Secrets of the City

Steve-O’s out in Robbinsdale is probably one of the better dives I’ve ever been to in my time. I mean a bar with ZERO windows? You can’t get any better than that.

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The Spring Street Bar and Grill in Nordeast draws and eclectic clientele. Good food at reasonable prices

I have a complementary question: why are some bars so popular, for no particular reason? Most other dives have a good live show from time to time, but I don’t understand the attraction people have to the Bulldog, Mortimer’s, Lyle’s, or the Cardinal. Without smoking, the CC Club is really pushing it, too.

Spring street also has bloody mary bar and decent breakfast on the weekends, and one hell of a grilled meatloaf sandwich. I only had a bite of my friend’s though, so I have never actually experienced and entire sandwich.

Dive bar: Al’s on Excelsior Blvd.
Is there a bar call Shortstop in Coon Rapids? I think it was a 3.2 dive?
Hotel-type cocktail lounges: Murray’s and La Belle Vie.

For convenient location (for me), fried food, and decent burgers, Adrian’s in South Minneapolis is fun for those that just want to sit, get fat, and talk about $11 pitchers of Premium.

Not a favorite, but is fun once in a while.
Matt’s bar is good too, if you are in to Jucy Lucies. But I think that place gets way too many props as it it is…..

The Quest isn’t really a bar, but Pete Scholtes at City Pages posted yesterday that they’ll be back open on September 1. (There was a fire in the Wyman building the other day that caused a significant amount of damage.)

Spring Street’s got ice in the urinals — always a nice touch. That’s why it’s one cut above Da Moose.

Halek’s Bar is also quite classy — mixed drinks in plastic cups, beer by the can. The separated pool room is great if you want to hit a few rails on the table when nobody’s looking, and the menu is fantastic…

Customer: I’d like a hot dog.
Bartender: You don’t want the hot dog.
Customer: Oh, OK — how about the nachos?
Bartender: You don’t want the nachos.

May I also add Stasiu’s to the list of why-is-this-bar-popular bars? I guess they have Karaoke…

but I don’t understand the attraction people have to the Bulldog, Mortimer’s, Lyle’s, or the Cardinal.
Why, it’s the pretty hipster people of course, they are so utterly fun to be around.

but….the cardinal? The one and only time I went there I thought I was there to buy meth…disheveled, skinny white people abound.

I’m walking distance from Matt’s and the Chatterbox. Most of the time I’m out for a tasty beverage and a comfy booth, without having to scream over a bad band. They both fit the bill just fine.

Ahh the chatterbox! Great breakfast buffet as well as a good place to drink.

The lodge is number one! Spin is equally as great!

I keep hearing good things about their breakfast buffet. Is it Sat and Sun? I’ll go tomorrow if I can.

I’ve only been once foster, but it was a Sunday I think.
Egg bake, biscuits and gravy ..mmmm
And bacon, sausage, and crossants, etc.
Fairly cheap too.

I’ve only been once foster, but it was a Sunday I think.
Egg bake, biscuits and gravy ..mmmm
And bacon, sausage, and crossants, etc.
Fairly cheap too.

I’ll only go to a bar if it is totally DEVOID of hipsters. I frickin’ hate having my drinking ruined by the feeling that I’m being contantly apprised, judged or stared at. Blah. Where’s the fun in that, unless you’re really into “seeing or being seen?”

That said: I do some of my drinkin’ at the St. Petersburg in Robbinsdale, which is a couple blocks from my house. Unless you count scantily-dressed Russian women or tough looking Russian mobsters as “hip”, that place is pretty much left alone by the cognoscenti. Plus: more than 100 types of vodka, you cannot go wrong.

The ultimate bar of all time is the Sportsman’s Bar in Clitherall, MN, a mere three hours northwest of the Twin Cities. You can smoke inside, they have a kickass jukebox, the beer is ridiculously cheap, and they have this bowling arcade game that’s been there for at least twenty five years. Also, great mullet spotting.

Locally, however, I have found myself drawn to the Park Tavern in St. Louis Park. Mostly because I’ve recently discovered I’m pretty good at bowling and they have lanes, and it’s three minutes from my apartment.

In my mind, the word “lounge” evokes images of cozy rooms filled bathed in red light with stiff drinks & music @ a reasonable level…possibly even some kitsch from a bygone era (usually 50’s). Max, you’ve done well by TC standards to name Nye’s & Mancini’s. The new Chatterbox in Highland almost has the right feel (esp. the artwork & color scheme), but there’s a tad too much natural light and gaming in the bar area. Monte Carlo comes close, as well. Not to get off topic, but At Random in Milwaukee is the best lounge I’ve ever haunted. It’s in a post-war rambler in Bayview (south of downtown via bridge) it’s dark, cozy, orange lights, turquoise vinyl booths, super-stiff drinks, wood paneling…. retro-kitsch in spades (all original, BTW), and even has a shrine to Frank Sinatra.

You hippies. Dive bars. Jesus. Grow up. I do like the CC though. But that’s not really a dive bar, is it? Good smoking patio.

I’m not telling where my fortress of solitude is, but rest assured, you won’t find Sparber there. Too many screens. I think Masa and Lurcat have the best cocktails in town if you like chick drinks (I do!). Otherwise, Auriga has the best Uptown happy hour thing going. I used to like the Speakeasy before Emma and her brother started cranking 70s AOR.

I heard the St. Paul Chatterbox is cooler than the Minneapolis one. Really?

Most bars on the Iron Range qualify. Up here a place like Al’s would be considered “upscale”.

The New Yorker in Green Isle, MN.

I haven’t been to the Minneapolis Chatterbox, but I’ve had serious issues with trying to get service at the Saint Paul location with their ‘team waitering’. There’s a reason that every other restaurant in the world has one waiter per table, because it works and they have an incentive (tipping) to do a good job. I assume they pool the tips at the Chatterbox and there’s no reason for them to care about getting your order right, fixing a incorrect bill, getting your second drink in a timely manner, etc.

The games are great though.

agreed on the service @ Chatterbox Highland…utter chaos just trying to get the right drinks.

One word: Cuzzy’s.

HEXAGON

Good music on one side, laid back career drinkers on the other. Wednesday night’s 80s dance fest Transmission is a lot of fun too. One of the bartenders has a tatoo on his leg of Homer Simpson as a buddha. They serve the big oilcans of Fosters. Lesbian softball teams drink there. The pool tables are good. And they’ll heat up a frozen pizza for you. That’s the cincher for me when it comes to bars.

FYI: Kieran’s has at least one TV on the east side of the bar.

Mill City Cafe in NE Mpls now has a full bar and a limited, but great, menu. The outdoor patio is beautiful with flowers and a small waterfall. I’ve never seen it crowded at night so you can always find a seat and get good service. At least, until the mainstream discovers it.

Starks in Eagan/Inver Grove. Awesome dive bar, they make you popcorn in bags and you get to hang out with the UPS Driver/NWA Baggage Handeler crowd! They are so dive they don’t even take credit cards!

Are there any bars in south Mpls (say, in between Chicago and Hiawatha?) that have full bar service? Matts and Chatterbox are ok if I want beer, but now and then I need to get my booze on.

I believe Pepito’s has a full bar.

wait a minute…i thought all the bars in mpls closed due to the smoking ban???

(sorry, i couldn’t resist.)

I agree with Jonny. I don’t want any hipsters near Rooney’s in Sedan either. I am a little worried about tmayhem showing up since the Soo Line runs right by the bar.

Ok, i know you guys might not agree with me on this one but if you want the BEST martinis or Long Islands in town you have to go to Jetset. Plus the bar absolutely ROCKS. But it is kind of a sophisticated place.

Pepito’s has a full bar along with an inviting staff.

Next time I go to any of these places, I’ll leave my white belt at home.

Yeah Pepitos has great margaritas but the food is below average…

For me, it’s not so much the choice of bar, but the time I go. Ideally, I like to go on a Friday or Saturday afternoon/early evening before crowds hit. That way, I can have nice conversation, play billiards/darts, or (gasp!) stare a televised sporting event while enjoying a few drinks with friends. Many great choices in the city.

That said, I’m pushing 40, and have nary a white belt in my closet.

I love how Rod G made sure to mention “But it’s kind of a sophisticated place”…like a gentle admonishment to make sure we are on our best behavior when we go there, or more likely to warn us away so we won’t embarass him.

Since they’re in my neighborhood, I tend to enjoy The Chatterbox and Matt’s the most. I like Matt’s because it reminds me of the bars I used to frequent when I lived in northwest WI…I don’t like to call them dives because that sounds condescending. Chatterbox can be a little too trendbot some nights for my taste, but I love the waitstaff, and no one seems to think I’m weird when I sidle up to the bar to read a book while I drink a beer.

If like Kieran’s, you might like the Liffey. Same owner. There are TVs, but you can easily avoid them in one of the many cozy pub booths. Like Brits they are there to catch euro sport events not the focus. Also it’s a good idea to avoid The Liffey on Xcel Energy event nights.

If you have not gone to the chatterbox in mpls, you should. The st.pl one seems to have tried to replicate the lived-in feel of the mpls one without actually being there long enough to create its own aura. I guess that what happens when you convert a Perkins into a neighborhood “pub”. Free Wifi at both.

Probably my favorite Twin Cities bar not yet mentioned is the Muddy Pig. Bad website, great beer. They are too busy getting the best smaller american beers and exclusive international beers to worry themselves about metadata, tags & attributes.

The Town Talk Diner has a very nice bar, and while the prices are not quite “divey,” the staff are magnificent and if you hang out enough (like me) they start giving you little samples of homemade concoctions here and there… last one I got was a berry-mimosa thingamajig… tasty stuff.

The Town Talk surprises me. Typically when a neighborhood gentrifies, the bars tend to be the holdouts, not the vanguards. Whodathunk a place like that would be kiddie-corner from Targhetto. Just sayin’.

Msparber it’s not the white belt that will make you stand out. It’s ordering something other than Old Style or Miller Lite that will out you

I hear you on both counts, Amber. I bring my up north friends to Matt’s for the charred beef and to the Chatterbox to whip their sorry asses in some Connect Four.

so amber, I assume you have tamed a jucy lucy? How about 2 in a row? Yeah, my stomach hurt afterwards, but that’s beside the point….

I almost gave up on Matt’s, because I went there twice in a row and received lousy service–one time I stood at the bar for nearly ten minutes waiting for someone to acknowlege me. Sure I’m a plain looking guy, but c’mon…..

So my taste in Pimms cups is bound t get me in trouble once again.

Anyone know a bartender in town who can pour a good sazerac or Ramos gin fizz? New Orleans ruined me for mixed drinks.

Asking for Pimms will only get a blank stare. I would also suggest a caipirinha. Brazilian drink that’s a religious experience but cachaca is kinda hard to come by around here. It runs out of the faucets down there

tj: They have a pretty good selection of cachaca at Surdyk’s.

Some pearls from Bob. Max, for classic cocktails, try the “birdbath” martini at the St. Paul Grill bar. Neat, with a twist. For a cheap classic served in a Swan Bar (former dive), order a rail drink at the 331 at 13th & University in Mpls NE. If you are there on a weekday before 5 p.m., say “hey” to Terry, the former manager at Little Jacks, now pouring magnificently cheap ($2!) cocktails in the Little Yellow Bar That Could.

Yes there is a Shortstop Bar in Coon Rapids (now with full bar, not just 3.2 beer) and another in Fridley, the site of the former Joe DeMagio’s Sports Bar, off Central Ave just past Moore Lake. There is a great Korean joint on that strip mall, too. King’s or something like that.

Champs — the subject is drinking, not smoking. Man, you are so obsessed on this whole smoking thing…

New subject: Any bloggers who read this who consider themselves “journalists” need to read “Amateur Hour” by Nicholas Lemann in this week’s New Yorker (hint — it’s a magazine, folks). Jason and (gag!) Marsh are excluded, as they are bona fides.

“Pim’s Number 1 Cup my man and Hold the cucumber slice please”

Something you have never heard in a Minneapolis Bar.

Pim’s is english right? What about Brit’s?

Nice Sedan reference- I preferred the recently closed Hatchery in Lowry, also off the soo line.

Pimms is English. And I would never order it without the cucumber, although I’ll drink it that way.

The Palimino downtown actually pours a perfect Pimms, although sans cucumber. The best mojito I’ve had is at the Walker Art Center. I found everything on the menu at Blu to be fairly unpalatable, although the cocktail lounge downstairs is quite pleasant. The Lyndale Lemonade at Rudolph’s Barbeque is surprisingly good. The Bryant-Lae Bowl’s version of the Tequila Sunrise, in the meanwhile, is the first cocktail I couldn’t finish because it tasted so dreadful.

Somebody’s got to bring Dale DeGroff to town to teach people how to really mix a cocktail. I’ve had a Brandy Crusta and a Margarita made by the man that was unbelievable.

JP don’t tell me the hatchery closed. Did Stacy sell it? As far as Rooney’s I guess I still refer to it as Sig’s

Caipirinha in Minneapolis? Haven’t had a good one outside of my kitchen yet. Azia makes them with lemons! I think I’ve had ok ones at Chino Latino and the place is St. Louis Park with Brasilian food (is that still there?)

Stacy did sell, and Sig’s is how I know it as well. To stay on topic, I actually prefer Friday evening happy hour at Rudolph’s. I know it’s not a hipster secret, but I like it. Oh, and they give you cornbread with candles in it for your birthday.

Not that anyone wouldn’t expect this but…

Last night at Lyle’s I got beat by girls at both darts and foosball, my waitress hit me (hard!) for grabbing a drink at the bar, Gladys Knight was cued up, and my friend threw up all over my apartment when we got home.

This is exactly what some don’t want, but exactly what others do…

FWIW, Jim at the Monte Carlo mixes some pretty mean martinis – especially his espresso martini and signature “dirty girl.”

The Peacock Lounge, connected to Erte, is where you can find me every Friday drinking their 2 for 1 Summits.

Every Tuesday at St. Petersburg in Robbinsdale with their 160 kinds of vodka and the best white russian I’ve ever had anywhere.

Others:

Town Hall for Patio and beer
331 for music

Ooh, I haven’t tried the signature drinks there, but Monte arlo is a hell of a bar. I should go there more often.

The “dirty girl” is not a bar signature, just a Jim original – therefore signature – martini. It is excellent…

Lyle’s, the CC, the Bulldog, etc. are popular because they are located in the most densely populated neighborhoods in the state of Minnesota.

By coincidence, these neighborhoods are filled with more assorted hipsters than any spot between Madison and Boulder.

If you opened up a bar in a dank, fungus infested sub-basement located beneath the rundown laundrymat located at 27th and Lyndale, you’d have lines halfway down the block.

Actually, I may open that bar…

I don’t understand how some of you cats trek out to these dive bars in Robinsdale, Eagan, etc. How do you get to and from the bar? Might as well be in Canadia, for my purposes.

IMHO, the Triple Rock is the best bar in the Twin Cities. Good booze, good food, good jukebox, good people watching, good shows, and it’s near the LRT. I love that place.

I skimmed a bit so maybe I missed it….but I don’t think anybody mentioned PALMER’S on the West Bank? Where else can you get a drink strong enough to make you pass out or puke after only 2 (I’ve experienced this before and I must say it’s a great time), witness crack deals, Somali fights, gun shots, drunk grizzled patrons with missing teeth, get great bloody marys, talk about organic hair conditioner with anarchists, and get harassed in the crusty bathroom by a drunk old woman?? Great place. I’m serious. Check it out. I love Dirty P’s.

I agree on the Muddy Pig, a truly wonderful place. But one should always remember The Dubliner. Not the best area, but worth the trip for a good Guinness.

Yes, mike s, that was my point about the bars in Uptown, which I didn’t quite finish as I became lost in a an entrepeneurial reverie. The best bar is the one where you can end up like Peter O’toole on his birthday and still be able to stumble home before you wet yourself.

I agree, it is best to get sauced somewhere within walking distance, so you won’t committ DWI and risk having your drunken anti-semetic rants wind up in a police report.

Big V’s is my favorite dive, but only for shows. Otherwise the Turf. Followed by a late-night drive back to Minneapolis listening to BBC. Ahhhh…

Some of the shit you people drink…wow. I guess I am just a minnesota lad, lost in flyover country.

Pass the beer. Maybe I’ll do a shot of jag later

At least try some Sailor Jerry rum, Russ. Spiced, with a hint of cherry.

I don’t knows why they don’ts hire me as their spokesman, I spends so much time promoting them.

I think MNSpeak has just found it’s higher calling: making drink recommendations to each other!

If you don’t know that it’s Cuzzy’s you might as well live in Chicago.

The place in St. Louis Park with Brazilian food has closed.

Palmers! Yes! It’s a wonderfully horrible bar. I always drive carefully past Palmers since the time someone stumbled out the door and swooped very nearly into the street.

For about 10 years now I’ve been going to the fanciest places in town just to sit in the bar and order their cheapest wine. Highly recommend it! Not if you are a big drinker though: $$$

Forgot to mention the 331 which was good/scary when it was a scary bar, and is good now for music and nice blue walls.

Faves to take the In-Laws to:

Poodle Club
Augies
22nd Ave Station
B.J.’s

Fun for Date Night:

See Above
Terminal Bar
Triple Rock
Ground Zero/The Front

RIP:

Molly Quinns
Polish Palace
Stand Up Franks
Cromwell Bar

We used to call Stand Up Franks “Fall Down Franks” because of how wasted one could get there for cheap.

Was it Frank’s or the CC Club that used to accept AA tokens as payment for bar tabs? HA!

The Nook in St. Paul has great burgers and great beer and it’s got that “walking distance” thing going for me. If I feel like driving to a bar, Mayslack’s in NE MPLS rules. Great food, great bands, great place.

None of these bars hold a candle to the bars in Bayview area of Milwaukee, however… At Random for starters but from there you get Frank’s Power Plant (best bar ever), the Palomino, Bar LuLu, etc…

My 1st time @ Stand Up Franks I must have looked horrified by the amount of Jack that the bartender put in my Jack & Coke (4oz whiskey, .5oz coke(…so he asked me if I wanted some Coke on the side…I said sure, so he proceeded to spray the side of my glass with more Coke from the gun and told me to drink up.

I third At Random in MKE – I spent many a day there in my youth. Ahhhh, the Tiki Love Bowl.

For a great dive bar, go to Ted’s on the corner of Lexington and Larpenteur in St. Paul.

I also used to like the place across the street from Mayslacks.

The Cromwell was fun – now it is a parking lot.

I didn’t know that Stand Up Franks had closed. Sigh… I used to love that place.

Forgot one in the Dive Bar Hall of Fame:

Moby Dicks

Raindoggy–you take your in-laws to the Double Duce? The Terminal Bar as a date spot — hmmm. I was unaware that Stand Up Franks was closed — can anyone confirm? The Polish Palace is now the Sample Room, doing quite well. BYW, the place across from Mayslacks is called the Knight Cap.

Hey, how about the often overlooked NE Minneapolis Yacht Club on Marshall?

Personally I’m a fan of Tracy’s on Franklin Ave too… they have redbull and also make surprisingly decent martinis.

Oh, and I never hear anyone mention Sonny’s (Sunny’s?) on Lake and Chicago… haha… my money is on the hipsters discovering and claiming this joint now that the Midtown market is open…

Hey, has anyone been to the Schooner Bar (that old bar over by Rainbow in Midtown) or the Yukon Club (Lake St.)? Two places that I think would provide some good people-watching, if only I weren’t too scared to venture inside.

I have to put in a plug for Tony Jaro’s River Garden. Always a good time, and who can resist a greenie??

best pork tenderloin sandwich around too..

A few Christmases ago a buddy and I had heard that The Terminal had Sierra Nevada Celebration on tap. We sauntered in, loaded up on popcorn and sat at the bar. After our second SN, Phlegm’s son informed us that we had wandered into The Terminal Christmas Party and, would we like a drink? It was Phlegm, his son, his wife, a half dozen regulars and us dorks. He poured us the craziest drinks (Mike and Ike’s!!!???) on the house, gave us our beers and, after becoming entirely wasted, we stumbled out into the night.

“I don’t know who you guys are, but what are you drinking!?”

And that is why The Terminal will always be the best (dive) bar in the Cities.

Um, Fygar, it’s Flem, not Phlegm.

Jesus, “Flem”. Is that why they’re never responding to my love/thank you notes? I always figured it was some weird nickname. Whoops.

ST PAUL BARS

Dive
The Spot (Victoria & Randolph) — Nothing beats this place… and it opens at 8am.

The Gopher Bar — Work crew goes for overpriced, overrated Coneys during the day. But the real fun is at night, espcially if the owner’s crazy son is tending bar.

Beer
The Muddy Pig — (as previously mentioned)

The Happy Gnome — Muddy Pig owner Mark La Vie’s (sp?) other place. 24 micro, craft, Belgian beers on draught. Good menu… and the same bar/booths that made it’s predecessor, Chang O’Hara’s, great.

Caution: They did screw up the old, multi-tiered patio when they rebuilt it.

Music

The Dubliner — As previously mentioned. Love the old Ace Box neon, and the one dude who plays Irish standards on certain nights.

Turf Club — But you already knew that

V’s — Best club in town to get shitfaced to live rock.

The Loading Zone

If you can find this bar in the first place, and you show up on the right night, you could be treated to such sights as old men playing bloody knuckles, trashy couples slow-dancing to Def Leppard’s “Love Bites,” or a five-year-old boy sitting by himself playing Strip Club on the game computer. Generally though, you can’t even find it, and if you do it will probably be a slow night anyway.

Taken from Slim’s Guide to Boozing in the Twin Ports

There are so many great bars (dive and non-dive alike) in the Twin Cities that I think it’s easier to just name places I don’t like. But I won’t, because that’s flame war heaven right there.

Instead, I’ll just say that the CC Club and the patio at Leaning Tower of Pizza are some of my favorites.

C’mon. Name them.

Okay, you got me msparber–

I sort of don’t like don’t like any bar on 1st Avenue except O’Donovans (the actual First Ave. isn’t really a bar). And then I absolutely hate: Sally’s, Stub and Herb’s, William’s, Liquor Lyle’s, The Corner Bar, Bullwinkle’s, Sgt. Preston’s, the Big Ten, the Sportsman and Cuzzy’s. Basically, I don’t like anywhere that has that “pigs to the slop trough” feeling on a Saturday night.

I’ll name ‘em…

For St. Paul…

– The Chatterbox (Highland) — bleech, horse$hit service in a strip mall… but they have YAHTZEE!! Good for you, local hipster. No thanks.

– Axel’s Bonfire (and virtually every other place on Grand Ave.) — Horrid.

– Tom Reid’s — This is the last place to go when downtown… “hockey night” or not.

– Matty B’s — Sorry Birk. This place was 10x more charming (and half the price for booze) when it was called “Gallivan’s”.

– Fhima’s — Seriously. This is St. Paul. Get your South Beach aping restaurant out of our beloved city.

–

My List (these have been in my glove box since day 1 of my move to Minneapolis):

1) Viking (RIP) — still #1 though. I mean, free blues every night! hmph
2) Palmers — don’t pass up the schooner mugs
3) Schooner Tavern (next to Festival Foods off Lake St)
4) Ted’s (Larpeneur)
5) Vegas Lounge
6) King of Clubs (RIP) — anyone remember this one?
7) The Tin Cup (St Paul)
The Gopher Bar (St Paul)
9) Match Tavern in Hopkins (RIP)
10) Popeye’s (Lake St)

Sunday Morning Hangs
11) Poodle Club (duh)
12) Country Bar (uptown)
13) the Joint (best eggs benedict & bloody)
14) Hexagon

turf club. hexagon.

331 – chill, pleasant crowd, food that’s one step above average bar food, nice liquor and decent beer selection, surprisingly cheap, interesting music every night, never a cover.

Who could forget the King of Clubs.
The exterior was used in Fargo for the Bar that was supposed to be in Brainerd where Marge interviewed the Hookers from White Bear Lake…Go Bears!

There was a long standing parking issue for that bar, the city put a fence up around the grassy area they had been using for parking and pretty much drove them out of business. The lot is now home to an HIV AID’s hospice. The building looks nice but the King is dead. I wonder who has that awesome sign.

After 11:30 Friday and Saturday nights at The Dakota in Downtown MPLS a $3 cover gets you in to see local jazz greats and a killer late night happy hour food and drinks menu. The $7 house wine is $3 a glass instead. Or $3 could get you a killer potato ale. And the bartenders know how to make drinks. No need to go out of town for a proper drink, kiddos.

It’s a nice, but cheap way to impress a date or relax in a quiet place.

Hexagon…hands down.

Jim

YOU WUSSIES…I hate to love it..but Palmers wins hands down. You’ve probebly been there, but don’t remember, because you were wasted. I’ve gotten drunk at Palmers every visit for under ten dollars.

We now have a decent Irish pub, Jake O’Connor’s in Excelsior on the west side. The owner also has O’Donovan’s in downtown Minneapolis across the street from the Target Center.

There is also McGarry’s in Maple Plain near County Road 19 and US Hwy 12.

Both serve Boddington’s Pub Ale and that’s good enough for me.