Check out Steak and Ale's first new restaurant in 16 years

Sixteen years after closing all of its restaurants, Steak and Ale returned last week with the opening of a new location in Burnsville, Minnesota.

The beloved casual-dining chain known for its prime rib, salad bar and cozy, tavern-like atmosphere disappeared in 2008 after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Then in 2015, Bennigan’s CEO Paul Mangiamele and his wife, Gwen, acquired the brand with plans to bring it back.

Nearly a decade later, they have finally made that happen with a restaurant that nods to nostalgia while also embracing the modern era. Click through for a peek at the new Steak and Ale.

The restaurant is located in the Wyndham Nicollet Inn off Interstate 35W in Burnsville, about 20 miles south of the Twin Cities. The 5,000-square-foot space includes a patio with hotel access and its own outside entrance. It can seat up to 225 guests and also handles food and beverage operations for the hotel, including room service. It’s also a “host kitchen” for sister brand Bennigan’s, serving that restaurant’s menu for delivery and takeout only.

The location reimagines Steak and Ale as a modern polished-casual concept while retaining some elements of the past, both on the menu and in the restaurant itself. 

Gone are the stucco walls, wood beams and dim lighting of Steak and Ales of yore. In their place is a brighter and more open space accented with stone and wood, including a stone fireplace and beer kegs mounted on the wall. A large mural near the circular bar features classic images of Steak and Ale. The iconic salad bar is back, and some stained-glass pieces are reportedly on the way. 

The restaurant’s exterior does away with the brand’s traditional Tudor cottage design in favor of clean lines and a pergola-covered patio. The familiar “Steak and Ale” wordmark lives on in bold maroon.

Steak and Ale fans will recognize a number of former favorite dishes on the menu, including the Kensington Club, Hawaiian Chicken and herb-roasted prime rib, which will be prepared at a dedicated carving station for a fresh, experiential touch. There is also the aforementioned salad bar, which comes with every order.

But there are also a few nods to contemporary tastes, such as a crispy chicken sandwich with Sriracha aioli. Tableside Irish coffee service is also available, as well as a list of “speakeasy” cocktails.

Steak and Ale was founded in 1966 in Dallas by restaurant legend Norman Brinker and came to define the casual-dining steakhouse segment. It once had nearly 300 locations, but by the time of its bankruptcy in 2008 had shrunk to about 60.

It is now poised to grow again, albeit slowly. Endeavor Properties, the operator of the Burnsville location, holds the rights to open 15 Steak and Ale and Bennigan’s restaurants in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North and South Dakota and Oklahoma. 

A planned Steak and Ale opening in the Dallas area has been delayed.