HoDo Lounge

Waited 15 minutes for 3 drinks one didn’t come and when the other two came it was the akward «did you order something?» I declined and said it’s I don’t need anything because I would rather sit at the empire and drink swish then another 15 minutes at this place. Finally we got the check and my drink was on it so we had the enjoyable extra 10 minutes to get the drink taken off that was never «ordered».

HoDo is great when you’re inside. Service, music, food, etc. DO NOT go to the rooftop. What a mess. We waited 20 minutes just to get a menu, another 15 minutes for our drinks, and even longer to get our food. Service was AWFUL. And the seating arrangement was awkward. Stay inside unless you just want to see the tops of buildings and stay hungry.

One of my favorite stops in Fargo. All are welcome here and it’s a nice, safe place for a woman to go for a drink when she’s on her own; such places are very rare in Fargo. Superb service. And a great bar menu, try the lamb meatballs, they’re delicious! The bar has a unique shape to it, emulating Fargo’s Red River. This is the downtown hot spot for artists, interesting musicians and the coolest charity events.

If you’re here in the winter, get the hot cider drink. NOM.

The Hotel Donaldson’s Lounge offers great ambiance for date night, or simply enjoying a well-​crafted cocktail with friends. Their hot cider is my go-​to winter warmer during the lesser months of Fargo’s seasonal calendar.
Their kitchen puts out amazing seasonal items for the lunch and dinner crowds, but my typical stop at the HoDo Lounge is for their drink list and location. Located in the heart of downtown Fargo, this is the place to be on a weekend evening. The lounge also features live musicians from time to time, which offer a nice backdrop to an evening on the town.

There are so many things to love about HoDo, it’s one of Fargo’s finest downtown establishments. It’s not cheap, but a lot of their lounge food isn’t much more than having a (non-​fast food) dinner anywhere else.
Highlights:
Music, seemingly all of the time. Either live, or good things coming through the speakers.
Moscow Mule. Best, Drink, Ever.
Service. Nicest people serving you awesome food.
Brunch. It’s exactly what you want, why haven’t you been yet? Better than perkins for a few dollars more… and they have mimosas!
If you’re cramped on time in Fargo, visit the HoDo Lounge.

Classy place. Crowds normally 30 + in age. Very pricey hotel but very modern and unique hotel rooms upstairs. Im a fan but I get board about 10 pm here. If you are looking for quite and classy this is one of the better places

Come for drinks, not for food. The bar menu never changes and the only decent item on it is heavily deep fried chicken in a sweet sauce. The restaurant menu is seasonal, but for an upscale restaurant, kind of ridiculous. Example: the chef boasted about serving burrata cheese. Has he ever been outside of the Midwest? Burrata is old news. If you want to spend a ton on food, drive to Minneapolis.

Met up with friends here on a Friday night for drinks and appetizers. If you’re someone who likes to drink at a more upscale bar, this is the place for you. For someone like me who prefers dive bars, I felt really out of my element. The service however, was very good. Our waiter was very attentive, the drinks and food were both well made and some of them have a really interesting twist.

SO in love with this place. They have a HUGE variety of different drinks, (it’s almost overwhelming) & amazing cocktails. Each time I’ve been here the servers have always been very attentive, even when they are super busy. I love the atmosphere, especially during weekdays when it’s more chill.

Best food I have ever had! I have lived in New York and San Francisco (places know for amazing food) and this food is by far my favorite so far! The attention to detail is overwhelming, not to mention the staff at this hotel and this restaurant are fabulous. Allison has a gift with wine and our servers have always gone above and beyond to be welcoming, friendly, and helpful. We will be back many, many times.

I normally don’t call out people by their name but Jordan was awesome! She was the best server I’ve ever had there! Great recommendations, kept my water filled as well as my cocktails. She is a huge part of why the HoDo received as many stars as it did.
Now onto the food and drinks. I probably sampled eight different drinks as my friends and I all tasted each other’s selection. The Moscow Mule is by far my favorite! The copper mugs are awesome and they taste so delicious! There was a cucumber one in a big glass that was extremely refreshing. I also liked the yamhatten. It would be helpful when ordering the drinks if you knew how they came-​rocks, straight up, etc.
Food-​overall everything was pretty tasty! The goat cheese ravioli were good but a little too rich for my taste buds. The hanger steak was delicious but too much red wine reduction in it so that the flavor of the steak was over powered with sauce.
HoDo is a fun place to go and grab a drink and spend time with friends. I’m looking forward to the deck opening!

I am back in Fargo and no trip is now complete without a pit stop at HoDo lounge. Jason has got to be the ‘happiest’ bar tender. He always has a smile on his face. Based on his recommendation, I got the red quinoa salad and it was amazing with quinoa, beets and a sherry vinaigrette (See my picture). I ordered the bison burger again and it was just as good as the last time, if not better.
Their scotch collection is also impressive and I tried a Scapa 16 today.
The big question on my mind is ‘how do I convince them to open shop in Chicago?’.

This place has great art, high-​quality cocktails, and a comfortable ambiance.
I enjoyed most of the drinks (thus 5 stars), but was not a fan of the Yam-​hattan.
I love puns, and Yam-​hatten is a great pun. Even better, it is a pun that delivers. The yam-​hatten tastes EXACTLY like the whiskey-​laden liquid sweet potato pie that it’s name implies. Unfortunately, in my enthusiasm for the clever I forgot I don’t like sweet potato pie.
A few additional comments:
It is surprisingly wonderful that there is an establishment where you can purchase a caipirinha in the middle of Fargo, North Dakota.
The HoDo has high-​quality pens. I think (hope) a place with such nice pens would be happy if the occasional patron took a couple back to California, spreading the word about Fargo’s hotspot.
If the above statement is inaccurate, a couple pens may or may not have accidentally wound up in my pocket when I left. I plan to surrender them to the appropriate authorities upon my next visit to Fargo.

Visited this place on the recommendation of a local friend.
Dinner and a cocktail on a Thursday afternoon at 4. The place was busy and WAY understaffed. Even so, my server made no attempt to hustle and often just ignored me. It’s incredibly frustrating to come go to a restaurant, watch others be seated after you and served before you. This place charges premium prices, so there is just no excuse for poor service.
My bison burger was good but not prepared as I requested so it was delivered overcooked. No need to do that with Bison. The food was great, but honestly it left me wishing I had gone to Culvers instead and saved both time and money.
I know this place is a local favorite, but I can’t recommend it.

The HoDo is a mainstay in downtown Fargo and shouldn’t be missed. It’s been going strong for a number of years and has lots going for it.
The drink menu is deep and there’s plenty of cocktail choices to pick from. Their selection of liquor and beer is very nice and they have a good amount of beers on tap as well (usually including plenty of local brews too).
Honestly, the food in the lounge can be skipped. It used to be pretty good with just about anything worth eating, but about a year ago it changed. I think they tried to get too creative and trendy with their options; and it really is not good. I am generally one who can find anything on any menu and will try it and like it, but now I’d rather not even eat there. Just stick with the drinks.
There’s also plenty of opportunities to listen to live music at the HoDo. Word of caution though… it get very crowded there during music time. So be prepared to either get there early for a seat or stand. Either way, enjoy!

Priced for the $ 50 a day business traveler meal allowance. Otherwise it seems to be the hot spot for Fargo’s social elite.
The bartender was topnotch. Repeatedly and Skillfully preparing complex drinks with little effort. If you are looking to step out of your comfort zone to try something new then this fellow is the one to help you. I believe he would enjoy it, if the time is available.
The special of the day was s $ 44 salmon dish. I settled on the $ 16 Norwegian salmon from bar menu. Normally priced at $ 23.
The fish was prepared nearly perfectly. I happen to like a good seer on the outside. Which this did not have (did not ask). The tender inside maintained nearly all the juices and flavor.
The mashed potatoes tasted great but at the expense of being overly oily /​buttery. I did not notice any evidence of spice seasoning.
Nevertheless the taste was present.
The beans sat on a rich bed of savory sauce that bound the entirety of the dish together.
If you are looking for an upscale dining experience while keeping your feet on the ground; Then this is the place.
Enjoy

Sometimes you just want to go where everybody knows your name. This is that place for me.
Whether you are from here or not, you need to know that this is an iconic social landmark that everyone needs to experience. From food to drinks to service to atmosphere, this place is hands down my number one here in Fargo.
Not only is the owner Karen engaged in our community, she holds benefits and gifts space for a various amount of causes.
My personal go to’s would be the cuclear caley, the hodo cider, and the wild rice burger.
Come have a good time and experience the best that Fargo has to offer. Just remember to be kind to your server and tip them well.

I have been going to The Hodo sine they first opened. Some complaints I have heard in the past about The Hodo is that it is too upscale and snooty. With the exception of a couple of servers I have never felt that way. The Hodo has always been very welcoming. The Hodo has one of the best selection of Single Malt Scotch and liquor of all sorts of variety. The food menu is very surprising, very original and focuses on local food suppliers. I recommend the «fish and chips» as well as the Bison Burger. The Hodo has live entertainment up to twice a week and hosts a variety of shows for local causes.

You really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. My favorites are the bison burger or the lavosh. I have a difficult time not going with either of these as they are so good.
Add on top of the food, the amazing décor and ambience, and this is an excellent place to be. Further, you have the top notch bar and beer selection.