Parlour

A-​mazinggg cocktails {no surprise there!}, however the late night burger and fries are so bomb! I would almost skip the sister spot (Borough) upstairs and opt for burger, fries and seasoned cauliflower downstairs! Trust me and give it a whirl!

Parlour is a sweet nook downstairs from Borough, dark and cozy spaces to nestle in, and a fun cocktail menu. Their customer service has been consistently friendly and servers are informative about their drinks. Good job on training :) Sufficient food menu and quality offerings.
My only complaint is that the music is MUCH too loud so it actually makes talking with friends a chore and striking up conversations with your neighbors is almost impossible. In that regard, it doesn’t create a sense of community. Worth a trip because even if you don’t enjoy Parlour, you can just head back upstairs to Borough!

So, a slightly different setup. Me and one of my 11 year old sons went for an early dinner. Not the usual clientele.
Upon coming down the stairs, I asked the bartender if dad and youngling were ok to grab a seat. He couldn’t have been nicer and said of course.
The waiter was prompt with water and a drink order. Mexican coke? Heaven for the boy. Old fashioned for the old man. It was perfect.
We ordered the popcorn to start and it was great. The boy was suspicious at first but ended up eating pretty much the whole bowl.
Of course we ordered two burgers and fries. I was primed for disappointment — how could it be THAT good — but it was. Like no other burger. Solid but textured. Juicy not greasy. Flavorful without any tricks. We devoured both. The fries were perfect as well.
It’s simple but perfect. Pickles and a little mustard was the only real decision I made. The boy got more looks from the women at the next table than any hipster in the place. Nice work, kid.

I crave the Parlour burger. It’s not the cheese or fixings that makes this one great — it’s the meat itself and the bun toasted to total perfection. Fries come in a big bowl and are really tasty too! Go early unless you want to struggle getting a seat. The atmosphere is pretty swanky — dark, with classy booths and chairs. Great for a date night or catching up with a friend.

If you are reading this review its because someone has told you that Parlour has the best burger in the Twin Cities and you are no skeptically investigating that claim. Let me break this down for you:
In terms of a very basic «burger and fries» experience Parlour is probably the best. If you want anything fancy or special, it is not the place for you. What I mean is there is only one burger on the menu, and one kind of fries. The burger is pretty plain– meat, cheese, pickle. So if that doesn’t sound like your kind of thing you probably won’t like it. The burger meat is exceptional– tasty, juicy, well seasoned. The cheese is white american and comes very melted and gooey. The bun has a crap load of butter on it. All good and make for a tasty burger.
The fries– basic fries, no special seasoning or sauces.
Everyone in our party of 6 got the same thing, ⁴⁄₆ loved it, the other two were more interested in getting a fancy burger or having more options.

Went to a baseball game. To clarify, Did NOT get wasted at the game. Friends raved the burgers were better than a juicy Lucy. Needed to check it out. And that’s where the good feelings stopped.
Heinous blonde that works there told us we «stumbled down the steps» which is insane. We were having a blast, laughing as we went in. I guess she wasn’t having that.
Refused us service. My sister tried to push two tables together. It was dead in there yet no one wanted to help us with our group of 6. A candle votive slipped of the table and the woman went hysterical. Told us we were wasted and needed to leave. Then proceeded to yell at me and call ME the rude one for questioning her. Sorry we weren’t hipster enough for you.
Will never go back. Honestly. Couldn’t beat a juicy Lucy if you tried anyway.

I love dive bars, Irish pubs, and cool cocktail bars. This is my favorite of the last type in Minneapolis. The space is cool and sort of hidden under Borough. The bartenders are all great, and as good as the drinks on the menu are, I love to let them riff and make you something new and unique. Add to that, they have perhaps the best burger around (I am thinking about the Nook and Blue Door and still stand by this.). The fries are crispy and great and the rest of the limited menus are all good. As a final note, their cocktail classes are such a fun time and great deal. Just prepare to have someone drive you home.

Best burger in all of the Twin Cities. There. I said it.
Service was a little slow and our table was sooooo teeny we couldn’t fit our plates on top. So it maybe wasn’t the best dining experience. However, I totally understand that’s not really what this place is about.
But omg the burger.

Super cool «speakeasy» type bar. Reminds me of those bars in NYC that are below street level. Totally a bohemian hipster crowd though.
Best burger I’ve ever had. Service was good, everything came out fast and tasted great.
I’ve told so many people about this place. As I’m writing this, I’m thinking we might need to go back tonight for that burger.

Parlour is the swanky bar below Borough. It’s dark and intimate and, if you’re anything like me, you might experience the feeling of being not quite hip (ster) enough for the place.
Our first visit we had only drinks and an appetizer, the popcorn. You may hear «Popcorn,» and think standard kernels from a machine in a corner of a tavern serving MGD on tap. But no, this is light popcorn topped with an unlikely combination of bacon, powdered pineapple, scallions and something called togarashi, which is apparently a Japanese spice. My cocktail was refreshing and fun.
The last trip we went specifically for the burger, called just, «Burger,» on the menu. This burger had to live up to some very high expectations thanks to the raves from friends and Unilocal reviews.
It definitely deserves the positive hype. Simple, full of rich flavor and with a toasted bun, it was an awesome burger. We were not impressed with the side salad, however — small for $ 7 and literally just a plate of bitter greens with dressing. Pass.
Service was good — attentive, not pushy, spot on with the cocktail recommendations. I like the atmosphere and would absolutely stop back for drinks and that fantastic burger. Seating is limited so this is not the place to bring a big group but would be great for a date.

Drinks were a little sweet for our taste
Burger was shake shack on classy steroids
Service was excellent
Would definitely come back here

My husband and are on a mission to try all the nest burgers the Twin Cities, and of course Parlour was on the list! We went for an early dinner, it wasn’t too busy which was great. The décor is nice, modern, and sleek. The place is very clean, and the staff is very friendly. We sat at the bar, and got our burgers pretty fast (the fries are also good!) The burger is delicious, it’s just the right amount of grease without leaving you sick to your stomach. It is very filling, and I did emjoy the simplicity of it having only cheese. You can really taste the beef. I highly recommend going there If you haven’t been. Although we did not order any alcoholic beverages, the bartender was funny, engaging, and friendly.
Would definitely go back again!

LOVE.
I LOVE THIS PLACE. Classy, low-​key, upscale, quiet, intimate. This is what I’m all about. I would love to come back. I ordered the mixed scotch drink with sage and honey. This was a beautiful and well-​crafted drink. It was not too sweet but had a lot of flavor.
I would definitely come back to try more drinks!

I’ve been to Parlour quite a few times in the last 6 months. I like it for dates and nights with my girlfriends. The last time I was there, my date and I stopped after a show and grabbed a bite to eat. We sat at the bar and ordered a burger and fries. We decided on sharing this since he knows I sometimes eat like a bird. Tonight was one of those nights until I tasted the fries. Perfectly salty and amazing after a warm night. I couldn’t stop eating the fries. I felt a bit disgusted knowing that I ate over half of the plate of fries, but they are deliciously salty. I am not normally a fan of salt, but wowzers are these good.
Now the burger… or shall I say cheeseburger I did not eat. I took one bit after realizing it was soaked in cheese. I love cheese curds but I do not like cheeseburgers. There is something about hamburger meat soaked in cheese that turns me off. The bite of cheeseburger that I did have was deliciously juicy but mega cheesy. My date devoured my portion before I could apologize for being a picky eater. I suppose it fully benefited him in this situation.
I like coming here for drinks but the couches in the front corner can get a little dirty. No one needs to see you makeout for 30 minutes while hogging the only seats in the bar.
Other than that, I would recommend Parlour for a casual, yet trendy date night hidden away in a basement. And get the fries.

Wow, really wow, what a burger. I cannot think of a better burger in town. Two patties with american cheese, perfectly seasoned, with pickles. Doesn’t sound like much but it truly is an award winning flavor. We tried their ‘pop corn’… Popcorn with bacon and pineapple and a spicy dry seasoning. I couldn’t stop eating it. I would have liked to give them 5 stars but the fries were not hot, they were barely warm. They were tasty, a little too salty, but barely warm.

WOW. This is the kind of place I could lounge in for hours. I love the sultry, cozy interior, the music, and the pretty light fixtures and mirrors on the wall. Am I in 1925, or 2015? Couldn’t really tell, and it felt marvelously prohibited and liberating at the same time. What a glorious find, located directly below Borough. It’s a sort of cool, dark hiding place that you enter into by walking down a short flight of stairs. «Welcome to my underground lair» — couldn’t help but hear Dr. Evil’s voice in my head.
We breezed into this speakeasy on a warm Friday evening in April, and it was busy but not so much so that we couldn’t find a place to sit. Once we were seated, a lovely lady greeted us and provided glasses of water and menus. Then I heard the Beatles playing in the background, followed by Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and I was transported back in time to another place, another woman. Not the one I am now, because she has been transformed due to life’s many mishaps and metamorphoses. In getting this glimpse of the past, I decided to embrace my future and order a drink. We got the Dance with the Devil. The smoothest bourbon, raspberry syrup and cardamom soda. With a mint leaf. Absolutely delicious. Sis wanted dessert, so she got the Olive Oil: Cake, lemon, brown butter and Rosemary Ice-​cream which is made upstairs at Borough. It was really only about 3 bites, but we shared it. Interesting flavor combination that definitely worked. I saw people were ordering this burger which also looked divine, and large bowls of french fries which looked like they could feed about 3 people, good for sharing. Getting those next time!
Then the theme song to The Breakfast Club started playing and everyone started singing along — Don’t You (Forget about me) My night was complete, and perfect.

First of all if you want to take 9 — 12 of your closest friends out for a night on the town because it’s the manbeard’s birthday, for the love of all that is holy don’t take them to the Northeast without a reservation. Dumbest thing I have done this week. Parlour is first come first serve and its hip. That means if you have more than 2 people in your party and it is 7pm on a Saturday night, fuggitaboutit! That is not them though. Totally on me for being spontaneous.
We finally secured a corner booth/​lounge area after staking out 2 tables and elbowing 34 people in the face (kidding about the elbows to the face part. Or am I?). Kudos to our server for being super patient with us.
As everyone says «get the damn burger!». It is super greasy and delicious. There is only one burger. If you are coming here because you anticipate a menu of 15 burgers with cutesy names like «North Loop Burger», «Minneapolis Burger», you are SOL but when you have one damn good burger that is all you need. I secretly wonder if it is so good because after waiting around for a table and fighting off 34 other people, any old burger is delicious.
The drinks are also delicious. They will also cost you your lunch money for two days. But it is worth it when everyone sees you have checked in at Parlour and you put 26 pictures of your drink on Facebook. Get the Old Fashion and the Naked Jumping Jack and remember this moment. It is the coolest you will be all year.

WHY THE HECK DID I WAIT THIS LONG TO TRY THE BURGER?! That was the thought that kept running through my head as I delicately made my way through the Parlour burger, trying hard not to drool all over myself and my dinner companions. The burger is seriously unbelievable, though I was glad to split mine with a friend as it is very greasy. That delicious, melt in your mouth greasy that ends all too soon, but leaves you feeling impossibly full.
The drinks were creative and delicious and expensive. I had one but I wanted ten. Next time, Parlour. Next time.

Friday evening around 7pm. All full tables, but no host and no wait staff for people waiting for tables. This place could really use some more servers and a host to seat people waiting. When a table opens its a free for all amongst the many people waiting.
Decent bourbon list. A few options that cant be easily found in MN but cost far too much. $ 40 a pour for anything not PVW is outrageous.
That said, the Parlour Burger is unbelievable. Its sirloin, ribeye and brisket ground together. Ive done some searching and im pretty confident this is the best burger in MPLS.
The burger saves this place. Its hard to get a drink here but Ill go back to get that burger anytime.

@FancyDinnerClub
As the definitely not not terrible early 2000s rock band Staind once crooned, «It’s Been Awhile,» loyal FDC readers.
For our first meeting of 2015 and what felt to all of us like the first FDC meal in months, we decided to make it a twofer, hitting up sister restaurants Parlour & Borough. We opted for both because a) the burger at Parlour was supposed to be epic, b) the restaurants are in the same building, and c) we like eating. We ended up enjoying our FDC double so much that we might do it every time (Wendy’s before Spoon & Stable was suggested and now I must have it).
Parlour is one of those places that makes you feel cool just being there. It has dim lighting, an indecipherable cocktail menu, and ample couch seating. We all ordered cocktails to make sure we fit in, Brad and I ordering something with mezcal, Matt ordering some crazy pistachio drink, and Chris literally ordering «the girliest drink they have.» We then put in for a few burgers to make sure they lived up to the hype. Brad was also smitten with our server, which prompted Chris and I to suggest writing his phone number on his receipt, as that tactic had worked a combined zero out of nine times for us and was bound to work eventually. He politely ignored our stellar dating advice and smartly stopped Matt from trying to use Parlour’s twitter account to get her digits.
The drinks were solid, but the burgers were the star of the show. This was some serious no frills stuff here. Toasted bun. American cheese. Meat. The meat happened to be a combo of ground sirloin, rib-​eye, and brisket, so maybe not completely no frills, but you get the idea. It was also super greasy, but in the way you want a great burger to be. I was a little frightened when a spot of grease seeped through my napkin faster than alien blood through the hull of the Nostromo, but overall one of the better burgers I’ve had.
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