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    Pillbox Tavern

    3.7 (121 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    PILLBOX TAVERN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Pillbox Tavern

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    The menu
    Chi-cori B.

    I made a group reservation for 11 people and all showed up! We had one waiter and got another half way though! We are watching the Chicago Bears vs. The L.A. Rams NFL Playoff game. The Atmosphere is fun! And it wasn't packed here at all during the game. However the Minnesota Vikings are not playing so I understand! The waiter and the food came out promptly!! So far they have not Disappointed. Come check this place out if you are downtown!

    Tuna Taki Bowl
    Kathie A.

    My SO and I stopped in for dinner on a Saturday before the Wild game. My SO had the Mushroom Swiss burger with tots he really liked the burger. I had the Tuna Taki Bowl really good could have used some wasabi and pickled ginger otherwise very tasty. Service was great and enjoy the sports vibe.

    Pork belly taco
    Katrina M.

    We went here before a concert at the Xcel. It was fairly busy but we were able to find a seat. The place felt sticky and our table didn't seem clean. The server took a while to get to us and a while to come with our drinks and take our order. The beer selection was good, and I will say the food was good. Bar food but food. We shared the fish tacos and the pork belly tacos. The fish tacos were the winner. I suggest them! Three to each plate. Unfortunately my photo only shows the pork belly tacos.

    Pork Belly Elote
    Olivia H.

    Stopped here for a quick lunch while I was in town. It was a beautiful day with the windows open - couldn't have asked for a better place to sit. The tacos were pretty good, warm but not hot. Could've used a bit more flavor to the pork belly, but overall, I enjoyed it!

    Bavarian pretzel with beer cheese sauce
    Julie B.

    Friend and I chose to have Saurday dinner here before heading to the Fitzgerald. Plenty of parking options nearby (off-street, lot or ramp). Walking in, it was wait-to-be-seated. Walking out, it was seat yourself. We got a hightop table near the bar. Friend sat on a booth bench while I took the leather strap chair. I found the leather chair to be comfortable for my big butt/ thighs. However, one of the leather straps broke on a slim guy at the table next to us. Better him than me. We started with a Bavarian pretzel with beer cheese. So yummy! Soft and hot. Nothing like a stale ballpark concession stand. And the beer cheese was perfect side for dipping. Even though it was a starter, our entrées came out 5 minutes later. Friend and I were both eyeing the Pillbox Philly. She ordered it while I changed it to a Patty Melt. Philly looked delicious. Friend said that the fries were okay, but the seasoned sour cream was sub-par. And she's a well-versed SSC eater so I'll take her word for it. My patty melt was good. The bread was nicely toasted, perfect amount of grilled onions. I've learned that sometimes the tots are better than fries and I was right. The tots had the perfect ration of soft potato to outside crunch. And they were nicely seasoned. Service was attentive and speedy. Bill was handled timely (as we were heading to the theater) and without error. Will keep this place in mind for future St. Paul adventures.

    Side salad
    Melaney S.

    I have an allergy that is not common. It is not as uncommon as many think, but it is not something restaurants are prepared for if someone comes in with it. I am allergic to onions. I have sensitivities to all alums, but only the onion side makes me have trouble breathing. There is a big caveat there: raw garlic does make me struggle with breathing. I went in to give my service animal in training a chance to settle while I took my time. I decided to end up with a salad with lemon for dressing. I got a great server who did everything she could to help me find something to eat that was not just salad. It was a bit of a back-and-forth. I am used to that. I tell them I am allergic to onions and I will have to ask about items ( I don't ask about things I know have onions. No tater tots for me). I ask about a few items, and they say Oh, that should be fine I ask that they check with the kitchen, and most things have onions. The server, when she understood that tons of things have onions that do not list them, went into a level of service I have rarely seen. She was wonderful. I wanted the fish and chips (made with walleye, seriously, you have to try this place). My server came out and told me the normal flour they use is already seasoned and has onion powder, but the chef was willing to make a batter with plain flour. Honestly, I almost cried. It turned out the fries are seasoned and have onion powder. I was ready to just leave them off, as anything else, like the only thing I could eat, was an upcharge. My server got me the salad with no upcharge. I would not expect that regularly. My meal and my service dog training was an incredably positive experience.

    Entrance
    Lauren H.

    Fun place for happy hour! We had several appetizers and everyone was able to order their drinks of choice. Food was just okay but the cocktails were delicious. Service was excellent! We came in 10 minutes before the kitchen closed and our server helped us to get our orders in right away. Ambiance was a standard sports bar experience but its convenient location in downtown St Paul was the reason we chose this place.

    Rueben sandwich
    Brandon S.

    I am a bit surprised at some of the previous negative reviews for Pillbox Tavern. We walked in with a huge group of 12 and were promptly seated. The server realized we would all be on different checks and took orders accordingly to make sure she got the orders correct. I ordered the Patty melt, and an order of cheese curds (not pictured in my review). The patty melt was solid with a decent amount of beef (cooked to a proper medium temp) with grilled onions and plenty of cheese, but the bread wasn't toasted or seared on either side. Seared and buttered bread is a staple of a good patty melt. This lead to a really off-putting texture. Fries were decent bar-style fries.... noting to write home about. The cheese curds however were ridiculously good. It was gooey melted cheese wrapped in a funnel cake style batter with a hot honey dip. These were the best darn cheese curds i've had in forever. I'd recommend giving the spot a try. Especially in a downtown area devoid of any real bars outside of the Pillbox Tavern.

    Main room
    Joe B.

    Ok, so we went here before the Josh Ritter concert (which was fabulous). Pretty cool place. Plenty of chairs at the bar and ample tables for those eating and drinking. First, the drinks: Saint Paul 75 was a fun twist on the classic. The Irish Whisky added a bit of complexity to the drink. Grab this one if you want a cocktail. The Electric Margarita: It was good, but it didn't distinguish itself from any other margarita. Skip it. Beer selection was adequate. It was a bit consternating that you had to jump through a few hoops to get to UnTapped to see the offerings. DreamYard was fresh and excellent. Second, the food: decent bar menu. The beet salad was solid. Added beef as a protein. We would do that one again. Chees curds were solid. They used apple cider with the batter, which added a nice dimension. The burgers were certainly a homerun. The Pillbox burger was solid, as was the pork belly burger. The Hangover burger was amazing! it has everything you want if you are recovering or just really hungry. Hashbrowns, an egg, a bunch of beef, and bacon. I barely finished it, much to my regret...i hate when I over-eat. Service: this was relatively lackluster, and I was gonna drop this down to three stars, but I decided to round it up. The place was not that busy for a Monday, but for whatever reason, service was painfully slow at our table. If I pop in here next time I will sit at the bar to eat and drink to avoid the initial frustrations.

    Beers on tap
    Molly C.

    We stopped here last night after our first choice was closed. Im glad things worked out the way they did because our waiter was so friendly and the beer selection was great! The food was solid. Special mention for the local made pretzel. So good we wanted to order a second. Industrial vibe with eclectic

    Cheese Curds
    Daniel M.

    Awesome food. We had street tacos and a burger and cheese curds appetizer. Decent beer menu. Outdoor seating and service were on point.

    Menu
    David M.

    My friend heard of the biggest mozzarella stick out there and of course, we had to try it. It was super crunchy, cheesey, and seems to have pesto in it. Do not try to tackle this bad boy on your own, you will need help! We tried the jalapeño burger and it was pretty good. There was a spicy sauce that was very tasty. The fries were served cold and they charged us for a ranch we were never served.

    Develed Eggs

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Loved the beer selection. The dry rub wings and shrimp tacos were great too. Will go again in a heartbeat.

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    1 year ago

    Sophie is the best bartender in town and wears cool shirts. She's not boring and the food is good

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    2 years ago

    What a lively place. Watched the Vikings win. The food was yummy. The service was fairly quick

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    Tom Reid's Hockey City Pub - More tables

    More tables

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    Street tacos

    Tom Reid's Hockey City Pub - Packed before the Wild vs Canes game.

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    Interesting bar decor (this one was my favorite)

    Nickel Sports Bar
    Nickel Sports Bar - Interesting decor

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    Pillbox Tavern - sportsbars - Updated May 2026

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