The area around Target Center is known as the Warehouse District.
There are many bars and restaurants within a few blocks.
| Brother’s Bar & Grill American 430 1st Ave N (lower level) Brother’s is a large sports and college-oriented bar, with drink specials every night. There are pool tables and a dance floor, and the food is typical bar food. | Loon Cafe American 500 1st Ave N The Loon Cafe is a full-fledged restaurant by day, and a packed bar by night. The food is of a wide variety and is very good, and there are plenty of beers on tap. |
| Banana Joe’s Dance 15 South 5th St. Banana Joe’s is a dance club with a tropical flavor. There are several dance floors with different types of music playing, and occasionally there are live bands. | O’Donovan’s Irish/Live Music 700 1st Ave N O’Donovan’s is an authentic Irish bar featuring live music nearly every night. The menu, both food and beverage, is decidedly Irish, and the crowd is a mix of young and old. |
Uptown Minneapolis Bars & Restaurants
Uptown offers a change of pace from the downtown bar scene. Many bars feature local bands, and the area is more of a local hangout than the Warehouse District.
| Williams American 2911 Hennepin Ave. S Williams is a pretty standard bar featuring over 70 beers on tap and hundreds in bottles. Food is available, and there are also free peanuts and popcorn. | Uptown Bar & Cafe American 3018 Hennepin Ave. Uptown offers live music most nights featuring local bands. They serve up a very good breakfast Bloody Mary as well. There is also an outdoor patio when the weather is nice. |
| Liquor Lyle’s Irish 2021 Hennepin Ave. S Liquor Lyle’s is a very popular bar with a mixed-ages crowd. The happy hour specials are excellent, and the drinks reasonably priced overall. | Famous Dave’s BBQ & Blues American/BBQ 3001 Hennepin Ave. S Famous Dave’s is a franchise BBQ restaurant serving up great food, including award-winning ribs. There is live blues most nights, and the bar is open late every night. |
U of Minnesota Bars & Restaurants
There are several bars and restaurants walking distance of the University of Minnesota.
| Sally’s Saloon and Eatery American 712 Washington Ave. SE Sally’s is located in the heart of the University, and features occasional live music and frequent drink specials. | Big 10 Restaurant & Bar Sports 606 Washington Ave. SE The Big 10 Restaurant & Bar serves up great subs, burgers, and wings, and also plenty of brew. |
St. Paul Bars & Restaurants
St. Paul is a mainly Irish community with several bar and restaurant offerings.
| Patrick McGovern’s Restaurant & Pub Irish 225 W. 7th Street Located one block from the Xcel Energy Center, McGovern’s is a great place to head before or after an event. They serve up good food in a nice atmosphere. | Alary’s Bar Sports 139 E. 7th Street Alary’s is a sports bar located within a mile of the Xcel Energy Center. Despite its location in the heart of Vikings’ country, it is a Chicago Bear’s bar. |
| Half Time Rec Irish 1013 Front Ave. Located a mile or so west of downtown St. Paul is the Half Time Rec. The bar features a standard Irish pub with pool and darts, as well as a second room featuring live Irish music several nights a week. A great place to hang out or listen to music. | Sweeney’s Saloon & Cafe American 96 Dale St. N Sweeney’s features an outdoor patio, and is especially popular in the summer. They serve up standard American bar food as well. |
Mall of America Bars & Restaurants
The Mall of America is located in Bloomington, a few miles south of downtown Minneapolis. It is an impressive place, featuring an amusement park and hundreds of shops on four floors. Home plate from the old Metropolitan Stadium is located on the amusement park floor. There are several bars and restaurants inside as well.
| Hooter’s American Hooter’s is a pretty well-known establishment. The food is decent, but most people show up for the wait staff. | Jillian’s Sports Jillian’s is a huge bar complex featuring numerous TV’s, games, pool, and even a bowling alley. |
| Player’s Bar & Grill American/Sports Player’s is a sports-oriented bar & grill with very good food at reasonable prices. |
Bar La Grassa
Italian Bar & Restaurant Bar La Grassa has been a favorite of locals since opening in 2004. The Italian owners created a unique menu using only fresh ingredients from Italy and imported olive oil from their native Sicily. In addition to traditional pasta dishes, the restaurant offers a wide selection of other favorites such as veal marsala, linguine with white clam sauce, and many others.
The decor includes lots of wood finishes throughout the dining area, creating the feeling that you are eating in someone’s home instead of a bar or restaurant. With three full bars, it is easy to find your favorite drinks whether they be American craft beers or classic cocktails.
Monte Carlo
The Monte Carlo has become known for its great selection of beers on tap and high quality wine. They have over 20 drafts, including specialties from local micro-breweries such as Surly, Summit, and Fulton.
The restaurant offers live jazz every Tuesday through Saturday from 9 pm to midnight. The Monte Carlo also offers private dining and special events for any occasion including birthdays, anniversaries, bachelorette parties, bridal showers, business meetings, holiday parties, etc.
Smack Shack
Smack Shack offers the best lobster rolls and lobster boils in the Twin Cities! They are a family-owned business that has been around since 1996. Smack Shack serves up their lobster meals in paper baskets that you eat right there at the restaurant or take it home with you to enjoy later! They also have plenty of parking in their large lot, making it easy to visit during lunch or dinner hours!
Smack Shack has been voted “Best Lobster Roll” for seven years running by the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper and “Best Seafood” by City Pages magazine for nine years running! The lobster rolls are famous and Smack Shack is always busy so get there early if you want a seat!
Parlor Bar
The Parlor is a quaint cocktail bar in a very cool location near Uptown in the heart of Northeast Minneapolis. They have the best burgers, as are their many craft beer selections, including brews from the likes of Surly and Fulton Street.
Parlor has quickly become a popular stop for folks looking for a great drink or a bite to eat after work or on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and they have the happy hour deals to back that up as well.
The Parlor has an extensive selection of local brands of craft beers on tap as well as a nice bottle list featuring some excellent wines from around the world. The staff at The Parlor are very friendly, attentive, and knowledgable about the selection of drinks on offer.
The Bachelor Farmer
The Bachelor has long been of the top notch bars in the Twin Cities for live music. The Bachelor’s kitchen also specializes in tasty food like wings, pizza, burgers, and sandwiches, many of which come on a delicious pretzel bun. There are also daily specials like wings or burgers every night at 8 p.m., along with drink specials and a selection of over 30 local beers on tap.
Marvel Bar
The Marvel Bar is a great spot for live music featuring local and national bands every night of the week. They also have DJs spinning tunes on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. The bar also features weekly trivia nights, and karaoke every other Tuesday night.
Black Sheep Coal Fired Pizza
Coal fired pizzas are not common in most restaurants, but Black Sheep Coal Fired Pizza makes it happen with their thin-crust Neapolitan pizzas that are cooked in real coal-burning ovens. The restaurant’s menu is small but diverse, offering pizza and other Italian fare like calamari, chicken parmesan, and meatball sandwiches. The Black Sheep has become a staple in Northeast Minneapolis’ thriving Uptown district.
