Blarneys is what I think of when I think of a bar at the University of Minnesota. I've stopped here…read morebefore and after countless sports games, concerts and trips to the U. The staff is fun and high energy, and the food is good bar food and drinks come out fast. This is my favorite place to stop before a concert at the nearby Varsity theater. Most recently we tried the nachos and they were surprisingly good on potato chips ... try it to believe it! They also have drink specials and Karaoke on Thursday nights. It gets pretty busy and was fun to stop in after a concert.

I do understand this is a college bar hangout but the floor was so disgusting. We could hear our…read moreshoes sticking to the floor as we walked to our table. The service and food were actually good. Our waitress was very nice and took care of us pretty quickly. The beer was good and cold. My husband had a black bean burger with a side salad. I had a quesadilla with black beans. It was hot and very good. I didn't care for the greens that came with it. It was the right time of day to be served quick early on a Saturday. It worked out perfectly to have a drink and quick bite to eat before a game.

Do not recommend at all, Terrible place. Denied even though I'm 21+! Services were slow and ruderead more

High energy, party atmosphere, great drink prices, attentive bartenders, old-pub feel, bumping…read moremusic, near lots of apartments & bars, many TVs to watch sports.... What a great place! Hint: order the Pink Whitney shot!

Went here to grab drinks for my friend's birthday. She had been here before but it was my first…read morevisit. She made reservations but it was nice out so we decided to sit on the patio which was fairly empty. The drinks were definitely interesting and fun! We all got different drinks the first round. My friends shared a few apps. Overall it was a nice time. The server gave us some bday shots (my bday was right before my friends) so that was really nice. The space inside is smaller so I definitely recommend making reservations! Plenty of street parking.

Stargazer has a cool interior design and is definitely a fun moment…read more The food portions are great for those looking for something lighter side but for the pricing I would have expected larger servings. I shared the orbital dinner for two. We got the slab salad, alfredo mafaldine, grilled zucchini and the chocolate pot de creme. Additionally ordered the wagyu zabuton, fries, and some cocktails. I would get the wagyu and fries again. I was not impressed with the other dishes, but nothing was bad. Also the cocktails are always great here. Service was a bit slower than desired; so if you are in a rush this might not be the spot for you. Recommend Stargazer for their drinks! I would say food is not bad but not the best for similar joints.

Permanently closed after many, many years. I would go on a rant about how this is really sad, and…read moreabout how all the bars on the West Bank are closing, but why. It's a bar, things change, and fewer really stiff drinks in the world is not exactly a bad thing. But it was cool that there were these people that used to BBQ in back and give out the food to anyone there.

This is a great bar for drinks and music. Parking can suck but ride a bike if possible…read more Bring cash. Enjoy the music. The outdoor stage is great. I can't count how many amazing shows I've seen here. Everything from the Butcher's Union Farewell show to Cornbread. Plus, if you want to play Galago or Ms. Pacman, you have that option too.

We are currently visiting the hospital at the U daily and have been looking for places to eat…read moreespecially on the weekends. We walked by Sally's to go somewhere else and they were closed so we circled back. They have pretty solid menu of options but definitely just low quality bar foods. My cousins got wings and said they were good flavor wise but a bit fatty. I got a buffalo wrap and it was mostly lettuce and watery ranch but I like salad so it was whatever. They don't really have a drink menu but they can make whatever they have ingredients for. 2 of my cousins got dirty sodas and they both looked pretty gross, one was a child and didn't mind it but everyone else who sampled it said it was gross. My other cousin sent his back. Our waiter was pretty attentive, wasn't very busy at all. Definitely a sports bar setup for the college crowds.

Great service, awesome bartending by Kacie…read more She did a phenomenal job even asked me what was wrong in my life because she could see my face that I've been struggling lately. We talked through everything and she made me feel like my life is worth living again. One gripe, the fact that the bathrooms are so far away but whatever. Wings and the drinks were amazing thank you so much Sal's. We will be back and we will tell our friends.

Great happy hour! I don't remember the last time I got a $5 beer at a restaurant. Speaking of beer…read morethey have a good selection of local and craft brews. We love the samurai tots, and again a great price on happy hour. Big portion too! We got the cease and desist burger and sadly it was just alright. The cheese amount was good but felt like it was missing something. The service was amazing, friendly and accommodating.

I've been a couple of times over the past year or so and both instances left underwhelmed. Lots of…read morepeople rave about this joint, but we found the burgers to be mediocre and the fried chicken sandwich to be hard, dense and too strong of pickle brine flavor. Service was great and we appreciated the very generous portion of fresh and hot tater tots

My family and I are long time Local Fans. We often swing by before seeing a show at the Orpheum,…read moresuch a fun tradition. We went this last week with a large group before a show and had another great experience. We didn't make any sort of reservation and they were able to seat us right away. Staff were very friendly and flexible with our group needs. We also enjoyed a great variety of foods and beverages. The table loves the fish and chips as well as the whiskey bites.

I stopped by The Local for lunch on a Thursday afternoon and was seated right away with no wait…read more There was plenty of patio seating available, but I opted to sit inside--and I absolutely loved the atmosphere! The interior has that classic vintage pub feel with lots of character and natural light. There are tons of booths and different seating areas that could accommodate parties of all sizes. I especially liked the glass dividers between some of the booths, which give you a little extra privacy without making the space feel closed off. My booth also had coat hooks and easy access to outlets, which I appreciated. I could definitely see myself coming here for a working lunch. My server was incredibly friendly and helpful, especially as I was trying to figure out how to use a couple of rewards I had on my account. I specifically came in wanting to try the fish and chips. Their lunch menu offers smaller portions of several dishes from the dinner menu, including a fish and chips option for around $15. I really wanted to try the walleye, though, so I ended up ordering the full dinner portion for around $28. The fish was absolutely the star of the plate. The breading was fantastic--crunchy around the edges while still light and fluffy--and the fish inside practically melted in my mouth. The tartar sauce was also really good and paired perfectly with it. The sides, unfortunately, didn't impress me nearly as much. There were plenty of fries, but they were pretty average, and the coleslaw was mostly cabbage with a light dressing. It felt like it was missing some acidity or lime to give it a little more personality. For almost $30, I also expected the meal to be a bit more substantial. I left satisfied, but found myself hungry again a couple of hours later, so I'm not sure the dinner portion felt worth the price for me. If you're mainly curious about their fish and chips, I'd probably recommend trying the smaller lunch portion first rather than committing to the more expensive dinner version. Would I come back? Absolutely--the atmosphere, service, and location alone make The Local worth another visit, and I noticed several other dishes on the menu I'd be interested in trying. I just don't know that I'd order this particular meal again. The fish itself was excellent, but for me, the sides and overall value didn't quite match it.

Stopped here to grab drinks prior to our dinner reservations at Nolo's. It's a smaller space but…read moredefinitely a nice vibe. They had a DJ but was playing some pretty unique music that didn't really match the vibes of the crowd in my opinion. The drinks were good. If you're able to grab a table they have waitstaff who will take your order. You can also order food which is a scaled down menu from Nolo's. We tried the whipped feta which was good. Overall had a good time and great views.

Recently visited the rooftop bar, as a group celebrating birthday. Love a rooftop vibe!! We went on…read morea Monday night and we basically had the place to ourselves. Quick heads up the menu and bar options do differ slightly as they don't offer everything up top. (Smaller bar and few less food options/no French fries) The group enjoyed our foods!! Pizza was good sized, burgers/sandwiches had nice flavors. We had a quick little issue with the bill but it was handled fairly quickly. Enjoyed our summer night in the roof top. Added the review to NOLOs as well.

Unbelievable. This place is truly magical…read more It has such a perfect mix of a relaxed, chill vibe while still feeling elevated enough to dress up and make a night out of it. The space itself is beautiful with a really cozy ambiance, and the patio is a great option when the weather is nice. The drinks are absolutely the star of the show. You can tell there is so much intention behind both the flavors and the presentation. The cocktail menu is super creative, and the Old Fashioned menu alone is phenomenal with so many unique options. The Beorn Old Fashioned was my favorite. We also tried the Payanello (pineapple, lime, ginger, pickled jalapeño) and it was incredible. Food was fantastic as well. The brussels sprouts were so good and a must order. Service was amazing. Our server was so kind, helpful, and gave great recommendations, which made the whole experience even better. It is on the pricier side, especially for drinks, but honestly worth it for the quality and experience. Reservations are easy to make and I would definitely recommend booking ahead. Parking was manageable when we went, but I could see it getting tricky during busier times. Overall, such a beautiful, thoughtfully done space with incredible drinks, great food, and top tier service. A perfect spot for a night out or just grabbing a cocktail and soaking in the vibe.

Dropped by O'Shaughnessy Distilling Co. for a quick drink and snack with the girls. The restaurant…read moreand bar are absolutely stunning with rich chocolate-toned accents that create a luxurious yet cozy atmosphere. The service was also friendly and attentive. Since I don't drink alcohol, I opted for one of their zero-proof cocktails, the St. Agrestis Phony Negroni. It had a subtle hint of pineapple, but the drink itself was a bit too strong for my taste. We also tried their new Irish Spice Bag, but unfortunately it wasn't a favorite. The dish was a little bland, and the curry sauce could have used more seasoning. Overall, this place just wasn't the right fit for my personal tastes, but I can definitely see it appealing to those who appreciate sophisticated cocktails and an upscale, stylish atmosphere.

Parking was a legitimate ordeal unless you live downtown or attend the U. The atmosphere was…read moreinviting and felt much better suited for an evening hangout. The pretzel arrived piping hot and was enjoyable, but the fries and aioli were the undeniable standouts. The burger was solid, though it stopped just short of being exceptional. Service was underwhelming. Our server was so relaxed that it came across as detached rather than welcoming.

It was time for Town Hall's annual "barrel aged beer" week so of course I had to stop in. They do a…read moregreat job and always have some new recipes every year. All their "non bourbon barrel" beers are really interesting and ended up being really fun. All-in-all I ended up trying 9 beers this year and the only ones I wasn't a fan of was the ice wine. I hadn't had food there before, though. The pretzel is not the type I usually like. It's a denser, paler dough and stuffed with cheese. Personally I'd like a traditional Bavarian or pub one. The sweet potato fries on happy hour were excellent, though. That said: it is blasphemy to serve them with ranch and only ranch. Need a garlic aioli and/or marshmallow fluff to make it a must-order. You know I'll be back. Maybe not for food, but hopefully before the next beer week.