Minnies...Where EVERYTHING is miniature

Went strolling though the old neighborhood today to take in the scene and put down some cold ones over in Old Town. I then stumbled back into to the LP and came across the new offering from the people behind PJ Clarke’s and the concept is they serve everything mini so you can try a little bit of everything. Me being the fiend I am for slider style sandwiches I had to give it a try. I was able to stroll up right to a pick up window and I talked to one of the guys who ran the place he told me the concept behind the place and that it would take 10 minutes, I couldn’t resist. They give you the option to mix and match an assortment of sandwiches, they have mini pizza served on French bread, a Cuban sandwich, and BBQ pulled pork, creamy melted Brie and what I assume to be the same style mini cheeseburgers they serve at Clarke’s. It doesn’t end there, they offer crispy pommes frites with a special sauce served in the traditional paper cone, these reminded me so much of a pommes frites place on 2nd ave in NYC that my friend took me too last summer. Of course anyone that’s visited a coffee shop in Amsterdam for “coffee” has surely come across these superior cousins the French fry. But wait it doesn’t end there, they also serve an assortment of salads, soup and chili and those mini 8 oz bottles of Corona amongst other mini beverages. I opted for a 6 pack and a cone of fries, and true to neighborhood form they aren’t exactly cheap priced three cost $7, six $12 or twelve $24. I got 2 Mini Cheeseburgers, pulled pork, a Cuban, a sausage pizza, and a Brie. The pizza and brie scored an above average, while the cheeseburger and Cuban were good and the pork I didn’t care for, they should at least throw some slaw on it. The fries were good. Problem is it took about 40 minutes, they had a backup in the kitchen and while the owner/manager on duty did give me a free 3 pack for my next visit I had to get to my TV ASAP to watch the HBO Sunday night lineup.

I really like the concept behind this place its basically an upscale type white castle, they even serve your minnies in a box slider style so you can grab it and run. So while the service was miniature and the food was nothing gigantic in taste, I am going to give this place the benefit of the doubt and hope that they step their game up a notch because one things for sure it has hope, I just hope they don’t settle for average food and a constant crowd like that corporation that runs a team on the North Side.


Minnies ($$)
Sandwiches

1969 N Halsted St, Chicago 60614
At W Armitage Ave

Phone: 312-943-9900
Fax: 312-943-9901

http://www.pommesfrites.ws/ - In New York.

Minnie's is a mixed bag--it's a decent concept but the service is atrocious and the dining room is very noisy.

This definitely isn't cuisine, but it's fun to have a range of sandwiches that you can consume in one sitting. I particularly like the burgers, mini grilled cheese and turkey with cranberry. Also, the bread is particularly fresh and high quality. There's no pesky crust, or part that's too rock-hard to get your teeth through. Really, sometimes I look like an idiot when I'm trying to eat a sandwich.

The first time I went there was a 30-minute wait at 3pm on a Saturday. Forget it. The next time we grabbed a table, but the dining room was so dirty and noisy, I think I will join the drunken Lincoln Parkers in frequenting the 24-hour takeout window in the front.

I don't care for the setup--ordering at the counter and then sitting and being waited upon. It's confusing for tipping, or if you want to order additional items.

Also, miniature beers become very frustrating after you consume a few.

The mini burgers at Red Rockets on Lincoln (near Belden) are at least twice as good and half the price of what you get at Minnies....tho the cuteness score is lower.

This place got a favorable review (3 forks!!!) in today's Tribune. I could hardly believe my eyes. Appalling.

David Hammond wrote:This place got a favorable review (3 forks!!!) ....

Full-sized, or just those tiny pickle forks?

--Matt

David Hammond wrote:This place got a favorable review (3 forks!!!) in today's Tribune. I could hardly believe my eyes. Appalling.

David,

I think you need to accept and acknowledge the fact that all the Minnies are made daily, on-premises, from top-quality fresh ingredients. I think if you were to more carefully consider that fact before posting (unfounded) opinions on the quality of these food commodities, based purely on how they "tasted" when you "ate" them, you would stop getting your foot stuck in your mouth. Just my 2-cents worth.

Yours,

Jim

JimInLoganSquare wrote:

David Hammond wrote:This place got a favorable review (3 forks!!!) in today's Tribune. I could hardly believe my eyes. Appalling.

David,

I think you need to accept and acknowledge the fact that all the Minnies are made daily, on-premises, from top-quality fresh ingredients. I think if you were to more carefully consider that fact before posting (unfounded) opinions on the quality of these food commodities, based purely on how they "tasted" when you "ate" them, you would stop getting your foot stuck in your mouth. Just my 2-cents worth.

Yours,

Jim

And I appreciate the kind words elsewhere, as well.

It is my pleasure -- and honor -- to serve.

David Hammond wrote:This place got a favorable review (3 forks!!!) in today's Tribune. I could hardly believe my eyes. Appalling.

It's a Robin Mather Jenkins puff piece, what do you expect? Come back to Cheap Eats Monica Eng, Monica Eng!

Oh man, and I too thought the way food 'tasted' when you 'eat it' was important. What could I have been thinking? Maybe I miss the point here, but I am also rather apalled at the Minnies review. I've been there twice and was disappointed with food and service both times.

Not that this thread really needed resurrecting, but count me as another who was significantly underwhelmed by Minnie's. I've nothing against gimmicks whatsoever, provided that the grub is good. Our lunch today, however, was lackluster and overpriced to boot.

My ladylove and I shared their Thai grilled beef salad and grabbed a six-pack of sandwiches with an order of frites. Obviously, I don't expect any kind of authenticity from a place like Minnie's, but I do expect competence. The salad was just flat out bad. Poorly balanced, limp greens, overdressed, gummy noodles, and for some reason they felt that including roasted red peppers was a good idea. I'm all for roasted red peppers, but they fought the other flavors tooth and nail, and it should have been obvious to anybody tasting the salad that they had no business being there.

As for the sammies, my ladylove was in a comfort food mood, and had the grilled cheese, PB&J and the cheeseburger. I didn't taste, but she wasn't impressed by any of the above. I had the Cuban, tuna melt and beef tenderloin. They weren't bad, but when I asked myself if a full-sized version of any of them from any other establishment would give me a reason to return, the answer was a firm no on all three counts.

The frites were pretty good.

I know service issues have been raised, and we had one as well. Our salad was supposed to lead the sandwiches, but 5-10 minutes after the sandwiches arrived, we finally flagged down our waiter to ask about it. I watched him write it down when he took the order. Must've been lost in the kitchen somewhere.

Total bill, including a minature bottle of Diet Coke and a tiny, tiny 4 oz. bottle of apricot nectar (I think she was a hummingbird in a former life), $35 post-tax, pre-tip.

Yeah, I agree...totally underwhelming....the cuban was ok, but if you want a small burger, you could do much better with the Kobe sliders at Fixture, and well for PBJ, I could direct you to my mom if anyone wanted to make the trip to Michigan.

Not only that, but the mini bottles of Dr. Pepper were like $5 bucks. Thanks to the kind bartender I avoided getting screwed on that novelty.

It's a great idea, but their execution is lackluster and incosistent and overpriced. For two bucks you can get a much better burger and fries at the Ramova Grill and save a buck in the process.

The food at Minnie's isn't great, but its not bad, and the place is a fun place to go especially if you like the atmosphere a young crowd can offer. Its informal in the sense that its noisy and you're eating mini-cheeseburgers, but its definitely many steps above white castle or mcdonald's when it comes to atmosphere. Also, for me its a good place to take a date on, because very few women I've ate with can consume more than me (I actually can't think of one who can). So, you go to Minnie's get a twelve-pack or something, the girl is done at 4 or 5 and that leaves 7 or 8 for you.

I only drink water at restaurants (not 21 and don't like soda), but even so I thought Minnie's was a little expensive. But, it is in a nice part of town for night life, and its a fun place to go (to which the novelty of eating mini things contributes) aimed more at an overall experience than tastiness of food.

Admittedly, Pugsley, I'd probably have felt differently if not for the price point. I can certainly get down with the "not great, but good and fun" angle, and had our lunch cost $20 I'm sure I would have looked upon it much more favorably. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm happy to overpay for really good food, and I'm sometimes happy to sacrifice a little food quality for a particularly fun place, but I'm not willing to do both.

Sounds like food, at this place, is largely irrelevant. A lot of this discussion boils down to what you consider "fun." To me, this place was not fun -- and I went with two teenaged girls, which seems to be the demographic this place was created to please. Overall, it reminded me of the "Small World" ride at Disneyworld. Not for me, not any more, maybe not ever. Still, someone must like it...so...ENJOY!

pugsley wrote:Also, for me its a good place to take a date on, because very few women I've ate with can consume more than me (I actually can't think of one who can). So, you go to Minnie's get a twelve-pack or something, the girl is done at 4 or 5 and that leaves 7 or 8 for you.

Dude, just to warn you - this is temporary. Post marriage and baby, I easily outeat my firefighter husband 2 to 1, and I'm willing to fast periodically so I can keep that pace.

Mhays wrote:

pugsley wrote:Also, for me its a good place to take a date on, because very few women I've ate with can consume more than me (I actually can't think of one who can). So, you go to Minnie's get a twelve-pack or something, the girl is done at 4 or 5 and that leaves 7 or 8 for you.

Dude, just to warn you - this is temporary. Post marriage and baby, I easily outeat my firefighter husband 2 to 1, and I'm willing to fast periodically so I can keep that pace.

Haha, I'd like it if when I get married my wife could eat more than me. I need someone who will want to get two desserts (and wouldn't think it was gross if I got two entrees). Plus, I plan to have that joint bank account.