Conveniently located within The Commons Hotel in Minneapolis is a restaurant that serves quality food you can taste.
The Beacon Public House, located within the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus, is the hotel’s signature restaurant that serves regional-influenced gastropub cuisine and features a bar with happy hour Mondays through Fridays from 4pm to 6pm.
I had breakfast at The Beacon one morning with the hotel’s director of sales and marketing and opted for an egg white omelet, while Kelly had the eggs benedict.
The servings are on the smaller side and most of the menu items are in the double digits, so it’s not the place to go for budget dining. However, you can really taste the freshness and quality of the ingredients, which are locally sourced. (I’m always a big fan of restaurants that do this.)
Apart from the food, the atmosphere at The Beacon is nice to be in. I’m especially fond of the ambience of the area that you’ll walk through before getting seated inside. It’s an inviting place to do some work while sipping on some coffee/tea.
The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating. Inside, there’s a black and white striped floor, and wooden tables and chairs illuminated with white lights. Outside, chairs are woven chairs at either square tables or round tables with fires in the center. Umbrellas are also placed close to the tables so there’s some shade for people who might dine during the middle of the day.
Another nice aspect of the restaurant is that the theme is still consistent with that of The Commons, and that’s easily noticeable through its color scheme. Sports fans will also enjoy The Beacon with an abundance of LCD televisions placed at the bar.
Other features worth mentioning are a pool table and an intimate private dining room.
Dining at The Beacon is a pleasant experience I’d recommend for those who don’t mind smaller servings and spending a little more for quality.