Kip's Authentic Irish Pub and Restaurant - St. Louis Park, MN - Review

9970 Wayzata Boulevard
St. Louis Park, MN 55426
952-367-5070
Located near the intersection of 394 & 169
Adjacent to the Marriott Minneapolis Hotel

Rating - 8 out of 10

As a lot of our friends know Peggy and I have been frequenting Kip’s Authentic Irish Pub & Restaurant in St. Louis Park, MN since it opened several years back. I must admit one of the main reasons we were excited about Kip's was it's close proximity to our home. The nice part is that Kip's delivers the goods with great food and drink selections, friendly staff, cozy decor, and large patio. Over the years Kip's has grown to include the $10 lunch menu (includes tax and tip), a romantic Valentine's dinner special, great St. Patrick's Day celebration, live music, beer of the month, and recently has upped the ante with a patio menu that adds new and exciting items.

One of our favorite days to visit Kip's is Sunday. As one would expect the crowd is a bit smaller which lends itself to more individualized service but there are also deals to be had like a free pint of the beer of the month. Yes, that was not a typo...FREE BEER! Just sign up for the Friends of Kip's newsletter and each month you will receive an email coupon good for one free pint of the beer of the month. June was Goose Island Summertime (loved it) and July is Newcastle Summer Ale (loved it even more). Your beer could be served by Jessie, one of our personal favorite bartenders. Always a smile on her face and ready to make our experience a pleasant one.

Our last visit was on the healthy side and included a cup of the Potato and Leek soup, Steamed Blue Mussels appetizer, "Spinach, Apple and Candied Pecan" salad, and Salad Nicoise. The Potato and Leek soup was full of hearty yet delicate goodness and was oh so creamy. We both could have done without the mussels which were on the smallish side, a bit dry, and did not have much liquid/sauce. The spinach salad hit the spot with a lovely house made vinaigrette and earthy blue cheese complimented by apples, craisins and candied pecans. The Salad Nicoise was off the charts with spectacular presentation and super fresh goodness. A perfect medium rare tuna fillet, delicately shaved red onions, chopped hard boiled eggs, haricot vert (green beans), and red potatoes. Missing were the imported olives and house made vinaigrette listed on the menu. None the less the Salad Nicoise was the stand out dish of the night.

You can check out Kip's Authentic Irish Pub and Restaurant online at http://www.kipspub.com or look for them on twitter at http://twitter.com/kipspub.