31. Jetset Bar
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (612) 339-3933
Address: 115 First St. North
Description: Jetset is the Twin Cities’ most stylish gay bar—indeed, it’s one of the area’s most stylish bars of any description. When you step into Jetset you may feel as though you’ve passed through a wormhole into Manhattan: the couches are sparse and low, the walls are tall and white, the drink shelf behind the bar is well-stocked and underlit. It’s notably straight-friendly, so you have absolutely no excuse not to make your way there for a martini (or, if you absolutely must, a beer).
32. The Saloon
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (612) 332-0835
Address: 830 Hennepin Ave.
Description: The Saloon is one of the most popular bars and dance clubs for Twin Cities gay men, featuring a large, dark dance floor with plenty of loud music and a large bar in the back for socializing and imbibing. The Saloon has various themes for the days of the week, including Hard Mondays (hard rock, industrial, and Goth music) and Boys Night Out on Thursday (18+ are allowed in), as well as DJs on the weekends.
33. Bunker’S Music Bar & Grill
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (612) 338-8188
Address: 761 Washington Ave. North
Description: A popular lunch spot serving soups and sandwiches during the day, this neighborhood bar turns into a blues and rock club at night. The acts booked range from alternative rock bands to blues, R&B, and jazz acts. The cover charge is pretty low—usually under $6—and there are also pool tables and video games.
34. The Dakota Bar & Grill
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (612) 332-1010
Address: 1010 Nicollet Ave.
Description: At least once a week, a national headlining jazz act comes through town to play at this club, and while the ticket prices are high (usually around $30) for the area, jazz fans will definitely get their money’s worth. The cuisine served is elegant and as stylish as the music: Caribbean-seasoned prime rib of pork, Hawaiian line-caught snapper, and Tabasco-molasses glazed New York strip steak. There’s an extensive wine list, a full bar, and a happy hour Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. Lighter fare is served in the jazz club.
35. Famous Dave’S Bbq & Blues
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (612) 822-9900
Address: 3001 Hennepin Ave. South
Description: Not only does Famous Dave’s have some of the best barbecue ribs and fried catfish in the Twin Cities (especially for a chain restaurant), the Uptown branch also books some of the rawest blues in the area. The music is free, and the drinks are reasonably priced.
36. Bev’S Wine Bar
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (612) 337-0102
Address: 250 Third Ave. North
Description: Bev’s is ultraromantic, so dimly lit you may have a hard time reading the exceptional wine list. High ceilings, dark wood, and big windows looking out on the Warehouse District make this one of the Twin Cities’ most appealing spots for a quiet drink—especially if you’re a wine connoisseur. The wine list isn’t particularly long, but it’s very well chosen. You won’t go wrong.
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Nightlife
Address: 1110 Nicollet Mall
38. Chatterbox Pub
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (612) 728-9871
Address: 2229 East 35th St.
Description: This bar’s big claim to fame is the huge collection of Atari, Nintendo, and Sega Genesis video games available for customers. The bar also makes available vintage board games such as Connect 4 and Yahtzee. If you’re hungry in addition to wanting to play games and drink intoxicating beverages, the Chatterbox serves breakfast (St. Paul location only), lunch, several full entrée dinners, burgers, and pizza. Of special note on the menu: baked macaroni and cheese with your choice of ingredients, pizza-style. It’s deadly good.
39. Clubhouse Jäger
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (612) 332-2686
Address: 923 Washington Ave. North
Description: Sitting alone at the far west end of Washington Avenue, Club Jäger isn’t a likely candidate for any bar crawls, but when you find it you feel like you’ve found the prize in the box of Cracker Jack. It’s richly decorated in high Bavarian style, but it’s less kitschy than, say, the Black Forest. You’ll want to pull up an armchair and stay awhile, especially on winter nights when the (gas) fireplace is crackling and the friendly waitstaff are happy to keep you supplied with a steady stream of suds. The bar is also a notable nightlife destination, especially to beat the midweek blahs. Jägercon—the Twin Cities’ smallest, most frequent, and friendliest sci-fi convention—takes place each Tuesday night and Transmission—DJ Jake Rudh’s dance party—happens on Wednesday.
40. Donny Dirk’S Zombie Den
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (612) 588-9700
Address: 2027 North Second St.
Description: Apparently deciding that with Psycho Suzi holding the torch for traditional tiki, a South Seas theme was insufficient, the proprietors of Donnie Dirk’s Zombie Den threw in a zombie theme as well. Given that the Twin Cities are home to an annual Zombie Pub Crawl that attracts thousands, founding a year-round zombie bar made sense, and it’s paying off in a regular clientele who enjoy the stiff (pun intended) drinks.
41. Gluek’S Restaurant & Bar
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (612) 338-6621
Address: 16 North Sixth St.
Description: Gluek’s is Minneapolis’s original brewpub. Since 1902 Gluek’s has served Minneapolis with its tasty beer. Located in the historic Warehouse District, Gluek’s draws huge crowds with its brew, other domestic and foreign beers, and liquors. Gluek’s is across the street from the Target Center, home of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx, and within walking distance of the shops of downtown Minneapolis.
42. Grumpy’S
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (612) 340-9738
Address: 1111 Washington Ave. South
Description: The downtown Grumpy’s is a Washington Avenue landmark, a big bar serving platters of tater tots that seem to take up about half the table (and that’s just the half order). It’s a favorite destination for pregaming Metrodome events—which there will be many fewer of now that the Twins are moving to Target Field and the Gophers have gone back to campus, but that just leaves more room for the bar’s loyal regulars. Except for sharing ownership and a name, the northeast Grumpy’s and the Roseville Grumpy’s don’t have too much in common with the original—though they both have their own followings, and the northeast location has become the kind of “neighborhood joint” that people from other neighborhoods seek out.
43. The Herkimer Pub & Brewery
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (612) 821-0101
Address: 2922 Lyndale Ave. South
Description: The Herkimer Pub & Brewery offers a large selection of freshly made beers. Despite its location in the trendy Lyn-Lake neighborhood, the beers made in-house cost less than a bottle of domestic. Each day there are different “Today’s Brews” written on a chalkboard, including light lagers and heavier dunkels (German for dark). The Herkimer also serves food and appetizers (burgers, sandwiches, fish and chips, etc.) until midnight.
44. The Independent
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (612) 378-1905
Address: 3001 Hennepin Ave.
Description: The Independent is kind of the default bar at Lake and Hennepin: rarely packed, rarely dead, good (but not great) beer selection, good (but not great) cocktail menu, decent atmosphere . . . If you spend much time in Uptown, chances are that before too long you’ll find yourself in a group of people looking for a spot to go when one person says, “How about the Independent?” And you’ll all shrug and go to the Independent. (Note: It’s not a dance club, and people have been kicked out for trying to turn it into one—so stir your booty, don’t shake it.)
45. The Library
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (612) 604-1900
Address: 1301 Fourth St. SE
Description: With brilliant irony, the busiest bar on the University of Minnesota campus is a multilevel monster called the Library. (From the outside, it even looks kind of like a library—though it sure doesn’t sound like one.) If you’re a U of M student looking for a crowded bar, you’re probably on your way there right now, memorizing the name and address on your fake ID. If you’re not a U of M student looking for a crowded bar . . . move along, there’s nothing to see here.