Granada Theater

We recently hosted a wedding reception the end of May at the Granada Theater in Uptown Minneapolis and want to share the many good things we have to say about how well it worked for us. So, it's a long review! First, the Granada Theater is beautiful inside and has spaces that can work well for both intimate and larger events. The front lobby bar/restaurant can open up to a patio area on the front sidewalk along Hennepin Ave. Further inside is the charming Spanish garden theater area with gorgeous original plaster motifs from the 1920s, including a beautiful starlit ceiling. The weather was beautiful the day of our event and we were fortunate to use all indoor and outdoor spaces. Second, Amy, the owner, was easy and flexible to work with in planning our event and meeting our needs. The number of in-house services that the Granada Theater has available also made our planning job easier: multiple bar packages and in-house bartending; in-house catering with multiple delicious food options and packages; in-house AV/tech support to go along with use of the stage and movie screen; and the choice of in-house DJ services, hire your own DJ, or bring a playlist. Nearby parking is available with discounted rates when reserving through the Granada website. Finally and importantly, our event was so much fun! It started on a festive note the minute we walked up to the theater and saw it listed on the theater marquee! The good mood continued when the staff was friendly and helpful as soon as we entered the space to begin our set-up. They continued to make us feel welcome throughout the evening from bartenders to servers, and more. Amy was available onsite for anything we needed. Luke was great in handling our AV/tech needs all evening for microphones, Powerpoint events, and dancing to a playlist. Our food was delicious, as we knew it would be based on an advanced tasting session. The flow and timing of the event went off without a hiccup. The atmosphere was warm, festive and relaxed. We couldn't have asked for a better evening and event! Since our event we have continued to hear positive comments from our guests about how lovely the Granada Theater is, how wonderful the food was, how friendly and engaging the staff was, and how much fun they had! The Granada Theater made our event unique and special in so many ways. Based on our experience, we would highly recommend this lovely venue for your next event, be it a wedding or a neighborhood/family/business gathering. We are very happy we made the choice that we did! (On a side note, we were fascinated to learn from Amy about her restoration work on the theater, and to read more online about the history and architectural uniqueness of the Granada Theater. A gem in Uptown!)

The ambiance and atmosphere is breathtaking… both in the theater, as well as the bar. This place is really something special. Unbelievably beautiful inside, especially the staff. Khosi, Michael, and the owner blew me away. This is a must see place in the city. Food is elevated fine dining priced well. Drinks are phenomenal. This is a true gem.

We celebrated a lovely Galentine's evening and got tickets for Amore Under the Stars on Valentine's Day. We arrived around 7:30 PM to find the lobby completely full, so we waited alongside other guests. Our tickets stated that we should arrive by 7:45 PM to be seated by 8 PM, as the show would start on time. However, we didn’t get to our seats until after 8 PM. We had mezzanine seats on the third tier, though it appeared our originally assigned seats on the first tier were taken, as a woman was already sitting there. The show eventually started, and while the venue was beautiful and the performers were talented, the service and overall organization left much to be desired. We noticed that other tables had water, but no one stopped by ours to offer any. When we went downstairs to get drinks, we were told a waiter would be coming around. After waiting 30 minutes with no service, we decided to go back to the lobby bar to get our own drinks. By the time we returned, a server had finally stopped by with a drink menu and water. When someone finally came back to check on us, we asked if a food menu was available and were initially told no. Later, a staff member returned and mentioned that a charcuterie board was an option. However, he didn’t have pricing information and had to leave to find out. When he returned, he showed us a picture with two size options, and we ordered the smaller one. Unfortunately, it took over 20 minutes to arrive—surprisingly long for something that typically takes just a few minutes to prepare. Despite the disorganized service, the bartenders were attentive and made our drinks quickly and as ordered. Overall, while we enjoyed the ambiance and entertainment, the event could have been much better organized to enhance the experience.

We recently attended the Uptown Follies - an Upscale Variety Show. These performers did an amazing job entertaining us! I can't say enough good things about Triple Threat Entertainment!! If Triple Threat Entertainment does another show at The Granada we will definitely get VIP tickets again! We very much enjoyed our meals, they were cooked perfectly, my steak was perfectly medium rare and my wife and father-in-law said their meals were great. They ate everything on the plates. Last time we were here we had a few concerns that we shared with the theater. Absolutely everything was perfect this time! We had a wonderful evening! The menu was different from the last visit but we were able to find several different items to choose from and the one dietary change we requested was handled with grace and understanding. The staff (especially Sam, our waiter) were perfect! Everyone worked really hard to help us have a fantastic experience at the Granada Theater. Thanks again for the wonderful dinner and evening! Hope to see you guys again soon. This review was edited to match my latest visit, all concerns from last visit were redacted because they were properly and fully addressed. Changing my rating from 4 stars to 5 stars. Mark

Saw the candlelight creepy concert, that might not be the real name, but it was a candle light concert by a string quartet, doing Halloween music, I was apprehensive at first but it was great fun, amazing how much sound and music the ladies made with just string instruments Great show, great ambience, there is no bad seats so you can decide if you want to spend the extra for front rows or booths. We were cheap seats second to last row, and the seats were fine. Beautiful theater my wife said it reminded he of some of the old theaters we have been to in Europe, statues, moldings vases star light ceiling was all wonderful Oh and the help was…. Well super helpful and friendly saying welcome, good bye, and thanks for coming, multiple times I highly recommend a stop to this theater

The first red flag was when a wheelchair bound individual asked if there was an elevator and the bartender in the lobby said "yeah" and then turned and continued making drinks for people. There was no visible signage and no direction from the staff on where the elevator was located. This individual had to try and cruise through a crowd and try and find the elevator from the vantage point of 3.5 foot height. Not cool. The seating in the theatre was folding chairs that were literally packed in so tight that theyre all touching eachother. From reading other reviews, this is normal for the theatre, and they said they'll address it, but clearly they havent and they won't. You'll be packed in like sardines. I had to sit sideways on my chair since I had a little larger man on one side. Just pray you're not seated next to someone with bad hygeine, cause you'll be touching them. There's no avoiding it with the seating they have. I was overcharged at the bar. Bought two mocktails and chips. Only recieved one drink and chips. Bartender was rude and shoved the bill towards me and went on to the next customer. The theatre itself is beautiful, and the show I saw gets 5 stars; but the service from the staff and accessiblity of the theatre makes me not want to return.

Tonight was my first time going to a concert here at the Granada theater. I’ve never heard of this place before my favorite band came to play here tonight. Space is very tight in this venue. But overall it’s a decent place to hear a concert. It’s not great, but it gets the job done.

The EMPIRE STRIPS BACK performance was AMAZING & HILARIOUS! We loved our front row seats & the cast's interaction with us! Was an absolute blast for my Hubby's Birthday date night! DEFINITELY going next time they come to MN!! Great small & intimate venue too. (We were bummed no pics were allowed from the show however).

Such a cool venue! We attended for a live music performance, and I was sooo excited to see the space. They have a small bar area in the front which is great for getting a drink or bite before a show. Unfortunately for us, the place was absolutely PACKED so we could hardly move, let alone order. There was a huge line for the bar so we decided to skip it. Not necessarily the venue's fault, but it is on the small side, so if you want to dine or drink here before, come early. The theater itself is STUNNING! Starlight ceiling, cool decor on the walls and a beautiful stage. They also have a bar inside the theater, which was much more convenient to get to. The seating was standard chairs - again, potentially not the fault of the theater, but it wasn't the most comfortable. Because everything is on the same floor, views from the further back rows wouldn't be nearly as good as those in the front. I loveeee the decor and vibe of the theater itself and would love to see nicer seating options elevate this to its full potential!

My husband and I went here for "Taste the Movies." The movie shown was Disney's animated film Aladdin. It is a cool venue. I love the starry ceiling. The mocktails were great. The food was delicious. For the event, they have assigned tables for their guests. They don't have assigned seats--the reason I'm stating that is because the staff asked our table a few times if anyone was vegan, gluten-free, or needed non-alcoholic drinks. I was the only non-alcoholic drinker at my table, and they missed my mocktail. They try to differentiate the alcoholic vs. non-alcoholic by using glow bracelets, but I missed. Otherwise, I like the idea--it is pretty cool, and the food is good and filling. There is a parking ramp nearby within walking distance.

Such a gorgeous venue! I was pleasantly surprised that the drinks were a reasonable price for a venue - approx $9/beer or seltzer. Bar lines got a bit long at times but the service was great. Clean and ample bathrooms. Super cute venue. Will definitely come back again!

Was here recently for Star Wars Burlesque. It's a very nice venue. It's smaller than I expected, but I love the intimacy of it! Staff is super friendly and efficient. My only gripe is we sat in the back balcony, which we thought would be good seats..well..it's nice and high, but it's just three rows of folding chairs so if you're short (like me) and there's two rows of tall people seated in front of you, you end up standing the whole show or you can't see anything. Would love to see them add some angled seating.

What a beautiful and elegant, architectural masterpiece with exceptional service the moment you arrive to the front door. The show was an absolutely captivating, fully immersive experience. It was a silent film of the original Phantom of The Opera, but with live and modern orchestra production by Philip Shorey. Beyond well done! My wife and enjoyed non alcoholic beverages from the bar and picked a T shirt after the show. You would absolutely love this theater.

Was a great experience for a music show and nice to get back to uptown as it has been some time. Was a very clean place and they had good drinks as well. Would recommend a more experienced sound guy as it was a tad bit off for some of the music. Some of the sets you could not even hear the vocals or the bass with too much guitar.

I attended my first event in this venue in December and I would love to come back. It was lovely. The event was the Fever Candlelight Holiday Jazz concert. The entire theatre is lit only by candlelight. The theatre has a starry ceiling to add to the atmosphere. The music was festive. The lead singer had a beautiful voice and the musicians were very talented. My only wish is that they would have played longer than about an hour. We had a VIP table which meant we were seated in the back of the theatre in a tiered viewing area. So we were farthest from the stage but had our own space, were elevated from the stage, and a had place to put our cocktails. In front of us were rows of chairs and I'm not sure if there was a slant to the floor so the back row could see. They only had one bartender working and a long line so, so thankfully, another joined to help. Loved the concert and venue. Looking for another option to attend an event at the Granada Theatre.

Came here for a concert a few months ago. The venue is very cool; it feels different than a lot of live music venues in town. The show was great, acoustics were good. The location is obviously very convenient, there are a lot of places to park nearby and it's very accessible via public transit as well. The one odd thing was that when I bought tickets to the concert, I selected specific seats. Several times before the show started ushers were asking people to move from their purchased seats to accommodate other groups. The event was not sold out. It seemed weird to me to have a ticketed event with assigned seating and then ask people to move from their purchased seats.

The show was very professional! The sets and costumes were amazing as well. Very tasteful and fun night of entertainment!

Just attended an event tonight. The food was good but service was the worst I've had in the last 5 years. 1. Not a venue that can handle a crowd. 2. Poorly managed. Couldn't move people into their tables. 3. 45 min for a drink I ordered to be brought out to me, left with me for a couple of minutes, the taken away. Another table ordered the same drink and waitress was convinced that the drink belonged to someone else. The drink was given to the other customer. I finally got the drink 1 hour later. Over and over I saw the wrong drink and food brought to the wrong table and then move to another. Most of the time the food remained in the servers hands but as customer, I would not want food and drink that another customer had been touching. 4. They had a standardized 15% service fee. I had to pay for the poor service. I let the server know and instead of taking responsibility for the poor service, she blamed it on someone else "Not my fault." I reminded the waitress that she didn't bring the water we asked for either. It was her responsibility to bring water to the table, not blame the bar staff. No answer for bad service just stupid excuses. Last I was not informed about service fee until the bill was brought to me. This all on top of the entrance fee to see the show. Not a place I'll go to again. No value and not a place worth waiting to eat. I wouldn't rent the place for any special event. They wouldn't be able to handle a wedding, ball, or party NO THANKS

Gorgeous space with so much potential. Food is pretty good too. There was new staff in the kitchen so food did take a while. Didn't matter, we were enjoying the show. Our table had Mussels, short rib sliders, and shrimp tacos. All were really good. However, the service was uneven and somewhat inexperienced although very friendly and upbeat. The prices are too low on several items and, in my opinion, too low to keep this place sustainable. There aren't enough seats at this price point to generate enough revenue. (It will be really hard to keep service staff if they aren't making good money). The band was great, the sound was great too. A great stage for music events. After the "growing pains" this is going to be must see place for a good show.

I attended a candlelight concert at the Granada Theater last week, and let me just say the musicians they had were so incredibly talented and put on a fun show with information about the composer between songs! The venue with the battery candles and starlit ceiling was really fun and made the atmosphere enjoyable. Parking was a bit of a walk through dimly lit sidewalks if you couldn't find street parking. The bathrooms were a bit dark/in an odd spot. We didn't get drinks at the bar in the event room because we had just been out for dinner and drinks, but a lot of other attendees seemed to be happy with their drinks! Overall the experience was good- great musicians, polite event and bar staff, and easy to locate. The only reason for 4 stars is that the chairs were miserably uncomfortable after 30mins, and they recommend getting their 30mins before the show to save your spot in your zone... so by the time the show started my party was already done with the seats.

First time there and was surprised with how beautiful this venue is. Very low lighting, candlelight and a starry ceiling. I don't meant too low, it was perfect for the comedy show I saw there as part of a 10000 Laughs Festival. Dan Mintz (of Bob's Burgers voice actor fame) was the headliner and he was terrific. I didn't eat or get any drinks as I had eaten before arrival and didn't necessarily know what the place had to offer, but the server checked in with me several times to see if I needed anything and provided good service to the tables nearby. A great place to see comedy or a live performance. I should have taken photos, as the venue is really pretty, elegant, and well cared for. Lovely and underrated, check it out!

We went for drinks during the grand opening of Uptown Lobby (the bar/restaurant at the Granada. The staff was very friendly. Our waitress was extremely knowledgeable about the wine selections. The menu was not tailored for my budget. It is for sure a higher scale, more expensive venue. The patio was nice. There is plenty of room on the sidewalk for the patio, even with social distancing. However Hennepin is not a quiet street and the table are only a couple feet from the road.

"Valentines Day Massacre" We arrived at 6:30 and headed into the venue, we checked in to get a table, total confusion, after 5 minutes we were seated, after waiting another 15 minutes the waitress came up to us and we informed her we were here for the 5 course dinner, with a bottle of white wine. 10 minutes the wine was delivered, warm without a ice bucket, she did not open the wine and pour my wife a glass, just slapped the bottle on the table and left for another 20 minutes, not asking us how things were. Pete Hoffman finished his set and Willie Wisely started the concert at 7:30pm, one hour and still no food, frustration level off the charts, the amuse bouche was delivered to our table at 8:15pm and the waitress once again ran off after I asked her to bring a ice bucket for the warm white wine. Went down to the check in desk and asked the gentleman what on gods green earth is wrong, this is suppose to be wonderful, romantic evening, totally unacceptable in every, way, shape and form. After speaking with the general manager, she apologized profusely, was mortified and discussed with this hole train wreck regarding this We left the venue, frustrated, hungry, upset and disappointed beyond belief. once again totally unacceptable and unprofessional. I now ask how your going to make this right, Eventbrite sent us a apology e-mail late last night as well, what our your going to do for us to make this right, and ease the pain for this train wreck, please advise.

I attended the Granada last weekend for a Prince cover band concert, The Purple Xperience. The front restaurant/bar area is super cool - sophisticated, yet inviting, and the main concert/events venue is gorgeous. It's historic and has been renovated beautifully. We found easy parking a nearby, and the street was clean and well-lit.

We attended the Valentines special event there. We got there at 6:30 ahead of the 730 start time for the music,just about the first people there. Things started out well. The place looked magical.The service was great. We got a rose. We got menus. The Malbec was delicious and the pressed coffee was delicious. We ordered, the bacon cheese stuffed date appetizer. They came and were delicious even though there was only 2 for $14. After that, it all fell apart. We never saw our waitress and when we tried to catch her she was quite rude.We never got any food. The place filled up and there was very few people eating.Hardly any food was coming out of the kitchen area. One woman shouted out. "Where is the food? I'm starving."At 9 o'clock we gave up and left for another local establishment to get some food. We told this story to our waiter at the new place and he said he had been there on a date and there wasn't enough food also so they went across the street to Jimmy John's. We later received an email apologizing but not explaining for this disaster of an evening and asking to give them another chance. Don't think we can and we really really wanted to support a neighborhood business.

Great spot to get a cocktail. Staff is friendly, drinks are delicious and reasonably priced!

This place is amazing! Loved the old fashioned! Will be back for sure! Gorgeous patio space.

I loved this place! The renovations are beautiful and the staff is friendly and personable. The food was flavorful and the portions were good too. I had the shrimp tacos. I highly recommend them. One thing I truly love is the theater and all it's charm was restored and not demolished. This would be a perfect place for a date.

I seriously am not a complainer but the manager or owner tonight did not take any responsibility for over charging my account over $50. She was very rude and didn't address it or speak to me about it. She refused to address the situation and just walked away. But I do have to say the music was great and the wait staff was great! The manager was very rude.