A neat old-time vibe with good bartenders and some great music. I would call the place "unexpected."read more

The White Squirrel Bar was just okay to me. There was live music going on, which was a nice touch…read moreand probably the highlight of the visit. The inside of the bar is pretty small and felt a bit cramped, especially with how busy it was on a Sunday. They do have a back patio that is fairly large, which I appreciated, but during the day it did not feel very inviting. Without lighting or much going on, it came off a bit plain. As for drinks, I tried a non alcoholic half and half with lemonade and iced tea, which I actually really liked. I also had a mojito style cocktail that was not my favorite and tasted a bit too strong for me. The overall vibe just was not really my thing, but I could see it being more fun at night or with a bigger group.

Very relaxed place for a beer right on the river in Northfield. Great patio in the summer and…read moregreat view year round. No food options but good music. Overall, good hang out.

I went to the Contented Cow on a Friday evening after visiting a nearby apple orchard. This place…read morewas a great hidden local spot. It was not too busy and we all ordered drinks from the bar. All our drinks were tasty and well made. In addition to the tasty drinks all the bartenders were speedy and professional. The contented cow offered indoor and outdoor seating, a pool table, and a dart board. We chose to play a couple games of pool and had a great time. I love when restaurants provide some entertainment!

Stop by for a drink as we heard good things about the Dog House. The place was larger than expected…read moreand they are set up for bands to perform. We stopped by during the day so the crowd was light. Nicole our server was very prompt and took our drink orders we decided do order fries as well. The menu looked good and we will have to be back for dinner. If you are looking for live music you should check the place out.

Went to another gig here Saturday night. My server was friendly and attentive, kept popping by as…read moreI debated if I wanted anything to eat..... I ultimately opted for brussel sprouts. As I told him "the best I've ever had!" He thoughtfully offered me a box for the majority of my order. Friends ordered the pickle roll ups, which I chuckled as I asked: are those in a dog bowl? Two of them snacking on them throughout the night and they still never finished them. Thanks for the good service and the filling meal, Dog House!

The Music Space fills a void badly needed in Owatonna. It's a small record shop and live music…read morevenue. It's been open less than a year, but the rustic downtown location makes you feel like you've gone back in time 40 years. I had no idea exactly what or where it was. Then one day this summer I was walking out of a downtown bagel shop when I was drawn to the sound of great music filling the street from the next block down. It's got a very comfortable feel. At least in part because they have a couch! The couch sits behind a ew rows of chairs that all face a small stage at the back of the store. The owner's connections allow him to bring in a wide range of artists that wouldn't normally come to Owatonna to do an intimate show. A couple other locations have been used when a larger venue was need. Thursday nights are a sort of 'live mic' when anyone serious can perform for free This is a really cool place that's worth checking out.

I come here on Thursdays with my friends for karaoke night and always have a blast. The staff is…read morereally friendly and attentiven the bathroom is kept clean, and the prices of drinks are great. The place is a kinda dingy and could desperately use a remodel.

There's a $2 mystery beer and their taps are all $2. So you can live on the wild side or get…read moreexactly what you want...for $2. There's a $10 card minimum (read 5 mystery beers) but there's also an ATM inside. The live music is fun and there's darts in the front, pool in the back.

The wine and ambiance were great here! We came in just for one glass on our wine tour of Waconia,…read morebut it was well worth it! Plenty of space to sit and enjoy and we were greeted and helped very fast. The parking lot was located down a little hill so if you have people with you who have bad knees, I would suggest parking at the top of the hill (handicap spots). Overall would go back!

I visited Parley Lake this afternoon with several friends and young kids. It was a perfect spot to…read morehang out and sip wine outside while listening to live music (and a super good band at that!). They have a nice selection of snacks, including cheese, chocolates, popcorn, and pretzels to accompany their wine selections. Both the indoor and outdoor spaces have ample seating, but you can also bring a blanket and chairs for the outside if it's a busy day. Lots of kiddos running around having fun! I noticed that they have a sculpture walk as well as an orchard. We loved the wine and ambiance so will definitely be back!

Great jerk chicken and very friendly, attentive server. Always solid food especially if you like…read morea little Jamaica slice!

We were recommended to this spot and were thrilled to see a Jamaican restaurant on the river across…read morefrom Red Wing. Cheese curds - you can't go wrong with Ellsworth cheese curds! The curds were lightly coated, making the batter crispy but not overwhelming. Unfortunately, more than one of our cheese curds also had onion in them. Pulled Pork - this was a clear winner today! The barbecue sauce and heaping portion of pork worked perfectly together on the fluffy bun. The French fries were clearly fresh cut and had the perfect combination of meatiness and crispiness. Jerk Chicken Sandwich - the chicken was well seasoned and well cooked. We never received the honey-Mayo to pair with the sandwich, which was sorely missed. When they say this sandwich is hot, we would call it Minnesota hot. We all agreed, the water had an unusual taste. This impacted the water and any soda our table had. We chose to eat outside because the internal space was incredibly loud. The property was not handicap friendly with uneven ground and a big step to go to the patio. Overall, we enjoyed the food and the space is probably a hot spot in the summer along the river.

Beautiful venue and programs held here. They have a nice recording studio, a stage for…read moreperformances, and a cafe. Open to all ages. You can rent the venue out. However, limited parking.

From the owner: THE GARAGE is a 501c3 nonprofit all ages music venue, recording studio, and educational facility…read more Our mission is to provide young people with equitable access to see, experience, and participate in the Twin Cities music community while making the world work for them.

I reserved upper floor seats at the Uptown Theater in late October 2024 for a Saturday night show…read moreby the Drive by Truckers (performing their Southern Rock Opera tour). Overall, the sound quality was clear (but also super-loud). It was awesome having upper level reserved seats (a bit pricey at $85 each, but worth it to get an unobstructed view of the stage while seated). On the plus side, check-in with the Wallet app for your online ticket was easy. Also, the facilities were pretty clean. The only minus is they do not really serve food or snacks. The cocktail beverage seemed a bit overpriced ($15 + tax) for what you got. Would recommend getting dinner and drinks before you enter the Uptown Theater and just enjoy the show.

I had never been to the uptown theater till the other night. The staff was friendly. The venue…read morewas clean. The line to get through security went quickly. There are multiple bars, so lines were never long. I loved that were multiple station with water jugs for self service water throughout the evening. A few things I wasn't "thrilled about" is the tickets and ticketmaster showed the concert started at 6pm. We drove 4 hours to go to the concert. We got to the theater at 5:30 and were told the show actually was at 7 and doors didn't open until 6 pm. My other item i wasn't thrilled about, it was a low key acoustic show Lisa Loeb and Matt Nathanson. (Loved the show) we were in the back section on the floor near the entry doors. I get the staff has to be by the doors, however a couple times they were laughing and carrying (which I get they should have fun at work) but it was kinda distracting from the show. I would definitely go back for another show.

Bartender is a good feller, drinks are always good and the vibe nice/casual. I come here to drink…read morebeer time to time. I recommend reserving the other room for parties. Always fun!!!!

BEST FOOD!! These guys NEVER disappoint. Their food is FANTASTIC!! We travel 30 min just to go here…read morefor dinner - happily! The service is EXCELLENT! The ambiance is what you'd expect for a tavern. They're slammed on the weekends but during the week it's easy to get a table. I can't believe they're not busy CONSTANTLY! I would venture to say this is my FAVE RESTAURANT south of the cities, easily!! Love Love LOVE!!