Making your way in Eden Prairie today takes everything you've got.
Driving to work on 494, you’re stuck there a lot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
To dine at Tavern 4&5,
And order up a pizza pie.
You want to see rotisserie,
And drink a cold lemonade
You wanna be where the tater tots are
Handmade.
“Our goal is to be the Cheers of Eden Prairie,” said Dave Guistolise, “and not in the sense that we’re a basement bar owned by Ted Danson. We’re the local place everyone loves coming to whether they’re having breakfast, lunch or dinner with their friends, family or clients. And after golf, of course – a quintessential neighborhood hangout.
“I was Tavern 4&5’s original general manager. I currently work for the Nova Restaurant Group in a broader capacity, but Tavern 4&5 and its menu are just as important to me now as they have always been. This place will always feel like home.
“We have always listened to our guests, asked for their feedback and paid attention to what they order. We also frequently request feedback from our servers, since they have the closest view of our guests’ reactions to their orders. After doing things this way since our grand opening in 2013, I’m confident our menu is ever-evolving, relatable and attuned to Eden Prairie’s local tastes.
“You’ll know the star of our show as soon as you walk through our front door: the woodfired rotisserie oven, where we cook whole chickens over a glowing bed of red oak, cherry and hickory charcoal. We slow roast birds all day, because our guests can’t get enough of our juicy, tender rotisserie chicken. It goes into our salads, sandwiches, pot pie, and even our breakfast burrito. Personally, I think it’s best on its own – half a bird, au jus, with sides of hand-mashed potatoes and parmesan broccoli.
“Unfortunately, you can’t bake a pizza on a rotisserie. That’s why we have our own woodfired pizza oven, which we might pull 100 pizzas out of on a busy night. We take a simple approach to pizza. Great crust, simple sauce and fresh toppings speak for themselves.
“Order our tater tots with your burger or sandwich, or order them all on their own. Just make sure you try them. They’re panko-crusted mashed potatoes that have been deep fried to perfection, and they’re served with bacon ketchup for good measure. A Star Tribune food critic once called our tots ‘little pillows of heaven,’ which is always the first thing that comes to my mind whenever I see them – or, better yet, eat them.
“We have earned our tavern credentials with our bar, too. We serve a fun and approachable wine list, over 20 beers on tap, and some wonderful craft cocktails. Our Tavern Mary has been voted the best bloody in the west metro several years running, and Kettle One once made our grapefruit rose mule one of their featured cocktails.
“The thing I love most about Tavern 4&5 is also what I missed most during the past couple of years. That’s our hospitality, which we couldn’t fully express while we were bagging takeout containers and social distancing. Everyone on our front-of-house team is just so naturally friendly. They have to be, because friendliness is the most important qualification for the job. We can teach our servers every ingredient in our menu items and which wines pair best with each. But what we can’t teach people is how to be nice and neighborly.
“Thankfully our guests appreciate our hospitality now more than ever. We’re providing the warm, human connection no one has ever experienced during a Zoom meeting.”
Tavern 4&5 is located at 16396 Wagner Way in Eden Prairie. You can learn more and order online at tavern4and5.com.