Restaurant Roundup: New Sunday brunch spot, holiday celebrations, seafood specials
March 13, 2025
The Barrel House is adding a brunch buffet on Sundays beginning this weekend. Prices will be $25, with a 10 percent discount for those 65 and older, and $15 for those 12 and younger. Hours will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There also will be bloody mary bar for $7 and an unlimited mimosa bar for $17. Those also are available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
If you want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day early, you’ll find lots of opportunities Saturday. Here’s one with a charitable connection: Lucky Ladz in Crooks, the former Critters Bar, is having a potluck starting at noon. Freewill donations will go to Midwest Honor Flight. There’s also a shamrock painting at 11:30 a.m. outside the bar and a parade at noon. If you want to start even earlier, there’s green eggs and ham at 9 a.m.
And if you want to celebrate on the actual day, A Taste of Country Catering will be at the Old Courthouse Museum’s annual celebration of traditional Irish music. The free event is from 5 to 7 pm. Monday. The menu includes Irish colcannon, beef stew with Irish soda bread, brats, hot dogs, frosted shamrock cookies and chocolate Guinness cupcakes.
Umami Cafe & Catering is having another Sunday brunch – this one with a St. Patrick’s Day theme. Serving time is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or while supplies last. It’s also taking orders for pickup or delivery on Sunday or Monday. Get a corned beef meal with cabbage, onion, celery, potatoes and broth for one for $14 of for four to six people for $40. Find ordering details here.
Granite City Food & Brewery’s brunch menu Sunday also will be packed with Irish-inspired eats along with its classic favorites. It’s also tapping the new Burning Barn Irish Red beer and will be serving the limited-edition Luck of the Irish Mimosa.
Oh My Cupcakes is celebrating Pi Day on Friday with two pie-themed cupcakes: French Silk Pi(e) and Banana Cream Pi(e).
On Friday, Breadsmith is selling mini pie breads for $3.14, with a limit of one per customer.
Big Poppa’s Pizza has added 12-inch, hand-tossed personal pizzas for lunch. You pick the toppings for $10. They’re served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
You won’t have to look far to find fish and seafood specials for season of Lent. Here are a few we noticed.
- Perch has several new menu items that are available daily until Easter or supplies run out. Entrees include Freshwater Fish Tacos with shredded walleye, Walleye Cakes, Smoked Salmon Benedict and Slammin’ Melt with smoked salmon.
- DaDa Gastropub has added a fish fry on Friday nights. Serving starts at 5 p.m., and there’s live music from 6 to 8 p.m. The meal is $20.
- Dahlia Kitchen + Bar is serving pozole every day. It features grilled chile-rubbed mahi mahi with hominy, verde fish consomme, radish, jalapeno, cilantro and tortilla strips.
- Ironwood Steakhouse is featuring pan-seared halibut cheeks with pea risotto, sweet drop pepper romesco and carrot chips over a huitlacoche puree. It’s available daily.
- Gateway Bar & Grill’s March special is a three-piece cod dinner for $14. It’s available daily for dine-in or carryout.
- Granite City Food & Brewery has a few spring seafood specials that are served daily: Whiskey Glazed Salmon, Shrimp & Grits and Nashville Hot Fish Sandwich. For dessert, there’s a limited-time Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bread Pudding.
- Great Shots has new specials on Fridays: Thai Ginger Shrimp and Fish & Chips. The restaurant notes that customers can substitute salmon or shrimp into many of its regular menu items.
- Famous Dave’s has new daily Southern seafood specials with fried shrimp, cedar plank salmon and catfish fingers.
- Fryn’ Pan restaurants are serving walleye, butterfly shrimp, shrimp basket, battered cod, salmon and the new herb garlic tilapia every day.
- Big J’s Roadhouse in Harrisburg and Humboldt have added more entrees to the Lent menu this year, including a grilled salmon dinner and buffalo popcorn shrimp mac-and-cheese. There’s also a lobster roll that’s served warm, lobster mac-and-cheese and a grilled salmon salad.
- The 18th Amendment has a special menu for lunch and dinner on Fridays during Lent with several fish and shrimp offerings.
- TJz Bar & Restaurant in Colton is offering special prices on its fish and shrimp baskets through April.
La Plaza Fiesta has added a cart so servers can make guacamole tableside.
Remedy Brewing Co. has several new menu items: Loaded Tots with beer cheese, a three-cheese blend, bacon and jalapeno; Pablo’s Pot Sandwich, which is smoked pot roast; Meatball Sub with a choice of all-beef or vegetarian “meatballs”; Fish & Chips; and Tater Tot Hot Dish Flatbread. There also are several mac-and-cheese bowls: the vegetarian Chorizo Queso, Hot & Sour Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Jerk Chicken.
TC’s Referee Sports Bar & Grill has new seasonal specials.
Safari Bar & Grill in Renner has a new special: Meatball Monday. Get a rotating meatball special starting at 5 p.m. for dine-in only. The first night featured Housemade Bourbon Glaze Meatballs.
DaDa GastroPub has a couple of additions to the menu. The new Surf N Turf Burrito has asada, shrimp, pico de gallo, oaxaca cheese, pickled slaw and verde sauce. Molotes are a returning favorite. They’re fried pastries with mole, plantain, poblano, potatoes, queso and crema.
Five businesses in Salem are competing in the second annual burger battle, which runs from Monday through March 30. Participating are The Brewery, The Den Drive Up, The End Zone Bar & Grill, Quick Stop and Total Stop.
Monks Ale House has two specials for March: The Alehouse Reuben and The Better Lover pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, soppressata, red onion and green olive, topped with Parmesan, garlic and fresh basil.
The brunch item for Saturdays in March at R Wine Bar & Kitchen is Japanese pancakes, which are fluffier than the American version. They’re served with fresh berries and maple syrup. Brunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The dish of the month at Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe is the tuna melt sandwich. Buy one and two drinks, and get a free entree through Saturday. Use the code TUNAMELT if you order online.
We forgot to fill you in last week on Stensland Family Farm’s featured weekly ice cream flavors for March. You might have missed out on carrot cake, but here’s what’s available now and what’s coming.
Lucky’s on Louise has new THC drinks in cans and cocktails. Creations include the Mary Jane Mule, Willie Nelson, Safe Sex on the Beach and Bud Berry Fusion.
The bar also has new happy hour specials.
New drinks for March at The Breaks Coffee Roasting Co. are Little Brown Butter, a double-shot cappuccino with a little brown butter and cane sugar, and Scamrock Shake, which the coffee shop touts as having more real food than a certain popular chain restaurant. It features half-and-half from Burbach’s Dairy, vanilla and mint simple syrup, natural green food coloring, housemade whipped cream and edible gold glitter. “You can add espresso, but it will no longer be green.”
Mark your calendar: Thursday, March 20, is Free Cone Day at the Dairy Queens operated by Fourteen Foods. Get a free vanilla cone.
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers in The Empire Mall is in the finals for the restaurant chain’s Margarita Madness National Championship. The restaurants have been competing for the most margaritas sold. This week, the Sioux Falls site is competing for the title against the Red Robin location at Pier Park in Panama City Beach, Florida. Buy an Ocean Blue Patron Margarita or Casamigos Cadillac Margarita and the restaurant will buy you an appetizers.
Noodles & Company has overhauled its menu with new dishes and “reimagined” classics. What’s new? Pulled Pork BBQ Mac, Buffalo Chicken Ranch Mac, Garlic Bacon Crunch Mac, Cajun Shrimp Fettucine, Green Godess Cobb Salad and Lemon Parmesan Broccoli. If you’re a fan of Steak Stroganoff, it’s “leaving soon,” according to the restaurant’s website.
Three limited-time features at Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers have been added to the menu year-round: Grilled Cheese Steakburger, Prime Rib Steakburger and Tots. Also back by popular demand are Lemon Cream Frost, Orange Cream Frost and The Peanut Butter Bananza, formerly known at the PBC&B. New frozen custard treats are Cold Brew Caramel Crunch, Reese’s Royale, Oreo Double Trouble and Strawberry Dreamcake. A new side option is Freddy’s Kettle Chips, which are seasoned with Freddy’s Fry Seasoning.
Panda Express has a new limited-time entree: Firecracker Steak and Shrimp. The dish features sirloin steak bites and shrimp that are cooked in a wok with red and yellow bell peppers, onions, green beans and dried chili peppers. Everything is tossed with the restaurant’s firecracker sauce, which includes “fermented black beans and whole dry chili peppers for an extra fiery punch.” It’s available through May 27 or while supplies last.
Chipotle Honey Chicken has been added as a protein option at Chipotle Mexican Grill for a limited time. It’s made with chicken hot off the grill, seasoned with Mexican spices, in a marinade of seared, smoked chipotle peppers and a touch of pure honey.
Pancheros Mexican Grill has introduced Torfuizo, a plant-based protein, that can be part of any entree. It’s tofu that’s crumbled and sauteed with onions, peppers and spices.
Strawberry lemon is the newest limited-time biscuit flavor at Hardee’s.
Caribou Coffee has a new Cinnamon Sugar drink and treat lineup that’s inspired by the “cozy goodness of a freshly made churro.” There’s an espresso shaker with caramel, a mocha, a latte and a doughnut filled with caramel cream and dusted with cinnamon sugar.
Changes in hours, service
- The Phillips Avenue Diner will be closed Friday for the funeral of kitchen manager and executive chef Natasha Jones.
Here are other food and drink headlines from the past week.
Downtown Shenanigans to open this week with big plans for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations
Smashed doughnuts, milkshakes, claw arcade coming to 41st Street
