Washington Square Bar & Grill

I love this place! Always have! Once out of one of my many visits there was a small issue. I let management know and they promptly made things right with me and I’m now happy and will return!

You call this place family friendly? There’s hardly enough room for servers and customers to fit through the aisles. I had a few drinks spilled on me from management and servers. Take the time to let customers through and slow down. It’s not life and death that you run to the table because there’s a lot on your tray. I looked at this place before going out it said family friendly but how can this be? No high chairs and high bar tables.
Two stars for service and lack of family friendly.
On the contrast my food was good, 4 out of 5 stars for that.

It’s hip to be square! Washington square hits the spot with watered down Arnold palmers and a spicy buffalo chicken wrap, great place for lunch.

This place is one of the gems of White Bear Lake. Great atmosphere and awesome food. My husband and I love the patio and bringing our dog is always a plus in my book! Definitely would recommend this place to anyone.

Place was great. Service was a little slow on a Saturday around 7:30p. Food was really good. The creamy spinach chicken enchiladas were amazing. The black beans are like nothing I’ve ever had before — AMAZING! we couldn’t stop gushing over them. Spanish rice was really great too. My husband got the bacon cheeseburger and it was just ok. I think I’ll stick with the Mexican food. I can’t wait to go back and get the enchiladas again! Hidden gem in WBL!

This place has the best burgers ever. Its nice to eat a burger that is grilled instead if fried on a griddle. Not only do they have a variety of delicious sandwiches, they also have a bunch homemade tasting mexican dishes. The beer on tap is pretty extensive, complete with my favorite, Fat Tire. They also have my favorite desserts too, like crème brûlée and chocolate mousse. This place is becoming my go-​to place when im not in the mood for thai. Very good food!

Great food, great service, nice ambiance, the walleye sandwich is absolutely yummy. Wood fireplace makes it cozy in the winter. Good selection of beer on tap! Spicy buffalo wrap had excellent flavor as well.

My husband and I stopped by here one day for lunch when we were in downtown WBL doing some local Christmas shopping — and we will be going back! The food was really good and the appetizers are not oversized/​meal in and of themselves. The décor was nice and seating was comfortable.
I had my usual Rueben, which was really good here. They offer ½ sandwiches, which I really appreciated so I did not over stuff myself on the deliciousness that was their rueben. We also had a dessert, I forgot what it was called — but it was some sort of boozy cake and it was AMAZING! I could have just planted my face into the plate with the cake.
The girl and woman who initially interacted with us was not very friendly — which kind of erked me, but our server was nice and redeemed the place.
Definitely a place to stop by and visit.

My wife and I were doing a little Christmas shopping and decided to stop here for lunch, as we walked by earlier and it smelled amazing. We walked in what we thought was the front door, but turned out to be a side door into their bar. No big deal as the bartender welcomed us and showed us where the host stand was for seating. We sat down and began to look over the menu and thumb through the drinks/​specials booklet. A woman, who we believe to be the owner, came over and took our drink order and returned shortly with a beer for my wife and a soda for me. A few minutes went by before a server came over and took our food order, which didn’t bother us at all. We ordered an appetizer and continued looking around the area where we were sat and commenting on how we like the feel of it and all of a sudden our nachos were on our table! They were a perfectly sized for the two of us, the fixings were very well spread out and the homemade salsa was very good. We finished the nachos and continued to chat about all the goings on in life (work, grad school, Christmas shopping, family, etc.) and then our sandwiches showed up. She got the Reuben, as that is her barometer for how good a restaurant is, and I got a bacon cheeseburger. The burger was great, couldn’t have asked for a better burger that day. And instead of over eating or taking left overs home, my wife got a ½ Reuben sandwich and she said it was perfectly portioned. She thinks they make their corned beef in house, but I wasn’t able to confirm that with anyone in the restaurant. After having a couple of sodas, beers and eating our sandwiches, I decided to splurge and get dessert. I asked our server what he would recommend and he said the Bailey’s Chocolate Cake is a crowd favorite and it surely did not disappoint. Now I’m just looking for a reason to go back, and soon!

Love the Washington Square Grill when you just want a good burger and beer. Amazing selection of beers. They also have a decent selection of vegetarian food so everyone can go there. We live in White Bear Lake so it’s nice to go local. Pus it’s right in the heart of the charming downtown White Bear Lake.
Lovely patio when the weather is nice, but it’s very popular.

A good restaurant in White Bear Lake. A bit noisy (because it is popular) indoors, but during the summer always pleasant to sit outdoors. The wild rice veggie burger is good. Lots of sandwich and salad options. Prices are reasonable.

I should have written a review far earlier than this. I’ve been involved with Lakeshore Players Theatre in White Bear Lake for nearly 15 years. Frequently, after rehearsals or performances, a cast will go to Washington Square for something to eat and drink.
It is always a friendly place, and has a wide assortment of sandwiches, salads, appetizers, and some Mexican dishes. There’s always some good desserts, as well.
If there’s one caveat, it is that you can’t get real ginger ale. If you ask for it, you’ll get a Coke/​Sprite mixture. Sometimes they warn you that «we make our own,» other times they don’t. I order on occasion, just out of hope.
The service is excellent. There is occasionally live entertainment, which can be kind of loud, but it is usually once a week. Check their calendar to see before you go.
This is usually the first place I think of visiting when I’m looking for meals or drinks in White Bear Lake.

We’re in town for a wedding and decided to stop in with family for dinner. We chose this place because the reviews looked promising, but I think I might have had my expectations up a bit too high. I called the restaurant to try and make a reservation and quickly learned they do not take them. All in all we ended up waiting for about 45 minutes before finally being seated. There were 6 of us in total and we ended up being seated in basically the loudest part of the restaurant. We put in an order for the bruschetta appetizer which was actually very good. It was extremely garlicky, which I don’t mind, but for some it may have been a bit overpowering. The review that follows is based solely on my own meal — the shrimp tacos. The menu stated there would be 3 tacos on flour tortillas, guac, side of rice and pinto beans and some sort of fruit salsa. When my plate arrived, all of the above were present, however my tacos were much more… minimal…than I thought. One tortilla, 3 shrimp inside. No more, no less. I figured I’d make the best of it and add in the fruit salsa (which was a mango chutney type of deal) and some of the other sides into the tortilla and see where that got me. After taking the first bite, I knew I was in trouble. Those tiny shrimp were not only burnt on one side but they were also the absolute SALTIEST things I’ve ever encountered in my entire life. It started off tasting like shrimp at first, but then finished like the rock salt you would use to melt snow on the sidewalk. I eventually just ended up taking all of my husband’s coleslaw side and piling it into the taco in the hopes that it would take some of the edge off. It didn’t. I ate 2 out of 3 tacos because I was hungry and called it good. For dessert I had the baileys chocolate cake, which was very good. Overall, I wasn’t too happy with my meal as a whole however, the saving grace was that everyone else appeared to enjoy their food and our waiter was very friendly and gave us exceptional service. I wouldn’t NOT recommend, but I also wouldn’t rush to come back.

Effrian is the best bartender ever! Ask anyone in White Bear Lake. He will get to know you and treat you right. Like you are family. It’s a staple and a favorite! Definitely a must try and see for yourself.

Just mediocre food…
After seeing the great reviews of Washington Street Bar and Grill, I was excited to try a new place. It was disappointing.
We started with nachos, which were actually quite good… Chips, ground beef, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, black olives, salsa. The nachos were the best thing we ate. We also had an order of buffalo wings– they were quite bad. I love a good wing with crispy skin. These were not. They were very small with very little meat, the skin was slimy, and it was a very basic bottled buffalo sauce. At $ 1.30 per wing– I was not impressed.
Our entrees arrived and were no better. Everything was bland, soggy, lifeless and nothing had any seasoning. Not even salt and pepper.
My companion ordered the walleye– not a crispy piece of fish as he was expecting– very soggy and no taste whatsoever. The same with his French fries, bland, soggy, no salt… Not hot crispy fries that we all enjoy.
For my meal, I ordered the steak tacos… What a letdown! This place is known for Mexican food? I can’t believe it. My plate arrived with some dry, unseasoned steak pieces thrown on a tortilla. They came with about a teaspoon of onions, a teaspoon of pinto beans, and a teaspoon of rice.
All of the food arrived at our table– lukewarm. Nothing was hot, and I cannot oversees how bland it all was. NOTHING was seasoned at all. A little salt and pepper would have gone a long way!
I don’t know if it’s because I come from the South, and I know good food, but nothing we’ve had here in 2 visits was good. I guess Minnesotans are easier to please.

Great food, interesting interior, fun patio. Food is really good & everyone you know is there, too. I’ve gone here many times & the quality is consistent. Good date place, but the families are comfortable, too. Dress any way you want, jeans are at your table, but the next table is dressed fancy. Consider trying it.

Awesome food and fantastic beer selection!
Love the outdoor patio but get rid of smoking on the patio.

I grew up in WBL and am currently on vacation and live in Washington DC. A friend suggested we eat here yesterday for dinner since I’m in town. Boy was this a huge disappointment. Haven’t had Walleye fish in over a decade and tried their sandwich. Seriously? Bones in a small sandwich? Disappointing. Not just one, but three. I would have sent it back but didn’t want anything from this establishment. I would have gladly paid more but $ 15.xx for a mushy, bone riddled sandwich? Pass. The worst fish sandwich I’ve ever had.

My mother wanted to take me out for brunch. Of course, being a busy college student, I worked in the morning so by the time I had gotten home it was almost noon thirty. We stopped in on a Sunday. Parking was on the street and it wasn’t that bad. We chose to sat at a high top instead of on the patio, so our sever was a bartender, his name was Joe. (I had just recently turned 21, and my mother loves to mention it to everyone, «SO PROUD!») Therefore, we ordered drinks. Now, being new to the drinking scene, I have no idea what I ordered. I think it was a twist on whatever the drink is called where it’s orange juice and champagne. My mother had a Bloody Mary with one of their infused vodkas, this one was a pepper vodka I believe.
I ordered a cup of Pazole, which was very good compared to most Pazole I have had. Though it wasn’t super seasoned like most authentic Pazole is. It was almost there. I also ordered an Eggs Benedict Florentine. The Holendaze sauce… oh! THE HOLENDAZE SAUCE! It was so good. Not to mention I’m a Canadian bacon super fan so this was absolutely amazing.
My mother had an Mexican Omelet that was filled to the brim and very well seasoned meat. There was also jalapeños that were actually spicy in there.
Overall, I was fully satisfied with the food that I ate and eventually went home to sleep off the alcohol before going back to work.
Bottom Line: Unsuspecting great place to eat. Moderate prices, and great selection of drinks.
Props to the bartender for being able to help a new drinker find a great drink.

A cozy place tucked away in downtown white bear lake with a very large selection of sandwiches, burgers and a dozen Mexican specialties.
Definitely a local hangout with speedy efficient service and really great prices overall.
That said, my wife’s walleye fish tacos were a bit disappointing as fish tacos go. These were just hunks of grilled fish dropped into crispy taco shell with fixings on the side. At $ 20 a bit steep considering the underwhelming presentation.
I was originally planning a sandwich but after learning from our waiter that they are particularly know for Mexican, switched to a taco salad with shredded chicken. This was pretty good and lots to eat, but certainly not memorable.
Would consider going back.

We stopped in for lunch on Sunday and the place was hopping. We both had the burgers, I tried the Mushroom & Swiss burger and Lisa had the Guacamole burger, both char grilled to perfection and highly recommended if you like traditional sized and style burgers. We washed those down with a pint each of the local Big Wood Amigo Grande American style pale lagers.
While normally you would expect a wait with a full crowd, the staff leverages wireless pads to take orders that are immediately sent to the kitchen. Our wait was quite shorter than we expected — two thumbs up for Washington Square. Great food, great service, fun atmosphere, when in downtown White Bear Lake, seek ‘em out!

We came in the back door and could not have found the host stand without a guide. The teen male that lead us to our table was wearing a knit hat with some other business’ logo/​name. We were seated by the fireplace which was a pleasant atmosphere. And the best part of our visit.
I opened the menu to find it had food crusty and stuck inside. It took 7 minutes for someone to approach our table for drink order. We asked for water with lemon. No lemon. Another 5 minutes before our order was taken. It was Valentines Day and did appear to be busier in other areas of establishment. The food did arrive quickly.
It was only after we placed our order that we saw an appetizer menu which listed several different specials. None of the 3 people that had approached our table said a thing about it. We would have ordered much differently!
The mushroom Swiss burger was good. The fries were just the way I like them… crunchy on outside, tender on the inside. It did not come with a sauce, we were charged .25 for a side of mayo… Really?
My friend’s walleye was supposed to be pecan crusted. When the food was delivered, the deliverer mentioned something about pecan spread referring to some concoction in a cup. The fish was covered in a tasteless flour something — no pecans in site — except for the unidentifiable spread in the cup. The Walleye (was it really Walleye? We will never know) was dipped and seared with one side of skin on. YUCK! Was fishy and slimy. The plate came with sweet potato fries and broccoli — which were both good. About 15 minutes after our food was received the server came to inquire. When my friend mentioned issues with fish, the server was going to remove the entire plate. My friend asked to keep it so she could finish the fries an broccoli. The server left in a huff then charged us for the sweet potato fries. Are you kidding? The meal was inedible! Charge her for the side she could eat.
It seems to me, customer service does not exist in the staff training or vocabulary. Very disappointing experience. Don’t believe I will give them another shot. Not even the ambiance is with a second try!

I was excited to try breakfast at this place after looking at the menu online. I’m obsessed with the Cajun breakfast at the Uptowner in St Paul on Grand Ave. I noticed this place has a similar version of this dish, they’re much closer to me, and they have pretty good reviews. Too bad service was awful.
It’s located in a charming area, it reminded me a bit of downtown Stillwater, but just missing the river. There are two entrances to this place, You’ll need to follow the signs to the hostess stand to be seated. The restaurant is large, modern design, with a bar area that’s sort of dark and dimly lit. There’s a doorway into a larger room also with a bar, with large windows along the back walls, and there is a large outside patio.
I approached the hostess stand, there was no one there. When she did arrive she looked miserable. No smile, no hello, just asked how many people were dining. That was already setting a bad tone, but I was hoping it would get better. She gave me two menus and sat me against the window. I realized right away she handed me lunch menus. I noticed she was handing everyone coming in lunch menus. There were two tables next to me wondering if they were still serving breakfast, everyone there had breakfast dishes. I checked online and found that they serve breakfast until 1pm, it was 10:30am. I then went and asked her for the breakfast menu, she said «oh» and switched it. The other two tables went and did the same.
No one came with water or coffee for a while, it was a good 8 minutes. I was thinking I needed to go ask the hostess who our server was when he finally came over, no smile. I asked for water and a coffee. After a few minutes that was brought over, but he didn’t ask if I needed cream or sugar, and before I could ask he jetted off. I went and grabbed some off of a table that just left. I figured he wouldn’t be back for a while so I went to the restroom before I ordered. It was difficult to get to the restroom because all of the servers were gathered and chatting by the doorway. Must be why he took so long earlier too. I noticed they continued to convene and block the doorway when I came back, and for others throughout my meal.
We ordered the Cajun breakfast and breakfast burrito, we also love the breakfast burrito at the Uptowner so thought we’d compare. The Cajun breakfast comes with hashbrowns sauteed with green peppers and onions, two eggs your way on top, hollandaise sauce, I went with andouille sausage for my choice of meat, and sour dough toast. The breakfast burrito comes with choice for meat inside, and hashbrowns. The server entered our order into a little machine, and the food came really quickly. The server never stopped by to see how things were going, he just came by with the bill.
The food was mediocre. My Cajun breakfast didn’t have any Cajun seasoning, the sausage was the best thing on the plate, it needed more hollandaise sauce, and the toast was like a cold brick. The burrito was fine, but not something that would be ordered again if we ever came back.
It’s really a shame because I noticed they have a great beer selection, the restaurant is nice, and I really would have liked to explore the area. I may need to come back but to a different restaurant close by. The timeliness of the food and actual appearance saved this place from a 1. Service can make a huge difference in the quality of the experience, it’s too bad the service is so poor at this establishment.

Washington Square is one of my favorite restaurants. I’ve never been disappointed.
They’re burritos, tacos and the like are so fresh and delicious! I haven’t tried much else on the menu simply because I am in love with their black bean burger. It is simply the best that I have ever had. I don’t even mind the blue cheese dressing ! Many restaurants have a tough time with vegetarian meals and simply add spices to something because they don’t know how to season meat-​free things. It is so refreshing to be able to eat at a restaurant that knows how to do meat well and still serve an amazing vegetarian meal.
I could go on and on about how much I love Washington Square but there are simply too many good experiences to tell.
If you go you will not leave disappointed.

They make mean boody mary and they make a mean breakfast. I was visiting my fiancé’s family (my soon to be family in law) for one of our summer vacation trips. We were in the mood for a good hearty breakfast so we came to Washington Square Bar and Grill to get some grub. Being from California I feel that breakfast is one of the few foods we just can’t seem to master. I’m always excited to be in MN to get some good breakfast.
I went with the cajun breakfast subbed tots for hash. AMAZING! Perfect tots, overeasy egg on top with hollandaise, home made andouli sausage on the side, and a blood mary. Perfection!
Second breakfast was a breakfast burrito and another bloody mary (virign though because apparently you can’t get booze before 10 on a Sunday). Not as good as a taco truck one in Cali, but still very hearty and filling.
Their regular menu also looked stellar as did their drinks. I have to say it never disappointed.
⁵⁴⁄₁₀₀

Eat here where all the locals eat. A packed house on a very very cold January nite means, something is good here.
There is plenty of beer and a healthy selection of wine. I had a local beer and for dinner, I had their local fish. the Walleye and it was good.
simply grilled, with simple herbs and a sprinkle of salt, allowed the fish to shine. Service was prompt and attentive.
Only gripe is the fireplace that let smoke back into t he dining area. if you have allergies, this may not be your place to go.