96 North Dale Street, St. Paul
Summertime mega neighborhood patio hangout, cozy wintertime pub. Sweeney's is an efficient bar & restaurant that doesn't view bar food as an elevated art form. Though the menu gets colorful in its descriptions, the pub fare is middle-of-the-road American takes on plenty of standards. They do, however, have an enlightened perception of what's necessary in the way of beer offerings. They were among the first Twin Cities bars to feature Stone Brewing taps, they often have super special firkins that last a mere hour on average, and their happy hour is solely devoted to hometown favorite Summit brewing. Sweeney's fills up quickly around 5 pm with neighborhood locals, professionals, and those who couldn't find parking at the nearby Muddy Pig or Happy Gnome (or those who can't afford the upscale gastropub grub).
Though it involves biking up a modest hill to get there, Sweeney's is a good old standby or primary pub. The crowds, quality of the menu & overall atmosphere are indicative of its location halfway between Selby & Grand Avenues. If I had to fall back on anywhere in Cathedral hill, here you've got it.
13th Ave. SE & 5th St. SE, Dinkytown
I'd probably be least likely to be seen on a consistent basis at Burrito Loco. Maybe if I'd taken the 4 year in-state college option I'd have a different opinion of this proto-Chipotle bar. Their best attributes are the consistency of the food, which could be accurately described as ChiChi's type fare, and their generous daily specials ranging from pitchers of beer & fajitas (see right) to copious amounts of chicken wings (not the best, but far from the worst).
The Burritos are highly customizable, but might be considered lacking in flair to those who've frequented restaurants on the Avenue Del Sol. But in the face of cheap pitchers of either craft staples or watered-down macrobrew lagers, there's more sizzle & flavor than typical Tuesday taco bar fare. Weekend evenings & late night crowds are dense, rowdy, and young. Loco is one in place amongst the universe of yard of beer sports bars in Dinkytown. Coming here with even less than substantial facial hair might make one appear to be the oldest person in the room. Truthfully, I can recall having a pitcher & burrito here when I was 23 & feeling plenty of years senior. That's not to say it's a haven for underage types, as their ID checking bouncers are present from mid afternoon on through the night. Booze is only served upstairs, and if you can't make it back up from the downstairs restrooms, you'd be unlikely to be allowed to remain.
Craft beer Mecca it isn't, but neither is it sold to lite beers. It finds the well-distributed micros that can keep the collegiate kegs coming as the ever-savvy post secondary types learn more about tasty brews each year. If I ever want a hefty burrito or fajita & am thirsty for about a tenth of a barrel of ale on my way through Minneapolis, you might find me at Burrito Loco.
Lowertown St. Paul/NE Mpls./South Mpls.
The Bulldog is an oddity of delightful inconsistencies when it comes to mid-level pub dining. Each location sports the same face, but a different wardrobe. The South Mpls. Bulldog is a low-ceiling dive bar type hangout that sits underneath a rather large apartment house. The NE location is a high ceiling sports bar with more of a warehouse feel. The St. Paul Bulldog isn't far off from the vibe of NE Mpls., but the Belgian offerings yield to the more watery demands of downtown workers & hockey fans.
The understated menu is mostly the same at each location. Their thrifty specialty are a catalog of hot dog platters, which can be had with a pint of select craft brews for $7 around lunchtime. My favorites are their spicy chili dog & their scathingly authentic Chicago Dog. High gluten poppyseed buns are integral to stuffing all the fresh fixings onto any dog. These hot dog platters are the best everyday value meal platter around. And their beer selection runs 70+ (taps & bottles) with the St. Paul location sporting a stylish Perlick brand forward sealing faucet tower that always serves clean tasting selections from around the globe.
The Mpls. locations are better known for their extensive menu of Belgian bottled beer, but you can get a Kwak in the traditional glass & stand at any Bulldog location. I've had some Hennepin ale here that I'm still working out of my palate. Plenty of TVs in every direction, respectable table service & super bartenders that know their beer keep me coming back. They're also not above selling $3 pints to clear out laggard kegs. Everything is served well to style, so don't confuse cheap food or beer with a lack of quality. The Bulldog might be the most upscale average pub in the upper midwest.
That makes five entries & another year gone by. Four years of homebrewing that has delightfully diverted my spare time & folding cash away from trivial popular man toys or fruity fire water drinks. In two to three weeks time I'll be undergoing the transformation of fatherhood. If it takes me any extra time to report on the birth, be assured it's only in the effort spent avoiding the cliched awestruck that's sure to be a component of my daughter's push into the world. I'll soon have a photo of the above kettle filled with the aforementioned offspring, though not in tandem with boiling contents.
Mostly, I'm anxious to once again share pints with Scancy. I've greatly missed the double tastings that were the reason we used to order different brews when at restaurants. Soon, the challenge will be finding a dimly lit room with a booth suitable for a baby carrier; the trade-offs of which one of us will be sober cab for the evening; and just how much adolescent babysitters deserve to be paid in dollars, or which adults will accept beer for the chore.
Plenty of homebrew to be had at our house this holiday time, too. No gift needed in return, the beer turnover for future batches is plenty a gift on its own.
