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1881 Eating House is a modern gastropub located in the heart of St. Paul’s historic Union Depot. We blend the building’s rich history with a vibrant, contemporary atmosphere—perfect for any occasion. Our menu features bold, innovative dishes, craft cocktails, and local brews, all served in a stylish, welcoming space. Whether you’re here for a laid-back night out, a first date, or a quick bite before your train, 1881 Eating House is the place to gather, savor, and enjoy. 1881 is part of the Lake Elmo Inn Restaurant Family.
Hours
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Thursday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Friday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Saturday | 10 AM–9 PM |
| Sunday | 10 AM–2:30 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 214 4th St E #110, St Paul, MN 55101
Phone: (952) 698-1881
Website: https://1881eatinghouse.com/
Menu Photos
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Reviews
Queen San
This place is located inside of the Union Depot. The service was great, and the food was even better! It’s a nice laid-back atmosphere whether you are looking to do breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. A nice place to gather with family, friends, or even a date. A super nice surprise was getting to meet the executive chef, he is really friendly and takes a lot of pride in what he does!
They also offer a private area that can be rented out for private parties and events.
It’s listed on their website, but parking lots A and B are validated with your meal or drinks.
… moreThey also offer a private area that can be rented out for private parties and events.
It’s listed on their website, but parking lots A and B are validated with your meal or drinks.
Marti Benson
We went for a date day in downtown Saint Paul checking out museums and decided to go here for lunch. I felt it was well cooked and flavorful. A little loud but it is an open train station. Servers were so friendly and helpful, loved chatting with them.
… moreKirk Solmonson
Big disappointment. Just stopped in for an unplanned quick bite on a Friday early afternoon with my fiance. We were the only ones there besides an employee that must have been off. I will say it was a beautiful setting but here are the issues with our lunch. We actually saw that it had the Lake Elmo Inn name on it so we assumed quality and service would match. Our chicken sandwich was burnt and not good. We each tried a bite out of the middle but couldn’t do it. The bartender was gone the whole time we ate so when he came back he asked how it was. We told him and he said Im sorry and took the plate. We closed our tab and had to ask for a itemized receipt. We were charged $4 more, $16 for the riesling that is listed in the menu and online for $12. I was charged $16(thier price for their signature bloody with aquavit) for a virgin bloody which then added liquor tax, which all of the other signature cocktails without alcohol were $5+ less. Honestly any one of these things would be easy to overlook but it just seemed like this is how its done here. Here’s a pic of the tab and chicken.
… moreMegan Quist
The three-star rating reflects a combination of factors: the tight space, the added hassle of the train station location, and a main dish that didn’t quite deliver. Not a bad experience, but not one that fully lived up to expectations either.
Strong recommendation to make a reservation in advance. There are no walk-ins after a certain point, and the space is small enough that availability disappears quickly! They validate the A & B parking ramp, but both were full (likely due to the holiday activities in the area).
Logistics: If you’re dining with children, request the couch seating area. It offers noticeably more flexibility and breathing room with car seats or strollers compared to the standard tables, which makes a difference in such a compact restaurant.
Food: While I don’t doubt that other menu items are solid, the Korean gochujang bowl fell flat for me.
The flavor profile was fairly plain. After a few bites I just smothered it in hot sauce to feel like I wasn’t eating something I could get at a sweetgreen for example. While hot sauce and other sauces were available for flavor, they didn’t complement the dishes flavor profile.
… moreStrong recommendation to make a reservation in advance. There are no walk-ins after a certain point, and the space is small enough that availability disappears quickly! They validate the A & B parking ramp, but both were full (likely due to the holiday activities in the area).
Logistics: If you’re dining with children, request the couch seating area. It offers noticeably more flexibility and breathing room with car seats or strollers compared to the standard tables, which makes a difference in such a compact restaurant.
Food: While I don’t doubt that other menu items are solid, the Korean gochujang bowl fell flat for me.
The flavor profile was fairly plain. After a few bites I just smothered it in hot sauce to feel like I wasn’t eating something I could get at a sweetgreen for example. While hot sauce and other sauces were available for flavor, they didn’t complement the dishes flavor profile.
Lacy Larson
Yummm! Ordered salads, a burger, and the butternut squash ravioli. A lot of food. The cider mocktail was a bit disappointing, tasted a lit like giner beer and lemon juice and not much else. Ordered the Lake Elmo speciality dessert and it wasnt our favorite, but it was fun to try.
… moreChloe Spencer
Saw that 1881 Eating House unveiled some new happy hour menu items and I wanted to check it out! Happy Hour is from a generous 2-6PM. Since Barrio left Lowertown, I’ve wanted to find a place that has tacos. They serve these tacos as apart of their happy hour menu, which are stacked HIGH with fresh ingredients. They include jalapeños in them, which offers a nice kick, but pairs well with the pickled red onions and crema sauce. Definitely a delightful eat I’ll come back for. I also enjoyed the sangria, which is $8 on the happy hour menu, but they also have other kinds of drinks discounted, including a Pyres Raspberry Sour that I’d love to try.I was less a fan of the fries, but I can’t quite place why. They’re served with a mornay sauce, and I think I might just not be a fan of it. It doesn’t have a strong flavor or taste. But with so many items on the menu, I think there TONS of reasons to come back here. The atmosphere and space is gorgeous, with plenty of tables and seats. Service was sweet and attentive but it did take them a while to get back to me here and there. An added bonus? If you eat here and keep your receipt, you can get 10% off at Storyline Books, which is right within the building.
… moreJulie White
My husband & I came here for our anniversary & we had the most amazing time. For starters, it’s such a cute ambiance inside of the Union Depot & being able to enjoy the building itself while eating dinner. We shared the crab cakes as an appetizer & I would say it was without a doubt the best crab cakes I have ever had. For dinner I got the butternut squash ravioli & my husband got the 10 oz rib eye. Both of our dinners were outstanding! For dessert we got the French silk & the carrot cake which we probably didn’t need two desserts but wow were they both incredible. Lastly, our waitress Corrie was just a delight. She was so friendly & nice & really made our evening memorable. We can’t wait to come back & can’t recommend it enough!
… moreRobert Hagen
I do actually like this place. The food is good, the people are excellent. But the house Manhattan.
The house manhattan.
It has become a flavorless, vibeless, soulless extraction of money. It is now half the size, a hundredth of the flavor and comes with…(foam?). For the price, I expect and roch, flavorful and balanced cocktail. A classic. There is a bitterness approaching sadness, and it is NOT the bartenders fault. It is the bar program and the lack of joy.
The two luxardo cherries were appreciated, but I’d greatly appreciate some whiskey in my drink as well. The pictured coupe is maybe 5oz, with 2.53oz of beverage at best.
$35 for two of what’s pictured, before tip.
… moreThe house manhattan.
It has become a flavorless, vibeless, soulless extraction of money. It is now half the size, a hundredth of the flavor and comes with…(foam?). For the price, I expect and roch, flavorful and balanced cocktail. A classic. There is a bitterness approaching sadness, and it is NOT the bartenders fault. It is the bar program and the lack of joy.
The two luxardo cherries were appreciated, but I’d greatly appreciate some whiskey in my drink as well. The pictured coupe is maybe 5oz, with 2.53oz of beverage at best.
$35 for two of what’s pictured, before tip.
Molly Bruggeman
I live in the area and was hoping 1881 might be a new go-to spot, but based on my experience last night I won’t be returning any time soon.
Service was extremely slow and every employee we interacted with except for our bartender seemed miserable. One server was already closing down the patio at 7:45pm, like they were nonverbally pushing us all out. At one point, a man who appeared to be a back-of-house team member was running food out to the patio, and mumbling something about not knowing where the waitress went.
The $28 we spent on the charcuterie board would’ve been better spent at Target getting all the same exact ingredients – and about 4x the servings. Both mine and my date’s ahi tuna steaks in our main dishes were overcooked. Lastly, I ordered both the red and white sangrias, and they may have been the worst sangrias I’ve ever had. My date and I couldn’t figure out if the wine was super cheap, if the fruit wasn’t ripe, or both. Either way, both were nearly spilling out of my tiny plastic cup, filled to the brim with ice. Not impressive at $12/drink.
1881’s location and concept is great – I think they just need some better staff and a little more love given to their dishes.
… moreService was extremely slow and every employee we interacted with except for our bartender seemed miserable. One server was already closing down the patio at 7:45pm, like they were nonverbally pushing us all out. At one point, a man who appeared to be a back-of-house team member was running food out to the patio, and mumbling something about not knowing where the waitress went.
The $28 we spent on the charcuterie board would’ve been better spent at Target getting all the same exact ingredients – and about 4x the servings. Both mine and my date’s ahi tuna steaks in our main dishes were overcooked. Lastly, I ordered both the red and white sangrias, and they may have been the worst sangrias I’ve ever had. My date and I couldn’t figure out if the wine was super cheap, if the fruit wasn’t ripe, or both. Either way, both were nearly spilling out of my tiny plastic cup, filled to the brim with ice. Not impressive at $12/drink.
1881’s location and concept is great – I think they just need some better staff and a little more love given to their dishes.
A S
Provoleta pepper burger and fries are a solid new favorite menu item in the Cities. Spiced pear sour cocktail was also delightful, delicate and satisfying. The folks here know their stuff 🙂
… more