I had one of the best dates I've had in recent memory here. We participated in music bingo (almost won, but no dice), had lots of Empyreal Pale Ale, played three or four boardgames, and hit up the Nintendo. We spent almost four hours here without even realizing it. A simple concept (good beer! fun games!) that is executed perfectly. read more

I moved in a few blocks away and the family and I went for a late afternoon hang out. We had a few moments of miscommunication with our waitress: -I ordered fries when we sat down and she brought a small portion of it. I asked for clarification if this was the appetizer of fries and she said it was a side of fries. She said that's what I had ordered. I honestly couldn't remember (but my wife insists I had said appetizer), so I said nothing as she made no attempt either to bring us a larger portion. -The kids menu is not the most clear and we thought that everything came with fries or a substitute and when my son ordered his cheese pizza we continued his order with a salad and oreo brownie. When we got charged for a side salad, we asked for clarification again, but was met with the same unfriendly response. She said that she put in what we had said. Cheese pizza didn't come with a side and put the blame on us. So again, I waited for her to try to do something to appease her frustrated customers, but she did nothing. On top of it all, we got charged for "Pub Fries Appetizer" and not a side of fries. At the end of the day, I'm not claiming complete faultlessness. But it was just extremely cold and unhelpful service. I'll gladly drive a few blocks further somewhere else with my family next time. read more

This is my favorite neighborhood bar! Great food and so many good beers on tap. The server Gabriel has been so polite and made our experience extra fun. read more

I came in for their advertised $10 Fish n Chips last night. It was my first time here. Fish was mushy, the WORST fish I've ever had. Also, it was 7:15 and they were out of fries! So, we had fish n mashed potatoes. Not at all the same experience. How do you advertise a fish n chips special and run out of chips at 7:15? It wasn't even busy. The server/bartender is obviously burnt out on his gig and should leave. He was the worst and rudest server I've ever encountered. I hope the owner reads these comments, cuz that guy is costing them business. He needs to be given the boot. The 4 of us will never be back again. If you're looking for a good beer selection, some fun games, some crappy food and an asshole bartender, then Chatterbox is the place for you. read more

Got delivery from here - chicken strips with beer batter that still tasted like fish and was somehow both burnt and soggy inside, and a salad that was a soggy pile of unrelated ingredients with chicken on top. No thanks. read more

This was the first time I'd been to the original chatterbox and I will say that I like the atmosphere better than the St Paul location! Walking in, I felt like I was in a good friend's basement! It was appropriately busy for 8pm on a Saturday night. Lots of board games & video games to go around. After being out of town for a year, I'd forgotten what a great selection of beers they carry. I had a strongbow (tap) and sweet potato fries that came with some really tasty dipping sauce. The service was prompt & friendly. What a hidden gem buried in S Mpls! read more

My grand ol' friends and I pregamed the new year at Minneapolis' Chatterbox. We drank some delicious microbrews, exchanged laughs, teamed up on the one guy without an iPhone and EVEN watched a fellow sit in a loud bar, alone, reading captions of Family Guy. I was impressed with the three dollar mugs of microbrews and specifically that happy hour still applied on new years eve. Good bar! read more

Shawn, Sarah, and Cindy are exceptionally spectacular. They are timely, communicate well, and want to ensure you have a great experience. They always make it a great time when you come to Chatterbox! The food is delicious, try the build your own macaroni and cheese. read more

The only good thing about this place are the video games. I've been here a few times now, and every time the "pub fare" is woefully disappointing (the hummus platter is a sea of viscous liquid spooned into a shallow plate), the service is both terrible and confusing (3 separate people came over to take our order), and the atmosphere has too high of an obnoxious bro dude ratio. I live only a few blocks from this place and I avoid it like the plague. read more

Really disappointed! Was super excited to try (board games seemed so cool!) but the staff was really unprofessional/really rude! Our server acted like she would rather be anywhere else, was annoyed that we wanted to order a drink and then never checked on us! Another server repeatedly told us we were in the way (despite having been sat at that table)--overall I felt uncomfortable/like I was inconveniencing everyone by being there! This place has such potential-our friend said the wings tasted GREAT. I would not recommend this to friends and will not return. read more

After eating food and having four beers the bartender asked asked if "we were sure" we wanted another. He then brought us water. It was a weeknight and we're just having happy hour. Not loud, not drunk. Won't be back! read more

I need to wish for things more often! Now there is a new Chatterbox nearer to me. It is in the strip mall at 44th and France where Great Wall is. It is more restaurant than a bar like the original location. This is a welcome addition to the area. read more

I took my husband and some friends here for his 30th bday, had never been here before. We were treated extremely poorly. We asked for some video games to play that were on their game menu and were told by 2 waitresses that we could only play the games that were plugged in. Then a couple regulars had come in after us and requested a specific game that we had also requested and were given it to play no questions asked. Also, they didn't even have half the games available to play that are advertised on their 'game menu'. Website is out of date. Basically if you are not a regular/local, don't go here as they treat you like they do not care about you. read more

Terrible bloody Mary and, apparently, they no longer serve breakfast (even though it's on the table menu). The cook was kind enough to make something for us, though. I won't come back. Very disappointed read more

I guess I expected a little bit more. Happy hour, 5:15 PM. Let's be honest, the place was dead. I ordered their House pale ale. It was drinkable, not unpleasant, just not memorable. The reason I came was the happy hour lobster roll. Five bucks, can't beat it right? Well... Maybe? Their "new England roll" was more like a toasted hot dog bun. The lobster salad was okay - needed salt, not very special. It's sorta satisfied my lobster roll craving but I would've rather paid three times as much to get a proper sandwich. The staff was very pleasant, but I doubt I will go out of my way to try this place again. read more

it was OK, i like the atmosphere more than the food. I'd go there again, but it's not tops on my list of fav. restaurants.

This place is a great place for a small group of friends. The beers are excellent and the food is very tasty. I always get the Hurricane Chicken Wrap, and it is d-lish. Tons of board games to cover all tastes. Though I also enjoy just going with the wife for an intimate game of Battleship, it CAN get pretty noisy here after about 8 PM, so conversation could be tough. All-in-all, a fun place. If the put in some sound absorbing tiles/fabrics and started serving Surly, this joint would be 5 stars hands-down. read more

One of my favorite places! So warm and cozy in the winter! I love to go and play all of thte retro games. Fun and friendly. Good food.. especially the spinach artichoke dip. read more

I adore this place. It's comfortable, the staff is friendly and accommodating, and I like the Chatterbox Lager and the Octoberfest quite a bit. Nice happy hour on Sunday afternoons and after 10 on weeknights. My favorite food items are the squash dip (this is especially odd because I really wouldn't consider myself a squash fan), and pretty much all of the sandwiches. I completely understand if their burger is not your bag -- they are a little mealoafy, but I think they're extremely tasty. And the fries with a side of red pepper sour cream are inspired. read more

I love their beer, but I think their food is boring and sub par, they need to kick it up a notch in that department! the retro vibe is fun, and the video games a must. read more

A hometown favorite. I try to stop by whenever I'm in MSP for the good food and the games.

I finally made it into Chatterbox after hearing great reviews from friends. This unique bar made for a perfect rainy Saturday date night. Fantastic micro-brews, friendly service, an intense baseball game with Twins and Royals on TV, a fierce game of Monopoly (that I won) - it was a lovely evening! I do recommend they put hand wipes or hand sanitizer on the tables. I was a little grossed out by the amount of grease accumulated on the monopoly money. read more

Decent food, ambience is for those who appreciate flashbacks (including board and video games you can rent out to relive the good ol' days with friends.) If you get the fries, ask for the sampler of dips. I don't know if it really is crack, but there is something addictive about the honey mustard. Serves only beer and wine. read more

I used to love this place, but they have dumbed down their menu. I was embarrassed as I took a friend for a birthday dinner and the new limited menu was mediocre. I have a groupon to use up, and after I use it, I will not go to the Chatterbox again. They took away the roasted garlic butternut squash dip and dont have the sandwich salad thing. And I didn't like the taste of the fondue or the the wrap I had,. I am bummed that I have another $20 groupon for the place, because all I can like there is their drinks. read more

The Good: My wife and I love the food. We've got our favorites, so it makes it hard to branch out at times. Excellent beer selection. Generally, the music is pretty rad. Silent TVs. Friendly staff. The Bad: As mentioned in other reviews, the staff seem to see their workplace as a hangout instead of a ... workplace. They talk loudly about personal issues and complain about work schedules; however, they ARE very friendly. If it is super cold outside, you don't want to sit within sight of the door. The Rest: The Mac & Cheese is awesome. read more

Went here for my son's birthday and to try the mac and cheese. Ordered a bunch of appetizers which were delicious and played games while we waited for our food. The kids loved the old Nintendo and Atari which ALMOST made us forget than an hour had gone by since we ordered. So since it was close to 9 and the kids were getting restless I asked our server if our food would be out soon. She hurried back in the kitchen to check and when she came back she proceeded to tell me that she forgot to let us know that they were out of mac and cheese. Mind you 4 out of the 5 people in our group ordered mac and cheese, not sure how you all of a sudden forget that you're out place the order and fail to say anything. The place was dead for a Friday night which didn't bother us just not sure why all the tables were dirty and the server was doing such a poor job. We watched a number of people come in, sit down, wait, and wait some more and then eventually walk out because she never came to their table. Pretty sad because we made a reservation and told them it was my son's birthday. Needless to say he left in tears and everyone was hungry as we had to find another place to eat. Not easy to find a place to eat with children after 9 on a Friday in Minneapolis but because of the awful situation we had no choice. We ended up finding a much better place that accommodated us and had plenty of mac and cheese. They also took very good care of my son for his birthday. We drove all the way from Elk River to check out this place because it got such great reviews. Not sure how anyone had anything positive to say. I would actually give 0 stars if I could but the 1 star is strictly for the old games that brought back childhood memories. Never again! !!! read more

My goodness. My party of 3 just had 2 dreadful meals and disastrous service. We waited more than an hour for two burgers and a wrap that in retrospect obviously got forgotten. The wrap finally came out frozen in the center (notice: the wraps are frozen and reheated) and my burger was obviously microwaved after sitting for a long time. The server was apologetic and competent but her offer to have the kitchen "throw it back in the oven" did not make matters better. We had to ask them to comp the meal we didn't eat and, to top things off, we had to wait for a check that was added up incorrectly. This is the second time we've had a very bad experience so this will definitely be the last time. read more

"Signature Beers" are actually brewed by Stevens Point and re-labeled, offering nothing rich in originality or flavor profile. Happy Hour specials provide a nice draw, though the original price-point far exceeds the atmosphere and quality of service which accompanies the 'group-serving' and pooled tips. The interior is dated, music too loud and the carpeted floors harbor a lingering stench of spilled food/beer and rat musk. The 38+ health code violations provide substantial backing to this, as well as several customer complaints about rodents running across the dining room. Wouldn't recommend for families or first-dates, contrary to the website's claims. GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. read more

The chatterbox is a great lunch spot. Terrance took care of us and did an amazing job. He is very funny and was worth the price of admission. Food was awesome. Our group has never laughed so hard during a lunch. Go to the chatterbox and you won't be disappointed. read more

I used to go here for breakfast when the other location was open and I remembered it being pretty good. Took my sister and her kids here the other weekend knowing we could play games and what not. The kids enjoyed the video games as well as the board games. But the food was no good. Seemed cold and there was nothing special about it. Menu was not that exciting either. Waitress never asked us how are food was and rarely came to our table, there were only two other tables of people at the time. read more

Great food - fantastic atmosphere. The music selection is always amazing and I love discovering the new beers on tap!!! If you like great beer and great food - this is the place to go read more

Um, 3 dollar microbrews and board games? If that doesn't spell perfect Friday evening than i don't know what does. I kind of want to live here. read more

Fun place, good food and beer. Grab a couch, get the controllers and game cartridges for the Old NES or atari and waste a night drinking and playing old arcade games read more

They are trying... the vents were working like crazy and it was freezing cold in the place but I still smelled like a fry cook when I left. Great service, great atmosphere, great food but dude, I hate that smell. Why do I keep going back you ask? Because I can walk there. read more

I LOVE the Chatterbox. Great drinks, Nintendo, desserts -- what more could you want? Well, I did want a better pizza -- the foccacia crust with pesto sauce came out dry and weird. read more

Exactly what a neighborhood bar should be. Funky environment, uber-cool staff, traditional and the not-so traditional foods (try some of the great burger twists), and the games that keep you coming back for more! read more

Love this place! They have a very fun beer selection, and a nice, cozy atmosphere. They have a ridiculous selection of board and video games as well read more

I had dinner here tonight with my family and the food was spectacular. We also really enjoyed our server Shawn! He took great care of us, was very attentive, and played awesome music. We will definitely be back! Thank you Chatterbox! read more

Although I like the Highland Park location better, this one is much more convenient to me. I love the boardgames and the original Nintendo, but it seems like this location is always very busy (perhaps because it is much smaller). Also, I always come home smelling like fried bar food. I've eaten most of the apps here, and I'd have to say the fries are the shizzle. Absolutely fabulous. One of my favorite things... on the shelf above walkway between the two rooms they have red cat shaped bottles. Bottles of my favorite wine, a Riesling from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region. The first time I saw those I knew it was the beginning of a wonderful patron-establishment relationship. Ahh. read more

I know that this place has been reviewed over 40 times, but I have the urge to put in my two cents. I loved this place! I had been a patron of the St. Paul Chatterbox over the past years. My friends and I were stepping out on a limb by traveling to this location. I felt that we were all utterly impressed. We had immediate seating, a great waiter, excellent food, and the drinks were unbeatable. A few Mimosas or French Kiss' later, and we were all ready to get our game on. Boggle was the choice. How can anyone resist the word-forming objective of such a great game? This game was perfectly complimented by the stellar music selection playing in the room. I must admit that we were there into the wee hours of the night. Needless to say, I cannot wait to go back to this location! read more