Best restaurants near me in Highland Park, MN

Always great service and excellent food Waitress was outstanding

We were lucky enough to book a table for six for my husband's birthday celebration at short notice. We had wanted to visit The Lex for a while, so we felt fortunate that there was an availability. Our group was treated so well by each and every member of the staff, from beginning to end. It went from a birthday dinner to a truly special event, and it was due to the outstanding care taken by everyone who interacted with us. The history of The Lexington is enough to bring diners in, and the staff share their knowledge of the restaurant as a St. Paul icon in a way that makes you want to return. Our server, Matt, was incredibly knowledgeable, upbeat, and thoroughly professional. He had excellent suggestions for drink pairings and took time to converse and answer questions without being invasive. The food was delicious and approachable. The burrata starter was like a deconstructed caprese, and the tomato jam and garlicky grilled bread put it over the top. The scallops were perfectly cooked, and the salmon was outstanding. Two at the table had the classic chicken pot pie and were happy with that choice. Our cocktails were fabulous, with the grapefruit negroni being a standout. My husband was treated with a complimentary birthday sundae, and my creme brulee was delicious with fresh whipped cream and berries served on the side. The topper to the evening came when an official birthday portrait of all of us was taken at tableside, printed out for us, and presented in a Lexington-branded card to commemorate the event. So special and such a classy way to top it all off! The restaurant was a bit loud in our section, but once it cleared out a little, it was much more subdued and intimate. We will absolutely return, and we recomment it highly for special events.

We had an excellent chef at our table who was quite experienced. The food was very well prepared. The tables in the back room don’t have the best air circulation, and so it is better to sit in one of the larger rooms. Good air circulation/venting is probably compromised by the fact that it is in the MOA.

There were 6 in our party. We had 2 freshly made salads with grilled chicken, the walleye, meatloaf, French dip and burger. All were good, with the salads and walleye being exceptional!! Salads are freshly tossed with homemade dressings. My daughter had the whole walleye, not the fish fry.

Our server Sophia was excellent! She was super knowledgeable about the menu & in the Christmas spirit. She helped us decide on portions & gave great advice so as to not order too much. There were 5 of us for Xmas dinner & shared the small chicken parmigiana, spaghetti & meatballs & a pepperoni pizza & we did still have some leftovers. Plus a great bottle of red wine to share between 3 of us. It was becoming quite busy as the evening went on but they had enough help & food came out very quickly after we ordered. Thank You Buca St Paul for a great way to celebrate Christmas! Sophia caught us before leaving to give us discount cards to use up until Feb & we for sure will come back by then.