The Informalist

Birthday dinner at The Informalist for the first time - GREAT experience. Matt was an EXCELLENT server and the food was delicious. Will return.

Good pizzas and burgers with unique toppings. Fan of the fries too. I've had some far too strong drinks and entrees I haven't loved at times, but overall a good experience.

The layout, ambience and overall presentation was well above average, especially for Eau Claire. The ingredients were fresh and the recipes thoughtful. However, our three chosen dishes were shockingly bland across the board. The fries, scallops and pork belly carbonara were beautiful but blah. A dash of salt from the kitchen would have helped immensely, and our table had no table salt to cure the sodium deficiency. Some more vibrant spices and herbs could have saved the day as well. Perhaps for the average Scandinavian taste buds the food would have been on point, but for someone with a more seasoned palate who is looking for a rare culinary spring in the Eau Claire desert, The Informalist was merely a mirage.

A nice change of pace from the normal everyday eateries. Locally sourced foods make a difference in the meal. Bread is served with dinner along with a specialty butter. The chicken sandwich I ordered was properly cooked and was not dry. Service was impeccable. My water glass was never empty. The macaroon was delightful. I will definitely go back.

Was in the mood for a big hearty American meal, but that is not the vibe the Informalist gives at all. The menu is full of weird food choices that you won't find anywhere else. They serve homemade beet ketchup with their fries and had one burger choice. Good/normal pizza, but everything else was fancy and different. Bread is served with dinner, but not lunch. All dishes around $15