Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

[mnmike]

yeah, I was responding to that post as well. Not sure.

Also, that is an unfortunate user name...

[MattW]

It is? Oh jeez, that space will stay vacant forever. They were still open when I walked by earlier...was there an article saying they were closing?

How does that place manage to stay open? My tongue in cheek explanation is that it's gotta be a cover for a money laundering operation.

Edit: Upon further investigation... this place is a chain??? Anyway, the homepage does not list Minneapolis, maybe that's the source of BB's statement? However, a Minneapolis page still exists. http://www.rosamexicano.com/minneapolis

[amiller92]

Yes, it's a chain. The one in DC opened like 8 years ago and was kind of a hopping place. The one seemed busy at first but then not so much. We went a few time early, and then stopped. I wouldn't be surprised if to hear its closing, but haven't seen that reported either.

Ling & Louie's seemed okay, but not super busy.

[amiller92]

Just went over to Rosa Mexicano. There's a sign in the window saying it's closed.

[mnmike]

Hm, the bar was usually full for happy hour...but no it never seemed too busy for dinner. I thought it was an okay place though. We can't seem to get Mexican or Tex Mex places to work downtown for some reason. It is a shame, because I love that stuff:) Is Salsa A La Salsa still there? That is kind of on the edge, but I guess that is it for sit down Mexican themed food downtown?

If Rosa is indeed closed...I had noticed it was looking pretty shabby this past summer...and thought...not a good sign.

[PhilmerPhil]

Not surprising to me. Always seemed dead and I don't think anyone's asked for a ride to or from there in the 5+ years I've been pedicabbing.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... ml?ana=twt

[Silophant]

Maybe Buffalo Wild Wings could move in there and put their apparently vitally important statue on the patio?

[QuietBlue]

Hm, the bar was usually full for happy hour...but no it never seemed too busy for dinner. I thought it was an okay place though. We can't seem to get Mexican or Tex Mex places to work downtown for some reason. It is a shame, because I love that stuff:) Is Salsa A La Salsa still there? That is kind of on the edge, but I guess that is it for sit down Mexican themed food downtown?

The thing is, while the Twin Cities certainly has good sit-down Mexican restaurants, they probably can't afford downtown rents.

I never went to Rosa, but I don't care for Rojo, and while I thought Masa was alright, I don't know who in their right mind thinks $17 for three tacos is reasonable, no matter how good they are or where the restaurant is located.

[minntransplant]

Hm, the bar was usually full for happy hour...but no it never seemed too busy for dinner. I thought it was an okay place though. We can't seem to get Mexican or Tex Mex places to work downtown for some reason. It is a shame, because I love that stuff:) Is Salsa A La Salsa still there? That is kind of on the edge, but I guess that is it for sit down Mexican themed food downtown?

If Rosa is indeed closed...I had noticed it was looking pretty shabby this past summer...and thought...not a good sign.

Yeah, Salsa A La Salsa is still in business. There is a great Mexican place in the North Star building called La Loma Tamales, but it isn't a sit down restaurant. I'm with you though - wish we had a good sit down Mexican or Tex Mex place downtown.

[MNdible]

Barrio, right?

[intercomnut]

Barrio, right?

Not a fan personally. I got excited to go there many times, but there was always a ridiculously long wait for food that wasn't all that good.

[QuietBlue]

Barrio brands itself as "Latin", but I wouldn't call it a Mexican or even really a Tex-Mex restaurant by any stretch. I feel like it mostly stays in business because of the Target happy hour crowd, even more so than the other places in that area.

La Loma is great, and probably the best option downtown, but yeah, it's not a sit-down place.

[amiller92]

There's a new La Loma going in on the skyway level at Retek, adding to their Northstar, Midtown Global Market, East Lake Street, 38th St. and downtown St. Paul locations. They're building a little empire, apparently (even if their Medical Arts location closed recently).

[Tyler]

Huh. Barrio is Mexican. The lunch menu has bunch of non Mexican stuff by why would you order it? The dinner menu is almost exclusively Mexican. Great tacos. And snapper ceviche.

[acs]

I don't really care if it's not a replacement Mexican restaurant, I just want to see the Rosa space filled up ASAP and not have a 5 year ghost lease like Chilli's. It's yet another very prominent location downtown that is now sitting empty.

[mnmike]

I agree! Very concerned it is going to be empty for years again. Chevy's you mean?

I am also afraid the MASA space is going to become one of those, as I have seen that Target has been using it for storage and events. The old Target commercial interiors space has also been vacant a long time...don't know if they are sitting on that lease, or the company that took that over.

[amiller92]

I fear that no new restaurants are going to open on the Mall until the reconstruction is done.

[grant1simons2]

Isn't that kind of obvious? Luckily the mall will be close to done from Grant to 7th by next Spring.

[acs]

Sure, but we're not just talking about the mall anymore. Hennepin Ave. is perfectly intact and yet hasn't been spared from the closings and vacant streetscapes.

[PhilmerPhil]

Don't worry, Downtown Minneapolis still has plenty of restaurants. Just go up to the skyways!