Category Archives: Waconia

Ridgeview Medical Center – Hospital Review

Posted on by

I didn’t plan on writing a review on Ridgeview Medical Center in Waconia but my wife fell the other day and broke her ankle. We ended up at the hospital for three days and found out it’s a great hospital.

First off, our accident happened on a Saturday afternoon in Eau Claire Wisconsin, so we weren’t exactly close to home. But our ER doctor on Eau Claire called Ridgeview Medical Center and they told us to come in as soon as we got back and he’d take care of us. It turns out that the doctor’s schedule was full Monday & Tuesday and probably Wednesday but nothing was scheduled for Sunday. So he said ‘come on in’ and took care of us right away. That’s service!

My wife had to have surgery and everyone was very informative and nice. We were very impressed and well taken care of. Even for me, the husband, they treated me very well and made sure I was well informed at all times. They even let me say as late as I wanted and come in as early as I wanted.

I’ve been to the Mayo Clinic for everything growing up, and the Ridgeview Medical Center seems much more friendly and inviting. I’d highly recommend it and I’m glad we live so close to a great hospital.

AmericInn Hotel?

Posted on by

According to the Waconia Patriot, AmericInn could be headed to Waconia.

“If everything goes as planned, by this time next year a new AmericInn hotel will be open in Waconia, just west of Cherry Street and Ridgeview Medical Center.

The 63-unit hotel is scheduled to break ground this September.

The hotel will feature spacious guest rooms and speciality suites with fireplace and whirlpool accommodations, free high-speed internet access and upscale amenities. An indoor recreation area will cater to all age groups with an expanded pool, whirlpool and sauna all under a vaulted wood beam ceiling.”

From what I’ve seen AmericInn hotels are quite nice for smaller towns and not over the the top but still somewhat posh. I think it’d be a great addition and we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

Beef O Brady’s Restaurant Review

Posted on by

Last weekend, my wife and I checked out Beef O Brady’s Family Sports Pub. We had tried to visit twice in the past but the wait was over 30 minutes. However, the day we went, we walked right in.

Beef O Brady’s is a good addition to Waconia. There really isn’t a family restaurant except for the Pizza Ranch. Beef O Brady’s has the sports bar atmosphere with TVs everywhere and Minnesota sports jerseys on the walls, but is also kid friendly as they eat free on Tuesdays and hand out crayons.

Their menu is quite good with lots of choices of burgers and fries. It reminds me of AppleBee’s or Fridays type of restaurant and the prices are reasonable too.

My wife had the soup and salad and wasn’t impressed as the salad didn’t seem fresh and the soup was lacking something. I had the cheeseburger wrap and it was great. I keep thinking about it and wanting another one. Mmmm so good.

The service was ok. I think our waiter hasn’t been one for long and he was lacking in the friendless and attentiveness department, but he wasn’t horrible by any means.

Beef O Brady’s is someplace we’ll definitely check out again. Granted they are new and things are still getting worked out but I would recommend it to anyone. They even have take out so you can order your food to go.

Beef O Brady’s restaurant is located by Mackenthun’s Country Market grocery store at 813 Marketplace Drive. Phone: (952) 442-8767

Parts of new highway 5 open.

Posted on by

The highway 5 realignment project has been in the works for quite a while now and it has reached a mile stone. Today drivers were confused even more as parts of the new highway are open.

Sure the new road is nice, but if you are entering or exiting on 30 you might be a little lost as the road sign people don’t quite have enough big orange arrows up. That and you end up traveling though the dark woods. Ohh that’ll be fun at night for those that don’t know the road.

I’m hoping they finish up highway 5 soon, but I’m sure they’ll just find another area to fix-up as the new Target, shopping and homes* work their way in.

*This is hear say. I’ve seen plans and heard rumors, but I haven’t heard anything concrete yet.

Goin’ Postal – Mail and Shipping Services

Posted on by

Goin' Postal LogoAs we were out yesterday, I noticed that Goin’ Postal was now open in Waconia.

Goin’ Postal offers shipping services from FedEx, United Parcel Service (UPS), DHL and the United States Postal Service (USPS). They also have all the packaging supplies and you can even rent mailboxes.

I haven’t been there yet, but their hours are 9-8 Monday through Friday and 10-2 on Saturday. That beats out the local post office and makes it much more convent when the need comes up for shipping packages.

I’m thinking about going and checking out Goin’ Postal sometime in the next week, but I’m sure it’s like FedEx Kinkos or the UPS Store, only with more options.

Goin’ Postal is located by Mackenthun’s Country Market grocery store.

Address
777 Marketplace Dr.
Waconia
MN 55387

Phone
952-442-4465

Electric Beach Tanning Salon & Video – Review

Posted on by

Now, I can’t say I’ve ever stopped by to catch a tan, but we go rent movies almost every weekend. They have a good selection and a very clean store. The staff is nice to and late fees are cheap on non-new releases.

You can rent DVDs, some VHS, PS2 games and Xbox games. They even have a small selection of tv series’.

New releases are $3.25/night and regular movies are 1.25/5 nights. Tans start at $6 and go up from there.

This is by far the nicest video store in town.

Hours: Seven days a week 10am to 10pm
http://www.electricbeach.myvideostore.com/
(952) 442-2929
232 W 1st St
Waconia, MN 55387

Welcome to WaconiaMN.net

Posted on by

 

Welcome to my unofficial Waconia Minnesota site.

The goal is to post informative information, news, reviews and whatever we can about Waconia. If you have any comments or suggestions, contact me at thomas*waconiamn.net

Participate
You can help out in many ways. You can send in your opinions as an author. Your reviews and posts don’t need to be perfect, just fun and interesting to read. You can also comment on previous stories with your thoughts and opinions. And, of course, tell others about this site.

Get Listed
Part of this site is dedicated to business listings. We’ll give you one page to add images, text and almost whatever you want. Admin has the final say in how it’s presented but we only make changes to give you more visibility.  Again, just send in your business details and we’ll set it up.

For any of the options above, feel free to use our contact form to get a hold of us and send news & tips.

The Green Room Review

Posted on by
The Green Room - Waconia

The other night we checked out The Green Room at 140 west main street, Waconia MN.

The Green Room is an organic restaurant and they say they are casual fine dining & wine bar. They cook with local and organic ingredients when possible.

As we walked into the restaurant it was very nice looking. I thought the appearance was great. The staff was very friendly too. However, the menu is a little different and a little expensive.

Personally, for a guy who likes a burger and fries, this isn’t the type of restaurant for me. I also don’t see a lot of locals thinking that this is a place to go to more than once or twice. However, I could be wrong.

If you’re up for something a little different, give it a go. If you are afraid to try something different, steer clear.

All in all I give it a B. Personally I didn’t like it, but for those who do like organic, or want something different, they’ll probably enjoy it.

The Green Room Hours: (as of 5/6)
Lunch
Monday thru Saturday 11am – 3pm
Dinner
Monday thru Thursday 5am – 9pm
Friday and Saturday 11am – 10pm

Dinner Menu Entrees:
seared salmon filet $17
new potatoes, cucumber-dill salad,
orange vinaigrette, crème fraiche

rosemary-garlic roasted leg of lamb $16
english pea risotto, mint salsa, herbed jus

grill finished braised beef $15
tomatoes, black olives, buttered noodles

hash with organic poached egg $11
romesco potatoes, asparagus, feta cheese

linguini pasta $10
sautee of spring peas, spinach, red pepper coulis

oven roasted chicken breast $ 15
belgian endive, currants, capers, purple potatoes

chef tasting, three course $35

bleu cheeseburger $8.5
carmelized onions and roasted potatoes

vegetable sandwich $8
grilled onion, asparagus, peppers, mozzarella, walnut
pesto

Lunch
specialty sandwiches
served with potato salad and cole slaw or simple greens

pulled pork sandwich $6.50
carolina bbq sauce, on a sesame seed bun

blt $6.50
applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, aioli, on
whole wheat toast

club $7.00
roast turkey, applewood smoked bacon, tomato, aioli, on
grilled ciabatta

angus burger $7.50
cooked to order with gruyere or vermont cheddar

open faced vegetable sandwich $7.25
grilled onion, peppers, asparagus, mozzarella, walnut
pesto

chicken salad $7.00
basil, sun-dried tomato, mozzarella, on baguette
entrees

grill finished braised beef $10.00
tomatoes, black olives, buttered noodles

linguini pasta $9.00
sautee of spring peas, spinach, red pepper coulis

seared salmon filet $12.00
new potatoes, cucumber-dill salad, orange vinaigrette,
savory crème fraiche

Where is Waconia Minnesota?

Posted on by

Waconia Minnesota is located west of Minneapolis, Minnesota on highway 5. I’d approximate 20 minutes from Eden Prairie and about 30-45 minutes from downtown Minneapolis.

Waconia Minnesota Map
Map from Yahoo – Click on it for more details.

To get here it’s really easy. Just get on 494 and head south or west. Once you hit Eden Prairie, or where 494 turns from West to North or South to East, hop on highway 5 west.

That’s it, keep following that until you get here!

WaconiaMN.net – The Basic Plan

Posted on by

Here is the plan for WaconiaMN.net.  The idea is to post local news, reviews, happenings and business listings.

1) Reviews: Completed by myself and you.  I’ll try to do the first review and then others can comment on my review in the ‘comments’ area of each post.  However, if I had a few reviewers to help out that’d be nice.

2) News: Official news like what you may see on Kare11 or something.

3) Happenings: We welcome your garage sales, gathering information and of course Carver County Fair information.

4) Business Listings: You’ll be able to submit some information on your business and we’ll post it for you.  These are like ads, only I won’t allow them to be ugly, they’ll look nice and won’t be annoying. 😉

That’s the basic plan.  I’ll have more details as the weeks go on.  I’ll also be setting up an email address so you can contact me.  I’ll need your help in gathering information too.  If you wish to help, comment below or wait until I give out an email address.

I have lots of ideas, it’ll just take a little time for me to get everything in order.

Thanks
Thomas