Sak's Sports Bar

If you are protesting added "surcharges", skip Sal's Sports Bar. Otherwise, read on. Appetizer: French Onion Soup ($7.49). A strange price for a small crock of soup, but still, the soup was on point. A cheesy layer over the crock, and underneath, hearty croutons with a well seasoned soup. Nicely done! Recommended.Entree: Burnt Ends Sandwich ($15.99). Again, odd pricing. Just say it's $16.00. Sadly, the sandwich was not worth 1/2 the price. The burnt ends were dry and the sauce (sweet onions, pepper-jack cheese, topped with a honey BBQ sauces) completely overpower any of the smoky goodness of the original brisket. Plus; the sandwich was, as you can see in my photo, a sandwich that could have been served on Wonder Bread. NOT RECOMMENDED.Service: I am a single person, sitting on a high top, between the entrance and the Bar. The Server took my order, and I never saw her again. I asked for a second Beer from the kind person that served my "sandwich".Ambiance: It's a sports bar. Enough said. Overall: I'm disappointed. From previous Yelp reviews, I wanted to really like this place . . . But sticking me with a 3% fee to pay your salaries, just makes your Servers not care--and I tipped very low because of it. Good luck Saks. I know you'll do well in Vadnais Heights because your only competition is Jimmy's (that also charges "employee retainment surcharges"), but I will drive to White Bear Lake or Roseville for better dining!Restaurant Owners take Note: Your surcharges for the "back kitchen" or "health plans" only invites US to tip the Servers less to make-up for your surcharges. Now, even though this Server did not check on me, I was willing to "boost" her salary by giving a 20% tip. When I saw the surcharge, her tip dropped to 10%. Congrats to the owners: You're taking advantage of your employees and costing them money, so you can continue your gross profits.

Had a very nice lunch here one day. Service was good and it didn't really feel as "sports bar" as I had expected. I had the half a sandwich (BLT with avocado) and salad (cranberry almond) and both were so good! The salad isn't anything super special ingredient-wise, but it was just delicious! The garden beds out front were full of lovely tulips and I hear that the patio is just gorgeous during the summer. I'll have to go back and check it out!

Quick stop here for a birthday drink! Their bloody Mary's are very good! The staff was very welcoming and accommodating to the customers. They are good for any size group and close to the hockey stadium near by for post game celebrations. A great place to watch sporting events too.

Had the BALT Sandwich with chips. Good amount of crispy bacon , fresh avocado, crisp tomatoes, and the bread toasted golden brown. Love love love their chips too. Highly recommended.

The food was pretty good. I had the buffalo chicken wrap with Cole Slaw. The best cole slaw I ever had! The service was 8/10 - they mixed up a few items. The problem I have is that for a party of 7 (six adults and one child) I was issued an automatic 20% gratuity on my bill. I am generally, a very decent tipper and would have given a 25% tip to this wonderful young lady who was of service to us. I have been known to tip 30% and up to 40% for exceptional service. The word, "gratuity" is a payment given voluntarily or beyond obligation, usually for some service, especially in the form of a tip for dining. There is NO WAY that there should be an automatic gratuity. This is POOR management and POOR customer service. I will NEVER go back to SAK'S SPORTS BAR!

Best nachos ever!! Large portion really loaded with all the toppings.The chicken quesadilla is also a solid choice. Bartenders are always friendly and the cocktails always cold. Definitely worth stoppig in when you are craving better than average bar food. Summertime, the patio is gorgeous - surrounded by a wall and ceiling full of luscious plants

Stopped by and enjoyed the Thursday, Italian Spaghetti and Meat Ball special.They have great food, staff and servers!

bunch of cousins & an aunt for lunch & the food, drinks, upbeat atmosphere are wonderful. Our waitress was very attentive & answered any questions. The cheese curds are crispy golden with a gewy interior & perfect with the marinara sauce. The buffelo chicken egg rolls are the best with a not too thin or thick wrapper, tnender chicken filling & perfect with a little ranch. As for my burger, is was juicy with fresh mushrooms & swiss on a fresh bun; perfect with a side of tatter tots which were crispy on the outside & soft on the inside. The nachos are wonderful with sour cream, salsa, plenty of melted cheese, jalapinos, & we chose ground beef which was tender & well flavored. Round it off with a few Lifting Bridge Mango Blonds & you will not be disappointed. We had a great time listening to the Vikings & doing pool tabs. So, for wonderful food drinks, & gfun in a casual atmosphere with friendly service, Sak's cannot be beat. Keep up the good work guys.

This is not a negative review of staff or food, this message is a review for management / ownership. Charge more for your food up front in order to afford to pay your employees what you need to retain them rather than adding an extra surcharge at the time of receiving the bill. This will do 2 things: 1. increase the base on which tips are calculated for your front of house staff 2. Alleviate the annoyance and frustration felt by patrons when they see your 3% surcharge after the fact and they feel "nickle-and-dimed"

Food was decent. Service was OK. Typical sports bar with some good sandwiches. My issue was the 3% surprise surcharge. I spoke with manager. He said it was in fine print somewhere in the menu. He shrugged and said other restaurants do this as well. I replied, "I will not return to those restaurants either."I see this as a dishonest practice. The menu lists a price for the burger, pasta, drink, etc. - but that's not the price they are charging, as they add 3% more. Price of a burger isn't the $14.00 listed, it's $14.42.And while it's easy to dismiss as "only 3%".. what happens at 5%, or 25%. This is a shady, dishonest practice and I will not return.I still tipped 19% - having been a waiter for years going to college. This brought the bill for 2 sandwiches, a coke, a seltzer and an appetizer to $70.