Dixies on Grand/Saji-Ya

Dixies on Grand/Saji-Ya

St. Paul, MN

Reviewed March 12th, 2005

Would you care for some sea eel gumbo? Black-eyed pea and cuttlefish jambalaya? Cajun nameko soup? Oddly enough this two-sided restaurant combo featuring American Southern dining and Japanese cuisine actually share a restroom. And oddly enough, it is just plain enough to not be characteristic of either genre. Opting for vintage photographs over sumi-e kanji characters or Bourbon Street memorabilia plays well with the St. Paul crowd while not isolating either patron. The richly colored walls and black counters spoke more to the overall feel of both restaurants rather than a specific culture.

Due to the height of the (self-flushing, yes!) urinals, the video advertising mounted above them sat about 6-10 inches higher than ideal and I found myself ignoring the drab marketing altogether. A captive audience isn't quite as captive when they have to arc their neck and stare at a bright screen three inches in front of their face. Maybe I'm wrong though as there are two distinct schools or urinal-peers.. those who look up and those who look down. I could just be naive to assume usability and demographics had not considered in such a paramount placement decision.

On the busy Saturday night that I visited, there was quite a bit of sink splash around the counters and some garbage on the floor but overall things were operating quite smoothly. Oh, could I get another order of Texas Pork Tempura please? Domo arigato gozaimas y'all.

RESTROOM RATING: 7
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