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    Gopher Bar

    3.6 (108 reviews)
    InexpensiveAmerican, Dive Bars
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Gopher Bar Photos

    GOPHER BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Juke Box
    Moderate noise
    Divey
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Gopher Bar

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    Reviews With Photos

    Chicken tender basket
    Michael C.

    Let me just start out by saying I knew this was a dive bar going in, so expectations were already really low... and I still managed to be surprised by several things about this place. The only reason I'm giving it two stars instead of one is because our server was really nice, attentive, and funny. That said... The place was FREEZING. I wore my double thermal jacket the entire time I was in there and I was still super cold. The heat for sure wasn't on and I'm convinced they had a door open. It was incredibly uncomfortable. The men's bathroom is very, very tight. The two urinals are literally almost touching and you can't walk behind someone to get to the stall if they're at a urinal. I found it really weird to non-ironically hang your establishment's entire personality on being rude, crass, and "not politically correct." All the swear words and rude signs on the wall just set a really negative vibe for the whole place. I also didn't love all the support for the Vulcan Krewe because they have a less-than-ideal reputation... Finally, we didn't find out until the end of the night that there could only be one tab for the entire group. This wasn't a huge issue, but we'd been sitting there for hours ordering drinks and food and it was a total headache to sort out at the end of the night since no one was keeping super close track of what they ordered (because we assumed our server would be doing that). It's also cash only, but that's not a problem if you know beforehand. They also have an ATM onsite! All those minor complaints aside, there were two major things I wanted to specifically call out: 1. Someone was smoking in the kitchen. Several times. It was repulsive on many levels and I can't believe it's tolerated by others on the staff. How disgusting (and illegal). 2. Another server literally fought with a patron over getting a glass for their pop. Literally yelled at the customer. I don't believe the customer is always right, but it was such a weird reaction to asking for a glass after they were given a can of pop without being given/offered a glass. Thankfully our nice server relieved this guy from his serving responsibilities and took care of the older couple. There were two redeeming qualities of this place (other than our server): TouchTunes and the egg rolls! Get the egg rolls. There are many dive bars in the metro area. You're probably better off at any other one.

    Coney Dog
    Danny A.

    Gopher Bar is a CASH ONLY dive bar located in Lowertown St Paul that is know for its conservative political views and famous Coney Dogs. Despite what you may think or may have heard, the Gopher Bar is a great little spot to hang out and have cheap, cold beer and one delicious hot dog! The service is always great and the regulars are generally friendly. Along side the Coney Dogs, you will find some typical bar fare such as chicken tenders, French fries, mozzarella sticks, etc. Do keep in mind that this is CASH ONLY bar and there is an ATM inside if you need.

    Coney Dog
    Elly P.

    This is definitely my favorite bar now...Because they have "RAMEN". Yes that's right "Ramen" not those dinky instant ramen. But one serious contender of "Ramen". This review if mainly about the Ramen. Although the Bar itself is amazing, always friendly, very fairly priced and just unique. But the Ramen... It is Shoyu Based with Yuzu tone. Very smokey probably from the charred bone that makes the broth. The white pepper flavor really round things up here. But also the Crispy pork on top is very smokey and just salty greatness. The noodle itself has nice texture, perfect al-dente-ness. Last but not least the soft boiled egg. This ramen is one of the best in town. It is not always in menu, you have to ask for it. The chef has experience in Japanese cooking and he has been very successful in creating his own version of Ramen! if you're not into Ramen, they also serves "coney dog", Reuben Eggroll. My recommendation get a group of friend and order whole menu and lots of drinks...cheers! PS: cash only! Bring yo dollah

    Saint Paul’s Most Disgusting Bar???
    M A L.

    Please take Minnesota's mascot's name off this awful place of business. Even a rodent doesn't deserve to be involuntarily associated with this place. I hadn't been in The Gopher Bar for years, went there for the memories. The coneys are ok, but not as good as they use to be. The raw onions overpowered any coney flavor. It is also dirtier and more unkept than I remember and the floor was kind of sticky. I see some reviewers calling this place quaint, a dive or old school; sorry but just because a business has filthy language and what many would call hate speech as decor, does not make it quaint or a dive. People should call it what it is and not hide behind words like quaint to disguise intolerance. It doesn't appear that management has any worries about offending the customers. The Gopher Bar's decor slaps you in the face with politics. Its obvious that the someone at this joint is stuck in the pre-civil rights years or even the pre-civil war era and is not trying to be quaint. There is even a advertisement stuck to a cooler for the League of the South that includes the confederate flag. The League of the South is a southern organization that today, still actively promotes the confederacy ideals and southern nationalism. Search the League of the South and you'll be surprised what you find. I would speculate this is not a bar for most Americans who have real American Values and a good moral compass. When you consider Minnesota's history in the Civil War, it's a shame there is a business in Saint Paul, Minnesota that disrespects the memory of Minnesota soldiers who gave their lives to fight against what the confederate flag stood/stands for. Just a quick reminder to management, Minnesota was the first to volunteer when President Lincoln called for soldiers to fight the southern traitors' to the United States of America. The very traitors who flew the confederate flag, the flag you seem to welcome in your business. In addition, Minnesota had on a per capital basis, the most causalities of any other state in the Union. In addition to the intolerance decor, the f word is part of their decor. Really probably not a good place for parents to bring their children to a have a coney. If I accidentally walked in with kids, I would immediately leave. If a person of color walked into this place, I'd speculate they'd feel unwelcome, insulted and maybe even threatened. I can't but wonder what kind of reception the current mayor of St. Paul would receive at this place. There will be some who say this review is suppose to be about food, the reviews are also about service, ambiance, cleanliness and your overall experience. It's an atmosphere of intolerance, vulgar postings of the F word and in my opinion, a disgusting atmosphere. As far as food I'll repeat what I started with, I hadn't been in The Gopher Bar for years, coneys are ok, but not as good as they use to be. The raw onions overpowered any coney flavor. My biggest regret is I didn't notice the garbage decor until after I ordered my food. In hindsight, I wish I had the guts to walked out after I ordered, something I've never done.

    Currency on the ceiling!
    Scott N.

    One doesn't go to the Gopher Bar for sushi, or an upscale atmosphere, or trendy cocktails. It's an old downtown St. Paul bar known for its Coney Dogs and that's how I'm rating this. Last night was my first time there, and I had the original Coney Dog (excellent) and the Stuffed Green Pepper Egg Roll (mediocre - it would have been better with a creamy horseradish sauce rather than the marinara). All 6 of us had a great time, and tried to get dollar bills to pin to the ceiling - only 3 of us succeeded. As to those who are offended by the decor, they can have their reactions, no problem. I could have chosen to be offended by all the sports memorabilia as I am not a professional sports fan, but it didn't bother me. It's part of the territory and I was fine with it. Go for a Coney Dog and a Hamms and be happy.

    Samantha S.

    This place stands the test of time.... Bad attitudes that you can't help but love em. Coneys are awesome. The entertainment is the atmosphere. Good times!!

    Famous Coney Island
 Comes with mustard, meat sauce and onions
 Original - $3.50
 Wit Cheese - $4.00

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    Photo of Bea K.
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    11 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Love this place but it's rarely open! Best Coney in the USA as far as I'm concerned.

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    8 years ago

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    17 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Hot dogs ok, agrssuve atmosphere just want to eat and have a beer plus fund something I don't agree with.

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    15 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Best service I've had at a bar in the twin cities. Great prices on bottled beer, fun service, delicious pudding shots, good food.

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    13 years ago

    Best Coney's ever!!!!

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    7 years ago

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    10 years ago

    This is the only place to get a coney, if your thinned skinned or a liberal, you might want to find another place.

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    11 years ago

    Being from Detroit, I was very disappointed. These dogs are not coney dogs. Just hot dogs with taco meat on top.

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    14 years ago

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    Page 2 of 3

    Ask the Community - Gopher Bar

    Texas toast? Been going there for years and never seen it.

    Nope.

    Is this place finally closed for good?

    No, it's open and still a great spot for great coney's and beer.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    The White Squirrel Bar - 2.5 CBD Delta-8 Classic Squirrel Lemonade

    The White Squirrel Bar

    4.4(31 reviews)
    2.5 miWest Seventh

    Bad Julia. I was so busy enjoying myself that I failed to take pictures. Anyway, this is an awesome…read moreplace. I came in to enjoy some live music with a couple of amazing local bands, and I am absolutely sold. Highlights include: tons of street parking nearby, superior selection of drinks (more on this later), and awesome people. Everyone, from the folks behind the bar to the other patrons, was ultra welcoming. I'm pretty sure this is the neighborhood Cheers. Seriously--amazing vibes, and it's great for solo people. (I realize that might be ambiguous, so what I mean by "great for solo people" is that you won't feel uncomfortable coming here alone. It's easy to chat with people if you want to; it's easy to just enjoy the music if you want to.) Okay, I know you want to hear about the drinks. They have a great selection of beer on tap. They have tons of cocktails, including a selection of barrel-finished cocktails. Not drinking tonight? They have plenty of THC and even a CBD-only option (winning!), along with some non-altering choices that include switchel(!). There's a huge outdoor patio with fire pits that I will probably check out next time. Anyway, this is a great spot!

    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.

    Photos
    The White Squirrel Bar - Bar area

    Bar area

    The White Squirrel Bar - Booths are comfortable and fairly private.

    Booths are comfortable and fairly private.

    The White Squirrel Bar - White Squirrel

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    White Squirrel

    Nickel Sports Bar - Bar entrance

    Nickel Sports Bar

    4.5(2 reviews)
    1.8 miMidway

    What an interesting local bar in Minneapolis! Our group wandered into this bar shortly after…read moreattending a wedding at the Church of St. Agnes right around the corner. Once we walked into the bar we could tell immediately this was a local dive bar for the surrounding area. To paint a picture most of the people who were at the bar at 3pm on a Sunday were an older crowd (50+), one lady was wearing a shirt which was dress-length with a cat plastered on the front, and in the corner, to my delight, there were various arcade games which cost $1 to play. I'd definitely recommend this bar if you're looking to escape the surrounding summer heat after a wedding and get $3 beers. The bar offers cheap beers on tap and arcade games in the corner which you can entertain yourself with. There's a jukebox which also doubles as a free photo booth (we may or may not have taken multiple free photos). Since we were a wedding party of men in suits and women in cocktail dresses we definitely got a lot of side eye from the local crowd (also probably due to our poor decisions to play a few Nickelback songs on the jukebox) but since we were in a large group we had a blast!

    New owners! Fabulous people and a great new vibe, from the new owner. Big change..it appears that…read morethe new management actually likes to have... customers! We are looking forward to maybe an expansion and events in their super party room. Cheap drinks, and they have a sign for bingo. If their upgrading the bar turns out as absolutely spectacular as the upstairs apt remodel (you can see it on a real estate site) it will be great for the neighborhood.

    Photos
    Nickel Sports Bar - Interesting bar decor (this one was my favorite)

    Interesting bar decor (this one was my favorite)

    Nickel Sports Bar
    Nickel Sports Bar - Interesting decor

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    Interesting decor

    Gopher Bar - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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