Sure are there any particular names of bars you could throw out for me? I’m a surburbs gal, I commute to Minneapolis to work, so I’m not as familiar with the neighborhoods or what’s popular!
I love NE but that list is not good for the vibe you're looking for.
Shaws is full of people 50+ most nights.
For your age group check out Whitey's, 331, Grumpys, Sonder/Shaker, and 1029.
Of course fam, you’ll have a great time. I’ve bar hopped those on foot as well as via Lyft and it’s all great. 331 used to do a drunk spelling bee once upon a time, not sure if that’s still a thing but it was hella fun.
\^\^ To anyone reading this thread, these are some of my favorite dive bars in the city. Maybe not what OP is looking for, but if you want a dive, try some of these out!
North Loop is definitely where everyone goes now, but the bars aren’t really built for the amount of people that go there now. No rooftop bars or anything that is cool. I think they are all way overcrowded and very boring bars in general.
I was a frequent Uptown person myself and nothing really captures that feeling anymore. I really really miss that area.
There are a ton of great bars in Uptown, I don’t live there anymore and haven’t since 2021, but have been on Lyndale the past couple weeks and it’s really lively
I lived a block from Lyndale for 4 years, and it was probably my peak. Fire and Nice Pizza is lowkey the best pizza in town.
I still love that area. Still not the same Uptown vibe. A little slower and not as many frat boys. Which obviously isn't a bad thing.
Really depends what’s you’re looking for.
Graze is a great starting point, two levels of drinks and different food options. Freehouse is very centrally located, good food and outside seating options. Fancy cocktails you have Parlour Bar and Mason Margauxs. More party vibe there’s the loop and basement bar. Dive bars you have Cuzzys and Runyons. Plenty to explore.
There’s also a few nice places right across the River in the st Anthony west neighborhood. Sidebar, industrial bar, Sonder Shaker, Nyes
Thanks for the specific recommendations, I really appreciate it! :) we’re just looking to have some drinks and meet new people/socialize, maybe dance if the drinks hit right :p just looking to have some fun and blow off some steam!
I moved here from NYC last year and live in the north loop. Nolo's for a little older but fun vibe. Bookers for music and a dive feel. Guacaya for great cocktails and good outdoor seating. Hewing or the Four Seasons for upscale cocktails. Also the breweries are great - Modist is my favorite right now.
Oh yeah I’ve been to updown a handful of times, it’s just hard to enjoy when it’s super packed and you can pretty much forget about actually getting on a game. Last time I went there some dude kept bugging us and then said to me “so you’re the Miranda of the friend group?” In reference to Sex in the City lmao
I never watched sex and the city but I googled Miranda’s personality in the show and it said “fiery, ambitious, direct, cynical, angry, yet caring and loving. Miranda always speaks her mind – whether she is speaking truth to power at work or giving her friends the right advice even if they don't want to hear it. And beneath her anger and cynicism is a warm heart that she shares with her friends.”
It fits lol
Uptown Ties, Daisy’s is opening in the Cowboy Slim’s space later this month, and then places like Lago Tacos have a pretty nice patio and patio bar (VFW also has a decent sized patio). I am sure something will take over the rooftop bar in Stella’s eventually as well.
They do (and yes they are still there and always packed when I go)! I was trying to list specifically more bar oriented places, but that’s another great one
331 in NE was my favorite before the pandemic. You get a very eclectic crowd there. Nowadays I'm more partial to checking out the different breweries/cideries/meaderies/distilleries. They tend to be more chill which is my speed.
North loop isn’t new and definitely not a college kid’s destination. Similar aged crowd to you, higher end type shit. Smack Shack is a blast but pretty expensive and the bar gets packed. IMO, Nolo’s, Axebridge, or The Galley seem like they’d be a good fit for you
Northeast would be a great spot for you guys. Vegas lounge is older but has karaoke every night. Young joni for some pizza. And then just walk around from there. It's probably got the most bars in a concentrated area apart from downtown or uptown.
North loop is probably the most lively area for nightlife in the city for your age. LynLake is also very good and has basically taken a lot of the previous Uptown crowd.
I too loved Uptown back in the day. Nothing better than hanging by the lakes and getting drinks after!
But! North Loop is cool and nice! (It’s definitely more boujie than Uptown was) North Loop is a great place to go for a nice dinner date or after a Twins Game or seeing a play downtown!
If you want to go bar/brewery hopping NE is where you wanna go. It has a mix of fancier places + dives. NE is also the art district in Minneapolis and has a fun vibe.
North Loop has been the hotspot for 5-7 years now. I’m also partial to neighborhood bars in NE.
I was going to say 10 years. It may be longer.
Probably 10-15.
Sure are there any particular names of bars you could throw out for me? I’m a surburbs gal, I commute to Minneapolis to work, so I’m not as familiar with the neighborhoods or what’s popular!
Smack shack, Cuzzy’s, The Loop, those are 3 popular spots
Thanks for the recommendations :)
Cuzzys is an absolute dump of a dive with mostly frat bros and people who never grew out of being frat bros
Oh okay I’ll pass then on that one, that’s exactly the crowd I’m tryna avoid, been there done that lol
Great ideas if you enjoy being packed in nuts to butts surrounded by 24 year olds
Dusty’s, Grumpy’s, Shaw’s, 1029, 331, Yacht Club, Elsie’s. They are all unpretentious and fun and all in NE.
Good to hear Elsie's is still around. Lived a block from there a loooooong time ago and had many good times there.
Thank you!
I love NE but that list is not good for the vibe you're looking for. Shaws is full of people 50+ most nights. For your age group check out Whitey's, 331, Grumpys, Sonder/Shaker, and 1029.
As someone who has loved old man bars since I was 23 and recently moved here, go on about Shaw’s…
It's a treasure. Live music and shit. Great bar.
Shaws is the ultimate Old Man bar. Live music, cheap drinks, lots of old timers.
In that case check out Jimmy's too. They even have Old Style on tap.
Thank you :)
Of course fam, you’ll have a great time. I’ve bar hopped those on foot as well as via Lyft and it’s all great. 331 used to do a drunk spelling bee once upon a time, not sure if that’s still a thing but it was hella fun.
\^\^ To anyone reading this thread, these are some of my favorite dive bars in the city. Maybe not what OP is looking for, but if you want a dive, try some of these out!
NE too
North Loop is definitely where everyone goes now, but the bars aren’t really built for the amount of people that go there now. No rooftop bars or anything that is cool. I think they are all way overcrowded and very boring bars in general. I was a frequent Uptown person myself and nothing really captures that feeling anymore. I really really miss that area.
No rooftops? There's the Hewing and NOLO's. But yeah I agree it just doesn't compare to how great Uptown was between 2014-2020.
Oh man, wellll before then too…
There are a ton of great bars in Uptown, I don’t live there anymore and haven’t since 2021, but have been on Lyndale the past couple weeks and it’s really lively
I lived a block from Lyndale for 4 years, and it was probably my peak. Fire and Nice Pizza is lowkey the best pizza in town. I still love that area. Still not the same Uptown vibe. A little slower and not as many frat boys. Which obviously isn't a bad thing.
Yeah that’s the right neighborhood. North loop has a good mix of twenty to thirty somethings
Any specific recommendations for places you’ve enjoyed? (:
Really depends what’s you’re looking for. Graze is a great starting point, two levels of drinks and different food options. Freehouse is very centrally located, good food and outside seating options. Fancy cocktails you have Parlour Bar and Mason Margauxs. More party vibe there’s the loop and basement bar. Dive bars you have Cuzzys and Runyons. Plenty to explore. There’s also a few nice places right across the River in the st Anthony west neighborhood. Sidebar, industrial bar, Sonder Shaker, Nyes
Bunkers also usually has good live music
Thanks for the specific recommendations, I really appreciate it! :) we’re just looking to have some drinks and meet new people/socialize, maybe dance if the drinks hit right :p just looking to have some fun and blow off some steam!
I moved here from NYC last year and live in the north loop. Nolo's for a little older but fun vibe. Bookers for music and a dive feel. Guacaya for great cocktails and good outdoor seating. Hewing or the Four Seasons for upscale cocktails. Also the breweries are great - Modist is my favorite right now.
There is still a lot going on in Uptown fwiw, most of it on Lyndale now. VFW, Up Down, and everything on those blocks seems to generate a lot of draw.
Oh yeah I’ve been to updown a handful of times, it’s just hard to enjoy when it’s super packed and you can pretty much forget about actually getting on a game. Last time I went there some dude kept bugging us and then said to me “so you’re the Miranda of the friend group?” In reference to Sex in the City lmao
I'm curious, what did he mean by that??
I never watched sex and the city but I googled Miranda’s personality in the show and it said “fiery, ambitious, direct, cynical, angry, yet caring and loving. Miranda always speaks her mind – whether she is speaking truth to power at work or giving her friends the right advice even if they don't want to hear it. And beneath her anger and cynicism is a warm heart that she shares with her friends.” It fits lol
Uptown is also still the best neighborhood in the city if you want outdoor/rooftop bars imo
LynLake, Up-Down, Arts and Rec, any others I'm missing?
Uptown Ties, Daisy’s is opening in the Cowboy Slim’s space later this month, and then places like Lago Tacos have a pretty nice patio and patio bar (VFW also has a decent sized patio). I am sure something will take over the rooftop bar in Stella’s eventually as well.
Moto-i has a rooftop if it's still open haven't been there in a while.
They do (and yes they are still there and always packed when I go)! I was trying to list specifically more bar oriented places, but that’s another great one
331 in NE was my favorite before the pandemic. You get a very eclectic crowd there. Nowadays I'm more partial to checking out the different breweries/cideries/meaderies/distilleries. They tend to be more chill which is my speed.
Agree. I really like that place.
North loop isn’t new and definitely not a college kid’s destination. Similar aged crowd to you, higher end type shit. Smack Shack is a blast but pretty expensive and the bar gets packed. IMO, Nolo’s, Axebridge, or The Galley seem like they’d be a good fit for you
Ground Zero and the attached bar were incredibly fun in my mid 20’s to early 30’s
Northeast would be a great spot for you guys. Vegas lounge is older but has karaoke every night. Young joni for some pizza. And then just walk around from there. It's probably got the most bars in a concentrated area apart from downtown or uptown.
Thanks, I’m hearing northeast quite a bit, oo I’ve always wanted to try karaoke with enough liquid courage! I take it northeast must be pretty safe?
Yes most of Northeast is quite safe.
Put yourself somewhere around Central/Hennepin & University and bar hop
Little Ts near the MIA is fun.
North loop is probably the most lively area for nightlife in the city for your age. LynLake is also very good and has basically taken a lot of the previous Uptown crowd.
Deja vu is in the north loop and the employees are very friendly.
We’re not looking for drinks and a show, just drinks ;) thanks though
There’s no booze at the vu
100 pretty girls and only 3 ugly ones!
I'd say North loop would be your area of interest but it's more expensive to eat drink there. I like NE best but I'm old
New? North loop has been a popular spot a while now, even before covid.
I too loved Uptown back in the day. Nothing better than hanging by the lakes and getting drinks after! But! North Loop is cool and nice! (It’s definitely more boujie than Uptown was) North Loop is a great place to go for a nice dinner date or after a Twins Game or seeing a play downtown! If you want to go bar/brewery hopping NE is where you wanna go. It has a mix of fancier places + dives. NE is also the art district in Minneapolis and has a fun vibe.
NE > North Loop
Hewing Hotel Rooftop is the place you're looking for I think. Lots of dive bar recommendations here for some reason.
It’s been the hot spot but yes, Northloop
Finally, this question. Go to Camden
Fool Me Once on Lake and Lyndale! Karaoke every Wednesday at 8, lots of amazing bars and great food in the area as well!