I've been here a couple of times, both for their Tuesday night open mic. The Chatterbox is really like two places in one. The right side (the one with the front door) is built like a diner, with booths along one side and the bar along the other. On the left side is the lounge, with tables, couches, tons of board games, and TVs with old school Nintendo and Super Nintendo. They have a really nice beer selection, and the food is good. The Irish potatoes are worth mentioning as being particularly good. The open mic is run by a guy named Will, who likes to fill in the time between performers with Irish folk songs. He's a great guy who makes new performers feel very welcome. The only downside is that there's a good chance you'll leave the place smelling a bit like cooking grease. The smell can get a bit much towards the end of the night. But that's a small price to pay for a fun night at a really cool pub. read more

Go with a Groupon. I really want to love this place. I've gone with friends probably around 10 times. The atmosphere is fun and the games are enjoyable. All that to me feels like a rather successful distraction from the food that falls short of keeping the promise that the restaurant seems to make. The beer tastes like it's made from kits designed to reflect already exiting options. They are fine, just lacking in character somewhat considering the growing standards to microbrew in the TC. The root beer is actually really nice but it doesn't qualify for the happy hour so I have a hard time dropping what, if I remember right, is about $6. Do not under any circumstances eat the apple crisp in the desert menu. read more

When I heard that there's a place where I can play Candyland, drink beer, and eat good food, I didn't believe it. The two times I've been here were both first dates (I won't judge Chatterbox for both those dates not leading to a second date..hah), but I think the atmosphere really helped ease the tension. I mean, we were playing Connect Four, if that's not romance material, then I don't know what is. I had the quesadillas which were very very good i thought. They have a good selection of beer and other cocktails to choose from. I liked how laid back it felt, and the waiters I've had both times were very friendly and funny as well. I'd definitely go back, but hopefully not for a first date. read more

Step up your game Chatterbox. The food was just not good. I feel bad that I spent my hard earned money on your garbage food. Maybe other items are better, but the French dip and the chicken fingers were just so bland and cooked poorly. This is a cool place that I've liked for years but I definitely won't be eating the food here again. Also, the server was a snotty grumpy guy who's apparently never had any of the food or drinks on the menu. read more

We live so close, we want to like it. But the last 3 times we were there service was so slow and so awful that I can't justify supporting it. The last straw was not getting half of our order and never finding the server in time to get it. Then she put it on our tab anyway and wanted to argue about it. Nope. Plus I hate having to wash my coat after being there, you leave smelling like a grease trap. read more

Hate to leave a negative review for a neighborhood place that has so much going for it. Some wonderful staff, great atmosphere, good music, awesome games, genial owner. All that doesn't change the fact that their food often just isn't good. It is sobering to contemplate the team effort that goes into raising a chicken/catching a fish/growing veg only to have it arrive cold/soggy/dry/over-or-under seasoned on a table. This has been my experience more often than not. 3rd to last visit: Chicken wings bone-dry inside/dripping hot sauce outside. When I reluctantly sent them back, politely asked the server how they were prepared/if he'd tried them/what he'd suggest instead. He said "I don't eat here, I'm vegetarian." 2nd to last visit: Fish fry (previously a stand out! FYI it is not all-you-can-eat) gummy/soggy batter, arrived barely warm. Pickled slaw (which I've enjoyed on previous visits) - tasted like straight vinegar. Most recently: Grilled cheese w tomato soup. Sandwich arrived room temp and soggy w soup so teeth-grittingly salty that I politely sent it back, too. Ordered a chicken wrap instead that was dry, and of the caliber of gas station pre-made for 2x the price. The server was kind about it all - and the owner even stopped by to chat - but what is happening in the kitchen that the result is so often so subpar? Whoever lost their mojo, hope they get it back. read more

I only deducted one star because after 2 days and half a bottle of Febreze my coat still has a strong stench of onion rings from this place. Other than that this place rocks! Very good and eclectic menu, tons of board games to "rent" free of charge delivered by your servers, one old school Nintendo and one Sega with game rentals at $2 and $1 respectively, mulitiple TVs to watch the big game, Buzztime Trivia, micro brews, wine, and "specialty drinks". Also, great service! I'll definitely be back and am excited to try out the other locales. read more

Chatterbox has a great concept - play board games while you sip on beer and eat some sometimes-tasty food. The table layout is chaotic: we were meeting another couple of drinks, and, although there was a sea of open tables, somehow we just couldn't find one that seemed comfortable. There are loads of two-tops, and then there are four-tops squeezed together back-to-back, most of them too narrow to sit at (unless, of course, you enjoy cozying up to your tablemate's knees). The atttitude on the servers is priceless. At first I got a little huffy, but then I had to laugh it off: the first server wouldn't let us push the table out a little bit, because the six-food space wouldn't be enough for the servers to get through. Then, our second server (you'll notice a lot of confusion over who's serving whom) looked offended that I had gotten soup with my grilled cheese & tomato dill soup. I ordered a salad instead of what I THOUGHT were fries that came with all of it; when I had no soup, I asked for it (from yet another server). When guy #1 came back, it was an awkward moment of utter confusion. The grilled cheese was actually not bad. It is doused in pesto, adding a little zip to an otherwise bland meal. Their "house speciality" foccacia is nothing special, actually, but the house salad with a little blue cheese dressing is pretty decent. Also, the sweet potato fries with red pepper aioli are addictive. They're not the best in town, but, of all the Chatterbox options, they're towards the top of the list. One highlight: they have Strongbow on-tap. Other than that, the only thing that keeps us coming back (twice a year) is the idea of playing board games while imbibing. Sadly, though, we didn't even touch our board game that night (the table was too small), so made a collective decision to just go home, drink wine, and play the board games we already have, rendering Chatterbox obscolete for the foreseeable future. read more

There is a good choice of drinks and happy hour pricing is good. They do have WiFi. This location, unfortunately, is not as fun as the Saint Paul location. You pay a premium for beer and food and the atmosphere is lackluster. It can get really loud, one time we were playing one of the trivia games and I couldn't even hear the person across my table reading the questions. Also, it does smell a little stale. I did also have one bad experience where I ordered some food...not at happy hour...with a Groupon and the waitress seemed really angry with me. I was completely embarrassed at the end, even though I had paid cash for the food, I felt like I was treated like I was trying to take advantage. I also heard the server telling someone in the back (loudly) about my misunderstanding. Okay, I cried. But, who says Happy Hour can't be sad sometimes? read more

Tonight we are engaging in a holiday tradition by request of our daughter. We go to the Macy's display and the Chatterbox Pub. We usually go to the Chatterbox in St. Paul, which has more of a family feel. The St. Paul location is larger, has board games to check out and several retro game systems for the kids to play. This is what we expected when we walked into the Minneapolis location. Uh, not so much. We walked into the bar section and thought we got the wrong place. The bartender instructed us to go through the hallway. On the other side we found the similar decor. There is a Sega and a Nintendo that my daughter water to play. According to our server, it was being tinkered with last night and not sure if it works, daughter disappointed. The "techie guy" never came back to get it running. It is an older location that, according to my daughter, smells like history. My hubby had the Kentucky beer burger or something, he liked it, but over cooked. I had the grilled cheese and tomato bisque. I only got half because my 10 year old daughter kept asking for bites. Kaitlyn did like her kids Mac and cheese, too. The red pepper sour for the fries is way garlicky! All in all, I think we will go to St. Paul for the family atmosphere. read more

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Ah the Chatterbox, been going there since it was the much crappier version. I like the delightfully frumpy atmosphere. The tap selection is fair to good, always something on that will suit a mood. The food is good bar food not pretending to be anything better. Old board games and video games are decent to pass the time. They can lighten the load with a lady. I do not like the open kitchen and the smell that sticks with you after you leave, it's kinda like when you've been cooking and your hands smell like the food you prepped for the next hour, or you could say slightly better than the smell you used to tote around before the smoking ban. As another poster indicated, the Chatterbox Lager is just a Schells product, nothing special except the name. If anyone thinks Schells is brewing batches of a special beer in their "factory" setting for a couple little pubs, they might need to ask themselves if they think W was a good President, or if a college ID can get you a drink at a bar, or if higher taxes make smarter children, or if Randy Moss would make a good coworker, or if the tin foil hat prevents brainwashing waves, or if Bill Clinton is truthful, or if Santa Claus is real, or if Barry Bonds' forehead growth was natural, or if the Earth is flat because they can be convinced of just about anything. read more

My friend Mark, told me to check this place out as they offer Vintage Video Games for FREE while you wait. We got the "Chatter" Burger and played Arkanoid. Good time with a Great Retro 70s & 80s vibe. Tell 'Em The ZERo sent ya. read more

This place is adorable and kitschy fun! While driving home from south minneapolis, in an attempt to avoid rush hour, I went a little bit out of my way to grab a happy hour drink. I came across the Chatterbox Pub and decided to step inside for a quick beer. With a broad array of customers, great service, Nintendo!!, and board games, I felt at home. I wish I lived in the neighborhood because I would want the Chatterbox Pub to be my neighborhood bar. read more

Stopped in last Tuesday night to meet up with some friends for drinks and dinner. The service was ok, not very attentive for how slow it was. He was a friendly guy though. The food was good but not outstanding. read more

I used to love this place. I went out tonight with a friend of mine and the service was horrible. We were literally ignored for 10-15minutes even after I went up to the bar to order. We finally got up and left. it was very disappointing especially since they were not busy and I really love their food. Lazy servers with no concept of customer service. read more

Great food and decor. Service is slow and I get the feeling that some of the staff could care less about customer service. I hope this location doesn't close like the other two Chatterbox Pubs. Hire better waitstaff. read more

If 4 stars rested on clever theme-i-ness alone, Chatterbox would be sportin. The fun and games are so endearing, but dangit if the other pesky considerations don't get in the way. The stink-jacket I came home with tonight has a bit more of a dreep fried character to it than the stale smoke one I thought I wore home last time. And, I still want to burn my clothes. The sweet potato fries were jacketed in their own KFC style batter armor that, kind of, made the sweet potatoes not frigging awesome like they should be. The dough of our pizza had an other-wordly lightness to it that made me think I could cut it with my mind, let alone a limp-wristed, half hearted, fork flick. The sun dried tomatoes, buried under soggy pineapple and ham, added a rubbery time-bomb factor which, sounds a lot more fun than it felt or tasted. There's too much mediocre pizza out there to let this even pass for middling. But, hey, the staff was very nice. However, trivia and chat sooth the battered taste-buds, so it's all good. But, god if I don't stink... even after a shower. No changes in score, just solidification. Activities: 4 stars Food: 2 stars read more

Having tried both this location and the newer Highland Park location in StP, I can firmly say this Chatterbox is way cooler. After reading reviews describing Chatterbox as a friend's basement, I was somewhat wary, but that description is very apt and not a bad thing at all. A cozy feeling, very laid back. I was the designated driver for the evening so I was delighted to see that Chatterbox has "from scratch" sodas to make a sober person like me feel special. I loved the ginger ale (and the free refill). I also tried some of my friend's Caribbean Nights which was very nice, refreshing. Our waiter recommended trying the cracked red pepper sour cream with our fries and it was delicious. Smoky, creamy, a little spicy, perfect with the hot fries. Oh, and the music was rad. Overall, a great experience, despite the long wait (it was a Saturday, after all). read more

Gave this place a try. Service and staff went above and beyond. Very friendly. Great tap list. The food is where it losses points. Chicken wings taste pre-cooked possibly frozen then reheated later. The meat was very dry and fell from the bone. The sauce was excellent. The burgers were okay nothing to really say about it. read more

The food or wine selection is spectacular. The service is alright too. What the great thing about this place is the kitschy atmosphere Lots of retro games to be played. Nintendo to candy land. Karaoke on some nights too. Whats not to love? read more

Great service and tasty burger! Very safe and clean and quaint. Pricey but worth it.

It is a cute neighborhood place that serves wine, and their own microbrew. The kitchen seems to be able to fix some good stuff too. But the real attraction is the large collection of board games. It's a nice place to gather with friends and family to play some games. To accommodate the greatest number of guests they have uncomfortable furniture arranged in awkward configurations and the music is so loud it inhibits any real conversation read more

Of course the entrees are good. But when you realize you get a nice helping of tender seasoned fries with your Hell Kat Burger you know you are getting a good turn. My suggestion, ask for a side of the Hell Kat sauce for fry dipping and giving your main a little extra surge of awesome. It should go without saying that if you eat at a micro brewery then you should order a house beer. The Magnamonius Brown Ale is a choice you won't regret. read more

Started with the beet salad. I've had better, and I've had worse. Then, shared the California Dreamin' Burger (organic baby greens, local tomato, basil-pinenut pesto mayo, pickles) with my daughter. She LOVED the food. Great neighborhood restaurant. So appreciative that there are so many choices of places to dine in the area. read more

Chatterbox Pub - Local Beet Salad - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

The food menu is amazing with a lot of effort put into it. The atmosphere is fun and inviting. They offer gaming console booths and there are a variety of board games to play as well. This is definitely a destination spot for food, drinks and fun. read more

An original place with good beer selection. Food is bar food, it is what it is. So don't come here expecting a chef based menu, like some of the other reviewer seem to want. Board games, greasy food and beer are a perfect for an unpretentious mid-winter hang. I will say the Highland Park location is awful. It is the family friendly Disney version. If you want to hang with the breeders, then go there. Kids are not meant to be in bars. read more

It's a shabby restaurant thought the ideas of providing game are nice. Servers came slowly, orders came slow, service is poor. Literally took us an hour to get our food and the restaurant wasn't that busy. Not a clean place either. read more

I got this delivered and it was pretty tasty! I loved the fries but they could've given more. My wrap wasn't very hot so the shredded cheese wasn't melted which I was disappointed in but everything else flavor wise was very good! read more

I always want to like this place, but service is slow and you'll sometimes pay over $8 for a draft beer that's cloudy and flat.

The food is good and the ambiance is fun. Beer list is decent. Sure the service is slower than something like an Applebee's but the food is better and I never felt neglected. Will come back! read more

Some of the worst bar food I've had. The hell cat diablo chicken wings seemed old and boiled with no flavor. The chicken tenders were slimy underneath the batter and seemed microwaved. The lettuce served on the side of the wings was old and blanched from the boilded wings. I do not recommend this place to anyone and will not be coming back. read more

The pizza was great. The server was laid back but nice. I did have to go find him a few times to request service, such as grabbing a game from behind the bar or paying our bill. The menu offers several options for pizza and you can substitute ingredients if you want. You have to pay to play all the arcade games except one (which I will address). The board games, however, are abundant and free. The setting is low lighted and has a very authentic bar/pub appeal. The bathroom for each sex is small but has amusing wall art (male cartoon characters/action figures for the men's room and female versions for the women's room). The huge bad side to this pub is that they allow small children (actually any age) and any amount of kids to roam and run around the bar and restaurant. Parents are allowed to set their kids free in the restaurant as they dine and drink. The kids were on the one free arcade game continually, not playing peacefully but fighting and arguing and screaming as children naturally do. The children were also allowed to sit at the bar and play with the gambling video game screens. None of the employees stopped this action, but rather ignored them as it was a regular occurrence. The parents were never notified or talked to by the staff. It was quite disappointing because we were ready and willing to spend more money on beer and the gambling bar game. read more

Chatterbox Pub - Bars Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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We've lived in and around Highland park for years, but had never been into Chatterbox pub until last night. the food we had ranged from meh to inedible. My husband had the Mac n'cheese, I had the wasabi Ahi Tuna, and we ordered a Caesar salad to share. My husband thought the Mac n'cheese was fine, but nothing to write home about. My Ahi Tuna was REALLY salty, and outside of the saltiness the favors seemed to clash. The worst thing we had was the Caesar salad... Seriously this has to be one of the hardest things the mess up, but they managed. The plate was just a head of romain sliced in half with oil, vinegar and I guess Caesar seasonings poured on top. The way it's served causes all the dressing elements to pool inside the head of the lettuce, so my first bite had almost no dressing and my second had so much I instantly started coughing, my eyes started watering and I had to down my entire water to wash the taste from my mouth. At the same time the place was busy so maybe the food is hit or miss depending on the dish. Unfortunately, we probably won't be dining here in the future. read more

This is my favorite Chatterbox location! The waitstaff is always friendly, & the food is always good. The spinach artichoke dip is the best I've ever had. Go on music bingo night and you're sure to have a good time. I don't even mind leaving with that kitchen smell stuck in my clothes. Downside? Only that the ladies bathroom door needs fixing. read more

I've been living in the Longfellow/Corcoran neighborhood for three years, and the Chatterbox S. Minneapolis location is fantastic - but only on paper. The entrees are for the most part average, but the appetizers are great when you're on your third or fourth round. It's a beer/wine only bar, which, like the nearby Cardinal, keeps a lot of bar-hoppers and roudy rif-raff away. Chatterbox, unlike the Cardinal, has a nicer beer selection - not a micro-brew haven, but it is without the monotony of only American light lagers on tap. The vintage video games, video trivia, and huge board game list make it a good place to set up shop for an evening (or slow weekend afternoon in the winter). BUT, there is one thing that is so unacceptable about this place that, even though I live 2 blocks away, keeps me from going here: this place stinks of vegetable oil. If you're there for more than half an hour you will need to wash your entire outfit to rid the stench of a deep-frier which sticks to you like cigarette smoke used to. After that smell follows you home and all the way to the laundry room the first time, it will be hard to go back in because you will notice the overwhelming odor immediately on entering. Even though I think that this is a 5-star neighborhood bar, the fact that this place has smelled so bad without proper ventilation for so long, without being fixed or at least lessened, forces me to give it 1-star. Some reviews on here are negative because they are expecting too much - this is a neighborhood watering hole, not an Uptown/Downtown/Eat Street pub, and with these reviews I disagree. But the fact that they have such a glaring issue with ventilation makes me surprised that they remain in business, or at least have not been cited for this by the city. I have met more than a handful of people who never go here because of this issue. With the opening of the Smokehouse Brewery/Pub opening later this year less than a mile away, and the new Blue Door Pub location opening in Longfellow, I hope that the upcoming neighborhood bar-diversity will shrink this location's patronage enough to force an improvement to that overwhelming stank that assaults your senses every visit. If this problem gets fixed, I'll be the first person at the door waiting for a Chit-Chat Lager and those delicious dipping sauces for fries. read more

So, this is mostly a review of their customer service! When I eat here, I always order the build your own Mac and Cheese. It is always good! Except for once when it wasn't. I took one bite and it tasted like something had gone bad, which seemed unusual for a reliable menu item I've ordered countless times in the past. So I reached out and explained the problem. Their response was as good as any restaurant could be. They looked into what could have happened and got back to me with an answer for what actually happened. They offered to figure out how to refund the money since this was all ordered via a delivery service, and offered to buy a dinner in the future. Their food is usually top notch and reliable, but when it is not they are responsible and kind in dealing with their customers! read more

Visited the Chatterbox Pub and enjoyed the family-friendly atmosphere. The staff was very welcoming. Food was fresh and delicious. Everyone enjoyed what they ordered. I had a california burger with garlic mashed potatoes. Great comfort food on a fall night. I am glad to have discovered this spot. read more

I moved in a few blocks away and the family and I went for a late afternoon hang out. We had a few moments of miscommunication with our waitress: -I ordered fries when we sat down and she brought a small portion of it. I asked for clarification if this was the appetizer of fries and she said it was a side of fries. She said that's what I had ordered. I honestly couldn't remember (but my wife insists I had said appetizer), so I said nothing as she made no attempt either to bring us a larger portion. -The kids menu is not the most clear and we thought that everything came with fries or a substitute and when my son ordered his cheese pizza we continued his order with a salad and oreo brownie. When we got charged for a side salad, we asked for clarification again, but was met with the same unfriendly response. She said that she put in what we had said. Cheese pizza didn't come with a side and put the blame on us. So again, I waited for her to try to do something to appease her frustrated customers, but she did nothing. On top of it all, we got charged for "Pub Fries Appetizer" and not a side of fries. At the end of the day, I'm not claiming complete faultlessness. But it was just extremely cold and unhelpful service. I'll gladly drive a few blocks further somewhere else with my family next time. read more

This is my favorite neighborhood bar! Great food and so many good beers on tap. The server Gabriel has been so polite and made our experience extra fun. read more

I came in for their advertised $10 Fish n Chips last night. It was my first time here. Fish was mushy, the WORST fish I've ever had. Also, it was 7:15 and they were out of fries! So, we had fish n mashed potatoes. Not at all the same experience. How do you advertise a fish n chips special and run out of chips at 7:15? It wasn't even busy. The server/bartender is obviously burnt out on his gig and should leave. He was the worst and rudest server I've ever encountered. I hope the owner reads these comments, cuz that guy is costing them business. He needs to be given the boot. The 4 of us will never be back again. If you're looking for a good beer selection, some fun games, some crappy food and an asshole bartender, then Chatterbox is the place for you. read more