Being from out of state, this place was definitely a fun spot to check out. I came out here on a Friday night with some others who were local to the area. It is definitely a dive bar kind of fuel place. We had a blast of playing beer pong and ultimately we were able to quickly get some drinks. Overall, I enjoy places like this time to time. So five stars is what it's worth. read more

always such a good time!! good music, good vibes:)) my friends and I had a great experience yet again this last Thursday night. Carrie was an incredible bartender. super personable and made our entire experience so much better thank you all so much for having such a special place with amazing staff, 10/10 reccomend!! read more

Fun time, needs more beer Gambling action to be had It's worth checking out It is down in the deep and dirty. Basement bar is an apt description. Kind of a dive, but a fun dive. Felt like the creepy old guy at the college party. Most of the patrons were nearly twenty years younger than this old fart. The beer selection is not great, but it is a fun vibe so would go back again. Lots of bars have pull tabs, but this place makes it a little more unique. Welcome the Tri-Wheel. Minimum bet of five per spin which you can split up between different numbers. You pick the exact outer number and thirty five bucks is yours for one (five) dollars or 175 if you put all of your tickets in one hole. I'll be back again when I'm looking to feel young and blow some cash. read more

See all

Bouncers are usually pretty horrible but once you get past them basement bar is the only dance spot in Minneapolis that is a great time every time. Gets a bit rowdy/dirty sometimes but it beats everywhere else in terms of vibe and energy. Just no competition, and the rooftop bar they have there now is a great spot to go beforehand! read more

Visited the Basement Bar on a Friday night at about 10:30. There was a line but it didn't take too long to get inside. The drinks are a little pricey but that's to be expected for a specialized location. This is a place to be if you want to dance and be around a bunch of drunk people LOL. I'd recommend it, the atmosphere was pretty good. read more

I want to share a very disturbing incident that happened at Basement Bar. I have been trying to work with ownership (Pam, Brett, Marty) but they have been comically horrible in addressing the seriousness of this situation. On February 13th I was assaulted by the bouncer in the photo when he threw my phone directly at my eye from a short distance which resulted in me in getting 7 stitches. I was recording him, he grabbed my phone out of my hand and threw it at me. I am terrified at the fact that this bouncer is able to work another day and could do this to someone else. The owners have no intentions of disciplining this bouncer and compensating me for my stitches. They have hung up on me and led me on to believe that they want to make this right, but they simply do not. It is obvious based on the other reviews that there a major concerns with ownership and the bouncers at Basement Bar. Please be aware of the aggressiveness of the bouncers and lack of accountability from management. If anyone was in line and witnessed the incident the night of Saturday, February 13th between 12:27-12:31 AM, please reach out to haadsquad2117@gmail.com read more

The Basement Bar - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

See all

Simply standing there in the crowd, I was physically assaulted (blindsided) with a sock to the mouth. These things happen. However, I do not appreciate the security staff escorting me out of the establishment following my assault. Adding insult-to-injury, the staff did not persecute my assailant in any way. The sucker puncher was able to avoid a felony charge and somehow awarded the discretion of the staff. My mouth was bleeding and the security team did nothing. This speaks volumes to the quality of their enforcement and as a former employee of BEST security (Minnesota Vikings) the competency of this team should be put into question. read more

Overpriced with nearly everything but fun space, good music and nice enough staff! Usually gets quite busy as the night goes on and dance floor isn't super large but there is ample seating for groups and couples. Drinks are absurdly overpriced and no food late at night. Fun for groups and dancing, go here every so often but prepare for expensive drinks as well as a good time! read more

I went here with my friends for blingo and I liked it. It was a bit hard for me to find, there was no sign that said hey go down to enter the Basement bar. I entered through the main door and wondered how that place was a bar.. turns out I was at the restaurant. 1. Blingo It was fun. None of us won, but who cares, it was fun, loud, drag queen led, they dance, make fun and loud fun music. It can't get any more fun especially if you are with friends. 2. Service Waiter was actually really fast considering how full the place was. I wish they had better choice of wine and cocktails. 3. TV They have so many TV, could be a good place to watch sports games too. 4. Parking It was quite hard to find free parking, but if you are willing to pay and also walk a bit, yeah, enough parking. read more

See all

Super-Duper fun last night at this place. It really does feel like being in someones basement...kind of "thrown" together decorating, good beer, some food, fun friends and great live music from their house band and dancing-nothing wrong with that. We arrived early 7:30-8 on a Saturday night and did not need to wait in line to get in like the folks who were coming at 10:30-11. Hard to describe-you just need to go. read more

The Basement Bar - The "boys" in the basement. - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

See all

Straight guy review: Was really nice to go to the basement to escape the heat outside. Dark atmosphere, great/friendly staff. Was there for an alley party, so I don't know what it's like day to day or night to night. read more

Basement Bar is highly underrated. It's a must for any sports game that you want to watch with friends. We stopped in to watch the Warriors/Cavs game and there was only 5-6 people there. They have a nice lounge area with comfortable leather chairs and tables. There are lots of huge flat screen TV's. You can see the game from just about any location. I loved the recycled art and bicycles on the wall. Super cool! I have never heard of pull tabs, but it seems to be a popular game there. They also had other games like roulette, buck hunter, and Ms. Pacman which is my favorite. The indoor food truck was cool too. We ordered chicken tacos and they were super flavorful! Cabbage and radish toppings aren't normally placed on tacos, but the combination of flavors was awesome. The menu description doesn't do them justice! Oh, and whoever handled the music this past Thursday night really had us jamming! read more

The Basement Bar - Chicken tacos - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

See all

I will never return there. When I went to the bathrooms later in the night, I was then confronted by a group of patrons that, in whispers, were making comments about how they didn't appreciate "all the fags here tonight." I felt so incredibly unsafe and when I mentioned it to the staff, they shrugged me off. It's 2021 y'all...this is completely unacceptable and I'm not going to return to an establishment that allows bigotry to run unchecked. I was very disappointed with my experience and honestly, I'm still very shaken up. read more

This bar has an identity crisis. Love the idea of a basement neighborhood bar so it definitely has that going for it. The staff was nice as well! But I'm not sold on all that's going on inside of it. There's a fancy lounge area, it's got games like darts and big buck hunter, it's got pull tabs, a stage for live music, normal dining room seating, it's a sports bar with TVs, and then it has a "food truck". All GREAT things individually, but thrown into one place and I'm not so sure. I hear it's getting pretty crowded on weekend nights, so with a crowd and darker lighting I imagine all of those elements maybe not bothering anyone, but I came here for a Sunday funday and it all just stuck right out to me. They ran out of bottomless mimosas by 1pm, so I could only get one. When I went to order food, they said I could either get food from the food truck or off the menu upstairs from NOLO, so I decided to order off the menu. When I went to order my food, the bartender had to grab a waitress from NOLO upstairs, which I thought was odd and took extra time to order food. Luckily after I ordered, the food came out quick. I ordered the deviled egg toast which was delicious! I would recommend for sure. But I also ordered an Acai bowl, and that fell short. On the menu it boasted coconut and bananas among other toppings, and I got cantaloupe, pineapple - neither of which were advertised on the menu. My husband ordered from the food truck and got a chicken sandwich which came with tots. Both were so salty he could only handle eating 3 tots. I of course tried out the tots and they indeed were the saltiest I've ever had. Overall, I'd come here as a on a Friday or Saturday night for drinks, but that's it. But maybe that's what their focus is so 4 stars for that! read more

The Basement Bar - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Get a better coat check and ppl may come in the Minnesota winter. So many expensive jackets stolen and then forced to leave into the cold to wait for a ride when the bar closed. read more

DJ sucks. On 12/21/23. No one was there, literally no one and my song requests for my group of 10 people denied x4.

My friends and I came here for the parks and rec trivia. They forgot to advertise parks and rec trivia on Facebook so not many people showed up. However because of that we were able to dominate! I think the trivia host did a good job with the questions and was quite funny. I have a peanut allergy and didn't realize the sweet and sour chicken came topped with peanuts. Thankfully, the bartender let me return my meal and remade my order without peanuts. The sweet and sour chicken here is not what I expected. It was not breaded and fried but it was still good. read more

The Basement Bar - Sweet and sour chicken over vegetable fried rice - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Leap the line is such a scam. We paid $25 a person to wait in yet another line. Such a scam and is unreal. Wouldn't recommend this.

Drinks are expensive, DJ is sub par, and venue is HOT as hell, not like sexy hot, more like sweat on my balls hot. they need some AC in this place. Staff was great, except this one security guard seemed bothered about me asking for the "stamp" to go to the bathroom. oh, downstairs bathroom is also broken. To reserve an area, we had to buy a bottle which was $300, after taxes and tips total came to $409. Management said the area fits 8-10 People, the space had 1 couch and 2 tiny tables for our drinks. we could fit 10 people uncomfortably I guess. It was our fist time and definitely our last. read more

I recently visited the beautiful City of Minneapolis for a friend's bachelor party. After an eventful day we found our way to The Basement Bar for the evening. This place has a great set up for a group like ours. Some of us hit the dance floor as the DJ was spinning those funky beats, while others posted up in the comfortable lounge area with some tasty beverages. I, on the other hand, was immediately drawn to another of the establishment's features: The Claw Game. ("The Claawww" - The Aliens from Toy Story). Some informative yet possibly superfluous background information: I had quite a pleasant childhood; never wanting for any of life's necessities and few of life's comforts. However, I was strictly forbidden from ever partaking in The Claw Game. My father, God rest his soul, believed it was a waste of time and money. The great Marshall Mathers once wrote, "You want what you can't have/Ooh girl that's too damn bad." Yelpers, let me tell you, those words ring true. Now that I've moved out of the house, gotten my own job, and my dad died, I play The Claw Game whenever the opportunity presents itself. I'm sure you can imagine my delight when I spotted the Basement Bar's machine. The prizes for The Basement Bar's machine are two-fold: (1) you can grab delightful little ducklings with the claw. Mostly yellow ducks, they're dressed up in funny little costumes. I even won two that were dressed like hockey players. I plan on coming back to Minnesota to get Zach Parise's and Eric Staal's autographs on them. However, the real incentive is the (2)nd prize: a green duck gets you a free beer!! That's right, there's a sign right in the machine that says, "WIN a FREE BEER - Green Duck." And if that got your blood pumping, it also says "WIN a FREE PITCHER - Blue Duck." There were very few green and blue ducks in the machine, but a crowd had gathered around me after winning those sweet (yellow) hockey ducks, and the mob dared me to go for the green. A few yellow ducks later and I did it... I SNAGGED THE GREEN. Per the machine's instructions, I proceeded to find a bartender who would trade my duck for a prize. Although I really wanted to keep that green duck, the exchange for a free cold one sounded worth it. I approached a bartender - a pleasant blonde woman - and like a proud Labrador Retriever, placed the green duck in front of her. "I'm sorry, it needs to be a SQUARE green duck" was her response. Bewildered, I calmly informed her that the sign contained no such restriction and instead was quite clear "WIN a FREE BEER - Green Duck." Nowhere on the sign did it inform the player that a square duck was required. She could sense my frustration and offered to get a manager. However, a very attractive young lady was looking in my direction, and gave a little wave, so I dismissed the offer real smooth-like. It turns out she was waving at someone directly behind me. I informed the bachelor party what had happened re: the duck. They could not believe the injustice. I showed them the sign and they agreed: it did not specify anywhere that the duck needed to be square. Just green. A green duck. The fellas provided me with a new-found sense of confidence. I once again approached the bar. A shorter man approached. I politely informed him that I had won a green duck and was owed a beer. He repeated the company line, telling me that the duck needed to be square. Much like before, I once again very calmly explained that the sign did not specify that the duck needed to be square, just green, which I had in my possession. He, very rudely I might add, informed me that the sign contains a picture of a square green duck, and that I should have known it needed to be square. This back and forth went on for some time as I attempted to enlighten him on the commonly applied rule of statutory construction: if language is clear and unambiguous, the plain language applies. He insisted that I make a logical leap and assume that the picture, rather than the plain language of "WIN a FREE BEER - Green Duck," controls. For the record, I never threatened litigation. Now for the part of the story where we go from Minnesota-nice to Meanie-apolis: the bartender reached into my hand, grabbed the green duck, and threw it across the bar. Not only did I not have a free beer, I no longer had my green, albeit not-square, duck. I treasure every Claw Game prize I win, knowing that it is one that my 8 year old self could never enjoy. Dumbfounded and dejected, I returned to the bachelor party a lesser man. Unfortunately I think my sadness was contagious (we had a really empathetic group of dudes) and I can only assume it ruined everyone else's night. I just hope the wedding still happens. Anyway, cool bar. Just change the sign in The Claw Game. read more

The Basement Bar - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

See all

Everything was just fine until we get to the bar. Literally just got yelled and cussed at by a jacka** bartender for no reason. You guys need to control your staff. I've never seen anything like this. It was a terrible experience. read more

It's mainly people age ranged from 21-30. If you get there around 10:30-11 you'll be standing in a LONG line unless you're willing to pay 20$ cash/Venmo to the bouncers for an expedited entrance. The bar itself has beer pong, couple of claw machines. There's some seating too but that's considered VIP/Bottle service only. Dance floor is awkward, wet, sticky, MUSTY. DJ is a hit or miss. read more

This bar is a nice little surprise in North Loop. Nolo upstairs is a beautiful restaurant, but I love that this almost dive-like bar resides right beneath it. Grab an upscale dinner upstairs and then slam back tap beers and do pull tabs downstairs. It's the best of both worlds. The Basement Bar has a casual and hip vibe, what with their Edison lightbulbs, local art, and decor made of beer cans and bicycle parts. They somehow comfortably fit: a stage for live entertainment, pull tabs, another gambling table, shuffleboard, a few arcade games, a bar, lounge area, and an indoor food truck. I haven't eaten there but I'll be sure to update when I do. They have cheap drink specials, beers on tap, and I believe Happy Hour? I've spoken to a few employees there and they're stoke about their local art and offerings. I am too! Check out their events calendar here: https://www.basementbarmpls.com/ I just saw "Drag Queen Blingo" and I'm real amped. read more

You're bar is great but you're bouncers are terrible. We are from out of town (Chicago) and had a group of 30 people from a wedding and the bouncer with the nose ring turned us down because he couldn't verify an Illinois ID birthday. You need to understand that not everyone is from minniesota and learn to read an ID birthday. Lost a ton of business because of the bouncer. Embarrassing read more

Great addition to the north loop bar scene. Pull tabs, roulette, buck hunter, food, and a lot of TVs. Giving you something to do while you choke down daddy sodas. They took the good parts of all the other bars in the area and put them in one place. Expect to meet many Chads and Brads as it gets bro heavy on the weekends. read more

Zero Stars! Never seen such horrible bouncers in my life. They are really trying to get this place sued. Came with some friends and they got denied because she was in a scooter for her leg that she just had surgery on.... What kind of establishment is this? Read the reviews here. Don't ever come here!!! read more

An absolute shit show disaster. We waited 30 minutes in the "one in one out" line and then got all the way to the front. The bouncers also allowed people to pay $20 per person to skip the line through a separate line. Once we got the front of the regular line, there was a crowd of 50/60 people that they continued to let through the "paid" line while not allowing anyone from the non paid line to get in. To say you are "one in one out" for regular people and then allow 60 people to go in above fire code because they paid $20 is ridiculous and not acceptable read more

Basement bar is super casual, which is refreshing to find in the North Loop. The layout is a little strange with a nice lounge area with recycled locally sourced art on one side... to pull tabs, a stage for entertainment, and arcade type games on the other side. A little something for everyone? I was here during happy hour on a Friday. The tap beer list is extensive, I ordered a glass of cabernet and my bill was under $5. Good price AND there's freshly popped popcorn. Lastly, our server was very attentive. Good experience- I will return! read more

Stopped in for dinner at Nolo's and heard about this bar in the basement that was going to be opening soon. We asked the manager about it and we were given a tour of the bar while we waited for our dinner. We were given a card with information regarding a soft opening that was coming up the next week. They have shuffle board, darts, buck hunter, pull tabs, a stage, and good popcorn. This place has a concrete floor and as it was described to me, "if you drop your popcorn, go get more and don't worry about it" almost like a peanut bar. They have a "food truck" in there as well. The food is served from a walk up window that is made to look like the side of a truck and it is different food than what is upstairs, obviously. Ton's of TV's all around the basement, i'm not sure if they have decided yet, but when i asked if they would play game audio for local sports they said they didn't know yet. All in all, if you are in the north loop area and you are looking for a sports bar, The Basement Bar should be at the top of your list! read more

My last experience at Basement bar was very poor. The line to get in was long, which itself was not upsetting. I was upset to visibly see multiple groups of people skipping the line by paying off the bouncer to get in. They were not even trying to hide this. As I got to the front of the line, the person in front of me was caught using a fake id and the bouncer attempted to sell back the id to the person. I viewed this as incredibly unprofessional. After I got in, I came into an over crowded bar and dancefloor. In the bathroom I observed a pushing match between two people that almost resulted in a fist fight. I will not be returning to Basement bar unless it is a specialty night where they have live music that I enjoy. Maybe that type of event would appeal to a better crowd. Please address your problems with security and staff. read more

It was great. I am a resident DJ there and it was 4th of July weekend. Where people here go to their cabins. But for the rest that dont have cabins hang out in the city. Fortunately I have a core group of fans. A few hundred strong. Which made it a great party! read more

Bar none, no pun intended, well maybe a little intended, basement bar is hands down the coolest place for a after work, grab a drink, socialize with friends Hangout in the North loop. The staff and management are awesome, friendly, knowledgeable, and just downright cool people. The atmosphere is relaxed and the food is really good. Clientele is an awesome multi-age/multi-diverse crowd, kicking back, playing darts, betting on the big wheel of fortune, or just hanging out. A number of nights have themes, from trivia Nite to DragQueen Bingo to hot DJs to Live music, making the place a really fun joint to hang out in. Whether from the North Lou, or from outta town comment this is the one place that you have to go to. If I could give 10 stars I would Oh yeah, They got free popcorn too read more

The name says it all. Literally a bar in the basement of Nolos. Seems like it will be a cool place to party in north loop. Not overly huge once you get inside, and the bar gets super crowded which makes it difficult to get a drink. They have a red solo cup special which sounds as sketchy as it actually is. The night we visited the red solo cup special was keystone...no thanks. They have a couple games and looked like they'll be setting up a pull tab station eventually. There is also a lounge area to sit and chill. They had a DJ booth and a small dance floor which weren't being utilized but maybe it wasn't late enough in the night. I predict this will be the new late night meet up spot. read more

HORRIBLE, DO NOT COME IF YOU LOOK "DIFFERENT." My friend and a group of 5 of us were trying to come for her birthday, and she was refused service. I work in Hospitality and I know when someone cannot be served anymore. I had multiple bouncers harass us and tell us to leave for no reason? AWFUL service, asked for a manager and was told they weren't there today. LITERAL GARBAGE. read more

They used to have the best cheeseburgers and fries. I stopped patronizing this establishment once they stopped serving them.

I love basement bar but the DJ on December 28 was horrible. Only played rap & no one was dancing. I asked to request a song & he said he wouldn't take requests. It was so boring everyone left. read more

Bathroom line is always very long and drinks are slightly expensive ($7 for a rail) but the music is good and they have lots of games and pull tabs! read more

You know when you get Taco Bell, you're tempted by the visual of a chalupa, all saucy, meaty, and crunchy, and cheesy? But then you go home and a couple hours later, you're in the bathroom and you're cursing that last packet of fire sauce you doused all over your deep-fried dinner? Basement Bar is like that. Saucy with drunk Kylie carbon copies, and Don Jr-wannabes. Meaty with HGH soaked college men moving between fighting and finding a mate for the night. Crunchy with chewed up popcorn lining all surfaces. Cheesy with arcade games more expensive than entertaining. Like with TB, it's an irresistible poison, but a choice later regretted. read more

Great new place to go out to in North Loop. They have games, great atmosphere, and a photo booth.

This place is gross. It smelt like weed. The music was terrible. The bathrooms are disgusting. It has so much potential given it's location, but the owner and managers are poorly executing their responsibilities. It won't last a year. read more