Forepaugh's Restaurant
American restaurant · West 7th Federation/Fort Road ·
Upscale New American dishes in a Victorian mansion
Upscale New American dishes in a Victorian mansion
"Located inside of a mansion built in 1870, the Forepaugh’s building has had a long history of serving diners in St. Paul. In 1976 after some time as a private residence and boarding house, the building was reenvisioned as a restaurant. Several renovations and a few closures later (the most recent taking place between 2022 and 2024), Fourpaugh’s reemerged with separate bar and dining room menus, and a very respectable drink menu featuring wine, mocktails, and modern twists on classic cocktails. Go for the ambiance, stay for the truffle-infused Negroni or an “Evergreen Collins” featuring spruce and vanilla bitters infused with cherry bark." - Natalia Mendez
"After a five-year closure this stately, time-worn St. Paul spot has been resurrected with a menu from chef Tim McKee (formerly of La Belle Vie and Solera) focused on familiar American dishes with a little Italian bent and a selection of pastas." - Justine Jones
"I always thought of the place as a stately mansion perfect for romantic, elegant evenings near St. Paul's Irving Park; every October diners shared ghost-story lore (the home is supposedly haunted by two ghosts), summers meant long nights on the rooftop or porch patios, and it was beautifully decked out for the holidays — the owners decided to close after the restaurant was dealt a massive blow by the sudden death of its young chef Kyle Bell." - Eater Staff
"Set in a stately mansion near St. Paul’s Irving Park, this was a go-to for romantic, elegant evenings—complete with long summer nights on rooftop and porch patios, memorable holiday decor, and the October ghost-story lore that the home is supposedly haunted by not one, but two ghosts. Its many charms and occasions to visit made the closure especially painful: the restaurant was dealt a massive blow by the sudden death of its young chef Kyle Bell, leading the owners to decide it was time to close." - Joy Summers
"For 42 years I appreciated the mansion eatery on the edge of Saint Paul’s Irvine Park, housed in the 1870 Joseph Forepaugh house; operated by Taher, Inc. for the past eleven years, Forepaugh’s kept its grandeur while adding tables upstairs and down and a first-level bar, and became known for elegant holiday parties, summertime patio dining on a rooftop deck overlooking the park, and modern American food. After a recent reemergence following a 2022–2024 closure, it offered separate bar and dining-room menus and a respectable drink list—wine, mocktails, and modern twists on classics such as a truffle-infused Negroni and an “Evergreen Collins” featuring spruce and vanilla bitters infused with cherry bark. Today the restaurant announced its closure via Facebook on the heels of the tragic death of its executive chef, 32-year-old Kyle Bell; Bruce Taher said revenues were already down but Bell’s death was a difficult blow and that he was the heart of the business. Employees have been offered work elsewhere in the company with a pledge that no one will lose benefits or pay." - Joy Summers