Reviews The Dakota (jazz Club & Restaurant)

I feel like I have been to this location in the past but felt completely different. Setup for a multi concert show for the amazing MUSIQ Soulchild. Wonderful atmosphere, great drinks and although there were a few hiccups with the sound system, we were so glad we did not let the downpour storm stop us. Our thanks to the incredibly hard working valets!!!!!

Went to A Swingin’ Christmas w/ The Andrew Walesch Big Band. What a fun way to celebrate the holiday! The Dakota is beautiful. The cocktails were on point. The music was the perfect mood maker. As it was mainly a mix of traditional crooner holiday favorites, the rendition of Last Christmas was unexpected. Will be back for more shows in the future!

Great venue, friendly service and good food. If have given 5 stars if you would provided cocktail napkins with subsequent beverages. After my second drink was sloshed on the table and I asked for a napkin she came back with a dinner napkin?

We are super thankful to have this fully immersive, intimate jazz spot that brings in astonishing and highly talented jazz stars. We’ve taken in bluegrass, a lot of Brazilian music, some indie, and several exceptional cover bands. Recently we heard Chris Botti – so very, excellent!!! We are huge fans of John Pizzarelli and Elain Elias. And we are so thankful for the times we saw Ramsey Lewis. While some have better seats than others, the stage is visible from almost all angles! Or at least part of it. Where else can you be seated so close to such national and international greats!? We’ve had the front row multiple times but booking as soon as a show is announced. It is so fun to view close-up how the drummer, violinist, piano player, or organist plays. The owner takes great care to see that the acústica are great. The items on the menu switch up seasonally and are fairly priced. Serving sizes are typically on the small side. It’s nice that they have Gluten Free options; we’ve taken guests many times, and they loved the food and the performances. I recommend finding their seating chart – you can easily see where the booths versus tables are. The center balcony seats also let you view the whole stage. If you go to the second show of the night, there is less time to enjoy dinner beforehand, but you miss the rush hour traffic. You can order an Old Fashion or Gin and Tonic whether or not they are on the menu. The Blackened Trout is always excellent. As well their chowder, salads, Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits, and cheese and cracker boards are superb. I also highly recommend the Lake Vermillion Crawfish Gumbo. I recommend traveling there early to find parking and have time to walk and be seated on time. Or use Valet parking; it’s easy and worth it if time is a barrier

Probably the best concert venue in the Twin Cities. An intimate setting. Diverse array of acts---in the adult listening categories.. Accessible location if emulation is a challenge. 2 block walk at most. Easy location within downtown Minneapolis. Prompt table service. Last show, saw Mr. Robert Glasper. Good vibe.

Great spot for a great meal and program or just program. Intimate space in most cases. Truly a MN staple, the mix may be loud for some and online box office impossible.

The entertainment was much better than expected! I would definitely go back. The same is nicely laid out. There are semi circled booths in the back and stand alone tables in the front of the stage. There is an upstairs with additional seating. They serve dinner while the show is being played. The food wasn't all that great and the service although friendly wasn't the best. My food was cold when it came to the table. Due to my hunger level and the time it took to come to the table, I didn't send it back.

This is our favorite venue for fabulous music! We have seen phenomenal musicians here through the years, since the previous location in Bandana Square. It’s not exaggeration to say that living in the Twin Cities is more special because of the Dakota Jazz Club. The variety of bands is exquisite, a word that became more meaningful when listening Lowell Pickett, one of the club owners, present an overview of what was coming up the next days; an announcement he used to make before the band of the day got to stage. Going to the Dakota is the highlight of any day! We have seen Madeleine Peyroux, Jane Monheit, Hiromi, Cyrille Aimee, Karrin Allyson, Lisa Fischer, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Toots Thielemans, Biréle Lagrène, Martin Taylor, John Jorgensen, Vinicius Cantuaria, Davina and the Vagabonds, Stacey Kent, Badi Assad, Cassandra Wilson, Samara Joy, Booker T Jones, Django Festivals, Ivan Lins, Céu, Eliane Elias, Mark O’Connor, Guinga, Sierra Hull, Lizz Wright, Anat Cohen, The Hot Club of Cowtown, Tommy Emmanuel, Evan Christopher, Ana Moura… Just to name a few and give an idea of the excellence in choosing who to bring to the very charming Dakota. To finish, high class music becomes even better paired with great food, beverages and impeccable service. We have our favorite items in the menu, which they offer favoring providers that practice sustainability. A night at the Dakota is a sweet trip to heaven on Earth.

My family and I had a very special night at Dakota. It was my mother's birthday and I had purchased tickets for Chris Botti several months earlier. He's one of our musical favorites and we relished the opportunity to hear him live. We took time to review the Dakota menu before arriving and had a pretty clear idea what we wanted to order. Parking was easy across the street and we walked to the doors right as they opened at 5PM for the 6:30PM show. We were seated upstairs on the mezzanine at table 202 in the corner. Plenty of room. Our waitress was very attentive throughout the night even though it was busy. We ordered several things - spiced pecans, biscuits, and wings along with our drinks - to start. For dinner we enjoyed Shrimp & Grits with side of Dirty Rice, Roasted Carrots, and the Black Garlic Caesar Salad with Bacon. My sister commented several times that the food was "amazing"! We had just ordered dessert - Mud Pie and Mango Cake as Chris came on. The sound was perfect. His trumpet filled the room without being deafening. They played many of our favorite songs - When I Fall In Love, Emmanuel, Hallelujah, and closed with a great rendition of What A Wonderful World. We had stood in the corner for most of the show but our waitress said we could move closer to the railing for the final songs. The view near the stairs was perfect and we were extremely grateful to be so close. Thank you Dakota for a wonderful, unforgettable night!