I am pretty sure Viva and Jerry hang out at this place. I've been told that on several occasions. Honestly, I think this is a pretty decent hangout. The only reason I ever bothered to check it out was because someone tried to burn it down a few times and that caught my attention. The food is pretty good, and the crowd is definitely neighborhood residents. If someone just dropped you off here blindfolded and shoved you in the bar, you would never guess its in South Minneapolis. Given its location, it tends not to get packed...which can be a good thing. If you feel like going out but not fighting crowds, this is a good spot. Pool tables are usually regularly open, too. If you're taking the light rail to the airport, stop here and grab lunch and a drink. read more

Great bar food and Trivia Mafia on Wednesday nights with Donna is awesome! We go almost every week.

Perfect! My husband and I were looking for a little breakfast spot after a very early flight into MSP and found rhis cute place. It looks the same on the inside as it does on the outside. The breakfast was traditional american eggs, omlette, cakes and browns. It was good i expensive and the staff was friendly. I will defenately be returning to pick up my small hoodie, as promised! read more

Cardinal Tavern - American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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A solid, neighborhood bar near 38th and Hiawatha. I was there a few Friday nights having some beers with a friend. Decent beer selections, reasonable prices. A comfortable, non-synthetic neighborhood bar. A good mix of townies - both young and old. I'd definitely check it out again next time I'm in this south Minneapolis 'hood. read more

More than just a "dive" bar...a great place for locals and not so locals alike. No hard liquor, but a great selection of bottled beer. They also serve wine and have 4 or 5 taps. What elevates this place is the food - I had a burger (the mexican) and it was great. 1/3 lb, and they hand make them on site. Thick cut fries as well. They also have a ton of seating dart machines, pool tables, and the requisite pull tabs. read more

This place is like falling into a time warp. You walk-in, sit down and before you know it, you look at the clock and four hours have passed. Oh and mind you, this place is old-school Minneapolis - back when licenses were divided up - it's beer only here! Prices are great -- pitchers ranging from $10-$22, a lot of local favorites as well as the typical cheap big brands. The food is good, great staple bar appetizers like cheese curds, onion rings and wings all for super affordable prices. Definitely a place to stop as the nightcap on a day of drinking or bar hopping. Or a great place to go to get a bit tipsy and enjoy good ol' bar food! read more

I closed the place the other night after coming back from downtown. We still had beers left and still had songs hanging on the jukebox but oh well. This place is pretty awesome, especially when it's not super packed. When it's really busy it can be too chaotic and noisy, but this was perfect. The bartender gave us the sell on a pitcher of Summit instead of two pints, which elongated our stay but we were happy to oblige. I like to shoot pool, so this place is up my alley with four tables in the back. The space is roomy, so you don't feel boxed in or in someone's way unless it's being mobbed by Twins fans for something and then the place gets to be a bit too much. The bartender was super friendly the last time 'round, which I'd not always experienced here but it's never been bad. I've never eaten the food here, probably because I never find myself in the Cardinal until later at night. The reviews have me a bit intrigued about the food though, and the menu is large so perhaps I'll go for a bite sometime. As others have noted the Cardinal gets high marks because it's pretty cheap, the location could not be much better right off the 38th St station, and there aren't all that many bars nearby. A very convenient neighborhood dive. read more

This is my favorite dive bar. The service is great, the food is good and the drinks are cheaper. It's close to the light rail and they often have good deals on foods and drinks. I love this place. read more

Cardinal Tavern - Crispin is the way to go - American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Don't let the caged in patio on the entrance side of the building fool you, Cardinal is a cool spot. When you think of a dive they fit the bill, but a nice dive if that's possible. All the necessities are there...Golden Tee, Billiards, Darts, Pull Tabs and cheap beer and food. They even take it a step further and have trivia certain nights and I'm pretty sure a meat raffle too. The inside is a good size, there is plenty of table seating but the bar and bathrooms are a little tight. I usually roll with a burger and tots although the menu is expansive. If you're really hungry or just want to indulge they are happy to add an extra patty:) Beer selection is actually decent, quite a few choices from popular breweries across the country and local brews right here in Minneapolis. In my experience the service has always been good and the people are always nice. I'd recommend giving it a shot if you're in the area or just looking to grab a drink while riding the light rail. read more

The Cardinal is one of those places you should just know about. Located smack dab off the LRT stop at 38th and Hiawatha, The Cardinal has what real estate folks love: LOCATION. Ok, so they've also got $9 pitchers of premium tap beer ($12 for "dark" beer - love the distinctions...), karaoke and a nice back room to shoot pool and the proverbial...well, you know. From the outside, The Cardinal looks like a dive-bar. On the inside...well, it's a dive-bar, but not super-divey like some other establishments in the vicinity of 38th and Hiawatha. That said, The Cardinal is cheap, the food is good and the service is great. Overall, a great stop on a night out, and a great spot to grab a Friday night fish fry. Just don't get sucked in by those deals on pitchers of beer... read more

I have rarely been here after noon. Normally it's a starting point when my friends and I "just aren't feeling good" and the Twins have a day game. Breakfast are quick, cheap and good. The other thing I like is the burgers are hand pattied and a quarter pound or so......except I think they are hand pattied by Kevin Love, as they're always more than a quarter pound AFTER being cooked. The only word of warning I have, be careful on the patio chairs (the plastic ones), I destroyed one w/ my ass. Can't blame the bar, it's my asses fault, but just a word of warning. One with less training might spill a beer in such a tumble....I did not. read more

Decent burgers...they have a long list of burger variations that are all mediocre. Tots are awesome though!! Kind of an odd and short beer selection, 3 lighter beers, Stella and a special on a Goose Island IPA when I was there for Sunday football. Overall a cheap sports bar I'd probably go watch football at again.. read more

Somewhat of a dive bar, but that's the beauty of The Cardinal. Tasty and cheap bar food. No liquor, but a decent selection of beer. Plenty of bar games. Staff is almost always very friendly (maybe once in the past 6 years have I seen someone who was crabby). I've taken my 3 year old son there several times in the past few months and I have to give the highest compliments to the staff for being really good and patient with kids. I've celebrated many a birthday here (with a fairly large group) and everyone always has a great time. read more

Yes, it looks like a dive bar as you walk in. Parking is not easy. We were there for 5 minutes and left. Big plastic sheet on one wall. Dark, loud. I understand this appeals to some people. We think there are nicer places for a burger & beer. read more

The only thing going for this place might be its location on the light rail. Walked in on a Sunday and took a seat at a table and was worried a little if a waitress would come by and help us or not. Little did I know all 3 of them stopped by our table at one time or another. Wasn't really sure which one was actually our waitress lol. The plan was to get a bite to eat but the girlfriend wasn't really feeling the place so we ordered wings and a beer and we left. Wings were average as was the atmosphere. Not my kind of bar. read more

This is a great example of a local place that has built a local reputation as a good place to hang out. Having a couple of friends in the area, I'd heard enough about it to want to check it out. I was happily surprised. What I found was a great "non-corporate" bar, with townies chatting it up, a friendly, helpful wait-staff, and reasonably priced (some might even say CHEAP), but most importantly VERY TASTY bar food. I had a hamburger and fries, and they were seriously among the best I've had in the area! Several large TVs had on both football and hockey, and I noticed there were pool tables and dart machines, too. I'll definitely be back. read more

Good vibes, awesome service & cold beer. Fun place to pregame, party or to grab some yummy burgers and wings. Oh- and order the Cajun tots, they're a must! read more

Best burgers hands down! Breakfast ,lunch, or dinner this place is a winner.Great service, friendly neighborhood bar. Darts, pool,pulltabs, bingo and great prices. Good music , huge televisions if you just want to watch the game. Karaoke and happy hour specials. Excellent diverse friendly bar...Great find. You will not regret it read more

Cardinal Tavern - Hand painted mural inside dining area adjacent to game room. - American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Alyssa R, our daughter, and I made the drive here for the All-You-Can-Eat Friday Night Fish Fry they serve. I was told over the phone it is served between 5-9 pm. Alyssa R & I have been here once before for the Fish Fry, but I wasn't sure if it was a year round thing or seasonal. Year round it is! Parking is a little tough. Being right off of the 38th Street LRT stop, the train station takes up most of the parking spots before 6:30 pm. After 6:30, they all open up to the Cardinal Tavern. There would be street parking, but not on 38th Street, I believe. You'd have to go the next block down to park on the street. We got there just after 5, and was able to score one of the few non-LRT parking spots, and made our way in. We walked past an outdoor patio area, which seems to be more of the smokers hang out. Being right off of the main entrance, you might be greeted with a stench of cigarette smoke and a few hacks and coughs from the patrons or servers outside there. Walking in, you are entering into the bar area of the joint. It's dimly lit, and takes a second for your eyes to adjust from the sunlight outside. When they do, you'll notice a seating area in the middle and back areas of the place. The back area is also the game room area. With pool tables, Big Buck Hunter and Golden Tee Golf. We sat down in the middle seating area, and were greeted by a very nice guy who couldn't stop talking with our 8 month old daughter. He just wanted a smile out of her, and boy, did he try with all his might to get one from her. He was successful, but Pheona made him work for it. He asked us about drinks, and Alyssa R asked about Taps & Happy Hour. She went with a Bell's Two Hearted, & I went with a MGD. Both were part of the Happy Hour special they have Mon-Fri till 6 pm. When our drinks were brought, a couple of menus came with them. The back page has the daily specials, while the inside has all the standard bar fare. Apps, Burgers, Sandwiches. The MGD I got was the coldest beer I've ever drank. That beer went down way too easy. By the time we were asked what we wanted to eat, I was ready for another beer. We both went with the AYCE Fish Fry. It comes standard with Beer Battered Cod, French Fries, Coleslaw, & Toast. Waiting for our meals, we were entertained by a couple of TVs in the middle seating section, as well as a pull tab booth. That, and a few workers stopping by to say hi, and to try and make Pheona laugh. Very nice folks in here. The meals brought to our table looked very average. Three fillets of golden fried cod. Sysco style french fries. Large plastic ramekin of coleslaw. Slightly buttered and lightly toasted wheat bread. Small plastic ramekin of tartar. There wasn't a WOW to the plate of food. It looked good, but very average. The cod was perfect for picking up and eating with your hand. The fried shell was done right. Crispy outside, but yet moist inside. The cod was steamy, flaky, and white. The fries tasted like frozen bagged fries. Nothing special. The coleslaw was alright. Cool & creamy. Average slaw. Good to cut through all the fried bites of food. That toast we could have done without. Nothing there. Plain Jane wheat bread barely buttered and barely toasted. When we were checked up on, we put in an order for 3 more pieces. Those came out in under 5 minutes. I took 2 of them, and they were just like the first. Good, solid, golden fried cod. After those were done, I still wanted another piece. They aren't huge fillets. Only about 4" long or so. Alyssa R wanted more, too. So we put in a 3 piece order again. When those came, I asked if everything was AYCE. I was told yes. It all is. I asked for the bill at this time, too. Overall, the meals we got at this place fit the bill. The Cardinal Tavern is a dive bar. They aren't trying to wow you with anything other than a blue collared atmosphere. The people in here are going to be friendly, hard working folk. And these people just want a cold beer, a meal, and a conversation. You get that here. Our bill was just over 37 bucks after tax. $10.95 for the AYCE Friday Night Fish Fry. I think $9.95 would be the better price point, however, the fact everything is AYCE makes up for that. We left satisfied. read more

I have this recurring problem with little dive bars: I find them, I make them "my place," and then for some reason, the hipsters come and take them over. It ain't me, I swear -- I'm about the farthest thing from a skinny black jeans-wearing hipster that exists on the planet. So why do they insist on doing this to my bars? First it was Rudy's on 9th Avenue in NYC, then Smitty's. Once proud dives, they each have been hipster magnets for a LOOOOOONG time now. So I move to the MSP and 331 and the Hexagon turn into the same thing. And, again, I'm like, "what just happened?" So, PLEASE, hipsters, stay away from the Cardinal. There's NOTHING THERE FOR YOU. It's a great little place for the dirty jeans crowd (NOT the 7 For All Mankind jeans crowd). Good burgers, a rockin' steak special early in the week, live music every once in a while (usually one guy and his Fender Strat), and just down-home good times from the Casey family. It's like Cheers -- they know your name if you're a regular -- but if there were more Cliffs and Norms and fewer Ted Dansons (and no Kirstie Allies or Shelley Longs -- the women there can be hot but without pretensions). Again, hipsters -- there is nothing at the Cardinal for you. Good TVs with sports on (and aren't hipsters allergic to the NFL/NHL/MLB?), solid bar food, Summit and macro-brews on tap (no, hipsters, they don't have Dog Testicles Tibetan Mega Pale Hefeweizen with Clover Blossoms and Caramelized Yak Milk). Nothing to see here. Move your iPads and Ed Hardy clothing along to the next place, thanks. read more

This place evokes the locations Charles Bukowski may have frequented. There is the hearty smell of stale beer and fried food, with a sweet hint of despair and long ago discarded dreams. The service can only be diplomatically described as aggressively redundant and the Big Game Hunter game is a little off. On the plus side there are a lot of hospital types, scrubs and all, so this seems like a good place to be in a medical emergency. Beers are cheap and food is pleasant. There is a lot going on in terms of activities; trivia, karaoke, dart and pool competitions. This place is for sure a dive and I rate it as such. The only reason I didn't give it a five is that they have a "California burger" on the menu. As a recent transplant and lifelong California resident I was surprised that the only addition from a regular burger was mayonnaise and some sad looking vegetables. A more robust California burger should have at the very least avocado, perhaps a roasted portobello and maybe even a roasted pepper. Pretty sweet place though and spittin distance from the light rail. Update: I almost won 1,000 dollars at Bingo. read more

This is my neighborhood bar. You do not need to visit. You probably won't like it anyway. What do you want with unpretentious service, decent bar food and relatively cheap beer? Nothing. Probably better just stay away. read more

This is one of my favorite spots in South Minneapolis. Surprisingly, in my opinion, Cardinal has the best Veggie burger in town. Weird right? Also, being somewhat of a dive bar, it is extremely kid friendly. Its my kid's favorite restaurant. It's relatively inexpensive, and there's always good people watching to keep you entertained. read more

My husband and I went here after being disappointed by two previous places. This place is not fancy by far and is your regular dive. We ordered burger, fries, onion rings, fried mushrooms. To my surprise, the food is awesome!!!! The service is quick. The people who go there are very friendly and the servers are very friendly. I would definitely go back again!!!! read more

I cannot comment on the atmosphere of the place, as this was a takeout experience for me. My life was coming apart in all the minute ways you come to expect in young adulthood: career wants one thing from you, boyfriend wants another, family still another, and you yourself only wish to sleep, but ah! You're still finishing school and need to study. What else do you do but find a burger? I, being too lazy to leave my apartment, utilized a free delivery I had on a well-known delivery service. This being the only burger place open that wasn't way too expensive, I went for it. Not a PERFECT California burger, but a damn good one. It fixed me like I needed it to, and I think that it was still good without being in a tavern and being drunk and etc. says a lot. And it's cheap. read more

I absolutely love the cardinal. If you are looking for a gourmet meal with lots of trendy items, this is not the place for you. This is a lovable dive bar in all the way you think it would be. Great greasy food, cheap beer and great events like meat raffles and karaoke. I've been to the cardinal many times and the staff is always friendly, the beer is always cheap and the food is always good! read more

Neat little tavern. The food is fantastic. Word to the wise, this a is a beer and wine bar. So if you need something in the 80+ proof category, you'll need to consider this. read more

I went to the cardinal for lunch on saturday,march 20,2010.Great day to be outdoors!.The cardinal,is one of those places,with a delightfully dive-like feel to it.There is free parking,right across the street,from the cardinal.Decor,is your typical bar.....lots of pictures on the walls.pool tables,video games,and the bar right up front.I went with the royal burger,for lunch,($4.75)and a side of fries,($1.50),with a diet coke to drink.My burger,was hot,juicy,and tasty.Fries were crisp&golden.Service was good,but i felt the kitchen was kind of slow,getting the food out to me.The cardinal does not accept personal checks,but they do take cash,and credit cards.ATM is on premises.Not a bad place,to grab a cheap bite to eat.Recommended. read more

Ok, my rating should be a 5, but sometimes I have to wait for a waiter to come around and take our order. Other than that this place is awesome. Truely a place like Cheers. Everyone is friendly. The people watching is spectacular. Everytime my girlfriend and I visit another restaurant in the area we always end up saying "We should have just gone to the Cardinal." Good beer selection for a local place. No frills on the menu, but THE BEST burger in South Minneapolis. The Jucy Lucy has nothing on the greasy delicious burgers this place serves up. If you go as a couple or group I suggest ordering burgers and splitting appetizers. The Cheddar Crisps are out of this world. I know they are simply deep fried cheese, but the Cardinal does it right serving them with BBQ sauce. A staple in South Minneapolis and a place we take everyone we know to and they all love it. In my opinion this place is the best South Minneapolis has to offer for a great local establishment. read more

A great place for a burger . For less than 6 bucks I had a cheeseburger fries and cole slaw. Cheaper and better that a fast food place and in and out in a half hour. The staff is very friendly and attentive. I will definitely be coming back for my lunch breaks. read more

Great Hamburgers, friendly staff, a great dive bar to chill & watch the game or sing some Karaoke.

This place is great. The wait staff are all incredibly friendly. It's actually quiet enough that you can hear the other people at your table talk. The beer selection isn't huge, but guaranteed they will have something decent. The food is awesome greasy bar food. This is not the place to go when you want to try something "different" food or beer-wise. This is the place to go when you want to sit and chill with your friends over a pitcher and some burgers and not spend a fortune. The kitchen closes at 11pm. read more

Introduced to it by friends, I keep going back to this neighbourhood 'dive' to have cold Summit, great burgers and sweet potato fries. This place is extremely casual and very Minnesota with pool tables, meat raffles, and pull-tabs. They server beer and wine, but don't have a full bar. read more

This place was surprisingly good. They have several pool tables so you don't have to wait to play. They also have darts and some other video games ... not sure what they are though. The prices were very reasonable and the food was surprisingly very good the 3 different times I've eaten there. The bartenders that served us on all occasions were nice and friendly. They do have a small patio but it faces a parking lot ... but still nice to have outside seating. The bathroom could use a bit more attention, but nothing really bad. Overall, it is a fun place to hang out and I'll be going back again in the future. read more

Very divey place right off a light rail station. Stopped in late in the evening with my sister-in-law, but didn't stay for long because we didn't like the skeevy vibes we were catching from the place. read more

Dishes are often dirty and they don't have a full bar. I've had to return far too many gross plates and mugs, and I've had some weird racist experiences as well. I live in Longfellow so this bar is convenient for me, but now I just bypass it. read more

The Cardinal is an interesting place, it is definitely a local neighborhood bar that attracts a wide spectrum of clientele. I have only been there once but it is more of the hole in the wall type. read more

We are officially regulars. Mostly because it's one of the closest bars to our house, but the staff is friendly (though can be a bit sporadic at times: expect to have 2 or 3 different servers in one night), the food is fab bar food, and the other regular clientele? Hilarious. Go here. It's fun! read more

I love corner bars! Great atmosphere, friendly staff. I ordered Stevie's Wings, fried with a dry rub finish. Was so good ordered another to go! read more

Dive bar. Food is not even average, neither is the beer selection. BUT I LOVE the jukebox, and Ill go back every so often.