Pillbox Tavern
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I have driven by this spot so many time thinking the next time I'm in DT St. Paul, I should stop by. I finally remembered to stop here before an event at Park Square. It was a bit of a slower evening, nothing at the arena or the Ordway, so it was easy to grab a seat at the bar. I enjoyed a tap hefeweizen and grabbed a grilled chicken sandwich for dinner. The bartender was great and got me taken care of quickly. Food was good, kind of standard bar fare, but some special items as well. There is a patio that faces the street and a kind of "indoor patio" on the backside of the hallway to the building, in case sitting inside the restaurant isn't what you want to do. I could definitely see coming back before attending a nearby event.
Great spot for a lovely dinner in downtown St Paul. My friend and I sat at a high top table on the edge of the inside portion of the restaurant. It was a drizzly evening so we opted for inside but with garage doors were all open. Our waitress was great. She was helpful and nice. The food/drinks were quickly served to us. I ordered the margarita (comes with a buzz button) and the Big Bang Shrimp Tacos (gf). Everything was absolutely delicious! The tacos are served on corn tortillas (3). The sauce on the tacos is to die for. Marg was great and came with a buzz button which I've had before elsewhere but that was a fun addition to my cocktail. It kind of tingles the inside of your mouth when you chew on it. It lingers for a couple of minutes (the tingle sensation). I'm looking forward to coming back cause their menu looks ahhmazing. Cheers!
Food is good, drinks are okay. Service is okay. The chairs are uncomfortable enough that I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5.
Sophie is an amazing bartender/waitress. Fun, fast, and helpful. The Saint Paul 75 is a crazy combination of a drink that somehow works. The walleye bites were meh but the meatloaf sliders were excellent.
The Pillbox is named after a former professional baseball stadium, now long gone, that once stood in Saint Paul, MN. This open, spacious, roomy, well lit restaurant and bar is a very good option when looking for a place to eat or grab a drink in downtown Saint Paul today. I've been for lunch, drinks, and pre NHL game food and drinks. Nice selection of beers and spirits. The menu is high-end sports bar food. I've had good tasting sandwiches and a burger here recently. Lots of TVs showing sports. Some cool paintings of historic old Saint Paul, including the old Pillbox Stadium.
Tacos were excellent. Service very good!! And ambiance nice. Big tables available for large groups.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
5 months ago
The Pillbox Tavern is an absolute MUST STOP if you're in downtown St. Paul!!! What a fantastic bar/restaurant that has a little something for everyone. If Jenn and Chad are bartending, you're In for a treat. Fantastic customer service, bartenders that smile and seem to enjoy their craft as they work. I was in St. Paul for 5 days and spent 3 of my dinners there. N/A beer selection was a nice plus. They carry an impressive line of Tap beers from all over the country and their kitchen backs its reputation with great quality food! (Full bar, plenty of liquor and a great wine selection also) There's plenty of outdoor seating available also along the street, which is an open-air compliment to the restaurant. TV's cover every spot you could ask for, with a MONSTER main screen on the bar wall.... Not sure its size, but it would be calculated in feet, not inches! There is not a plethora of options in St. Paul for restaurants, especially in the downtown area. The Pillbox is walking distance to the Grand Casio Arena which is fantastic and most downtown hotels are only a 5-7 minute walk away. I spent 19 years in the restaurant business. From doorman, to buss boy, server, to bar tender, bar manager to general manager, I've managed restaurants similar to the Pillbox Tavern. I openly and publicly give them a huge shout out for their customer service, food quality and atmosphere....and additional kiddos for the upbeat environment their staff portrays. If Jen and Chad ever move to Chicago, they could write their own tickets In restaurant management or ownership. If you're looking for a place because your visiting, this is YOUR ONE STOP SHOP! If you are local and haven't tried it yet, you need to establish a new watering hole! If you're lucky enough to meet regulars like Tony and his wife at the bar, you Might just be rubbing elbows with some of the nicest people in St. Paul! Cheers to enjoying a smile on the rocks with new friends at The Pillbox Tavern. -Brad read more
4 days ago
Frustrated with this place because of its tremendous potential and many missed opportunities. Massive 21-foot screen to watch football as well as about another 20 easily show all games at once as well as other sports that might be on concurrently (Twins baseball game and Indiana Fever WNBA game are current examples). Nope. EVERY single TV is on the same channel for the same game, with exception of three TVs located immediately to the right of the massive big screen. Two of those are on a coin-collecting show and the other has just now been changed from an episode of NCIS to the Minnesota WNBA game. Ya think at least the sound from the one game that IS on the TVs is being played? Nope. Some random music being played over the speakers. Food and drink specials are pretty good, but many inconsistencies throughout. Bottomless mimosas for $20 listed with no time associated, so one would assume it's all day. Waiter 'thinks' it's only until 2pm while the menu only hints it might be until 1pm bcuz it's listed near other specials that end at 1pm. Those food and drink specials I mentioned have no times associated with them. Listed as 'Vikings On the Wall of St Paul.' Asked the waiter if the specials were all-day Sunday during the games. He wasn't sure, said he 'thinks' it might only be during the Minnesota game. I HATE writing poor reviews and rarely ever do it. But this one was exceptional. Cool place but c'mon guys. Missing ALL the games we came here to watch! read more
5 days ago
I have driven by this spot so many time thinking the next time I'm in DT St. Paul, I should stop by. I finally remembered to stop here before an event at Park Square. It was a bit of a slower evening, nothing at the arena or the Ordway, so it was easy to grab a seat at the bar. I enjoyed a tap hefeweizen and grabbed a grilled chicken sandwich for dinner. The bartender was great and got me taken care of quickly. Food was good, kind of standard bar fare, but some special items as well. There is a patio that faces the street and a kind of "indoor patio" on the backside of the hallway to the building, in case sitting inside the restaurant isn't what you want to do. I could definitely see coming back before attending a nearby event. read more
Great spot for a lovely dinner in downtown St Paul. My friend and I sat at a high top table on the edge of the inside portion of the restaurant. It was a drizzly evening so we opted for inside but with garage doors were all open. Our waitress was great. She was helpful and nice. The food/drinks were quickly served to us. I ordered the margarita (comes with a buzz button) and the Big Bang Shrimp Tacos (gf). Everything was absolutely delicious! The tacos are served on corn tortillas (3). The sauce on the tacos is to die for. Marg was great and came with a buzz button which I've had before elsewhere but that was a fun addition to my cocktail. It kind of tingles the inside of your mouth when you chew on it. It lingers for a couple of minutes (the tingle sensation). I'm looking forward to coming back cause their menu looks ahhmazing. Cheers! read more
18 days ago
Food is good, drinks are okay. Service is okay. The chairs are uncomfortable enough that I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5. read more
The Pillbox is named after a former professional baseball stadium, now long gone, that once stood in Saint Paul, MN. This open, spacious, roomy, well lit restaurant and bar is a very good option when looking for a place to eat or grab a drink in downtown Saint Paul today. I've been for lunch, drinks, and pre NHL game food and drinks. Nice selection of beers and spirits. The menu is high-end sports bar food. I've had good tasting sandwiches and a burger here recently. Lots of TVs showing sports. Some cool paintings of historic old Saint Paul, including the old Pillbox Stadium. read more
1 year ago
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. read more
9 months ago
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! read more
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. read more
1 year ago
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. read more
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! read more
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. read more
1 month ago
2 months ago
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. read more
2 years ago
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. read more
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. read more
9 months ago
1 year ago
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 read more
1 year ago
Awesome food. We had street tacos and a burger and cheese curds appetizer. Decent beer menu. Outdoor seating and service were on point. read more
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. read more
Don't let my 4 stars stop you from coming here... it's only for the slow service. I've passed this place numerous times on my way to Candyland and never thought to try it until this evening before a concert at Xcel. My siblings and I enjoyed deviled eggs and spinach & artichoke dip for our appetizers. Both very good. The spinach & artichoke dip came out so hot and was so creamy and good... I'd say the best I've ever had. Definitely a must try. For entrees: we enjoyed the chicken sandwich, pork belly tacos, buffalo chicken wrap, and cheese curd burger. Everyone enjoyed their food very much and consensus was we'd definitely come back. I saw on their happy hour menu they serve jalapeño poppers and giant mozzarella sticks.... I will be back to try both of those. Seems like a fun sports bar spot. They offer pulltabs in the machine. Also looks like they have patio seating as well. read more
I stopped in for brunch because I believed Pillbox still offered bottomless mimosas. They do not. I was disappointed and planned to leave after the drink I ordered. I got lazy and decided to stay and order a salad. I finished the salad, but it wasn't the best salad I've the had. I would not order it again and will likely keep my future orders to things that simple and straightforward. read more
7 months ago
8 months ago
3 years ago
I was in St Paul for about 5 days and went to Pillbox Tavern for three of those days. It was the Pearl Jam hub of Labor Day weekend 2023. Take note, Xcel Center visitors! It met so many needs: - Dinner and drinks at the bar - Sit down relaxing dinner with drinks - Drinks and snacks midday The staff was great, there were solid IPAs (whoa 10% ABVer we had multiple times), the food hit the spot for each scenario. It wasn't gourmet, it wasn't fancy but it was an above solid pub experience. read more
Good location downtown and close to Xcel energy center. Open late with food offered till midnight Limited food menu however the fact that they offer food at 11:30 at night made it work for me. Lots of seating and tv's to watch a game. We had the boneless wings , chicken nuggets and tater tots. All were devoured. We were hungry. Food came out fast and was hot. read more
9 months ago
10 months ago
We came here on a busy Saturday night. It was snowing like crazy that night and I didn't then expect them to be packed. But these damn Minnesotans don't let no snow stop them from eating. Despite them being busy, their service was in point. We started off with an order of their cheese curds. They tasted fresh and were served with Calabrian chili honey. The sauce was a nice touch since I've only ever tried cheese curds with ranch and sometimes marinara. My wife ordered their Pillbox Burger. It came with white American cheese, burger sauce, bacon, fried onions lettuce and tomato. I got a little bite, but I didn't really care much for it. I ordered their Juicy Jalapeño Popper burger. This one was a lot better. A burger stuffed with pepper jack and jalapeño and then deep fried. And then it was topped with jalapeño cream cheese and apricot jam. Despite all thess damn jalapeños, trust me when I say, that it wasn't even spicy. It tasted good, but lacked any real heat. Not sure if I'd come back here next time I'm in Minnesota, but if I ever did, I would reorder this burger. read more
10 months ago
The food is delicious and unique! I visited with a group recently and sat at a huge table set for us and snacked on yummy apps. Wings, brussel sprouts, and the pretzel were so good! The cheese curds were tator tots stuffed with cheese. My 1st time trying and would highly recommend! I decided to order through Uber Eats tonight at my hotel, and everything arrived in a decent amount of time, plus it was hot, fresh, and made correctly. I also tried the pear salad without cheese, and it was yummy. The greens and fruit are fresh. Portion size is perfect, and I have leftovers for tomorrow. read more
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More info about Pillbox Tavern
400 Wabasha St N
Ste 220
Saint Paul, MN 55102
Downtown St. Paul
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(651) 756-7566
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http://pillboxtav.com
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