Excellent place to watch the Vikings game. We had a great server and the burgers and steak fries, yum steak fries, were delicious! Definitely be back! read more

Ehhhh....Not so good!!!! I was very disappointed with my experience here. Met my niece for lunch which I think was our first mistake. I think the food would have been better, hotter, fresher, had we came on Saturday night. She had the Beer Mac and Cheese with chicken and naturally, my fork veered over to try it, and it was mehhh....nothing great. It honestly looked left over from the night before and they threw in boiled chicken. Yes, the chicken is boiled. It almost looked canned to me but I really doubt it was. The temperature was not hot enough for me and the sauce was not saucy. It just did not look fresh to me nor did it taste fresh. I had the walleye which was excellent. My first time having mushy peas and I don't like peas but these were A'ight....Too peppery for me though...They were also runny....I am not sure they are supposed to be runny? I swapped out Champ which is basically mashed potatoes with onions. I love me sum spuds so something would have had to be horribly wrong for me not to like these taters. They were good but not great because they were luke warm. All of this adds to my suspicion that everything was a reheat except my fish. That would be WAY too noticeable. Ohhhhh I loved loved the tartar sauce!!! Definitely homemade! I really wish that this establishment would spend a little money and at least get some new bar stools. Every single one was cracked and old. Its sad when a place like this which has been around FOREVER doesn't care to put any money back into the business. I highly doubt this new food menu will be successful because the place is such a dump. The only reason I am giving three stars is my fish and the service. Our server was pretty good and she had the whole place. I will not go back but I am glad I tried it. read more

It still seems odd that a couple heavy hitters in the food scene chose a neighborhood bar to launch an Irish menu, but hey, it works. Came here on a Friday night for dinner. We had the stuffed jalapeños (small but crispy and gooey), lobster roll (rich and buttery) and fish n chips (soft and flaky, not overly battered and fried). This is NOT your standard bar food. It is delicious and well-crafted. A little pricier, sure, but such a treat for the midway area. Service was spot on. Biggest downside is the noise and some loud, tipsy types. Hopefully the Paddy Shack survives. read more

Is the music always unbearably loud? It's was 8:30 on a Wednesday! There was maybe 10 people in the bar. It was tough to have a conversation with my husband. And I'm not some blue hair complaining because my hearing aid was turned up;) It was just stupid loud so we left. read more

I can't decide between two and three stars for Paddy Shack, which is sort of the restaurant part of the Half Time Rec. Our waiter was a great fellow, so he gets a star. Of course, the black and tans were good, as they have been for decades, another star. But I was so very disappointed in the food. My husband had the cod and chips. I tasted a bit of the cod, which looked delicious but tasted more like icky fish than yummy fish. I asked him if all the rest of the fish tasted like that and he said "yes." He's used to sushi so he was able to stomach the flavor, however I would have sent it back if I had gotten it. He said the fish breading was very good and he devoured the chips. He wouldn't touch the shot glass full of smashed peas. I don't blame him. They were minty and strange. I ordered the shepard's pie. It was lava-like. Now, I usually have the opposite problem, but this little casserole was so hot that if I had dropped it in my lap I'd have had to do a Macdonald's and sue them for burned skin. While it cooled, I ate the brown bread, which I had really looked forward to, as I ate loaves of it in Ireland years ago. Sadly, this had no relation to that rustic bread. This was flavorless, smooth and dense and tasted like it had a maple glaze on it. My husband had mostly consumed his fish before I could eat my "pie," but after all that waiting, I was sad. The dish consisted of a big pile of mashed potatoes with barely an inch of mostly-gravy stew down at the bottom. Either I had baked my taste buds, or it just had no taste. Regardless, it was pretty disappointing. There were a lot of other things on the menu that looked interesting, and I wouldn't mind trying them, if we ever go back to eat. Incidentally, my husband and I were regulars at the Rec back in the 80s and 90s, in the heyday of the Irish bands. The place hasn't changed that much, except for a number of high tables and stools and a modified bar. It looks a little cleaner too, (although I never went in there during daylight anyway, so don't know for certain). Apparently they don't often have Irish music anymore, so our nostalgia trip was not fully realized. read more

I've said it before and I will say it again (and again) - I love a good dive. Halftime Rec is a great dive in my eyes for a few reasons... I can walk there. Be jealous everyone. Beer is fresh & cheap. It feels like Cheers in there. It's a good old bar with mainly stools & just a few hightop tables. Everyone who walks in is a "regular" and is welcomed warmly...my friend commented to me that it seemed like a reunion. Sometimes they charge a cover, I wouldn't bother on those nights...but any other night it's great! Stop in!! read more

I had a blast here. This place is huge! There is a diverse crowd of people that hang out which are great for people watching. Drink prices are fair, selection is decent. You can play pool and darts like at any bar. . . . BUT in the basement they have a bocce ball court! It's pretty fun. I had my first bocce experience here. The basement has a musty, earthy smell that I have always loved since the 3rd grade when my entire school had to crouch in the bomb shelter for 4 hours due to a tornado watch. The employees are pretty nice, which is a bonus. read more

This place has easily become one of my favorite drinking holes - hands down! It has hilarious locals, a really fun staff, and a ginormous amount of room. I don't feel the need to dress up or impress anyone. I don't feel the need to watch my dancing. And I really don't feel the need to be sober here. And you know what? Everyone around me is okay with that! The "everyone" around me consisted of either of people my age (late 20s) or really old (late 50s). It's cool that everyone can just chillax and have a good time together! Friday night - band playing, five dollar cover charge, and a jukebox to close out the night. Oh yeah, some pretty dirty bocce ball grounds downstairs. Not bad. read more

This bar is a rip off. We came here for Tim Sigler's 1,000 show for the night. Got 2 drinks at the bar and transferred our tab to our waitress. Common practice at any bar/restaurant in the country. The bartender didn't warn us, but... They charged us a $25 upcharge for swapping tabs, even though all waitresses (here too) pay out the bartenders. There goes the tip :( She checked with the manager too. They didn't care. Do NOT frequent this bar! read more

Read the reviews, this place is an amazing dive bar! We moved to the Como neighborhood two years ago and still love showing up here. The new Paddy Shack opened up recently which added an amazing Irish menu to this once "only frozen pizza" place. Not your boring bar menu mind you, expect a delightful change to your pallet. They offer live music, bocce ball, pulltabs (with regular hours) meat raffle, and enough large t.v.'s to watch your favorite game! read more

I love me a good drive bar and this a pretty good one. I met up with some friends the night be for St. Patrick's Day for some drinks and to hear some music. We had a pretty big group and the bar was nice enough to reserve some tables for us since we called ahead of time. Overall, when you walk in the bar, you get the feeling of being in someone's basement or garage. In the backroom, there is a ping pong table set up for people to play on and in the basement of the bar, there is a bocce ball court. I look forward to going back and checking them out sometime since I passed up the chance this time. There is also a small stage for live bands to play which on the night that I was there, the bands were pretty good. The price for drinks doesn't seem that bad for drinks. I was impressed that they had Finnegans on tap and for $4 or so, you can't beat the price. I'm kicking myself for it taking me living in St. Paul for over 2 years to check this place out. read more

For a dive bar this place may be perfect for some but not for me. A dated bar with just beer or hard liquor and boxed wine. This is a place for the regulars and if your at looking for some cheap drinks. read more

My wife and I just had dinner at the Rec. Very disappointed--used to have the best onion rings in town, now rank with the worst. Stuck together hard crusty batter, tatter totes were the same, must have been sitting for a while. Wait staff was ho hum not really into the job, lots of new people maybe why the not so good attitude. The experienced wait staff, "IE", Kayla offered some of the best dinnering experience in the city but the last two times we were at the Rec. we were told we could not eat in the dinning room and thoes who waited on us had a ho hum attitude. We wil probably go back but with some hesititaion, read more

This bar is pretty divey, and the drinks and prices here are about the same as any other dive bar. What keeps me coming back here, besides proximity to my friend's house, are the bocce ball courts they have located in their basement. With exception to food, the next best thing to accompany drinking is a bit of competition and physical activity and bocce ball is the perfect level of chill / fun rivalry while drinking...the only thing that could make this better if it were outside on a hot summer day...free beer wouldn't hurt either I guess. read more

Interesting place. I'm not sure what else I can say about it. I went there to see a band play. The band was very good (Soul Tree, if you're wondering). Since I was there just for the band, I didn't get to experience the bar much. So really, the two stars are more because I have no idea what the identity of this place is supposed to be. The patrons are quite an interesting (there's that word again) mix, to say the least (most?). It seemed like there was some event going on in the back. I'm still not sure what it was. Those were mostly local kind of people, young-ish, non-professionals. Then there was a group of younger kids, maybe college or just out of college. But they were a little obnoxious and a lot drunk. Then you had your older local crowd at the bar, mostly watching whatever sporting event was on TV, maybe NASCAR. I kid, I kid. Things were mostly quiet and calm on this cold Saturday night, but then after midnight things got a little more than interesting. A lot more people came into the car, and started drinking and dancing on the dance floor. Then a group of 3 creepy guys were gawking at girls half their age, and making sad attempts to pick them up. They ended up walking out without being able to pick anyone up, much to their chagrin. But I digress... I guess I would go back to this bar again, if a band I want to hear is playing there. Otherwise, I'm not so sure. I'm having mixed feelings about the place, mostly fear of the unknown. read more

Neighborhood bar that I frequent whenever I'm down for a strong tasty drink. Haven't tried much of their food yet. What I have tried was delish. I love this bar. read more

A little too racist for my taste *shrugging arms emoji* Service was bad, food was better. A decent tap list. read more

Well, they used to have a great menu. Authentic English pub grub. They've taken the good stuff off now. So it's just another dive. Very sad. Their lobster rolls, shepherds pie and bangers and mash were top notch. No more. But hey, they have hamburgers. Probably Heggies. read more

Awesome food and staff. The burgers are amazing, they have won the T/C burger battle last year and second place this year. For a special treat, the Irish Toasty (glorified grilled cheese) with bacon and lobster added on as extras is on their secret menu as the (Poorburt special)!!! Enjoy, you can't go wrong with this dive bar with gourmet food. Guy Fieri will be here soon if he hasn't been already! read more

Half Time Rec has great food, really good service, and is a lively, fun place to get dinner and good beer. We go at least a few times a year. read more

Halftime has a little bit of verything, FoosBall, Bocce, Ping Pong, Pool, darts, a hobo that washes dishes, music... When you first walk in, it looks iffy, like most dive bars, but I have never not had fun there. When it is slow, the female bartenders are nice to talk too as well. read more

Run, don't walk to Paddy Shack at Half Time Rec! Wow! This food is amazing! Beyond flavorful-the menu is curated just so; it's not your typical Irish pub fare-so much better. We had the fish and chips and "JBR full Ulster fry in a bun" with creamed kale, alongside the Reuben stuffed jalapeños. All so good, wish we could have sampled everything. We will be back! read more

Half Time Rec - Paddy Shack menu - Dive Bars Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

It may be a dive bar, but you'd never know it from the food. For lunch, we tried the Reuben Stuffed Jalapeños, the Paddy Shack Burger and the Dublin Lawyer Roll. Everything was outstanding. The jalapeños were large and flavorful. The burger was perfectly prepared. The lobster roll was substantial and tasty. The real standout of our order, however were the chips, served on the side of both the burger and lobster roll. Often, thick-cut fries are simply too potatoey. They're dense and soft and not nearly as good as thin-cut fries. Not the case here. They are perfectly prepared--crispy, fresh and delicious. We ate at the bar and had the pleasure of being served by Nick the bartender. He was friendly, helpful and prompt, making an already nice lunch even better. I'll be returning often. read more

Went for the first time last night to watch the Wild game, really enjoyed it. I had a rec dog, which is a dome dog (which I seriously miss having no more metrodome!) wrapped in bacon and, per the waiter's suggestion, got the version that had beer mac and cheese, mustard, and popcorn on it. I was super skeptical about the popcorn, but oh wow was it amazing! My friend had the bangers and mash and absolutely loved it as well. Our server, Colin, was incredibly friendly and helpful since it was both mine and my friend's first time going to the bar. Overall, we had a really fun night, the food was awesome, and we'll be going back again! read more

Great neighborhood joint! They just added a kitchen that serves delicious Irish fare! Meat raffles, live music and plenty of TVs to catch your favorite team! Plus Nick is the best bartender this side of the river! No he didnt pay me to write this... read more

Mike who plays on Wednesday's is the best!!!! And so is the corned beef dinner, and the potatoes that come along with it. I am not a potato person, but perhaps it's the Irish-ness of the bar, but the potatoes/fries are super good here. Drinks are strong and service is a little slow. There is also bocce ball, which is a super fun time! read more

Really think this place is cool. The food is amazing and the beer is cold. Everything about it makes me smile. You should try it.

Went here for lunch with 7 old lady friends. We were a little put off when we first entered this "dive" bar, but once we were in and settled it was a friendly warm wonderful place. We came here for the new restaurant Paddy Shack that was added recently. It is a mainly Irish Menu. The food was over the top good. 3 of had the Lobster roll, 2 had hamburgers and 1 had lobster mac and cheese. Everyone raved about the food and the lobster roll was the best I've ever had. The Chef, 'Billy' came out to greet us, that was a nice touch. We will be going back for the food again and again. What a great experience. read more

If you're looking for a cute little dive bar, you've arrived. I personally love the half time rec. It's tucked nearby the Como zoo and boasts a pretty kick ass bocce space in the basement. It's small, it's dark, it's perfect. read more

****UPDATE*** - I received an extremely apologetic and sincere message from one of the owners of Half Time Rec. He assured me that this was an exception to their normally diverse and welcoming crowd and staff and I believe him. ***UPDATE**** My friend and I went into Half Time Rec on Sunday, September 24 to watch the Vikings game. We got in the door and started looking for a table just as the national anthem was being played for the Vikes game on television. As the camera showed a couple of NFL players taking a knee, one gentleman in the bar started loudly booing and then said, "Look at those f*aggot n*ggers. I think I saw them looting during the hurricanes!" I found out from our server that this man is the maintenance man for this establishment, and that the owner was sitting at the opposite end of the bar in full earshot of everything. The service was great, the food was fine. The atmosphere because of the owner and the maintenance man was hostile, racist and homophobic. I definitely won't be returning and will make sure I tell everyone I know to avoid this place. read more

I always have a certain fondness for dive bars but occasionally you have to deal with the clientele the dive bar attracts. During a recent event in the back room the staff was very accommodating and tried their best to make us feel welcome. Then the local softball players stopped in, assumed they can do what ever they wanted to do in "their bar" and were very ungentlemanly with our female guests. It was ugly. There are other dive bars to go to without feeling like you have to take a shower afterwards. read more

Just added a kitchen, I've only tried a burger so far and it was fantastic. Go there expecting a neighborhood bar with live music on weekends, pool, ping pong, tv's etc. I'll be back for more very soon! read more

Hands down the best bar food in the cities. I'd been skipping over this place for the past few years because it was a bar with an identity crisis, not quite sure if it was an Irish or a country bar. Now I don't really care. The food is so good I hesitate to draw too much attention to it because I want to always be able to get a table. read more

This is one of my favorite dive bars in the area. The wings are huge and tons of flavor. The burgers are absolutely out of this world. The live music is always a hit too. I love this place. Seriously one of the best by Como Park Area. read more

Came in on a Thursday from 80 degree Vegas and this spot made me smile. People playing pool, dancing, and jus chillin. Good prices and great bartenders. Come check this spot out. read more

I do *not* recommend coming here on packed nights (i.e. St. Patrick's day- I hear you, Michelle), but on a typical night it's a good place to hang out with your buddies. read more

I once heard a rumor that this place was named one of the best bars in America and I can't imagine how that could possibly be true. This place is poor to average (at best) except they have bocce ball in the basement. The bocce ball is what gets them the third star. It is fun, but get there early, because there is only two lanes. They don't have a particularly good draft beer selection, nor are their bartenders particularly skilled or good looking. So how is this the best in America? That's the real mystery! read more

This bar was the one that made me swear off going out on St. Patrick's Day (and I am Irish). That aside, it was a very good (read authentic) Irish bar. I would think there would be ample parking on a non holiday night. There is also fun Irish music. read more

This place cracks me up! I only made it here once and don't know if I remember everything to tell a review. It's definitely a dive bar with a lot of locals. A band was playing that could use some lessons but I don't think anybody cared. It was pretty much just background music anyway. A few drinks and a few shots later it was closing time and the employees showed us the door but done very friendly. I wish we got to play some bocce ball that I heard about. That would of made the night. read more

Fun place for a drink n chips. Bartenders are super friendly. The locals in the bar make you feel welcome and not an outsider. And the local lottery called pull tabs in the bar is another plus read more