Varsity Ice House is officially one of our new go-to spots in Grand Forks!…read more We stopped in on a whim and were seriously impressed. The Bacon Cheeseburger was solid--thick-cut bacon, juicy patty, exactly what you want when you're craving a classic. The sweet potato fries were on point, and the queso fries were dangerously good. One of our favorites of the night was the Firecracker Shrimp--mildly spicy, super flavorful, and honestly way better than we expected from bar food. The whole place has a chill, fun atmosphere, the kind of bar you settle into without even trying. The table next to us ordered wings and they looked incredible... so yes, we're already planning our return trip just for those. Shoutout to Jacob, who closed us out and made sure everything was exactly to our liking. Great service on top of great food = winning combo. Can't wait to go back!

Went to watch UFC, the bartenders always made sure a drink was there and made sure I was token care…read moreof the whole night

Always busy. I like this place. They have some cool menu items. There is a wait for a table but you…read morecan self seat in the bar area. Really good servers. Nice polite and hard working. Cool bar type atmosphere with tons of beers on tap. I got the Walley deep fried which was outstanding. We also had the speedway chips were good and the steak and shrimp which did not disappoint. Steak was good and sidewinders. Shrimp were big also. They had a ton of menu options and variety.

I really enjoyed the fish and chips. The service was really good. We never felt like we had to…read morestruggle to get anything we needed. The only problem we ran into was unknowingly showing up on the first day of basketball season which made the restaurant extremely loud and difficult to talk to each other.

Came here on a Friday when it was packed because of the UND game. It is definitely a dive bar, so…read morekeep that in mind with your expectations. The crowd was mostly younger, but it felt like everyone was comfortable and just there to have a good time. We ordered a pizza and jalapeño poppers. The poppers were a miss, there were not many, and the flavor just was not great. The pizza though was solid, and their Friday deal for an extra large at 14 dollars was a nice surprise. They also have a good selection of beers and mixed drinks. Service was rough at first. Our server forgot our ranch and drinks a couple of times, but once another server jumped in to help, things got better. If you are looking for a laid back dive bar with decent food and cheap pizza deals, Joe Blacks is not bad especially if you are already in the area for a game.

Ordered a bacon cheese burger for pick up. Burnt black bacon, top bun placed at bottom which soaked…read moreup all the condensation and made it unpleasant, and the patty was dry. Disappointed.

I tried their veggie burger and it was so much better than similar burgers I've had from other…read moreplaces. The staff is really friendly and are very attentive. I will definitely be going back frequently.

The food from JL Beers never disappoints. From the burgers to the fries - even when we order out…read moreand bring it home! The service is always amazing and the inside of the restaurant is welcoming! No kiddos allowed so if you're looking for a kid free night - JL Beers is your spot! But if you do have kids - just place a pick up order and grab it!

The new Summer menu looked amazing. I chose the avocado, turkey, bacon on ciabatta, and the side…read morewas a French onion soup. The drink was an amazing peach mango and it has those little bursting beads. Those are good.

5 stars for the service every time we've been here! However, the food…read more.... The First time I came to this restaurant after just moving here, it was amazing. Ordered walleye with potatoes au gratin and both were cooked well and tasted great! However, the problem with this place is that it hasn't been consistent. I've ordered the same thing and it was awful. Our most recent visit, we ordered shrimp scampi, potatoes au gratin, and Mac and cheese. The shrimp were sitting in a dish of butter with minced garlic on top of the shrimp.... not cooked in the butter, just laying on the shrimp. The shrimp couldn't be cut with a fork they were so tough. They tasted microwaved. The potatoes I asked to be well done, burnt even. They came out with the cheese not browned and potatoes underneath were cold... not even hot. I politely told our waitress and explained i didn't want to complain. She was amazing and really tried to make it right. She brought us cheesecake that was the best thing I've had there. I really want to give this place another shot, but it's been so inconsistent which is incredibly disappointing.

I always love coming to the Loft especially before Sioux hockey games since they offer a free bus…read moreride to the game. Plus their drinks are good prices for what you get. It's a good amount of space with games from arcade games, darts, pool, etc. plus there's lot of seating and I heard the food is decent! Overall love coming here when I visit Grand Forks!

amazing friendly service, cool atmosphere! Recommend for anyone looking for a chill night with…read morefriends

The food takes forever even when not packed, servers don't communicate well, they up charge for the…read moremost ridiculous things ever. Drinks are overly priced! They charge for olives and pickle in beer. Wings are always terrible and dry.

We had a really disappointing experience. Service was extremely slow our food took nearly an hour…read moreto arrive, and when it finally did, it was cold. After I politely asked them to take it back and said I didn't want it remade, our server basically disappeared. Our drinks sat empty, and when it came time to pay, that took forever too. What really added to the frustration was watching the table right behind us with the same waiter and seated just after us get their food quickly, fresh, and their drinks refilled without issue. This isn't our first bad experience here, but we had hoped things would be better this time. On our way out, my wife spoke briefly with a manager who apologized and said he wished he had known sooner, but unfortunately, the damage was already done. We left genuinely disappointed and unsure if we'll give it another try.

Good food! Love the jambalaya! Totally a dive bar in a good way. Get the wings too!read more

Parrots cay is always a great spot to hangout! Best wings in town! Can't go wrong with shark 7sread more

I'm from out of town, but when I'm in Grand forks I'm sure to go here. Love their Brat and polish…read moresausage combo. I can't swear to anything else since that's all I ever get... but the people I go with always love what they get. Go here.

This is an all time dive bar. Rolled in here for a sandwhich and beers. Tons of regulars and a…read moregreat bar, would come back for sure

oh my!! delicious!! definitely doesn't look as appealing in the picture though. It was my first…read moretime trying this place and I was surprised with how good everything mixed together. I also got the Green Glow Smoothie and it was good as well. You can definitely taste the ginger. Definitely will be back. Great place to eat if counting macros and wanting to eat healthy.

I was eager to try this healthy addition to Grand Forks food options. The food was quite good; not…read morecheap, but a healthy portion with fresh ingredients. The menu is clearly marked for various food restrictions, which (as a long time gluten-free diner) I really appreciate. I got the featured salad, honey and spice, which was nice, but not mind blowing. The honey mustard dressing was just okay and the blackened chicken was not very flavorful. They left off the walnuts - I had to go back and get them when I realized they were missing. The ordering process was surpringly perfunctory - you have to know what you want, they apparently aren't there to help. And, when you go to through the line, you get no opportunity to customize your order, unless you shout over the partition. When I got to the dressing station, she asked me if I wanted the recommended amount of dressing - how could I possibly know what that is? My biggest complaint, besides the indifferent service (considering they just opened a few days ago, you think they'd be trying to ensure people have a really positive experience), was the surly attitude I got when I expressed a concern about gluten: you can get chips or bread at the end of the line and I asked for chips, but the person waiting on me reached for the bread, and I said, "don't touch the bread before you touch my chips." She got very offended. Among other things, she said "you have to ask for allergy accommodation at the beginning of the line." I think ensuring my food isn't cross contaminated is reasonable at any point in the ordering process. I've been gluten-free for 25 years and I've gotten poisoned by careless people so many times. Her attitude was really off-putting. Next time, I will use the app, so I can easily customize my order and I don't have to interact with the staff. ADDENDUM Someone immediately contacted me from the restaurant and offered me a coupon for a return visit, which I very much appreciate (though I have not had a chance to redeem it, and hopefully change my impression of the service).