The Sample Room Restaurant

The Sample Room serves fresh, uncomplicated food in mini sharing portions, or full sized entrees, with well selected wines, served in a dining room converted from a 19th century building.

Ever gone to a restaurant, opened the menu, and wanted three different entrees? Yes? The Sample Room restaurant in Minneapolis is your solution to the too-much-choice problem. Their menu offers a range of mini dishes, two or three make a meal for one, or order several for sharing.

There are plenty of regular sized entrees too. All the food is made entirely from scratch. The simplest dishes are some of the best: the Sample Room makes a mean plate of mashed potatoes. The Roasted Veggie Torte is vegetarian feast that even non-vegetarians will devour, and the Lamb Ragout Pasta is unbeatable comfort food.

Brunch on Sunday mornings is the perfect meal for the sample format. You make decisions all week, let Sunday morning be the day you don't need to make choices and have a little of everything.

The restaurant inhabits a renovated 19th century saloon, with much of the period fittings still intact - it's easy to imagine the building in it's past life. The overall effect can be a little gloomy by day but the right kind of modern art lifts the room and the Sample Room is very stylish by night.

The Sample Room is on the east bank of the Mississippi in north Minneapolis. The river isn't visible from the dining room, but there is a little patio outside for warm weather. And the best thing about being on the river? The Rockway Docks are right outside for boats to cruise up, tie up, and dine.