The Beacon Public House

Really good food! Great local tap beer as well as a complete bar with lots of other beer and wine choices. Wonderful service by a SMART and hard working bar tender - Ava. Had a great chat! 10 TVs at the bar with every entertainment option available. On the first floor of the historic Graduate Hotel on the U of M campus. Check it out!

Wow, I'm not a fan. But first, a couple of caveats: 1. It was Christmas Eve-Eve, ie 12/23, the night before the night before Christmas 2. There had been a crazy storm and many businesses had closed earlyThat said, my husband and I chose to stay at this hotel instead of driving north precisely because it was open and had a "good" restaurant that didn't require going outside. I was disappointed on so many levels this evening. First, I know it was cold outside, but it was also cold in the restaurant! People were wearing their coats indoors. In MN, I expect to be cozy and warm by a fire when it's freezing out. Not here! Second, the food was, at best, mediocre. We were starving and in the wrong time zone, and still left food on the table. "Wild rice" pilaf had an almost indistinguishable amount of wild rice. I love walleye more than any fish, but it somehow was still flavorless, even with some salt and/or tartar sauce. Then, when I ordered a 9-oz glass of wine and was brought a 6-oz, I took it took it to the bar and, surprisingly, was challenged. The bartender poured a 6-oz water and a 9-oz water, and when it was obvious that my wine was exactly even with the 6-oz, the bartender got blustery and told me I might've taken a "sip." Uh huh, a 3-oz sip? Nope. Sometimes the better part of valor is...admitting that o you make a mistake. I tried to give the establishment grace given the circumstances, and wanted to be happy/merry, but I couldn't be any better than this review.

Ate Friday night here while staying at The Graduate . Delaney was our server and she was absolutely amazing. Great attitude and very helpful. Loved the decor and music in the restaurant too. I ordered the pork belly at the recommendation of Delaney and it was too notch. It is on the small plates but it filled me up completely . Soft tender with some spice to it. My wife got the fish and chips and Delaney was kind to get it pan fried without the batter for my wife. Only complaint was that it was chips with fish because it was three small pieces of fish. Needed to be at least one more piece of fish. So, service and pork belly - 5 stars. Decor and atmosphere 4 stars and fish and chips - 3 stars for a average of 4 stars

I am actually pretty surprised how much I enjoyed my food here. Maybe its because I didn't have high hopes, but the chicken sandwich I had there were a spicy buttery goodness. Granted, I was there at 11:15 on a random Wednesday, but the food was spectacular. I got the Buttermilk Chicken Sandwich which kind of came out in a panini form. Those Minnesotans love their butter as it was full of that goodness! It also had the perfect amount of spice and another generous portion of fries. The only "downside" is that it is a smidgen expensive and it takes a bit of time to eat there (even with it being so empty). I guess that's par for the course in hotels like this. I liked everything so it wasn't that big of a deal for me. I really liked this hotel and this meal was a perfect ending to my trip.

Fun bar and restaurant inside the quirky Graduate Hotel, just off the Green Metro line. Through the main entrance, take a right and go all the way to the back, just past the shuffleboard table. Small but good selection of local and national draft beers. Basic selection of liquor with a few specialty mixed drinks. I ordered the Camper's Walleye dinner. Coated in Ritz cracker crumbs and served atop a wild rice and vegetables pilaf with spears of asparagus, the fish was delicious, and didn't really need the tartar sauce (fortunately served on the side). Eclectic crowd at the bar on my weeknight visit included undergrads, grad students, business people and a pilot from Iceland Air. Kitchen closes at 9 on weeknights, but bar stayed open for an hour later.

Spot in the heart of the college that was great for dinner. Pork medallions were a hit. Salsa and chips added fare to the meal. Service from Delaney was superb. The evening ambiance was nice in that everything was neutral and not too crowded. Wouldn't mind eating and stopping here again.

Met a long-time friend from out of state who I hadn't seen for years who was staying at the Graduate Hotel for a conference. This restaurant within the hotel was not only convenient but perfect place to catch up since we haven't seen each other for years! We each ordered the soup of the day, and then shared the flatbread and the tacos. The food was good, and it was nice and quiet atmosphere, perfect place to catch up since it's been years. The waitress was nice and she took our pictures for us. Thank you.

Full disclosure: I didn't eat here, that was part of the problem!We were exploring the U of M family and stopped in for lunch. They don't have a kids menu but the hostess checked with the kitchen and they said they could make chicken tenders and fries for our kids, which was very nice (although a hotel restaurant should probably have a kids menu).We got seated, it wasn't busy, but after 20 min of sitting there with several waiters walking past us but not even acknowledging us or bringing us water we just got up and left. Not sure if this is typical of the service here or not but wanted to share our experience.

The ambiance is cool. There's plenty of seating. It's conveniently located. But the food is middling at best. I was staying at the Graduate Hotel for a conference and this restaurant is on the first floor. We ate their dinner once and then never again. The walleye was especially bad. Even the salad left much to be desired.They have a pool table and a giant Connect Four to play which is entertaining. But the walls in the pool table area were too close to the table which made it nearly impossible to shoot from certain angles. And the cue tips on the sticks are in desperate need of replacement. The most egregious issue though is that I asked the bartender for cherries for my drink. After handling the cash register, he used his ungloved and unwashed hand and reached into the jar of maraschinos. He fished around in the juice and pulled out a handful of cherries. I was so shocked! It just made me entirely skeptical of what other questionable hygiene practices they're allowing!

wonderfully accommodating to our group of 10. Private room which made our gathering so much more intimate and delightful. Our waiter, too, was extremely attentive. And the food was great. Couldn't have been a better choice to celebrate before the Gopher Women's Basketball game v the Hawkeyes. plus....it was my birthday!