Food, friendly service spurs repeat patronage

By Henry Stafford

On the corner of Larpenteur Avenue and St. Mary’s Street in Falcon Heights, there is a pub known for friendly service and good eats.

Stout’s Pub & Grill offers a range of craft beers, cocktails and a plethora of foods including tacos, burgers and wood-fired pizzas.

Dan Zielske, 59, a nearby resident who worked in food service for over 20 years, said he enjoys the service at Stout’s because he can tell the workers are treated well based on how long they have stayed and continued to work at the pub.

“They do a good job because they’re taken care of,” Zielske said. “They’re sincere, they’re friendly, and it’s not contrived. So, yeah, people care about what they do.”

Zielske said he feels like Stout’s creates a space for neighbors to gather. “There’s not a single time I come here that I don’t recognize a neighbor,” he said.

Kevin Schleif, 61, owner of Stout’s and a Minnesota native originally from Owatonna, opened the pub in 2011 with business partner Bob Gillen during the nationwide craft beer fad after noticing a lack of beer options in the neighborhood.

Schleif worked as a district manager for the Ciatti’s Italian Grill location in the building before buying the brand with the director of operations. The two first rebranded the restaurant to Chianti Grill and moved it to a spot near HarMar Mall in Roseville. They then renovated the Ciatti’s building in Falcon Heights and turned it into Stout’s Pub & Grill, Schleif said.

Once Schleif and Gillen opened Stout’s, the two eventually brought foods like burgers into the restaurant’s menu mix.

Schleif said freshness is a priority when it comes to food at Stout’s. The burgers are a customer favorite because of the way the pub cooks them on the griddle.

“The bottom line is: serve a good product, take care of your guests and take care of your employees,” Schleif said. “I mean it’s not rocket science by any means.”

A good customer experience is the main philosophy behind running Stout’s, Schleif said. Well treated employees make happy customers, he added.

Tom Vignalo, 75, has been coming to Stout’s regularly since he retired in 2015. He often orders a wild rice soup and a beer.

Vignalo said he has Irish heritage and the pub’s wooden interior makes him feel at home.

Rebecca Mozdin, a bartender at Stout’s for more than 10 years, said she hates when she experiences bad service at other businesses, so she aims to make customers smile.

“I want to be a friend,” Mozdin said. “It makes it fun to go to work.”

Chris Kelly, 61, said the comfortable atmosphere and delicious wood-fired pizzas help bring her into Stout’s. Kelly said she thinks the restaurant has the best fried chicken sandwich in St. Paul.

“A place like this is always where we meet friends, meet new people,” Kelly said. 

Henry Stafford is a fourth-year journalism student at the University of Minnesota and an intern for the Bugle. He is interested in community reporting and visual media.