Washington Square Bar & Grill

Every time I visit I think that maybe the food will be better. It never is. I went on a quiet day. It wasn't busy. There are a bunch of food choices on the menu, but I tend to stick to the foods that match the theme of the place. In my opinion, there are way too many options outside of the general theme to be up to a standard quality. Especially with the price you pay for each item. The items came out on baking sheets with a paper liner. The waitress was nice and friendly though. I dont think ill be returning anytime soon.

Got the Jack Daniels Burger during a busy dinner rush and was expecting a long wait but was pleasantly surprised! The staff work so amazingly together to get the food from the kitchen to the customer in record time even when slammed during a rush. The burger was seasoned immaculately and cooked perfectly to my liking. The management here is doing amazing things to make a friendly, fast, and all around comfortable environment. Cant wait to go back and 10/10 recommend this restaurant if you are in the area!!!

Well we went in there today 8-8-2025 around 3 ish, sat down , bartender guy got us drinks , then brought over menus, so far so good . Well me and my friend r chatting it up , the flies were bothering us they had plenty of workers, not real busy , ok, so I turned around there was three tables of uneaten food in the tables , because people left and paid bill , so about twenty minutes later , and all this time waitress standing in Kitchen nook not doing darn thing , bartender had clearview of this mess on tables,we had put in r order , so i couldn't take it anymore went around to other side of bar looking for .manager , saw guy told him that the three tables haven't been clean, his people standing around doing nothing, that it looked like hell and flies all-around , , so he jumped on that WOW!! It took a patron to get the workers a kick in the u know what, really!!! My friends buffalo chicken flat bread tasted like caca, they used breaded chicken strips , .mostly all dough , it was bad situation all around , won't be going there again ,can't imagine what kitchen looked like, 🤔😔, thanks for the feed back from manager, if i did Have anything more to say about improvements from ur response , then I pretty much would be running the place , making sure everyone is on top of things, not just sitting around , and patrons shouldnt be waving there glasses to get attention for refills!!!!!!clean ur act up!!! Please don't respond to this again. Be cause u didn't even offer to make it up to us.

Our first visit was for breakfast before walking around White Bear. We really enjoyed the avocado 🥑 toast with egg, glazed bacon 🥓, coffee, and juice. There was a good community vibe while we were there. It was a cool fall morning, so the patio was closed, but we are definitely interested in having a couple of drinks on the patio when the weather lets us.

Stopped in with coworkers during the work trip. One of the best Bloody Mary's I've ever had. Friendly bartender and excellent relaxing environment. Good place to unwind and catch the Vikings game on Sunday. I definitely will be back the next time in Minnesota. Kirsten and Brady are a good team at delivering a great experience to people coming in to Washington Park

Washington Square has great food and they always have a nice variety of draft beers. I ordered a blueberry cider this time, which was tart and tasty. I also got the grilled teriyaki chicken sandwich, which was a little messy to eat, but was tender and flavorful. My sister ordered the chicken Caesar wrap, which is what she orders pretty much every single time we go here - she loves it! We both got fries with our meals and they are pretty good. We did have to wait a bit longer than usual for our food, and many of their menu items seem overly expensive in my opinion. It is a great place to go in the summer if you can snag a spot on their patio!

I have lived close to the square for many years. The patio and restaurant have good vibes. Over the years the management has changed and the team has changed yet the one constant is the service is mediocre and the food is good. The servers are poorly trained and have too large of sections. It is a turn and burn environment. This restaurant is not focused on hospitality. The food is solid. The menu has an excellent variety however some of the prices are absurd. When you go check out the prices of the Mexican options.Almost $30 for a fajita? The beer menu boasts no crap on tap and that was accurate previously. While there are many options, the bar manager seems to be complacent on the unique variety as of recent years. The patio is maybe the best in WBL and is dog friendly. Washington Square is a good place to go, they just are ok with status quo and have not pushed to up their game over the years.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fantastic Game-Day Experience! Even though I wish the outcome of the game had been different—tough loss for the Vikings—the service we received more than made up for it. Kirsten was bartending during the Green Bay game, and she was absolutely exceptional. She kept the energy high, the drinks perfectly timed, and made everyone at the bar feel taken care of. Sierra was also magnificent—friendly, attentive, and on top of everything. Together, they turned what could’ve been a disappointing game day into a genuinely enjoyable experience. Thanks to Kirsten and Sierra, we still walked away smiling. If you’re catching a game here, you won’t find a better duo to take care of you! 🏈🍻

Inside looks like a typical bar. Opt for outdoor seating if available. Was a little skeptical being from the Ozarks and I saw biscuits and gravy on the menu. Got it with scrambled(a little overcooked)and has browns. The biscuits were better than I expected(needed about another 30 seconds in the oven)considering how far north I was. Good flavor and flake though they were a little too brown. Oven temp a little too high. The gravy had plenty of pepper and a good thickness. Needed a touch of salt but overall, very nice. The girl at the front that seated me and my waitress were spot on with service, very friendly and helpful. Not bad to look at either.

The bar and grill were beautifully atheistic and a beautiful patio. We sat in the bar area. We tried for a half hour trying to flag down a waiter or bartender. Then 10 minutes later he returned to our table for our drink order. Then after awhile we got our drinks and order our food. Then we waited a good 20 minutes for our food. The food was great. Never got to order another drink. We tried to get our bill. He said when he took the next tables order. There were at least 12-15 people seated. Instead of our check we had to wait for him to return. Two of us had a meeting so I through $20 at the one guest got our money so we could rush out and try to get you 2:30 appointment. We circled back at 3:15. She paid the bill but was never served her second drink. Awful experience and will never return again. We arrived at 12:45 and we left at 2:30 and Linda got out at 3:00. Never again

Stopped in on Sunday with coworkers from a work trip, hoping to have some down time and unwind from the week. Excellent experience! The wait staff and bartender were friendly and welcoming. The place was clean and had a relaxing environment, good management. I definitely will be back during my next trip to Minnesota

Well, there were seven staff present we we arrived. There was a family ahead of us and two more parties arrived after us at 11:15 on a Sunday. The staff seemed to make effort to pretend we were not there. Waited about ten minutes with zero acknowledgment from any staff member. No "Thanks for coming. Someone will be with you shortly." More turning the head, let's pretend no one is hoping to be seated or the next staff member will attend to them. " It was not busy. We went to Brickhouse and had an amazing brunch and will not try Washington Square again

Best late night spot in WBL! Came here on a late Friday night and got a quick bite. It was quiet, quick, and delicious. Probably will come back!! The food was yummy, but nothing mind blowing. Just hit the spot!

Stopped in during the Vikings game for a drink and an app with friends, my bartender was friendly & upbeat she had a great smile , my drink arrived quickly and I never waited for another, my appetizers came out hot and were enough to share. The manager checked on us during our visit, which was a nice touch. Will definately be back.

This was my first time in downtown White Bear Lake and it is definitely a fun little downtown and Washington Square sure seemed like it was one of those anchor restaurants. The space seems to have been go through a few expansions as each seating area seemed a bit different. The patio looked like a great place to hang out on a warmer evening. The food though was just average. I split a Diablo burger $18 and the burrito $20. They were both fine. But on the higher end of prices that I see for this kind of food and just not able to compete with many other places at those prices. The spicy margarita I had a taste of was however quite tasty so maybe this is a drinks on the patio kind of place for me.

I've never heard such incredibly loud racket from the employees clearing tables etc., inside and out. So much for a peaceful first date on a hot Sunday afternoon.

I tried the steak skillet with carrots and red potato's. The steak was ok, but I was expecting a steak; it was sliced up. Veggies were charred by the too hot skillet. Servers were nice but not responsive to the issues. We'll come back but won't order anything beyond a sandwich.

So expensive compared to any others around. Location rent high? Good is basic at best.

We have been going to Washington Square for years. Its outdoor dining has always been a go to for us. Food has always been average or slightly above average. The restaurant has needed an update for quite some time. When new ownership took over about a year and a half two years ago, we were optimistic to see some improvements. Actually the new ownership was promising improvements, including a rooftop patio. None of that has happened, unfortunately. The restaurant needs a true deep clean. An example is dust and dirty blinds. Outdoor tables have not been updated in years. An example of some concerns is the handling of the Easter brunch that is coming up. Their website states that reservations are suggested for the brunch. When I called I was told they were taking reservations, but they had stopped. He said to call ahead before coming over for the brunch. We also were told on the previous call that there is a different price for their brunch before 11 and it increases after 11. Their website does not state anything at all regarding the pricing. The ownership appears to be taking the position the restaurant is a cash cow with loyal clientele that will keep on coming.

Food has gone downhill for the last couple years. Not the same WS it was. The restaurant and patio were half full on a Friday night.

Don't get the siratcha wings. They are inedible. The dry rub seasoning in so hot, it's a wonder why it's even on the menu.

The food was delicious and our server Megan was wonderful! She suggested the truffle fries and they were amazing, will definitely be back!

Our monthly Meet and Greet Corvette club meeting was held here. The service was great and the food was excellent. We had close to 20 members who showed and there was plenty of room for everyone. The fireplace is a nice touch and we stayed toasty warm. I highly recommend this place.

We ordered takeout and it was so good! We had briarra tacos, club sandwich and a cheeseburger which were all delicious!

Recently had a late lunch with my adult children in this busy renovation. I had a Tuna Melt on toasted sourdough bread with some Iced Tea..Daughter had a Club Sandwich also on sourdough and a can of Root Beer. Son had the Pulled Pork on a bun with just water. I found the melt to be warm, generous comfort food. Daughter seemed to enjoy her sandwich. My son said his BBQ was OK but he thinks that he could have made a better choice. As I indicated, both the bar area and auxiliary areas were very crowded. I'll add that it was extremely noisy making conversation all but impossible. Prices were quite reasonable. Service was prompt and friendly if not slightly harried. Adequate parking although some people might end up parking on a street instead of a lot. I've never before seen downtown White Bear Lake. I found it attractive and fairly busy. Reminded me more of Anoka than relatively nearby downtown Stillwater. If I lived in the area I would recommend Washington Square as a place to check out.

Love this place! What a great spot to eat and drink, esp in the summer. If you follow my reviews you know that I am always looking for places with vegan and vegetarian options- plenty to choose from in the menu. I ordered the fajitas and it was so good. My biggest complaint was that it was too much food. Seriously I wish I could have ordered it with fewer sides and with straight up black beans. I was quite impressed with the Bloody Mary made with infused vodka. Highly recommend

My family and I have been going to Washington Square for years. The quality of the food has always been good and it was a nice neighborhood bar and grill. Unfortunately the quality of the food has really gone downhill in the last few years. The pulled pork is gone, the mole enchiladas are really bad, the quesadilla is average. The only reason I am giving it 3 stars is because of the outdoor space and I am hoping that they will get better instead of just being below average. It really is too bad that the new owners have not emphasized quality.

Came here on a busy night but Brady our server was amazing! He had a great attitude and made our night 100x better. Food was great and the vibes overall were 10/10!

Love the real wood burning fireplace that gives a cabin aroma. Service was good, manmosa was way better deal than the small one and price difference was not much different. Food was fresh ingredients and tasty, I had a garden omlet add ham.

Food service and the ambiance was amazing! We tried the new friend pickle burger and it was the best thing i have had from there! definitely will be back

Good food. Cool ambiance. Service was alright, kind of slow, but we had a large group.

Don't bother using the waitlist on Yelp. The host at the restaurant ignored it completely, said he didn't know how to use it.

Food is good, service is good and outdoor patio is the best in the area. it is a good choice for a relaxing lunch or early dinner when the weather is good.

So far, 2025 has sucked. Dealing with some pretty severe personal blows including the death of a close friend, financial struggles, job insecurity, and now an extremely frightening health scare for a parent. I needed friend time. Blessedly, 2 of the closest people to me came to the rescue to soothe my soul. I chose the Square because we grew up here and the food is great. Despite being a Friday night at 7:30, the bar area had a great table for us. The bartender took care of us well, allowing us to settle in and relax. The Blood Orange Margs were scrumptious. He didn't rush us (I think he felt our 45-year St. Mary's Elementary school friends vibe) and just let us take our time. Our dinners were sublime (BLT, Philly and the thin crust special (with a substitution)). Our conversation was a gift to my bruised soul and I felt the healing that only soul sisters can bring. There was no pressure to vacate as the hours flew by. We could sense the night was ending and the clean-up was commencing, but we also felt assured from his smile and welcoming presence, that we were free to stay. This nurturing sweet host allowed us to use this space as a place of support. A bit after 10, the yawns were upon us and we knew it was time to end our celebration. The food and drinks were delicious. The space was lovely, calm and so inviting. The best part was the freedom to just be us as our cares melted away, remembering our school girl magic, chatting, laughing, and loving eachother. Thank you for this incredible gift of a night.

One of my main go to spots for Lunch while working in the office. This place is a gem in DT WBL. Menu is full of great options and you never leave hungry. Staff is always upbeat and inviting. From patio seating to group work lunches this is a place where everyone can find something they love on the menu... pesto grilled cheese with ham...naughty jerk wings...calamari...bomb wraps and fantastic burger! Bonus is they now use Door Dash!!!

I like Washington Square because it's a nice place to stop in and have a beer & burger. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed. The bartenders are friendly too.

Missed breakfast & lunch so stopped in (our 2nd time here) to eat. Sat out on patio and it seating couldn't be more perfect. While not with us, the dog friendly vibe and fantastic service was a great start. Finding a new tap beer that I truly enjoyed from start to finish could earn the 5 stars. However, my PERFECT medium rare Angus burger with pepper jack cheese and Applewood bacon has me smiling all the way home. This is best in casual dining. If you are in the area, don't pass on this one! Was too hungry to take pics

Really enjoyed the outdoor seating with the musician. The overall ambiance (and song choice for the musician) really was the highlight of the experience. The food we had was solid. You can't go wrong with cooked cheese: the cheese curds we're a smash. We enjoyed the walleye sandwich, and the fries were perfect. The cocktails were ok. The Bloody Mary didn't have any kick to it, and I had gotten it with the pepper infused vodka. It made the chaser even more superfluous. The jalapeño Margarita as well didn't have any bite to the drink itself unless you happen to sip some of the jalapeño seeds.

We met up with friends while visiting from out of town. It was a cozy atmosphere on a cold winter evening. We were able to be seated right away, our drinks and meals were tasty and we never felt rushed. I'd definitely return if in the area.

Consistently a go to place for us. We love the Mexican-style food, burritos, fajitas, whatever. Cheese curds as a starter are always a hit. My wife and kids always get the Pesto grilled cheese for lunches, they love it. They have a really good local beer selection. If you can sit outside in the summer ... so nice!

Nice outside dining area good food excellent service fun place for friends and family's

The few times I've been here I have been super unimpressed. Food is average. Waitstaff sucks. Nice outdoor area in the summer to sit and enjoy super average food. Several better places near by.

This place was recommended to us. Was told that nothing on the menu would disappoint. went on a Wednesday evening. Not very busy which was nice. Seated right away, ordered the service was great. I ordered just a regular cheeseburger. The ambiance was good until I noticed the window I was sitting next to. It was very very dirty. Not just a little dirty but looked like it had never been cleaned. For that reason I don't think I would go back.

We came to Washington Square, new to living in the area, on a snowy night to have a few drinks and listen to the live music. We were very pleased with the atmosphere and service! It is a nice, cozy spot that feels very welcoming, and the music we have enjoyed there so far has been very good! The drinks were well made and the appetizer-type foods we have ordered have all been delicious.

Love the patio. I had the walleye fingers were great. Also nice they have veggie burger. Great beer on tap

Service is terrible. I was there on a Saturday afternoon and sat at the bar with a few friends. I was ignored by the staff behind the bar for at least 15 minutes. When I finally got a cocktail it was slid over to me without so much as a word. I was never asked if I wanted another drink. I was going to order food but after being ignored (the one bar tender spent time cutting up fruit and filling the garnish tray) I figured it would never come. So my friends and I left and found another restaurant close by that was happy to have customers.

A bustling outdoor patio with plentiful shaded seating was our choice on a very hot day. Service was good. My grandson had chicken tenders which were the size of a chicken breast. He loved his, as did my sister her avocado salad. They finished every bite. Bobby enjoyed his heaping plate of nachos. My meal was the walleye basket. Tasteless Cole slaw with decent-sized pieces of mostly moist walleye with okay fries completed my basket.

Great food and an excellent tap list. Friendly staff. Looking forward to patio season this summer!

When I was googling places to find for a breakfast meet up, I saw, "Best Bloody Mary" and I was sold..... this place is really cute. Nice outdoor patio and a lot bigger than I thought. There are three rooms all good sized areas. Met my friends for breakfast. We both ordered bloody mary's. While good, I have to say it wasn't the best I've ever had, but it was still good. I'm all about the garnish. This one had an olive, pickle and a pepperocini. Mix was pretty good with a hint of pickle juice which I love. Eggs benedict looked good with the hashbrowns. My toast, bacon and eggs were good. Great sourdough bread. Great service, will return to take a try on the patio. Cute place.

Food was good. The vibe was wonderful. We enjoyed a wonderful meal on their outdoor patio. Would return.

Food service was good food was delicious lady was very sweet and nice Highly recommend this bar delicious teriyaki barbecue wings highly recommend

Tried out this restaurant over the weekend. I was excited to try an appetizer or a Mexican dish. They have a patio or inside seating. We sat inside. I decided to get the nachos to be safe for a little snack in between errands since I'm gfree. They were just alright, nothing special. Cheese nachos with sour cream, lettuce, side of salsa, picked jalapeños (maybe 3) and that was about iy. Wish I had taken a pic. Another note...other menu items especially other Mexican dishes seemed super expensive. Around $20 a plate. Just my opinion. I might have to go back for a $20 plate of tacos or enchiladas- we'll see.

I love that I can order decent Mexican here and my family can get whatever else they want. We easily found parking on the street nearby. We had a short wait for a party of 6. Our waiter was clearly a veteran. Very nice and helpful. He was also tending bar so wasn't quite as attentive and perhaps he could have been. We had one round of drinks, no refills because he just wasn't nearby and didn't see us trying to get his attention. The food was decent. My burger was cooked excellent. The kids noodles should really be served in a bowl, a flat plate with large noodles sends them into laps and onto the floor. The meat in the Philly was overcooked, the tacos were decent. Caesar wrap was decent size. Overall this was an adequate experience. Probably not a place I would rush back to, but a return visit isn't out of the question for reliable food, okay service and a variety of options.

I really enjoy it here. such a cute place! I've had great interactions with the staff and management. I like the food a lot and would definitely recommend others come out and give it a try!

Waitress wasn't personable and she truly didn't care much. We had to call her for drinks then condiments then drinks again and she was not interested in asking if we needed anything but more interested in chatting with coworkers. Food wasn't the best. I wouldn't go again for food as a trip

Such a nice menu (especially for a vegetarian). Lots of choices and always great service.

The patio at this place is delightful to sit at, and you can bring your dog. That's really their best feature. The food is... okay. Not bad, but nothing to write home about. I've tried their breakfast omelets and lunch wraps. They were fine. Coffee was mediocre. Service was okay. This restaurant shows up as "Mexican" on Yelp, but I would classify it more as an American restaurant that can make a quesadilla if you want one. It was honestly a nice brunch experience. But would I recommended it to someone else? Probably not, given how many other restaurants are within a block of it.