustifiably expensive and not very good. I had tasteless tuna steak for $18. In my opinion, this fish was undercooked and flavorless. I expected a lot more from a seafood place. Entries did not come with any sides. So, I ordered a side of steamed broccoli for another $7. I don't think I ever paid so much for nothing more then a small plate of steamed broccoli. Again totally flaworless. In summary me and my wife spend $60 and went home very dissapointed and still hungry. Pros: location, service Cons: flaworless food, high prices more

My wife and I like to try new places we were headed to pracna and decided to try Vics! What a beautiful room and a priceless view of the river.The server was quite affable and helped us select our entrees .We had a nice bottle of wine a great dinner and a relaxing time out. THANKS WE'LL BE BACK! Pros: GREAT VIEW, FRESH SEAFOOD, COMFORTABLE more

If youre afraid that we might be heading into a deflationary period, just head to Vics and rest easy. And better yet, if your idea of a good time is paying $14 for two tiny crab cakes, $21 for a little tasteless piece of fish, and $7 for a small ala carte side of asparagus to go with your puny fish fillet, then Vics is the place for you. If however, you want to go out and get a meal you will find totally satisfying, head to Zelo, and then go to Tuggs for drinks afterwards if you want to sit outside down by the river. Pros: Location Cons: Complete Lack of Valu, Tasteless Food, Complete Lack of Valu more

I thought the food, service and ambiance all made my trip to Vic's worthwhile. The tenderloin medallions were so tender I could cut through them easily with my fork. They were unique and flavorful. The asparagus was crisp and fresh and served with a delicious hollandaise sauce. Of course, the view of the river is beautiful, but so was the interior of the restaurant. I enjoyed wonderful service (the manager is friendly and stops by your table) and I thought the prices were in line with other restaurants of it's caliber. Overall a great experience! Pros: Food, Service, Atmosphere more